The battle on the stage continued. Yu Tianheng grew more and more impatient under Xing Tian's rapid punches. He abruptly drove his Soul Power, and his body swelled even larger. Lightning surged around him, forming a barrier that forcibly blocked Xing Tian's flurry of punches.
Then he bent his left arm at the elbow, wrapped it in explosive lightning, and slammed it hard into Xing Tian's shoulder.
At such close range, and with Xing Tian still unfamiliar with Mantis Fist, there was no time to defend. Yu Tianheng struck his shoulder, sending him flying more than ten meters.
But Yu Tianheng realized that Xing Tian didn't seem to have been badly hurt.
That blow had contained all his Superpower. Even a Soul Elder might not have been able to get back up, yet Xing Tian hadn't even suffered an injury to his bones or tendons.
That was the terrifying power of the Nine Deaths Reincarnation Evil Art.
Each time he died and came back to life, his body's strength increased at least tenfold. By then, Xing Tian's physical strength had reached the level of a Soul Elder.
Now that Xing Tian was a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, and with his Martial Soul in use, his physical strength was close to a Soul King's.
If Yu Tianheng's last blow had hit as a Soul Skill, Xing Tian's left shoulder and arm would likely have been immobile.
Even if his body wasn't hurt, the lightning's paralyzing effect should be enough for me to turn this around.
Yu Tianheng had been picturing how he would win, but the scene before him delivered a stinging slap to his face.
Black Haze began to spread across Xing Tian's left shoulder. As it swallowed the lightning, the electricity vanished.
"His Darkness Attribute is so overbearing that it can devour my thunder!"
"Daring to lose focus while facing me? An insect trying to stop a cart!"
Xing Tian roared and shot forward. His arms bent into scythe-like shapes, then slashed fiercely at Yu Tianheng's Dragon Claws with an unstoppable momentum.
Yu Tianheng felt tremendous force travel through his Dragon Claws. The lightning was torn apart by sheer force, and his claws began to bend.
Mantis Breaks the Cart was a powerful move. Its sickle-shaped arms could snap iron and cleave gold, unstoppable and capable of easily wrenching joints out of place.
But this Mantis Fist technique could only reach its full potential when paired with a cultivation method called Ice and Fire Seven Heavens. Xing Tian didn't know that method, and in this life, his Mantis Fist was still far from perfected. Otherwise, that strike would have been enough to break both of Yu Tianheng's arms.
Xing Tian suddenly changed moves and used another technique—Mantis Asks the Heart Circle.
His hooked hand traced a circle, turning aside Yu Tianheng's Dragon Claws with a deft application of force. Seizing the opening, he lunged; his hooked fingers curved like a gouge and shot straight for Yu Tianheng's throat.
The movement was quick and controlled, showcasing the Mantis Fist's cunning and ruthlessness.
"Not good!"
Yu Tianheng was a genius, at least, and managed to tilt his head aside at the last possible moment. Even so, Xing Tian's fingers grazed his neck, leaving a thin trail of blood.
Blood trickled down his neck, bringing him back to his senses.
Before Yu Tianheng could react, Xing Tian used the momentum of that strike to unleash seven rapid attacks in succession with his hooked fingers. They came faster than the eye could follow.
Pain flared through Yu Tianheng's body. His Soul Power instantly fell into disarray, and the thunder within him went out of control, turning against him.
This move was called Tricky Seven Star Strike, and it targeted the body's vital points.
However, the Three Education Commissioners had ordered them not to inflict lasting injuries. Xing Tian could only throw Yu Tianheng's Soul Power into disarray, send his lightning out of control, and leave his body stiff and sluggish.
"This is the end!"
Xing Tian had already put some distance between them when his first Soul Ring suddenly blazed. His right arm and the right foreleg of his Dark Evil Spirit Mantis Martial Soul turned pure black.
