Suction Palm Shows Its Might

Without wasting any time.

Xiao Xian led Tang San straight toward the academy's back gate.

At Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy, anyone looking for a fight would choose the Back Mountain outside the rear gate.

Though it was called the Back Mountain, it was really just a small hill covered with miscellaneous trees, flowers, and grass. Teachers rarely came there. Or rather, they deliberately rarely came there.

Along the way, Tang San silently condensed several stalks of sugarcane.

He handed them to Xiao Xian.

Xiao Wu was his roommate; their friendship amounted to little more than having fought twice. But Xiao Xian was his Senior Brother.

Xiao Xian found it somewhat amusing and accepted them, though he merely stored them in his Soul Tool.

There was no need to cheat just to fight Xiao Wu.

Still, he took out a water skin and drank a couple of mouthfuls.

Back Mountain.

Wang Sheng and the other Work-Study Students looked rather conflicted.

"Big Sister Xiao Wu, are you really going to challenge Boss Xiao...?"

Xiao Chenyu had already returned and told them that Xiao Xian had accepted the Challenge Letter.

Their expressions had all changed somewhat.

Xiao Wu flicked her Scorpion Braid and hesitated as well.

Xiao Xian had even given her bedding.

But she had already said it, so she could not just refuse. Besides, Xiao Chenyu and the others had been far too arrogant, and after some pulling and arguing, they had dragged Xiao Xian into it.

Still, she was quick-witted.

"What are you talking about? This is a spar, a spar!"

"Don't meddle. Tell me, Wang Sheng, am I the Dorm Leader, or are you the Dorm Leader? Why are you managing so much?" As Xiao Wu spoke, she grew a little irritated and waved her fist.

Xiao Chenyu and his group of more than twenty upperclassmen stood in one corner of the Back Mountain. Every one of them looked injured, their usual arrogance nowhere to be seen.

They had clearly been beaten badly.

Xiao Wu was still quite formidable in a fight. This group of upperclassmen only looked numerous; apart from Xiao Chenyu, an eleventh-level Spirit Scholar, the rest were merely Spirit Scholars below level ten.

Before long, Xiao Xian arrived.

"Boss Xiao!"

"Boss Xiao!"

The moment the upperclassmen saw Xiao Xian, they gathered around him and began clamoring all at once.

Xiao Chenyu did not say much. He merely stood in the back and flashed Wang Sheng and the others a provocative smile.

That little girl named Xiao Wu had a Hundred-Year Soul Ring. He had no idea what her background was, so he could not afford to provoke her.

Then he could just find someone he could provoke.

How could Work-Study Students possibly lord it over their Self-Funded Student group?

"Enough. Stop making noise." Xiao Xian's voice was calm amid the crowd.

He had no interest whatsoever in how this bunch had gotten beaten up.

They had bullied the Work-Study Students plenty of times before.

It was simply repayment in kind.

He was only here for a fight, not to stand up for them.

Once this was over, things would go back to how they had been.

Xiao Xian walked toward the Work-Study Students on the other side of the hill.

Tang San's gaze wavered for a moment, but he did not follow. Instead, he hid among the upperclassmen. His small build kept the Work-Study Students from noticing him.

The Work-Study Students grew somewhat nervous when they saw Xiao Xian.

"Wang Sheng, I heard someone among you wanted to challenge me." Xiao Xian glanced at Wang Sheng, his tone flat.

"Boss Xiao..."

"It's not a challenge, it's a spar!" Xiao Wu cut Wang Sheng off, wrinkling her nose. "Xiao Chenyu said you're the strongest in the entire academy. If I can beat you in a spar, that means us Work-Study Students are stronger than you Self-Funded Students."

"Then Xiao Chenyu and those good-for-nothing losers will be willing to accept it, and no Work-Study Student will be bullied afterward!"

"Is that so?" Xiao Xian turned around and glanced at Xiao Chenyu.

Xiao Chenyu immediately shrank his neck and retreated behind the others.

Xiao Xian turned back to Xiao Wu and smiled faintly. "Challenge or spar, there's no real difference. So you're the one challenging me. How do you want to do this?"

