Wang Sheng grabbed a chicken leg and was about to put it in his mouth, his face blissfully enchanted by the aroma of the food, when it suddenly froze.
He opened his mouth as if to speak, but truly had no idea what to say. He could only take a deep breath, then shut it again.
The second floor was small. Besides their table, there were only three or four teachers and six or seven students, and everyone could hear one another clearly.
In an instant, everyone fell silent. At that moment, the silence was deafening.
Yu Xiaogang, who had been ordering food, fell silent too.
He had already learned from Tang San that Huang Tian had Innate Full Soul Power and possibly Twin Martial Souls.
If someone with that kind of talent was a good-for-nothing, the worst student of the lot, then what did that make everyone else? Worthless trash?
After a long pause, when Sanzi still didn't react, Huang Tian quickly piled on.
"The teacher also said that, for a Soul Master, combat experience is sometimes more important than their skills.
"High-level Soul Master Academies arrange daily Soul Fighting matches between students of comparable strength.
"There aren't many opponents here who can put pressure on me. Those people don't even dare to activate their Martial Souls in front of me. I'm sure you're the same.
"So you and I can only spar with each other."
Just then, Yu Xiaogang came over to twist the knife.
"Xiao San, Huang Tian makes a good point. Soul Fighting is a required course for Soul Masters, especially the more talented ones.
"But be careful. I'll ask Teacher Zhao to watch over you."
Teacher Zhao was an auxiliary-type Soul Master. He was the one who had treated Sanzi, Xiao Chenyu, and the others earlier, and he was the only healer at Nuoding Academy.
At this point, Tang San couldn't refuse again. He could only go along with it.
"Fine, then."
He was actually a little excited.
Without Martial Souls or Soul Skills, there was no way Huang Tian could beat him, someone who had trained in Tang Sect Martial Skills since childhood.
He could avenge the humiliating beating he had taken earlier and win back face and establish his authority.
The meal lasted more than half an hour. Wang Sheng and the others had eaten until their bellies were round. Once Huang Tian and Xiao Wu had finished, they cleared every plate.
When they went back downstairs, Xiao Chenyu and his group were still waiting there.
Huang Tian smiled and said:
"Well? Have you made up your minds? Want to get revenge on me?
"I'll give you time to activate your Martial Souls. You can even make the first move and gang up on me."
In a flash, Xiao Chenyu's back bent to a ninety-degree angle again.
The dozen or so lackeys behind him copied him, bowing at the waist.
"Student Huang Tian, I'm formally apologizing to you. I'm sorry. I won't dare do it again. Please spare us."
"I'm sorry." ×10
Seeing them, Huang Tian's smile grew even wider. A villain with a brain was a rare sight.
"Aren't you the city lord's son? You could complain to your father, ask the principal to give you justice, summon the city guards, or pay a few experts. None of that should be difficult."
Xiao Chenyu seemed to have some unspeakable difficulty. The words struck a nerve, and his expression changed drastically. He could only beg again.
"Student Huang Tian, we really know we were wrong. We won't bully people with our power again. Please spare us."
Huang Tian had no interest in digging into other people's family feuds and melodramatic stories. He waved them away in disgust.
"Get lost. Remember what you just said. If you go around bullying people again, I won't be in a good mood."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Xiao Chenyu and the others were granted a reprieve. They didn't even eat, rushing out of the cafeteria in a swarm, and even those who ran fastest wished they could go faster.
Not long after the meal, someone marked a ten-meter-diameter circle on the field with chalk powder.
Huang Tian and Tang San stood on opposite sides. A crowd of other teachers and students gathered around the ring, waiting for the show.
Yu Xiaogang was there too. Beside him stood a middle-aged man as unfathomable as the abyss. No one dared approach within two meters of him. He was probably the academy's principal.
Tang San sank into a low horse stance, his body perfectly still, displaying a solid foundation in stance training. A trace of curiosity and scrutiny showed in his eyes.
Across from him, Huang Tian kept fidgeting. He rolled his neck, then his wrists and ankles, and had even stretched his waist a moment earlier.
It went on for more than ten minutes before he finally stopped and told Teacher Zhao, who was acting as both referee and healer:
"I'm ready."
The referee wasted no time.
"Begin."
In an instant, Tang San's eyes changed. Perhaps because a violet glow had lit in them, they looked unusually cold. His expression also seemed to suppress a surge of excitement, and he could barely hide his smile.
He really was thrilled. He really couldn't rein in his murderous intent.
You like Soul Fighting, huh?
Getting hurt in a Soul Fighting match is normal, huh?
I'll show you what "normal" feels like.
Huang Tian did have reason to act so arrogantly. He was very strong. He was slower than Tang San, but by no means slow. A frontal attack wouldn't work.
If he took a single Heavy Cannon Fist, he'd have nowhere to cry about it.
So Sanzi decided to launch a surprise attack. He sprang forward to Huang Tian, both hands glowing jade-white, and raised a palm in a feint.
Anyone familiar with boxing knew the term "range." The spot he chose looked within striking distance, but he'd have to fully extend his arm to make contact, leaving him unable to unleash all his strength. It posed no threat.
From that safe distance, he waited for his opponent to react. The instant Huang Tian moved, he flashed repeatedly along Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, circling around to his back from the left.
The moment he came to a stop, his right hand clenched into a fist, ready to strike. For some reason, Huang Tian suddenly took a step backward, pulling his left arm back hard as if winding up for a blow.
Like a spacecraft docking with a space station, Tang San's forehead collided squarely with Huang Tian's elbow.
"Thud!"
The sound wasn't as crisp as a Ladle, but the pain was just as piercing.
After retreating, Tang San felt a flicker of uncertainty.
Was that a coincidence? Or...
It doesn't make sense.
By all rights, my speed and reflexes should both be faster than his.
While he was still doubting, he saw that Huang Tian also looked as if he had just escaped disaster. His suspicions immediately faded.
Right, it had to be a coincidence. How could anyone see through Tang Sect Martial Skills?
If he really had seen through me, he would have targeted vital points like my chest and abdomen. He could have ended the fight in one blow.
So Sanzi tried the same trick again: charge from the front to draw his opponent's attention, then circle behind and attack a weak point.
Once again, there was a thud and a burst of intense pain, even worse than before.
Tears sprayed from his eyes. His back prickled, and after forcibly opening up some distance, he gasped for breath.
If the first time had been a coincidence, this time had to be a deliberate attack. Without winding up, Huang Tian couldn't possibly have produced that much force in such a rush.
In just a short while, Little Scumbag had grown two horns on his forehead, one on each side, almost perfectly symmetrical.
His head rang. The intense pain clawed at his thoughts, trying to make him fall.
For the third time, Tang San did the same thing: he rushed up to feint, then circled behind with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
But he didn't stop or try to strike. The moment he landed, he flashed away again.
Sure enough, he saw Huang Tian take a step back and drive his elbow into empty air.
His guess confirmed, Sanzi was rocked by a storm of shock.
So that was it. He hadn't seen my movements at all. He'd actually figured out the patterns in my moves.
This man is clever. He knew I would take advantage of my speed and reflexes.
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