"I'm busy at noon. Whatever it is, just say it. It's not like you can't say it."
Jiang Yan frowned slightly, his tone calm.
Even if Xie Xie resembled Wang Dong in some ways, this inexplicable turn of events was still completely unnecessary!
"Exactly!"
"Hey, you. Xie-whatever."
"What do you want with our boss?"
"If you've got something to say, spit it out. Why drag your feet?"
Wei Xiaofeng couldn't stand it anymore. He slapped the desk. Even if your name were Xie Buried, you still couldn't act up in front of the boss!
"No, I'm not trying anything. I just heard you were strong, and I got curious."
Xie Xie seemed to realize his words had come out wrong. He hurriedly waved his hands and spoke in a fluster.
"Jiang Yan, I'll be direct."
"My father said you're a top genius with a dragon-type Martial Soul. Let me introduce myself. My Martial Souls aren't ordinary daggers, but twin daggers of light dragon and shadow dragon."
"I have Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power. I'm also a genius Eastsea City hasn't seen in a hundred years. I want to—"
"Challenge you!"
With Jiang Yan's oppressive presence bearing down on him, Xie Xie felt the pressure double with every sentence. Hesitation flashed through his emerald eyes, but he still forced it all out in one breath.
He had come to challenge this powerful dragon-type Soul Master.
So what if Jiang Yan was the Holy Dragon King?
Jiang Yan would fall to him, Xie Xie!
"What? Challenge the boss?"
Wei Xiaofeng and the other two stared wide-eyed. They didn't even have time to dwell on the fact that Xie Xie's two daggers were Twin Martial Souls.
The sight of Jiang Yan releasing his Martial Soul still seemed vivid in their minds.
That Martial Soul, that presence—one glance had been enough to leave them trembling. Could anyone really...
Defeat him?
For a moment, the three stared blankly at Xie Xie, unsure whether to admire his courage or scorn his stupidity. In the end, anticipation swallowed every other thought.
At least they knew that if Jiang Yan agreed... they would get to see their boss fight today!
"Challenge me...?"
"So that's what you want."
Jiang Yan paused, then smiled. He hadn't expected that request from Xie Xie. Xie Xie, oh, Xie Xie...
Were you always this bold?
In the original story, he had taken two little daggers against those with the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King Bloodline. And now he wanted to fight Jiang Yan too?
Give him two daggers and he was ready to take on the Dragon God?
Interesting.
As he pondered, the system's voice thundered through his mind once more:
[Growth Mission: First in the Grade] [During your everyday life at the academy, you face a challenge from Xie Xie: a genius Eastsea City hasn't seen in a hundred years, wielder of Twin Martial Souls, one of the academy's top talents, a future member of the Shrek Seven Monsters, and the boy with two daggers.] [Defeat him and show him who the number one genius really is!] [Mission Reward: Faster improvement in areas other than Soul Power Level while attending the academy (such as mental strength); one million Federation Coins]
Looks like I have to give him a beating.
With the system assigning a mission, Jiang Yan, who hadn't intended to refuse anyway, had even less reason to turn it down. Who wouldn't want a free boost to their progress?
He returned to himself and smiled amiably at Xie Xie, a deeper meaning flickering in his eyes. In that case...
Thanks for coming to deliver my reward.
"I accept your challenge," Jiang Yan said.
"Great! Then let's meet at East Sea Park after school. How does that sound—"
Xie Xie's eyes lit up. He was smiling as he tried to set a time, but Jiang Yan had already shaken his head.
"No need. Let's do it now."
"R-right now?"
Xie Xie looked confused. At first he thought Jiang Yan meant here in the classroom. He glanced around at all their classmates, hesitant to speak. Fighting here didn't seem like a great idea.
"Not here. On the training ground. One break is more than enough for us to spar."
Jiang Yan shook his head and pointed out the window, where an arena on the training ground stood in plain view.
For a spar between the two of them, even one minute would be more than enough.
Since Xie Xie had dared challenge him, Jiang Yan would show this "East Sea's number one genius" what a real genius looked like.
Eastsea Academy encouraged students to spar. It had dedicated arenas on the training ground for students and teachers to practice combat.
After all, battle came first on the path of a Soul Master, and sparring with others was naturally essential.
Jiang Yan and Xie Xie soon arrived at an arena and stood facing each other. Below it, a crowd gradually gathered.
