You Can't Handle It

At fifteen, he was level thirty-five; at six, level twenty-three. The difference was like heaven and earth! He had faced two soul beasts alone and pulled them back from the brink of death! Wasn't that strong? His first soul ring was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, and his second soul ring...

Uh... it seemed they had never seen it.

But wasn't that strong enough? What were they even worried about? Yan and Xie Yue stared wide-eyed at each other, suddenly unsure what they had been fretting over. After staring for a long while, they unanimously decided that they had been biased from the start, still treating Lu Leng as nothing more than an ordinary genius.

Of the three, only Hu Liena still wore a worried expression.

"You don't believe me?" Lu Leng fixed his eyes on Hu Liena.

"No..."

"Then that's settled." With that, Lu Leng walked out of the classroom and headed toward the arena.

Seeing this, the students in the classroom followed after him, eager to watch the show.

Hu Liena followed behind, watching Lu Leng's figure with an uneasy feeling that would not go away. She was not worried that Lu Leng could not defeat Xiong Rige. What worried her was the challenges that would come after his victory. Once Lu Leng won, he would become the academy's shining new star in a short time.

What would follow would be an endless stream of challenges.

Winning those challenges would be fine, but if he lost, it could very well affect his future. Even if he lost only once, the massive psychological gap brought by that result would not lessen in the slightest.

Falling from heaven into hell, that intense sense of failure could make those with weak minds question their entire lives.

And he was only a six-year-old child. Could he bear such a gap? Hu Liena was truly worried beyond measure.

The news spread quickly. Within less than a quarter of an hour, word that a new Sacred Class student was challenging an established genius had spread among all the nearby students.

Whether they were students from the junior academy or students from the intermediate and advanced academies, everyone who found the news interesting hurried toward the arena. Before long, the place was packed so tightly that not even water could pass through.

This match certainly had plenty of hype. First, nearly every competitive match involving a Sacred Class student drew spectators. Second, when everyone discovered that the newly enrolled Sacred Class student was merely a six-year-old child, the spectacle became infinitely more sensational.

Lu Leng looked at the sea of moving heads. The arena stands were already crammed full, and every available gap was packed with people as well, yet more were still rushing over from afar. Some even summoned their martial souls just to secure a better view.

Such a scene quickly alerted the academy, which immediately sent teachers to maintain order.

If I pull this off, it'll definitely shine bright. Lu Leng thought of the Thunderclap Extinction Swallow. That king of pretenders among soul beasts had truly brought him good luck.

"Kid, once you step onto the arena, there's no backing out. Today, I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget for the rest of your life." Xiong Rige cracked his knuckles, his eyes gleaming with fervor.

Lu Leng dismissed him with disdain and merely basked in everyone's attention. Since he had decided to fight, he could not even be bothered to waste another word.

At this moment, his demeanor changed. His usual carefree appearance vanished, replaced by a solemn expression and an aloof, peerless chill. Standing with his hands behind his back, he looked every bit like an invincible master, lonely at the summit and seeking defeat.

And sure enough, this appearance of his drew everyone's attention.

"Who is that boy? His aura is so handsome, and he's handsome too!"

"Does he have a girlfriend? If not, I'm claiming him first."

"You want to turn from a pheasant into a phoenix? He's from the Sacred Class. You think he'd look twice at you?"

"As someone with experience, let me tell you girls: handsome men with outstanding presence like that are usually weak in the kidneys. You can't handle him. Leave him to your big sister."

"..."

As more and more spectators arrived, the atmosphere soon reached its peak.

Seeing that the time was about right, Lu Leng looked at Xiong Rige. "Let's begin."

Xiong Rige twisted his neck and cracked his head from side to side, ferocity constantly flashing in his eyes. With a roar, he shouted, "Xiong Rige, level thirty-five Battle Soul Elder, martial soul: Blood Fiend Demonic Bear!"

"Lu Leng, level twenty-three Soul Grandmaster, martial soul: Zhan Luo Blade!" After speaking, Lu Leng calmly looked at Xiong Rige.

Yet inside, he was screaming, Cheer for me! Scream!

Sure enough, in less than a second, the watching students erupted into piercing cries of shock.

"What level? Level twenty-three? Did I hear that right?"

"Yeah, level twenty-three. If I hadn't been standing so close, I would've thought I misheard."

"No way, really level twenty-three? How old is he? Just six, right?"

"No wonder he entered the Sacred Class at such a young age. I was even wondering if he got in through connections. Turns out I was just narrow-minded."

"Big sister, he's level twenty-three. You can't handle him. Little sister is younger, so let little sister have him."

"..."

Listening to their astonished exclamations and discussions, Lu Leng felt utterly delighted.

"So what if you're level twenty-three? I'll still beat you until you're crawling around looking for your teeth!" Xiong Rige's expression darkened, and the gloom in his eyes deepened. He roared, and a Blood Fiend Demonic Bear appeared behind him as his body began to transform.

At the same time, three soul rings rose and fell beneath his feet: two yellow and one purple, the optimal soul ring configuration.

"The Blood Fiend Demonic Bear ranks among the stronger beast martial souls. Lu Leng may be talented, but there is still a twelve-level Soul Power gap between them. Xiong Rige is guaranteed to win," an advanced academy student analyzed.

"I agree. Xiong Rige holds an absolute advantage in martial soul, soul rings, and Soul Power. There is no need to watch this battle."

"I was wondering why Jin Zhengyang didn't come watch. So he had already guessed the outcome."

The moment this person mentioned Jin Zhengyang, the few people who had been discussing the match instantly fell silent, their faces filled with deep fear.

It was clear that this Jin Zhengyang was no ordinary person.

"Third Soul Skill, Blood Fiend Claw!"

Xiong Rige's eyes turned red as dense blood-fiend energy erupted from his body. He leaped into the air, cold light flashing from the sharp claws in his hands as they glowed with a bloody crimson radiance, determined to tear Lu Leng to pieces.

"This guy used his Third Soul Skill right from the start. Just how much does he hate Lu Leng?"

"You can't really blame Xiong Rige for that," a Sacred Class student analyzed.

Xiong Rige's talent was considered average in the Sacred Class, and he was nearly fifteen now. If he still could not reach first place on the strength rankings before the end of the term, then he would no longer be qualified to remain in the Sacred Class.

Because once he turned fifteen, even if he managed to reach first place on the strength rankings, he would no longer be able to fulfill the requirement of holding first place for six consecutive terms.

So Xiong Rige had been extremely anxious this term. Lu Leng's appearance was undoubtedly another blow to him.

Thus, regardless of his image, he wanted to vent the anger that had built up in his heart. He also wanted to finish Lu Leng with a single move. "Lu Leng hasn't even revealed his martial soul yet. He's probably scared stiff."

"I hope the teachers get there in time to save him. Lu Leng is a genius too. There's a good chance he'll become a Titled Douluo in the future!"

"..."