Battle Against a Soul Elder

"He... he is one too?"

Qian Renxue quickly understood the implication behind Lei Ying's words, shaking her head as she explained:

"No, no. Although Beiya has Innate Full Soul Power, he is only level 10. He is currently a level 16 Soul Master."

This left Lei Ying feeling as though her brain couldn't quite keep up, and she asked with a hint of suspicion:

"Then how could you possibly lose to him?"

One had to realize there was a gap of nearly ten levels between the two of them, yet Qian Renxue claimed she hadn't won a single sparring match against Lin Beiya.

At the mention of this, the little angel's expression turned somewhat awkward; after all, losing to a mere Soul Master wasn't exactly a glorious affair.

"Well, you see, Beiya's Martial Soul is a bit special. It seems to counter me perfectly! He hasn't missed a chance to bully me all year!"

"Wuwuwu..."

"????"

Lin Beiya stared at the little angel putting on an award-winning performance, completely baffled as to why she was so intent on framing him.

But he had no time to dwell on it; Lei Ying, having heard her little sister's grievances, was already casting a fierce glare in his direction.

"Is that so? It seems I need to teach you a proper lesson, then."

Although she could tell at a glance that her little sister was lying to goad her into disciplining Lin Beiya, that didn't stop Lei Ying from feeling intrigued. She wanted to see exactly what was so extraordinary about this Lin Beiya that the proud little angel would admit defeat.

"Come on, let's head to the training grounds."

Lin Beiya rolled his eyes. A 12-year-old Soul Elder bullying a 7-year-old Soul Master—she really had no shame.

However, since this was their first meeting, Lin Beiya didn't intend to offend this formidable lady. At worst, he'd just get beaten up; it wasn't as if he hadn't been thrashed plenty of times by the little angel whenever she demanded he fight without using battle skills.

Besides, he was quite curious to see what it would look like to fight a Soul Elder while going all out.

"Fine, let's go."

Seeing that Lin Beiya neither complained about her age and cultivation level being far superior to his, nor tried to explain whether or not he had bullied Qian Renxue, Lei Ying's estimation of him rose once more. At the very least, he was a talent with potential who dared to challenge the strong.

Seeing this, a flash of excitement crossed the little angel's eyes, but it quickly shifted to worry. On the way to the training grounds, she tugged on Lei Ying's sleeve without drawing attention.

"Sister Yingying, go easy on him later. Let's just stop at a point of order."

"Hm?"

Lei Ying's strange gaze darted back and forth between the two, and the look she directed at Lin Beiya turned unfriendly. Has he stolen our little princess's heart? It seems I really do need to teach him a lesson.

Thinking this, Lei Ying still gave her little sister a reassuring look, which put Qian Renxue at ease—little did she know she had just sabotaged Lin Beiya for the second time.

Arriving at the training grounds, Lei Ying and Lin Beiya stood opposite each other, while Qian Renxue acted as the referee.

"I am five years your senior, so you may make the first move!"

He didn't feel looked down upon; facing a Soul Elder-level opponent, he dared not be the least bit careless.

"Then, Sister Lei Ying, be careful."

With the Athena Statue in hand, he summoned the Golden Ram to initiate Martial Soul Possession. The shimmering, brilliant gold of the Aries Gold Cloth made Lei Ying's eyes light up instantly.

A year had passed, and Lin Beiya's body had grown quite a bit, yet the Cloth still fit him perfectly. This left Lin Beiya feeling very satisfied; after all, the Aries Gold Cloth had previously looked like a child's costume, and he had worried about whether he would be able to wear it as he grew up.

Without any unnecessary probing, Lin Beiya unleashed an Aries battle skill directly at her.

"Starlight Extinction."

Pushing his palms forward, the gathered starlight energy formed a beam of light that shot toward her.

Feeling the power contained within the beam, Lei Ying suppressed her earlier contempt. This was definitely not an attack a normal Soul Master could unleash; no wonder Xiao Xue said she was no match for Lin Beiya.

A majestic lion's roar echoed out, and Lei Ying immediately entered her Martial Soul Possession state. A lion wreathed in flames appeared, radiating immense pressure, while two yellow and one purple soul rings manifested to highlight her strength.

"Second Soul Skill: Explosive Flame Possession."

"First Soul Skill: Crimson Flame Claw!"

As the starlight reached her, she unleashed her first two soul skills in one breath. The Explosive Flame Possession caused the flames on her body to burn more fiercely, while her right claw erupted with astonishing force, slashing violently at the starlight.

"Boom!"

A violent explosion rang out in the center of the training grounds.

The little angel on the sidelines looked incredibly nervous. On one side was the sister who had grown up with her, and on the other was the playmate she had grown increasingly dependent on. She didn't want either of them to get hurt, and Qian Renxue was already regretting her decision to stir up trouble.

Inside the training grounds, Lei Ying was forced back several steps by the immense force transmitted through her arm. Before she could even look up, an arm encased in golden armor appeared right before her eyes.

"So fast!"

Lei Ying's pupils constricted, but her movements were not slow in the slightest; she crossed her arms in front of her to block Lin Beiya's fist.

The massive impact caused Lei Ying's feet to carve two distinct furrows into the ground, and her expression turned even more solemn.

Feeling that his full-power burst was enough to force a Soul Elder back, Lin Beiya was very satisfied with the results of his training.

It seems the hard work over the past year was not in vain.

Seeing Lei Ying enter a defensive stance, Lin Beiya didn't intend to let her catch her breath. He unleashed a point-blank Starlight Extinction without charging, the dazzling golden light exploding between them like scattered fireworks.

Constant defense eventually leads to failure, especially since Lei Ying was not a traditional defensive-type Soul Master; the barrage of countless starlight strikes left her unable to defend against them all.

In less than a few seconds, her lower abdomen and jaw were struck in quick succession.

A muffled groan escaped Lei Ying's lips, and Lin Beiya felt a surge of excitement; this proved his attacks were effective.

But before he could celebrate for long, a purple radiance shot into the sky as Lei Ying ignited her third spirit ring.

"Third Spirit Skill: Endless Fire Pillar."

Sensing the energy ready to erupt from beneath the ground at any moment, Lin Beiya immediately manifested a Crystal Wall, forming a large box to shield himself.

The next second, several pillars of fire surged from the earth, slamming into the walls.

Aside from the attacks of Bibi Dong, this was the greatest test the Crystal Wall had faced in a year; the once-calm surface rippled with violent waves, as if it might shatter at any moment.

"As a Spirit Master, you actually possess two spirit skills?"

Seeing Lin Beiya block her first burst of power, Lei Ying's eyes were filled with disbelief. She had seen him unleash an offensive spirit skill earlier, and the current Crystal Wall was clearly a defensive one.

What was even more shocking was that he could withstand an explosive spirit skill fueled by her thousand-year spirit ring while only at the Spirit Master level.

Refusing to accept this, Lei Ying immediately increased her spirit power output, a move that caused Lin Beiya's expression to change instantly as he stomped his feet hard against the ground and shot backward.

At the same time, the fire pillars erupting from the ground once more slammed into the Crystal Wall, pushing its defensive limit to the breaking point until it shattered with a crisp "crack," dissipating into the air.

Lei Ying slowly retracted the endless flames, the continuous use of spirit skills leaving beads of sweat on her forehead; clearly, this battle with Lin Beiya was not easy.

"Beiya, you truly have caught me by surprise."