Challenge!

Amid a crowd of admirers, a group of academy leaders slowly appeared. Ignoring the less attractive ones automatically, Long Jie's gaze immediately settled on the beautiful woman walking in the middle.

She wore a fiery outfit, with a scorching figure, exquisite looks, and an otherworldly air about her. With just one glance, Long Jie did not even need to judge—he knew he had lost!

"Brother, what do you think? Is she pretty?"

Long Jie turned around to see the three girls looking at him expectantly.

Smiling helplessly, Long Jie could only say, "I lost!"

"Oh yeah! So when are you going to challenge Dean Liu Erlong, Long Jie?" Ning Rongrong was equally unafraid of stirring up trouble. Watching a spectacle cost nothing!

"Let's wait until Dean Liu Erlong finishes speaking first," Long Jie said helplessly.

"Okay!"

Everyone settled down and listened as Liu Erlong spoke a whole lot from above. Long Jie and the three girls did not take in a word, until Liu Erlong finally said:

"All right, that concludes today's meeting!"

"Great!" Little Wu nudged Long Jie's hand. "Brother, now's the time. Go!"

The three girls all looked at Long Jie expectantly. Helpless, Long Jie could only rise to his feet. Seeing that Liu Erlong was about to leave, he hurriedly shouted:

"Dean Liu Erlong, please fight me!"

His shout instantly echoed across the entire square. Everyone froze, staring at the standing Long Jie in disbelief.

Under everyone's murderous stares, Long Jie could only force himself to step forward. Arriving before Liu Erlong, he respectfully said again, "Dean Liu Erlong, please fight me!"

"Oh?" Liu Erlong looked at the youth before her, who was far larger than others his age, and momentarily failed to react.

What had he just said? He wanted her to fight him?

He wanted a Soul Saint to fight him? What was he thinking?

"How dare you! What status do you have to challenge Dean Liu Erlong?" A middle-aged woman stepped out from the crowd and stood before Liu Erlong, glaring at Long Jie.

She said, "If you want to challenge Dean Liu Erlong, let's see what you're capable of first. Beat me before you talk!"

She was the Deputy Minister of Logistics at Lan Ba Academy. Despite possessing only thirty-eighth-level strength, she decisively stepped forward.

If she could preserve Liu Erlong's dignity this time, perhaps she might have a chance to be promoted to minister.

When she turned around, she saw the Minister of Logistics wearing a sour expression, clearly regretting not stepping forward earlier!

"All right." Long Jie was helpless. Why was challenging Liu Erlong so troublesome?

Now, he could only defeat the person before him first.

"Hmph, then watch yourself!" the middle-aged woman shouted. The people around them voluntarily cleared space, while even Liu Erlong watched curiously.

She wanted to see what this youth was capable of!

"Thirty-eighth-level defensive Soul Master, Giant Armor Turtle. Please enlighten me!" the woman shouted as one white and two yellow Soul Rings appeared behind her.

"Thirty-third-level Battle Soul Grandmaster, Seven Stars Sword. Please enlighten me!" Long Jie returned the salute. Two purple and one black Soul Rings floated behind him, their glow exceptionally dazzling.

The crowd below was shocked again. What the hell? Was this fake? Being level thirty-three at twelve years old was already terrifying enough, yet his Soul Rings were equally terrifying?

Two purple and one black? How could he endure that? Didn't it hurt?

"So that's why. No wonder you dared to challenge me!" Liu Erlong suddenly smiled. This strength was indeed acceptable. Perhaps she could send him there...

"What?" The middle-aged woman was startled. What the hell?

Were children these days all this terrifying?

Was being this big really normal?

The woman was frightened. If that hit her even once, it would probably hurt badly!

But with the arrow on the string, she had no choice but to fire it. Gritting her teeth, she roared, "Take this—Giant Armor Swallowing Turtle!"

The sole yellow Soul Ring behind her activated. She had actually used her Third Soul Ring with her very first move. That terrifying power transformed into a massive turtle that swallowed directly toward Long Jie.

Long Jie remained unhurried, wondering what he should use.

Why not try Seven Stars Whirlwind?

With a thought, Long Jie flashed forward, instantly colliding with the turtle's phantom. The move startled the middle-aged woman. If anything happened to Long Jie, forget getting promoted—she might even lose her job.

She hurriedly tried to withdraw her Soul Power, but before she could, a gust began spinning within the turtle phantom. Seven Stars Whirlwind activated, instantly slashing against the turtle phantom. The phantom had no ability to resist and shattered at once. Without losing momentum, the Seven Stars Blade came to rest against the woman's neck.

The middle-aged woman was defeated!

"Thank you for letting me win!" Long Jie saluted and stepped back.

The crowd below fell silent for the third time, before erupting into thunderous applause. Even Liu Erlong could not resist clapping.

"Good, good, good! A true hero emerges from youth!" Liu Erlong smiled and said "good" three times in a row, praising Long Jie.

The defeated middle-aged woman blushed and retreated alone.

She was utterly ashamed!

"Can I challenge you now?" Long Jie stared fixedly at Liu Erlong. His eyes seemed to contain countless stars, utterly mesmerizing.

But Liu Erlong merely smiled and said directly, "Why do you want to challenge me? You should know that I'm a Soul Saint, while you're only level thirty-three!"

"Because I want to lose!" Long Jie answered bluntly. Although there was the matter of the bet, he truly wanted to fight Liu Erlong as well.

After surviving Sword Douluo's attack last time, he had discovered that he loved defense—the feeling of facing countless attacks without being harmed in the slightest was simply exhilarating.

Today, he also wanted to see how his defense would fare against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

"Lose? What do you mean?" Liu Erlong did not understand. This young man was so strange.

"I mean... use the strength of a Soul Elder to attack me. As long as you can injure me, you win."

"Oh?" Liu Erlong froze, then became angry. What did he mean? Was he looking down on her?

Just injuring him would count as a win?

Kid, it seemed like he had never been beaten to death before.

Liu Erlong smiled as a mischievous urge rose in her heart. Smiling, she said, "Sure! Let's do it!"

Long Jie nodded and took a deep breath. His Second Soul Ring appeared, and his Second Spirit activated. Bear ears, bear paws, and other traits belonging to the Stone Armor Bear emerged across his body.

His Second Soul Ring activated, and the soul skill Stone Armor activated. For one minute, his defense would be as solid and indestructible as stone!

Looking at Liu Erlong, Long Jie said seriously, "Please attack!"

"Fine!" Liu Erlong did not hesitate in the slightest. She suppressed her Soul Power to Soul Ancestor level, forty-fourth-level strength.

That was right, Soul Ancestor—not Soul Elder. Liu Erlong intended to teach this ignorant kid a lesson!

Her hand transformed into a dragon claw, which she raised high. Power condensed into a blue sphere of lightning. Looking at Long Jie, Liu Erlong said, "Kid, it's not too late to regret this!"

Long Jie said nothing, only nodding deeply. This made Liu Erlong even more displeased. He truly was looking down on her.

Since that was the case...

Then he could not blame her!

The lightning sphere in her hand gathered to its greatest power before she threw it at Long Jie without hesitation.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

The lightning sphere crashed into Long Jie's body, blasting out layer after layer of wind and lightning. The watching students were thrown back by the force.

Dust and smoke instantly filled the air, and no one could see the scene inside. Yet every student shared the same thought: if it were them, they definitely could not survive that energy.

Could Long Jie?