Gu Han's First Battle, One Punch Kill!

"Mm, I understand, Brother Xie Yue."

Although Gu Han was absolutely confident that he could win easily, he still nodded seriously at Xie Yue's reminder.

Then, he turned and entered the contestants' passageway, preparing to step into the soul arena.

As Gu Han emerged from the contestants' passageway, the dazzling Soul Guiding Spotlights atop the arena immediately shone down, casting their light upon him.

At the same time, another Soul Guiding Spotlight sent down a beam that enveloped his opponent, the Great Strength Brute Ox Soul Master, Niu Zhen.

Niu Zhen was tall and powerfully built, dressed in a leather vest that exposed the bulging, knotted muscles all over his body. He wore a short black crew cut, with thick brows and large eyes, and carried a rugged, imposing air.

As Gu Han and Niu Zhen approached the soul fighting platform from opposite sides, the Host raised an Amplifying Soul Guiding Device and introduced their respective information in a resounding voice.

When introducing Niu Zhen, he mainly spoke of Niu Zhen's record within the Martial Soul City Great Soul Arena.

Perhaps because his cultivation was higher, and because he had remained at the Soul Elder rank for longer, Niu Zhen's record in the Great Soul Arena was even more impressive than Xie Yue's.

Not only had he fought more matches, but he was currently on a nineteen-match winning streak.

As long as he defeated Gu Han, he would achieve twenty consecutive victories!

With such an outstanding record, when the Host introduced Niu Zhen, the Audience Seats erupted with enthusiasm, wildly and loudly shouting Niu Zhen's name.

"Niu Zhen!"

"Niu Zhen!"

"Niu Zhen!"

But when it came time to introduce Gu Han, there was not much to say.

After all, Gu Han had yet to earn any record in the Great Soul Arena. This soul fight was his debut.

The Host could only announce in a ringing voice that Gu Han was the protagonist of the one-year agreement, the lucky youth whom His Holiness the Pope had accepted as a disciple. His words made it quite clear that he did not think highly of Gu Han.

Though Gu Han's cultivation was at level thirty-six, only two levels below Niu Zhen's, the Host, like many people in Martial Soul City, believed that Gu Han's cultivation had been achieved entirely through Bibi Dong's lavish investment of resources.

He was nothing more than a pill-fed cultivator.

His true combat strength was highly questionable.

His earlier victory over Xiong Ba had supposedly been entirely due to a sneak attack with an external item.

But that sneak attack had only succeeded because Xiong Ba had been unprepared.

With Xiong Ba's example before him, Niu Zhen would certainly be prepared now. There was no way Gu Han could pull off another sneak attack.

As Gu Han was introduced, the fervent chants of "Niu Zhen!" continued to ring out from the surrounding Audience Seats.

There were also some voices cheering for Gu Han, but they mostly came from girls drawn in by his looks, and their cries were simply too faint.

Gu Han paid none of it any mind and soon stepped onto the soul fighting platform.

After reaching the platform, Gu Han and Niu Zhen both walked to its center and clasped their fists in salute, following the rules of soul fighting.

As his opponent, Niu Zhen looked at Gu Han with clear dissatisfaction.

They were both Soul Masters from Martial Soul City. His own Martial Soul was the Great Strength Brute Ox, and his Innate Soul Power had been level eight.

Yet even with such exceptional talent, he had failed to become a disciple of His Holiness the Pope.

And Gu Han, a Soul Master whose Beast Martial Soul could not even be possessed and whose Innate Soul Power was only level 0.25, had actually been accepted as His Holiness the Pope's disciple.

Niu Zhen refused to accept it!

Tonight, he would thoroughly defeat Gu Han in the Great Soul Arena.

He would prove that this brat was utterly unqualified to be His Holiness the Pope's disciple!

"Take out that sword of yours. During last year's one-year agreement, you caught Xiong Ba off guard with it and defeated him."

"But today, even if you use that sword, I'll show you that I, Niu Zhen, can still defeat you!"

After they finished saluting one another, Niu Zhen folded his thick arms across his chest and looked at Gu Han with eyes full of battle intent and disdain as he spoke.

"To deal with you, I don't need a sword!"

