My Strength Is Above Yours!

Xu San Shi had clearly not expected anyone to attack him, much less twice in succession, and was caught off guard. His right hand instinctively swept downward, colliding with the incoming palm with a bang. Both men took a step back, neither gaining any advantage.

The newcomer was none other than Tang Sect's senior disciple, Bei Bei. Tang Ya appeared right after him, her pretty little face full of fury.

"Xu San Shi, you dare bully one of mine? I'll fight you to the death!" As she spoke, Tang Ya raised her right hand, and a point of golden light shot straight toward Xu San Shi.

Xu San Shi swept his right hand, sending a sharp surge of black light rolling out to deflect the golden glint. Yet something startling happened. The golden light flashed abruptly, slipped through the black light, and vanished into his body.

A moment later, Xu San Shi's entire body trembled, and his gaze froze. Two yellow and one purple Soul Rings rose beneath his feet as his body swelled by a full circle. A black Tortoise Shell Shield, one and a half meters in diameter, appeared in his right hand.

"Tang Ya, don't think I can't touch you just because Bei Bei is protecting you."

Tang Ya sneered. "Come on! You think I'm afraid of you?"

Bei Bei said evenly, "Xu San Shi, you bullied my junior disciple. You must give us an explanation for what happened today. Otherwise, we'll settle this in the Soul Duel Zone."

Xu San Shi pointed at Huo Yu Hao, hesitating. "He's your junior disciple?"

Bei Bei nodded without changing expression.

Xu San Shi said coldly, "So what? If he refuses to show Nannan respect, then he's refusing to show me respect. They were just grilled fish. I already paid."

Tang Ya snapped, "Those were the fish Yu Hao saved for me! Bei Bei, why are you still wasting words on him? Beat him up! Beat him until he can't take care of himself, and I'll let you kiss me."

Bei Bei's tense expression twitched when he heard that, the muscles at the corner of his mouth spasming.

Xu San Shi curled his lip. "Your Tang Ya is still as scatterbrained as ever. It's been a long time since we sparred. Soul Duel Zone it is. Let's go!"

"Senior Bei Bei, can you leave this spar to me?" Lin Yuan's voice was calm as he stepped forward and stood before everyone. "I'm in a bad mood today. If I don't vent this anger, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Bei Bei looked at him, hesitation flashing through his eyes. He knew Xu San Shi's strength and understood the cause of this conflict. But he had also witnessed Lin Yuan's power and knew that this eleven-year-old boy was far from as simple as he appeared.

"Junior Lin Yuan, are you sure?" Bei Bei asked gravely.

"Don't worry. I know my limits. I won't beat him to death." Lin Yuan smiled faintly, his gaze already fixed on Xu San Shi.

Xu San Shi's anger flared instantly. "Kid, you're pretty arrogant! Fine, I'll grant your wish!" With that, he turned and headed toward the academy's Soul Duel Zone.

Wang Dong tugged at Lin Yuan's clothes, her pink-blue eyes filled with worry. "You're really going to fight? He's a Soul Elder!"

"A Soul Elder? As if I'm not one too. Watch me pin him to the ground and beat him." Lin Yuan waved a hand.

The Soul Duel Zone was located at the northwestern corner of the Martial Soul Department, near Shrek City. It was a place frequently visited by upper-year students. All kinds of matches could be held here, with dedicated teachers serving as referees to determine victory and defeat, protect students, and provide rescue and treatment. Naturally, all these services required payment. For a single soul duel, both sides had to pay at least ten Gold Soul Coins as a venue fee, yet many students still flocked here eagerly. After all, fighting here came without restrictions, and there was no need to worry about striking too heavily, since the referee teachers would control the situation. Victories in soul duels also earned a certain number of credits and bonus points in year-end examinations. Matches were open to all students, while spectators had to pay one Silver Soul Coin for admission.

What surprised Wang Dong and Huo Yu Hao was that this one-on-one duel drew the attention of many students. Most of those who had watched the commotion at the academy gates, regardless of year, followed them over. By the time the group arrived at the Soul Duel Zone, quite a few people were already waiting. News spread quickly, and more students came in an endless stream.

The Soul Duel Zone was hexagonal and roughly the same size as Shrek Plaza. At its center was a large open competition ground, surrounded by tiered rows of seats that could accommodate around three thousand people at once. At this moment, three to four hundred people were already seated around the edge. Wang Dong, Huo Yu Hao, and Tang Ya had arrived early and sat in the front row, closest to the arena.

Inside the arena, Lin Yuan was already standing on the Soul Duel Platform, quietly resting with his eyes closed. Bei Bei, meanwhile, had accompanied Xu San Shi to the lounge, clearly intending to remove the Dragon Whisker Needle from his body and squeeze some compensation out of him for Huo Yu Hao while he was at it.

As time passed, the stands quickly filled with enthusiastic students. The duel between Lin Yuan and Xu San Shi—a first-year freshman challenging an upper-year senior—rapidly became the hottest topic in the entire venue.

"Who's that freshman? He's way too arrogant!"

"You don't know? His name is Lin Yuan. He's eleven years old and rank thirty-nine!"

"Seriously? I don't believe it!"

Just as everyone was discussing it heatedly, a voice caught everyone's attention. "Wow! He's so handsome! Silver hair, purple eyes—his aura is absolutely incredible!"

Following the voice, they saw a female student covering her face excitedly, her eyes sparkling like stars. Her companions nodded one after another, their gazes firmly locked onto the figure on the Soul Duel Platform who was resting with his eyes closed.

"I declare that from today onward, he's my new dream guy!"

"Wake up. He's only eleven!"

"So what? I'll wait for him to grow up!"

