Could There Be Many Freaks Like Situ Xuan?!

"Ding!"

At the instant fist and sword met, the expected sound of collision did not come.

Before Situ Xuan's fist touched the blade, he suddenly changed moves. His five fingers spread into a claw, grazing past the sword edge by a hair's breadth as they shot straight for Wu Zhangkong's throat.

"North Star Steel Rending Grip!"

If that claw strike landed solidly, even steel would be torn open with five deep grooves.

For the first time, Wu Zhangkong had no choice but to retreat. His icy-blue hair flew wildly in the force of the punch. As he withdrew, his left hand grabbed at the air, and countless ice crystals condensed into a wall of ice.

"Boom!"

Situ Xuan's claw strike shredded the ice wall, but Wu Zhangkong had already used that brief opening to readjust his stance. The ice sword in his hand suddenly softened, transforming into a serpent-like ice whip that lashed toward Situ Xuan's back from a bizarre angle.

Whip shadows overlapped one another, each carrying bone-piercing cold.

Situ Xuan merely gave a feral grin. Rather than dodge, he charged straight into the barrage of whip shadows. The glowing pattern of the Big Dipper suddenly appeared across his skin, and he hurtled toward Wu Zhangkong like a cannonball.

"Beidou Bone-Breaking Fist!"

It was a brutal fighting style that traded injury for injury.

Wu Zhangkong had clearly not expected his opponent to be so ruthless. In his haste, he could only condense the ice whip back into a sword and raise it to block.

"Bang!"

As fist and sword collided, a visible shockwave erupted through the Training Room.

The surrounding training equipment was blown askew, while the Soul Guidance Lamps on the walls flickered on and off.

Wu Zhangkong staggered back three steps before steadying himself. Cracks now covered the ice sword in his hand.

Situ Xuan, meanwhile, remained standing where he was. Blood dripped from his right fist, cut open by the ice sword. Yet his gaze grew increasingly excited, and the curve of his lips widened. The blood at his wound actually flowed backward, seeping back into his skin.

"Again!"

The weather was perfect today, with clear blue skies stretching without a cloud in sight.

A competition platform had already been set up in the center of the Intermediate Division's field. Calling it a platform was somewhat misleading—it was really just a circular area one hundred meters in diameter, paved with metal plates ten centimeters thick.

It occupied a large portion of the field.

Soul Guidance Barrier Generators had been installed around the platform to prevent accidents during the matches.

Today was the first day of the competition. To avoid disrupting the students' studies, the matches were being held after school.

The dismissal bell had already rung, and students poured out from the teaching buildings. However, very few of them headed toward the competition platform.

First-year freshmen, Class One-Five against Class Four—what was there to watch?

The upper-grade classes could not be bothered with it. Only a few first-year classes had come in full force, especially Class Three, which would be competing tomorrow and had arrived to watch the match.

Once the dismissal bell rang, the students of Class One-Five ran onto the field in neat formation and stopped at one side.

Three months of special training had given Class One-Five a completely renewed air. Their talent might not have been particularly exceptional, but under Wu Zhangkong's instruction, their physical fitness had improved tremendously. Even their Soul Power had advanced much faster than before.

The students of Class Four arrived more slowly, strolling over in small groups. They did not seem to care much about this match.

"Brat, who do you think will win, Class One-Five or Class Four?"

Long Xiuyuan stood spiritedly beside Situ Xuan, casually throwing an arm around his shoulders without the slightest restraint.

Though he was clearly only a ten-year-old brat, his nearly one-meter-eight height made it impossible for the easygoing Long Xiuyuan to treat him as a mere junior.

"What does it matter?"

Situ Xuan crossed his arms over his chest, raised his chin, and said arrogantly, "No matter who it is, they won't get past me."

Long Xiuyuan did not refute the showboating Situ Xuan. As the person who had experienced Situ Xuan's strength most deeply, Long Xiuyuan could say with absolute authority that Situ Xuan deserved to be called the strongest among Eastsea Academy's first-years!

Fifteen levels of Soul Power, a physique comparable to that of an ordinary three-ringed Power Attack System Soul Elder with a beast Martial Soul, a Martial Soul that was his own body, profound and powerful inherited martial arts...

Any one of those things alone might not have amounted to much, but combined together, among Eastsea Academy's first-years—with an average age of only ten and an average Soul Power cultivation of merely around two rings—

He was a tyrannosaur that had wandered into a flock of sheep!

"Hey, brat, look over there."

Long Xiuyuan suddenly nudged Situ Xuan with his elbow, signaling for him to look at the Class One-Five group approaching from nearby. "The students that block of ice brought out are pretty interesting."

Situ Xuan followed his gaze and saw three figures walking at the front of Class One-Five's formation.

In the center was a black-haired, blue-eyed boy whose steps were as steady as a panther poised to strike. To his left was a black-haired girl whose every movement carried an indescribable elegance. To his right was a grinning boy who kept looking around him, just like a curious cat.

"Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Xie Xie."

Situ Xuan named the three of them, a glint of fighting spirit flashing through his eyes. "In theory, aside from those two ordinary ones with the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, they're the strongest."

Long Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Looks like you've been keeping an eye on this year's freshmen for a while."

"I just wanted to see who might let me have a satisfying fight..."

Situ Xuan rolled his wrist, his knuckles cracking sharply. "Excellent opponents always get the blood pumping."

"Tsk, tsk. So young, and already this combative."

Long Xiuyuan pretended to sigh, but then suddenly lowered his voice. "That Xie Xie... does he use Twin Martial Souls?"

A sharp glint flashed in Situ Xuan's eyes. "You noticed too, Teacher?"

"Of course. I'm a five-ringed Soul King, after all."

Long Xiuyuan rubbed his nose smugly, then turned serious again. "But the one I'm most concerned about is Tang Wulin... the aura around him is a little strange."

Situ Xuan nodded without saying anything more.

That fellow townsman of his... his bloodline awakening had probably truly begun.

"The match is about to start."

Long Xiuyuan patted Situ Xuan on the shoulder. "Watch carefully. Our class goes up tomorrow."

At that moment, Xie Xie seemed to sense something and suddenly turned to look toward Class Three.

When he noticed Situ Xuan, surprise flashed through his eyes. Then he returned to that carefree expression and pulled a face at him.

"Heh..."

Situ Xuan's lips curled slightly. His right fist suddenly clenched and loosened. Between his fingers, the air compressed to its limit and let out a sharp pop.

That faint sound drew the attention of several Class Three students nearby, while Xie Xie's smile in the distance visibly stiffened for an instant.

"Brat, keep a low profile. Why are you showing off so much?!"

Long Xiuyuan said that, but the pride on his face made it seem as though he wanted nothing more than to strut right up to the homeroom teachers of Class One-Five and Class Four.

Within Grade One Class Three's formation, Lin Yao watched the two people ahead of him with a bitter smile.

He had originally thought he could show his worth in this class.

But it seemed that... he was just a clown.

Shaking his head, Lin Yao quickly adjusted his mindset.

Aside from that freak Situ Xuan, he was the strongest in Class Three.

He refused to believe there could be many freaks like Situ Xuan!