Ye Xinglan: Buns? I Don't Need Them, I Want Candy!

Avoiding the web of spider silk, Ye Xinglan and Yu Weinan came to an open area off to the side and faced each other.

Like the other onlookers, Nan Liujing stayed more than thirty meters away from the battlefield.

"Two rings?"

The moment Ye Xinglan summoned her soul rings, Mo Jue's expression shifted slightly. She said in a low voice, "A three-ring against a two-ring isn't fair."

Nan Liujing gave her a rather surprised look.

The others exchanged glances, staring at the two yellow and one purple soul rings around Yu Weinan before comparing them with Ye Xinglan's two yellow soul rings. They nodded instinctively.

Yu Jiutian said calmly, "Lizhi, make two Recovery Meat Buns and one Light Spirit Soup Dumpling."

"Yes."

Among the crowd, a chubby youth hurriedly complied. Soul power light rose from his body, and a faint fragrance spread from his palms.

Xu Lizhi?

Only then did Nan Liujing notice his presence, his brows lifting slightly.

So that was it. No wonder Ye Xinglan had been brought along by the Shrek Academy representative team in the original timeline to attend the Tianhai Alliance Competition. It was likely because of Xu Lizhi's relationship with Yu Jiutian.

After all, back then, only Ye Xinglan and Xu Lizhi in that team were a little over ten years old. Everyone else was around fourteen.

"Give them to her." Once Xu Lizhi finished making the buns, Yu Jiutian spoke again.

Xu Lizhi trotted over and held out the buns, smiling as he explained, "This plump bun is a Recovery Meat Bun. It restores soul power and stamina, and can also heal basic injuries. This smaller one is a Light Spirit Soup Dumpling. Eating it makes your body lighter and increases your movement speed."

As he looked at Ye Xinglan's refined yet valiant face, the little fatty's eyes widened slightly. Heat rose in his chest without him realizing it.

Ye Xinglan merely gave the buns in his hand an indifferent glance. "No need for buns. I have something better."

She turned to look at Nan Liujing.

Nan Liujing smiled. Amid everyone's stunned gazes, he flicked a streak of golden light from his left hand.

Ye Xinglan caught it, then said solemnly, "Now we can begin our spar."

Xu Lizhi wanted to say something, but Yu Weinan, who had long since grown impatient, cut him off. "Lizhi, step back."

Xu Lizhi squeezed the buns in his hand and retreated into the crowd with a disappointed look. For some reason, when he heard the girl say she had something better, an inexplicable unwillingness welled up in his heart.

As the first-year outer academy class monitor, Li Qiankun carried considerable authority. He stepped forward to serve as referee. "Since both sides are ready, the spar begins!"

"Roar."

Yu Weinan threw back his head and let out a dragon's roar. Blue arcs of lightning spread from his swelling body. Both arms boldly transformed into razor-sharp dragon claws. They were not as thick and powerful as those of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon; instead, they were long and slender like crescent blades, covered in fine blue dragon scales. Lightning rippled over them, radiating a chilling aura.

Though it was not a top-tier beast martial soul like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the Thunder Claw Dragon had still reached the upper echelon of high-grade martial souls. Besides, dragons were revered above all on Douluo Continent, and its combat strength far surpassed many beast martial souls of the same level.

Ye Xinglan casually popped the Golden Dragon Candy into her mouth. The rich liquid slid down her throat, and the sweet orange fragrance filled her mouth. The Stargod Sword clenched in her right hand trembled faintly, as though it sensed its master's surging strength and peculiar bloodline fluctuations.

Every step Yu Weinan took after Martial Soul Possession was especially heavy. His Spiritual Power had long since locked onto Ye Xinglan, and his first yellow soul ring quietly glowed with a soft light.

Another layer of energy dragon claws formed over his already transformed arms, while rampant currents of electricity exploded continuously through the air.

"I'll make you regret what you did that night."

His backside still faintly aching, Yu Weinan's pupils narrowed into slits. A faint dragon's might surged forth, rushing at her like a gale.

Ye Xinglan gripped her sword with both hands and raised it beside her eyes. The blade reflected her cold gaze. Strands of starlight shone exceptionally brightly, dazzling even in broad daylight.

An invisible field spread out from beneath her feet. The sight instantly put Yu Weinan on alert. His Spiritual Power lock sank like a stone into the sea, as though his opponent had merged with that bright yellow longsword in an instant, becoming impossible to grasp.

"Unity of man and sword?" Mo Jue's eyes lit up.

Even as he remained wary, Yu Weinan, who appeared to be a close-combat soul master, made a move that caught everyone off guard.

The energy dragon claw on his right hand suddenly shot out like a hidden weapon. Its five claws curled like grappling hooks; once they struck an enemy, they would clamp down tightly.

Ye Xinglan reacted with incredible speed. Her left foot shifted sideways as her first soul skill, Sword God Star, activated. The Stargod Sword thrust out without the slightest flourish, specks of starlight flowing gracefully around its tip like intelligent living things.

