"Kid, what are you doing?"
Below the arena, Xie Yue stared at Chu Hao's right hand, two fingers together and wreathed in a faint crimson sword aura. His expression changed drastically.
Was he going to kill Yan?
He absolutely wouldn't let his good brother die right in front of him.
To save him, Xie Yue ignored the arena's rules, summoned his Martial Soul, and leaped up, hurling the Moon Blade in his hand.
Chu Hao suddenly sensed danger. He glanced over and, seeing the Moon Blade hurtling toward him, casually swept his joined fingers to the side. A streak of killing sword energy shot out and knocked it away.
Taking advantage of that brief opening, Xie Yue rescued Yan and carried him aside.
That showed just how fast Xie Yue was.
"Nana, take Yan and get his injuries treated."
Xie Yue caught the returning Moon Blade, gathered his Soul Power, and passed Yan to Hu Liena. Then he met Chu Hao's gaze.
Yan's defeat hadn't made him lose heart. If anything, it had made him a little more rash.
"Brother, don't do anything reckless. I'll be right back."
Hu Liena took Yan and glanced worriedly at Chu Hao and Xie Yue before helping Yan out of the fighting arena.
She was worried the two of them would fight, but Yan's safety mattered more.
Yet as soon as she left the arena, Yue Guan appeared.
"Liena, leave Yan to me."
Yue Guan gave Hu Liena a slight bow, then took Yan into his arms.
After seeing Yan's performance, Yue Guan had taken a liking to the boy, who refused to admit defeat and was determined to win.
That temperament suited his tastes.
Since he'd missed out on taking Chu Hao as his disciple, he might as well take Yan instead and satisfy his urge to have a student. The boy had decent potential, anyway.
"Thank you, Elder Ju."
Hu Liena thanked him gratefully, then turned and hurried back to the fighting arena.
"Are you planning to accept my challenge?" Chu Hao asked coldly.
"Why wouldn't I?" Xie Yue replied just as coldly.
"Fine!"
"Then take this!"
Chu Hao wasn't one to waste words. He attacked at once.
His joined fingers turned, and ten thousand sword rays surged into view once more.
Everyone present stared at them, their eyes filled with even greater fear.
Good grief!
Was this kid's Soul Power endless?
Didn't each sword ray need Soul Power to sustain it?
Just how high was his Soul Power?
Could he be a Soul King?
Good heavens!
A Soul King this young? That was unbelievable.
"Child's play!"
Xie Yue looked at the hovering sword rays and laughed coldly.
He'd already seen through the trick behind Chu Hao's move while watching from below the arena.
It looked terrifying, but each sword ray wasn't very powerful. There were simply a lot of them.
They'd be troublesome to deal with, but not impossible to break.
"Oh, really?"
Seeing how confident he was, Chu Hao sneered. He pointed with his joined fingers, and the ten thousand sword rays shot straight toward Xie Yue.
"Just what I wanted!"
Xie Yue's cold eyes lit up as he watched the incoming sword rays. His first and second Yellow Soul Rings flashed.
At once, his Moon Blade Martial Soul began circling around him, gradually extending outward.
In moments, a circular blade aura formed around him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The ten thousand sword rays struck the blade aura, ringing out with crisp impacts.
Just as Xie Yue had expected, the sword rays were numerous, but their power was weak.
But just as he was about to shatter them all at once, the sword rays abruptly changed direction and surged skyward. Before everyone's eyes, they gathered into a colossal sword.
Everyone present was left utterly dumbfounded.
Holy crap!
It could do that?
That was practically cheating.
If there wasn't enough power, just concentrate it.
No one could withstand that.
"Break!"
The instant the giant sword took shape, Chu Hao gave a cold shout. The sword formed from ten thousand sword rays cleaved down through the air.
Xie Yue was stunned. He hurriedly dodged.
Even Yan had needed to fight with all his might to withstand that strike. How could Xie Yue possibly block it?
Seeing Xie Yue dodge, Chu Hao's lips curled slightly, as if to say, You fell for it.
In truth, this move was all show.
He was simply using fear to manipulate his opponent.
He hadn't expected Xie Yue to really fall for it.
"Scatter!"
Seeing that Xie Yue had already dodged beyond the giant sword's range, Chu Hao changed his sword spell. The giant sword transformed into countless solid blades, surrounding Xie Yue.
Against an attack-focused Soul Master like Xie Yue, whose attacks were so straightforward, this was all too easy.
All Chu Hao had to do was make him afraid to meet force with force. Then he'd win.
Xie Yue's expression changed as he looked at the blades formed from sword rays all around him.
He hadn't expected Chu Hao's skills to be so refined, his techniques so varied and masterful that he'd been left not a single chance.
Though these blades weren't as powerful as the giant sword, the keen aura radiating from each one was enough to show they were no ordinary weapons.
Perhaps he could deal with a few of them right away.
But dealing with the dozens of blades in front of him all at once was nearly impossible.
If even one blade broke through his defenses, or he failed to dodge and took a direct hit, he'd be seriously injured at the very least.
Chu Hao's brilliant techniques had caught him completely off guard. He had no idea how to handle them.
"Stop! You two, don't fight!"
Just as Xie Yue was at a loss over how to escape his predicament, Hu Liena returned. She leaped straight onto the arena, trying to stop a tragedy from happening.
"Nana, get down! This isn't something you can get involved in."
Xie Yue grew anxious when he saw Hu Liena up there.
This kid was ruthless. What if he accidentally injured you?
Hu Liena gave Xie Yue a worried glance, then slowly walked in front of Chu Hao.
"Chu Hao, stop! He's my brother. You can't do this to him."
Hu Liena pleaded with a hint of force in her voice, her eyes full of entreaty.
In her eyes, her brother was the only family she could rely on, and her greatest support. No one could hurt him.
If Chu Hao insisted on hurting Xie Yue, she'd rather fight him herself.
Even knowing she wasn't his match, she wouldn't hesitate.
"What are you to me that you think you can order me around?"
"Get out of my way!"
Hu Liena's stubbornness moved Chu Hao somewhat. He even felt a little sympathy for her.
He had a younger sister too, and he understood what family meant.
The bond between Hu Liena and Xie Yue was so strong they'd lay down their lives for each other. It was rare and worthy of his respect.
But so what?
Chu Hao wasn't a philanthropist, much less a good-hearted man.
He was just an ordinary person who wanted to grow stronger quickly, rescue his younger sister, and keep people from bullying him.
Once he'd made up his mind, no one could stop him.
Everything that had happened today was Hu Liena's doing.
Since she'd started this, she'd have to pay the price.
Otherwise, anyone could walk all over him. How could he ever make a place for himself in Spirit Hall?
No matter what, today he had to make a name for himself through fear and carve out a smooth path in Spirit Hall.
"Y-you're really so heartless?"
Hu Liena's heart ached at Chu Hao's words.
Why are you treating me like this?
Wasn't I good to you?
"Heh. Heartless?"
"From the moment you started making fun of me, did you ever think this would happen?"
Chu Hao had always been sharp-eyed. How could he not have seen that Hu Liena had been teasing him and making fun of him earlier?
He, Chu Hao, didn't have a taste for being a pushover.
If you wanted to play, then he'd play along to the very end.
Before you continue