"You... you..."
Tang San pointed at Le Bai, stammering for ages without managing to say anything coherent.
Seeing Tang San's ghost-stricken expression, Le Bai worried that he might take it too hard and comforted him, "Don't make that face. Your Blue Silver Grass's poison was very effective; I really was controlled by you just now. But I'm rather good at controlling Soul Power, so I can directly expel the poison from my body with it."
Le Bai's explanation made Tang San think of a possibility. "Using internal energy to force out poison?"
"No."
Le Bai directly denied Tang San's guess. "It's just a simple application of Soul Power. If you're interested, I can teach you sometime when we're free."
"Now, I still have to finish the final match."
Le Bai walked over to Xiao Wu. "Our fight was saved for last. Before we begin, let me ask: how should we settle the first time you lost to me?"
Xiao Wu looked at Le Bai and said seriously, "It counts as you apologizing. And I accept your apology."
"That's wonderful."
Le Bai smiled. "Then, if you have nothing else to say, get ready for the assessment. The requirements are the same as before."
After saying that, Le Bai jogged over to Zhao Wuji, took out an incense stick and lit it, then stuck it into the tree beside them again.
Xiao Wu silently walked into the combat area, standing ready.
Le Bai soon took his place opposite Xiao Wu, but instead of charging in right away, he did something uncharacteristic and started talking to her. "Honestly, I think you're very weak."
Xiao Wu's expression changed. Annoyed, she said, "What did you say?!"
"Your Martial Soul is the Soft Bone Rabbit. As far as I know, this type of Beast Martial Soul isn't particularly strong in power or attack. Its speed is decent, but you chose the Power Attack System instead of the Agility Attack System."
Le Bai spoke with complete seriousness, not as though he were joking. "Although I've never seen you use your First Soul Skill, I guess it's neither a direct attack skill nor a full-body enhancement skill. Worse still, your Second Soul Ring is actually Charm, a Mental Control-type skill. Could it be that your Martial Soul isn't a Soft Bone Rabbit, but a Soft Bone Fox?"
Xiao Wu was unable to refute Le Bai.
She had never properly studied Martial Soul theory to begin with, and even if she wanted to argue, she could not think of any convincing point.
"Then I'll show you exactly what's strong about my 'power attack'!"
Xiao Wu decided to use the "body language" she was best at to make her argument, taking the initiative to charge at Le Bai.
Le Bai assumed a fighting stance, but his mouth kept yapping. "Honestly, with your Martial Soul's development path and your choice of Soul Rings, if your Soul Power weren't above level 25, I doubt you could have passed even the first two rounds of our academy's final assessment."
Though Xiao Wu charged in fiercely, she knew that while she was supposedly a Power Attack System Soul Master, her Martial Soul had not given her much of a boost in strength or attack. It had instead greatly enhanced her speed. Le Bai's physical abilities are practically on par with Er Ming from back then. I'm absolutely no match for him head-on. I have to avoid his attacks and use Soft Technique!
Watching Xiao Wu actively close the distance, Le Bai knew exactly what she was thinking. Her strength is inferior to mine, and her speed can't match Zhu Zhuqing's or Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. Her final reliance must be Soft Technique.
He threw a completely unrestrained full-power punch at Xiao Wu's face.
"Hmph! You really do like 'hitting faces'!"
Xiao Wu snorted, sounding as if she had expected it, and raised one hand to meet Le Bai's fist head-on.
Before it touched his fist, Xiao Wu's arm bent as though it had lost all its bones. Like a snake, it coiled up along Le Bai's arm, while her body slid backward, pressed tightly against his right arm—the Soul Power on Le Bai's body that strengthened his defense acted like lubricant.
Xiao Wu slid all the way behind Le Bai. At the same time, she flicked her head, and the braid behind her seemed to come alive as it wrapped around his neck.
Xiao Wu completed the series of difficult movements almost instantly. Then, her First Soul Ring lit up brightly. "First Soul Skill: Waist Bow!"
Under the effects of Soul Power and her Soul Skill, her slender body displayed astonishing flexibility, as if she had transformed into a "Slingshot Spirit." Her taut body resembled the stretched rubber band of a slingshot, and the sudden tremendous force that followed was just as fierce as the recoil when that stretched band was released!
Le Bai had been prepared, but as Xiao Wu's strength lifted his entire body, he still mentally complained about Soul Power's abuse of Newton—and apologized in advance for the similar abuse he was about to commit.
Xiao Wu used her entire body to swing Le Bai up into the air, then slammed him down!
Using Xiao Wu's body as the center, Le Bai spun a full circle through the air like a waterwheel before being hurled face-first toward the ground.
At the same time, Xiao Wu's dimmed First Soul Ring lit up once more. It had already completed its second round of Soul Power charging.
Explosive Kill Eight-Stage Throw was the strongest combo among the Soft Techniques Xiao Wu had mastered in every respect. She intended to use this chain of attacks to finish off Le Bai and, incidentally, tell him exactly why she was a Power Attack System Soul Master!
Bang!
Sand and dirt flew everywhere!
Xiao Wu felt that the recoil from the slam seemed weaker than usual, but she did not think much of it. Her fully charged First Soul Skill activated again—the second throw!
Bang!
Then came the third! Fourth! Fifth! Sixth! Seventh!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
After seven consecutive impacts, Xiao Wu used the accumulated recoil to temporarily lift Le Bai's body into the air, then forcefully hurled him down at the ground. "Final strike—Explosive Kill Eight-Stage Throw!"
Bang!!
Dust billowed into the air.
"Hmph!"
Xiao Wu flicked her braid with flair, her back to the rising dust. "Now do you know why I'm a Power Attack System Soul Master?!"
Xiao Wu had never imagined that she would hear Le Bai answer.
Yet Le Bai's calm voice sounded beside her ear. "Because you're stupid."
"!!"
Xiao Wu spun around in shock, even forgetting to assume a defensive stance.
"You look even stupider now."
Le Bai wore a faintly disdainful expression as he brushed the dirt from his body. "After all that, your so-called power attack is just this kind of throwing attack with a slight dizziness effect? You call yourself a Power Attack System Soul Master, but the key is the Control System's dizziness effect combined with the Agility Attack System's burst—do you have some misunderstanding about the Power Attack System?"
Xiao Wu's face turned ugly. "How is that possible? You're completely fine... Is your body made of iron?!"
"How could steel compare to trained muscle? Stop saying stupid things. Your cerebral cortex is as smooth as your skin... Though I suppose you wouldn't understand even if I put it that way."
Le Bai assumed an attacking stance. "I only used Soul Power to offset part of the impact from the throws, so my Soul Power wouldn't be scattered and the dizziness effect would be greatly reduced. Also, I trained very hard, so my body is fairly sturdy."
Xiao Wu was both angry and aggrieved, yet she felt as though something was suppressing her, leaving her unable to argue back. In short, she felt utterly miserable!
"However,"
Le Bai abruptly changed tack. "I'll at least acknowledge the toughness of your body—your ability to endure. In this one respect alone—"
Le Bai suddenly displayed speed that surpassed even Zhu Zhuqing's. He rushed before Xiao Wu and, instead of punching, struck her chest with his palm, sending her flying.
"You truly meet the standard expected of a Power Attack System Soul Master."
Before you continue