Xiao Yan's pupils shrank to pinpoints, and the hand gripping his greatsword trembled slightly.
This aura... It was at least equivalent to a Soul King's!
He was only at level twenty-five! What did Soul King even mean? It was a height he absolutely couldn't reach at his current stage!
The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor gave Xiao Yan no time to react. It swung a massive claw, and three dark-golden claw strikes ripped through the air, howling toward him!
Xiao Yan dodged with all his might while swinging his greatsword, turning his Heavenly Flames into a wall of fire in an attempt to block them!
But—
"Shhk—!"
The claw strikes tore through the wall of fire with ease. Their aftershock grazed his shoulder, leaving a streak of blood!
They weren't even in the same league!
The next scene left every spectator staring in shock.
The golden behemoth chased Xiao Yan around the arena as if playing with its prey. Every swipe of its claws left him in a sorry state.
Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames could only leave faint scorch marks on its golden fur. They couldn't inflict any real damage.
How could this even be called a fight? It was a one-sided crushing!
Xiao Yan gave it everything he had and unleashed his strongest Soul Skill, Heaven-Burning Exotic Flame!
A torrent of azure flames poured down like a rainstorm, trying to engulf the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor!
Yet the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Emperor merely threw back its head and roared. Golden light blazed around it, and the Heavenly Flames—powerful enough to melt steel—snuffed out before that radiance like ordinary fire!
Xiao Yan's heart sank to rock bottom.
He had lost.
Completely.
At last, he stopped running. His greatsword dropped limply to the ground, and he gasped for breath.
"I... concede."
The three words came painfully from his lips.
An uproar swept through the stands!
Xiao Yan had actually conceded?! Xiao Yan, hailed as "the strongest fire-type genius of Shrek's generation," had actually conceded?
The referee stood frozen, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.
He looked at Luo Yang, then at the majestic golden behemoth, his mind a complete blank.
Was... was this considered cheating?
The rules had never said that Soul Spirits couldn't fight!
But... whose Soul Spirit could grow this big?! Whose Soul Spirit could have such formidable combat strength?! This damn thing was clearly a Soul Beast wearing a Soul Spirit's skin!
He struggled to swallow, then turned to look toward the VIP stand.
He'd have to ask the higher-ups what to do!
On the VIP stand, Cai Yue'er's eyes had grown wider than copper bells.
She shot to her feet and fixed her gaze on the golden behemoth, her lips trembling.
"What... what is that?! Yaozhu, what exactly is that thing?! Is it a Soul Spirit or a Soul Beast?!"
Leng Yaozhu still leaned elegantly against the back of her chair, a faint smile at the corner of her mouth. She took an unhurried sip of tea.
"A Soul Spirit."
"A Soul Spirit?!" Cai Yue'er's voice rose to a shriek. "You call that a Soul Spirit?! Whose Soul Spirit could grow that big?! Whose Soul Spirit could have such combat strength?! That's obviously a Soul Beast!"
"But it is a Soul Spirit." Leng Yaozhu smiled faintly. "It may just be... a little different from ordinary Soul Spirits."
Cai Yue'er almost choked.
A little different from ordinary Soul Spirits? Could you even describe this damn thing as "a little different"?! It was an entirely different species!
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, but her eyes remained fixed on the golden behemoth.
"That Soul Spirit... it's about as strong as a Soul King, right?"
"More or less." Leng Yaozhu nodded, her tone casual.
Cai Yue'er fell silent.
A Soul Spirit at Soul King level... What did that mean? It meant that this boy named Luo Yang could sweep aside every opponent at his level with his Soul Spirit alone! Even challenging opponents above his level wouldn't be a problem!
The Spirit Pagoda had truly struck gold this time.
Ya Li's gaze also settled on Luo Yang. For the first time, a trace of genuine interest appeared in her gentle, limpid eyes.
This boy... was interesting.
She could sense the faint aura of death around him, though he had concealed it well. And that golden behemoth didn't look anything like an ordinary Soul Spirit...
"Interesting," she murmured to herself.
On the arena, Xiao Yan lowered his head, his face full of resentment.
He didn't want to concede, but he had no choice.
What made it even harder to swallow was that he had lost to a beast.
And Luo Yang hadn't lifted a finger from start to finish. He'd just stood there and watched!
Xiao Yan abruptly raised his head and glared at Luo Yang, the flames of defiance burning in his eyes.
"I don't accept this!"
Luo Yang raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Fight me yourself if you've got the guts!" Xiao Yan gritted out. "Don't rely on that beast! Fight me fair and square!"
A murmur ran through the stands.
Luo Yang looked at him in silence for two seconds.
Then he smiled.
But in Xiao Yan's eyes, that smile clearly spelled out two words:
Contempt.
"You're not worthy," Luo Yang said.
Three light words, yet they exploded in Xiao Yan's mind like a thunderclap!
Xiao Yan's body went rigid. The resentment on his face turned to anger, then to despair.
He wanted to argue, to say something, but when the words reached his lips, not a single one came out.
Because Luo Yang was telling the truth.
He couldn't even beat the other boy's Soul Spirit. What right did he have to challenge Luo Yang himself?
Xiao Yan lowered his head and silently walked off the arena.
In the Shrek Academy rest area, the girl in the pink group looked toward the corner, where a girl had been resting with her eyes closed ever since the match began.
"Xing Lan."
Ye Xinglan slowly opened her eyes.
They were cold and sharp as winter stars, devoid of emotion, holding nothing but pure, absolute edge.
The moment she opened them, the entire VIP stand seemed to be enveloped by an invisible sword intent.
"It's your turn."
Ye Xinglan didn't answer. She simply rose and walked toward the arena.
Her steps were light and steady, each one seeming precisely measured. Not a trace of Soul Power stirred around her, yet the innate sharpness of her presence made everyone along the way instinctively move aside.
At that moment, on the VIP stand—
"That girl is Ye Xinglan." Cai Yue'er watched her retreating figure and spoke, her voice brimming with undisguised pride. "She's the most outstanding heir of the Ye Family in this generation."
"The Ye Family?" Leng Yaozhu's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. "The one that once fought one of the Ferocious Beasts, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, and produced a Sword God?"
"That's right." Cai Yue'er nodded, a look of reminiscence flashing in her eyes. "Three hundred years ago, the Ye Family's ancestor followed the way of the sword and ventured alone into the Star Dou Forest. He fought the Ferocious Beast Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear for three days and three nights, and survived. That was how he earned the title of Sword God. The Ye Family's swordsmanship has been passed down to this day, never once broken."
Leng Yaozhu fell silent.
A Sword God family... That was true heritage.
Unlike the Spirit Pagoda, a faction built up through resources and Soul Spirits, the Ye Family's swordsmanship had been passed down through generations of blood and fire. They were true veterans of actual combat.
Cai Yue'er turned to Leng Yaozhu, the corner of her mouth curling into a knowing smile.
"Yaozhu, I'm afraid your Spirit Pagoda will have to pay dearly this time."
Leng Yaozhu said nothing.
Her gaze fell on the black-haired, black-eyed figure below the arena.
Luo Yang seemed to sense something. He looked up, and their eyes met from afar.
He smiled. There was no tension or fear in that smile, only composure.
Leng Yaozhu gave a slight nod, a smile also curving her lips.
She believed in him.