Qiangu Dongfeng glared at Lin Xiu before him. He never would have imagined anyone would block his way like this. Angrily, he snapped, "Lin Xiu, get out of my way! I'm going to save someone!"
"Who are you saving?" Lin Xiu asked playfully, looking at the furious Qiangu Dongfeng. He looked down on people who pulled little tricks like this. The guy even planned to stage a heroic rescue himself, then pin all the blame on the Spirit Pagoda staff. Qiangu Dongfeng certainly had it all figured out.
But was his head screwed on wrong? Wouldn't the Leng sisters get suspicious?
Or had Young Master Qiangu Dongfeng not even thought of that?
Forget it. This wasn't something Lin Xiu could make sense of. He'd better knock the guy flat first.
"Qiangu Dongfeng, don't think I don't know who let those Millennium Soul Beasts loose. And if you want to play the hero and save the beauty, you'll have to get past me first." Three purple Soul Rings rose slowly beneath Lin Xiu's feet. He gripped his sickle, no longer hiding his killing intent toward Qiangu Dongfeng.
Facing Lin Xiu and his killing intent, Qiangu Dongfeng realized the guy truly wanted him dead. "You damn bastard. Looks like I really underestimated you."
One yellow and two purple Soul Rings rose beneath him, and a Coiling Dragon Staff appeared in his hand.
The reason Qiangu Dongfeng's first Soul Ring was a Hundred-Year Soul Ring was that he had awakened with Innate Full Soul Power. Qiangu Dieting had caught one of the Hundred-Year Soul Beasts he had treasured for years and given it to him to practice on. It was also a test of whether Qiangu Dongfeng could become the next heir.
As for his eldest son, Qiangu Dieting regretted that his Martial Soul wasn't the Coiling Dragon Staff.
The Coiling Dragon Staff was the Qiangu Clan's exclusive Martial Soul, and it came with a dragon soul. But Qiangu Dongfeng was still too weak to support the dragon soul's awakening. Even so, he believed that as a genius of the Qiangu Clan, he was no weaker than Lin Xiu.
"Level 37 Power Attack System Battle Soul Master. Please instruct me!" Lin Xiu faced Qiangu Dongfeng as if he didn't take him seriously at all, speaking with a cheerful grin.
"Level 37?" Qiangu Dongfeng hadn't expected Lin Xiu's Soul Power Level to be two levels higher than his own. He hadn't seen that coming. Since he had already agreed to a duel, all he could do was grit his teeth and say, "Level 35 Power Attack System Soul Master. Please instruct me!"
High atop the Spirit Pagoda, Qiangu Dieting furrowed his brows again. He hadn't expected his second son to be foolish enough to do something like this. It would be a problem if Old Leng came asking him for an explanation.
His gaze fell on Lin Xiu once more. "Level 37. What family does a genius like this belong to?"
As Qiangu Dieting's thoughts churned, the two fighters clashed in an instant. The sharp crack of colliding Soul Power split the air, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Qiangu Dongfeng wielded his Coiling Dragon Staff, its length wreathed in faint Soul Power. Every strike was vicious and precise, aimed straight at Lin Xiu's vital points. His attacks came like a violent downpour, never letting up.
Faced with this all-out assault, Lin Xiu had no intention of meeting it head-on. He moved like a ghost, using the force of his opponent's attacks to twist and dodge. He even turned Qiangu Dongfeng into a "kite" to pull his own movements along. He seemed to be dodging in a panic, but every step was perfectly measured, keeping him just an inch beyond the Coiling Dragon Staff.
Qiangu Dongfeng was so caught up in his own assault that he failed to notice the composure and amusement in Lin Xiu's eyes. He assumed the Coiling Dragon Staff had intimidated him, and grinned smugly. "What, scared now? Beg for mercy, and I might spare your life!"
"Ah, yeah, yeah. I'm absolutely terrified."