"Obviously, we fight directly!" Having made up her mind, Xiao Wu was straightforward.

A flash of red light passed over her body. Her ears lengthened and rose from the sides of her head, covered in soft white fur. Her figure also grew a little taller.

At the same time, a yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring rose from beneath her feet and slowly floated around her.

"Xiao Wu, first-year Work-Study Student. Martial Soul: rabbit. Level-twelve, one-ring Battle Soul Master!"

Xiao Wu's eyes turned red. She stared at Xiao Xian and assumed a fighting stance.

She had only just learned the rule about announcing one's Martial Soul from Xiao Chenyu.

"Xiao Xian, second-year student. Martial Soul: Purple-Haired Dog. Level-thirteen, one-ring Battle Soul Master."

Seeing this, Xiao Xian stopped being polite.

A trace of excitement even rose in his heart.

Among all the students at Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy, only Xiao Chenyu possessed a Soul Ring, and it was merely a Ten-Year White Soul Ring. His combat ability was not particularly strong.

When Xiao Xian had first created Suction Palm, he had easily defeated him.

Now that his Suction Palm had reached mastery, he had already been thinking of finding Tang San or Xiao Wu for a fight.

This opportunity had come at just the right time.

Xiao Wu frowned at Xiao Xian and asked, "Where's your Martial Soul?"

Xiao Xian had not summoned Xiao Jue. No Soul Ring appeared around him, and even his Soul Power fluctuations were not very strong.

Xiao Xian shook his head, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Martial Soul? I generally don't use it much."

A Spirit Master fighting without releasing his Martial Soul?

Xiao Wu felt that he was looking down on her. Her expression changed, and her clear voice turned somewhat fierce. "Then don't cry when I knock you flat later!"

She pushed off with both legs and rapidly closed in on Xiao Xian. At the same time, she flung her head back, and her jet-black Scorpion Braid shot toward Xiao Xian's neck.

The Work-Study Students behind Xiao Wu also felt that Xiao Xian was being a little too careless.

Wang Sheng in particular had looked strange all along, and he even quietly stepped forward a few paces.

He secretly decided that if things went wrong and Big Sister Xiao Wu was still as ruthless as ever, then even if she beat him up afterward, he would stop her.

Tang San stood among the upperclassmen, his expression unchanged.

Only, he quietly gripped several pebbles in his hand.

Xiao Chenyu and the other upperclassmen who had been beaten by Xiao Xian last semester remained calm.

They had witnessed Xiao Xian's Self-Created Soul Skill.

Xiao Chenyu especially.

He had only learned after returning home during the break and asking his City Lord father that Self-Created Soul Skills were extremely rare. Only major sects and powerful clans might possess such inheritances.

His father had repeatedly warned him not to provoke Xiao Xian.

Xiao Xian remained calm as well.

He slightly raised a hand to block the braid.

Xiao Wu instantly flicked her head, causing her braid to slip over Xiao Xian's palm.

At the same time, her small hand pressed forward. Her arm twisted in a bizarre way as she tried to wrap it around Xiao Xian's raised right arm.

But...

The next moment.

Xiao Xian took a step back and turned his palm inward.

Whoosh—!

A fierce suction force suddenly burst from his palm.

In midair, the braid that had curved around his palm and shot toward his neck trembled strangely, then reversed direction on its own and flew toward his palm!

"What Soul Skill is this?!"

Xiao Wu was startled. She threw her head back, trying to shake free of her braid and avoid being controlled by it.

But the Scorpion Braid would not budge. It continued flying straight toward Xiao Xian's palm.

In almost an instant, Xiao Xian firmly caught the jet-black Scorpion Braid.

Xiao Xian glanced at Xiao Wu.

His right hand pulled inward.

"Ugh—!"

Pain shot across Xiao Wu's scalp, and she could not help crying out.

Her body flew toward Xiao Xian against her will.

Tears faintly welled in her eyes from the pain.

The look she gave Xiao Xian became even more vicious.

"Just you wait... wait until I get close!"