Lin Yan: If I Can't Beat You, Can't I Beat Your Little Princess?

Chen Xin received the telepathic message and only then realized he'd gotten so caught up in toying with Lin Yan that he'd lost track of himself.

If he kept this up, he'd probably drain the other man's Soul Power before long.

He couldn't help it. Lin Yan had been so infuriating with his words and actions earlier that now, with a chance to watch him make a fool of himself, Chen Xin was determined to get even.

But since he'd already received the reminder, he couldn't keep toying with him.

He gradually slowed the pace of his attacks.

Lin Yan, still suspended in the air, soon noticed. The sword energy was moving more slowly, and there was less of it. He could finally spare some attention to think about other things.

He didn't dwell on it. A moment ago, several blasts of sword energy had nearly severed his limbs—or even his head. Now that he had a chance to catch his breath, his first thought was to strike back.

Who cared who was on the other side? He'd fire a shot at him first and figure out the rest later!

[Second Soul Skill: Blazing Flame Shot!]

A Yellow Soul Ring lit up. As Lin Yan dodged the sword energy, he began preparing fireballs, waiting for the right moment to hurl them at Chen Xin all at once.

Chen Xin noticed, too.

"What kind of Soul Skill needs to be prepared in advance? That mechanism seems rather lacking."

As he thought this, he began to doubt Lin Yan's combat ability.

In the end, he simply stopped attacking and waited quietly for Lin Yan to finish preparing his Soul Skill.

With no more sword shadows flashing through the air, Lin Yan finally didn't have to dodge.

"Heh."

"So you're that eager to see what I can do? Then today, I'll really open your eyes."

[Third Soul Skill...]

His clear voice rang in everyone's ears, and the third Soul Ring beneath Lin Yan's feet lit up.

He raised both hands. A spark suddenly appeared above them...

In the first second, a spark circled once around Lin Yan's head, leaving a circular afterimage in everyone's vision.

In the second second, the number of sparks grew to ten, and they spun ten times faster, their trails of light forming a ring.

In the third second, there were a hundred sparks, spinning a hundred times.

In the fourth second, a thousand...

Only when the ring of fire unleashed towering flames did everyone finally grasp the terrifying force of this Soul Skill.

"A hundred-year Soul Skill has this much power? What other secrets are you hiding?"

Chen Xin's face went pale with shock.

He could clearly feel that the energy in the ring of fire had far surpassed the power an ordinary hundred-year Soul Skill could unleash. If it didn't need time to charge, this skill's power would absolutely rival a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Skill.

And then there were the fireballs. At first, there had only been a few, and Chen Xin hadn't paid them much attention.

But after Lin Yan finished preparing them, dozens now crowded the sky...

"You old bastard!"

"Since you love picking on people weaker than you, then take a hit from me!"

Lin Yan hovered in the air, the purple ring of fire raised above his head casting him in the image of a demon god. Paired with his savage, sinister expression, he made Chen Xin feel, for one fleeting moment, genuinely uneasy.

But Lin Yan, having finished charging his attack, wasn't about to give Chen Xin time to react. Holding the ring of fire in both hands, he twisted at the waist and hurled it like a spring snapping loose.

[Flame Ring Blast!]

A hysterical roar rang across the entire academy.

The ring of fire, wrapped in towering flames, and countless prepared fireballs all slammed toward Chen Xin in an instant.

Chen Xin sensed something was wrong and immediately raised a Soul Power barrier.

The moment the ring of fire reached him, it was like a cutting machine meeting solid steel. Though it burst into even more intense sparks, it couldn't advance at all. The countless fireballs were snuffed out one after another, too.

At the sight, Lin Yan's lips curled into a contemptuous smile.

"You think being higher-level means you can just tank everything, huh?"

"Then I'll give you all you can tank!"

Using the explosions and sparks from his Soul Skill as cover, Lin Yan quietly landed and slipped behind Chen Xin.

[First Soul Skill: Dragon Fist!]

Flames covered both fists as he slammed them straight into Chen Xin's kidneys.

Thud!

Chen Xin's vision was already blocked. The punch came completely without warning and doubled him over like a shrimp.

The Soul Power barrier in front of him vanished. The remaining ring of fire and fireballs all slammed into his face.

Rumble~

Lin Yan's flames could explode. This blast was like setting off fireworks, bursting into sprays of flame all over the ground.

Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi hurriedly summoned his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul and gave Chen Xin a defensive boost.

Gu Rong sucked in a sharp breath. He hadn't expected Chen Xin to fall for that kid's trick.

After a long while, the explosions finally stopped.

A huge crater now gaped in the training field. Chen Xin, at its bottom, had long since lost his usual unruffled air. His clothes were in tatters. Though he hadn't suffered any serious injuries, he looked thoroughly battered.

Furious beyond words, he raised the Seven Kill Sword and charged toward Lin Yan, who had run out of Soul Power.

But just then, Ning Rongrong broke free of Gu Rong's hold, spread her arms, and stood in front of Lin Yan.

"Sword Grandpa, if you hit him again, I'll never speak to you again."

Chen Xin froze mid-motion.

His face was pitch-black—literally black—and he looked like a black man, baring a mouthful of white teeth clenched in fury.

Seeing that Ning Rongrong didn't seem the least bit concerned about him, and that every gesture of hers was in Lin Yan's favor, he was so enraged he nearly rolled his eyes and dropped dead on the spot.

Gu Rong was heartbroken, too. He hadn't expected the two of them to have grown so close. What kind of love potion had Lin Yan fed Ning Rongrong over these three months...?

Just then, Ning Rongrong even turned her head to check on Lin Yan.

"Are you all right?"

Lin Yan chuckled, slipped an arm around Ning Rongrong's slender waist, and looked at Chen Xin. "I'm fine."

Watching the girl fuss over him like this, Lin Yan suddenly came up with an even better way to make the others furious.

He looked around at the other two and spoke slowly.

"I told you: the cruelty you inflicted on me today, I'll repay a hundredfold someday."

Chen Xin and Gu Rong scoffed at that.

Even if you grew at an incredible pace, could you beat us before we died of old age?

And even if the day came when you could beat us, we'd just drop dead of old age. You'd have no one left to take revenge on. That'd drive you mad.

To the two Titled Douluo, Lin Yan looked like nothing more than a powerless clown throwing a tantrum.

But Lin Yan's next words left them both utterly dumbfounded.

"If I can't beat you, can't I beat your little princess?"

"Since I'm powerless against the cruelty you've inflicted on me today, I'll collect some of the interest from your precious Rongrong first."

The next second, the hand around Ning Rongrong's waist gave her butt a hard squeeze.

The girl let out a muffled groan of pain, then went limp in Lin Yan's arms.

Her eyes were as tender as spring waters that couldn't be contained. She gazed at Lin Yan with deep affection, her face bashful.

Gu Rong's blood pressure shot through the roof. He swore aloud.

"Fuck!"

"Get your damn hands off her!"

Chen Xin felt as if his legs were about to give way. Even Ning Fengzhi's eyelids were twitching.

Unfortunately for them, Lin Yan wasn't about to buckle under pressure today. Even with not a trace of Soul Power left in him, he still stood his ground.

He looked at Ning Rongrong.

"Rongrong, there's something very important I need to tell you. Tell your elders to leave right away."