When the sword tip struck the palm of the incoming energy dragon claw, the expected scene of lightning exploding and overwhelming Ye Xinglan's defenses did not occur. Instead, every strand of dazzling starlight madly broke down the energy within the dragon claw, even suppressing it and turning it to its own use.

Anyone could see that the dragon claw's energy fluctuations had weakened considerably.

Yu Weinan's heart jolted. A Weapon Martial Soul was actually suppressing his beast martial soul in terms of innate attributes? How was that possible?

He reacted at once.

The energy dragon claw rapidly closed around the Stargod Sword, clamping it tight and buying Yu Weinan extra time to close the distance.

As it seized the Stargod Sword, surging Thunder Power erupted with a crash, flooding toward Ye Xinglan like a tidal wave. Yet the dragon claw had already been weakened, and after eating the Golden Dragon Candy, the faint dragon scales hidden beneath Ye Xinglan's skin gave her the ability to ignore the lightning corrosion of a dragon martial soul. The electric shock had no effect on her at all.

The very next moment, the energy dragon claw exploded without warning. The lightning bolts that had been as thin as serpents transformed into starlight filling the sky and shot back toward Yu Weinan.

Yu Weinan's vision blurred. Sword radiance appeared before him in layer upon layer, making it impossible to distinguish real from fake.

Yu Jiutian, Xu Cang, Mo Jue, Li Qiankun, and the others all stiffened. Even with their eyesight, they could not see how the follow-up move had been executed.

Only now did they begin to take Ye Xinglan, this two-ring soul master, seriously.

The only person who truly understood what had happened was Nan Liujing.

The Stargod Sword martial soul possessed an innate talent called Star God Power. It had astonishing penetrative force and could even detonate.

The dragon claw had been broken open from the outside in by Star God Power. Combined with the immense attack boost granted to Ye Xinglan by the Golden Dragon Candy, it had forcibly erased the gap of an entire rank. The starlight filling the sky afterward was mixed with Star God Power and Thunder Claw Dragon soul power suppressed by Bloodline Power. With such overwhelming numbers, it created the impression that there was nowhere to evade and starlight was dancing everywhere.

Ye Xinglan had not yet reached the level of Sword Intent, but by relying on her martial soul's traits and the sensations after consuming the Golden Dragon Candy, she had found another path and developed a unique application for sword techniques.

At this moment, Yu Weinan seemed to have stepped into Ye Xinglan's sword domain. Sharp starlight sword radiance, mixed with the devastating Star God Power and Thunder Power, blanketed the area within a ten-meter radius.

Alarm bells rang loudly in Yu Weinan's heart. He immediately activated his second soul skill, Lightning Scale Protection. At the same time, he swept his arm forward, and the energy dragon claw on his left arm shot out fiercely, trying to force Ye Xinglan, who was attacking head-on, to retreat and buy himself time to evade the rain of sword radiance about to descend from above.

As the sword radiance fell like a drizzle, ready to pierce his heart ten thousand times over, huge amounts of dark-blue dragon scales rapidly emerged across Yu Weinan's body. Their aura was heavy; one glance was enough to tell that their defense was formidable.

Ye Xinglan still thrust out a sword like lightning, without any unnecessary flourish. Soul power and boiling Bloodline Power intertwined within her body, and fine dragon patterns appeared on the Stargod Sword. Its tip carried a sharpness that seemed capable of piercing the heavens. The energy dragon claw was as fragile as thin paper and shattered in an instant.

Ye Xinglan's charge did not stop. With a leap, she arrived before Yu Weinan. Like a dragonfly touching water, the Stargod Sword merely grazed his scale-covered chest before she retreated. Only then did the remaining starlight sword radiance fall upon him like fine rain, gentle enough that it stirred no ripples at all.

The previous sword radiance had layered upon itself, creating an overwhelming, unstoppable pressure. Yet when it actually descended, it was casual and weightless as a feather.

Most of the onlookers frowned.

Yu Weinan did not even feel much force strike his body. Confused and startled, he suddenly felt an intense palpitation burst from beneath his heavy scales. It was as though countless strange energies had drilled into his flesh and blood.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, dazzling spots of light appeared across Yu Weinan's body, as distinct as punctuation marks.

Yu Weinan's expression changed in panic.

As a lightning-element soul master, his body had actually been lightly paralyzed by Thunder Power. He could not use soul power or Bloodline Power to protect his body from within at all.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

In an instant, the spots of light exploded like timed bombs.

Yu Weinan's entire body burst like fireworks, opening countless bloody holes. Every one of them had been placed precisely where his meridians connected.

Intense pain swallowed his consciousness. The aura of his body visibly declined to its lowest point, and even his Martial Soul Possession was forcibly dispelled.

Yu Jiutian reacted quickly, rushing forward and slapping the distress signal device on Yu Weinan's right hand. Yu Weinan immediately transformed into a beam of light and vanished.

"Are you from the Ye Family of Heaven Dou City?" Having done that, Yu Jiutian asked instinctively.

