It's You, Naruto!

"How could this..."

Bibi Dong pressed a hand to her forehead, muttering under her breath as her body sagged backward.

Fortunately, she still had enough presence of mind to summon a haze of purple-black Soul Power behind her, which held her steady and kept her from falling in an undignified heap.

Turning to look at Bibi Dong again, Naruto spoke in an even tone.

"Since you know your Xiao Gang so well..."

"Then you should know that he only has knowledge of Martial Souls. Does he know anything about the machinery and metallurgy needed to make Hidden Weapons?"

"What about the so-called Self-Created Soul Skill? Are there signs that he's trained his body for it?"

"I remember that his Martial Soul problem was eventually solved. When he started cultivating again... which meditation method did he use? You couldn't recognize it?"

"..."

Bibi Dong stared blankly, offering no response. To be more precise, it was hard to say whether those words had even reached her ears.

Naruto withdrew his consciousness, helpless.

He only knew how to comfort eighteen-year-old girls. This was beyond his pay grade.

Unaware of how deeply Bibi Dong's heart had shattered, Yu Xiaogang stood amid the noisy crowd, watching Tang San, who had become the center of attention. He curled his lips into a pleased smile.

Innate Full Soul Power—even with Blue Silver Grass, a Trash Martial Soul famous across the continent, it was still something these bottom-rung Spirit Masters could only dream of possessing.

Of course,

if they recalled how everyone had mocked Yu Xiaogang in the office when Tang San enrolled, few would have the nerve to approach him now.

Only a handful of people, led by Principal Fuqi, could still beam as they chatted with Tang San. "Little San, what Soul Skill did your First Soul Ring give you?"

Tang San glanced at the teachers' embarrassed faces and weighed his options. This wasn't the right time to stand up for his teacher. He was about to shake his head and let it go when Principal Fuqi asked him a question.

Tang San instinctively started to answer, but as if remembering something, he changed his words at the last moment.

"I... how about I demonstrate it in a Soul Fighting match?"

"On the way here, my teacher told me Spirit Masters spar with each other through Soul Fighting."

As if worried the principal might refuse, Tang San added another sentence.

"Of course. Spirit Masters settle things with their fists. When you get to the bigger cities, you'll see plenty of Great Soul Arenas..." Principal Fuqi had no reason to refuse, and nodded. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. You want a Soul Fighting match?"

"Yes!"

Tang San nodded firmly.

"I want to choose my own opponent."

Yu Xiaogang looked at him strangely and lowered his eyes to Tang San. His disciple respected his elders and was as pure and spotless as jade; he didn't seem like the sort to waste time on something so trivial.

While he was still wondering, Principal Fuqi had already agreed.

"Of course. How could a Soul Master Academy go without Soul Fighting?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Tang San raised a hand and pointed toward the edge of the crowd.

Everyone followed his finger. Yu Xiaogang paused, and the doubts in his heart vanished in an instant, replaced by a faint warmth.

The people around him all turned to look. Jiang Naruto turned to look behind himself.

Good!

There was no one behind him...

Tang San was pointing at him. Jiang Naruto's eyelids drooped halfway. Was it a coincidence? Or did Tang San really hold a grudge against him? Would refusing now be inappropriate?

"Accept! Accept this Soul Fighting match!"

As he was considering it, Bibi Dong's slightly hoarse voice rang in his ear.

He turned his awareness inward. Bibi Dong, who was gradually coming back to herself, was uncontrollably leaking Soul Power.

Her purple-black Soul Power formed a solid cloud of darkness. Her face was ashen, her pupils bloodshot, and she stared fixedly at Tang San and his teacher outside.

Jiang Naruto opened his mouth, then let out a quiet sigh. He knew Bibi Dong wanted one final confirmation.

"All right. I'll risk my life to keep you company."

Seeing that Naruto had agreed without much thought, Principal Fuqi was only too happy to be spared the effort of talking him around. Tang San showed no triumphant smile, either. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and studied Naruto from head to toe.

Could what he'd said back then have been sincere?

No!

Tang San gave a slight shake of his head.

Even if it was, Naruto had insulted his teacher first. Trying to do a good deed and making things worse was no different from being an idiot. He deserved it!

As they considered this,

the two had already entered the crude Soul Fighting Arena. They stood dozens of paces apart, facing each other from a distance.

Principal Fuqi cleared his throat and raised his voice to drown out the surrounding chatter. "Both sides, show your Martial Souls!"

