Battling Dai Yueheng, the Powerful Ning An

Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, Ning An wore a faint, indifferent smile at the corner of his lips as he calmly stepped onto the bluestone arena, one step at a time.

The white-clad youth was lean yet upright. He slowly ascended the steps without the slightest hint of haste or fear.

Once he stood steadily on the other side of the arena, facing Dai Yueheng from afar, Ning An glanced sideways and casually swept his gaze over the long incense stick hanging from the pillar beside the stage.

He spoke lightly.

"Light it. Within one incense stick's time, I'll make you unable to get back up."

Just one simple sentence!

Arrogant! Domineering! Utterly outrageous!

The air instantly fell dead silent!

The three examinee prodigies' eyes widened as their minds completely froze, their faces filled with disbelief!

Listen to that! What kind of heaven-defying nonsense was that?!

When others took the assessment, they gave everything they had just to endure for one incense stick's time and barely pass into the academy!

But him? He had turned it around, declaring that he would beat a level fifty-nine Soul King examiner to the ground within one incense stick's time!

They were all children barely over eleven years old. Why could he be so arrogantly confident?

At the center of the arena, Dai Yueheng, who had been burning with fury moments ago, was also abruptly stunned. The rage in his eyes was instantly replaced by absurdity.

He stared fixedly at the eleven-year-old boy in white before him, his brows tightly furrowed and his face full of disbelief.

No, where did this brat get such confidence?

He was a long-established powerhouse of Shrek's inner court, a level fifty-nine assault-type battle Soul King, only one step away from becoming a Soul Emperor!

"You sure dare to talk."

Dai Yueheng slowly suppressed the astonishment in his heart, replacing it with increasingly intense coldness and grim anger. The soul power around him surged ever more violently.

"Since you're so arrogant, I'll grant your wish!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Dai Yueheng lit the incense.

Whoosh!

Wisps of smoke rose into the air. The timer had officially begun!

The next instant!

Buzz—!

Brilliant yellow and purple soul rings rose one after another beneath Dai Yueheng's feet, pulsing and shining!

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black!

The standard optimal soul ring configuration.

Five soul rings revolved around his body as layers upon layers of soul power pressure erupted with a boom. The tyrannical beastly might of the White Tiger martial soul swept across the entire arena, making even the bluestone floor tremble faintly!

"White Tiger martial soul, possess me!"

With a low shout, the veins across Dai Yueheng's body bulged slightly, pale white tiger stripes surfaced across his skin, and his eyes instantly turned into cold beast pupils. His aura surged several times over!

A top-tier assault-type beast martial soul—the White Tiger!

One of the continent's most renowned assault-type martial souls, it possessed explosive power and physical strength, balanced offense and defense, and was nearly invincible among those of the same rank!

"First soul skill! White Tiger Protective Barrier!"

A pale white halo of soul power instantly enveloped Dai Yueheng's entire body, condensing into a thick, solid suit of soul power armor. His defense was instantly raised to its peak, leaving no openings whatsoever!

Without the slightest pause, Dai Yueheng's gaze sharpened as his attack erupted at once!

"Second soul skill! White Tiger Fierce Light Wave!"

Boom!

Blinding white light gathered between his tiger-like jaws as immense soul power compressed and condensed before bursting forth in an instant!

The scorching, violent white light wave tore through the air with a thunderous roar, carrying the might to crush everything as it blasted straight toward Ning An's face!

It was incredibly fast, and the distance was incredibly short!

The hearts of the three examinees beneath the stage suddenly clenched as they instinctively held their breaths!

Even a Soul Ancestor in the forties would be severely injured in an instant if they took this attack head-on.

In their eyes, Ning An had nowhere to dodge. He would be blasted straight off the arena.

Yet on the arena, faced with the terrifying light wave that arrived in an instant, Ning An's expression remained calm and unruffled.

Just as the light wave was about to touch the hem of his robes, his figure suddenly swayed!

His body instantly became ethereal and illusory, like a clear breeze and drifting clouds—strange and unpredictable!

Ghost Shadow Track!

The supreme movement technique was unleashed!

All everyone saw was an afterimage flicker in place, precisely evading every trajectory of the Fierce Light Wave's attack!

Boom!!

The White Tiger Fierce Light Wave slammed viciously into the bluestone wall at the rear of the arena!