"Night Fierce Light—"
With a loud shout, Xing Tian swung his right arm in perfect unison with the right foreleg of his Dark Evil Spirit Mantis. A crescent of black light slashed toward Yu Tianheng.
Where the black light passed, it carved a deep furrow into the stage floor. It ripped through the air, devouring the darkness as the light nearby was rapidly swallowed up.
"No!" Yu Tianheng roared in terror. He hurriedly drove his Soul Power, trying to form another lightning barrier. But after taking the full force of Tricky Seven Star Strike, he couldn't gather his Soul Power so easily. He could only cross his arms to defend himself.
"First Soul Skill, Heaven Star Barrier."
Suddenly, a glittering golden furnace decorated with seven shining silver stars descended from above. A dreamlike azure barrier, like the starry sky, sprang up and perfectly blocked the black light. Yu Tianheng, behind it, didn't feel even the slightest impact; not even the corner of his clothes stirred.
Xing Tian looked off the stage. Sure enough, Education Commissioner Bai Baoshan had intervened.
Bai Baoshan's Martial Soul was the Heaven Star Furnace, a top-tier defensive tool Martial Soul. Combined with his Soul Douluo cultivation, even a Titled Douluo would find it difficult to break through his defense by force alone.
Bai Baoshan looked at Yu Tianheng. "The result is already clear, isn't it?"
Yu Tianheng dispelled his Martial Soul Possession. He seemed to have lost all his strength, and his gaze was unfocused. "Thank you, Commissioner."
If Bai Baoshan hadn't intervened, he would have lost without a doubt and suffered serious injuries—at least a month confined to bed. But those injuries wouldn't count as lasting harm, so Xing Tian hadn't broken the rules.
Bai Baoshan nodded in satisfaction and announced loudly, "The match is over. Xing Tian wins!"
"I told you Xiao Tian would win!" Dugu Yan said smugly.
Osler let out a long breath. "He really is strong. But Xiao Tian's strength is a little too abnormal. Is he really only eight?"
"Maybe that's the difference between a genius and an ordinary person," Yu Feng said.
Only after Bai Baoshan announced the result did the other students watching finally react.
"He really did win."
"The greatest Beast Martial Soul under heaven, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, actually lost—to an insect Martial Soul, no less."
"He didn't just lose. He was thoroughly defeated. Close-combat ability, physical strength, elemental attributes, Soul Skill power—he lost in every single category."
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's prestige is going to take a big hit now!"
"That Xing Tian is ridiculously strong. He beat Yu Tianheng despite being five levels lower."
"What was that strange boxing technique? Did anyone understand it? Was it a Self-Created Soul Skill?"
"He's only eight. How could he already have a Self-Created Soul Skill? Impossible!"
"I heard he's very close to His Excellency Poison Douluo. Could Poison Douluo have taught him?"
"That's possible. But no matter which it is, he's a peerless genius. What a shame..."
The male students were mostly interested in Xing Tian's talent, abilities, and relationship with Dugu Bo. The female students, on the other hand, were much simpler and more direct.
"Ah—Lord Xing Tian!"
"Xing Tian! I'll have your babies!"
"Xing Tian, do you have a girlfriend? I'd be willing!"
Dugu Yan had been delighted by Xing Tian's victory, but as soon as she heard the noble girls shrieking, her expression darkened. She glared at them as if she wanted to kill them.
These noble girls were wary of Dugu Bo, but they were only pursuing their own personal affairs. They weren't offending Dugu Bo at all, so they weren't afraid of Dugu Yan. Instead, they each looked at her with pride.
Their eyes said it all: May the best woman win.
Ye Lingling said nothing. She simply summoned the Nine-Heart Begonia and began healing Xing Tian.
The students had simple things on their minds, but the Three Education Commissioners had much more to consider.
Although they had already approved the match, Yu Tianheng had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him. Even the emperor had to show a Titled Douluo some respect.
If Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen really pressured them, they would have to do everything they could to withstand it—and protect Xing Tian.
Before you continue