Yan's Challenge, the Strongest Strike

"Hey! New kid, dare to come up and fight?"

A provocative voice came from behind Ji Xuan.

Ji Xuan withdrew his gaze and turned around.

Yan, with his flamboyant red hair and arms crossed over his chest, walked toward him.

Hu Liena and Xie Yue followed behind Yan.

Hu Liena sized up Ji Xuan, who was half a head shorter than her, with great interest.

Xie Yue, standing beside her, remained as calm as ever, though a barely noticeable hint of surprise flickered deep in his eyes.

His Martial Soul was the Moon Blade, and he could vaguely sense a sharp, fierce aura from Ji Xuan—one that was no weaker than his own blade intent.

Ji Xuan frowned inwardly.

What was this bootlicker Yan going crazy for?

When had he ever provoked him?

Ever since that morning, Yan had been hostile toward him.

"Kid, my name is Yan. Rank Two." Yan wore an arrogant expression as he pointed at the rankings overhead and shouted,

"If you're scared, then get the hell out of Advanced Elite Class One!"

Yan's voice rang through the entire venue. Everyone immediately fell silent, and the people fighting on the Arena tacitly stopped.

All eyes turned to Ji Xuan and Yan.

The students of Advanced Elite Class One wore amused expressions.

The unaware students from Class Two and Class Three looked curious and shocked. They had never seen Ji Xuan before, and he did not look very old. Who would have thought he was actually a student of Elite Class One?

Second Floor Observation Deck.

"Instructor Zhang, that kid is Ji Xuan, right?"

The middle-aged male instructor from Class Two asked curiously.

The female instructor from Class One was standing beside him as well.

She, too, turned a curious gaze toward Instructor Zhang.

They had also been at the Academic Affairs Office that morning, so they naturally knew about Ji Xuan's information.

"That's right, he's that freak." Instructor Zhang pushed up his glasses and watched Ji Xuan below. "I just don't know whether he'll dare to accept the challenge. After all, Yan is Rank Two..."

"Fine." A faint smile curled at the corner of Ji Xuan's lips.

The crowd erupted when they saw that Ji Xuan actually dared to accept.

"Has Ji Xuan gone crazy?!"

"A mere Level Twenty-Three Soul Grandmaster actually dares to accept Yan's challenge?"

"Heh, I really don't know where he got the courage."

"Once he gets up there, don't let Yan knock you off the Arena with one punch!"

The Class Two and Class Three students were shaken. They asked the Class One students beside them, "Brother, are you saying that kid is only Level Twenty-Three?"

A Class One student replied, "That's right. And that kid is only eight years old. Neither his age nor his Soul Power Level meets the requirements for Elite Class One. I really don't know how he got in!"

"Very good." A cruel smile tugged at Yan's lips as he leaped onto the Arena and crooked a finger. "Kid, hurry up and get up here!"

He could not kill him, but he could beat this brat badly enough to keep him in bed for months!

Ji Xuan did not say anything. With a light tap of his toes, he gracefully leaped onto the Arena.

"Brother, do you think Ji Xuan will be alright?"

A trace of barely noticeable concern surfaced in Hu Liena's beautiful eyes. The gap in strength between Ji Xuan and Yan was simply too great.

That brute Yan had always been reckless and heavy-handed.

Many students had previously suffered just because they looked at her a few extra times.

Yan had beaten them so badly that they needed two months of recovery before returning to Elite Class.

"I don't know." Xie Yue shook his head slightly, his eyes fixed on Ji Xuan. "But that kid looks quite confident."

"Since he dared to accept, perhaps... he has something to rely on."

On the Arena.

Yan was the first to announce his information:

"Yan, Martial Soul Flame Lord, Level Thirty-Nine Battle Soul Elder."

As soon as he spoke, a Three Meters Tall Flame Half-Beastman seemed to crawl out of Hell Lava Charge and stand behind Yan. Two yellow and one purple Soul Rings circled beneath his feet.

The Flame Lord possessed the Fire-Earth Dual Attribute, a top-tier Martial Soul that combined offense and defense.

"Kid, do you see the three Soul Rings beneath my feet?"

Yan cracked his neck, his knuckles popping as he clenched his fists. He stared fixedly at Ji Xuan.

"It's not too late to admit defeat. Then get out of Elite Class One yourself!"

Ji Xuan ignored Yan and announced, "Ji Xuan, Martial Soul Sword of Order, Level Twenty-Three Battle Soul Grand Master."

Ji Xuan also did not understand why Soul Masters always liked to announce their information before fighting.

Still, he did not care. When in Rome, do as the Romans did.

Ji Xuan raised a hand in an empty grip, and the Sword of Order condensed in his hand as Soul Rings descended beneath his feet one after another.

The first Soul Ring... was purple!

Immediately afterward,

A second, even deeper purple Soul Ring descended!

"H-How is that possible?!"

The arrogance vanished from Yan's face instantly. His pupils shrank, his voice trembled slightly, and he subconsciously took half a step back.

The students below were utterly stunned, their jaws nearly dropping to the ground. After a brief silence,

"Holy shit! His first and second Soul Rings are both purple Thousand-Year Soul Rings?!"

"Is that kid even human?!"

"Look carefully. His second Soul Ring has to be at least Five Thousand Years old. Isn't that something only a Soul Ancestor can absorb?!"

"Holy shit, how did he do that?!"

Hu Liena's red lips parted, and her beautiful eyes widened. "Brother... his Soul Rings, how is that possible!"

"This..." Even Xie Yue, who was usually so composed, was horrified, his pupils shrinking sharply!

On the Arena.

"Cheap tricks!"