Thanks to the teachers spreading word, Jiang Yan's name had become well known among the students the day before. Even though it was only a short break between classes, people came in droves.
Countless students gave up their chance to nap and headed to the training ground, all to watch the "battle for East Sea's number one genius."
"That's Jiang Yan? A first-year junior academy student who's already a Soul Master? Damn, he's pretty handsome too!"
"And it's not just that he's a Soul Master. With a Martial Soul like that, I'd believe you if you told me he was a Soul Emperor!"
"But what's that guy across from him supposed to be? Is he cosplaying a wandering swordsman with two little knives?"
Spectators gathered from every year, including senior students. Mu Xi from the intermediate division had also come.
"Go, little brother Jiang Yan!"
She quietly slipped to the front and watched the unruffled boy with anticipation. She wouldn't have cared if it were anyone else, but since it was little brother Jiang Yan, she had to watch closely.
"I don't get it."
"How does he even dare?"
Beneath the arena, Wang Jinxi, one of the first to arrive and usually a man of few words, couldn't help speaking up in astonishment.
Their boss and Xie Xie only had to release their Martial Souls for the winner to become obvious.
Both were Soul Masters with a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, but the presence each displayed was worlds apart—
The moment Jiang Yan released his Dragon God Martial Soul, the enormous dragon wrapped in nine-colored energy filled the entire space with the forces of oppression, destruction, and the elements.
The Dragon God's power swept across the arena with the might of a heavenly deity. Different elemental forces flashed and mingled through the air, drawing the weight of heaven and earth toward Jiang Yan.
How could this be the power of a Soul Master? Every teacher and student passing by was drawn to the sight.
If they hadn't known it was a spar, they might have thought they were watching a small-scale annihilation of heaven and earth.
Jiang Yan's display showed the full brilliance of a young genius Soul Master. As for Xie Xie...
A golden Soul Ring shone beneath his feet. It was a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, but beyond that...
There was nothing else worth noting.
He gripped two golden daggers, which looked short and feeble and, in truth, weren't the least bit formidable.
As a tool-type Soul Master, releasing his Martial Souls merely summoned his daggers. He held the two golden weapons tight, and they looked short and feeble because, frankly, they weren't the least bit formidable.
Daggers were daggers. How much could dragon blood enhance them? Especially now...
Set against Jiang Yan's overwhelming presence, Xie Xie's excessively "holy" Martial Souls looked even more like child's play.
"Does Xie Xie have a death wish?"
Wang Jinxi drew a deep breath. He possessed a dragon-type Martial Soul himself and knew all too well what it felt like to be suppressed by their boss.
If even he felt that way, Xie Xie's Martial Souls were only weapons with dragon attributes. Wouldn't he be beaten into mincemeat?
Xie Xie himself was anything but calm.
"Nobody told me..."
"The gap between a dragon and dragon daggers was this big."
His expression stayed steady, but his legs were already trembling beneath him. He gritted his teeth.
Looking at Jiang Yan, who somehow managed to be handsome, strong, fierce, and cool all at once, a thought crept into his mind: maybe he didn't need to be this so-called genius after all.
Was Jiang Yan really someone he could defeat?
"Xie Xie."
"You make the first move."
Jiang Yan saw how nervous he was and spoke with a smile.
"All right—"
Xie Xie nodded. The arrow was already on the string and had to be loosed. However afraid he was, it was time to fight.
He wasn't a coward!
In an instant, his first Soul Ring blazed with light. Both daggers flared more fiercely as he charged straight at Jiang Yan.
It was his first Soul Skill, Light Dragon Blade. It strengthened his Martial Soul and briefly increased his movement speed, allowing him to launch a surprise attack.
It was also his strongest Soul Skill and his main means of dealing damage as an agility-type Soul Master.
Jiang Yan did nothing. The instant the Dragon God's power radiated from him, Xie Xie's confident first Soul Skill lost most of its strength, its energy melting away like cream.
The Dragon God Martial Soul stood so far above others that it could casually suppress even a True Dragon Martial Soul, let alone...
One little Light Dragon Dagger.
"My Soul Skill...?"
Xie Xie froze. Watching his Soul Skill dissipate like that, his expression changed at once. He hadn't even seen Jiang Yan make a move, yet his skill was gone.
How the hell was he supposed to fight?
"First Soul Skill, Shadow Dragon Blade!"
