On the arena.
Lu Lin and Magic Tiger released their martial souls and soul rings at the same time.
Magic Tiger's martial soul was a beast martial soul called the Blood Tiger, of above-average quality.
When his martial soul possessed him, his muscles swelled grotesquely, his eyes turned scarlet, and a blood-red "king" appeared on his forehead.
He had already been broad-backed and burly, but now he looked like a human-shaped rabid tiger—a killing machine.
At the same time, three soul rings—two yellow and one purple—appeared in an orderly line around him. He released all of his Soul Power without reservation, its force surging like a colossal wave as he tried to put pressure on Lu Lin.
Yet Lu Lin made no rash move.
He remained calm, a faint smile appearing on his face.
As he released his martial soul, two dazzling Purple Soul Rings silently appeared around him.
Tsk, this guy really was different from that "Blazing Wolf" yesterday.
Cautious, and capable.
But he thought he could put pressure on me?
Lu Lin thought as he unhesitatingly unleashed the might of his Dark Demon Dreadclaw Bear martial soul against his opponent.
In truth, the match between Magic Tiger and Yan Jun hadn't been rigged.
Magic Tiger had happened to be there watching when Yan Jun fought yesterday.
After seeing Yan Jun effortlessly defeat Blazing Wolf with a single move, he'd marveled at when such a monster had appeared.
He hadn't expected that the very next day, he'd run into Yan Jun himself.
Though his opponent was only a Soul Grandmaster, Magic Tiger knew better than anyone.
Just how outrageous was Yan Jun's soul ring configuration, with both his First and Second Soul Rings being purple?
He didn't dare underestimate him in the slightest.
Yesterday's Blazing Wolf was a cautionary tale.
But gradually, a look of shock appeared on Magic Tiger's face.
He realized that the terrifying might coming from Yan Jun was actually forcing back the Soul Power pressure he'd unleashed earlier.
After all, he had a full eleven levels more Soul Power than Yan Jun!
Not only that, Magic Tiger felt his Soul Power circulating sluggishly, and a trace of fear and shock flashed uncontrollably through his scarlet eyes.
It wasn't his imagination. He seemed to hear his Blood Tiger martial soul let out a low whimper.
This was a terrifying pressure that came from deep within his bloodline!!!!
Magic Tiger's martial soul was certainly of good quality, but how could it compare to the Dark Demon Dreadclaw Bear, which stood at the pinnacle of beast martial souls?
Magic Tiger knew he couldn't wait any longer.
As the third purple soul ring around him lit up, the blood-red "king" on his forehead flared as well. He gave a low shout: "Blood Tiger Demon Ape Transformation!"
His muscles bulged like iron, and his tiger-paw-like claws glowed a bloodthirsty red. He lunged at Lu Lin like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Blood Tiger Demon Ape Transformation was the Third Soul Skill Magic Tiger relied on to survive. It came from a sixteen-hundred-year-old Soul Beast, the Lion Ghost Ape.
This skill sent him into a frenzy in an instant, dramatically boosting both his attack and defense.
As Magic Tiger closed in, Lu Lin remained calm. He neither dodged nor retreated. The instant Magic Tiger was about to reach him, a glimmer flashed in Lu Lin's eyes.
Battle Skill: Mirage Thousand Illusions!
The Body Sect was renowned for its Battle Skills. During Lu Lin's two years in the sect, he'd naturally done more than just cultivate Soul Power.
Of course, although the Body Sect had many Battle Skills, they had to suit the individual. As a result, Lu Lin had only mastered and learned to use a handful of them, and Mirage Thousand Illusions was one of those.
Mirage Thousand Illusions was a Battle Skill of the mental attribute.
Its specific effect was to use Mental Power to trap an opponent between reality and illusion, leaving them momentarily dazed. An unprepared Soul Master, or one with weak Mental Power, could easily fall for it. If Lu Lin switched to his Necromancer's Heavy Eyes martial soul, the skill's effects would be different.
Magic Tiger was a Power Attack System Battle Soul Master. Using his Third Soul Skill had sent him into a frenzy. It greatly enhanced his attack and defense, but left his mental faculties at their weakest.
The instant Lu Lin used Mirage Thousand Illusions, Magic Tiger's movements stiffened. His Soul Power became sluggish, and several images of Yan Jun seemed to appear before his eyes, making it impossible to tell which was real.
