Buddha's Angry Fire Lotus! Budget Version

"What do you think?" Xiao Hongchen rolled his eyes.

Jiang Shengyu rubbed his nose and said, "Looks like there's no need. We know each other too well, and we'll be seeing each other all the time. If we talk tough now and end up having hot pot together later, that'd be pretty awkward."

Xiao Hongchen did not waste words with Jiang Shengyu. He immediately released his Martial Soul. A gilded gold aura spread around him as the Three-Legged Golden Toad Martial Soul appeared, with two yellow and two purple Soul Rings pulsing above and below it.

Even at Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Soul Rings with the optimal configuration were rare.

Jiang Shengyu's gaze turned cold. He spread his hands and activated his Martial Soul. A Crescent Moon rippled open behind him like waves on water, while one purple and one black Soul Ring emerged and floated before him.

Jiang Shengyu rarely displayed his Martial Soul before others. Most students and teachers at Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy only knew that he was exceptionally gifted, possessed Innate Full Soul Power, and had obtained a Thousand Year Level first Soul Ring.

As for his true strength, he had never revealed it.

Now that they saw the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring in his second position, quite a few people in the Audience Stand sucked in cold breaths, doing their part to cool the surroundings.

Students of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy were already considered talented if they maintained the optimal configuration by their third Soul Ring. Seeing that Jiang Shengyu's second Soul Ring had already reached the Ten Thousand Year Level, they understood even more clearly the gap between themselves and a true genius!

"Your Soul Rings..." Xiao Hongchen frowned as he looked at Jiang Shengyu's Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

"Surprised?" Jiang Shengyu asked with a smile. "But you're a Soul Ancestor. You have more Soul Skills and more Soul Power than I do, so there's no need to be nervous."

Xiao Hongchen snorted and withdrew his two purple Soul Rings. "It's only a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. What's the big deal? I said I'd only use my first two Soul Skills, and I won't go back on my word."

As soon as he spoke, Xiao Hongchen's second Soul Ring lit up. He used Gold's Boiling, sending all the Soul Power in his body into a boiling state and enhancing every aspect of his strength.

Jiang Shengyu raised his hand, and his first Soul Ring lit up. Pitch-black Void Swallowing Flame rose from his palm, its scorching heat immediately warping the light around it. Then he raised his left hand, and another flame of a different color ignited—a jade-colored flame as translucent as glass.

This was Jiang Shengyu's second Soul Skill, Purification Lotus Demonic Fire! Between him and Jiang Qingtong, one had put points into borrowing while the other had put points into stealing.

Xiao Hongchen scattered another pile of metal particles. Using his first Soul Skill, Metal Control, he controlled them and gathered them into spikes that shot toward Jiang Shengyu.

But before the Heavenly Flames in Jiang Shengyu's hands, no amount of metal mattered.

The hard metal spikes were swallowed by the Fire Dragon Jiang Shengyu cast out, instantly vaporized beneath the searing heat!

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao finally understood why Xiao Hongchen had fought Jiang Shengyu so many times without gaining the upper hand even once. His Soul Skills were completely countered by Jiang Shengyu's flames and simply could not function!

The metal spikes could not break through the sea of fire Jiang Shengyu had created. Xiao Hongchen gave up on attacking from range, gathering his remaining metal particles around his hands to form two metal gauntlets before charging forward.

He enveloped himself in Soul Power, forming a Soul Power barrier that weakened the scorching flames' effects on him.

Jiang Shengyu controlled the fire with both hands, relying on the power of the two Heavenly Flames to make up for the gap in Soul Power between himself and Xiao Hongchen.

As time passed, the heat gradually penetrated the barrier and the metal gauntlets on Xiao Hongchen's hands, conducting into his flesh. Fine sweat covered his face.

Without using his third and fourth Soul Skills, Xiao Hongchen simply could not break through the offensive and defensive system formed by the flames in Jiang Shengyu's hands.

Xiao Hongchen gritted his teeth and concentrated all the Soul Power in his body into his right hand. Dazzling golden light bloomed from it. Then he swung his right fist at Jiang Shengyu.

Soul Power of over forty levels exploded from a single point in Xiao Hongchen's fist, and Jiang Shengyu immediately felt the pressure it carried.

He swiftly widened the distance between them and shouted, "Xiao Hongchen, are you seriously coming at me?"

Xiao Hongchen charged straight at Jiang Shengyu with his fist raised, shouting, "Jiang Shengyu, don't run! Charge straight into my fist!"

"Xiao Hongchen, do you take me for an idiot?" Jiang Shengyu turned and ran without the slightest hesitation.

The two chased each other across the Arena. Watching from below, Huo Yuhao was somewhat stunned, while Meng Hongchen at his side sighed. "Honestly, they're playing around again."

Playing around?

Huo Yuhao did not understand. Xiao Hongchen had clearly gone all in. How was this playing around?

Jiang Shengyu, chased by Xiao Hongchen, slammed the flames in his left and right hands together. A visible wave of air spread outward in all directions, reaching all the way to the Audience Stand!

The students in the Audience Stand all felt the impact and stared intently at Jiang Shengyu's clasped hands.

Jiang Shengyu had reached the edge of the Arena. One more step and he would fall off and lose. Behind him, Xiao Hongchen was closing in with his fist raised.

At that moment, Jiang Shengyu suddenly turned around, spread his hands, and shouted, "Go! Buddha's Angry Fire Lotus!"

A Fire Lotus formed from Black and White Flame flew from Jiang Shengyu's hands, carrying an overwhelming aura of destruction. Xiao Hongchen's pupils contracted as he swiftly pulled back his fist and widened the distance between himself and the Fire Lotus!

After leaving Jiang Shengyu's hands, the Fire Lotus flew into the sky, gradually expanding as it released terrifying waves of heat!

By the time the Fire Lotus reached the sky, it had expanded until it was large enough for five or six people to encircle with outstretched arms! The two-colored flames burned upon it, warping the very air.

"What is that?" Xiao Hongchen raised his head and stared at the terrifying Fire Lotus in the sky, his eyes filled with shock.

Jiang Shengyu also looked up at the Fire Lotus he had created and told Xiao Hongchen, "I just improvised it."

It had merely been a sudden idea. Since he already had Purification Lotus Demonic Fire and Void Swallowing Flame, there should be no problem trying to make a Budget Version of Buddha's Angry Fire Lotus. So he did it, slapping the two flames together.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Flames produced by Soul Skills were more controllable than actual Heavenly Flames, or Jiang Shengyu might have blown himself up.

Xiao Hongchen stared at the Fire Lotus and swallowed. Even with dozens of meters between him and it, that terrifying power still made him feel immense pressure.

The Fire Lotus slowly bloomed, leaking a trace of its destructive aura. Xiao Hongchen's expression changed, and he shouted at Jiang Shengyu, "Can you take it back?"

"What kind of thunderbolt can be recalled after it's thrown out? What do you think this is, playing house?" Jiang Shengyu shook his head.

"It won't hit you?" Seeing that Jiang Shengyu was not panicking, Xiao Hongchen asked again.

Jiang Shengyu shook his head. "Nope. Everyone gets the same treatment."

Upon hearing that, Xiao Hongchen immediately cursed, "Then why are you so calm?!"