One Move

Yu Tianheng's smile froze.

"One move?"

His voice sank. Behind him, the phantom of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon slowly raised its head, blue lightning flickering in its eyes and casting a cold glow across his face.

"You mean you'll beat me in one move?"

Jiang Lin didn't answer, but his silence made his meaning clearer than any reply.

Yu Tianheng stared at the boy before him, who was a few years younger, and felt the anger in his chest rise inch by inch.

He, Yu Tianheng, was a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the top-ranked prodigies in the inner academy of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Few of his peers could meet his Thunder Dragon Claw head-on, let alone defeat him. And now this boy—

He hadn't even summoned his Martial Soul. He just stood there calmly, as if he hadn't said, "One move is all I need," but, "The weather's nice today."

"Good. Very good."

Yu Tianheng stepped back twice to open some distance, then drew a deep breath to quell his anger. But there was no hiding the tension in his voice. "Let's see what you've got that can beat me in one move."

He snapped his right hand, and two yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul fully manifested.

A blue-violet dragon shadow spread its wings behind him. The air crackled with dense bursts of electricity, and the Thunder-Struck Pines around them seemed to resonate with it. Arcs of lightning along their trunks bent toward him, forming a visible electric field around his body.

His level twenty-eight Soul Power surged without restraint. Though he was only a Soul Grandmaster, the aura he unleashed was enough to leave most Soul Masters of the same rank struggling to breathe.

Jiang Lin remained where he was, without moving even half a step.

He didn't even take a fighting stance. His hands hung naturally at his sides as he watched Yu Tianheng gather his strength, as if it had nothing to do with him.

That calmness stung Yu Tianheng more than any provocation could have.

"Show me your Martial Soul," Yu Tianheng gritted out.

"I will when I need to," Jiang Lin replied.

Yu Tianheng said nothing more.

His pride wouldn't allow him to speak again. Every extra word would only bring more humiliation.

There was only one thing left to do—use his strength to shut this arrogant boy up.

The First Soul Ring lit up.

"Thunder Dragon Claw!"

Yu Tianheng moved like lightning. His right claw blazed with dazzling blue-violet electricity as he shot toward Jiang Lin's chest in a straight line.

He was giving this attack everything he had. He held nothing back.

It had enough force to carve five claw marks a foot deep into granite.

As far as Yu Tianheng was concerned, even a Soul Elder couldn't afford to take his full-powered Thunder Dragon Claw without reacting.

Jiang Lin didn't summon his Martial Soul.

For four whole years, Chen Xuan—a Titled Douluo—had hammered him into shape. Every day, he faced practice attacks from a Titled Douluo.

By comparison, Yu Tianheng's claw moved as slowly as fishing for the moon in water, and struck as weakly as a passing breeze.

He saw at least four openings: Yu Tianheng leaned too far forward as he struck, leaving his footing unstable; his left hand left most of his ribs unguarded; the electricity across his dragon claw was uneven, weakening the force on its left side; and his footwork lagged a full beat behind the rhythm of his attack.

Jiang Lin took one step forward.

Just one. No more, no less.

It was a perfectly timed step, landing at the very instant Yu Tianheng's charge was at its strongest and his weight was pitched farthest forward.

He didn't summon his Martial Soul, reveal a Soul Ring, or even use his Soul Power.

He clenched his right hand and punched straight ahead. No fancy technique, no dazzling effects—just the simplest, most direct punch.

His fist tore through the air and slipped through the gap between Yu Tianheng's Thunder Dragon Claw and the guard over his left ribs, landing precisely in the center of his chest.

The force was perfectly controlled—enough to knock him down without seriously hurting him.

"Thud!"

The muffled sound of fist against flesh rang through the Thunder-Struck Forest.

Yu Tianheng's charge came to an abrupt halt. It was as if an invisible iron hammer had struck him head-on, sending him flying backward against his will.

His feet left the ground, and his back slammed into the trunk of a Thunder-Struck Pine. Needles showered down as he slid to the roots and sat there, gasping for breath.

The dragon-scale patterns on his right arm quickly faded. The residual electricity crackled twice in the air, then vanished completely.

One punch.

From beginning to end, Jiang Lin hadn't summoned his Martial Soul or revealed a Soul Ring. He'd thrown just one punch.

The Thunder-Struck Forest fell briefly silent, leaving only the whisper of wind through the pine branches and the faint pops of the last lingering arcs of electricity.

Yu Tianheng sat against the pine, head bowed as he gasped for breath.

A dull ache spread through his chest, but it was nothing compared to the other feeling—the one called "the gap."

He could tell that the force of that punch had stopped at precisely the point needed to send him flying. One fraction more, and it would have truly hurt him.

This hadn't been luck or a sneak attack. With an almost casual ease, Jiang Lin had sent him flying with one punch, right in front of his most pride-worthy Thunder Dragon Claw.

He raised his head and looked at Jiang Lin. The arrogance and anger in his eyes were gone, replaced by something far more complicated.

"...What's your Soul Power Level, exactly?" His voice was hoarse.

"A little higher than yours."

Jiang Lin didn't tell him the exact level. After all, to the people of Douluo Continent, his cultivation really was advancing too quickly.

Yu Tianheng fell silent for a long time.

He braced himself against the tree and stood up. His lips twitched a few times before he finally spoke.

"You just now... if you'd summoned your Martial Soul and used a Soul Skill, would I have even lasted through one punch?"

Jiang Lin glanced at him but didn't answer.

There was no need. The answer was obvious.

He turned and walked toward the largest Thunder-Struck Pine deep in the forest. It was the place with the densest concentration of thunder-elemental energy in the entire Thunder-Struck Forest.

The trunk was covered in charred patterns left by repeated lightning strikes. Beneath it lay a naturally flat boulder.

He sat cross-legged on the boulder. Before closing his eyes, he said calmly, "By your rules, this spot is mine now."

Yu Tianheng stood still, watching Jiang Lin's back. He clenched his teeth, but eventually relaxed his fists.

He sighed and left, his face dejected.

Meanwhile, at the Academic Affairs Office in the main campus of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Chen Xuan followed a stone-paved path between bright yellow bungalows until he reached the office door.

He stood outside for a moment, straightened the cuffs of his gray robe, then raised his hand and knocked.

"Come in," came a voice from inside. He opened the door and entered.

The Academic Affairs Office was simply furnished. Three elderly men sat behind a long table.

The one in the middle had a full head of white hair and a lean face, but his eyes were bright and piercing. He was Meng Shenji, chief member of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's education committee.

The two on either side were Bai Baoshan, the second-ranking committee member, and Zhi Lin, the third. Both were Soul Douluo-level experts, highly respected figures in the education circles of the Heaven Dou Empire.

"I'm Chen Xuan. I've brought a letter of recommendation from Prince Xue Xing to arrange a loan of a simulated cultivation area for a junior in my family." Chen Xuan placed the letter on the table and spoke calmly.

Meng Shenji took the letter and opened it for a quick look. After confirming that the wax seal and private stamp were genuine, he nodded and handed it to Bai Baoshan beside him.

His gaze fell on Chen Xuan, and his eyes narrowed slightly. With his cultivation, he couldn't see through this old man's strength at all.