Earth Tiger Takes His Place, Soul King Executed

The moment the referee's arm dropped, Shi Wei moved.

The foundation of a five-ring Soul King was revealed in an instant.

Five soul rings rose from beneath his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black—the standard configuration of a Soul King.

The black glow of his fifth soul ring carried a deep, heavy gleam beneath the afternoon sun, instantly lifting the spirits of the spectators who had bet on Shi Wei.

"Iron-Palm Tyrant Bear, possess me!"

Shi Wei's body nearly doubled in size.

Grayish-brown bear fur covered his entire body, while his arms transformed into two absurdly thick bear paws. The keratin layer on their surfaces was so thick that it seemed like he was wearing a shell of iron.

He stomped on the arena floor, making the entire No. 2 arena tremble as cracks spread outward from beneath his feet.

"Kid, you'll regret this!"

Shi Wei roared, his massive body charging at Yun Tian like an oncoming mountain.

Empowered by his Soul King cultivation, his speed was astonishing. The five-step distance vanished in the blink of an eye, and his right palm, bolstered by the power of a black soul ring, came crashing down toward Yun Tian's head.

That strike carried enough force to send a Soul Ancestor of the same level flying straight out of the arena.

Yun Tian did not move from where he stood.

His first soul ring lit up.

Earth-yellow light surged up from beneath his feet as the Earth Tiger Armor covered his entire body in an instant.

The moment the brown tiger-head mask concealed his face, he stepped forward with his right foot and crossed his palms overhead.

Bang.

Shi Wei's iron palm struck Yun Tian's crossed arms, blasting out a visible ring of air.

Loose stones on the arena surface were scattered by the shockwave, and the spectators in the front rows instinctively raised their hands against the wind and dust rushing at them.

Once the dust settled, everyone saw it clearly.

Yun Tian stood where he was, without retreating even half a step.

A layer of earth-yellow light emerged over the armor on the Earth Tiger Armor's arms, channeling the full impact of Shi Wei's strike into the ground beneath his feet.

The arena floor under him had cracked, but his body remained utterly still, like a wedge driven ten feet into the earth.

Shi Wei's pupils contracted.

He had used seventy percent of his strength in that strike. Even among Soul Kings of the same rank, few could take it head-on while standing. Yet this four-ring Soul Ancestor kid had endured it without even changing expression?

Yun Tian's voice came from beneath the mask, cold and metallic. "Your bear paws aren't hard enough."

Before the words had even faded, he attacked.

His right foot slammed into the ground, and his second soul ring lit up.

The shockwave of Mountain Collapse and Earth Split exploded outward from him in every direction. The entire arena floor churned and shattered, sending stones flying half a person's height into the air.

Shi Wei's huge body swayed amid the violent shaking, his center of gravity shifting for a brief instant.

And Yun Tian seized that instant.

His body shot forward like a cannonball through the lingering tremors—Earth Tiger Leap.

Earth-yellow energy erupted from the armor on his legs, allowing him to execute an incomparably precise short-range burst across the stone-strewn arena.

In the blink of an eye, he had reached Shi Wei's side. The metal claw blades on his right hand condensed with dense earth-element light and swept diagonally upward.

"Earth-Rending Claw!"

Five earth-yellow claw strikes came at him point-blank. Shi Wei roared as he crossed his arms to block, using the hardened keratin on his iron palms to take the five slashes head-on.

The claw strikes cut more than half an inch into the keratin, leaving behind a neat row of deep gashes. Several tufts of brown bear fur were severed and drifted down through the air.

Shi Wei's expression changed.

This four-ring Soul Ancestor kid's attack power was at least a full tier higher than he had expected. If that claw strike had landed on an unprotected torso, it would definitely have drawn blood.

But he was, after all, a five-ring Soul King.

Having been forced back by a twelve-year-old boy for two consecutive moves stoked the fury of humiliation within him, and he finally let loose without restraint.

His fifth soul ring suddenly lit up. Black light enveloped his entire body as Shi Wei drew both arms together before his chest and violently thrust them forward. This was his strongest soul skill, Iron Palm Combo.

"Bear King Shock!!"

The shockwave from his combined palms spread forward in a fan shape, crushing the air along its path into visible ripples.

The move covered more than half the arena. Yun Tian had nowhere to dodge.

But Yun Tian had no intention of dodging.

He brought his hands together before him, and his fourth soul ring instantly lit up—Immovable Mountain.

The earth rumbled.

Centered on Yun Tian, broken stones and soil surged upward in an instant, condensing into the phantom of a mountain roughly twenty feet high that enveloped him.

