Comprehending the Unyielding Staff Intent on One's Own

Ye Yingluo and Qian Jue arrived at the training grounds.

There were no classes currently using the grounds, so the area was spacious and well-suited for a simulated spar.

News of their wager spread quickly throughout the academy. Beyond the students of Class 1 and Class 5, who were directly involved, many students from other grades came to watch.

They all wanted to see how a first-year freshman intended to defeat a teacher from the teaching faculty who was a five-ring Soul King.

"Hey, how much are you betting?"

"Need you ask? Obviously, I'm betting on Teacher Ye. I heard the opponent is an auxiliary-system soul master."

"Auxiliary-system? Then what's there to watch? Isn't he just asking for a beating? Teacher Ye is a well-known agility-attack master in our academy."

"Exactly. Back in the day, she almost passed the Shrek Academy entrance exam, but she ran into an eccentric examiner who rejected her for a ridiculous reason."

Ye Yingluo paid no mind to the murmurs of the crowd. Like a proud white swan, she stood before Qian Jue.

"I won't bully you. If you can force me to take three steps back, I'll consider it your win. How about that?"

As soon as Ye Yingluo spoke, the crowd began to whisper.

A five-ring agility-attack Soul King against a two-ring auxiliary-system tool soul master—even if she stood still and abandoned the absolute advantage of her agility-attack style, it wasn't something an auxiliary-system soul master could challenge.

"Fine." Qian Jue agreed decisively; this was the effect he wanted.

He had long since figured out her temperament. A person as arrogant as her would never take him seriously.

What Qian Jue wanted was this kind of laxity and mental underestimation.

Wu Zhangkong acted as the referee for the match. At his command, both sides released their martial souls without hesitation.

Jade Green Bird!

A surge of green light rippled out as a pair of cyan wings slowly unfurled behind Ye Yingluo. Her eyes narrowed slightly, glinting with a verdant hue.

Three yellow and two purple soul rings pulsed around her, the aura of a Soul King sweeping across the entire field.

Qian Jue did not show weakness either. The Dragon Rising Pillar stood tall, and while his two pitch-black soul rings were fewer in number than Ye Yingluo's, their age suppressed hers.

"Ten-thousand-year soul rings! Is this kid a monster born with a Spirit Sea realm?"

"A pity. The gap between a battle soul master and an auxiliary-system soul master cannot be bridged by one or two high-quality soul rings."

Some of the upperclassmen voiced their opinions, though Wu Zhangkong remained silent.

He chose to believe in his student.

Even if the boy had dropped a massive surprise on him regarding tactical arrangements on the very first day...

Qian Jue did not hesitate, immediately activating his first and second soul skills. The two amplification skills instantly boosted his soul power to the level of a four-ring Soul Ancestor.

Across from him, Ye Yingluo felt that violent, surging soul power, and a sense of joy and approval rose in her eyes.

Such a terrifying amplification was no less than the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the world's number one auxiliary tool martial soul... No, it was even a step above!

With Qian Jue in their class, why worry about not winning future competitions?

She wanted to prove herself to Wu Zhangkong and to Shrek.

But with only soul power and no means of attack, what would you do?

Qiangu Qingfeng sat atop the teaching building, concealing his presence as he watched the hasty wager from afar.

Suddenly, the two black soul rings vanished.

A long staff with a dragon-head tip appeared in Qian Jue's hand.

Twin martial souls!

The entire crowd gasped.

Although twin martial souls were no longer as rare in this era—and had even declined somewhat due to the advent of soul spirits—this was still proof of immense talent.

"Go, Boss!"

"I'd give up eating for three days just to see Qian Jue win..."

No sooner had Tang Wulin finished his thought than an unparalleled staff momentum erupted from Qian Jue's Coiling Dragon Staff, yet this was far from his limit.

Qian Jue closed his eyes, recalling his past life.

How he had risen from nothing, and how he had once suppressed the entire world.

Gradually, a will of unyielding defiance surged from within him.

It was as if a single person were facing the entire heavens and earth; compared to the boundless world, he was small, yet he dared to face it all head-on.

The crowd heard him recite softly:

"The path is winding and the world is narrow, disaster and death loom in every shadow."

"My body drifts like willow catkins in the wind, yet my intent remains one, whether in clouds or mud."