Ye Xinglan flicked her sword. Starlight filled the sky as it drifted down around her delicate figure, illuminating that proud, valiant, and beautiful face.

"So what if I am?"

Yu Jiutian's gaze shifted slightly.

To ordinary people, the Ye Family of Heaven Dou City was unfamiliar. But to soul masters from decent backgrounds, it was well known.

Their inherited martial soul, the Star Saint Sword, was undeniably a top-tier Weapon Martial Soul. Though it was considered the lowest tier among top martial souls, its unique traits gave it a natural advantage against soul masters with powerful defenses.

But what surprised Yu Jiutian even more was that this girl's martial soul was likely the Stargod Sword, something that appeared only once in a century. The explosions alone made that clear.

With the Stargod Sword appearing in the world, the Ye Family would likely rise again.

"Although it may be somewhat inappropriate, I'd like to see just how powerful the Ye Family's inherited Star Saint Sword, which specifically counters defense-type martial souls, truly is."

A voice came from the crowd. Everyone looked over and saw that it was Mystic Turtle Xu Cang.

Mo Jue frowned. "Why are you joining in the fun?"

Xu Cang looked only a little older than Yu Jiutian, around thirteen years old, but he was already tall and broad, standing at one meter eighty. Dressed in black, he looked neat and capable.

He chuckled. "The Rampage Period Spirit Ascension Platform has long since become a place for soul masters to spar with one another. Otherwise, the Spirit Pagoda wouldn't gather all the soul masters entering it together. I'd wager that the intermediate and even advanced Spirit Ascension Platforms are already beating each other's brains out."

"Besides, it wasn't easy for me to encounter a martial soul that openly counters mine. If I don't fight her, I won't sleep easy."

"Little sister of the Ye Family, what do you say?"

Xu Cang appeared carefree and boorish, but the sharp gleam in his eyes betrayed his true nature.

Like Yu Jiutian, he was one of the candidates for young sect master of the Mystic Nether Sect. Seeing that Ye Xinglan's martial soul was unusual, he naturally wanted to test it himself. If he could defeat the Stargod Sword, the Spirit Pagoda would report the battle details to his family. That would earn him points.

As for the gap in cultivation making victory seem unfair, wasn't there martial soul suppression? He was the disadvantaged one too.

"People should at least be allowed to rest for a while. I'll spar with you."

A hearty laugh came from not far away, drawing everyone's attention once more.

Xu Cang froze. He had not expected the person speaking to be the one who had just given Ye Xinglan soul power food. He instinctively said, "Friend, you're a Food System Soul Master. Are you sure you want to get involved?"

Nan Liujing smiled. "Oscar in ancient times and He Caitou in antiquity were both Food System Soul Masters. Didn't they both make names for themselves? What, are you looking down on Food System Soul Masters?"

"I'm not looking down on Food System Soul Masters. I'm merely reminding you. After all, the Spirit Ascension Platform strictly prohibits carrying offensive Soul Tools." Xu Cang was no fool. Food System Soul Masters held high status on Douluo Continent these days. Shrek Academy even had a Food System elder at the Soul Douluo level. He could not afford to speak carelessly.

Nan Liujing said calmly, "Since I dared to challenge you, I naturally have means for actual combat. It just depends on whether you dare accept."

Xu Cang found it troublesome. He wanted to finish quickly so he could challenge Ye Xinglan. "Since you insist, then let's try it."

They switched places. Ye Xinglan took over the task of protecting Wu Sidu, while Nan Liujing stepped into the spot where she had just stood.

Eager to watch the excitement, everyone remained quiet.

Food System Soul Masters were indeed rare, and the help they brought to a team was no less than that of support-system soul masters. But in terms of combat strength, the gap was simply too great. Especially since powerful Soul Tools were forbidden in the Spirit Ascension Platform, they wanted to see where Nan Liujing found the confidence to issue a challenge on his own.

Xu Lizhi stared at Nan Liujing, though no one knew what he was thinking.

Xu Cang said evenly, "To avoid hurting our harmony, we'll stop at the proper point."

Nan Liujing gave a slight nod.

Li Qiankun once again served as referee.

"Begin!"

The moment his words fell, Xu Cang almost immediately summoned his martial soul. He held a heavy Mystic Turtle Armor Shield in his hand. Affected by the martial soul's attributes, even the light within two meters of him dimmed somewhat, while Water Element became extremely active.

"Second soul skill, Mystic Nether Shield Formation."

Two yellow and one purple soul rings rose beneath him. His second soul ring lit up, and the heavy shield rapidly broke apart into dozens of palm-sized round armor blades that whistled toward Nan Liujing.

Could this guy be Xu Sanshi's descendant?

Nan Liujing mused inwardly as his Spiritual Power had already activated the Demon Body.

Actual combat was the best way to test the Demon Body.

I really should have made the male lead's second martial soul gourd wine. That would have matched Black Myth: Wukong perfectly. Haha, what a shame.