A Victory Without Suspense

Sensing the hurricane-force wind rushing toward him, Bei Bei's eyes narrowed as the soul ring beneath his feet erupted in a brilliant flash!

"First Soul Skill! Thunder Dragon Claw!"

As soul power surged and the skill was unleashed, Bei Bei's dragon claws swelled in size once more, wreathed in crackling blue-violet lightning. They struck out in a pincer movement, aiming directly for Xue Mingqing's body!

Noticing the incoming claws, Xue Mingqing's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

It wasn't that he couldn't dodge; it was that in his eyes, Bei Bei's speed was far too slow.

To put it in perspective, Xue Mingqing was currently operating at peak velocity, a triple-layered explosion of physical prowess, soul power, and sword technique.

Compared to some agility-type soul masters, his speed at this moment was not the least bit inferior.

Yet Bei Bei had merely used a soul skill, failing to even perform the simple act of injecting extra soul power to amplify it.

From Xue Mingqing's perspective, his opponent's speed was as sluggish as a crawling tortoise.

No one else knew what was running through Xue Mingqing's mind, but seeing the micro-expression on his face, Bei Bei mistakenly assumed he had the upper hand and that Xue Mingqing was trapped.

A corner of his mouth curled into a "Dragon King" smirk: "Haha! So what if you have a thousand-year first ring? You're a genius, but am I not one as well? Do you think I fear you..."

Hearing Bei Bei's arrogant words, Xue Mingqing closed his eyes; he had no interest in hearing the rest.

With a flash of the Snow Sword in his hand!

A cyan-green cold light streaked across the air.

By the time Bei Bei regained his focus, Xue Mingqing was no longer standing before him.

He had vanished into thin air!

Bei Bei's pupils contracted, his words cut short by instinct as he reflexively turned his head to scan his surroundings.

"You're too slow. Go back and train for another two years."

"?!"

The gentle voice sounded from behind him, and Bei Bei instinctively began to turn around.

However, before he could even face his back, a massive force slammed directly into the nape of his neck!

Instantly, a wave of overwhelming drowsiness surged toward his consciousness!

Turning around, Bei Bei looked at Xue Mingqing with a face full of disappointment and raised his middle finger: "How can someone as big as you be so lacking in martial virtue? I despise you."

Xue Mingqing looked at Bei Bei expressionlessly, his brows arching.

"Are you finished?"

Bei Bei nodded, and then, he could no longer fight the rising tide of sleep.

His eyes rolled back, his legs went limp, and with a heavy thud, Bei Bei collapsed face-first onto the ground.

Seeing this, Xue Mingqing couldn't help but shake his head with a faint smile, flicking his Snow Sword to clear the blade.

With a gentle tap, the weapon shattered into a flurry of snowflakes.

"Invincible among peers, indeed..."

With his hands behind his back, Xue Mingqing let out a long sigh. Winning against Bei Bei brought him no joy; it was merely an expected outcome.

He turned, intending to walk off the Soul Fighting Platform and go find Mu En to "collect his gold coins."

However, just as he was about to step off the stage, Xue Mingqing's body suddenly shuddered!

His gaze sharpened, the Snow Sword manifested in his hand once more, and he swung a fierce, decisive strike behind him without a moment's hesitation!

"Who's there!"

Clang! The sound of metal striking metal rang out!

The moment he connected with the object, his expression shifted violently!

The force behind it was so great that he feared he wouldn't be able to block it without using his full strength...

Gritting his teeth, Xue Mingqing dared not hold back. He poured his entire physical vitality and icy-cyan soul power into the sword, while the purple light of his soul ring flared beneath his feet!

Myriad Changes Absolute, Sword Form: 90% attack power increase!

Channeling every ounce of his strength, he gripped the sword with both hands, veins bulging and eyes glinting with ferocity as he pushed again: "Break for me!!!"

With a roar, the blade, now stained with an icy-cyan hue, collided once more with the incoming object.

Amidst the frantic friction and clash of their soul powers, the Snow Sword ultimately proved superior!

