"This kid...! How can he be this strong?"
Yu Xiaogang's face instantly turned pale. A bead of sweat slowly rolled down his cheek. He tried with all his might to break free, but his arm seemed firmly welded in place and wouldn't budge.
As Ye Wen tightened his grip, Yu Xiaogang finally couldn't hold back his screams. "Aaaah!"
"Let go! Let go of me!"
"Ha. You're nothing but a useless fool." Ye Wen sneered, then slammed a fist into Yu Xiaogang's stomach.
Thud!
"Aaaah!"
Yu Xiaogang screamed again as he crashed through several desks before slamming into the wall. "I can't believe I was beaten by a six-year-old..."
"Holy crap! This guy... He actually hit Master Yu in front of everyone, right in the middle of class!"
"Isn't he afraid of getting expelled?"
"Wait! Isn't Master Yu a level 29 Soul Grandmaster? How did a first-year student knock him down with a single punch?"
"Th-this is way too weak!"
"Damn it!" Yu Xiaogang felt utterly humiliated, his face thoroughly rubbed in the dirt.
"Teacher!" Killing intent flashed across Tang San's face.
The fifth rule of the Tang Sect Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record's General Principles: If someone takes the initiative to attack, repay them with thunderous force.
He stared coldly at Ye Wen. "You dared to treat my teacher like this. You'll pay for it!"
Ye Wen stared just as coldly at Tang San.
As he gazed at his opponent in this Fated Duel—the man who would one day fight him to the death—Ye Wen wanted to kill Tang San right then and there. But he had already accepted their fated duel, and he had to wait until Tang San took part in the Sea God Eighth Trial.
Even if he couldn't kill Tang San, that didn't mean he couldn't beat him to a pulp.
From now on, Ye Wen would show up every so often to put Tang San in his place and give him a beating. Ideally, he'd beat him until he was terrified, destroy his self-confidence, and make him live under Ye Wen's shadow, afraid whenever they met!
He'd make Tang San fear him from the bottom of his heart!
Then, when the Fated Duel came during the Sea God Eighth Trial, Tang San would discover that the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King he had to kill was the very person he feared. His mental defenses might crumble on the spot, and he'd lose all confidence in winning.
And once someone lost confidence—once they believed they couldn't possibly defeat their opponent—they would only become weaker and more likely to lose!
"Make me pay? Then let's see if you're up to it, Tang San."
"You're asking for it!"
Tang San rushed at him and threw a punch. Still growing in the beginner's village, he had never seen a peerless genius his own age and had completely underestimated his opponent's strength.
The generally ordinary students at Nuoding Academy had long since led Tang San to assume that Ye Wen was no stronger than the rest.
Tang San thought one punch would be enough to deal with Ye Wen, but what happened next was completely beyond his expectations.
At the very last moment, Ye Wen caught his fist. Before Tang San could react, Ye Wen punched him hard in the stomach.
"Ugh!"
Tang San took the punch head-on, his body seeming to freeze in place. By the time he came to his senses, Ye Wen had already slapped him across the face.
Smack!
The slap rang out sharply.
Tang San was knocked to the ground, a bright red handprint on his face.
"Get lost."
Ye Wen kicked him hard, sending him flying like a soccer ball.
Crash, crash, crash, crash!
Tang San plowed through several desks.
"That all you've got, Tang San?" Ye Wen said expressionlessly.
"So strong! Aside from Xiao Wu, he's the first person I've met who feels this powerful." Tang San struggled to his feet. A Hundred Year Soul Ring appeared beneath him, and Blue Silver Grass sprouted in his hand.
Seeing this, Ye Wen immediately activated his Martial Soul.
"Martial Soul Possession!"
"Roar!!!!!"
An incomparably gigantic whale appeared behind Ye Wen, radiating a terrifying presence. In that moment, his top-tier Beast Martial Soul, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, appeared before humanity for the first time.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King Martial Soul's terrifying size and aura radiated a suffocating pressure.
"H-hey...! Th-that's...!"
"W-what is that?!"
"T-t-this is terrifying! Is there really a Martial Soul like that on the continent? Just one look at it feels like it could kill me."
"Too terrifying..."
Everyone in the classroom panicked. The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King Martial Soul exuded a terrifying aura that seemed to strike directly at the deepest fears in their hearts.
It filled them with dread, terror, and fear—even despair, as though death itself were closing in.
The students at a little place like Nuoding Academy had never seen a Beast Martial Soul of this caliber. The moment it appeared, many of them collapsed to the floor, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Quite a few boys and girls even wet themselves, a sour, foul-smelling liquid trickling from their trouser legs onto the floor.
Even Tang San's eyes showed a trace of fear and deep wariness. But Tang San was still Tang San; he wasn't as pathetic as the other students.
"Can you feel the difference in quality and the suppression between our Martial Souls?" Ye Wen's voice echoed throughout the classroom.
Yu Xiaogang silently lowered his head. Those whose Martial Souls were weak and who had been seeking reassurance lowered their heads too. Ye Wen had used his own Martial Soul to make everyone see the truth.
"First Soul Skill, Bind!"
Tang San promptly activated his Soul Skill, and the Blue Silver Grass shot toward Ye Wen.
"First Soul Skill, Demon Whale Armor."
The Thousand Year First Soul Ring beneath Ye Wen's feet finally appeared, its light illuminating the entire classroom.
"Holy crap! What the hell?!"
"Thousand Year! His First Soul Ring is a thousand years old!"
"Didn't Master Yu say the limit for the first ring was 423 years? Wh-what's going on?!"
Yu Xiaogang, still lying on the floor, kept his head down and pretended to be unconscious. You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? How would I know?!
A deep blue suit of armor adorned with red and blue gemstones covered Ye Wen's body. His strength, speed, and physical toughness all doubled, while the armor also increased his Soul Skill power by thirty percent and reduced Soul Skill damage and other effects by thirty percent.
Ye Wen didn't bother dodging. He simply reached out and grabbed the ends of two strands of Blue Silver Grass.
Tang San was certainly surprised that his opponent had a Thousand Year Soul Ring. But when he saw Ye Wen not only fail to dodge but actually grab his Blue Silver Grass with his bare hands, a smile appeared on his face. He quickly used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to close in and said, "Ha. You let your guard down. My Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul comes with a paralyzing effect."
"Mysterious Jade Hand!"
Tang San's hands turned into white jade, as hard as rock. He gathered Soul Power into a fist and swung it at Ye Wen.
"Heh heh, you're the one who let your guard down, Tang San. Do you really think you can paralyze me?" Ye Wen laughed. His body showed no sign of slowing from paralysis. He punched Tang San hard in the face.
"How can this be?"
Tang San was knocked to the ground by another punch from Ye Wen, unable to believe it.
Before you continue