Behind the cafeteria, the outdoor sparring ground was now packed with students who had come after hearing the news.
The news that a new student from the Soul Elder Class would use his Soul Grandmaster cultivation to withstand three attacks from the young master of the Strength Clan without taking a single step back had spread through half the academy like wildfire.
In the middle of the field, Tailong rolled his neck, his bones popping like a string of firecrackers.
Two yellow rings and one purple ring rose from beneath his feet. His formidable Soul Power surged outward, radiating the oppressive presence unique to a power-type Spirit Master.
He fixed his gaze on Yu Tiancheng, who stood quietly ten meters away, and grinned. "Kid, you can still surrender now. Save yourself the embarrassment."
Yu Tiancheng merely nodded, signaling that Tailong could begin.
He activated Stealth Technique, and two yellow Spirit Rings rose beneath his feet as well. His Soul Power Level of twenty-three seemed especially feeble beneath the pressure of Tailong's Soul Elder cultivation.
A wave of quiet jeers rose from the crowd.
"First attack!"
Tailong growled. He didn't use a Soul Skill, relying only on his powerful physique and Soul Power enhancement as he charged at Yu Tiancheng like a wild bull!
The ground trembled slightly beneath his feet. He wasn't exceptionally fast, but his unstoppable momentum and tremendous strength were enough to make even a Soul Elder of the same rank think twice before taking the hit head-on.
He intended to send this "nepotism hire" flying with the simplest method possible: sheer strength!
Facing the ferocious charge, Yu Tiancheng narrowed his eyes and called out, "First Soul Skill, Time Transformation!"
The First Soul Ring around him suddenly lit up. An exceedingly faint, almost imperceptible transparent ripple spread out from him, covering a radius of one meter.
Within this domain of "Space-Time Transformation," the flow of time quietly shifted.
To the onlookers, Tailong's charge still seemed swift and fierce.
But in Yu Tiancheng's perception, Tailong's speed had suddenly slowed by nearly half!
Every detail of his muscles tensing, the path of his feet against the ground, even the wind he stirred up—all became clear and "slow."
Just as Tailong barreled toward him in a rush of wind, his thick arm about to touch Yu Tiancheng's clothes—
Yu Tiancheng moved.
He didn't take the blow head-on or make any sweeping dodge. As if he'd seen it coming, he simply tilted his upper body to the side by a hair's breadth, his feet rooted firmly in place.
Tailong's shoulder, strong enough to shatter rock, brushed past Yu Tiancheng's chest. Most of its immense force struck empty air, and the gust it kicked up merely stirred Yu Tiancheng's hair and clothes.
"What?"
Tailong's attack missed. He stumbled half a step forward from the force of his charge, then whipped around, his face full of disbelief.
He'd clearly felt that he was about to hit. How could his opponent have dodged at the last instant with such a tiny movement?
The crowd let out a wave of startled cries.
It had looked like a hair's breadth, but Yu Tiancheng's feet truly hadn't shifted at all!
"Lucky! It was definitely luck!"
Tailong shook his head, forcing down his doubts. His gaze grew serious. "The second attack won't be so easy! First Soul Skill, Stone Defense!"
His First Soul Ring lit up, and a gray-white, stone-like sheen spread across his skin, greatly increasing his defense.
At the same time, he clenched both fists, growled, and charged again.
This time, he didn't simply ram into Yu Tiancheng. He swung a fist as large as a clay pot, sending it toward Yu Tiancheng's face with a fierce whistle of wind!
The punch hadn't even landed, yet its wind pressure already made it hard to breathe.
Enhanced by Stone Defense, the force behind the blow was even more concentrated and terrifying.
Yu Tiancheng remained where he stood, seemingly cowed by the fierce punch.
Only when the fist was about to hit him did his First Soul Ring flash again.
"Space-Time Transformation, slow!"
Tailong felt as though his fist had plunged into an invisible bog. Its speed inexplicably faltered.
And in that split-second pause, Yu Tiancheng did something that left everyone staring in disbelief—
Instead of blocking or retreating, he took a tiny half-step forward and extended one finger. A faint trace of Soul Power curled around its tip as he lightly touched a tiny point on the inside of Tailong's elbow, exposed as he swung.
The touch was light, and the Soul Power behind it weak.
But the timing and placement were flawless!
Tailong felt the force traveling through his entire arm disrupted ever so slightly. His punch involuntarily veered off course.
Bang!
His fist swept past Yu Tiancheng's ear and struck empty air once more.
The fierce wind from the punch stung Yu Tiancheng's cheek. Though his body swayed, his feet remained nailed to the ground, unmoved!
"How... how is that possible?"
Tailong was utterly stunned.
The first time might have been luck, but what about the second? His opponent's uncanny foresight and impossibly precise interference couldn't have been mere chance!
The crowd grew even noisier. The looks they gave Yu Tiancheng had changed from their initial contempt to unsettled disbelief.
Tailong's expression turned grave, his face even flushing red.
Two attacks were over. Not only had his opponent not moved, he hadn't even used a proper defensive Soul Skill—and Tailong hadn't so much as touched his clothes!
It was a disgrace!
"Good! Very good!"
Tailong took a deep breath. The contempt had vanished from his eyes, replaced by blazing fighting spirit and a hint of desperate ferocity.
"Third attack! Let's see you dodge this one!"
"Second Soul Skill, Explosive Great Strength!"
The Second Soul Ring around him—the Hundred-Year Yellow Soul Ring—flared with brilliant light.
Soul Power surged wildly around his right fist, which glimmered faintly red. The air itself warped slightly beneath the force compressed to its absolute limit.
The power behind this punch was more terrifying than the first two combined!
"Tailong's getting serious!"
"Explosive Great Strength is his signature Soul Skill. They say it can instantly double his strength!"
"That newcomer's done for. If he takes that punch, he'll be lucky to escape with only a few broken bones."
Cries of alarm rose from the gathered students.
Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the sparring ground.
They wanted to see what the newcomer who had pulled off two miracles could do against this seemingly unstoppable punch.
Just as Tailong's second punch missed and the onlookers cried out in alarm,
no one noticed a tall figure quietly standing beneath the shadow of a tree at the edge of the sparring ground.
Liu Erlong folded her arms and leaned against the rough trunk, her gaze calm as she watched the duel.
She had finished handling an urgent matter and returned just in time to catch the end of the second attack.
Seeing Yu Tiancheng use an incomprehensibly subtle movement and precise interference to make Tailong's seemingly certain punch miss once more, Liu Erlong's bold brows lifted slightly.
"Space-Time Transformation... His control over time is so precise he can even identify and disrupt the point where force is applied."
A trace of surprise crossed her eyes as she murmured to herself.
"It isn't simply a matter of speeding up or slowing down. He's truly made it part of his fighting instincts."
She didn't speak, much less intervene.
Tailong's Third Soul Skill, "Explosive Punch," was indeed powerful, and with Yu Tiancheng's current Soul Power Level, taking it head-on would certainly hurt.
But Liu Erlong knew even better—
Some hurdles had to be overcome alone; some recognition had to be earned.
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