Battle Xiao Wu Again

"A century-old soul ring." Ma Xiunuo exclaimed, the gentle smile on his face suddenly freezing. The look he gave Lan Si was now filled with admiration.

"Master, is this sufficient?" Cyan-white energy rose in wisps from Lan Si's eyes. With every movement he made, two fire snakes flickered in the air—a unique effect of using the Cyan Lotus martial soul in conjunction with the Supreme Universe Art.

"Ye-yes, it is." Ma Xiunuo let out a long breath, struggling to calm the excitement in his heart. He picked up a yellow crystal ball from the table nearby, walked over to Lan Si, and said, "Inject your soul power into this and let's see what your soul power level is."

Lan Si nodded, retracted his Cyan Lotus, and lightly touched the crystal ball. As his soul power flowed in, the crystal ball instantly lit up with a brilliant yellow glow.

The glow was not intense, but it was extremely clear.

Soul Power: Level 11.

Lan Si did not show the slightest hint of surprise. Unlike Tang San in the original story, who reached a bottleneck in his cultivation and soul power within three months of awakening his martial soul and then spent another three months training before obtaining a soul ring at the start of the school year, Lan Si had had half a year to cultivate his soul power.

Consequently, after absorbing the soul ring, his soul power had reached level 13.

In truth, Lan Si had only broken through level 10 three or four days ago. Even with the power of the Supreme Universe Art and the Five Thunders Heart Art, it was impossible to gain another full level of soul power in just a few days, even with the boost from absorbing a soul ring.

After determining the soul power level, Ma Xiunuo invited Lan Si to join the Martial Soul Hall.

Lan Si declined. He had too many secrets, and even if he were to join, now was not the time. Furthermore, he preferred to walk his own path rather than be bound by rules.

Ma Xiunuo offered a gratified smile. "Congratulations on becoming an excellent soul master. I will issue your Soul Master Badge and this month's subsidy shortly. A soul master's monthly subsidy is one Gold Soul Coin, a Soul Grand Master receives ten, and a Soul Elder receives one hundred. The next time you visit the Martial Soul Hall, you only need to present your Soul Master Badge to collect it."

"Thank you, Master Ma Xiunuo."

When Lan Si left the Martial Soul Hall, his Heart of the Sea Blue already contained a Soul Master Badge and a single Gold Soul Coin.

Standing at the entrance of the Martial Soul Hall, Lan Si looked up at the sun directly overhead. It was nearing noon, and his stomach gave a low growl.

Come to think of it, because he had been rushing, Lan Si hadn't even had time for breakfast.

He immediately hurried toward Nuoding Academy.

Upon entering the academy and nearing the cafeteria, he suddenly heard the sounds of a fight while passing the playground.

Looking over, he discovered that the senior students, led by Xiao Chenyu, were clashing with the work-study students led by Xiao Wu.

At this moment, the senior students had already been defeated.

Even Xiao Chenyu had been trussed up like a dumpling by Tang San's first soul skill, Blue Silver Grass. He lay on the ground, his eyes filled with traces of fear, terrified that Tang San would unleash the venom of a Black Mamba Snake on him.

"Well? Do you submit?"

Xiao Wu stood on a small mound on the playground, looking down at Xiao Chenyu. A red light began to glow on her body. Under the faint red halo, her eyes turned red, and her ears slowly lengthened into a pair of rabbit ears. Her stature also grew slightly taller.

A yellow soul ring rose from beneath her feet, circling her body.

"I submit, I submit!" Xiao Chenyu begged repeatedly.

"Then why haven't you called me Big Sister Xiao Wu yet?" Xiao Wu remained relentless.

"Big Sister Xiao Wu! Quick, everyone, call Big Sister Xiao Wu! From now on, Big Sister Xiao Wu is the boss of our Nuoding Academy!"

A Blue Silver Grass with a century-old soul ring was already this fierce; since Xiao Wu's martial soul was a beast martial soul and she also possessed a century-old soul ring, Xiao Chenyu didn't think he stood a chance.

