Battle Against Xie Xie

Seeing that Xiling still had not released his Martial Soul, Xie Xie frowned. Even a Soul Elder could not look down on him this much, could they?

The instant the word "Begin" fell, Xie Xie's body abruptly turned into a streak of light. His speed was astonishing as Soul Power burst beneath his feet, carrying him before Xiling in the blink of an eye.

The Light Dragon Dagger gleamed coldly as it stabbed straight toward Xiling's chest with a fierce gust of wind. His strike was swift and ruthless, fully displaying the speed advantage of an agility-attack Soul Master.

Even 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.

At the instant the blade was about to touch his clothes, an invisible force of space suddenly spread through the area.

Xie Xie felt the air before him abruptly freeze. It was as though a heavy barrier had tightly trapped his entire body, forcefully stopping his charge in place. No matter how he urged his Soul Power or struggled, his legs could not move forward even an inch.

His pupils suddenly constricted, his face filled with shock. He had no idea what method his opponent had used.

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

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

"Your speed is indeed impressive, but you are far too reckless."

"As an agility-attack Soul Master, you knew nothing about your opponent's Martial Soul traits or Soul Skills, yet you rashly attacked with all your strength. If you encounter a powerful enemy, you will only trap yourself in a desperate situation."

As his words fell, the restraint enveloping Xie Xie suddenly vanished.

With the restraint abruptly gone, Xie Xie could not contain his momentum. He staggered several steps back before barely steadying himself. The Light Dragon Dagger in his hand unconsciously drooped, and his face was full of disbelief.

In just a single thought, his all-out sneak attack had been effortlessly neutralized. His opponent had not even summoned his Martial Soul.

The gap between them was actually this enormous.

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

Xie Xie clenched his teeth. Though he was unwilling to accept it, he had recognized the chasm-like difference between them. Dejectedly putting away his Martial Soul, he let out a dispirited sigh.

"I admit defeat. Against you, even if I had used my first Soul Skill just now, it probably would not have made any difference."

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

Tang Wulin quickly walked over. Looking at the downcast Xie Xie and then at the composed Xiling, the shock in his heart would not settle for a long time.

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

They were both freshmen of the same class, yet the difference in their strength was truly daunting.

Xiling chuckled. He was not deliberately mocking him, merely speaking casually. "Your talent is not bad. Reaching level eighteen Soul Power at nine years old already puts you far ahead of many peers."

"You are simply too proud. If you settle down and cultivate from now on, you will improve quickly."

Upon hearing this, Xie Xie reined in his usual impetuousness and solemnly nodded, though his heart remained filled with mixed feelings.

He had always considered himself exceptionally talented, outstanding among those his age. Yet before Xiling, he had been so utterly powerless.

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 been stirred into even greater fighting spirit.

Xiling looked at him and a trace of approval flashed through his eyes. As expected of Xie Xie—he had not been discouraged by the blow.

After this incident, the three of them became much more familiar with one another. Once they had finished eating together, they each went back.

The next day.

Wu Zhangkong entered the classroom with his icy expression, his gaze sweeping over 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 into his pockets and led the way out of the classroom, heading straight for the training grounds.

Once everyone had arrived, Wu Zhangkong spoke coldly. "Stand in pairs."

Intimidated by his icy aura, the entire class quickly formed pairs and lined up neatly.

Seeing this, Wu Zhangkong continued, "Today's first lesson is to demonstrate your strength. You will soon engage in direct combat. I will serve as the referee. Single elimination. Let me see what you are capable of."

A female student timidly raised her hand. "Teacher Wu, I'm a support Soul Master. Do I have to fight too?"

Wu Zhangkong glanced at her and said coldly, "If you tell your enemy on the battlefield that you are a support Soul Master, will he not 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 became excited. Tang Wulin had sent him flying with one punch the day before yesterday, and he had been deeply dissatisfied ever since. Now, he could finally get his revenge.

"Great! Let's see whose strength is greater later, how about it?" Zhou Changxi said to Tang Wulin, his eyes shining.

Tang Wulin said nothing. 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 Martial Soul possessed him.

"First Soul Skill, Strength Amplification!"

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

With a bang, Zhou Changxi staggered 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 carried the Golden Dragon King Bloodline. Even though the bloodline had yet to awaken, Tang Wulin's strength was still far beyond what 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 shock.

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

"If a strength-type Martial Soul loses to its opponent in strength, there is 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 do that too? 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. Invisibly, the pressure on everyone else increased severalfold.

The next match was Xie Xie against Yun Xiao. Agility-attack against support—without any surprise, Xie Xie won.

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

Other than Xie Xie, no one stood out. He had not let Xiling participate. A Soul Elder fighting a group of students who had not even reached Soul Grandmaster rank would reveal nothing.

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

"Next match: Xie Xie versus Tang Wulin."

The moment he heard that he would be fighting Tang Wulin, Xie Xie became eager to give it a 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 was determined to wash away that humiliation.

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

Now that the two of them were fighting, would it awaken the Golden Dragon King Bloodline? Xiling was quite curious about that.