From the sidelines came an untimely exclamation:

"Is this the prototype of an intent?!"

"How is this possible?"

Even Wu Zhangkong could not help but reveal a look of astonishment at this moment.

Because the path of the sword he cultivated was currently stalled at this very realm, yet he was witnessing it in a child who had only recently awakened his martial soul. Even if it were merely a prototype, it was shocking enough.

High above in the building, the joy in Qiangu Qingfeng's heart was overflowing.

Having stepped into the realm of Momentum yesterday, to have the prototype of Intent today—one had to remember that Qian'er was only six years old. To say he had a promising future would be an understatement.

Moreover, he had never taught the Indomitable Staff Technique, yet Qian'er had comprehended it on his own, forging an indomitable will unique to him through his own insights.

Qiangu Qingfeng was in high spirits. At this rate, it would be no problem for the Qiangu clan to produce another Sky Pillar reborn.

No, he would far surpass Yun Ming!

Below, Ye Yingluo was also feeling unsettled by the intense aura rushing toward her.

What exactly was this?

She possessed a beast martial soul and had never delved into the deep development of tool martial souls; she only felt an illusion of being rejected by heaven and earth while facing Qian Jue.

After switching to the Coiling Dragon Staff martial soul, the Dragon Rising Pillar did not disappear.

With his powerful spiritual power and control over his martial soul, handling two martial souls simultaneously was not a problem at all.

The amplification did not vanish, and the indomitable will had brewed to its peak.

This moment was the time to break the enemy!

Taking a step forward, Qian Jue shot toward Ye Yingluo like an arrow released from a bow.

At this moment, Ye Yingluo was stunned, but the indomitable staff strike, carrying the power to battle heaven and earth and seemingly tear the world asunder, had already descended.

In Ye Yingluo's eyes, the Coiling Dragon Staff seemed to expand infinitely, leaving only this single strike in the entire world.

"One staff across the sky, heaven and earth overturn; the spine remains unyielding, only battle is my own!"

Following a roar, the indomitable staff intent surged, easily shattering Ye Yingluo's protective soul light.

The intense will left Ye Yingluo in a trance, causing her to fail to release a soul skill to counterattack immediately.

At the instant of impact, Qian Jue changed his offensive, forcibly twisting the trajectory of the Coiling Dragon Staff. Instead of smashing directly into her face, he shifted from a vertical strike to a horizontal sweep, striking Ye Yingluo in the abdomen.

Boom!

With a muffled thud, Wu Zhangkong moved, his feet tapping lightly to catch Ye Yingluo a second before she flew into the crowd.

Ye Yingluo collapsed into Wu Zhangkong's arms, her eyes vacant.

Her martial soul had already automatically retracted.

She stared blankly at Wu Zhangkong's icy face, as if relieved of a burden, then wobbled as she broke free and announced to the crowd that she had lost.

The entire arena fell silent.

Then, a mountain-shaking roar of cheers erupted.

Gu Yue flew to Qian Jue's side immediately to block those 'ill-intentioned' senior sisters.

The little dragon girl was asserting her sovereignty.

Qian Jue walked up to Ye Yingluo and extended his hand to her:

"I concede the victory to you."

Ye Yingluo was stunned for a moment, then grasped Qian Jue's hand and slowly stood up from the ground.

She turned to look at her classmates and shouted, "I lost. According to the bet, Wang Jinxi and Zhang Ziyang, you two go to Class Five together."

The two of them possessed a rare martial soul fusion skill; it would not be good to separate them.

Since one was leaving anyway, it was better to do a good deed.

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi looked at each other, bowed deeply to Ye Yingluo, and then walked over to Wu Zhangkong's side.

"Greetings, Teacher Wu."

Good, the Bone Dragon King was secured!

As for Zhang Yangzi, he was merely a bonus.

"Good, good, good! Heroes emerge from the youth; this child must enter my Shrek Academy!"

An untimely voice rang out, and the attention of everyone in the arena was drawn toward it.

Cai Yue'er was seen strolling in from outside the school gate, leading a terrified Lan Muzi, her face full of arrogance.

Although one of Qian Jue's martial souls was the Coiling Dragon Staff, which should belong to the Qiangu lineage, as long as he was brought back to Shrek Academy and won over with kindness, he might become the key figure in rebuilding the bridge between their academy and the Spirit Pagoda in the future.