Crushing Victory, Yan's First Battle

The academy's classes were nowhere near as interesting as Yan had imagined.

The entire morning was spent teaching basic knowledge about the world of soul masters, such as cultivation principles, Martial Soul classifications, and how to identify soul beasts.

Yan had already learned most of this in the Orphanage library, which held quite a few books related to soul masters.

Feeling bored, Yan had even considered skipping class to cultivate. Unfortunately, he had just arrived and knew little about Spirit Hall Academy, so he could only abandon the idea.

Fortunately, these common knowledge classes were held no more than twice a week.

After enduring the entire morning, class finally ended.

Though the classroom appeared calm on the surface, Xie Yue and the other two all sensed that the atmosphere was strangely delicate.

During class, Yan did not even need to use his spiritual power to sense the complicated emotions of the students around him. Some were calm, some regretful, and some were gleeful at their misfortune.

Occasionally, several malicious gazes came from behind them. Even after class, the surrounding students hurried away whenever they passed by, with no intention of stopping to speak with them.

The only person who could have caused all this was probably the skinny boy Xie Yue had rudely driven away before class. If Yan remembered correctly, that person seemed to be named Zhao Leshui.

It looks like Xie Yue provoked someone with a bit of backing.

Yan thought to himself, feeling somewhat speechless. On the very first day of school, they had already run into something like this.

After school at noon, the three ate together. They first escorted Hu Liena back to her dormitory, then Xie Yue and Yan returned to the dormitory assigned by the school.

The Core Class had its own dormitory building, with students from first through sixth grade living on separate floors. Yan and Xie Yue's rooms were on the first floor, right next to each other.

After the lunch break, Xie Yue called Yan over and headed for their classroom with him.

They had barely walked a hundred meters after leaving the dormitory building when they saw the freckle-faced Zhao Leshui blocking their path. Behind him stood a tall boy who was clearly an upperclassman. Their faces looked somewhat alike, especially the same freckles on their cheeks, making it obvious that he was closely related to Zhao Leshui.

Xie Yue looked at Zhao Leshui, the disgust on his face completely undisguised. "What do you want?"

Zhao Leshui ignored him and turned to the tall boy beside him. "Brother, these are the two."

The tall boy stepped forward and looked arrogantly at them. "Pretty cocky, aren't you? You just got here and already dared to touch my brother, Zhao Leshan. Kneel and apologize now, and I might go a little easier on you when I beat you up later."

"Making people kneel the moment you arrive, aren't you being rather overbearing?"

Yan stepped forward and stood beside Xie Yue.

"That is because I have the strength!"

Zhao Leshan snorted coldly. His Martial Soul, Savage Bull, instantly possessed him, and two bright yellow hundred-year Soul Rings appeared behind him in quick succession. It was clearly the optimal Soul Ring configuration.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Zhao Leshan, sixth-year student of the Junior Academy. Martial Soul: Savage Bull. Power Attack Type Battle Soul Master!"

Zhao Leshan lifted his chin slightly. The fluctuations of his Soul Power showed that he was at least level twenty-three. "Do I have the right to make you kneel now?"

Zhao Leshui stood to the side with a delighted, gloating expression. The reason he could act as the little tyrant of the Core Class was partly because of his decent talent, but more importantly, because he had an older brother who was a Soul Grandmaster.

"A Soul Grandmaster. Is that supposed to be impressive?"

Xie Yue was furious, but not afraid. His Moon Blade Martial Soul appeared instantly, and his yellow first Soul Ring emerged as the fluctuations of level-thirteen Soul Power erupted from him.

Yan did not summon his Martial Soul. In Zhao Leshan's eyes, he and Xie Yue were merely a Soul Scholar and a soul master. They posed no threat at all.

"I have more than enough strength to deal with the two of you! Since you don't want to apologize, I'll beat you into submission first!"

Zhao Leshan grinned savagely as his first Soul Ring lit up. "Trample!"

