Duel with Xie Xie

Seeing that Xiling still had not released his martial soul, Xie Xie frowned. Even a Soul Elder should not look down on him like this.

As the word "Begin" fell, Xie Xie's figure abruptly became a streak of light. He was astonishingly fast, Soul Power erupting beneath his feet as he closed in on Xiling in an instant.

The Light Dragon Dagger flashed with cold light as it stabbed straight at Xiling's chest with a fierce gust of wind. His strike was swift and ruthless, fully displaying the speed advantage of an agility attack-type soul master.

Tang Wulin, watching from the sidelines, could not help holding his breath as he secretly marveled at Xie Xie's speed.

Yet in the face of the oncoming assault, Xiling remained calm, not even lifting his eyelids.

Just as the blade was about to touch his clothes, an invisible force of space suddenly spread out.

Xie Xie only felt the air before him abruptly stagnate, as though a heavy barrier had firmly trapped his entire body. His charging figure was forcibly halted in place. No matter how he urged his Soul Power and struggled, his legs could not move forward even an inch.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and his face was full of shock. He had no idea what method his opponent had used.

"Th-this... what kind of power is this?"

Xiling slowly straightened up, looking calmly at the immobilized Xie Xie as he patted him on the shoulder.

"Your speed is indeed good, but you're too reckless."

"As an agility attack-type soul master, you know nothing about your opponent's martial soul traits or soul skill abilities, yet you rashly launch an all-out attack. Once you encounter a powerful enemy, you'll only trap yourself in a desperate situation."

As his words fell, the restraint surrounding Xie Xie abruptly vanished.

With the restraint suddenly gone, Xie Xie could not rein in his momentum. He staggered several steps back before barely steadying himself. The Light Dragon Dagger in his hand lowered unconsciously, his face filled with disbelief.

In just a single thought, his full-force surprise attack had been easily neutralized. His opponent had not even summoned his martial soul.

The gap was actually this vast.

Xiling slowly walked over to him, his gaze calm. "Do you still want to continue?"

Xie Xie clenched his teeth. Though he was deeply unwilling, he recognized the chasm-like gap between them. He dejectedly put away his martial soul and let out a dispirited sigh.

"I concede. Against you, even if I had used my first soul skill just now, it probably wouldn't have made any difference."

He had originally been full of pride and eager to compete, but only now did he understand just how terrifying Xiling's strength was. Was this really the strength a three-ring Soul Elder should possess?

Tang Wulin hurried over from the side. Looking at the downcast Xie Xie, then at the calm and composed Xiling, the shock in his heart refused to subside for a long time.

He had fought Xie Xie before and knew exactly how strong he was, which was why he was so stunned.

They were all freshmen from the same class, yet the gap in their strength was truly daunting.

Xiling gave a soft laugh. He did not deliberately mock him, merely speaking casually. "Your talent isn't bad. Reaching rank eighteen Soul Power at nine years old already puts you far ahead of many children your age."

"You're just too proud. If you settle down and cultivate seriously from now on, you'll improve quickly."

Hearing this, Xie Xie reined in his usual restlessness and solemnly nodded, though his heart was still full of mixed feelings.

He had always considered himself exceptionally talented, one of the best among his peers. Yet before Xiling, he had been so utterly helpless.

However, the dejection in his eyes soon gradually turned into an unyielding determination. He raised his head to look at Xiling, his tone especially serious.

"I'll remember this! One day, I'll surpass you!"

The competitive spirit and stubbornness in the boy's bones were fully revealed at that moment. Rather than being crushed by the setback, he had instead been spurred to fight even harder.

Seeing him like this, a trace of approval flashed in Xiling's eyes. It had to be said, he truly was Xie Xie. He had not been discouraged by the blow.

After this incident, the three of them became much more familiar with one another. After eating together, they returned home separately.

The next day.

Wu Zhangkong entered the classroom with his icy expression, his gaze sweeping across the students. "Starting today, classes officially begin. I will be teaching most of your courses."