Xie Xie gave a cold snort. An unseen glimmer seemed to pass over his dagger as he quietly switched Martial Souls: Shadow Dragon Dagger!
The first Soul Skill of his Second Martial Soul, Shadow Dragon Blade! It greatly increased his movement and attack speed, making it perfect for closing in while steadily breaking through defenses.
"Flexible as the Wind."
Jiang Yan caught the small movement.
Before Xie Xie could reach him, he merely raised a hand. A slender current of wind burst forth, gentle yet tenacious. In half a second, it swallowed the power of Shadow Dragon Blade whole.
Xie Xie himself was swept off his feet and knocked to the ground, looking thoroughly pitiful.
"The power of wind?"
Xie Xie stared in shock. No matter how he looked at that Martial Soul, it shouldn't have had anything to do with wind!
"You've used both your Martial Souls and their Soul Skills."
"In that case, next..."
"It's my turn."
Jiang Yan smiled. If he was going to put Xie Xie in his place, he would do it properly. The story's second male lead deserved that much respect.
The Soul Ring beneath his feet glowed brilliantly with faint multicolored light. The Dragon God's aura suddenly took shape.
"First Soul Skill, Dominating the World!"
Golden light burst into Jiang Yan's eyes.
The Dragon God's power erupted behind him. Its terrifying presence, belonging to the creator of all beasts, enveloped the entire academy.
Martial Souls had begun with Soul Beasts, and the ancestor of Soul Beasts was the Dragon God. Naturally, the Dragon God's suppression reigned supreme beneath the heavens.
Everyone in the academy shuddered beneath Jiang Yan's vast presence. And Xie Xie, who stood closest...
Had already collapsed to the ground, trembling.
The two daggers in his hands had vanished, forcibly withdrawn under the overwhelming suppression of his Martial Souls.
Xie Xie looked up at Jiang Yan standing above him, fear in his eyes and bitter regret in his heart.
Challenging Jiang Yan...
He didn't want to anymore. Not at all!
[Congratulations, host! Achievement unlocked: First in the Grade] [Rewards issued automatically: Increased growth rate for all training other than Soul Power while attending the academy; one million Federation Coins]
The system's voice quietly sounded. Jiang Yan paid it little mind and simply looked at Xie Xie before speaking evenly.
"The outcome is decided."
"You're no match for me."
His voice was calm.
"I..."
"I know."
Xie Xie rose unsteadily, nodding like a chicken pecking at rice. As he looked at the boy roughly his own age, the notion that they were close in strength vanished from his mind completely.
All that remained was boundless fear and reverence.
A Martial Soul like that might well be the greatest under heaven!
As for his own "strongest Martial Souls," those two daggers were nothing but the final fantasy of a frog at the bottom of a well.
"Let's go back."
"We still have class."
Jiang Yan glanced at him and, seeing that the suppression hadn't caused him any serious harm, turned away.
Jiang Yan hadn't even attacked. If the most basic pressure had left Xie Xie unable to speak, he would have been far too weak.
Fortunately, Xie Xie was still Xie Xie.
"You three, stop standing there."
"It's time to get back to class."
Jiang Yan swept his gaze over Wei Xiaofeng and the other two and spoke.
"Got it, Boss!"
The three of them looked like devoted little fans, answering respectfully as they hurried to keep up with him.
"Um, wait a moment!"
Behind them came Xie Xie's cool voice.
"What, you won't even let our boss leave?"
Zhang Yangzi turned around, his expression cold.
"Yangzi, let's hear what he has to say."
Jiang Yan shook his head and looked toward Xie Xie.
"No, that's not it. I wasn't trying to stop you from going back."
"What I wanted to ask was..."
"Can I call you Boss too?"
Embarrassment showed on Xie Xie's face as he looked at Jiang Yan, hopeful yet nervous, and asked softly.
A boss this powerful...
Could he call him that too?
"Oh?"
"So you want to join us too."
At that, before Jiang Yan could speak, Wei Xiaofeng—the liveliest of the group—lit up.
"Boss, Boss, this kid's really talented too. Why not let him join us? Then we'd be the East Sea F5."
"How about we take him in?"
He looked expectantly at Jiang Yan as he asked.
"..."
PS 1: What? Pass it on: they're going to take Xie Xie in.
PS 2: This chapter is 4,000 words! Call me Changbai Mountain! There's another chapter coming. Please vote with your monthly and recommendation tickets!!!
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