"Haha, you're a straightforward one, junior!" Gao Feng laughed, then leaped straight down from the stands and onto the arena.
Seeing this, Bibi Dong said excitedly, "Senior Brother, I believe in you. Make sure you teach him a lesson!"
Lin Fan smiled faintly and leaped down from the stands onto the arena.
"Begin!"
The referee announced loudly, then stood at the edge of the arena, ready to step in at any moment.
Gao Feng also had a Beast Martial Soul, but if he ended up in the same sorry state as Lu Feng—
Even with a healing Soul Master present, it would seriously affect his ability to fight afterward.
"Gao Feng, Wind Shadow Sky Wolf Martial Soul, twenty-ninth-level agility-type Battle Soul Master!"
Gao Feng smiled as he spoke.
Since Lin Fan's combat instructor had already revealed his strength, he saw no need to keep it hidden.
Two Yellow Soul Rings appeared around him, one a deeper shade than the other.
At the same time, Gao Feng's body began to change. Tufts of white wolf fur sprouted from his head, and his limbs grew leaner and stronger.
"Lin Fan, Lightning Element Martial Soul, thirteenth-level tool-type Soul Master."
Lin Fan spoke calmly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the two Yellow Soul Rings around Gao Feng began to shimmer.
"Second Soul Skill—Shadow Seal of Wind!"
"First Soul Skill—Wind Shadow Assault!"
Gao Feng's body shifted subtly. He pushed off with both legs and shot toward Lin Fan, his wolf claws wrapped in a faint green Soul Power, clearly enhanced.
Lin Fan was no less bold. His First Soul Skill lit up instantly.
Knowing his opponent had come prepared, Lin Fan had no intention of linking to the Star Seeds right away.
Pale purple lightning exploded in Lin Fan's palm, and the light of his First Soul Ring flowed.
"First Soul Skill—Golden Thunder Transformation!"
Boosted by his First Soul Skill, Lin Fan neither dodged nor retreated. He let his Soul Power tighten through his body and charged straight at Gao Feng, meeting his attack head-on.
"You're asking for it!"
Seeing Lin Fan choose to clash head-on despite being only at the thirteenth level, Gao Feng's eyes flashed with disdain. Empowered by Shadow Seal of Wind, he moved so fast that several afterimages trailed behind him. His wolf claws, wrapped in fierce winds, raked straight toward Lin Fan's shoulder.
Thud!
The muffled impact sent dust drifting up along the arena's edge.
Everyone expected Lin Fan to be sent flying, but in the next instant, Gao Feng's pupils contracted.
The claw that could tear through rock had been firmly blocked by Lin Fan with one hand!
The muscles in Lin Fan's arm tensed. His seemingly slender frame unleashed strength far beyond his level, and lightning spread along his arm, its faint numbing sensation seeping into Gao Feng's body.
"How is this possible...?" Gao Feng cried out in shock.
Before he could react, Lin Fan suddenly flexed his wrist. A burst of fierce force erupted, flipping Gao Feng off balance and sending him stumbling backward.
Gao Feng retreated more than ten meters before regaining his footing. Feeling the numbness brought on by the lightning coursing through his body, he gave Lin Fan a faint smile.
"Not bad. No wonder your First Soul Ring is a thousand-year one."
As he spoke, Gao Feng rushed toward Lin Fan.
But this time, Gao Feng didn't attack recklessly. He circled Lin Fan, waiting for a chance to strike a fatal blow.
Seeing this, Lin Fan stayed alert to his surroundings and began controlling the Lightning Element Star Seeds.
Gao Feng was extremely observant. The moment he saw the sixth Star Seed in Lin Fan's hand about to complete its link, his First Soul Skill lit up again.
"First Soul Skill—Wind Shadow Assault!"
Gao Feng's speed surged instantly. Without breaking stride, he smoothly pivoted and charged toward Lin Fan.
At this distance, he wouldn't even need a second!
Lin Fan focused his mind and swung his right arm at Gao Feng's lunging wolf claws.
Faint purple-gold lightning wrapped around his fist, crackling sharply.
