Angel Senior, Yu Mengdi

Xue Yuheng raised an eyebrow, silently grumbling to himself.

Zhao Yan, that old fox, really knew how to pick them: a twelve-year-old newly promoted Soul Master, and with a top-tier beast martial soul like the Angel, no less.

Placed in the entire first year of the advanced division, she was likely a ruthless character who could rank in the top three.

Xue Yuheng glanced at Xiao Xiao and Xue Qingwu, who were eager to jump in beside him, and his mouth twitched.

If he really let those two go up there, Yu Mengdi probably wouldn't even last ten seconds.

Xiao Xiao was a human beast, even more aggressive than a pure assault-type.

As for Xue Qingwu, she had always lacked a sense of restraint and had already dealt with many little girls in class who had provoked her.

The only ones who could rival them were Soul Ancestors.

"Director Zhao, I'll do it."

Xue Yuheng stepped forward, taking on the challenge himself.

He happened to want to test just how far his real combat ability had reached after his body had fused with the origin of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion.

Furthermore, a clean and decisive victory would also completely silence the voices of doubt within the academy.

Seeing him hesitate not at all, the admiration in Zhao Yan's eyes deepened: "Good, you have guts! Follow me, I'll take you to the No. 1 Mimicry Arena."

The group walked through a long corridor and arrived at the arena area on the west side of the academy.

The No. 1 Mimicry Arena was the most basic of all the venues, and also the most frequently used.

Walking into the arena, the surrounding metal walls slowly closed, and the simulated sky above lit up with soft daylight.

Yu Mengdi walked to the center of the arena and turned to look at Xue Yuheng, her golden ponytail swaying slightly in the sunlight, her temperament heroic and imposing.

Her voice was crisp and pleasant: "...Junior Yuheng, you can choose any combat environment you are proficient in; I am fine with anything."

Xue Yuheng shook his head, his tone calm: "No need, a normal environment will do."

He never disdained to take such advantages.

The Ultimate Ice could exert its full power in any environment, not to mention that his true trump card had never been the environment.

Yu Mengdi nodded immediately and said no more.

His Highness Prince Gan was truly confident.

"Both sides, prepare!" Zhao Yan stood at the edge of the arena and shouted, "The match begins!"

The moment his voice fell, two distinct rays of light lit up simultaneously.

On Yu Mengdi's body, three soul rings rose slowly from her feet: yellow, yellow, purple—the standard optimal soul ring configuration.

Golden light surged from within her body, condensing into a pair of pure white angel wings behind her, and a sacred aura instantly permeated the entire arena.

As for Xue Yuheng, only a single pale yellow soul ring rotated slowly on his body.

It looked like nothing more than the most ordinary hundred-year soul ring.

Zhao Yan and the two teachers on the sidelines frowned.

Although they knew Xue Yuheng was gifted, how could he possibly defeat a Soul Master with three soul rings when he only had one?

Only Xue Qingwu and Xiao Xiao remained calm; they knew better than anyone what kind of terrifying power was hidden beneath that hundred-year soul ring, which had been changed in color by the Power of Creation and appeared ordinary.

That was the origin of a 400,000-year Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, the Ultimate Ice capable of freezing the world.

"Junior, be careful!"

Yu Mengdi let out a low cry, and her first soul ring lit up instantly.

First soul skill, Sacred Twin Swords!

Two long swords condensed from pure holy light appeared in her hands, the blades flowing with golden radiance and carrying an aura that purified all evil.

She tapped her toes on the ground, and her figure rushed toward Xue Yuheng like an arrow, her speed astonishingly fast.

Xue Yuheng stood where he was, motionless.

It was not until the moment the Sacred Twin Swords were about to pierce him that the hundred-year soul ring on his body finally lit up.

Ice Emperor's Bodyguard.

Pale blue ice crystals instantly covered his entire body, forming a crystal-clear suit of ice armor.