With a single strike, he shattered the incoming projectile!

Xue Mingqing's body was forced back a dozen steps, barely managing to dissipate the residual force.

Yet, having shattered the object, his expression turned bizarrely strange.

For the object drifting slowly through the air was—

A single, severed green leaf!

After a moment of silence and several shifts in his expression, Xue Mingqing let out a deep, heavy breath.

Xue Mingqing dispersed the Snow Sword in his hand, cupped his fists, and bowed slightly toward the empty sky.

"May I ask which senior is testing me? Would you mind revealing yourself?"

Xue Mingqing was sharp; a single falling leaf had forced him to use his full strength and left him struggling to cope, meaning the newcomer's power was clearly above his own.

Since they had forced him back but refrained from launching a second strike, it was obvious they had no intention of taking his life.

If Xue Mingqing couldn't even discern such an obvious test, he might as well give up and go back to Blizzard City to farm.

Sure enough, the second after Xue Mingqing finished speaking, a hearty male voice suddenly echoed from the sky.

"Hahaha, truly a young hero! Your natural talent is extraordinary. Please forgive this old man for his abruptness."

As the voice faded, two figures—one large and one small—drifted down from mid-air.

Seeing this, Xue Mingqing raised an eyebrow. The larger one wore green robes, his ink-black hair cascading like a waterfall, his brows and eyes sharp as swords; he was a handsome middle-aged man whom Xue Mingqing did not recognize.

The smaller one had silver-gray hair reaching her waist, beautiful crimson eyes like a painting, and wore a blue-and-white gauze dress. Her features were soft yet cold, and she carried an ethereal, noble air. Who else could it be but Ning Yurong?

Noticing that the middle-aged man's brows and eyes bore a seven or eight-part resemblance to Ning Yurong's, Xue Mingqing immediately understood their relationship.

They were father and daughter.

Upon landing, Ning Yurong stepped quickly between them to make introductions.

"Little Mingqing, this is my father, Ye Pi'an. Father, this is the Xue Mingqing who saved me."

Xue Mingqing nodded, thinking to himself that it was just as he had suspected, and acknowledged Ning Yurong in return.

And what of Ye Pi'an?

Since landing, his gaze had not left Xue Mingqing, his eyes shimmering with brilliant light.

He and Ning Yurong had been here for a while; he had naturally witnessed the entire scene of Xue Mingqing battling Bei Bei.

Six and a half years old, level 14, a thousand-year first soul ring, and treating a genius of the same age like a chew toy.

Had he not seen Bei Bei still sleeping peacefully not far away on the Soul Fighting Platform?

Seeing such a prodigy, even Ye Pi'an's composure faltered. His hands had itched, leading him to test the boy, which resulted in the earlier encounter.

However, what Ye Pi'an hadn't expected was that Xue Mingqing would actually manage to block a test delivered with the strength of a three-ring Soul Venerable.

This was something Ye Pi'an had never imagined. What did it mean?

It meant that Xue Mingqing, a mere one-ring Soul Master, possessed the strength of a full-power strike from a three-ring Soul Venerable!

How could he not be astonished?

For a moment, Ye Pi'an, who had originally come only to deliver a thank-you gift, felt the urge to spirit Xue Mingqing away.

If not for the memory of the inexplicable look Mu En had given him before he left, Ye Pi'an might have actually taken the boy with him.

Clearing his throat to collect his thoughts, Ye Pi'an looked at Xue Mingqing, whose expression had grown increasingly strange, and produced an item with a smile.

"Young friend, thank you for saving my Yurong. This is a token of my appreciation as a father; I hope you will not refuse."

Hearing this, Xue Mingqing's eyes lit up. Although he had stopped hoping for any reward money after saving Ning Yurong, at the end of the day, who would turn down money?

If there was some, he would be grinning; if there wasn't, he wouldn't curse, but ultimately, having something was better than having nothing, right?

Clearing his throat twice, Xue Mingqing stepped forward and accepted it candidly.

"Thank you, Uncle Ye..."