Battle

"Brother Yi, this is bad! Brother Yi!"

Lu Yi had just sat down cross-legged, preparing to cultivate and test his current cultivation speed, when a voice suddenly came from afar.

"What is it? Why are you panicking?" Hearing the voice, Lu Yi rose from the ground and asked with a frown.

"Brother Yi... Brother Shu has been surrounded. Their Boss Yang successfully obtained a Soul Ring a few days ago and became a Soul Master!"

The Work-Study Student who had rushed over to inform Lu Yi froze for a moment at the mess surrounding him, then quickly explained.

"Take me there!"

Hearing that, Lu Yi wasted no words and directly told him to lead the way.

He had eaten a piece of Thousand-Year Whale Rubber last night, greatly improving his physical strength. This was the perfect chance to fight a Soul Master and test his current abilities.

Of course, if he could not win, he would admit defeat. There was no shame in a Soul Scholar losing to a one-ring Soul Master.

"Fuck your mother, bastard!"

"If you've got the guts, fucking let me go and fight me one-on-one! Let's see if I don't chop you to death!"

The moment Lu Yi arrived at the back mountain battlefield where Work-Study Students and noble students often arranged fights, he heard Wang Shu roaring.

"Fuck, you're already pinned down and still acting so arrogant!"

Seeing Wang Shu's defiant expression, Xiao Chenyu—currently still a lackey but destined to become Nuoding Academy's boss—covered his prized possession with one hand and slapped Wang Shu twice with the other.

Tackle!

Seeing Wang Shu being hit, Lu Yi did not hesitate at all. He summoned Magikarp directly above Xiao Chenyu and commanded it to use Tackle.

Magikarp fell from the sky, Soul Power swirling around its body, and landed a crushing blow on the still-arrogant Xiao Chenyu.

Caught completely off guard, Xiao Chenyu was sent flying three meters by Magikarp's attack.

The people surrounding Wang Shu hurriedly scattered to the side. Lu Yi's fish, which was nothing but bones, seemed to have grown bigger after only a few days. They remembered that it had only been able to knock Xiao Chenyu down before, but now it could send him flying.

"Brother Yi!"

Freed from Xiao Chenyu and the others holding him down, Wang Shu hurriedly got up and ran behind Lu Yi.

"You weren't hurt, were you?"

Lu Yi carefully looked Wang Shu over from head to toe as he ran over.

"It's nothing serious!"

Feeling Lu Yi's gaze, Wang Shu shook out his arms and legs as he answered.

"As long as you're not hurt. Later, give that brat Xiao Chenyu two slaps and settle this score!"

Lu Yi nodded at Wang Shu's words.

"Alright!" Wang Shu nodded and answered, following behind Lu Yi.

"Brother Yang, it's this brat. Just because he has a fish that runs around everywhere, he doesn't put us in his eyes. These past few days, he's even been leading the Work-Study Students to walk all over us!"

Relying on the sturdy physique granted by his beast Martial Soul, Xiao Chenyu climbed up from the ground after being knocked away by Magikarp. He shook his head and spoke to a burly youth beside him.

"Xiong Kui, you're such trash. You actually lost to a little brat?"

Hearing Xiao Chenyu's words, the person called Brother Yang patted Xiong Kui, who was being held down in front of him, and mocked him with a sneer.

"Fuck you, Yang Li! If you have the guts, wait until I reach level ten and obtain a Soul Ring, then we'll fight one-on-one! Let's see if I don't beat the shit out of you!"

Hearing Yang Li's words, Xiong Kui spat at him and cursed indignantly from where he was pinned to the ground.

"Trash!" Yang Li did not care about Xiong Kui's furious insults at all. After cursing him once, he walked toward Lu Yi.

"The people of Seventh Dormitory are really getting worse with every generation. You actually let a snot-nosed brat like him be your boss!

"How about this, brat? We'll fight one-on-one. If you win, I'll let them all go. If you lose, I won't bully you—I'll just have you crawl through my legs!"

Looking at Lu Yi, who was half a head shorter than him, Yang Li disdainfully pointed at his crotch.

"Fuck you, Yang Li! You're six years older than Brother Yi, and you've got the nerve to say that shit?" Hearing Yang Li's shameless words, Xiong Kui immediately began cursing furiously.

"Trash Xiong Kui, in the world of Soul Masters, strength is everything!"

Yang Li turned and shouted at Xiong Kui. Yet despite his words, an unusual flush had indeed appeared on his face. It was impossible to tell whether it was from anger or embarrassment.

"I'll fight you. But if I win, not only do you have to release Xiong Kui and the others, you also have to guarantee that these guys will take a detour whenever they see me in the future!"

Lu Yi pointed at the circle of Yang Li's lackeys around them.

"Then it's settled!"

Yang Li agreed immediately, without any hesitation.

"Then come on. Lu Yi, Martial Soul Magikarp, level-three Soul Scholar!" Hearing Yang Li's response, Lu Yi assumed a fighting stance.

"Yang Li, Martial Soul Giant Horned Ram, level-eleven one-ring Battle Soul Master!"

After hearing Lu Yi's words, Yang Li inwardly looked down on Xiong Kui once more. As he spoke, he completed Martial Soul Possession, and a white ring slowly unfolded beneath his feet.

Water Ball! Seeing Yang Li complete Martial Soul Possession, Lu Yi shouted. Two water balls the size of bowls flew straight toward Yang Li's face.

After Magikarp grew larger, Lu Yi discovered that the water-control talent he shared with it had also become stronger.

Originally, he could only condense one water ball the size of a fist. Now, not only could he form two at once, but the water balls were also much bigger than before.

"Hmph, First Soul Skill: Ram Horn Charge!"

Seeing the two water balls shooting toward him, Yang Li gave a disdainful snort. The white Soul Ring beneath his feet flashed, and he immediately used his first Soul Skill to charge at Lu Yi.

He was fairly cautious in battle. Although he believed it was impossible for Lu Yi, a Soul Scholar, to defeat him, a Soul Master, Yang Li used his full strength from the very beginning to avoid suffering an unexpected defeat.

Seeing Yang Li use his Soul Skill to gather Soul Power around his ram horns, looking much like Lu Yi did when using Tackle—

Splash!

Lu Yi fired another Water Ball at Yang Li to obscure his vision, then used Splash to leap three meters into the air.

Tackle!

Lu Yi swiftly summoned Magikarp in midair, then gathered Soul Power beneath his feet. He and Magikarp used Tackle together and charged at Yang Li.

Bang! Bang!

With two dull impacts, Yang Li, struck in the back by Lu Yi and Magikarp, immediately lost his balance and crashed headfirst into the ground.

With a casual wave, Lu Yi recalled Magikarp. Without hesitation, he grabbed Yang Li's right leg with both hands and gave him an over-the-shoulder throw for good measure. Empowered by the strength gained from absorbing the Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, Lu Yi easily slammed Yang Li heavily onto the ground.

"Argh—"

Yang Li let out a cry of pain as his back struck the ground. He felt like he was about to vomit up last night's dinner, his stomach churning violently.

"Do you yield? If not, I'll give you two more over-the-shoulder throws to try!"

Looking at Yang Li lying on the ground with a pained expression, Lu Yi tugged on his right leg.

"I yield, I yield! Brother Yi, from now on, I'll follow your lead!"

Having finally suppressed the violent churning in his stomach, Yang Li hurriedly shouted at Lu Yi.

Although surrendering to Lu Yi, a Soul Scholar, was somewhat humiliating, he did not want to experience that feeling a second time.

Only after hearing Yang Li yield did Lu Yi let go of his right leg.