Engraved on the ice armor were lifelike patterns of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, radiating a bone-chilling cold.

Clang!

The Sacred Twin Swords struck the ice armor heavily, emitting a loud sound like clashing metal. The golden holy light collided violently with the pale blue Ultimate Ice, sparking dazzling flashes.

Yu Mengdi only felt a bone-piercing chill travel through the swords, numbing her fingers.

She was startled and hurriedly pulled back, looking at the ice armor on Xue Yuheng in disbelief.

Her Sacred Twin Swords hadn't even managed to break through the opponent's defense!

"My turn."

Xue Yuheng's voice remained calm as he slowly raised his right hand.

Domain of Eternal Freeze.

In an instant, a circle of pale blue ice mist radiated outward with Xue Yuheng at its center.

The temperature of the entire arena plummeted. A thick layer of frost rapidly condensed on the ground, and the moisture in the air transformed into tiny ice particles that danced through the air.

As the Domain of Ultimate Ice expanded, Yu Mengdi felt her movements become significantly sluggish, and even the circulation of soul power within her body faced a slight obstruction.

Such powerful ice attributes!

Yu Mengdi's expression tightened; she dared not be the least bit careless. Her second soul ring suddenly lit up, and the two Sacred Twin Swords in her hands merged into one, transforming into a massive, glowing cross-shaped sword.

"Second soul skill, Holy Radiance Cross Slash!"

The golden cross-shaped sword of light tore through the air with peerless momentum, slashing fiercely toward Xue Yuheng. Wherever it passed, it even carved a temporary gap through the ice mist of the Domain of Eternal Freeze.

Xue Yuheng's eyes narrowed slightly as the origin power of the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion within him quietly surged.

"Wrath of the Ice Emperor."

He threw a punch, and countless ice-blue ice spikes erupted from the ground like a forest of ice, meeting the Holy Radiance Cross Slash head-on.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion erupted in the center of the arena. Golden holy light and pale blue ice spikes annihilated each other frantically, and the resulting shockwave rippled outward, causing the entire arena to tremble slightly.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Yu Mengdi staggered back a few steps, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. Her second soul skill had been forcibly blocked by her opponent, and she had even sustained minor injuries.

She looked up at Xue Yuheng, who stood in the center of the ice mist. He remained exactly where he had been, not having moved a single step, and there wasn't even a crack on the ice armor covering his body.

"I lost."

Yu Mengdi bit her lip, speaking with a hint of reluctance. She had already used her first two soul skills, yet she hadn't even touched the hem of his clothes.

Xue Yuheng shook his head and said indifferently, "You haven't used your third soul skill yet. Use it; otherwise, this spar has no meaning."

He could sense that Yu Mengdi's third soul skill was her true trump card.

The third soul skill of an Angel martial soul was usually a powerful enhancement-type ability.

Yu Mengdi suddenly looked up, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.

She hadn't expected Xue Yuheng to take the initiative to ask her to use her third soul skill. This was absolute confidence in his own strength, as well as a sign of respect for her.

"Alright!"

Yu Mengdi took a deep breath, and a blazing fighting spirit ignited in her eyes. Her third soul ring, that purple thousand-year soul ring, finally lit up.

"Third soul skill, Angel's Blessing!"

A dazzling golden light erupted from her body, enveloping her entirely. The angel wings behind her became more solid, and the aura emanating from her body surged significantly in an instant.

The sacred light dispelled the surrounding ice mist, and even the temperature of the Domain of Eternal Freeze seemed to rise slightly.

Under the enhancement of Angel's Blessing, Yu Mengdi's strength, speed, and defense were all increased by one hundred percent.

She gripped the Sacred Twin Swords tightly once more; this time, she was prepared to go all out.

A look of seriousness finally appeared in Xue Yuheng's eyes.

He raised his right hand, and the pale blue Ice Jade Empress Scorpion tattoo on his wrist suddenly lit up.

