Soul Elder

"Heh, you can only keep talking tough for now." Yu Tianheng directly summoned his Martial Soul, and three Spirit Rings—two yellow and one purple—appeared beneath his feet.

The spectators around the arena erupted into an uproar at the sight.

"A fourteen-year-old Soul Elder!" Everyone exclaimed in amazement.

Seeing this, Ning Rongrong could not help worrying about Li Xun.

When Yu Tianheng had been level twenty-nine, she had still held some confidence in Li Xun.

After all, Li Xun's Thousand-Year Spirit Ring was right there. Although that Spirit Ring did not grant an active skill, its enhancement to a Soul Master's own body was undoubtedly immense.

But now that Yu Tianheng had broken through to Soul Elder, the situation was entirely different. He also possessed a Thousand-Year Spirit Ring, and he had more skills than Li Xun.

Only now did Qin Ming truly feel his scalp go numb.

He had never agreed with Li Xun challenging Yu Tianheng. Naturally, he could think of everything Meng Shenji had thought of.

With the talent of these two, he would feel heartbroken no matter which one left. If the two of them could join forces in the Soul Master Competition, he did not even dare imagine what results the team could achieve.

"Yu Tianheng broke through to Soul Elder?"

"Sigh! Li Xun's aptitude isn't bad either. I heard he's already broken through level twenty, but unfortunately, time waits for no one!"

"What a pity."

Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin gathered together, discussing the matter.

The members of the Heavenly Dou Team also stared in shock, their mouths hanging open.

As his teammates, they understood Yu Tianheng's talent well. They simply had not expected him to enter the ranks of Soul Elders so quickly.

This was no longer the talent of an ordinary genius!

Li Xun ignored the commotion around him. He slightly raised his right hand, and the Thousand Hands Great Buddha appeared in an instant. One yellow and one purple Spirit Ring slowly pulsed beneath his feet.

"What?! This kid's second Spirit Ring is actually Thousand-Year!"

When Li Xun's Spirit Rings appeared—

Everyone present felt their scalps go numb. This had already surpassed their understanding and was simply incomprehensible.

Yu Tianheng becoming a Soul Elder at fourteen was shocking, but geniuses like that could still occasionally be found.

A Thousand-Year second Spirit Ring was different. In all their knowledge, this was the first time they had ever seen one.

It meant that Li Xun's physique could already rival that of a Soul Elder. It also meant that the Spirit Rings he acquired in the future would inevitably surpass the limits of others at the same level by a considerable margin.

"Did Qin Ming take Li Xun to hunt a Thousand-Year Spirit Beast?"

Meng Shenji's hand, which had been stroking his beard, froze. He had even plucked out several strands.

"Qin Ming was far too reckless. He didn't discuss such a major matter with us at all. If something had gone wrong, how were we supposed to explain it to Ning Fengzhi?"

After his brief shock, Bai Baoshan frowned.

"Indeed. It's also because Li Xun's talent is so exceptional. If it had been an ordinary student, they might have exploded and died while absorbing it." Zhi Lin glanced at Qin Ming and nodded.

"There is no need to blame him too harshly. The outcome has already been decided. What worries me most now is these two children—what if either one refuses to accept defeat?"

Meng Shenji's aged face was full of concern.

"It's fine. At worst, we'll swallow our pride and go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to invite Li Xun back to the academy."

"That is what we should do. With Li Xun's talent, surpassing Yu Tianheng is only a matter of time."

The students beside the three Teaching Committee members all looked at Li Xun in shock as they listened to their conversation.

Judging from what the Teaching Committee members said—

Li Xun's talent was actually even greater than Yu Tianheng's, a fourteen-year-old Soul Elder's.

And even if Li Xun lost this battle, they would still go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and invite him back.

"Li Xun, you insulted my uncle. I'll make you regret what you said."

"First Spirit Ability, Thunder Dragon Claw." Yu Tianheng shouted furiously. The First Spirit Ring beneath his feet lit up as lightning gathered around his clawed hands.