Shi Wei's Iron Palm Combo struck the mountain's surface, detonating into a shower of stones, but Yun Tian at its core was not touched by even a single hair.

And the moment the mountain formed, Shi Wei's body suddenly sank.

Five times gravity came crushing down from above. His knees bent slightly, and the stone slabs beneath his feet shattered with a crack.

His body had already been massive and heavy. Now, under the crushing pressure of fivefold gravity, his movements slowed by far more than double.

"Wh-what kind of soul skill is this?!" Shi Wei gritted his teeth, trying to straighten his back.

Yun Tian gave him no time to catch his breath.

His third soul ring lit up immediately afterward—Thousand-Jun Returning Earth.

The ground within the mountain's range abruptly softened, turning into a bottomless swamp.

Shi Wei's legs sank down in that instant. Mud surged past his knees, wrapping around his calves and ankles.

The combined restraint of gravity and swamp turned this five-ring Soul King into a trapped beast nailed inside a pit. Though he possessed immense strength, he had nowhere to use it.

"You! Let me go!" Shi Wei roared, driving his soul power as he tried to break free from the mire.

Yun Tian had already raised his right hand high. The earth-element light on the Earth Tiger Claw condensed to its limit.

He looked down at the five-ring Soul King struggling in the swamp, his voice beneath the mask calm as still water.

"You lost."

The Earth-Rending Claw came down at full force.

Five solid earth-yellow claw strikes, nearly tangible in form, tore through the air and precisely slashed into the weak point of Shi Wei's iron-palm defense over his chest.

The keratin layer was ripped open in five bone-deep gashes. Shi Wei let out a muffled groan as the defense of his arms was broken head-on. He staggered several steps backward through the swamp before his knees gave way, dropping him to one knee.

The referee froze for a moment before raising his hand. "Earth Tiger Yun Tian wins!"

The stands fell deathly silent.

Then an explosive roar swept through the entire spirit arena.

"He won?! A four-ring Soul Ancestor beat a five-ring Soul King?!"

"Holy shit, those are thousand-year soul rings? All four are purple?! His fourth soul skill straight-up made a mountain!"

"Iron-Palm Tyrant Bear knelt! That kid's still standing there without even breathing hard!"

"My money! I bet three hundred gold soul coins on Shi Wei! It's all gone!"

"I bet a hundred on Earth Tiger! I should've bet more!"

Some spectators in the stands beat their chests in despair, while others beamed with delight. The area around No. 2 arena became a boiling sea of excitement.

Among the Shrek group, Ma Hongjun was the first to leap out of his chair. He raised a fist and shouted, "He won! Brother Yun won! We're rich, we're rich!"

Oscar threw an arm around Ma Hongjun's shoulders, his voice going shrill with excitement. "A hundred thousand turned into four hundred thousand! Ning Rongrong, you've struck it rich!"

Ning Rongrong fanned herself so quickly that her little fan looked like a windmill, her almond eyes shining. "As expected, this young lady's judgment was flawless! Hahaha!"

Tang San stood amid the crowd, the corner of his lips curling slightly.

Though he had not wagered much, the significance of this battle far exceeded the outcome of the bet. Yun Tian, a four-ring Soul Ancestor, had crushed a Soul King head-on. That record alone was enough to make the name Earth Tiger famous throughout Soto City overnight.

Xiao Wu clapped and jumped beside him, shouting until her voice went hoarse.

Zhao Wuji grinned so broadly that his mouth would not close, while Flander pushed up his glasses, the wrinkles on his old face blooming with laughter.

On the arena, Yun Tian released his armor possession. The earth-yellow light faded away, revealing his still-calm face.

He glanced at Shi Wei, kneeling across from him, then extended a hand. "You let me win."

Shi Wei panted heavily and raised his enormous bear-paw hand. After hesitating for a moment, he grasped the hand offered to him.

Using Yun Tian's support, he stood. The wounds on his iron palms still seeped blood, but the disdain and anger had vanished from his rugged face, replaced by an awkward sort of acceptance.

"You kid... you're really something. I, Shi Wei, have fought in spirit battles for twelve years, and this is the first time I've lost to a child."

Yun Tian smiled. "There are many people stronger than me. I just performed well today."

Shi Wei stared blankly for a second, then burst into hearty laughter that seemed to shake the whole arena. "Hahaha, good kid! Neither arrogant nor rash! If you come to Soto City to fight spirit battles again, I, Shi Wei, will be there as your spectator!"

The cheers from the stands continued. The lights of the spirit arena shone upon Yun Tian, stretching his not-yet-tall figure long and steady.

From this day onward, Soto City remembered two names.

Shrek.

And Earth Tiger.