Battle Yu Tianheng, Crushing Victory

"Yu Tianheng, martial soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Level 37 Assault-System Battle Soul Elder. Please advise."

Yu Tianheng was the first to release his martial soul. Purple lightning coiled around his body like wildly dancing thunder snakes, crackling and exploding.

Two yellow and one purple soul rings descended from above his head, hovering around his calves as they rose and fell.

The sleeve on his right arm suddenly burst apart. His muscles swelled, dense blue scales covered his arm, and his right hand transformed into sharp dragon claws.

"Tuofu, martial soul: Earth Soul. Level 31 Assault-System, Control-System, and Defense-System soul master."

Shi An extended his right hand without releasing his martial soul, merely watching Yu Tianheng quietly.

Seeing that Shi An had not released his martial soul, Yu Tianheng frowned slightly, and the lightning around him grew even more violent.

"Aren't you going to release your martial soul?"

"No need."

"You really look down on me?!"

"Think whatever you want."

A trace of anger appeared on Yu Tianheng's face. He clenched his dragon claw into a fist, his joints cracking loudly.

Shi An wanted to provoke him, make him lose his temper, make him fight with everything he had.

Then everyone would know that Yu Tianheng, even after going all out, had been defeated by a soul master who had not even released his martial soul.

And that opponent was a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy.

What a sensation that would cause.

It was a little high-profile, but that did not matter.

Why had he worked so hard at cultivation? Wasn't it to show off in front of people, act cool, and slap faces?

Watching Yu Tianheng's face flush with rage, Shi An's lips curled into a frivolous smirk.

In Yu Tianheng's eyes, it was naked mockery.

"You're going to get beaten badly!" Yu Tianheng ground his teeth until they creaked.

With a martial soul like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, how good could his temper be? After Shi An provoked him again and again, no one could endure it.

Just then.

The host's voice rang out. "Soul Battle! Begin!"

The instant his words fell, Yu Tianheng shot forward like a cannonball, charging at Shi An at tremendous speed.

"Third soul skill: Thunderous Fury!"

Yu Tianheng had used an enhancement soul skill right from the start. He was clearly truly enraged.

"First soul skill: Thunderclap Dragon Claw!"

Immediately afterward, the first soul ring beneath Yu Tianheng's feet lit up. Dense lightning erupted from his right hand as he slammed his palm heavily toward Shi An.

"Tianheng is angry." Inside the private room, Dugu Yan watched the scene on the Soul Battle stage. A seductive smile touched her lips as she spoke slowly, as though enjoying a fine show.

The others had spent so much time with Yu Tianheng that they could naturally tell as well.

"That kid's done for. He isn't even using his martial soul. Isn't that too arrogant?"

"Who knows what backwater he came from? He won a few Soul Battles and now thinks he's some genius."

They chatted and laughed, paying no attention to the scene on the Soul Battle stage.

"What?!" At that moment, Dugu Yan cried out. Her lazy, alluring demeanor vanished as she shot up from her chair, eyes wide as she stared at the Soul Battle stage.

The others followed her gaze. Then, one after another, their eyes widened in disbelief.

Facing the purple figure charging at him at high speed, Shi An did not retreat even half a step. He clenched his right fist and threw a punch.

Boom!!!

The ground split apart, and a fist the size of a small car suddenly surged up from the earth, smashing heavily toward the charging Yu Tianheng.

Yu Tianheng's dragon claw collided with the enormous stone fist. The rampaging lightning shattered instantly into tiny threads of electricity.

Yu Tianheng himself was blasted backward again and again by the immense force. Every step he took landed with a dull thud.

"How is that possible?!" Yu Tianheng steadied himself, his right arm in agonizing pain and trembling uncontrollably.

"You clearly didn't use a soul skill. How could you unleash such a powerful attack?!"

"Nothing is impossible. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It only means you're ignorant."

Shi An's tone was calm, but his words were infuriating enough to make someone choke to death.

Yu Tianheng's face alternated between green and white.

He was a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, and Shi An was calling him ignorant? What a joke!

Shi An paid no attention to Yu Tianheng's feelings. Instead, he clasped his hands behind his back and spoke with a relaxed expression.

"You're pretty strong. Come on... if you can make me use both hands, you win. I'll surrender immediately."

Hearing this, Yu Tianheng's face turned bright red. He pointed at Shi An with his left index finger and roared.

"Are you humiliating me?!"

"I'm not humiliating you. I actually admire you."

"Among those at my level, you're the strongest one."

"Those people couldn't even take one blow from me, but you managed to withstand it head-on. That's already quite good."

Shi An continued mocking and provoking him.

Yu Tianheng, meanwhile, completely snapped. With an angry roar, he charged forward again.

Lightning spread from Yu Tianheng's hands as his sharp dragon claws clawed toward Shi An's chest.

Shi An sidestepped and kicked lightly at the ground with his right foot.

The dragon claw swept past Shi An's chest. The lightning scorched the ties on his clothes, but it did not harm him in the slightest.

Meanwhile, a stone pillar suddenly rose beneath Yu Tianheng's feet and slammed into his back, sending him tumbling through the air before he crashed onto the Soul Battle stage.

Yu Tianheng climbed to his feet and charged again.

Shi An tapped the ground with his toes, then lifted one leg high.

The entire Soul Battle stage began to rumble and tremble. Then...

Crash!!!

A wave of earth over three meters tall surged up and rolled toward Yu Tianheng, engulfing him.

Yu Tianheng was shrouded in shadow, his entire body frozen stiff. The earthen wave rumbled as it rolled, like booming thunder.

At that moment, everyone's eyes widened.

They had originally thought Yu Tianheng would win and beat Shi An to a pulp.

Yet... Yu Tianheng was the one being suppressed.

And it was a complete crushing defeat.

So the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon... was actually this weak?

Rumble!!!

The earthen wave crashed down, burying the entire Soul Battle stage beneath dirt. Yu Tianheng was buried along with it.

Shi An stood atop the soft earth. Other than the slightly scorched hem of his clothes, not a speck of dust stained him.

He still had his hands clasped behind his back. The dirt rolled aside, turning up the buried Yu Tianheng.

He had not passed out, but the rolling earth had crushed and compressed his body until his muscles and bones were shattered. He could no longer move.

"I thought... you could at least make this a little more enjoyable."

Shi An looked at him, shook his head, and turned to leave the Soul Battle stage.

Yu Tianheng watched Shi An's gradually disappearing back unwillingly, his heart filled with frustration and confusion.

Why...

Why had he, one of the twin stars of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and one of the finest among the younger generation, lost to a boy five or six years younger than himself?