Yan barely suppressed the shock in his heart. He was only a Level Twenty-Three Soul Grandmaster!

The First Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up.

"First Soul Skill, Hell Lava Charge!"

The Arena floor suddenly began to tremble as several scorching magma pillars erupted from beneath where Ji Xuan stood.

Ji Xuan did not use a Soul Skill. Golden Runes lit up along his blade, Golden Threads wrapped around the sword, and his figure flashed away as the stone pillars pierced his afterimage.

Power of Order, Wind Element Control, increased his speed.

"You're too slow."

A cold voice sounded behind Yan.

"Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill!"

Wind elements gathered wildly. The Sword of Order was held horizontally before him, then thrust forward with explosive force. Golden Sword Qi instantly tore through the air and shot toward Yan's chest!

Yan spun around sharply, his pupils reflecting the golden beam.

"Not good!"

"Second Soul Skill, Granite Rock."

The Second Soul Ring beneath Yan's feet lit up, and Rock Armor instantly covered both his hands as he raised them before his chest.

Boom!

An explosive roar rang out. Yan was forced back two steps, and a half-inch-deep Sword Mark appeared on the rock covering his hands.

"Holy shit, what kind of joke is this?! Yan actually fell into a disadvantage in the first exchange!!"

"This isn't how it was supposed to go! Shouldn't that kid have been instantly defeated by Yan in one move?"

The crowd below instantly exploded into heated discussion.

"That was a Self-Created Soul Skill!" Xie Yue said in disbelief.

For the past two years, he had been studying Self-Created Soul Skills, yet he had only just touched the threshold.

And Ji Xuan, an eight-year-old Soul Grandmaster, had already mastered one.

Upon hearing her brother's words, a ripple appeared in Hu Liena's beautiful eyes. She stared fixedly at the figure on the Arena, a curve lifting at the corner of her lips.

Ji Xuan, this Little Brother, was becoming more and more interesting...

Hearing the discussion below, Yan glanced at Hu Liena and found that his beloved Nana had been staring at Ji Xuan the whole time!

Yan instantly flew into a rage. Flames burned in his eyes as he swung both fists at Ji Xuan.

Yan's offense and defense were extremely high, but speed was his weakness.

Ji Xuan used the Power of Order to control the wind elements. His figure was incredibly fast, and Yan could not even touch the corner of his clothes.

After several exchanges, Yan panted heavily and roared, "Kid, do you only know how to run?"

Ji Xuan ignored him. The gap in Soul Power was too great, and Yan possessed a top-tier Martial Soul balanced in both offense and defense. Was he stupid enough to confront him head-on?

He was not Qian Xunjí, with the Six-Winged Angel, a perfectly balanced Martial Soul, only to directly take Tang Hao's hammer and get smashed into serious injury.

"Third Soul Skill, Hellfire!"

The Third Soul Ring beneath Yan's feet lit up, and a blazing sea of flames instantly covered more than half the Arena.

His Third Soul Skill could restrict an opponent's movement, a wide-range skill for both damage and control.

"Let's see how you dodge now!"

Yan charged straight at Ji Xuan.

Ji Xuan's understanding of the Power of Order was not yet deep enough. He could only control ordinary flames. With the field restricted, he truly could not keep dodging.

However...

"First Soul Skill, Wind Shadow Trace!"

"Second Soul Skill, Thunder Sword Gang!"

Ji Xuan's first and second Soul Rings lit up. His speed increased by one hundred percent, and his attack power increased by one hundred percent!

Boom!

Yan smashed his fist into the ground, and bursting flames scorched the Arena black.

"Where is he?"

The firelight faded, but Ji Xuan was nowhere to be seen.

"Divine Sword Controls Thunder!"

Yan looked up at the sound, his pupils shrinking. This kid could actually float in midair?

Wasn't that an ability only a Title Douluo possessed?

Without the ability to fly, how could he attack Ji Xuan?

The crowd below also erupted. "Holy shit, he can actually fly!"

At that moment, everyone's faces changed drastically!

The Fighting Arena was open-air. Above them, the previously clear sky instantly darkened as Dark Clouds rolled in and lightning flashed!

Boom! A thunderclap exploded through the sky.

Fine bolts of lightning gathered around the sword tip like a spiderweb...

"Wind-Thunder Sword Intent!" Ji Xuan's attack and speed rose again. He dived down fiercely, golden lightning coiling around his blade like dragons and serpents!

"Not good!"

"Second Soul Skill, Granite Rock."

The Second Soul Ring beneath Yan's feet lit up. Rock Armor covered his entire body as he raised both arms before his chest!

"Break!" Ji Xuan gripped the sword in his right hand and slashed down fiercely from behind his left side!

Bang!

The instant the blade touched Yan's Rock Armor, golden lightning and blazing fire erupted with a thunderous boom!

Web-like cracks appeared across Yan's Rock Armor... then, it shattered inch by inch, turning into fragments of stone scattered across the ground.

Ji Xuan's eyes sharpened. The force behind his sword increased once more!

"Pfft—"

Yan was sent flying backward like a cooked shrimp, blood spraying from his mouth!

Bang—

Yan fell directly off the Arena and crashed heavily onto the ground. A clear sword wound marked his chest, its edges charred black by lightning!

The thunderclouds in the sky dispersed. Ji Xuan withdrew his Martial Soul, his face pale.

After such a prolonged battle, his Soul Power was nearly exhausted.

That move had already been the strongest attack he could unleash at present.

That brute Yan had attacked wildly in his rage, wasting a great deal of Soul Power and stamina.

Only then had Ji Xuan staked everything on this strongest strike!