Lin An: Level 22 vs. Level 11, Victory is Mine!

Lin An, however, felt nothing of the sort.

On the contrary, a faint, eager excitement stirred deep within him.

Back in Ming Capital, no one had ever dared to lay a hand on him.

Whether they were geniuses or teachers, everyone treated him with nothing but courtesy and utmost respect.

Even their sparring sessions felt like staged performances, as if they were terrified of so much as scratching his skin.

But he was of the support system.

That did not mean he did not want to fight.

He looked down at his own hands.

Fair, slender, and clearly defined, yet excessively fragile.

Yet, these very hands were now clenched slightly, his knuckles turning white.

He could finally have a real, no-holds-barred fight.

The corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.

Gu Yue, standing beside him, happened to catch that slight arc.

She followed Lin An's gaze toward the arena, then withdrew her eyes to rest them on him.

Watching the youth, who looked as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

Her brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

This?

He wanted to fight looking like this?

Tang Wulin stood on the other side, stealing a glance at Lin An.

That exquisite face wore a rare look of anticipation, his eyes shining as if they had caught the stars.

His heart skipped a beat, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

He wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back down.

"Hey! What's with those looks?"

Lin An spoke up suddenly.

His voice turned cold, carrying clear annoyance.

"Are you looking down on me?"

Lin An let out a cold snort.

The next second, two purple soul rings rose abruptly from beneath his feet.

The thousand-year-level soul rings swirled and churned.

Surging soul power swept outward like a tidal wave.

Seven-colored radiance bloomed from his body, the rainbow light flowing and dyeing the gray morning playground in a brilliant glow.

Noble, elegant, and holy.

That face, already too exquisite to be real, looked otherworldly under the backdrop of the seven-colored halo.

All sound on the playground vanished.

Someone's wrist guard clattered to the ground.

Someone's mouth hung open, forgotten.

Someone subconsciously took half a step forward, then froze in place.

Nearly a hundred gazes were pinned onto Lin An, unable to move an inch.

Gu Yue's mind went blank.

Her pupils dilated slightly, her breathing stalled.

Her heart felt as if it had been tightly gripped by an invisible hand.

So beautiful.

My wife is so pretty.

I want to go up and lick him.

Her body reacted faster than her consciousness.

Her foot had already stepped forward, her entire frame leaning in.

Her purple eyes burned with undisguised heat.

"Level twenty-two."

Lin An's voice was cold and steady.

He swept a glance over the students on the playground, his soul power perception spreading out silently.

Level 11, level 12, level 11, level 10...

The fluctuations fed back one after another, pitifully weak.

Lin An felt a wave of relief wash over him.

He lifted his chin slightly, a confident arc curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Even though I'm a support type, at level 22 in Class Five—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across those dazed faces.

"Surely I won't be beaten by someone ten levels lower, right?"

No matter what, a ten-level gap was a massive hurdle.

Soul power quality, soul ring age, physical attribute bonuses—every single factor was an absolute crushing advantage.

He was certain to win this fight.

Bring it on.

The kind of visceral, fist-to-flesh combat he had been craving—today, he would finally get to experience it.

However, the moment he stepped forward to head toward the drawing platform, a pair of arms reached out from the side and pulled him into an embrace.

Gu Yue held him very tightly.

Her chin rested on the top of Lin An's head, and her long silver hair cascaded down, enveloping him completely.

The body in her arms was impossibly soft.

A faint, cool fragrance drifted into her nostrils, causing her mind to sway violently, and she tightened her arms even further.

"No matter what happens in a moment, don't be afraid."

Gu Yue leaned close to Lin An's ear, her voice low and resolute.

Her fingers tapped lightly against Lin An's soul tool.

A flash of silver light flickered, and that piece of reverse scale was summoned by her through the air and firmly stuffed into Lin An's arms.

The scale felt icy to the touch, its surface shimmering with a starlike luster, pressing heavily against his chest.

"I will protect you."

Lin An raised his hand with an expressionless face, precisely pushing away the face Gu Yue had leaned in.

His palm pressed against her delicate cheek, shoving it away without a hint of mercy.

Gu Yue's lips were squeezed into a pout, yet she still hummed vaguely.

"This damn thing..."

Lin An's voice carried a suppressed sense of irritation.

Taking advantage of him was one thing, but she was making him cheat?

Was he the type of person who would cheat?

He casually swatted away the hand Gu Yue had placed on his waist.

His other hand grabbed the reverse scale from his chest and shoved it back into his soul tool, his movements fluid and practiced.

"Stay out of it."

Lin An let out a cold snort and brushed off non-existent wrinkles on his lapels.

"This is a battle that belongs to a real man."

"I'm just worried about you!"

Gu Yue grew anxious, her voice rising, her purple eyes filled with agitation.

"If it really gets too much later, just surrender, do you hear me?"

She was practically fuming.

Did this little bastard have any idea how useless his body was?

Just from that hug earlier, she could tell through his clothes.

His frame was slender, his muscles almost non-existent.

Although his soul power was dense, his physical fitness was barely any different from an ordinary person's.

No, he was even softer than a girl, and even...

Her face suddenly flushed red, and she shook her head violently.

And he called this a fight?

He called this a "real man's battle"?

Even if he stacked his support-type soul skills to the max and piled on every possible attribute bonus, the foundation of his body was still there.

If he encountered a slightly ruthless power-attack type, one punch would break his shield, and two punches would put him straight on the ground.

Gu Yue clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

No.

Regardless of who she drew, she had to keep a close eye on them.

In the blink of an eye, the drawing concluded.

Several makeshift arenas were set up on the playground, their white boundary lines glaringly bright under the gray sky.

Students walked toward their respective arenas in twos and threes.

Some were so nervous their palms were sweating, while others were rubbing their hands together, eager to give it a try.

"I'm up in the first round?"

Lin An looked down at the number on his draw, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly.

He turned and walked toward the designated arena, his pace steady and unhurried.

The hem of his white shirt fluttered gently in the wind.

The seven-colored radiance had not yet fully faded, swirling around his body; every step he took seemed to land on light.

The students waiting by the arena subconsciously cleared a path.

Their gazes followed his back, their expressions varied.

Lin An stood still on the arena and waited for a moment.

A burly youth finally emerged from the crowd, slowly climbing onto the stage.

"Hello, my name is Lin An. Level 22, Martial Soul Rainbow Dragon."

Lin An stated his name according to the rules, nodding slightly with a calm tone.

"Please advise me."

Upon hearing this, the burly youth curled his lips into a sneer.

"Lin An?"

He enunciated the two characters heavily, his eyes churning with undisguised hostility.

"I know you. The Dean personally carried your suitcase on the day of enrollment... the number one person to get in through the back door, right?"

He looked Lin An up and down.

His gaze lingered on Lin An's delicate face before sweeping over his thin shoulders.

The mockery on his face deepened.

"Tell me, what if I beat you—"

He grinned, revealing a row of yellowed teeth.

"Will you cry and go run to your mommy to complain?"

A few stifled chuckles drifted up from below the stage.