Instant Defeat

"Big news! Big news! Come take a look!"

Osler shouted at the top of his lungs, deliberately raising his voice until it nearly drowned out the noisy chatter on the Heaven Dou Royal Academy grounds.

He wore the academy's custom white training uniform, his sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms. In one hand, he waved a crumpled sheet of paper as he weaved through the crowd like a street peddler.

Sunlight fell across his face, highlighting the sly grin there.

"Lin Yao, personal disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Sword Douluo, versus Yu Tianheng, direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's patriarch.

This is a clash between Heavenly Prides of the Upper Three Sects! Don't miss it if you're passing by. If you want firsthand information, you'd better seize the chance."

Yu Feng beside him was not idle either. He held a small wooden box with its lid open, revealing a miniature Soul Tool capable of transferring Gold Soul Coin balances.

He looked more refined than Osler, and his voice carried a deliberately cultivated air of mystery.

"Both of them are two-ring Soul Grandmasters under ten years old, and both possess top-tier martial souls.

When Yu Tianheng displayed his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul in battle before, he suppressed every student in our academy at the same level until they could barely raise their heads.

Now that a disciple of Sword Douluo has arrived, how could this fight possibly not be exciting?"

Ever since news of Yu Tianheng publicly challenging Lin Yao spread, Heaven Dou Royal Academy had become like a pile of firewood struck by sparks, instantly twice as lively as before.

Students who had originally been cultivating or chatting in small groups on the field had now almost all gathered around Osler and Yu Feng.

Even the noble youths who usually held themselves aloof could not resist edging closer, standing on tiptoe to hear more clearly.

Within the crowd, a noble youth dressed in a brocade robe embroidered with silver patterns frowned. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the jade pendant at his waist, and his tone carried a trace of dissatisfaction.

"Hey, Osler. I heard you have insider information about the two of them fighting, but you want a thousand Gold Soul Coins for firsthand news? Do you take us for pigs waiting to be slaughtered?"

The moment he said that, a wave of agreement rose from the surrounding crowd.

Most Heaven Dou Royal Academy students came from wealthy families, but Gold Soul Coins did not fall from the sky.

A thousand Gold Soul Coins were enough for an ordinary family to live comfortably for a whole year. Spending that much on a few bits of gossip felt like a loss no matter how one looked at it, if not for the fact that the two involved were geniuses from top factions.

Osler, however, remained calm. He stopped walking, crossed his arms over his chest, and wore an expression that said, "You people just don't understand the market."

"Brother, you can't put it that way. Think about it. Lin Yao awakened his martial soul less than a year ago, yet his Soul Power is already on par with Yu Tianheng's. Do you understand what that means?

"And their Soul Ring configurations are anything but ordinary. Especially Lin Yao's, supposedly..."

He deliberately paused, his eyes sweeping over the curious expressions around him before he continued.

"Supposedly, his Soul Rings are far older than those of Soul Masters at the same level. A Heavenly Pride like that, someone destined to stand at the pinnacle of the continent.

"If you spend a little money to learn about him now, then once he becomes famous in the future, you can tell others, 'I even knew things about him when he was young.' Wouldn't that be a huge profit?"

As he spoke, he raised a hand and patted the sheet of paper in his hand. Scrawled crookedly across it were the words: "Exclusive Information: Lin Yao vs. Yu Tianheng."

The people around them looked at one another and gradually began to waver.

Osler was a genius of the academy himself and had even been in the Heaven Dou Royal Team Second Team. His words carried some credibility.

Besides, they could witness a confrontation between two geniuses of the Upper Three Sects with their own eyes. Spending a little money to satisfy their curiosity did not seem like such a bad deal.

"Fine. A thousand Gold Soul Coins. I'll take one."

At last, a youth in an ink-colored robe spoke first. He took out a Gold Soul Coin card from his clothes and paid directly.

With someone taking the lead, the others no longer hesitated and began taking out Gold Soul Coins one after another.

For a time, the crisp, pleasant sounds of the Gold Soul Coin card reader echoed from the wooden box, making the smiles on Osler and Yu Feng's faces grow even wider.

At the edge of the crowd, beneath several lush camphor trees, Lin Yao leaned against a trunk and watched the lively scene in the distance. The corner of his mouth twitched as he silently complained to himself.

