Soul-Reaping Ghoul, Life-Claiming Impermanence

"Second Soul Skill? Granite Rock!"

The magma from his First Soul Skill had failed to work, so Yan immediately changed his method of attack.

His second soul ring flashed, and his entire left arm instantly transformed into lava.

Maintaining such a state was an enormous drain on Yan at his current level.

I have to take him down within a minute.

After reaffirming his objective, Yan planted his feet and charged forward.

"Tsk, no wonder it's an ancient martial soul."

As he desperately dodged Yan's attacks, Su Chen sighed inwardly.

The lava fist hammered down repeatedly. While it greatly increased its power, it also slowed Yan's movements.

"Then let me show you my full-strength strike!"

With his attacks being dodged again and again, rage flared in Yan's heart.

As he poured in all his Soul Power, the second soul ring shone brilliantly.

"This is bad!"

Hu Liena and Xie Yue had only just arrived, and it was already too late for them to intervene.

They could only watch as the enraged Yan leaped into the air.

With a roar, Yan's lava fist swelled even larger, while the phantom of the Flame Lord behind him became more solid as well.

"Soul-Reaping Ghoul."

Su Chen calmly spoke as he looked up at the Flame Lord's phantom behind Yan.

"What?!"

The white ball of Soul Power instantly dissipated, yet Yan's body could no longer make another move.

No matter how he struggled, he could only remain frozen in midair.

"Life-Claiming Impermanence!"

The black ball of Soul Power dissipated as well, and Yan felt the Soul Power in his body draining away bit by bit.

"No, don't..."

This was the first time in Yan's life that he had felt fear.

It felt as though he were slowly walking, step by step, toward an abyss called "death."

"Su Chen, stop!"

"Junior Brother, someone's going to die if you don't stop!"

With no other choice, Hu Liena and Xie Yue could only forcefully unleash a mental attack, attempting to interrupt Su Chen's soul skill.

However, what answered them was an even more powerful surge of mental power.

In that instant, it seemed as though thousands upon thousands of vicious ghosts appeared before them.

Under the backlash from their mental power, they each spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Stop!"

This was not Su Chen's counterattack. At this moment, he was doing everything he could to interrupt his own soul skill.

Soul Power poured in frantically. As the soul rings reversed, the two balls of Soul Power reappeared, looking distinctly displeased.

"Whew... It finally stopped."

Su Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath.

No matter what, he was still Bibi Dong's disciple. There was no need to cause a death over something like this with that kid.

"You bastard... no wonder Your Holiness the Pope thinks so highly of you."

His Soul Power drained dry and nearly collapsing from exhaustion, Yan stood up and walked over to Su Chen.

"But I'll become stronger than you, and then I'll win Nana back."

"Huh? Are you misunderstanding something?"

Su Chen was speechless. Sure enough, in a world with Douluo Continent's worldview, did everyone mature early?

This kid was only ten, and he had already started?

"You don't need to hide it. I'll prove that I'm a better man than you. I believe Nana will make her choice then."

"Forget it. Think whatever you want."

He had originally wanted to explain a little, but seeing how stubborn the other party was, Su Chen gave up on the idea of communicating.

"Senior Sister, you're back."

Recalling Little Black and Little White, Su Chen jumped down from the arena.

"Whew... You scared me to death."

Hu Liena patted her chest, the terrifying scene from earlier still lingering vividly in her mind.

"What on earth is going on in your head? Why are there so many ghosts?"

Still shaken, Hu Liena reached out, trying to give Su Chen a head pat.

"Huh? What ghosts?"

Su Chen scratched his head in confusion. Hu Liena's words left him utterly baffled.

Still, he skillfully raised his hand and blocked Hu Liena's attempted head pat.

"Are you Your Holiness the Pope's new disciple?"

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Xie Yue slowly stepped forward.

"Yes, I am."

Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena. Spirit Hall's Golden Generation had now gathered in one place.

"You youngsters have certainly caused quite a commotion. Tell me, what happened?"

An androgynous voice came from nearby.

"Chrysanthemum Douluo."

They turned toward the voice and saw that it was Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan.

Yue Guan's skin was as soft and delicate as a baby's. His excessively bewitching features gave off an unsettling impression instead.

Combined with that androgynous voice, if not for the Adam's apple on his neck, no one would have believed he was a man.

"It was nothing. I merely lost to Su Chen."

Though deeply unwilling to accept it, Yan still stepped forward and honestly admitted the truth.

"I wasn't asking about the outcome. I meant the cause and the course of events."

Yue Guan was visibly taken aback. He had not expected Yan to be the one who had been defeated.

"What did you fight over? Do you remember what Your Holiness the Pope said?"

Yue Guan was someone who valued his own interests. Faced with this group of geniuses, he naturally would not step forward and play the villain himself.

Instead, he shifted the matter into one of obeying Bibi Dong's orders.

"I remember. Any sparring match must be reported to a teaching Soul Master beforehand."

Yan lowered his head and answered in a deep voice.

"Since that's the case, go to the Teaching Hall and receive your punishment."

Yue Guan tossed out those words before drifting away.

It was not that Bibi Dong wanted to turn them into flowers raised in a greenhouse. It was simply that they had not yet reached the age for proper training and experience.

Ten years old, Rank 20. Such strength would make them absolute prodigies in any academy.

Even Spirit Hall was no exception.

"Yes."

With his head lowered, Yan strode toward the Teaching Hall.

"Wait. I'll go with you."

Su Chen stepped forward and pressed a hand onto Yan's shoulder.

"You didn't know that rule. Ignorance is no crime. You don't need to be punished."

Yan shoved Su Chen away, with no intention of accepting the favor.

"Whether I knew or not, I was still involved in this."

Winning over a ten-year-old child was something Su Chen, who had lived two lives, considered rather easy.

As he spoke, he pulled everyone closer.

"No matter what, we are all disciples of Your Holiness the Pope. That means we should be companions."

"Companions?"

Xie Yue rubbed his chin, carefully considering the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar word.

Hu Liena and he were biological siblings, so they had long been suspected of possessing the talent for a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

Among the Golden Generation's three members, he had the deepest understanding of "companions" and "cooperation."

Of course, that only applied to his own sister.

"Senior Sister, do you remember the incense from before?"

"Yes, I remember."

Hu Liena turned her head, not knowing what Su Chen was about to say.

"Even the most ordinary flowers and grasses can produce such effects after being blended together."

"Then what if the ones cooperating were us?"