Annihilation

"How could the plants summoned by Li Xun's First Spirit Ability seem endless? What's going on?"

Someone in the square cried out in alarm.

No matter how little a skill consumed, there had to be a limit! What was with using it nonstop like this?

"Twelve Meters, did you think victory was already in your grasp?"

Yu Tianheng's face flushed red as he glared at Li Xun through gritted teeth.

The Second and Third Soul Rings beneath his feet lit up, with the purple Soul Ring shining the brightest.

"Second Spirit Ability, Thunderbolt! Third Spirit Ability, Dragon's Wrath!"

Yu Tianheng's Third Spirit Ability was a boosting skill, comparable to entering a berserk state, doubling the effects of all his abilities.

Crackle, crackle—

Electric arcs even denser than Thunderbolt appeared around Yu Tianheng's body. Any plants that approached were instantly shattered by the powerful current.

"Looks like individual plants are still too fragile." Li Xun's thoughts raced.

From the very beginning, his attention had not been on Yu Tianheng, but on how to further develop his abilities.

Li Xun discovered that in actual combat, his mind worked incredibly quickly.

Ideas would constantly surface in his mind for no apparent reason.

As Li Xun watched Yu Tianheng charge toward him, he controlled five tree seeds and quietly planted them along the path ahead of him.

Then he made them grow in spirals.

The five saplings twisted around one another like a Spiral Spear, drilling out from the ground.

They shot straight toward Yu Tianheng.

Yu Tianheng was startled. Soul Power surged through his body as he pushed the lightning covering his skin to its limit.

Crackle, crackle—

The moment the Spiral Spear came into contact with the lightning arcs, it was ground down as though against a whetstone.

A cold smile appeared on Yu Tianheng's face as he prepared to leap over the Spiral Spear.

But before his front foot could touch the ground, even more spears burst from the earth ahead of him.

Some were even formed from over a dozen trees twisted together.

"Break!" Yu Tianheng shouted in shock, unleashing his spirit abilities with all his strength.

But this time, there were simply too many spears. Though the lightning on his body was powerful, it could not fend off such a vast number of attacks.

Suddenly.

A Vine silently wrapped around his left leg before he could react.

Then came a second, and a third.

"Shatter...!"

Yu Tianheng's pupils trembled as he hurriedly exerted every ounce of his strength.

But it was already too late.

By then, Vines had wrapped around everything below his chest. Yu Tianheng continuously clawed and tore at them with both hands, but he was quickly bound tightly.

Some of the Vines even bore thorns.

The moment they touched Yu Tianheng, the thorns mercilessly pierced his body like awls.

As the Vines crossed over one another, their thorns carved deep wounds like blunt blades.

Yu Tianheng used all the Soul Power in his body to activate his abilities, trying to destroy the Vine branches wrapped around him, but he could not keep up with the speed at which the plants grew.

Blood trickled down the Vines, leaving scattered crimson drops on the ground.

"Ah...!"

Tears streamed down Yu Tianheng's face from the pain. His head thrashed constantly as screams poured from his mouth.

Even more Vines were still creeping across his body.

Seeing Yu Tianheng's miserable state, the students in the arena widened their eyes, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

Some covered their mouths, desperately suppressing the urge to vomit.

A few timid girls even screamed and fainted on the spot.

"Xiao Xun, stop! He's already lost!"

Once Meng Shenji came to his senses, his expression changed drastically as he hurried forward.

"It's fine, Chief Meng. I'm not very skilled at using this ability yet, but I know my limits. He won't die."

Li Xun smiled at Meng Shenji and slowly made the plants release Yu Tianheng.

No matter how much he disliked Yu Tianheng, he would not do something as foolish as killing someone in public.

After all, it concerned the harmony between two sects.

Yu Tianheng was a genius of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Old Dragon's family had few successors to begin with; if he killed off another promising seedling, there was no telling whether Old Dragon would go mad.

Just as when Tang San had revealed killing intent toward him, he had chosen not to make a move.