A flash of cold blue light streaked by, and a long sword made entirely of ice-blue appeared in his hand.

The blade was crystal clear, as if carved from ten-thousand-year cold ice, with a faint imperial aura flowing along its edge.

This was the manifestation of his Emperor Scorpion Tail Spirit Bone.

The moment the ice sword appeared, the heavens and earth within the simulated space suddenly changed color.

The previously clear sky instantly turned gloomy.

The wind began to blow.

At first, it was just a breeze, gently brushing over the frost on the ground.

But soon, the wind grew stronger.

Howling gales whipped up the ice particles on the ground, forming blades of white wind in the air. The sound of the wind grew louder, like ten thousand beasts stampeding, deafening to the ear.

This was not wind simulated by the training grounds.

This was the origin law of wind that Xue Yuheng had comprehended from the inheritance of the Wind Dragon King.

He looked at the ice sword in his hand, and the image of Xiao Xiao using her soul skills flashed through his mind. The suppression of the Zhentian Cauldron, the sound waves of the Nine Phoenixes Flute, and that omnipresent control...

Countless insights converged in his heart, finally melting into one.

Self-created soul skill, Sword of Wind.

Xue Yuheng said softly, slowly raising the ice sword in his hand.

In an instant, all the wind between heaven and earth gathered toward the ice sword in his hand.

Countless wind blades merged with the Ultimate Ice, transforming into streaks of ice-blue sword qi.

The entire arena was shrouded in this terrifying sword qi, and the air itself seemed to have frozen solid.

Yu Mengdi's face turned deathly pale; she felt a crisis unlike any she had ever known.

In the face of this sword aura, she felt like a lone skiff in a raging storm, liable to be swallowed up at any moment.

She poured every ounce of her soul power into the Sacred Twin Swords, condensing a thick golden light shield before her.

"Sever."

Xue Yuheng swung his ice sword down lightly.

A massive, ice-blue sword aura that spanned the entire arena whistled forth, tearing through the very space in its path.

The golden light shield was like paper before this sword aura, shattering in an instant.

The sword aura, its momentum undiminished, slammed fiercely into Yu Mengdi.

Yu Mengdi spat out a mouthful of blood, her body flying backward like a kite with a broken string before she crashed heavily to the ground and lost consciousness.

Xue Yuheng sheathed his ice sword, and the soul rings and ice armor on his body vanished along with it.

He hurried to Yu Mengdi's side and checked her breathing; only after confirming she had merely suffered internal injuries and fainted did he let out a sigh of relief.

He had held back sixty percent of his strength just now; otherwise, a single strike like that would have left Yu Mengdi in a far worse state than just unconsciousness.

"Quick! Call someone from the infirmary!"

Zhao Yan rushed over, looking at the unconscious Yu Mengdi and then at the completely unscathed Xue Yuheng, his expression complex to the extreme.

Seven years old, one soul ring, and he had defeated a twelve-year-old soul master.

This could no longer be described as genius; this was simply a monster.

It was unknown how much time had passed before Yu Mengdi slowly opened her eyes.

What met her gaze was a stark white ceiling, and the air was filled with the faint scent of medicine.

She twitched her fingers, feeling an intense soreness throughout her entire body.

Was she in... the academy's infirmary?

Yu Mengdi turned her head and saw a figure slumped beside the bed.

Xue Yuheng was leaning against the edge of the bed, fast asleep.

Sunlight spilled through the window onto his face, casting faint shadows from his long eyelashes.

His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were having a bad dream.

On the bedside cabinet sat a cup of warm water still steaming, along with some pills for treating internal injuries.

Yu Mengdi looked at his sleeping profile, and a complex emotion suddenly welled up in her heart.

She recalled that world-shattering sword aura on the arena.

This Prince Gan could have easily defeated her, yet he had held back at the very last moment.

A faint, angelic smile slowly curled the corners of Yu Mengdi's lips.