Four Spirit Douluo, Zhang Yan's Strength

"Hmph, Ye Lingling is an outstanding student of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. There is no way she is one of your Spirit Hall people. Could it be that, despite your young age, you are even more muddleheaded than I am?" Zhilin said.

"I am with Spirit Hall." Ye Lingling was not confused. She knew she could not hold Jin Yan back, so she spoke up.

"You..." Zhilin's face darkened, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. He furiously rebuked, "Spirit Hall, what fine methods! Spirit Hall planted spies within our Spirit Hall Empire. Are you trying to make enemies of the Heaven Dou Empire?"

Jin Yan sneered. "What a fine display of a thief crying thief and turning the tables! What strength does your Heaven Dou Empire have to stand against Spirit Hall? If Spirit Hall had not mediated between you, your Heaven Dou Empire would have been wiped out long ago. How could you still be here twisting black into white?"

Seeing that they had already spent the time it took to burn an incense stick here, Jin Yan lost interest. He said to Zhang Yan, "Uncle Zhang, stop wasting words. Make your move. Unless we teach him a lesson, he will not let us leave."

"Yes!" Zhang Yan did not care whether Jin Yan was right or wrong. All he needed to do was carry out his orders.

Eight optimal Soul Rings emerged around him. As domineering black Soul Power flowed, a massive halberd nearly ten feet long appeared in his hand, its dark-red body wrapped in intricate demonic patterns and its twin edges sharpened into blades.

With the appearance of the halberd, the air around Zhang Yan seemed to turn viscous. An irritating presence spread through the air, while dark-red markings surfaced on Zhang Yan's face. His eyes turned blood-red, making him look like a demonic god.

This was Zhang Yan's martial soul, the Eight Desolations Demon Halberd, a powerful weapon martial soul.

Once his martial soul was unleashed, Zhang Yan seemed like a different person. Without another word, he stomped heavily on the ground with his right foot and shot toward Zhilin, who stood atop a tree branch, like a cannonball. Holding the Eight Desolations Demon Halberd in his right hand, he raised it in midair, crimson Soul Power coiling around it as he chopped fiercely toward Zhilin. Before the halberd's blade even arrived, the Azure Vines growing before Zhilin had already shattered inch by inch.

Watching the terrifying halberd descend upon him, Zhilin's expression changed drastically. The blue-green Soul Power around him abruptly grew denser, and the third and fifth purple Soul Rings on his body lit up at once.

"Third Soul Skill, Azure Hardening!"

"Fifth Soul Skill, Forest Network!"

Countless Azure Vines erupted wildly. An endless mass of roots and vines spread densely within three meters around him, forming a half-meter-thick wall of Azure Vines before him. At the same time, the instant the vine wall formed, the originally resilient Azure Vines suddenly stiffened, their surfaces glowing with faint golden light as their hardness increased severalfold.

Although Zhilin's fifth Soul Skill came from only a Millennium Soul Ring, it was an immensely practical skill. His third Soul Ring, meanwhile, came from a Millennium Diamond Vine soul beast and could multiply the hardness of his Azure Vines several times over. It could serve as a defensive Soul Skill, or directly crush to death anything he had restrained. It even granted a certain degree of fire immunity.

Facing the impregnable wall formed by the Azure Vines, Zhang Yan snorted disdainfully. The red light in his eyes intensified as he glared furiously. His Soul Rings flashed, and the sharp aura of the Eight Desolations Demon Halberd grew even stronger. The moment it struck the vine wall, the wall shattered instantly as though it were made of paper.

The Eight Desolations Demon Halberd did not slow in the slightest as it descended upon Zhilin, clearly intending to inflict severe injuries.

Zhilin's face turned completely ashen, and terror filled his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he was just about to unleash another Soul Skill for one final struggle when he spotted two figures rushing toward them, and delight immediately appeared in his eyes.

"Eighth Soul Skill, Heavenly Dome Formation!"

An aged voice rang out through the academy. Two streaks of light rushed out from within the academy. As this was the academy's outskirts, teachers rarely came here ordinarily, but the imposing presence here had drawn them over.

A massive Heavenly Star Furnace enveloped Zhilin. Its enormous body seemed to cover the entire sky, with azure starlight flowing within it in a breathtakingly beautiful display.

The Eight Desolations Demon Halberd struck the Heavenly Star Furnace without leaving the slightest mark. Zhang Yan flipped through the air and landed once more in front of Jin Yan, his expression solemn as he looked ahead.

Ahead of him, two more figures landed beside Zhilin. The leader was a gaunt old man dressed in plain black clothes, his murky yellow eyes gleaming with wisdom. Beside him stood a chubby old man, one hand resting on his belly while his right hand supported the Heavenly Star Furnace. He looked kind and wore a cheerful smile, but the eight Soul Rings beneath his feet unmistakably displayed the strength of a Spirit Douluo. It was this old man who had just used his Soul Skill to block the fatal blow for Zhilin.

The newcomers were naturally the other two Spirit Douluo education committee members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan.

"Young friend, how did Zhilin offend you for you to strike so heavily? If you cannot give us a proper explanation today, it will not be so easy for you to leave."

The skin on Meng Shenji's aged face twitched as he spoke.

"Heh heh." Zhang Yan let out an eerie, chilling laugh. "Three Spirit Douluo? If I want to leave, you cannot stop me."

As he spoke, his third, fifth, and seventh Soul Rings lit up at once. Dense black-red Soul Power burst from his body, and the powerful aura made the surrounding trees sway violently, producing cracking sounds. The Eight Desolations Demon Halberd abruptly expanded to an enormous size and smashed toward the three men with overwhelming force. Its might could be felt even several kilometers away.

Meng Shenji and the other two also changed expression. They had not expected Zhang Yan to be so bold, activating his Martial Soul Avatar at the slightest disagreement with the stance of someone ready to risk his life. Even though they were Spirit Douluo, activating their Martial Soul Avatars would still place a considerable burden on them.

"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!"

Forced into it, all three of them consecutively unleashed their Martial Soul Avatars. Four powerful auras collided, erupting with an incomparably terrifying boom.

What was shocking was that the combined strength of the three could only gain a slight advantage over Zhang Yan. Judging by their strained appearances, they clearly would not be able to hold on for long.

Bai Baoshan used his eighth Soul Skill again, intending to protect Xue Beng. Yet the moment he looked over, his eyes widened sharply, and he let out a cold snort.

The fourth prince Xue Beng, whom he had intended to protect, and his group of lackeys were all sprawled on the ground, wailing incessantly.

Jin Yan held a dagger emanating Soul Power fluctuations, its tip pressed against the artery in Xue Beng's neck. With only the slightest exertion, he could take his life.

Meeting Bai Baoshan's shocked gaze, Jin Yan flashed him a mouthful of white teeth and gave a silent smile.

Bai Baoshan's odd reaction was quickly noticed by the other two. When they looked in Jin Yan's direction, they too froze.

"Wait, young friend. We will stop fighting. Can we talk this out properly?" Cold sweat ran down Meng Shenji's forehead. Although all three supported the eldest prince, Xue Qinghe, and were Spirit Douluo powerhouses themselves, even if something truly happened to Xue Beng, it would still be troublesome. It could also bring disaster upon the families behind them.

Jin Yan sneered inwardly. Now they knew how to beg for mercy? What had they been doing earlier?