True Form, Revealed at Last

"I think Wu Feng makes a good point. Ning Tian has already cultivated her Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda to the Soul Elder level at such a young age. Her talent and strength are both impressive, and she comes from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, so she certainly has a broader perspective. She'd make a very good class monitor." Seeing Ning Tian turn the topic toward him and Meng, Yue hurriedly pushed it back at her. He had no interest in being class monitor or anything like that.

Wasn't it much nicer to spend his free time with his little sister and Xiao Ka?

Mu Jin watched the two of them heap praise on each other. Unless something unexpected happened, the class monitor would be chosen from among them. But as things stood, both wanted the other to take the position.

As she pondered, Mu Jin caught sight of the academy's field out of the corner of her eye. Zhou Yi was, as usual, making her class run laps with weights.

A bad... no, a good idea suddenly came to her.

"Since the two of you can't reach a conclusion, how about hearing my opinion?" The moment Mu Jin spoke, Yue and Ning Tian sat up properly and waited for her to continue.

"Throughout the Soul Master World, strength has always been what matters most. But since we're at an academy, and Ning Tian is an auxiliary-type Soul Master while Wu Feng's level is lower than Yue Hongchen's, how about having Ning Tian support Wu Feng in a Soul Fighting match against Yue Hongchen? I hope this sparring match will help you choose the right candidate."

As she spoke, she looked to Yue Hongchen and asked what he thought. Although Wu Feng was a lower level than him, with the support of Ning Tian's Level 31 Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, he might not have the advantage.

"I have no problem with it, Teacher Mu."

After exchanging a glance with Wu Feng, Ning Tian said, "We're fine with it too."

"Good. Then follow me to the field. There isn't enough room here."

With that, Mu Jin led the way out of the classroom.

Before long, they were on the field.

The students of Freshman Class Nine had all gathered there. Yue, Meng, Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Mu Jin stood in the middle of the crowd. The commotion also drew the attention of Zhou Yi and the students of Class One, who had just finished their run.

"Go, brother!"

"If you can't beat him, just call me over to help, Yiren!"

Yue smiled and nodded at Meng, while inwardly poking fun at Xiao Ka. After spending six years together, Yue had discovered a surprising side to Xiao Ka.

"This is just a friendly match between classmates. Friendship comes first, competition second. Stop as soon as you've made your point. You'll still be classmates afterward. Understood?" Mu Jin looked at Yue Hongchen and Wu Feng and reminded them once more.

"Understood!"

Yue Hongchen and Wu Feng stood facing each other. At Mu Jin's reminder, they answered in unison.

"Both of you, release your Martial Souls. Begin!"

As Mu Jin's voice fell, Wu Feng let out a sharp cry. A wave of scorching heat surged from her, accompanied by a faint dragon's roar. Her figure grew taller and more slender, making her look like a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl who had just reached maturity.

As her freshman uniform tore, it revealed the snug outfit beneath. She had clearly come prepared: she wore a highly elastic bodysuit that left her pair of "fair-skinned" thighs bare. Fine dragon scales spread over her skin, starting from the left side of her face and continuing down her neck, over her shoulder, and along her entire left arm and hand. Two yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings slowly rose around her.

At the same time, Ning Tian, standing behind her, flashed a bright look in her eyes. A seven-tiered pagoda appeared in her hands, and three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—rose beneath her feet.

"Seven Treasures emerge as Glazed Tile: first, strength; third, soul." As she recited the Soul Incantation, a yellow and a purple Soul Ring at her feet lit up. Wu Feng's aura immediately rose to another level.

"Are the buffs all set?" Yue asked before unhurriedly summoning his Martial Soul.

At the same time, three blue-white Soul Rings appeared behind him.

The appearance of the blue-white Soul Rings immediately drew a chorus of gasps. This was the first time they had ever seen Soul Rings in colors other than the usual ones.