Several phantom wolf claws shot from Gao Feng's hands and lunged at Lin Fan.
Seeing that he couldn't dodge, Lin Fan punched through one of the phantoms. The remaining claws slammed into his body, which took the blows head-on.
Lin Fan staggered back several meters. Marks from the wolf claws scored his body, and thin streams of blood ran from the wounds, making them look gruesome.
But the Star Orbit he was drawing wasn't disrupted by the attack.
Lin Fan pointed his left hand at the sky and shouted, "Thunder Seal—Savage Mark!"
In an instant, purple lightning surged awake like a giant beast, gathering madly in his palm and condensing into a thunderous sigil that radiated a savage, violent aura.
The air warped under the searing force, and a crushing pressure of lightning instantly enveloped the entire arena.
Gao Feng started in alarm, and his Second Soul Ring flashed at once.
But under the Thunder Seal's range boost of thirty-three percent, Gao Feng's speed was utterly helpless.
The Thunder Python was astonishingly fast, striking Gao Feng in an instant as he tried to dodge.
The Thunder Seal hit Gao Feng head-on. Purple-gold lightning instantly coiled around his body, his fur stood on end, and his clothes were blasted into fluttering shreds by the arcs.
He let out a brief cry of pain, his body convulsing violently as purple-gold arcs crackled through the air around him.
The reversal came so quickly that everyone was left stunned.
Even the referee was so shocked by the dramatic turn of events that he couldn't react.
In the stands, the worry on Bibi Dong's face instantly turned to delight, and admiration shone in her little face.
"Lin Fan wins this match!" The referee snapped back to his senses. Having experienced this once before, he recovered even faster the second time.
When Lin Fan returned to the stands, a girl from his class came over to him.
"Junior, let me treat your wounds."
Her voice was gentle and pleasant. She looked at Lin Fan with sincere concern, a faint smile at the corners of her lips.
Beside them, Bibi Dong's little face immediately fell. Her cheeks puffed up slightly, and the light in her bright eyes dimmed.
She couldn't explain why, but whenever she saw another girl approaching Lin Fan, her heart felt inexplicably tight. A sour, stifled feeling welled up inside her, beyond her control.
Lin Fan didn't notice the subtle shift in his junior sister's mood. He simply smiled warmly and nodded. "Then I'll have to trouble you, senior."
"It's no trouble."
Liu Jiajia smiled sweetly and raised a slender hand. A staff engraved with delicate patterns appeared in her palm.
She flicked her wrist and chanted softly, "First Soul Skill—Healing Light!"
A pale green glow slowly spread from the top of the staff, soft and warm, settling over Lin Fan's wounds like a gentle spring rain.
Wherever the green light touched, the reddened injuries quickly scabbed over and healed. His flesh repaired itself at a visible rate, and in just a moment, the wounds had healed completely without leaving even a trace of a scar. His skin looked even firmer than before.
"Thank you for helping me, senior."
Lin Fan clasped his hands in thanks, then turned and sat down beside Bibi Dong.
Liu Jiajia smiled gently and didn't linger. She turned and returned to her seat.
Lin Fan turned his head and looked at Bibi Dong, who wore a gloomy expression. He couldn't help chuckling as he teased her, "What's wrong? Why the long face? Are you worried someone's going to steal your senior brother away?"
Bibi Dong immediately turned her head aside and let out a stubborn little huff, her lips pursed.
"Senior Brother isn't mine, so whoever wants to steal him can go ahead. I don't care."
"Come on, don't be upset. Senior Liu was only trying to help."
Lin Fan laughed helplessly, then reached out and gently pinched Bibi Dong's soft, delicate cheek, his voice full of affection.
At his gentle touch, the little knot of jealousy in Bibi Dong's heart vanished at once. She couldn't keep up the act any longer. Turning toward him, she threw herself into his arms and wrapped both arms tightly around his arm, burying her face against his shoulder as she grumbled, brimming with jealousy,
"Hmph... It's all because you're too strong, Senior Brother. After the match, so many people are crowding around you, setting their sights on you..."
Before you continue