At that, Lin Xiu nodded repeatedly, his dismissive tone unmistakable. He tilted to the side and easily avoided the Coiling Dragon Staff's sweeping strike, then tapped the staff lightly with his toe and used it to drift several feet backward, continuing to dodge with ease.
His gaze sharpened. He was certain now: Qiangu Dongfeng was indeed green as grass. He had mastered all sorts of underhanded tricks, but he was hotheaded and didn't understand the essence of combat. Taking him down wouldn't be difficult.
Still, Lin Xiu didn't rush to attack. He knew Qiangu Dongfeng's father, Qiangu Dieting, was probably watching the fight, so he chose to destroy the boy's pride instead.
As for whether Qiangu Dieting would settle the score afterward, Lin Xiu would just have to ask a certain Thunder Whale for help.
Watching the fight, Qiangu Dieting saw his son being led around like a kite and grew so angry he nearly sent a telepathic warning.
A voice stopped him. "Brother Qiangu, that's going a bit too far."
"Old Leng." Qiangu Dieting looked at the man who had stopped him, then finally gave up on the idea. He could only watch as his second son was toyed with like a monkey.
Qiangu Dongfeng wasn't stupid, either. He soon realized that his opponent was leading him around like a kite. Instantly, he flew into a rage. "You're treating me like a monkey, aren't you?"
"Tsk. You only just figured that out?" Lin Xiu stopped, looking playfully at Qiangu Dongfeng, who was exhausted but forcing himself to stay composed as he glared at him. "Don't tell me you're already tired?"
"Young Master Qiangu, if you're impotent, you should get treated! Otherwise, how are you going to carry on the family line?" Lin Xiu mocked without holding back, not caring at all that Qiangu Dieting was watching from the shadows.
Seated behind the Tower Master's desk, Qiangu Dieting couldn't help crushing the teacup in his hand. Beside him, the head of the Leng Family doubled over with laughter. "Hahahaha! Brother Qiangu, is Dongfeng really as impotent as that kid says? That won't do. Want me to give you a prescription?"
"Hahahaha..."
Qiangu Dieting glanced at the Leng Family head, who was still roaring with laughter, ignored him completely, and immediately got up to leave.
Seeing this, the Leng Family head hurried after him. "Brother, you're not so angry that you're going to teach that kid a lesson, are you? You can't do that. It'd be beneath you."
"You're going to stop me?" Qiangu Dieting could tell that Old Leng seemed to think differently of those two boys.
"Oh, don't be like that." Old Leng chuckled. "They're children fighting. Adults shouldn't interfere. If you're itching for a fight, I can spar with you instead."
"Hmph!" Hearing this, Qiangu Dieting confirmed what he'd suspected. He shook off Old Leng's hand without ceremony and said, "I'm not that shameless. I just want to invite those two youngsters to join the Spirit Pagoda."
"I see. Then I'll come with you." Old Leng followed Qiangu Dieting with a cheerful grin.
On the battlefield, Qiangu Dongfeng had now run out of Soul Power. Leaning on his Coiling Dragon Staff, he glared furiously at Lin Xiu, who hadn't lost any Soul Power at all. "If you've got the guts, stop running!"
"Sure!" Lin Xiu suddenly appeared beside Qiangu Dongfeng. His voice rang out like a ghost, and his sickle was already pressed against Qiangu Dongfeng's neck.
At that moment, Qiangu Dongfeng realized the sickle was at his throat. He could also feel how the other man had moved without making a sound. Fear seized him. Though no one could truly die inside the Spirit Ascension Platform, it could still be extremely painful.
He immediately dropped to his knees in fright. "Big brother, don't kill me. I was wrong."
Lin Xiu: "?"
Come on, man. You have no backbone at all? Does your dad know?
Lin Xiu never would have imagined Qiangu Dongfeng would be scared and react like this. Where was the Qiangu Clan's backbone?
Was he sure he was really Qiangu Dongfeng and not an impostor?
Before you continue