Facing a Soul Elder

"He... he is too?"

Qian Renxue quickly understood what Lei Ying meant and shook her head as she explained,

"No, no, Bei Ya may have Innate Full Soul Power, but he only had ten levels back then. He's a Level 16 Soul Master now."

That left Lei Ying feeling even more sure her little brain couldn't keep up. She asked, a little suspiciously,

"Then you can't beat him?"

After all, there was a difference of nearly ten levels between them, and Qian Renxue had actually said she'd never once beaten Lin Beiya in Soul Fighting.

At that, Little Angel's expression turned a little awkward too. Losing to a Soul Master wasn't exactly something to be proud of.

"Well, Bei Ya's Martial Soul is a little unusual. It seems to counter mine perfectly? He's been bullying me all year!"

"Waaah..."

"????"

Lin Beiya stared at the drama queen in front of him, dumbfounded. He couldn't understand why she was so intent on framing him.

But he didn't have time to think it over. Having heard her best friend's complaint, Lei Ying was already glaring at him fiercely.

"Is that so? Looks like I need to teach you a proper lesson."

Although she could tell at a glance that her best friend was lying to goad her into teaching Lin Beiya a lesson, that didn't stop Lei Ying from relishing the prospect. She wanted to see what made Lin Beiya so exceptional that even the proud Little Angel admitted she was no match for him.

"Come on, let's head to the Training Ground and see what you've got."

Lin Beiya rolled his eyes. A twelve-year-old Soul Elder picking on a seven-year-old Soul Master—didn't she feel the least bit embarrassed?

But they'd only just met, and Lin Beiya had no intention of offending this young lady. If he couldn't win, he'd just take a beating. Little Angel periodically asked him to Soul Fight without using any combat techniques, and he'd taken plenty of beatings then, too.

Besides, he was eager to see what a Soul Fight against a Soul Elder would look like when he went all out.

"Sure. Let's go."

Seeing that Lin Beiya neither complained about her being much older and stronger than him nor tried to deny bullying Qian Renxue, Lei Ying's opinion of him rose another notch. At the very least, he had the makings of someone who dared to challenge the strong.

At the sight of this, excitement flickered in Little Angel's eyes, but soon gave way to worry. As they walked to the Training Ground together, she subtly tugged at Lei Ying's sleeve.

"Sister Yingying, go easy on him later. Let's just call it once we've had a few exchanges."

"Hmm?"

Lei Ying's strange gaze shifted back and forth between the two of them. Then she turned to Lin Beiya with a less friendly look. Had he stolen her little princess's heart? It seemed he'd need a proper lesson after all.

That was what Lei Ying thought, but she still gave her best friend an assuring nod. Qian Renxue relaxed, unaware that she'd just set Lin Beiya up for the second time.

At the Training Ground, Lei Ying and Lin Beiya stood facing each other, while Qian Renxue took on the role of referee.

"I'm five years older than you, so you can make the first move!"

He didn't think she was looking down on him, but facing Lei Ying, a Soul Elder, he didn't dare let his guard down for even a moment.

"Then watch out, Sister Lei Ying."

With the Athena Statue in hand, he summoned the Golden Ram and donned the Sacred Cloth. The gleaming golden armor made Lei Ying's eyes light up at once.

A year had passed, and Lin Beiya had grown quite a bit, but the Sacred Cloth still fit him perfectly. This pleased him greatly. The Aries Gold Cloth had originally looked like a child's outfit, and he'd worried he might not be able to use it once he grew up.

Without wasting time on feints, Lin Beiya immediately unleashed an Aries technique.

"Starlight Extinction!"

He thrust both palms forward, and gathered starlight surged into a beam that shot toward her.

Feeling the power in the beam, Lei Ying's contempt vanished. No ordinary Soul Master could unleash an attack like that. No wonder Xiao Xue had said she wasn't a match for Lin Beiya.

A majestic lion's roar rang out. Lei Ying immediately entered Martial Soul Possession. A fiery lion covered her body, its presence imposing, while two yellow Soul Rings and one purple Soul Ring revealed her strength.

"Second Soul Skill: Explosive Flame Possession!"

"First Soul Skill: Crimson Flame Claw!"

As the starlight reached her, Lei Ying unleashed her first two Soul Skills in quick succession. Explosive Flame Possession made the fire around her burn even more fiercely, while her right claw erupted with astonishing force and slashed at the starlight.

"Bang!"

A deafening explosion rang out in the middle of the Training Ground.

Little Angel stood off to the side, tense with worry. One was the older sister who'd been by her side since childhood; the other was the playmate she'd come to depend on more and more. She didn't want either of them hurt, and Qian Renxue was already regretting that she'd stirred things up.

In the Training Ground, the force that slammed into Lei Ying's arm sent her staggering back several steps. Before she could even look up, an arm encased in golden armor appeared in front of her.

"So fast!"

Lei Ying's pupils contracted, but her movements didn't falter. She crossed her arms in front of herself to block Lin Beiya's punch.

The enormous force made Lei Ying's feet carve two distinct furrows into the ground, and her expression grew even more serious.

Feeling how his full strength could make a Soul Elder retreat, Lin Beiya was very satisfied with his progress.

"Looks like nearly a year of hard training wasn't for nothing."

Seeing Lei Ying shift into a defensive stance, Lin Beiya didn't plan to give her a chance to catch her breath. At point-blank range, he released Starlight Extinction without charging it. Dazzling golden light exploded between them like fireworks bursting apart.

Even the best defense would eventually fail. Besides, Lei Ying wasn't a conventional defensive Soul Master. The sudden flurry of starlight left her unable to guard against every strike.

In just a few seconds, her lower abdomen and jaw were struck in succession.

A muffled groan escaped Lei Ying. Lin Beiya was thrilled; it meant his attacks were landing.

But before he could enjoy his success for long, a purple glow shot into the sky. Lei Ying had lit up her third Soul Ring.

"Third Soul Skill: Endless Fire Pillar!"

Sensing the energy beneath the ground that could erupt at any moment, Lin Beiya immediately used Crystal Wall to create a large box and shield himself inside.

The next second, several pillars of fire burst from the ground and slammed into the walls.

Apart from Bibi Dong's attacks, this was the greatest test Crystal Wall had faced in a year. Waves churned across its once-calm surface, as if it might shatter at any moment.

"You're a Soul Master, but you have two Soul Skills?"

Seeing Lin Beiya withstand her first burst of attacks, Lei Ying looked utterly incredulous. She'd seen him use an offensive Soul Skill earlier, and the Crystal Wall before her was clearly a defensive one.

What surprised her even more was that he could withstand the explosive Soul Skill granted by a Thousand-Year Soul Ring while still only a Soul Master.

Unwilling to believe it, Lei Ying immediately increased her Soul Power output. The change made Lin Beiya's expression shift at once. He stamped his feet hard against the ground and shot backward.

At the same time, another wave of fire pillars burst from the ground and slammed into the Crystal Wall. The wall's defense finally reached its limit. With a sharp crack, it shattered and vanished into the air.

Lei Ying slowly drew back the endless flames. Releasing one Soul Skill after another had brought beads of sweat to her brow. Clearly, fighting Lin Beiya hadn't been easy.

"Bei Ya, you've really surprised me."