Flashy Tricks, One Move to Defeat the Enemy

Those who achieved success at a young age often could not stand being provoked.

Xiao Hongchen was only in his teens, yet he was already a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor. His grandfather was the dean of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy and also the master of Mingde Hall.

To put it bluntly, although Mingde Hall and the Sun Moon Imperial Academy were not run by their family, the Hongchen Family could still call half the shots.

With such status and standing, every peer he had encountered before had treated him with utmost respect, or at the very least, with courtesy.

Someone like Xu Tianming was the first he had ever met.

"Hmph, what do you want to bet?"

Xiao Hongchen gave a light snort, his face plainly saying that money was no object to him.

"How would I know what you have?"

Xu Tianming rolled his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of provocation.

"As the number one genius of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy, surely you're not carrying nothing of value?"

It was not that Xu Tianming coveted anything Xiao Hongchen had, nor was he deliberately picking a fight.

Since they were both on the side of the Sun Moon Empire, and would be comrades in the future—

Xu Tianming wanted to temper the overly proud dispositions of Xiao Hongchen and his sister, so they would understand that there was always someone greater.

"Would the grandson of Mingde Hall's master not have anything good on him?"

The moment Xiao Hongchen heard that, he practically leaped up. Reaching into the Storage Soul Guidance Device on his body, he took out a piece of silver metal and waved it before Xu Tianming.

"Kid, do you recognize this?"

"This is... Soul Forging Secret Silver?"

Although Xu Tianming was only a First-Level Soul Engineer, having obtained Tiangong Secret Forging had made him extremely familiar with all kinds of metals.

With just one glance, he recognized the item in Xiao Hongchen's hand.

"Hm, you do have some discernment."

Xiao Hongchen was slightly stunned.

He had not expected Xu Tianming to genuinely recognize the Soul Forging Secret Silver in his hand.

"It really is Soul Forging Secret Silver!"

A glint flashed through Xu Tianming's eyes.

Soul Forging Secret Silver was a high-grade rare metal with an extremely high affinity for Soul Power, capable of fusing with any metal.

Soul Tools made from Soul Forging Secret Silver not only possessed exceptional Soul Power affinity, but were also remarkably tough and hard.

It was a rare metal controlled by the Sun Moon Empire, sold by the gram on the black market.

Moreover, in Xu Tianming's judgment, the quality of the Soul Forging Secret Silver in Xiao Hongchen's hand was quite high.

"Brother, this is the rare metal Grandpa specifically found to help you cultivate to level fifty... Isn't it a bad idea to wager it?"

Meng Hongchen, who had remained silent at the side, could not help reminding Xiao Hongchen.

Xiao Hongchen's Three-Legged Golden Toad Martial Soul possessed the peculiar ability to control metal, and it could also use rare metals to accelerate his cultivation speed.

That was why he had reached the strength of a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, nearly a Five-Ring Soul Ancestor, at such a young age.

"Meng, do you think I'll lose too?"

Xiao Hongchen turned back and glared at his sister.

"Fine, do as you like."

Meng Hongchen shook her head. Knowing her brother's temperament, she took a step back and said nothing more.

"As expected of Dean Jing Hongchen's grandson. You really are generous."

Xu Tianming lightly clapped his hands, clearly very satisfied with the wager Meng Hongchen had brought out.

He happened to need some rare metals to upgrade his saber.

"If I lose, how about I compensate you with an equal amount of Soul-Forged Secret Silver?"

Xu Tianming did not have such high-grade goods on him, but he did not believe he would lose.

"Kid, it's not that I'm looking down on you."

Xiao Hongchen looked Xu Tianming up and down twice, then suddenly laughed.

"You can afford Soul-Forged Secret Silver?"

"If you think I can't, then we don't need to fight."

Xu Tianming shrugged, wearing an expression that was rather begging to be punched.

"Fine. If you lose and can't produce the wager, I'll twist your head right off!"

Xiao Hongchen said viciously.

"Aren't you going to summon your Martial Soul?"

"Fine!"

Xu Tianming stepped forward. One purple and two black Soul Rings immediately appeared beneath his feet.

"A Three-Ring Soul Elder?"

The instant Meng Hongchen saw the three Soul Rings beneath Xu Tianming's feet, she could not help covering her mouth.

"One purple and two black... They're even Soul Rings beyond their proper age limit!"

A trace of gravity flashed through Xiao Hongchen's eyes.

Now he understood why his grandfather had allowed a new student like this to live here.

"Xiao Hongchen, level forty-seven assault-type Battle Soul Master."

Golden light flashed, and another leg actually emerged from the area behind him. His body crouched slightly, making Xiao Hongchen look exactly like a three-legged toad.

After witnessing Xu Tianming's Soul Ring configuration, he had already regarded Xu Tianming as an opponent no less formidable than himself.

"Xu Tianming, level thirty-eight... assault-type Battle Soul Master."

Xu Tianming did not know what type of Spirit Master he truly counted as, but compared with his control abilities, his offensive abilities were clearly stronger.

The two exchanged bows. The next moment, Xiao Hongchen's first and third Soul Rings lit up simultaneously.

In the next instant, with a wave of his hands, he scattered at least a hundred metal balls.

Under the control of his Soul Skills, those metal balls all transformed into thick metal cannon barrels.

"Though the Three-Legged Golden Toad is not a top-tier Martial Soul, its ability to control metal is quite impressive."

Xu Tianming carefully examined Xiao Hongchen in Martial Soul Possession, interest showing in his eyes.

Unlike the endless stream of top-tier Martial Souls on Douluo Continent, the Sun Moon Empire might have developed its technological path so heavily that the strength of its Martial Souls was comparatively lower.

However, it had also given rise to some peculiar Martial Souls connected to metal.

The Hongchen Family's Three-Legged Golden Toad Martial Soul was a representative example.

"All flash, no substance."

Shaking his head, Xu Tianming's first Soul Ring lit up.

A silver beam of spiritual light suddenly shot from his eyes.

An invisible spiritual beam was simply too fast for human reflexes to evade.

Xiao Hongchen inwardly cried out in alarm, but in the next instant, he was struck directly by the spiritual beam from Xu Tianming's eyes.

In an instant, Xiao Hongchen saw nothing but a vast expanse of silver before his eyes, while intense dizziness surged through his mind.

The rare metals that had transformed into cannon barrels under his Soul Skills all reverted to metal balls and fell to the ground.

This was Xu Tianming's first Soul Skill in Moon Form, Xuanye Ice Bind.

It could forcibly interrupt the opponent's Soul Skills and plunge them into a stunned state.

The duration of the stun depended on the gap between their spiritual power.

Retracting his Martial Soul and Soul Rings, Xu Tianming slowly walked over to Xiao Hongchen, who was still stunned, under Meng Hongchen's complicated gaze.

Xu Tianming reached out and lightly tapped Xiao Hongchen between the brows, then smiled.

"Well? Do you admit defeat?"