Chen Li vs. Yan

Will it be a rout, or a glorious defeat?

This will determine Hu Liena's subsequent assessment and positioning of Chen Li.

In the center of the training ground, Chen Li and Yan stood twenty paces apart.

Sizzle, crackle!

Chen Li released his Martial Soul first.

Azure and white arcs of electricity, like awakened serpents, surged madly from every pore of his body. The air instantly filled with the acrid smell of ozone and a tingling static charge.

The shapeless phantom of his Lightning Martial Soul, composed purely of the essence of thunder, erupted behind him. Lightning flickered and danced, a thundercloud compressed to its limit, ready to explode at any moment.

And on the periphery of the lightning core, a bright yellow Hundred Year Soul Ring pulsed slowly, at least to everyone's eyes.

Hu Liena's gaze lingered on the yellow Soul Ring for a moment, the corner of her lips curving slightly deeper.

She knew that beneath the yellow, there was purple.

Yan narrowed his eyes. He could feel the sharp, piercing aura emanating from Chen Li's Martial Soul as it was released, a pressure far beyond that of an ordinary Lightning Martial Soul. But he didn't dwell on it. The Flame Lord Martial Soul roared to life within him!

BOOM!

A wave of scorching heat exploded outward from Yan!

Behind him, the phantom of an ancient beast Martial Soul, three meters tall and woven from magma and rock, rose from the ground!

The Martial Soul resembled a colossal ancient beast, its head like a Mighty Lion, but its mane was flowing lava. Its torso was covered in cracked, dark red rock armor, with blazing fire flowing through every fissure.

Where its four feet touched the ground, the air warped, and even the training ground's specially made high-temperature resistant tiles faintly glowed red.

This was the pride of the Martial Soul Hall's Golden Generation, a top-tier ancient Martial Soul with dual fire and earth attributes, the Flame Lord!

It was merely a phantom, not yet materialized, but it already exuded a domineering aura that defied all things, as if it had walked from the primordial wilderness. As its name suggested, daring to call itself the master of the fire domain, its abilities had long surpassed the scope of mere fire attributes.

Two bright yellow Soul Rings appeared between the Flame Lord phantom and Yan's body, circling and flowing. The yellow light illuminated his fiery red hair and the faint flame patterns that seemed to flicker across his skin, adding a touch of sinister wildness to the already imposing youth.

Yan felt the surging power within him, his gaze towards Chen Li filled with condescending scrutiny. "A six-level difference, one Soul Ring's suppression, kid." He grinned, a smile laced with clear provocation. "How do you plan to take this?"

Xie Yue's eyebrows twitched as his gaze swept back and forth between the two. He remained silent, but his fingertips subconsciously tapped lightly against his arm. Yan's aura was too unrestrained, almost as if this wasn't a sparring match.

Hu Liena still leaned against the stone pillar, but her languid posture had subtly tightened. Her gaze was now focused more on Chen Li's face.

And Chen Li, facing the oncoming scorching pressure and Yan's verbal provocation, merely adjusted his stance slightly, lowering his center of gravity.

He raised his right hand, palm facing Yan.

At the edge of his palm, a faint, almost imperceptible deep purple lightning spark was quietly gathering, perfectly concealed by the Heart of Illusory Thunder.

He didn't answer Yan's question.

Because he didn't need to.

Twenty paces of distance.

A six-level Soul Power difference.

The suppression of one Soul Ring.

And then?

Chen Li's eyes were as calm as a deep pool, with only the very depths flickering with a hunter's gleam, a gleam he himself hadn't fully perceived yet.

The possessor of the first ring of the Thousand Year stage was never meant to be prey.

HUM!

Yan didn't use a Soul Skill immediately.

He wanted an overwhelming victory, not an evenly matched contest. To simply blast this six-year-old kid away with a Soul Skill would be too easy for him.

He wanted Chen Li to be utterly defeated under his fists and feet, bruised and battered, to make Hu Liena see clearly who the truly noteworthy person was!

Yan clenched his fist, his Soul Power surging like magma, pouring entirely into his right arm.

He didn't use any Soul Skill, just pure strength and Soul Power augmentation, but the bulging muscles of his arm were enough to crush a thousand-pound boulder into dust!

He lunged forward, throwing a punch straight at Chen Li's face!

The wind from his fist whistled through the air, carrying scorching sparks!

Chen Li's eyes sharpened. Lightning flashed in his hand. He didn't retreat, but instead charged forward!

Sizzle!

A flash of lightning underfoot, and the extreme speed granted by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit erupted.

Chen Li's figure became an azure and white afterimage. He not only dodged the direct path of Yan's punch but also slipped into Yan's center at the same instant!

Lightning condensed into his fist!

He didn't use any Soul Skill, only the most fundamental shaping of lightning from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Azure and white lightning completely enveloped his fist, transforming it into a high-frequency vibrating fist of thunder, spitting arcs of electricity!

BOOM!

The two fists collided head-on, without any fancy moves!

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

Crackling!

Boom!

Lightning and flames fiercely battled at the point where their fists met! Azure and white arcs of electricity madly gnawed at the crimson flames erupting from Yan's arm, the air being simultaneously ionized and scorched, emitting a teeth-grinding screech!

A visible shockwave spread out from the two of them as the center, and the specially made pressure-resistant floor tiles were actually cracked into a fine, spiderweb-like pattern from the impact!

They were at a stalemate!

Yan's pupils contracted sharply! On his fist, the power of flame bestowed by the Flame Lord was fiercely clashing with that violent lightning power. He clearly had higher Soul Power, was older, and was physically stronger, but at this moment, he couldn't push back that small fist even a millimeter!

Chen Li's gaze was as calm as still water, a stark contrast to the violent lightning on his fist. His body, after three years of self-tempering through lightning pressure, had long surpassed his peers in strength;

And now, after the Thousand-year Soul Ring was added, that excellent quality Thousand-year Soul Ring had been cleansing his bones, muscles, and flesh with lightning power day and night. His strength, his speed, his physical toughness were no longer what they were at level ten!

"This..." Xie Yue stood at the edge of the arena, a clear hint of surprise flashing in his crimson eyes.

He had originally thought this would be a one-sided suppression. Yan had six more levels of Soul Power, an extra Soul Ring, and was five years older. From any angle, Chen Li had no chance of winning. He had even prepared to intervene and stop the spar at any moment.

But now, Chen Li, relying solely on his physical body and the foundation of his Martial Soul, had managed to withstand Yan's furious punch!

"Just a clash of physical strength and the origin of the Martial Soul, and he can fight Yan to a draw..." Xie Yue muttered in a low voice, his tone complex.

"Perhaps we'll see something different, brother," Hu Liena said, covering her lips with one hand, hiding the curve of her mouth.

But those foxy eyes lingered on Chen Li for a longer time, a very faint glint, one that even she hadn't fully noticed, flashing in the depths of her pupils.