Rubble exploded and stone chips flew everywhere. A deep crater was instantly blasted into the thick arena wall, its destructive power utterly terrifying!

Meanwhile, Ning An stood steadily several meters away, his robes untouched by dust and his body completely unharmed!

"Hm?"

Dai Yueheng's pupils narrowed slightly, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.

He had thought that an attack he could casually unleash would crush his opponent with ease, yet it had been evaded so effortlessly?

That movement speed and timing far surpassed that of an ordinary Soul Elder above level thirty!

At that moment, he finally put away all contempt and began to take the youth before him seriously.

"You've got some skill. No wonder you dared to be so arrogant."

Dai Yueheng muttered coldly as the soul power beneath his feet surged once more, his assault not slowing in the slightest!

"Third Soul Skill! White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

Buzz!

Dense purple soul power instantly enveloped his entire body. Dai Yueheng's physique swelled by a full circle, his muscles bulging as the tiger stripes across his body became deeper and more domineering. His physical strength, attack power, and defensive power all doubled!

With the Vajra Transformation's enhancement, his combat strength rose dramatically.

In a flash, Dai Yueheng transformed into the phantom of a white tiger and charged toward Ning An with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks!

Facing that thunderous strike head-on, a sharp glint appeared in Ning An's eyes. He no longer merely dodged.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear martial soul silently possessed him, black fur-like patterns emerging over his skin as savage, tyrannical beast-type soul power erupted!

Two purple thousand-year soul rings and one hundred-year soul ring rose in sequence, pulsing with light!

"First Soul Skill! Furious Bear Roar!"

Roar—!

A deafening beastly roar suddenly exploded!

Invisible soundwave soul power swept across the entire arena, carrying an intimidating force as it instantly engulfed the charging Dai Yueheng!

Dai Yueheng's body abruptly stiffened in the midst of his high-speed charge. His mind buzzed and spun, and his momentum was forcibly cut off at once!

Stiffness, sluggishness, immobilized movement!

Ning An's gaze turned icy as soul power exploded beneath his feet!

"Second Soul Skill! Dark Gold Bear Stomp!"

The heavens seemed to split apart as a massive bear paw descended from above, aimed directly at Dai Yueheng.

Dai Yueheng broke free from the immobilization, anger and alarm flashing through his eyes. In that critical moment, he forcibly activated a soul skill!

"Fourth Soul Skill! White Tiger Meteor Shower!"

Brilliant white tiger-claw soul power blades instantly gathered across the sky, densely packed like falling stars. Carrying violent destructive force, they blasted toward the enormous paw!

The two great soul skills collided violently!

Rumble—!!

An earth-shaking explosion resounded throughout the entire venue!

A dazzling soul power storm exploded in an instant, and raging shockwaves swept in every direction!

The arena's bluestone shattered layer by layer, cracks spreading outward as broken stones and debris filled the air. The powerful aftershock directly sent both combatants flying at the same time!

The two figures were each blasted several meters through the air before landing firmly at the edges of opposite sides of the arena!

Dust billowed, and smoke filled the air!

The three talented examinees were completely dumbfounded, staring blankly at the scene on the arena with their minds utterly blank!

You're telling me he's a freshman just like us?

On one side of the arena, Dai Yueheng stood firmly, his breath rising and falling slightly. There was no longer the slightest trace of contempt in his eyes, replaced by deep solemnity and disbelief.

He lowered his head and glanced at his slightly numb arms, stormy waves churning in his heart.

In that exchange just now, he had actually been shaken until his blood and qi surged by a mere youth!

He finally understood that this youth's arrogance had never stemmed from ignorance or blind conceit. He truly possessed terrifying, heaven-defying strength!

After a long while, Dai Yueheng slowly raised his eyes and looked deeply at Ning An, whose white robes remained untainted by dust. His tone was complicated, carrying rare approval, yet still filled with the pride of an aristocratic prodigy:

"You're very strong."

"With three rings, you were able to fight me to this extent. You truly have the right to be arrogant."

Then his tone abruptly turned cold, filled with the confidence of absolute strength and suppression:

"But this is as far as you go."

"My fifth soul skill can easily subdue you."

The black ten-thousand-year soul ring around Dai Yueheng trembled faintly, and his terrifying pressure rose once more as it locked onto Ning An.

"Know your place and admit defeat immediately."