At the same time, in the distance, Huo Yuhao stared at Yue's Soul Rings, lost in thought. He entered his Sea of Consciousness and asked Sky Dream Ice Silkworm about them.

Back here, Wu Feng looked at the unusual Soul Ring configuration and the pressure radiating from Yue. She immediately understood that even with Ning Tian's support, she was no match for him. But the chance to spar with a genius her age was rare, and she wasn't going to pass it up.

"Please face me at your strongest. I want to understand just how big the gap between us is."

"Okay!" Yue merely nodded, his gaze fixed on the sword in his hand. His sunny smile vanished, replaced by a gaze as tender as flowing water.

At the same time, two of the Soul Rings behind him lit up. The sword-shadows of the Divine Authority Sword and the Other Authority Sword appeared on either side of him.

What kind of Soul Skill was this?

No one present could tell what Yue Hongchen's second and third Soul Skills did.

Yue Hongchen simply smiled, and then his first blue-white Soul Ring erupted in a brilliant white light.

True form, revealed at last.

White light swallowed Yue's figure. When it faded, he stood two meters tall. The blade of the Blood Oath Pact in his hand had grown longer and more slender. The sword-shadows that had stood at his sides were gone, replaced by two swords behind his back.

His short silver-white hair had grown long and hung behind him. The sunny look on his face had been replaced by a cold, stern expression. The moment Meng Hongchen saw Yue Hongchen use his first Soul Skill, she was instantly smitten. Her eyes sparkled as she stared fixedly at him.

"Brother's other form is still so handsome!"

Feeling the change in Yue's aura, even Zhou Yi, who hadn't intended to watch, was drawn to the scene.

Yue slowly raised the Blood Oath Pact and gave it a light swing through the air.

A streak of sword energy shot out. Wu Feng hurriedly unleashed her second Soul Skill, Blazing Breath.

She spat out a stream of scorching flame, but it didn't slow the sword energy in the slightest.

As the sword energy drew closer, she had no choice but to raise her dragon-scale-covered arms in front of her chest.

"Third Soul Skill, Ice Refraction."

A moment before Wu Feng was struck by the sword energy, Meng Hongchen activated her Martial Soul. Her watery blue eyes turned blood red, and her skin became snow-white, pure as jade and crystal clear.

The purple Soul Ring behind her shone brightly. A disk of mirror-like ice appeared beneath Wu Feng and Ning Tian, transporting them to Meng's side.

With nothing left to stop it, Yue's sword energy struck the ground, sending clouds of dust into the air. When the dust cleared, the ground it had hit lay shattered into scattered chunks.

Silence.

Only after Yue Hongchen spun the sword in his hand and put it away did everyone recover from the scene.

"Too cool!!!"

As the shout rang out, Class Nine burst into enthusiastic applause and cheers. Even Mu Jin clapped, looking thoroughly pleased.

Meanwhile, Wu Feng approached Ning Tian with her head hanging. She hadn't expected that even with Ning Tian's support, she wouldn't be able to withstand a single move from Yue.

Ning Tian comfortingly patted Wu Feng on the shoulder, then turned to Meng Hongchen.

"Thank you for stepping in just now, Meng."

"Ah, there's no need to thank me." Meng Hongchen was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly waved her hands. "Actually, even if I hadn't stepped in, brother would have."

"Even so, thank you, Meng." Ning Tian bowed to Meng Hongchen, then took Wu Feng's hand and led her over to Yue Hongchen and Mu Jin.

"Yue, you're very strong. We accept our defeat wholeheartedly." Ning Tian held out her hand to him.

Yue shook Ning Tian's small hand briefly, then quickly let go.

"You've all seen it just now. I'm a sword cultivator, and I'm really not suited to managing a team. You're both talented, and you have the courage to face the strong, so I'll leave the class monitor position to you."

Ning Tian had never expected Yue to say that. But when she recalled the sword-wielding senior from her sect a thousand years ago, she realized Yue Hongchen was right. Having a sword cultivator manage an entire team really would be asking too much of him.