Blue Silver Grass, blue as the sky, unfurled from Tang San's palm. Naruto merely tightened his grip on the unremarkable Chains of Heaven. The black chain flashed through the air, then cracked like a whip with a flick of his hand!

Tang San exhaled, then lifted his eyes to fix them on Naruto.

I'll start with you!

A heavy, yellow Spirit Ring appeared beneath his feet. Tang San lowered his stance, muscles taut and ready to spring.

As for Naruto,

[The genius and the dead last: the Uchiha genius Sasuke and Naruto, the dead last in the eyes of his classmates. Their strength was worlds apart. They were knocked down countless times, only to rise again and again—and that was where their friendship began!]

The familiar electronic voice rang in his ear. Jiang Naruto's face darkened, and the muscles at the corners of his eyes twitched.

This system was hopeless!

But,

the system's reminder made Naruto recall that among its densely packed list of witnessed events, there was a major event called [Defeat Sasuke].

Should he give it a try?

The thought only flashed through his mind for a moment before Jiang Naruto shook his head and dismissed it.

Forget it. It was only an academy Soul Fighting match.

He didn't even have a Soul Skill, and it was better not to expose the Three Body Technique. He'd just drag things out for a few moves and let Tang San reveal some traces of the Tang Sect.

After finishing his calculations, Naruto lowered his stance with a cool gaze. A breeze stirred the yellow sand on the ground, veiling their vision a little. Principal Fuqi's raised arm swung down hard!

"Begin!"

"First Soul Skill, Blue Silver Bind!"

With a shout, Tang San's Spirit Ring lit up, and a bowl-thick strand of Blue Silver Grass shot from his hand! The thick vines carried a fierce gust of wind as they plunged into the rising sand!

"So this is Tang San's First Soul Skill?"

The crowd buzzed. Even Principal Fuqi, panting beneath his big belly, couldn't help exclaiming, "Who'd have thought a Trash Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass could be used this way? His opponent is probably..."

Bang!

The crowd suddenly fell silent!

The Blue Silver Grass had punched a hole through the curtain of rising sand, but there was nothing behind it. Jiang Naruto had vanished?

Whoosh!

A crisp clang of metal rang out. Not far from where the Blue Silver Grass had struck, three Chains of Heaven snapped through the air like whips, their sonic booms tearing through the flying sand as they lashed straight toward Tang San!

He'd changed position in advance?

Had he seen through his Soul Skill?

Tang San's thoughts raced, but his expression remained calm. In his past life, scenes like this had been nothing out of the ordinary amid the slaughter.

Child's play!

The three chains reflected in his eyes grew rapidly larger. Tang San ignored them, even abandoning the useless Blue Silver Grass in his hand, and charged at Jiang Naruto like a hunting leopard!

Blue Silver Grass, strengthened by only a single Hundred-Year Soul Ring, was still nowhere near a match for Tang San's fists!

Thud!

The three Chains of Heaven slammed heavily into the ground. Jiang Naruto's mouth twitched. Just now, he'd clearly felt they were about to hit Tang San, but Tang San's figure had suddenly turned illusory, and the Chains of Heaven had passed right through his afterimage.

Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track?

He was using it so brazenly? Wasn't he afraid of drawing the attention of some old lady from Spirit Hall?

Cursing inwardly, Naruto flicked his wrist. The three Chains of Heaven in his hand rattled and sprang up like nimble snakes. He swung again with all his strength, sweeping the chains toward Tang San!

"Xiao Gang?"

Among the spectators, Principal Fuqi narrowed his eyes to slits as he watched Tang San keep closing the distance under Naruto's barrage, dodging the chains around him like a nimble monkey.

"What is Little San using? It doesn't seem like a Soul Skill. It looks more like some kind of footwork?"

Principal Fuqi turned to Grandmaster and asked curiously. Yu Xiaogang only clasped his hands behind his back, gave a knowing smile, and shook his head without a word.

As expected of a great clan among the Upper Three Sects!

Even after being driven from his home, the little bit Grandmaster let slip was beyond the understanding of a bottom-rung Spirit Master like him.

Principal Fuqi sighed helplessly, raising his estimation of Grandmaster once again. Turning back to the arena, he saw Tang San closing in quickly. Given the six-level gap in their Soul Power, the outcome had been decided from the moment the match began.

More precisely, the fact that Naruto had dodged Tang San's opening Soul Skill was already a surprise.

Principal Fuqi cleared his throat, ready to announce the result. Just as Tang San was only a few steps from Jiang Naruto,

Jiang Naruto turned around,

and ran?