These two really knew how to make money. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves.

It left mottled spots of light across the hem of his white clothes. He toyed with a smooth pebble in his hand, his eyes calm as though the person being discussed was not him.

Dugu Yan stood beside him, following his gaze toward Osler and Yu Feng. Her brows furrowed slightly.

She wore a light purple dress, her long hair pinned up with a jade hairpin. Her temperament was cool, but her voice softened somewhat when she looked at Lin Yao.

"Do you want me to stop them? If they keep making things up, who knows what ridiculous rumors they'll spread."

She was afraid that the fabricated information would anger Lin Yao. If things got out of hand, it would be difficult to resolve.

Lin Yao slowly shook his head at her words. He gently tossed the pebble into the air and caught it steadily. "It doesn't matter."

His voice was soft, yet it carried a calmness far beyond his age.

"Ever since I showed my Soul Power and martial soul, the rumors that I took drugs, used forbidden methods, or was forced to grow too quickly have never stopped. Geniuses standing at the top always have to face these things. There's no need to take them to heart."

Dugu Yan froze for a moment, then could not help smiling.

"You brat, your mindset is much better than I expected. Your big sister thinks more and more highly of you." She raised a hand and patted Lin Yao's shoulder, the gesture carrying a hint of intimacy.

Ye Lingling, standing nearby, also nodded gently. She wore a simple white dress and held a small medicine pouch in her hands. Her voice was gentle yet clear.

"You're strong, and you have the mindset to match. Judging from how you are now, you really are much better than Yu Tianheng."

She had met Yu Tianheng before. There was always an undisguisable arrogance about him. Compared with Lin Yao's composure, he was indeed lacking.

Hearing this, Lin Yao's lips curved into a faint smile as he murmured softly.

"With so many Cheats and such outstanding talent, I'd be embarrassed not to be exceptional. Besides, my opponents aren't people of my generation..."

His voice was so soft that Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling did not hear clearly. Just as they were about to ask, they saw that he had already shifted his gaze toward the distant Training Ground, so they did not press him further.

Time passed quickly, and before long, it was noon.

The sunlight became even more scorching, warming the ground until it was faintly hot. Yet the central Training Ground of Heaven Dou Royal Academy was packed with people, even livelier than it had been that morning.

Not only had the students come, but even the academy teachers and the three education committee members had arrived personally. They stood on the raised platform by the Training Ground, their gazes fixed intently on the center.

Bai Baoshan stroked the beard on his chin, anticipation in his eyes.

"These two children—one is Sword Douluo's personal disciple, and the other is a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Both are rare geniuses. Today, we can finally see just how capable they really are."

Meng Shenji nodded. He held a folding fan and gently fanned himself.

"The main concern is that they might not be able to stop once they start fighting. These two are both the future hopes of their sects.

"If anything happens to them, whether it's that Old Dragon from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan or Sword Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, either one could tear our academy apart."

His tone was teasing, but his expression was serious. The Upper Three Sects' strength was right there before them, and they did not dare take such a gamble.

On the Training Ground below the platform, Yu Tianheng had already taken his position on one side.

He wore a dark blue training uniform, with a dragon-patterned belt tied around his waist. His hair rose slightly in the wind.

He took a deep breath, and the Soul Power within him abruptly erupted. A massive phantom of a thunder dragon instantly appeared behind him.

The thunder dragon's scales gleamed silver-white. Its claws were razor-sharp, and tiny bolts of lightning spurted from its mouth. A domineering aura surged forth, forcing the surrounding students to retreat several steps.

"Lin Yao, let's fight."

Yu Tianheng's voice carried a trace of anger as his eyes locked tightly onto Lin Yao across from him.

"I want to see whether your terrifying talent is real or whether your strength was raised through crooked methods. If it's the latter, then heh..."

He did not finish his sentence, but the contempt in his tone was obvious.

Lin Yao slowly walked to the center of the Training Ground. Faced with Yu Tianheng's provocation, his expression did not change.

He raised his right hand, and the Soul Power within him erupted as well. A long sword shining with starlight instantly appeared in his hand.

Faint starlight flowed along the blade, as if all the stars in the Night Sky had been condensed upon it.

