Shock

Three papers, one pair of scissors.

The boy in blue won.

"HAHAHA, I accept! Lin Tianyi is mine now. If you get the chance later, you can come to my house and visit him. Such a small matter won't be a problem, HAHAHA!"

Under the envious, jealous, and resentful gazes of the other three, the boy in blue laughed heartily as he leaped onto the platform. His burning gaze fixed on Lin Tianyi, who was several heads shorter than him.

"Lin Tianyi, a gentleman's word is as good as gold. You can't go back on it. Everyone is watching."

With the aloof bearing of an expert, Lin Tianyi gave a cool nod. "I keep my word."

Then, he swept his gaze around and confirmed that all the teachers and students in the academy were watching. He nodded inwardly. Now, his strength would be deeply branded into everyone's eyes and hearts.

Turning to the dean beside him, Lin Tianyi asked him to serve as the referee.

The dean nodded with a complicated, bitter expression, though his heart was full of anguish.

Faced with a level twenty-seven Soul Grandmaster, Lin Tianyi was bound to lose. I'd better think about how to deal with Lord Lin Hongtu's wrath.

Wang Lie stared excitedly at Lin Tianyi. If he brought this peerless genius home, his father would surely be overjoyed. The future position of duke might very well be his—his elder brother would have no share in it!

"My name is Wang Lie. I'm twelve years old, my martial soul is the Blood Tiger, and I'm a level twenty-seven Soul Grandmaster. I come from the Heaven Dou Royal Family, a ducal house.

"Lin Tianyi, becoming a servant of my Wang family would not be beneath you!"

Wang Lie stared intently at Lin Tianyi as though he were some priceless treasure.

"Can we begin?" Lin Tianyi ignored Wang Lie and looked at the dean acting as referee.

The Old Dean nodded miserably and said listlessly:

"The one who admits defeat first or falls from the platform loses. The match begins!"

"Hmph! No respect for rank or status!" Wang Lie snorted as he glared at Lin Tianyi.

"A commoner is a commoner, without any upbringing. Once you join my Wang family, I'll personally train you.

"I'll teach you what a servant ought to look like!"

With that, Wang Lie immediately possessed the Blood Tiger martial soul. His body abruptly swelled by an entire size, his clothes nearly bursting apart as the muscles in his arms and legs bulged.

Sharp tiger claws appeared on his hands, while his feet tore through his shoes to reveal pointed claws. A blood-red character for "king" appeared between his brows, and his pupils turned blood-red, giving him an exceedingly sinister appearance.

Hundreds of students beneath the platform held their breaths in tension. Before Wang Lie, Lin Tianyi looked utterly like a child with no ability to fight back. No matter how they looked at it, there was no way he could win.

The Old Dean could not bear to watch any longer.

Wang Lie's blood-red tiger eyes locked onto Lin Tianyi. He stomped forward and turned into an arrow loosed from a bow, reaching Lin Tianyi in the blink of an eye.

With a cold gaze, he raised his sharp claws and viciously swiped at Lin Tianyi's slender chest.

He wanted to teach Lin Tianyi an unforgettable lesson, showing absolutely no mercy as he struck with brutal force.

Just as his claws were about to make contact, a disdainful smile curled Wang Lie's lips.

That's it?

The next second, he discovered in shock that Lin Tianyi had vanished from his sight, and his fierce claws struck empty air.

At the moment when Wang Lie's old force had faded and his new force had yet to arise, Lin Tianyi appeared behind him in a ghostly Teleportation.

His eyes sharpened like blades. He sprang into the air, spun once midair, and swung his right leg like a steel whip at Wang Lie's neck, smashing down with all his gathered force.

Wang Lie had no time to react. His neck was struck viciously, and his head snapped sideways before slamming hard into his shoulder.

The tremendous force erupting from Lin Tianyi's small body sent him flying like a whipped top.

He let out a pained scream, rolled several times across the platform, then tumbled off it. Lying on the ground, he clutched his twisted neck, which felt as though it had broken, and wailed in agony.

From beginning to end, it had taken less than three seconds.