"First Spirit Ability, Tree World Advent. Second Spirit Ability, Enhancement."

Li Xun interlocked his fingers into the Serpent Seal. His clear voice rang out as the first and second Spirit Rings beneath his feet lit up.

As the skills activated, the Thousand Hands Great Buddha instantly hurled dozens of energy fruits into the air.

The moment those fruits reached the air, they burst apart. Countless seeds rained down upon the ground like a torrential downpour. The instant the seeds touched the earth—

They began growing at astonishing speed.

The entire process took no more than a second.

As Li Xun finished speaking, nearly a hundred small trees, each a meter tall, appeared in the arena. The moment they emerged, they swiftly softened into dense, tangled vines.

They blocked Yu Tianheng's path forward.

Yu Tianheng had only just lifted his foot. Startled by the vines that had suddenly appeared, he reacted quickly and swept his Thunder Dragon Claws from side to side.

Why was his First Spirit Ability different from before?

Yu Tianheng's expression turned grave.

He had seen Li Xun's First Spirit Ability before. From his perspective at the time, that half-meter-tall sapling could only restrict an opponent's movement.

Back then, he had looked down on it and had never considered Li Xun an opponent. If Li Xun had not been from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Yu Tianheng would have taught him a lesson long ago for getting close to Dugu Yan.

Crack—

Yu Tianheng swept his arm out, severing a Vine formed from a small tree.

Yet he felt his hand go slightly numb from the impact.

Yu Tianheng swept his gaze around and found that these small trees alternated between soft and hard. When soft, they lay close to the ground; when upright, they had already reached his chest.

Moreover, they grew tougher by the moment. Even with his Thunder Dragon Claw, he had to use considerable force to cut down a single one.

And this was after he had advanced to level thirty, becoming a Soul Elder.

"Heh, you think a few mere plants can stop me?"

Suppressing his discomfort, Yu Tianheng sneered as the lightning around his palms intensified.

"Think there aren't enough? I'll satisfy you." Li Xun formed the Serpent Seal in his hands, and Chakra began to circulate within his body.

Nourished by Chakra, the previously inert seeds on the ground rapidly grew. In the blink of an eye, they had replenished every small tree Yu Tianheng had just broken.

But that was not all.

Dense, sharp thorns sprouted from the previously bare branches.

The instant the thorns emerged, the small trees twisted like Vines and extended toward Yu Tianheng, winding around him.

"Hm? Second Spirit Ability, Thunderbolt."

Seeing the thorn-like plants entangling him from all sides, Yu Tianheng hurriedly unleashed an area-of-effect skill.

Crackle—

Arcs of electricity spread around Yu Tianheng's body with bursts of sharp noise. The surrounding thorns shattered inch by inch the moment they came into contact with the lightning.

"Hmph! That's all?" Yu Tianheng snorted coldly, then swiftly charged at Li Xun during the gap between releases of his Second Spirit Ability.

"You're still eight meters away from me."

The corner of Li Xun's mouth lifted as he controlled the tree seeds to gather beneath Yu Tianheng's feet.

The moment the seeds reached Yu Tianheng's feet, they began growing rapidly. Yet before the saplings could mature, the lightning around Yu Tianheng shattered them.

But Li Xun did not care.

Simply forcing trees to grow did not consume much Chakra. Only condensing a Seed of Life from thin air required some effort.

But his First Spirit Ability was precisely the ability to create seeds.

This was also the method he had devised to make up for his lack of Chakra.

Crackle—

As the final flash of lightning faded, Yu Tianheng hurriedly retreated several steps.

He had not advanced even an inch since the beginning. Every time he took a step, saplings would sprout from the ground. To avoid losing his balance, he could only remain where he was and continuously release lightning to guard himself.

"I have to rush through in one go." Yu Tianheng's expression turned grave. At this rate, it could not even be called an exchange of blows.

"You're still twelve meters away from me."

Li Xun said calmly. He had not moved a single step from the start, yet as Yu Tianheng retreated, the distance between them had instead grown much greater.