"Everyone, get up and follow me!" With that, Wu Zhangkong put his hands in his pockets, left the classroom first, and headed straight for the field.

Once everyone had gathered, Wu Zhangkong spoke with a stern expression. "Stand in pairs, two per row."

Intimidated by his chilling presence, the entire class quickly formed pairs and lined up neatly.

Seeing this, Wu Zhangkong continued, "Today's first class is to demonstrate your strength. You'll be engaging in actual combat shortly. I'll serve as the referee. Single-elimination matches. Let me see what you can do."

A female student timidly raised her hand. "Teacher Wu, I'm a support-type soul master. Do I have to fight too?"

Wu Zhangkong glanced at her and said coldly, "On the battlefield, if you tell your enemy that you're a support-type soul master, will he stop trying to kill you?"

"The first group, get ready. We'll start from your side." He raised a hand and pointed toward Tang Wulin and Zhou Changxi.

Zhou Changxi immediately grew excited. Tang Wulin's punch had sent him flying two days ago, and he had been extremely unwilling to accept it. Now, he could finally get revenge.

"Great! Later, let's see who's stronger, alright?" Zhou Changxi said to Tang Wulin, his eyes shining.

Tang Wulin did not say anything. Wu Zhangkong directed the students to spread out around them, forming a circle.

"Begin. There are no rules. Defeat your opponent by any means necessary." After Wu Zhangkong announced the rules to everyone, the match officially began.

Zhou Changxi widened his eyes and let out a roar as the Great Strength Divine Ape possessed him.

"First soul skill, Strength Amplification!"

Zhou Changxi swung his fists and charged toward Tang Wulin in great strides. Tang Wulin refused to yield, throwing both fists forward as he met the attack head-on.

With a bang, Zhou Changxi stumbled several steps back before barely stabilizing himself.

"How is this possible?!" He gritted his teeth, summoned all his strength, and threw another punch.

But he was facing Tang Wulin, who bore the Golden Dragon King Bloodline. Even though the bloodline had not yet awakened, Tang Wulin's strength was still far beyond anything Zhou Changxi could contend with.

After a loud boom, Zhou Changxi was sent crashing to the ground. He sat there blankly, his face full of confusion and astonishment.

"Stop!" Wu Zhangkong shouted coldly, pointing at Zhou Changxi. "You, eliminated!"

"If a strength-type martial soul loses to its opponent in terms of strength, there's no need to continue fighting."

"And you, why didn't you use your martial soul?" Wu Zhangkong looked at Tang Wulin.

"He said he wanted to compare strength with me," Tang Wulin replied.

"If he told you to eat shit, would you eat it? Don't you know that even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit? Next match."

The loser was eliminated, while the winner got scolded. Unseen pressure mounted on everyone else.

The next match was Xie Xie against Yun Xiao. Agility attack versus support; unsurprisingly, Xie Xie won.

As match after match concluded, Wu Zhangkong's frown deepened. He had expected Class Five's physical fitness to be poor, but he had not expected it to be this poor.

Other than Xie Xie, not a single student stood out. He had not made Xiling participate. A Soul Elder fighting a group of students who had not even reached Soul Grandmaster would reveal nothing.

In the end, only Xiling, Tang Wulin, and Xie Xie remained in the field without being eliminated.

"Next match: Xie Xie versus Tang Wulin."

Upon hearing that he would be fighting Tang Wulin, Xie Xie became eager to try. He had not forgotten the humiliation of being sent flying by Tang Wulin, but he had never found a good opportunity to settle the score.

Now that they were facing each other, he would definitely wash away that humiliation.

Xiling, who had silently been watching the show, also turned his gaze toward them. Because of his presence, Tang Wulin and Xie Xie had not fought at Eastsea Park, so Tang Wulin's Golden Dragon King Bloodline had not been stimulated.

Now that the two of them were going to fight, would it stimulate the Golden Dragon King Bloodline? Xiling was quite curious about that.