Sparring

After the soul power control class came basic combat.

This was Lu Mingfei's most dreaded class, but today, combat instructor Jin Hu did not start fighting right away as usual. Instead, he had everyone pair up for sparring practice.

Lu Mingfei looked around. He had originally wanted to partner with Chen Xiaolu, but Wang Teng got there first. His tall body cast a shadow that completely enveloped Lu Mingfei.

"You're Lu Mingfei?"

Wang Teng looked down at him. His voice was not loud, but he deliberately made sure everyone nearby could hear him.

"I need a sparring partner. You're with me."

Lu Mingfei looked up at him.

Wang Teng was a full two heads taller than him, built like a wall, with obvious provocation in his eyes. Several trainees nearby stopped what they were doing, waiting to enjoy the show.

Chen Xiaolu stamped his feet anxiously from not far away, frantically signaling Lu Mingfei to refuse.

Lu Mingfei was silent for two seconds, then smiled. "Sure. It's my honor to receive Senior Brother Wang's guidance."

Wang Teng raised his brows, clearly not expecting Lu Mingfei to agree so readily.

The few taunts he had prepared suddenly had nowhere to go. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by a combative gleam.

He walked to an open space in the center of the training ground and beckoned to Lu Mingfei. "Come on. Let me see how good this genius with innate level twenty soul power really is at fighting."

Instructor Jin Hu stood to one side with his arms folded, watching the scene without stopping it.

Those were the rules of the beginner camp. As long as no one was beaten to death or crippled during sparring practice, it was allowed.

Conflicts between trainees could sometimes help people grow more than an instructor's lessons.

Jin Hu merely gave a casual reminder. "Stop before it goes too far. Don't lose any lives."

Lu Mingfei walked to stand opposite Wang Teng and took a deep breath.

He knew exactly how large the gap between himself and Wang Teng was.

Wang Teng was already a Great Soul Master, with the support of two soul rings. His physical condition, speed, strength, soul power output, and everything else surpassed Lu Mingfei's.

The only things Lu Mingfei could rely on were the Black Dragon King martial soul's special attributes and his fairly agile mind.

"Begin," Jin Hu ordered.

"Giant Elephant Possession!"

Wang Teng shouted as he released his martial soul. It was a giant elephant, and two yellow soul rings rose from beneath his feet.

Wang Teng stepped forward hard, charging like a tiger unleashed from its cage. His right fist, wrapped in yellow soul power, blasted straight toward Lu Mingfei's face.

That punch tore through the air with a howling whistle, heavy and powerful. If it landed cleanly, Lu Mingfei's nose bridge would probably shatter.

Lu Mingfei did not take it head-on.

His advantage was his agility, something he had developed through the past few days of physical training.

He dodged a step to the left, narrowly avoiding the punch, while sweeping his right leg toward Wang Teng's shin.

Wang Teng sneered and raised an arm to block. Lu Mingfei's shin struck his forearm as if he had kicked an iron plate, numbing his entire leg.

"Too weak."

Wang Teng's first blow missed, and he immediately followed with an elbow strike.

Lu Mingfei had no time to dodge. He could only cross his arms in front of his chest, but the elbow sent him flying backward. He rolled twice across the ground before coming to a stop.

His arms hurt as though they were about to break. The web between his thumb and forefinger had split, blood seeping out.

Wang Teng did not pursue him. He stood where he was and looked down at him, wearing a victor's smile. "So this is all a genius amounts to? What's so special about innate level twenty soul power? Without soul rings, you're just a paper tiger."

A few mocking laughs sounded from the crowd.

Lu Mingfei climbed to his feet, dusted himself off, and looked down at his right hand.

The Black Dragon King tattoo grew faintly hot, as though responding to his anger.

He knew Wang Teng had held back on that last blow. Otherwise, with the strength of a Great Soul Master, that elbow could have broken his bones.

Even so, the pain was still real and sharp, like fire burning through his bones.

He raised his head, met Wang Teng's eyes, and slowly said, "Senior Brother Wang, can I use my martial soul?"

Wang Teng froze for a moment, then broke into a wide grin. "Of course. Release it and let everyone have a look."

Lu Mingfei did not hesitate any longer.

With a thought, the Black Dragon King tattoo suddenly became scorching hot. Black soul power surged forth, gathering around him into the phantom image of a black dragon over ten feet long.

Dragon might spread outward. Everyone present felt an invisible pressure bearing down on them, as if a real ferocious beast were growling before them.

The smile on Wang Teng's face stiffened for an instant. His martial soul instinctively trembled within him.

Now.

Lu Mingfei bent his knees and lowered his body, gathering all his soul power into his right fist.

The black dragon phantom let out a silent roar as black light gathered over his fist, condensing into an extremely compressed sphere of dark light.

His legs exploded with force, and he shot toward Wang Teng like an arrow released from a bowstring.

Wang Teng's expression changed slightly. He hurriedly activated his soul power and unleashed his second soul skill, forming a yellow barrier in front of him.

But Lu Mingfei was far faster than before. It was the explosive force brought by soul power flooding through his entire body.

His fist was wrapped in dark corrosive power as it slammed fiercely into the barrier.

"Boom..."

The yellow barrier shook violently, cracks spreading outward from its center.

Corrosive power seeped through the cracks into the barrier, spreading rapidly like ink soaking through rice paper.

Wang Teng's pupils constricted. He could feel his soul power barrier being eroded and broken apart by a strange force, as though something were gnawing at his defense.

But the barrier held in the end.

Wang Teng grunted, sweeping his right arm hard. His soul power transformed into a streak of yellow light and forced Lu Mingfei back two steps.

Lu Mingfei's blood and qi churned, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

That attack had nearly drained all of his soul power. His arm was weak, his legs trembling, and his body had reached its limit.

Yet Wang Teng did not look much better than Lu Mingfei.

His right arm trembled faintly. A trace of that corrosive power had seeped through the barrier and was now spreading up his meridians, bringing a burning, piercing pain.

Wang Teng lowered his head and looked at his forearm. There was now a spot the size of a fingernail, and the skin looked as if it had been scorched.

Wang Teng's expression changed completely.

He looked up at Lu Mingfei. Most of the contempt in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a mixture of shock and wariness.

After cultivating for so many years, he had seen plenty of strange martial souls, but this was the first time he had encountered an attribute capable of directly eroding another person's soul power.

If Lu Mingfei also had two soul rings right now, the power of that strike would have multiplied several times over. His barrier probably would not have lasted even half a breath.

Instructor Jin Hu clapped at the right moment, bringing the spar to an end.