First Battle

When Xiao Chen headed to the agreed dueling ground, Hu Liena and Xie Yue followed along.

The moment Chu Ruolan first laid eyes on Hu Liena and Xie Yue, she keenly sensed their extraordinary bearing.

Though she couldn't probe the depth of their Spirit Power, she knew deep down that these two were no ordinary soul masters.

Curious as she was, Chu Ruolan didn't press further. However, when Canghui Academy saw seven young people on Fabia Academy's side, their leading teacher's face instantly darkened.

"Teacher Chu, what's the meaning of this?" the Canghui Academy teacher spoke up, assuming Hu Liena and Xie Yue were also reinforcements Chu Ruolan had brought.

Chu Ruolan smiled and said, "Teacher Su Ming, don't misunderstand. These two are just here to watch!"

Hearing this, the Canghui Academy students breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh? Isn't this the kid who blocked the hotel entrance earlier?" one of the Canghui Academy students who had told Xiao Chen to get lost recognized him.

"Oh? The one who was afraid his body would explode from absorbing a high-year spirit ring, so he only took a Ten-Year Spirit Ring?" Su Ming sneered.

Clearly, Xiao Chen's earlier remarks at the hotel had already spread.

"Teacher Chu, I wonder how many years your second spirit ring for this kid is?" Su Ming continued.

Chu Ruolan's body stiffened slightly, a trace of embarrassment flickering across her brow.

She knew full well that Xiao Chen's second spirit ring was also a Ten-Year white ring. For a moment, she couldn't find the words to respond and could only change the subject: "That's not important. Let the children start the match first."

Su Ming caught her unease. His expression froze, then shifted to disbelief as he muttered in a low voice, "No way... could his second spirit ring really be white?"

Chu Ruolan and the others wanted to refute it, but it was an undeniable fact—they had no comeback.

When the Canghui Academy group saw the expressions on Ma Yan, Su Qing, and the others, they knew Su Ming had guessed right, and they burst into laughter.

"Laugh, laugh, what's so funny..." Hu Liena couldn't hold back when she saw the Canghui Academy group mocking her little junior brother.

Xie Yue quickly stopped her and said softly, "Nana, don't act rashly. Elder Ju said we're not to interfere in this matter."

"Hmph!" Hu Liena snorted coldly. "I hope you can still laugh later!"

Hu Liena's beauty was stunning, and her innate Fox Spirit naturally carried an alluring charm.

Even without activating her spirit ability, that inborn, mesmerizing aura surrounded her. The mere glance of her eyes held a captivating allure. As she stepped forward, the male students of Canghui Academy immediately locked their gazes on her.

Seeing such a beauty defending Xiao Chen, the strongest student from Canghui Academy laughed and said, "I didn't expect this waste to have such a grand show, even with a beauty protecting him!"

As his words fell, the rest of Canghui chimed in, their eyes fixed on Hu Liena, their words growing frivolous.

"Courting death!" Xie Yue's gaze turned icy cold, the temperature around him dropping to freezing.

Seeing Xie Yue about to make a move, Xiao Chen quickly stopped him. He knew well that if Xie Yue acted, there would definitely be casualties on the other side.

Xiao Chen didn't care whether the Canghui Academy people lived or died, but as a member of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, if Xie Yue killed someone here, it would inevitably tarnish Spirit Hall's reputation.

"Brother Xie Yue, leave this to me," Xiao Chen said in a low voice, his tone calm but carrying a bone-chilling coldness.

He had only felt a faint dislike for the Canghui Academy group before, but now that slight irritation had fully turned into deep disgust.

This spar was originally just him fulfilling a promise, but now, the Canghui Academy people had successfully angered Xiao Chen.

Ma Yan, Su Qing, and the others had already started arguing with the Canghui Academy group, the two sides clashing and on the verge of a fight.

"Su Ming, is this the quality of your Canghui Academy people?" Chu Ruolan's face also turned cold.

Su Ming, however, didn't care at all. He curled his lips with a casual, lazy smile and said, "Young people speak freely. It's just a joke. Why take it so seriously, Teacher Chu?"

Seeing that Su Ming was the same kind of person, Chu Ruolan saw no point in wasting words with him.

"Fine then. Let's settle this with strength!" Chu Ruolan said coldly, then turned to Ma Yan and added, "No need to hold back later!"

"Understood!" Ma Yan instantly grasped Chu Ruolan's meaning.

Originally, Chu Ruolan had forbidden Ma Yan from revealing his Soul Bone in this spar, but the Canghui Academy group was too shameless. She couldn't stand it anymore.

Plus, with Xiao Chen joining the fight, she feared he might get hurt, so she lifted the restriction on Ma Yan's Soul Bone.

With Chu Ruolan's permission, Ma Yan was determined to teach the one with the foulest mouth an unforgettable lesson.

Seeing this, Su Ming also said to his students, "You all heard Teacher Chu. Don't hold back either!"

"Yes!" the Canghui Academy students replied in unison, sneers of disdain on their faces.

The two sides quickly moved to an open space. The spar attracted quite a few soul masters from the small town.

As the fight began, both sides immediately formed their formations, releasing their martial souls and spirit rings.

Among the five Canghui Academy members, the one with the strongest Spirit Power was the foul-mouthed guy—a Level 23 Strong Attack Battle Soul Master with the Blazing Claw Bear martial soul, positioned on the left flank.

On the right flank was a Level 22 Agility Attack Soul Master with the Phantom Cat martial soul.

In the front center was a Level 21 Defense Soul Master with the Rock Armor Turtle martial soul.

Behind them was a Control Soul Master with the Shadow Vine martial soul, Level 22.

At the very back was a Sound Wave Support Soul Master with the Silent Wind Bell martial soul, Level 20.

In terms of Spirit Power levels, Canghui Academy indeed had a slight edge over Fabia Academy.

However, they never imagined that Ma Yan had a Soul Bone, nor did they expect Xiao Chen to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

When they released their martial souls, almost everyone's eyes were on Xiao Chen. When they saw his martial soul was a shabby Wooden Bow with two white spirit rings, they could barely hold back their laughter.

The few from Canghui Academy laughed so hard they nearly doubled over, completely dismissing Xiao Chen as a threat.

And so, they met their tragedy. Xiao Chen wasted no words—raising his hand, he loosed an arrow imbued with Brute Force that shot straight through the gaps in their front ranks, aimed directly at the support-type soul master in the back.

"Ah..."

A scream rang out from behind, instantly drowning out the surrounding laughter. The Canghui Academy members turned to see their teammate already collapsed on the ground, wailing in agony.

She had been struck in the thigh by Xiao Chen's arrow, losing all ability to move on the spot.

If Xiao Chen had held back less, that arrow could have taken her life.

Before the battle had even begun, the enemy had already suffered a loss.

"You bastard! Attacking from ambush!"

The Strong Attack Battle Soul Master from Canghui Academy roared and charged straight at Xiao Chen, but only made it halfway before Ma Yan intercepted him.

Though Ma Yan's Spirit Power level was one grade lower, his body had been tempered by a Soul Bone. Even without activating its exclusive skill, his overall combat strength was in no way inferior to his opponent's.

The clash erupted in an instant, and a melee broke out.