Freshman Champion

The lunch break ended, and the Freshman Assessment, which had lasted several days, finally entered its final stage. Qin Yue and Dai Huabin led their respective teams onto the Arena, facing each other from opposite sides.

"State your names."

"Qin Yue."

"Ning Tian."

"Wu Feng."

"Dai Huabin."

"Zhu Lu."

"Cui Yajie."

The three on Dai Huabin's side all displayed obvious hostility, with Zhu Lu's being the strongest. She and Wu Feng had had a minor clash during lunch, and now the two were glaring fiercely at each other.

Unlike Zhu Lu, however, Wu Feng was only glaring. Before the match had even begun, Qin Yue had pressed her onto the Substitute Bench. But she was not upset. She had already had her moment in the spotlight, and now she could comfortably watch Qin Yue beat Zhu Lu senseless. What was there not to like?

The Referee stood at the edge of the Arena's center, raised his right hand, then brought it down sharply. "Begin!"

"White Tiger, possess me!"

Dai Huabin had only just released his Martial Soul when, before he could burst forward with his speed, he suddenly saw a flash of lightning. Cui Yajie, who had been positioned at his rear right, had already been thrown off the stage, while a towering figure nearly six feet tall silently appeared beside him and Zhu Lu.

"Not good!" Dai Huabin's heart jolted. His Soul Rings flashed in succession. "Third Soul Skill: White Tiger Vajra Transformation! Second Soul Skill: White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"

Dai Huabin let out a roar. His already muscular body, strengthened by the White Tiger Martial Soul possession, swelled once more. His muscles bulged exaggeratedly, black stripes appeared across his skin, and he looked like a ferocious tiger.

At the same time, intense White Light gathered around Dai Huabin's head. He opened his blood-filled maw and spat a ball of white light fiercely toward Qin Yue beside him.

Zhu Lu, standing to Dai Huabin's left, did not remain idle either. She knew her attacks would have little effect on Qin Yue, so with a flash of her Soul Ring, she shot toward Ning Tian and Wu Feng, intending to take them out while Dai Huabin faced Qin Yue head-on.

"They really underestimated me..." Qin Yue cracked his neck after taking the White Tiger Intense Light Wave head-on. Under Dai Huabin's astonished gaze, he launched himself forward and, despite moving later, arrived first, punching Zhu Lu back to Dai Huabin's side.

Zhu Lu flew backward and rolled across the Arena several times before Dai Huabin caught her. The moment she stopped, she spat out a mist of blood, her expression twisted in pain.

Seeing Zhu Lu vomit blood, Dai Huabin flew into a rage. Yet he did not rush forward to fight Qin Yue. With his considerable combat experience, Dai Huabin had already realized from their brief exchange that he had no way to deal with Qin Yue. Now, he could only reveal their greatest trump card!

Zhu Lu understood what he intended from Dai Huabin's breathing rhythm alone. She immediately nodded while forcing herself to endure the pain.

The next moment, a tiger's roar erupted from Dai Huabin's mouth. His body swelled again as white fur mixed with black tiger stripes burst wildly from within him.

Zhu Lu, meanwhile, was covered in a faint black glow. Her body became ethereal, almost transparent, as she opened her arms and embraced Dai Huabin.

The auras of the Evil Eye White Tiger and the Hell Spirit Cat completely merged at that moment. Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu vanished the instant their bodies fused, leaving behind only a massive White Tiger on the Arena.

The White Tiger was translucent from head to toe, with white fur, black stripes, purple eyes, and double pupils. Its gaze toward Qin Yue brimmed with killing intent.

This was the greatest trump card of Duke White Tiger's lineage and the Zhu Family, fellow nobles of the Star Luo Empire—the Martial Soul Fusion Skill: Hell White Tiger!

The enormous White Tiger crouched slightly. In the next instant, it surged forward in a transparent ripple, pouncing toward Qin Yue at terrifying speed.

"Finally, finally someone who can take a hit!" Qin Yue's expression was excited. His First Soul Ring flashed, and armor formed entirely of pure lightning enveloped him completely.

The next moment, Qin Yue vanished from where he stood, causing Ning Tian's prepared enhancement to miss its target. When he reappeared, he was already before the Hell White Tiger. His Second Soul Ring burst with dazzling light, crackling lightning instantly gathered in his right hand, and he slashed fiercely at the massive White Tiger before him!

Second Soul Skill: Thunder Tyrant Horizontal Slash!

The Hand Blade formed of lightning was both heavy and fast. It struck the Hell White Tiger, which had only just tried to resist, with tremendous force. The enormous phantom figure was nearly split in two by Qin Yue's blow!

Although Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu desperately stabilized the Hell White Tiger in the end, it had already been sent flying to the edge of the Arena. It was about to lose for leaving the stage.

But how could Qin Yue possibly let go of such a rare punching bag? His figure flashed, and he appeared at the edge of the Arena even faster than the Hell White Tiger was falling.

Qin Yue raised both hands to brace against the Hell White Tiger. The instant he neutralized its momentum, his raised hands changed into a grip, and he actually lifted the eight-meter-long Hell White Tiger into his arms! The next moment, his Third Soul Ring flashed fiercely, lightning surging even more violently across his body as he slammed the Hell White Tiger down onto the ground!

Third Soul Skill: Thunder Self Explosion Bomb!

Boom!!!

A massive thunderclap and explosion rang out at once. Lightning shot into the sky, obscuring most of the view. Only Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu knew just how devastating that blow had been.

The enormous White Tiger seemed as fragile as an infant beneath that super-heavy suplex. Those on the Observation Platform only heard a mournful cry ring out from the lightning filling the Arena before the giant White Tiger vanished from the stage.

Only when Qin Yue walked out of the lightning with an irritated expression, and the lightning gradually dispersed, did everyone see the two ragged figures lying unconscious on the Arena. They then realized, in shock, that the famed Hell White Tiger had been forcibly beaten apart by Qin Yue!

By the time the Referee stepped forward to inspect them and announce the result, Qin Yue had already returned to Ning Tian and Wu Feng. With a regretful look, he muttered, "I didn't expect the Hell White Tiger to be nothing but an empty shell. If I'd known, I would've had Tianmei give it some enhancements. That fight wasn't satisfying at all."

Ning Tian looked again at Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, unconscious on the ground, and the corners of her mouth twitched as she replied helplessly, "I think... it's not entirely their fault, is it? Brother Qin, strength like yours is nothing like a Soul Elder's. Who could have predicted it beforehand?"

Qin Yue sighed. He was fast and strong, and Ultimate Lightning was far too destructive. Most of the time, his opponents lost consciousness after just two or three moves, making it impossible for him to have a truly satisfying fight.

But he had already thought of a solution. Since his relationship with the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was quite good, he could simply wait for Ning Tian and Wu Feng to grow stronger. By then, he would only need to use his earlier Soul Skills. With Ning Tian's enhancements, Wu Feng should be able to last for a while no matter what.

Wu Feng, who had been chuckling after seeing Zhu Lu's miserable state, suddenly shivered. She felt as though an ill-intentioned gaze was watching her from the shadows.