After handing Tang Ling the grilled fish, Xu Yanli immediately ran out and headed for the outer courtyard entrance.
Outside the gates of Shrek City, smoke and heat drifted through the air above the grilled fish stall.
Xu Sanshi glared at Xu Yanli, his face livid.
Behind Xu Yanli stood Huo Yuhao, glaring at Xu Sanshi with fury.
Jiang Nannan kept her head lowered, not quite daring to look at Xu Yanli. Then she remembered that it wasn't the right time for them to reveal their identities, so she didn't approach or say anything.
Beside her, Xu Sanshi's anger surged to the top of his head, and the Soul Power of the Black Tortoise of Profound Darkness churned within him.
Xu Yanli stood nearby with his arms crossed. Suddenly, he stuck out his left hand and beckoned Xu Sanshi over with a finger.
He might as well have said, "Come on, then!"
"You want to fight?" Xu Sanshi barked. Instead of retreating, he pressed forward, lowering his body and charging in with all the force of a bull.
His hand curled into a claw. Soul Power gathered without being released, and he relied on solid close-quarters combat techniques. Every grab and shoulder-check broke the wind with a clean, decisive sound.
Xu Yanli neither dodged nor flinched. His steps shifted lightly, his body drifting like clouds on the wind.
He didn't use a single Soul Skill, relying only on pure fighting technique.
Xu Yanli was grateful once again for the tai chi-style martial arts his PE teacher had taught him in his previous life.
His wrist turned slightly, his fingertips precisely brushing Xu Sanshi's elbow. He redirected the force with a light touch, using a small force to move a much greater one.
Xu Sanshi's powerful lunge veered off course. His center of gravity faltered, and he nearly stumbled past.
"Damn, how come your moves are as sneaky as Bei Bei's?" Xu Sanshi blurted, still in disbelief after taking the hit.
Xu Yanli's voice was calm. He raised a hand and lightly tapped Xu Sanshi's shoulder. "That's tai chi."
The palm strike looked weak, but it landed right at the point where Xu Sanshi's Soul Power flowed.
Xu Sanshi felt half his arm go numb, and most of his strength dissipated in an instant. He roared and spun into a sweeping strike, but Xu Yanli slipped aside again. Xu Sanshi didn't even brush his sleeve.
After just two exchanges, the winner was clear.
Xu Sanshi was utterly humiliated, and his embarrassment turned to rage. "If you've got the guts, go to the Soul Fighting Arena! Let's have a proper fight!"
Xu Yanli nodded calmly. "As you wish."
Behind Xu Yanli, Huo Yuhao gently tugged at his clothes, a trace of anxiety showing on his face.
Xu Yanli gave him a reassuring look.
"We can fight, but how about we put something on it? Otherwise, what's the point?" Xu Yanli said with a faint smile, rubbing his fingers together.
"What are you betting?" Xu Sanshi asked.
"If I win, I want the Xuanming Sect to put us in touch with someone. If I lose, the Xiaoyao Pavilion will give your sect a ten percent discount on all future purchases. How does that sound?" Xu Yanli said, taking a fan from his storage Soul Tool. The words "Xiaoyao Pavilion" were written on it, and he leisurely fanned himself.
Xu Sanshi hesitated, then nodded. "Fine."
A short while later, at the Soul Fighting Arena of Shrek Academy.
The stands roared with noise as two figures stood in the arena.
Xu Sanshi stopped holding back. Dark, profound Soul Power burst out, and the Black Tortoise Martial Soul possessed him. Tortoiseshell patterns covered his arms as his aura surged violently.
"Profound Darkness Quake!"
His first Soul Skill struck first. A black shockwave swept across the arena, aiming to suppress Xu Yanli before he could act.
Xu Yanli lowered his eyes and raised his right hand.
Sun and moon shone together in his palm, holy radiance slowly blossoming.
First Soul Skill—Holy Prayer: Sun Moon Light Heal.
A thin layer of holy light spread out. Xu Sanshi's shockwave struck it and sank like a stone into the sea, failing to stir even a ripple.
