Park Melee

Central Ring Park in Spirit City was not far from the academy. After leaving the academy, they could reach it in ten-odd minutes by taking a detour through the side streets.

Spirit City was almost entirely covered in buildings. Only this park near Papal Hall was filled with greenery. The scenery could not exactly be called beautiful or pleasant, but the air was quite good.

Yan followed Tuo Ba Hong into the park. The fresh scent of plants mixed with floral fragrance and washed over him, refreshing his mind. His gaze shifted slightly as he fixed on a distant direction, where faint fluctuations of Soul Power could be sensed.

Tuo Ba Hong had clearly been here before and led the way deeper into the park with ease. They followed winding pebble paths, and the deeper they went, the taller the trees became.

This park was near the valley where Papal Hall stood. When Spirit City had been built, this area had not been directly developed, so many rare tree species could still be found here.

The deeper they went, the fresher the air around them became. Yan quite enjoyed this feeling of returning to nature, and this was also a favored cultivation spot for many Beast Soul possessors.

"Boss, it's just ahead. I asked around. Those upperclassmen, especially Soul Masters with Beast Souls, like cultivating in this park. But when there aren't many people around, conflicts are easy to start. On top of that, some people already have grudges at the academy, so they often fight here."

The chubby boy led Yan all the way into the depths of the park. He did not even need to explain further; Yan could already sense the waves of Soul Power nearby.

"Don't speak yet."

Yan made a silencing gesture to Tuo Ba Hong, then quickened his pace toward the depths of the park. Hardly anyone came here anymore. Most people who visited the park for a stroll stopped at the outskirts, since this area near the inner ring could easily draw patrol inspections.

Yan and Tuo Ba Hong arrived at a forest. An open space lay ahead, and incessant clamor drifted out from it. The two continued forward to the edge of the woods and finally saw what was happening inside.

"This is quite lively. Is this how they settle their disputes?"

Yan and Tuo Ba Hong stopped at the edge of the forest. Hidden by the weeds, they had not been noticed for the moment. In the clearing, two groups totaling twenty to thirty people were locked in a brawl.

Many of those fighting wore ordinary clothes, but their pants were all the same style. They were clearly academy students. Still, they were smart enough to change out of their uniforms before getting into a group fight.

Most of them were over ten years old, with Soul Rings floating around them—some white, some yellow.

The two sides crashed together in a chaotic melee. From time to time, someone used a soul skill and caught both allies and enemies within its range, drawing furious curses from everyone.

Yet in the center of the crowd, two tall, upright figures were engaged in a fierce duel. Though their faces still carried childishness, they were beginning to resemble adults. More importantly, no one else joined their battle.

Two Soul Rings circled each of them. One had a white and a yellow ring, while the other had two yellow rings. Their Soul Power fluctuations were extremely powerful, a full tier stronger than Yan's current strength.

"Boss, these two are the representatives of the upper grades at our academy. One is called Hei Ze. He has a Black Panther Spirit and is said to come from a Spirit Master family. He's a level twenty-two Soul Grandmaster. The other is called Li Chuan, a commoner with a spear spirit, level twenty-three..."

After cautiously sticking his head out to observe, Tuo Ba Hong took out a pile of intelligence he had gathered, checked it, and handed it to Yan. Yan accepted the documents and flipped through them as the chubby boy spoke.

While they whispered, the situation in the clearing changed. Hei Ze, with the Black Panther Spirit, was clearly following the Agility Attack path.

His body shot toward Li Chuan, who was swinging his spear, like an arrow. As he launched his charge, he lowered himself extremely close to the ground, seeming to skim across it.

His hands had transformed into palms with soft pads. His claws remained concealed, his eyes gleamed gold, and he resembled a beastly predator. He advanced like a shadow, then twisted sharply as he reached Li Chuan and darted behind him.

Li Chuan planted himself firmly in a horse stance. The spear in his hand shone with a blood-red light, and as he swung it, dragon roars and tiger howls unleashed rippling waves of light. The waves spread out, sealing off every direction and protecting him within.

When Hei Ze rapidly darted behind him, Li Chuan clearly reacted at once. He spun and thrust his spear, his sudden burst of attack speed actually several degrees faster than Hei Ze's. However, Yan, hidden in the shadows, shook his head at the sight.

Hei Ze twisted aside to evade the spear thrust, which carried a sonic boom, then threw both fists forward. At the same time, Li Chuan spun his spear, intending to entangle Hei Ze's hands within it. But black light burst from Hei Ze's palms, revealing a pair of savage panther claws.

Bang!

The two figures passed each other. A drop of blood slid down Li Chuan's cheek before falling to the ground. Hei Ze landed, looked at the trace of blood on his claws, turned around, and struck a provocative pose.

Hei Ze lunged again. This time, Li Chuan reacted swiftly. Ignoring the small wound on his face, he shifted slightly and avoided Hei Ze's fists, which carried faint bursts of air.

Then he twisted and flew sideways. Before he had even regained his footing, he thrust his spear out like a dragon. The spear pressed forward with unstoppable, rapid attacks. Even Hei Ze, an Agility Attack Soul Master, found it difficult to withstand such an offensive and looked rather disheveled.

"Let's go."

In the woods nearby, Yan glanced at the still-unfinished melee and shook his head before speaking to Tuo Ba Hong.

Tuo Ba Hong was somewhat curious, but he still got to his feet and followed. "Boss, didn't you say we came to gather information? Aren't we going to keep watching?"

"These two are only this capable. I've already gathered what I needed. There's no need to pay them any more attention."

Yan shook his head without explaining further. Just now, he had imagined himself fighting each of them and concluded that he could end either battle quickly. There was nothing more worth watching.

Yan and Tuo Ba Hong left the woods and followed the fine gravel paths of Central Ring Park to the western side of the city. This area had bustling streets, with the east-west road nearly connecting the two city gates. It was a good place for business, but not particularly suitable for cultivation.

Yan and Tuo Ba Hong made their way to the outside of a rather secluded alley. Looking at the low, plain house before them and the cramped, oppressive surroundings, Yan glanced at the chubby boy beside him and asked in a low voice, "Fatty, are you sure those siblings live here?"

Today's first chapter was a little late, so my apologies. Also, the new book will receive an app recommendation next week. I hope everyone will vote and leave comments. Thank you as well for your recommendation votes, monthly votes, and rewards.