Meanwhile, in another corner of the stands, Jiang Nannan sat with several female students. Her gaze was also involuntarily drawn toward Lin Yuan on the Soul Duel Platform.

"Is he the one who stopped Xu San Shi at the gates today?"

"Yeah, I heard he's even the class monitor of Class One Freshman!"

"Not only is he handsome, he's also this strong..."

At that moment, Xu San Shi and Bei Bei emerged from the lounge together. The Soul Power fluctuations around Xu San Shi had been completely restrained, clearly indicating that he had forced the Tang Sect hidden weapon out of his body.

"Kid, ready to be beaten until you cry?" Xu San Shi stood at the center of the Soul Duel Platform and looked provocatively at Lin Yuan. A teacher around forty years old came out with him.

Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes. A cold glint flashed through his purple pupils, though his lips held an amused smile. "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you."

The referee teacher walked to the center of the arena and said in a deep voice, "First-year freshman Lin Yuan challenges fifth-year student Xu San Shi. If Xu San Shi loses, he must pay an additional ten Gold Soul Coins. Are you both ready?"

Lin Yuan and Xu San Shi nodded at the same time.

"The match begins." After announcing this, the referee quickly retreated.

The instant his words fell, Xu San Shi released his Martial Soul. His body expanded once more, stretching his academy uniform taut, while the huge Tortoise Shell Shield appeared in his right hand. The Soul Duel Zone, which had been somewhat noisy just moments before, instantly fell silent. Everyone's eyes focused on the center of the arena.

Lin Yuan did not rush to release his Martial Soul. He merely stood quietly where he was, his purple eyes calm and unruffled, as if the opponent before him was not worth taking seriously.

Seeing Lin Yuan disregard him so completely, Xu San Shi's fury intensified. Of the two yellow and one purple Soul Rings beneath his feet, the first hundred-year yellow ring lit up. The black light on the Tortoise Shell Shield instantly grew twice as dense, and a powerful black halo spread from the shield, covering more than a dozen square meters amid rumbling booms.

Lin Yuan raised his foot and brought it down. Earth Authority activated silently, and a wave no weaker than the Mysterious Nether Tremor spread from beneath his feet.

The two powerful tremors collided head-on at the center of the Soul Duel Platform, instantly forming a visible shockwave that swept outward in all directions.

Xu San Shi let out a muffled grunt and staggered back three steps. The massive Tortoise Shell Shield in his hand trembled slightly, showing that the impact had shaken him badly. Lin Yuan, however, remained where he stood, his feet rooted in place. Even the hem of his clothes did not sway.

"This is a Self-Created Soul Skill I've been practicing recently. You're just in time to test its power—Space Strangulation!" As Lin Yuan's words fell, the air at the center of the Soul Duel Platform seemed to be clenched by an invisible hand, while the surrounding light twisted faintly.

Fine silver-white lines instantly appeared on the ground beneath Xu San Shi's feet, like an invisible net that locked him firmly in place.

Not good! Xu San Shi's heart jolted. His second Soul Ring blazed brightly, and he rooted himself like a boulder, attempting to withstand the force head-on.

However, Space Strangulation was not brute force. It twisted space itself into threads, slicing simultaneously from every direction. Though Xu San Shi's defense was powerful, he found his limbs seeming to sink into a thick swamp. His movements became sluggish, and the Soul Power protecting his body was gradually stripped away.

"Profound Nether Power, protect my body!" Xu San Shi roared. The black light of his third Soul Ring surged, and heavy black armor appeared across his body.

At that moment, Lin Yuan curled his fingers, and the invisible spatial threads snapped shut!

"Hiss—"

With a faint sound, several fine white marks were forcibly carved into Xu San Shi's protective black armor. Even the edge of his Tortoise Shell Shield had been shaved away by a thin layer.

Xu San Shi groaned, his blood and qi churning as he staggered back several steps before barely steadying himself.

The entire audience held its breath. This was the first time they had seen someone, as a Soul Elder, break through Xu San Shi's defenses so effortlessly!

Lin Yuan stood calmly where he was and looked at Xu San Shi, a faint smile lifting the corners of his lips. "You should be grateful that I haven't released my Martial Soul or used my own Soul Skills yet. Otherwise, you'd already be lying on the ground. But I've had enough fun. It's time to end this match!"

With that, Lin Yuan moved. In the next instant, a faint afterimage remained where he had stood, while he himself appeared before Xu San Shi like a ghost. His five fingers hooked like claws, precisely gripping his opponent's throat, while his other hand slammed down onto Xu San Shi's chest and pinned him to the ground.

Bang!

The Soul Duel Platform shook violently, and shattered stones flew everywhere. Xu San Shi's massive body was nailed firmly to the ground, his protective Soul Power cracking apart inch by inch beneath that press. The Tortoise Shell Shield flew from his grasp with a clang and smashed heavily against the edge of the Soul Duel Platform.

The entire venue fell deathly silent. Everyone was utterly stunned by the scene. From the start of the match to its end, only a few breaths had passed, yet a fifth-year Soul Elder had been suppressed by a first-year freshman using only physical techniques, without even having time to fully unleash his Martial Soul abilities.

"You lost." Lin Yuan's voice was calm, without the slightest trace of pride.

Xu San Shi's face reddened as he struggled desperately with all four limbs, only to find that the hand gripping his throat was as steady as an iron clamp. No matter how he exerted himself, it would not budge. What terrified him even more was that the palm pressing against his chest emitted a strange suction force, steadily drawing away the turbulent Soul Power within him, leaving him without even the strength to activate his Soul Skills.

"Referee!" Lin Yuan raised his eyes toward the side. "The outcome has been decided."

Only then did the referee snap out of his daze. He hurriedly stepped forward and announced loudly, "The match is over. Lin Yuan wins!"