The light carried the power of purification. It flowed against the current of Soul Power, and Xu Sanshi felt his arm go weak. His Soul Skill was directly dispelled.
Xu Yanli had actually noticed this earlier. His Martial Soul wasn't purely a Prayer Angel, after all. Even a healing Soul Skill could be turned into an offensive one with only a slight adjustment.
However, in the right circumstances, it would be weaker than a dedicated offensive Soul Skill, leaning more toward control.
"Impossible!"
Xu Sanshi roared and swung both arms. Layer upon layer of black-and-gold shields unfolded.
Profound Darkness Shield Formation!
But Xu Yanli merely lifted his eyes. Six holy wings of sun and moon unfurled behind him in an instant, and a barrier woven from white and silver-blue light crashed down over the arena.
Second Soul Skill—Apocalypse: Holy Wing Guard.
The shield took shape, forming an endlessly reinforced divine barrier, as sturdy as a fortress.
Xu Sanshi poured all his Soul Power into a violent charge. The moment his attack hit the barrier, its full force rebounded!
The rampaging power blasted back along its original path. Xu Sanshi screamed as he was sent flying, his chest aching fiercely and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He struggled to his feet, eyes bloodshot, Soul Power surging wildly.
Profound Darkness Power!
Xuanming Displacement!
He unleashed his fourth Soul Skill, trying to switch places with Xu Yanli and deliver a deadly close-range attack!
But the instant his Soul Power began to stir, golden-red flames erupted from Xu Yanli's fingertips.
The Sun Origin True Fire gathered into a colossal Angel Light Blade, sweeping across the battlefield, its sharp edge piercing the air.
Third Soul Skill—Solar Flame: Holy Judgment!
The sun wheel came crashing down, scorching and warping space.
As soon as the power of Xu Sanshi's displacement appeared, it was crushed beneath the Holy Fire Domain. His spirit burned with pain, and his Soul Skill was interrupted outright.
The Light Blade struck beside him. The ground split open, leaving a scorched fissure too deep to see the bottom. The shockwave hurled him away, and the light of his Xuanming Turtle Shell dimmed as all his defensive Soul Skills crumbled.
He slammed into the edge of the arena. His whole body burned with pain, and his Soul Power ceased to flow altogether.
Xu Yanli walked forward at an unhurried pace. Lunar Moonlight spread soundlessly beneath his feet, turning into a sea of life, gentle yet cold, that enveloped Xu Sanshi completely.
Fourth Soul Skill—Moon Tide: Prayer of Peace.
Moonlight flowed around him, bringing holy slowing and Soul Power depletion into effect at the same time.
Xu Sanshi's body stiffened. His strength drained rapidly, until he couldn't even raise a finger.
The defenses, shockwaves, and displacement he had always been proud of had no room to resist Xu Yanli's Soul Skills.
Xu Yanli even healed his injuries while he was at it.
The entire arena fell silent.
From beginning to end, Xu Sanshi hadn't managed to break through even one of Xu Yanli's shields. He had been crushed throughout the fight, unable to fight back at all.
Xu Yanli stood amid the holy light, looking down at Xu Sanshi sprawled on the ground. His voice was perfectly calm.
"You're too weak." Xu Yanli took out his fan and said with a look of disdain.
"Xu Yanli, Class One, First Year, wins," the referee announced, his face full of disbelief.
Xu Sanshi was the Eternal Domain of the outer courtyard, after all. Maybe his short temper today had something to do with it, but he had still lost...
A third-year student had lost to a first-year student.
"Xu Yanli!"
"Xu Yanli!"
"Sun Moon Star God!"
The students watching from below went wild, shrieking at the top of their lungs.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya stared at what was happening in the arena, their faces filled with disbelief.
They had thought that even if Xu Yanli's Soul Power Level was higher, there was no way he could beat the battle-hardened Xu Sanshi.
Xu Yanli tilted his head and gave a quiet tsk before turning and walking away.
Before you continue