Immediately afterward, two Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet. The first was light purple, while the second was an even deeper purple.

The two Soul Rings slowly revolved in the air, and the aura they gave off was even stronger than Yu Tianheng's.

"My god. Those are... Thousand-Year Soul Rings?"

"His first Soul Ring is already a thousand years old, and the second one seems even older. That's terrifying!"

"No wonder Sword Douluo accepted him as a personal disciple. This talent completely defies understanding."

The entire venue instantly erupted. The students began discussing it excitedly, and even the three education committee members on the platform could not help widening their eyes.

Bai Baoshan looked at the Soul Rings beneath Lin Yao's feet and could not help sighing softly.

"Every time I see those two Soul Rings, I find them unbelievable. How could a genius capable of absorbing Soul Rings beyond his limit be short-sighted? Even if he wanted to take a crooked path, Sword Douluo would never allow it."

Meng Shenji nodded as well.

"Our academy has formed a good relationship with a genius like this. It will certainly be of great use in the future."

After teaching students for so many years, it was his first time seeing a genius with Innate Full Soul Power who could also absorb Soul Rings beyond the limit.

Lin Yao had already shattered the world's understanding of Soul Masters.

Within the crowd, Osler looked at Lin Yao's Soul Rings, and his face immediately turned somewhat pale. He tugged at Yu Feng's sleeve, his voice tense.

"Yu Feng, the money we made from fabricating information before... Lin Yao won't find out, right? With his strength, beating us would be like beating chicks."

He had believed the rumors to some extent before, but now that he saw Lin Yao's Soul Ring configuration, he finally understood how ignorant he had been. A genius like this had no need to rely on crooked methods.

Yu Feng swallowed as well and whispered, "Probably... not? We didn't make up anything too outrageous."

Though he said that, his eyes darted away uneasily. Clearly, he was not confident either.

On the Training Ground, shock flashed through Yu Tianheng's eyes as he looked at Lin Yao's Soul Rings.

He had not expected Lin Yao's Soul Ring configuration to be so terrifying, and a faint urge to retreat rose within him.

But then he reconsidered. He was a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. How could he back down at a moment like this?

Thus, he suppressed his urge to retreat, and the Soul Power within him surged again. "First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"

With his shout, his right hand was instantly wrapped in silver-white lightning. His claws became incomparably sharp as they tore toward Lin Yao with a powerful piercing aura.

The lightning made the air crackle and hiss, showing just how powerful this strike was.

Lin Yao watched Yu Tianheng charge toward him. The corner of his mouth rose slightly as he said softly.

"Your strength is fairly decent. Unfortunately, I'm stronger."

He did not even use a Soul Skill. He merely raised the Star Sword in his hand horizontally before him as a powerful force condensed along its edge.

"Good!"

Seeing this, Yu Tianheng did not retreat. Instead, he became even more excited. He accelerated, his dragon claw lunging straight at Lin Yao's blade.

Clang—

A crisp collision rang out. The instant sword and claw met, the silver-white lightning was shattered by the force of the Star Sword.

Yu Tianheng only felt a tremendous force travel through the blade, and his arm instantly went numb.

Then the defense around his dragon claw was directly broken. A bloody mark appeared on his palm, blood dripping from his fingertips.

Lin Yao gave Yu Tianheng no chance to react. With a light twist of his wrist, the Star Sword instantly became an afterimage and struck precisely against Yu Tianheng's shoulder.

The force was controlled perfectly. It did not injure Yu Tianheng's bones or tendons, but it was enough to send him flying.

Bang.

Yu Tianheng staggered back from the blow. In the end, he could not steady himself and fell beyond the boundary of the Training Ground.

The entire venue fell silent in an instant. Everyone stared dumbfoundedly at Lin Yao in the center. From Yu Tianheng launching his attack to being sent flying, only a few short seconds had passed. It had been an instant defeat.

The sunlight remained scorching, and the camphor trees around the Training Ground swayed in the wind. Yet no one spoke. Only the rustling of leaves in the breeze and Yu Tianheng's somewhat heavy footsteps as he climbed to his feet could be heard.

Lin Yao put away the Star Sword, and his Soul Rings slowly faded. He looked at Yu Tianheng in the distance with calm eyes, as though he had merely done something insignificant.