His noticeably thicker calves slammed into the ground. An invisible force of vibration spread in a fan-shaped wave from Zhao Leshan toward Xie Yue and Yan, causing their bodies to sway and making it difficult for them to maintain their fighting stances.

At that moment, Zhao Leshan's second Soul Ring lit up as well. "Charge!"

A phantom image of a green bull abruptly appeared around Zhao Leshan and charged fiercely toward Xie Yue and Yan, while the effects of the soul skill Trample continued to stack.

With every step Zhao Leshan took forward, invisible vibrations clung to his advance and shook Yan and Xie Yue.

"Shadow Moon Consecutive Slash!"

Zhao Leshan was imposing and extremely fast. As this was Xie Yue's first battle, his lack of experience was inevitable. In his panic, he immediately used his first soul skill.

Two cold blade lights slashed out in succession.

Yet under the vibrations caused by Zhao Leshan's first soul skill, Trample, Xie Yue's strike was unsteady. Though he had launched Shadow Moon Consecutive Slash toward Zhao Leshan, the attack veered off diagonally the moment it left his hand.

Zhao Leshan did not even need to dodge. The blade lights unleashed by Shadow Moon Consecutive Slash flew directly into the ground beside him, sending soil spraying everywhere.

With his soul skill missing its target, Xie Yue immediately panicked.

Just as Zhao Leshan was about to charge up to them, Yan finally moved.

The shockwaves produced by Zhao Leshan's Trample reached Yan's feet, making the ground tremble, yet his legs were like iron stakes driven into the earth. He did not move in the slightest.

The crimson flame markings on his cheeks flickered, while the air around him warped slightly from the heat.

Facing the charging Savage Bull phantom and Zhao Leshan's savage grin, Yan drew back his right fist. His knuckles glowed crimson, as though he were gripping a ball of solidified lava. Then he threw a plain, unadorned punch.

Secret technique: Flame Fall!

No Soul Ring lit up. This was the explosive release of the physical strength of a Martial Artist who had reached Apprentice Second Order.

A muffled bang rang out.

His fist collided with the head of the Savage Bull phantom formed from Soul Power.

There was no expected deadlock. The crimson fist force shattered the Savage Bull phantom with unstoppable force, then slammed solidly into Zhao Leshan's hastily raised arms.

This was followed by a sickening series of bone-cracking sounds as Zhao Leshan's charging momentum came to an abrupt halt.

Yan's fist force had yet to dissipate. It traveled through Zhao Leshan's arms and into his chest and body.

Zhao Leshan had no power to resist. In an instant, he flew away like a rag doll, crashing into a bluestone pillar by the roadside before letting out a muffled groan and sliding down.

Clutching his fractured arms, he curled up miserably on the ground. None of his earlier arrogance remained. Cold sweat streamed down Zhao Leshan's forehead, and agonized groans spilled uncontrollably from his mouth. His gaze at Yan was filled with terror and disbelief.

He could not understand it. How could a first-year soul master possess such terrifying strength?

Yan slowly withdrew his fist. He had already held back.

The punching strength of Apprentice Second Order was comparable to that of a Soul Ancestor. If Yan had unleashed his full force, Zhao Leshan would not have merely suffered fractured bones. He would have lost his life outright.

"Do you still need us to kneel?"

Yan's gaze swept between Zhao Leshan, who lay sprawled on the ground, and Zhao Leshui, who had been completely dumbfounded. His tone was calm, as though he had done something utterly insignificant.

Zhao Leshui shook his head desperately, his face white as paper.

Only then did Xie Yue snap out of his panic after missing with his soul skill. He looked at Yan, then at the miserable Zhao Leshan on the ground, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He knew Yan was strong, but he had never expected him to be this strong.

Without using a soul skill, Yan had directly crippled a Power Attack Type Battle Soul Master. For the first time, Xie Yue felt the gap between himself and Yan so vividly.

Yan paid them no further attention. Turning around, he called to Xie Yue, "Let's go."