If a Titled Douluo truly wanted to assassinate a junior, there was no way to guard against it.

Yu Tianheng's face was pale at this moment. Without the Vines supporting him, he instantly crumpled to the ground.

From his chest down, his body was covered in ravine-like wounds, blood flowing out uncontrollably.

"Quick! Ye Lingling, treat Tianheng!" Qin Ming said anxiously.

Ye Lingling looked completely dazed. Qin Ming had to call out several times before snapping her awake. "Oh, oh. Okay, Teacher!"

With the treatment, Yu Tianheng's life was no longer in immediate danger, but he seemed unable to endure the pain and fainted.

The other team members gradually recovered from their shock, all staring at Li Xun as though he were a monster.

That was Yu Tianheng! The direct heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, a fourteen-year-old Soul Elder.

Yet he had been utterly crushed and defeated by Li Xun.

And from beginning to end, Li Xun had not moved his feet even once.

Someone calculated that the distance between them was now eleven meters.

Absurd. A monster!

Even the three Teaching Committee members, Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan among them, looked at Li Xun differently now.

They had originally imagined that Li Xun might lose, but they never expected him to give them such a massive shock.

"Brother, you're so strong!" Ning Rongrong came over with a pale face.

She had been greatly shaken as well, but Yu Tianheng was ultimately an outsider, and she recovered quickly.

"Who told you not to believe in your big brother? Your punishment is to go back and cultivate."

Li Xun smiled and pinched Ning Rongrong's cheek.

"No." Ning Rongrong protested.

"I really didn't expect you to defeat Yu Tianheng." The shock had yet to fade from Dugu Yan's face.

She was on the same team as Yu Tianheng and naturally knew his strength, yet she had never expected Li Xun to defeat him so easily.

"Sister Yan, now no one will bother you anymore." Li Xun chuckled and teased.

Dugu Yan pretended to sigh. "Yeah! It wasn't easy finding someone to pursue me, and you ruined it just like that."

"Hehe, don't worry. There are plenty of good men out there." Li Xun hurriedly changed the subject.

"I hope so."

News of Yu Tianheng's defeat spread throughout Heavenly Dou Academy in the blink of an eye.

Upon hearing the news, the students all compared themselves to Yu Tianheng, estimating the gap between themselves and Li Xun.

Prince Xue Xing and Xue Beng also received the news and hurried to the Infirmary to visit Yu Tianheng.

"Nephew Tianheng, what do you plan to do next? Would you like me to notify Senior Yu Yuanzhen for you?" Prince Xue Xing asked thoughtfully as he looked at Yu Tianheng, whose lower body was wrapped in bandages.

Yu Tianheng stared blankly at the ceiling. "No need. I've already withdrawn from the academy..."

Prince Xue Xing's heart sank, and he hurriedly tried to persuade him. "Tianheng, how can you have such thoughts just because of a single setback?

Li Xun is merely a brat. This time, you've already learned his skills. Just defeat him next time."

Yu Tianheng represented his connection to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan within the academy. If Yu Tianheng withdrew, this newly established relationship would become exceedingly fragile.

"I will defeat him, but not now."

Yu Tianheng knew the consequences of this defeat, especially since he, a Soul Elder, had been beaten so miserably.

It was easy to foresee.

At this moment, the students of Heavenly Dou Academy were surely discussing him intensely.

"Hmph! Nephew Tianheng, don't lose heart. Li Xun struck so heavily this time—I'll definitely demand an explanation for you."

Prince Xue Xing snorted coldly, sprang up from his chair, and headed for the door.

Xue Beng hurriedly followed him.

"..."

Hearing the movement, Yu Tianheng opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

His decision to leave the academy would not change.

Rather than stay here and be pointed at by others, he might as well go somewhere else.

At that thought, endless hatred filled Yu Tianheng's eyes.

"Even if I leave, I'll drag a group of people down with me. Li Xun, you may have won this time, but don't think you'll get off easy."