The stands erupted in thunderous cheers.
Everyone thought the match was already over.
A ten-year-old child facing the full-force attack of the battle-hardened Green Wolf had no chance to fight back.
At the center of the Soul Fighting Arena, Ling Xiao stood firm as a mountain.
He watched the Wind Blades rush toward him, with Green Wolf close behind.
Ling Xiao's gaze didn't waver.
He gave the spear in his hand a slight shake.
Buzz—
A soft hum rang out.
A cold glint flashed at the spearhead. Like a swimming dragon bursting from the sea, it thrust straight toward the Wind Blades.
The movement was swift to the extreme, yet effortless.
The spearhead seemed to have eyes, striking each Wind Blade with pinpoint accuracy.
The crisp clanging of metal on stone rang out in rapid succession, like pearls large and small cascading onto a jade plate.
One by one, the Wind Blades shattered under the spear's precise jabs, dissolving into countless green motes of light before vanishing.
"What?!"
Green Wolf's pupils contracted sharply, shock replacing the ferocity on his face.
His all-out First Soul Skill had been effortlessly shattered by a ten-year-old boy with a single spear!
He had already charged right up to Ling Xiao. There was no retreating now!
A vicious glint flashed in his eyes.
The second Soul Ring beneath Green Wolf's feet blazed with dazzling light, and a dense layer of Soul Power covered his wolf claws.
He slashed viciously at Ling Xiao's chest!
Second Soul Skill: Wind Claw!
This was his signature finishing move.
Combined with the sharp claws of his Green Wolf Martial Soul, it could tear through even a steel plate!
In his previous battles, most opponents had been rendered unable to fight with this single move!
The cheers from the stands grew even louder.
Everyone was certain that the masked boy would be badly injured and forced to withdraw after this strike.
The boy moved.
He raised his spear horizontally to block.
The shaft stood between him and the wolf claws.
"Clang!"
A deafening crash rang out.
The wolf claws slammed into the shaft, sending sparks flying.
Green Wolf's charge came to an abrupt halt.
He was completely stunned.
How was this possible?!
How could a ten-year-old child possess such terrifying strength?!
Before he could recover from his shock, Ling Xiao's arm tightened around the spear.
"Up!"
With a low shout, the boy twisted at the waist and thrust his spear forward.
A terrifying strength utterly at odds with his age erupted from his slender frame.
Green Wolf felt an overwhelming force surge toward him, and his body was hurled backward through the air against his will!
He flailed in midair, desperately trying to steady himself.
Ling Xiao gave him no such chance.
A bronze head and iron bones, but a tofu-soft waist.
That was the greatest weakness of wolf-type Soul Beasts, and it applied just as well to Green Wolf.
Ling Xiao took a light step, his figure moving like a shadow.
He swept his spear across, the shaft carrying the force of a thousand jun, and smashed it viciously into Green Wolf's waist!
"Thud!"
The shaft struck Green Wolf squarely in the waist.
Green Wolf let out a shrill scream, his body flying like a sandbag struck by a blow before crashing hard onto the floor of the Soul Fighting Arena.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, and his Martial Soul Possession instantly dissipated.
He curled up on the ground, his entire body convulsing violently. He couldn't even stand, and had completely lost the ability to fight.
From the start of the match until Green Wolf lay motionless on the ground,
only a few minutes had passed.
The thunderous cheers from the stands abruptly stopped.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the boy standing with his spear at the center of the Soul Fighting Arena, shock written across their faces.
Silence.
A silence so complete you could hear a pin drop.
Several breaths passed before someone finally broke the stillness with a sharp gasp.
"I... I didn't see that wrong, did I? Green Wolf lost?!"
"One move? Just one?! He didn't even use a Soul Skill, and he knocked Green Wolf flat?!"
"Who is this kid?! His spear technique is terrifying!"
Then the arena erupted!
The jeers and taunts turned into thunderous cheers and screams.
The spectators at the Soul Fighting Arena had always worshipped the strong.
They had doubted the mysterious masked boy moments ago; now, they went wild for him.
The women in the stands, especially, let out piercing screams as they watched the boy standing with his spear on the arena floor.
"Zero! Zero! Zero!"
"Little brother, you're so cool!"
"That bearing! That strength! I'm a fan!"
"I'm betting on him to win his next match! I don't care how much it costs!"
The deafening shouts nearly lifted the roof off No. 3 Soul Fighting Arena.
Countless people screamed the code name "Zero," waving their betting slips and cheering for the boy who had just worked a miracle.
At the center of the Soul Fighting Arena, Ling Xiao seemed not to hear the crowd at all.
He slowly lowered his spear.
From beginning to end, he hadn't used a Soul Skill.
With nothing but a spear, he had easily defeated a battle-hardened Soul Grandmaster of the same rank, a nimble attack-type fighter.
The referee also recovered from his shock.
He hurried over to Green Wolf, checked his condition, and confirmed that he had lost the ability to fight.
Then he rushed to the center of the Soul Fighting Arena, raised Ling Xiao's wrist high, and announced loudly:
"I hereby declare the winner of this Iron Soul Fighter one-on-one match—Zero!"
The moment the announcement rang out, the cheers from the stands reached another peak.
Countless flowers and streamers rained down from the stands, nearly burying Ling Xiao beneath them.
Ling Xiao calmly pulled his hand back and gave the referee a slight nod.
Then he turned and walked off the arena.
The calmer and more composed he seemed, the wilder the screams from the stands grew.
In the waiting area, the Iron Soul Fighters who had been waiting to laugh at Ling Xiao were now frozen in place.
As they watched the boy return, their eyes filled with awe and apprehension.
Ten years old, a twenty-fourth-level Soul Grandmaster.
He had defeated Green Wolf with one spear strike, without using a Soul Skill.
With strength like that, he was someone they absolutely could not afford to provoke.
Ling Xiao ignored their stares and went to the registration counter, where he had the staff record the points for his victory on his Iron Soul Badge.
"Congratulations on your first victory, Mr. Zero. You've earned ten points."
The staff member respectfully handed the badge back to Ling Xiao with both hands.
"Would you like to sign up for any other events?"
Ling Xiao took the badge and tucked it into his clothes. "No. I'll come back tomorrow."
With that, he turned and left.
He disappeared into the passageway of the Great Soul Arena.
In the shadow of a building across from the Soul Fighting Arena,
Ghost Leopard Douluo's figure slowly emerged.
Watching Ling Xiao's departing back, a flicker of surprise crossed his shadowy face.
He hadn't expected the Soul Fighting match to end this way.
The Pope's second disciple was clearly no ordinary person.
The aura around Ghost Leopard Douluo faded into concealment once more. He turned into a shadow and silently followed.
Back at the Starry Sky Hotel, Ling Xiao leaned his spear against the corner of the wall and removed the mask from his face.
He walked to the window and looked down at Heaven Dou City, still ablaze with lights and alive with crowds. A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth.
His first Soul Fighting match had been even easier than he'd expected.
But this was only the beginning.
He lifted his gaze toward Sunset Forest, a glimmer flashing in his dark eyes.
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