"Not good, an illusion!"
The thought had only just crossed Magic Tiger's mind when he let out a furious roar in his heart, using all his Mental Power to break through the illusion. His eyes immediately cleared, but then he heard a low shout beside him: "Dark Demon Claw."
Lu Lin's First Soul Ring lit up. In the blink of an eye, he was already upon Magic Tiger, fingers curled into claws. Soul Power gathered around them as if it were tangible, radiating a cold, violent aura of Destruction.
Caught off guard, Magic Tiger could only cross his arms over his chest and use Soul Power to form a crude defense. However...
Skkrrt—
A harsh ripping sound rang out.
The Dark Demon Claw easily tore through the clothes on Magic Tiger's upper body, leaving three deep gashes that exposed bone. Blood sprayed from his wounds, and the tremendous force sent him flying like a cannonball to the edge of the arena.
It might have sounded like a long exchange, but everything had happened in the blink of an eye.
Still, Magic Tiger was a Soul Elder, far stronger than Blazing Wolf. At least he hadn't lost consciousness.
"Do you want to continue?"
Watching Magic Tiger struggle to his feet, Lu Lin stood calmly where he was and kindly asked him.
"I surrender!"
Magic Tiger grunted. He looked utterly ragged and had clearly lost the ability to fight.
He'd underestimated Yan Jun.
Magic Tiger felt a little frustrated.
His opponent's soul skill was not only powerful, but explosive. In that instant, Magic Tiger had felt his heart seize up, as if he weren't facing a Soul Master at all, but a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast with a terrifying, blazing aura.
And then there was that bizarre Battle Skill, which had caught him completely off guard.
"Thank you for the match."
Lu Lin gave a slight nod and cupped his hands.
Magic Tiger didn't know that Lu Lin hadn't even used the full power of his soul skill. What's more, he hadn't used his Second Soul Skill at all.
This wasn't a fight to the death. There was no need to go for the kill.
After Magic Tiger personally conceded, the host stepped onto the arena and announced Yan Jun as the winner of the match.
At the announcement, the spectators who'd been holding their breath in the stands erupted into a roaring wave of cheers and gasps.
The response was even greater than the night before.
After all, Yan Jun's opponent this time was Magic Tiger, who'd already won five matches in a row!
And Magic Tiger was a bona fide Soul Elder, while Yan Jun was only a Soul Grandmaster. Even those who'd thought Yan Jun might defeat Magic Tiger hadn't expected the fight to end so cleanly.
It wasn't that Magic Tiger was too weak. Yan Jun was simply too strong.
Some ordinary Soul Masters in the stands looked at Yan Jun, standing tall and elegant on the arena, and couldn't help thinking: If I were up there, how glorious would that be!!
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena, in another luxurious private room.
A handsome boy of about eight or nine, dressed in fine clothes, set down his wineglass and turned to look at his older brother. Smiling, he asked, "Brother, what do you think of Yan Jun?"
Dai Mingheng set down his champagne, his expression unreadable. "He has some ability."
Dai Mingheng paused, then continued, "Xichen, your opponents have always been those monsters from the Inner Court. I hope your name will be among the Shrek Seven Devils next year."
At that, Dai Xichen's expression fell. "Brother, I'm not even nine yet. I can't enter Shrek Academy. Don't put so much pressure on me. Besides, what if Yan Jun joins Shrek by then? How am I supposed to compete with him?"
Dai Mingheng considered it briefly, then shook his head. "There are age restrictions for entering our Shrek Academy. Yan Jun looks to be at least thirteen or fourteen, so he's already missed the age limit."
Although Dai Mingheng said this, he knew there were always exceptions.
With Yan Jun's unbelievably powerful soul ring configuration, if he truly wanted to join the academy, they might well make an exception for him.
If Yan Jun did enter the academy, he'd be a formidable rival for both Dai Mingheng and his younger brother.
So he continued, "Then what are you planning to do?"
"So for my Second Soul Ring, I'm planning to absorb one that's over two thousand years old, even if it means going beyond the usual limit."
Dai Mingheng frowned. "How confident are you?"
Dai Xichen's expression turned serious. "One hundred percent!"
Before you continue