Four Rings Against Three Rings—The Advantage Is Mine, How Could I Lose? (Please Bookmark, Please Follow)

"Wait, Xiao, are you serious?" When Xiao Hongchen confidently declared that if he lost to Xiao Qiang, he would wash Meng Hongchen's socks for a year, Meng Hongchen was too stunned to care about Xiao Qiang's appearance anymore.

Although Meng Hongchen presented herself as a beautiful white-haired, blue-eyed girl in public, in the eyes of Xiao Hongchen, the brother she had grown up with, she had nothing to do with the term "beautiful girl." As siblings who had grown up together, Meng Hongchen's image in Xiao Hongchen's mind was simply hard to describe.

That was precisely why Xiao Hongchen's casually proposed wager left Meng Hongchen so shocked.

"What, Meng? You don't actually think I'd lose to a mere level-thirty-five Soul Ancestor, do you?" Sensing Meng Hongchen's gaze, Xiao Hongchen spoke with immense pride.

After hearing that, Meng Hongchen calmed down as well. Thinking over Xiao Hongchen's strength, she said, "Mm... that really is impossible."

"Not merely unlikely—it's completely impossible." Xiao Hongchen spoke arrogantly, then casually glanced at Xiao Qiang.

"Grandpa, did you find me the wrong opponent? A mere Three-ring Soul Master isn't worthy of making me act. Even if he can defeat a four-ring Soul Ancestor, how many Rank 5 Soul Engineers who have reached the Soul King realm could possibly be my match?"

Jing Hongchen did not get angry at Xiao Hongchen's attitude. "Xiao, don't underestimate Xiao Qiang. How about this: fight Xiao Qiang. If you win, Grandpa will give you a Rank 9 Soul Tool. If you lose, then honor your agreement with Meng and wash her socks for a year as punishment for your arrogance. What do you say?"

Sensing Jing Hongchen's confidence in Xiao Qiang's strength, Xiao Hongchen looked at Xiao Qiang once more. Unlike his previous contempt, his grandfather's utter confidence gradually made Xiao Hongchen calm down.

He had never heard Xiao Qiang's name before, which meant Xiao Qiang was not from some great noble family.

If he was not from a great noble family, then Xiao Qiang could only be from a minor noble family or an ordinary commoner background. Either way, to become his grandfather's personal disciple, he would need talent terrifying enough to be called monstrous.

Whether it was in Soul Tools or martial souls, Xiao Qiang's talent might have a chance of matching his own—or perhaps even surpassing it. Otherwise, his grandfather would never casually accept someone as a disciple.

Combined with his grandfather's confidence, it was obvious that he intended to make Xiao Hongchen understand the saying that there was always someone stronger.

As the number one genius of the Sun Moon Empire, Xiao Hongchen had both strength and brains. He quickly sorted through the logic and understood that Xiao Qiang would not be easy to deal with, but...

"Grandpa, then you're going to lose a Rank 9 Soul Tool."

Xiao Hongchen had indeed thought it through and understood what was going on. But who was he? Xiao Hongchen, the number one genius of the Sun Moon Empire!

As the Sun Moon Empire's number one genius, if he did not even dare accept a challenge from someone with one fewer soul ring and twelve whole levels less Soul Power than himself, then he would not be Xiao Hongchen.

"You haven't beaten Xiao Qiang yet. It's still too early to say," Jing Hongchen said.

"A level-forty-seven Soul Ancestor against a level-thirty-five Soul Master. Even if he can make fourth-grade Soul Tools, with a twelve-level gap in Soul Power, the advantage is mine no matter how you look at it."

"Under these circumstances, I truly can't think of how I could lose to him. Since that's the case, why can't I make a bet? Could I, Xiao Hongchen, possibly lose to someone with weaker Soul Power than me?"

"Fine. Since you're so confident, then fight him."

Jing Hongchen patted Xiao Qiang on the shoulder. As Xiao Hongchen's grandfather, he understood Xiao Hongchen's personality better than anyone, so he knew Xiao Hongchen would never refuse.

Just like that, the two soon stepped onto the arena. Xiao Hongchen looked at Xiao Qiang with extreme arrogance, practically wearing the words "I am the world's number one genius" on his face.

"Come on. As my grandfather's disciple, don't lose as quickly as the others and disappoint me."

After Jing Hongchen nodded and the referee called for the match to begin, Xiao Hongchen, who had originally intended to end the battle with a few Soul Cannons, suddenly stopped.

"Forget it. I am a four-ring Soul Ancestor, after all. Since my Soul Power is twelve levels higher than yours, I'll let you make twelve moves first. That way, when you lose, you won't say I won unfairly."

The corner of Jing Hongchen's mouth twitched beneath his mask. Xiao Qiang's appearance as a Three-ring Soul Master, combined with his first two soul skills, made it difficult for any normal Soul Ancestor to resist.

His seemingly weak strength, paired with Psychological Suggestion that was only at the hundred-year level yet perfectly timed—even someone less arrogant than Xiao Hongchen would likely find it difficult not to fall for it.

"Xiao, go easy on him! And whatever you do, don't hit his face!"

"Whose side are you on? Forget it, he's just a Three-ring Soul Master. Being careful with his face shouldn't be—"

Before Xiao Hongchen could finish speaking, he saw Xiao Qiang suddenly appear extremely close to him. Then, the fourth-grade Soul Guide Thruster on Xiao Qiang's back erupted as he accelerated, reaching him almost in the blink of an eye. At such close range, Xiao Hongchen had no way to use his Soul Cannons.

"The Soul Cannons are too late! Damn it! I was careless! But..."

Though he could not use his Soul Cannons, Xiao Hongchen was not particularly panicked. Even without them, his Soul Power that exceeded Xiao Qiang's by twelve levels, his control over metal, and his top-tier martial soul meant that Xiao Hongchen was certain this battle was still firmly in his grasp.

"The gap between us is too great. Even if you have some little tricks..."

Watching Xiao Qiang's fist come at him, Xiao Hongchen had intended to use his control over metal to block the punch before suppressing him.

But the instant he saw Xiao Qiang's eyes, his mind suddenly blanked out. In that brief moment of mental distraction, Xiao Qiang's fist landed squarely on Xiao Hongchen's eye socket.

Xiao Hongchen cried out in pain, causing his soul skill to be half a beat slower. That half-beat was enough for his other eye to gain a black eye as well.

After taking two punches in a row, Xiao Hongchen realized something was wrong and wanted to counterattack. But Xiao Qiang had no intention of giving him the chance to turn things around. He pressed his advantage, and with the Sharingan's dynamic vision, suppressed Xiao Hongchen throughout the entire fight.

By the time Xiao Hongchen had been beaten black and blue all over, anyone could see that he could no longer defeat Xiao Qiang. Only then, at Jing Hongchen's signal, did the referee declare Xiao Hongchen the loser.

Xiao Qiang then stopped. Once he did, Meng Hongchen could clearly feel that Xiao Hongchen had swollen up by an entire size.

"Xiao, are you all right?" Meng Hongchen ran over and helped Xiao Hongchen up.

"I'm fine. He didn't hit any vital areas. It just hurts like hell. With medicine, I should recover more or less by tomorrow," Xiao Hongchen said after checking his condition.

"Oh, then are you washing my socks today or tomorrow?"

Xiao Hongchen: "..."