The entire venue fell deathly silent!

The Old Dean's eyes widened, his aged face full of shock and disbelief. Wang Lie had been instantly defeated by Lin Tianyi in a single move?!

The other three sixth-year seniors at level twenty-seven stood dumbfounded. Having often sparred with Wang Lie, they knew full well how strong he was. Yet Lin Tianyi had instantly defeated him in one move. They were deeply shaken.

All the teachers and students below the platform were equally stunned. Those students had not even seen how Lin Tianyi had suddenly appeared behind Wang Lie.

Ning Rongrong's little mouth formed an O. He... he was actually this strong!

After recovering from his shock, the Old Dean hurriedly declared Lin Tianyi the victor. He then jumped down from the platform to inspect Wang Lie's injuries. Finding that they were not too serious, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He summoned a healing-type Soul Master to treat him, and Wang Lie gradually recovered.

Thinking of how he had been instantly defeated in one move, Wang Lie—who cared greatly about his pride—wore a face as dark as water and glared resentfully at Lin Tianyi.

"Just you wait. I'll get even!"

He viciously threw down those words.

Then, he shook off the healing teacher's arm, turned sharply, and stormed away in anger.

Watching Wang Lie's departing back, Lin Tianyi was speechless.

"This guy really can't accept defeat. Fine, it looks like I need to find a way to make him submit and stop him from coming after me again. Otherwise, the mission won't count as complete."

Then, Lin Tianyi's gaze fell on the remaining three strongest level twenty-seven students.

Next, he still had to end the battle as quickly as possible. Only then could he display his strength.

The remaining three had lost their earlier confidence. Their faces were filled with gravity and solemnity.

The three exchanged glances, then once more used rock-paper-scissors to decide who would go up.

This time, the winning contestant was the commoner Soul Master.

There was no smile on the commoner Soul Master's face, only gravity and seriousness. He leaped onto the platform and fixed his sharp gaze on Lin Tianyi.

"My name is Liu Yidao. I'm thirteen years old, my martial soul is the Hegemon Blade, and my Soul Power is level twenty-eight."

Lin Tianyi showed no reaction, but the two younger sons of ducal houses below the platform were stunned. They had not expected Liu Yidao to be the first to break through to level twenty-eight.

Lin Tianyi said calmly, "Begin."

Following the Old Dean's loud announcement, a broad dark-green blade immediately appeared in Liu Yidao's hand. At the same time, two yellow hundred-year soul rings emerged, blazing brilliantly!

"First Soul Skill—Hegemon Slash!"

"Second Soul Skill—Thunderous Slash!"

After Wang Lie's crushing defeat, Liu Yidao did not dare to be the slightest bit careless. He immediately unleashed his strongest attacks at Lin Tianyi.

Faced with the two dark-green blade lights that slashed toward him in an X shape, Lin Tianyi could have used Teleportation to evade them and had no need to take them head-on.

But his goal was not merely to win. He had to win with overwhelming dominance and earn everyone's respect!

Therefore, Lin Tianyi neither dodged nor retreated. He clenched his right hand, and the crimson, translucent Dragon's Roar Sword abruptly materialized.

At the same time, a purple soul ring emerged around him, making everyone present stare wide-eyed.

The purple soul ring blazed brightly!

"First Soul Skill—Earth Splitting Slash!!"

A crimson sword light over three meters long shot forth in an instant.

It collided fiercely with Liu Yidao's attack with a thunderous boom. An energy storm raged outward, lashing Liu Yidao's and Lin Tianyi's faces with cutting pain.

In the end, the two attacks canceled each other out, and calm returned.

Liu Yidao's expression changed, and his heart pounded in alarm. As expected of a thousand-year Soul Skill. If Lin Tianyi's Soul Power were equal to mine, I'd probably have to dodge it.

He immediately prepared to unleash another Soul Skill.

But before his soul rings could light up, another crimson sword light over three meters long slashed toward him without warning, carrying a piercing howl through the air.

Liu Yidao's expression changed drastically.

What?! It's that fast? Doesn't he have any skill cooldown?