Questioning

"Second Soul Skill: Granite Rock!"

A layer of rock armor rapidly covered Yan's body!

Especially his crossed arms!

They were the first to condense their rock armor!

Flame patterns even ran across it!

It looked exceptionally defensive!

After taking the lead to condense the rock armor before himself.

Yan's expression visibly relaxed somewhat.

This was the Flame Lord martial soul he took the greatest pride in!

A martial soul that balanced both attack and defense!

The path he followed was the same!

Besides increasing attack power, his second soul skill also increased defense!

Even assault-type soul masters of the same realm found it difficult to break through his defense.

Let alone Li Zha before him!

He did not even have a soul ring, merely a soul scholar!

No matter how powerful his weapon martial soul was, it absolutely could not break through his defense.

Clang!

The next second, the piercing ring of metal echoed through the entire third floor of the archive!

Even the gray-robed teacher on the second floor suddenly looked up toward the ceiling.

"What was that sound?"

"Was it just my imagination?"

He was not quite sure.

Because none of the other students around him had looked up.

He shook his head and did not dwell on it.

At that moment!

On the third floor of the archive!

Boom!

The books on the surrounding shelves rustled and flipped amid the waves of energy that erupted when the Flaming-tipped Spear struck Yan's rock armor!

Quite a few had already been blown away!

The few students already on the third floor had initially held their tongues out of consideration for Hu Liena and Yan's status as core students.

They did not dare say anything.

But now.

They could no longer hold back.

"What are you two doing?! This is the archive! You actually dare to have a soul master duel here?!"

"You've gone mad! Even core students cannot be this unruly!"

Hu Liena even raised an arm to shield herself from the incoming heat wave.

She stared at Li Zha and Yan in shock.

"Li Zha! Yan! Both of you, stop!"

Her eyes were filled with both anger and alarm.

She had never expected Li Zha to suddenly attack Yan.

What she had not expected afterward was that even after Yan used his Second Soul Skill, Granite Rock.

He was still being suppressed by Li Zha's Flaming-tipped Spear!

There were even faint signs that his defense was about to be broken!

Although Yan had been unprepared at first!

Li Zha's move could barely count as a sneak attack.

But for a soul scholar to sneak-attack a great soul master!

And actually inflict effective damage?!

If she had not witnessed it herself, she would never have believed it no matter who told her.

"Damn it! What terrifying strength!"

Yan was forced back step by step!

He had been caught completely off guard from the outset.

Already at a disadvantage.

And his opponent had not held back at all.

The immense pressure kept forcing his feet backward.

Li Zha's expression was incomparably calm.

There was none of the excitement a soul scholar should have felt after driving back a great soul master.

Nor was there any anger or lingering fear after attacking Yan.

Only calmness!

It gave Yan a strange feeling the moment their eyes met.

As though he was not facing Li Zha.

Nor was he facing any of the other students from Spirit Hall Academy.

But a teacher!

That was right!

That gaze made him distinctly feel as though he were being instructed by a teacher from Spirit Hall Academy!

Remaining unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before him!

"Damn it!"

Thud!

After retreating a certain distance, Yan suddenly stomped backward.

Instantly steadying himself.

"Wipe that disdainful look off your face, brat!"

With a furious roar, another yellow soul ring rose from Yan's body!

"First Soul Skill: Hell Lava Charge!"

Boom!

His entire body was instantly enveloped in flames!

He became like a ball of fire!

And charged directly into the Flaming-tipped Spear before him!

"Sizzle—!"

The force of his explosive charge bent the shaft of the Flaming-tipped Spear in an instant!

Li Zha rapidly retreated.

He could not withstand that force.

Although his physical body was strong.

What was strongest was its resilience, not his strength!

Moreover, his opponent was a great soul master.

And older than him as well.

It was only natural that he could not endure it!

He could only use skillful force.

As Li Zha rapidly retreated, he swiftly made his judgment.

Yan was enveloped in flames as he laughed loudly.

"Brat! Today, I'll let you know why I, Yan, can become a core student of Spirit Hall Academy!"

"Charge!"

He roared and charged again.

When Li Zha reached the wall, both feet suddenly kicked off.

Planting themselves straight against the wall!

The Flaming-tipped Spear between them underwent violent deformation under the pressure from both sides once more!

Its entire shaft arched upward!

Yet there was no sign of it breaking at all!

Using the load-bearing wall behind him and the peerless Flaming-tipped Spear in his hands.

Li Zha actually forcefully withstood Yan's First Soul Skill!

The only thing making Li Zha struggle was his hands gripping the spear's shaft.

The terrifying pressure bore down on him, tearing the flesh of his palms.

But whenever a scrape split open.

Faint red and white light would quickly flow across his palms.

Undying Lotus Root!

His Undying Lotus Root body martial soul was constantly at work!

"Haha! You can't hold on any longer! Keep enduring, and not only will your Flaming-tipped Spear martial soul snap!

Your hands will be crippled too!"

Yan's eyes seemed to see victory.

"Enough!"

Hu Liena clenched her fists.

And shouted softly.

Then, soul rings appeared around her as well!

Two yellow soul rings emerged together!

"Second Soul Skill: Foxfire Command!"

She slightly spread her hands through the air.

Several clusters of pink foxfire instantly rose and floated upward!

"Go!"

At her sharp cry.

All the pink foxfire rushed toward Yan.

The instant they floated over, they passed directly through the somewhat shattered layer of rock armor around Yan.

Directly affecting Yan's mind!

This was how Hu Liena's soul skill attacked.

Compared to physical attacks.

Her attacks leaned more toward mental control!

Yan instantly felt dizzy.

For a moment, even the flames around his body became unstable and scattered outward.

"Oh no! The materials around us!"

Hu Liena's expression changed.

Because Yan's mind had suffered an impact, he could no longer fully control the flames around his body.

They began drifting wildly in every direction!

And most of this place was filled with books!

Just as Hu Liena was about to rush forward to put out the fire.

A light breeze brushed past her.

Her expression froze.

Wind?

From behind?

Before she could react.

Golden chrysanthemum petals entered her vision one after another.

Swaying gently as they fell.

The next second, every flame on Yan's body was extinguished.

The scattered books around them also swiftly spun and flew back onto the shelves where they had originally been, carried by a gentle gust of wind.

And Yan also came to his senses.

"Just now, I...!" Yan's pupils contracted as he remembered something.

He had nearly set the surroundings ablaze!

If he truly had, it would have been a grave offense!

This was the painstaking work of many teachers at Spirit Hall Academy!

"That's right. If not for me, you would already be kneeling before His Holiness the Pope and begging for forgiveness."

A soft, effeminate voice rang out.

Yan abruptly turned around.

Then his pupils contracted again, and he hurriedly dropped to one knee in salute.

"Senior Ju Douluo! Yan knows he was wrong!"

"Grandpa Ju!"

Hu Liena hurriedly bowed as well.

By then, Li Zha's hand had already gone limp.

The Flaming-tipped Spear dissipated.

The next second, a black shadow drifted past him.

Gui Mei emerged from it.

With one hand behind his back, he looked at Yan.

"Yan, what did you mean by attacking Li Zha, who is only a Soul Master, on the third floor of the archives?"

Yan froze and took half a step back.

"I... I attacked him?"

"Otherwise, are you saying Li Zha, a mere Soul Master, took the initiative to attack you, a Grand Soul Master?"

Yan opened his mouth. After a long while,

he nodded fiercely.

"That's right! He attacked me first!"