Facing Niu Zhen's provocation, Gu Han showed no weakness at all and replied calmly.

Back when he had fought Xiong Ba during the one-year agreement, he had used the Sun Radiance Sword to perform the Sun Radiance Sword Art because the Martial Soul: Sacred Dragon alone truly had not been enough to defeat Xiong Ba.

But now, the Sacred Dragon Martial Soul had successfully evolved, and he could also perform Martial Soul Possession.

There was no need for the Sun Radiance Sword or the Sun Radiance Sword Art anymore. His Martial Soul and his own strength alone were enough!

Moreover, he had come to the Great Soul Arena this time to clear both his own name and that of his teacher, Bibi Dong.

To clear their names, he naturally had to leave everyone speechless and without any grounds for criticism.

So Gu Han absolutely could not use the Sun Radiance Sword. Otherwise, people would say once again that he had cheated by using a weapon.

I don't need a sword to deal with you?

Hearing Gu Han's words, Niu Zhen merely felt that Gu Han was putting on a brave front, and he sneered in disdain.

He wanted to see just what gave this guy, who had merely gotten lucky, the nerve to say something like that!

"The spirit battle begins!"

Having already activated his Flight-type Soul Skill and spread his wings into the air, the Host finally shouted the start of the spirit battle while gripping an Amplifying Soul Guiding Device.

"Mighty Ox, possess!"

Niu Zhen immediately let out an angry roar, summoning his Mighty Ox Martial Soul—a massive gray-black beast with bulging muscles all over its body, as though clad in a layer of armor—and entered the Martial Soul Possession state.

In an instant, Niu Zhen's body became even taller and stronger, his muscles bulging further as his skin turned gray-black, like solid rock. A pair of ox horns grew from the top of his head.

At the same time, three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—rose from beneath his feet.

"Kid, take this!"

After possessing his Martial Soul, Niu Zhen roared and immediately unleashed his First Soul Skill: Brute Ox Charge. Moving at incredible speed with unstoppable momentum, he charged furiously toward Gu Han.

"Niu Zhen, send him flying!"

Excited shouts erupted from the Audience Seats.

"Too slow!"

Yet facing Niu Zhen's Brute Ox Charge, which came at him with unstoppable force, Gu Han merely shook his head and calmly spoke.

Then, just as Niu Zhen was about to hit him, Gu Han flashed and instantly vanished from where he stood.

"What?!"

Niu Zhen's expression changed when Gu Han suddenly disappeared without a trace.

So fast!

However, with the surrounding spectators calling out warnings, Niu Zhen quickly realized that Gu Han was behind him. He hurriedly halted his charge and turned around.

But by then, Gu Han had already rushed forward.

Niu Zhen could only roar and hastily activate his Second Soul Skill: Rock Ox Hide Armor, and his Third Soul Skill: Great Strength Ox Demon Transformation.

Amid a burst of blood-red light, his body abruptly grew even larger. A layer of rock-like leather armor covered him, his aura surged, and he threw a punch at Gu Han.

But as Gu Han charged toward Niu Zhen, his body suddenly shone with golden light as well.

A Sacred Dragon Martial Soul with a physical body, resembling a young Golden Sacred Dragon, suddenly appeared at his side. Then, its form abruptly turned ethereal, transforming into a Golden Stream of Light that entered Gu Han's body.

After possessing his Martial Soul, Gu Han's body immediately became taller and more robust. Shimmering Golden Dragon Scales spread across him like a tide, his hands transformed into sharp Dragon Claws, his eyes became Golden Vertical Pupils, and a pair of backward-curving Dragon Horns emerged from his Golden Hair.

"What?!"

Niu Zhen was utterly shocked that Gu Han had actually possessed his Martial Soul.

Facing Niu Zhen's incoming punch, Gu Han easily dodged with Cloud Dragon Nine Illusions, then struck Niu Zhen with a punch that caved in the layer of leather armor covering his body.

Under Gu Han's punch, Niu Zhen spat blood and flew backward, tracing an arc through the air before landing beneath the spirit battle platform.

That single punch had actually defeated him instantly!

For a moment, the surrounding Audience Seats fell completely silent.