"Alright, Tang San, let Xiao Chenyu go." Watching the group of seniors bow and salute to her, Xiao Wu retracted her martial soul and placed her hands on her hips with a smug expression. Her gaze swept past Tang San and landed on Lan Si, who was passing by in the distance. Her willow-leaf brows instantly furrowed.

"Hey, you! Stop right there!"

Lan Si ignored her and continued walking toward the cafeteria.

"Hey! I told you to stop! Did you hear me?" Seeing that Lan Si didn't respond, Xiao Wu jumped off the small mound, ran toward him in a huff, and blocked his path.

"Is there something you need?" Lan Si asked indifferently.

Xiao Wu looked Lan Si up and down with her rosy face and said, "I heard from Tang San that you also obtained your first soul ring, right? According to our previous agreement, let's have another match."

"Fine."

Before Xiao Wu could react, Lan Si slightly curled his right palm and used a grappling technique from the Supreme Universe Art, pressing it against Xiao Wu's forehead.

Lan Si's sudden move caught Xiao Wu by surprise and left her feeling quite annoyed. Attacking when the opponent was off-guard was usually her tactic; she hadn't expected to be on the receiving end today.

Tang San, not far away, felt a flash of gravity in his eyes, thinking to himself that Xiao Wu was likely in trouble.

As the saying goes, laymen watch the spectacle, while experts watch the technique. This seemingly ordinary attack from Lan Si was actually a high-level grappling skill he had never seen before.

Facing such a technique, even if it were his first time encountering it, it would be very difficult to deal with if the soul power levels were similar.

Could it be that this world also possessed high-level martial arts similar to the secret skills of the Tang Sect?

Just as Tang San was pondering this, Xiao Wu subconsciously leaned to the side to dodge, intending to whip her scorpion braid around Lan Si's neck.

Lan Si had been prepared. He feinted, dodged the scorpion braid, and simultaneously grabbed Xiao Wu's left arm with his right hand. With a gentle twist, Xiao Wu felt a sharp pain, lost her balance, and tumbled to the ground.

Seeing this scene, all the students on the field were instantly dumbfounded, thinking, Are the new students this fierce nowadays?

With one knee pressed against Xiao Wu's back, pinning her down, Lan Si spoke slowly: "You lost."

"I don't accept this! I don't accept it! You snuck up on me, that's not honorable! I hadn't even called 'start' yet!" Pinned under Lan Si, Xiao Wu felt a dull ache. Fortunately, this was the playground; if it had been anywhere else, she would have surely ended up face-planting.

"When you attacked last time, did you give me any warning?" Lan Si released Xiao Wu, stood up slowly, and countered.

Hearing this, Xiao Wu's face turned bright red, but for her, "Big Sister Xiao Wu," to admit defeat to a kid barely over six years old?

Are you kidding? How could that be possible?

"I don't care! Today, I'm going to defeat you the way a soul master should. If you lose, you have to be like Xiao Chenyu and the others and call me Big Sister Xiao Wu!" Xiao Wu stood up, rubbed her sore shoulder, and pointed her index finger at Lan Si.

"And what if you lose?" Lan Si asked in return, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

"Me? Lose? How could I, Big Sister Xiao Wu, ever lose?" Xiao Wu's face showed utter disbelief.

Forget it, forget it, Lan Si thought, rubbing his chin. If you lose, you can just be my spirit ring and spirit bone in the future.

"Make your move."

"Hmph, Xiao Wu, first-year work-study student, spirit: Rabbit, level twelve, one-ring battle spirit master. Please advise."

Xiao Wu gave a soft huff and released her spirit.

A faint red halo enveloped her entire body as she transformed into a humanoid rabbit. A yellow spirit ring rose from beneath her feet—the unmistakable mark of a spirit master.

"Lan Si, spirit: Cyan Lotus, level eleven, one-ring battle spirit master. Please advise."

Blue-white flames rose within Lan Si's eyes, and a forest-white radiance emanated from his body as he summoned his Cyan Lotus spirit, a yellow century-level spirit ring rising beneath his feet as well.