Yu Tianheng's Challenge

"Yu Feng lost just like that?"

"Did any of you see what happened?"

"How could we see anything? It was all mist."

"..."

"I'd say that isn't even the main point..."

One of the students estimated the time from start to finish, unable to suppress his shock. "How long had it been before it ended?"

So strong!

That single thought took root in every student's heart.

They all considered themselves incapable of instantly defeating Yu Feng.

But soon, another thought surfaced: who was the next unlucky one again?

Almost simultaneously, everyone turned in perfect unison to look at Oslo.

Oslo, who had been celebrating just moments ago, now wore a completely frozen expression, something indescribably strange on his face. Especially when he saw Yu Feng being carried down by Qin Ming...

"Lingling, treat Yu Feng. They're all superficial wounds. He merely fainted."

Qin Ming's tone was exceedingly calm.

"Yes, Teacher Qin."

Ye Lingling spread her hands open. A pink begonia blossomed in her palms, its leaves and trailing branches falling from either side. Tender vines swayed in the wind, drooping blossoms hanging low, while two yellow Soul Rings slowly rose.

Accompanied by a faint fragrance, petal-shaped white light drifted into Yu Feng's body. His injuries healed at a visible rate.

"Hiss... It hurt... Huh? It doesn't hurt anymore?"

The awakened Yu Feng had just been about to cry out in pain when he realized his injuries had healed. Seeing the indifferent Ye Lingling beside him, he immediately understood what had happened and grinned playfully. "Lingling, thanks."

"No need."

Ye Lingling glanced toward the Spirit Arena.

"But can you still laugh now?"

"Uh..."

Yu Feng seemed to have been grabbed by the throat by Ye Lingling's words, unable to make a sound. His head turned toward the Spirit Arena in stiff, mechanical increments, and when his gaze met Qin Ming's cold, dissatisfied eyes—the ones that plainly said, "Extra training"... the sky had fallen!

"I'm done for..."

"You really are."

Yu Tianheng shook his head and looked at Oslo.

"Boss..."

Ignoring Oslo's grief, Yu Tianheng patted his shoulder. "It's your turn now. No matter how powerful his martial soul is, his actual strength shouldn't be enough to instantly defeat someone. Yu Feng was completely careless. If you make the same mistake against him..."

He stopped patting Oslo's shoulder and did not continue. There was no need to say the result:

Teacher Qin would be furious!

"I understand."

Just then, Qin Ming's indifferent voice rang out like a verdict. "Oslo, get on the stage."

Under Yu Feng's gaze, which carried the dual meaning of "Take care, brother" and "Hurry down and keep me company, brother," Oslo could only step before Ouyang Ling with the air of a man marching to his doom.

Ouyang Ling: "..."

Was there really any need to act like that?

He felt utterly speechless.

The reason he had immediately used Deep Sea Illusion to seal off Yu Feng's movements was because he feared Yu Feng would choose to take to the air at once. If that had happened, the situation would have put him at a clear disadvantage. His choice then had been born of necessity.

But against an opponent who could not fly...

Under normal circumstances, he would not do that.

After all, a battle based on a so-called first-meeting kill offered him no improvement. What meaning was there in that?

"Are you ready?" Ouyang Ling asked.

Oslo: "..."

He felt underestimated.

Thinking that, a surge of pride rose from deep within him. He took the initiative to retreat a few steps.

"Teacher Qin, begin."

"All right."

Seeing both sides in position, Qin Ming did not waste words.

"Second match, begin!"

"Roar—"

Oslo instantly completed his martial soul possession. Before his hair had even fully turned black, his figure had already vanished from where he stood. Then, his nimble form flickered continuously across the stage. All that could be seen was a black afterimage trailed by two rings of yellow light.

In just one breath, he had rushed before Ouyang Ling, without the slightest hesitation in his movements.

Second Soul Skill, activate!

The phantom of a Ghost Leopard flickered in and out of sight behind Oslo. Sharp claws sprang from his hands, and as both claws swept forth, countless claw shadows interwove into a net of shadow blades that descended upon every vulnerable point on Ouyang Ling's body.

The claw shadows before him were dense and chaotic, yet Ouyang Ling showed not the slightest panic under the relentless assault. His icy-blue dragon eyes precisely locked onto one point, and the arm guard on his arm moved to block it.

"Clang—"

The ice blade on the arm guard collided with the claws, scattering tiny sparks of frost.

Oslo's pupils abruptly contracted. After failing to land the strike, he tried to pull away, but how could Ouyang Ling possibly give him that chance?

The ice blade hooked back, holding Oslo in place as cold air spread outward. In the blink of an eye, it froze his hand to the arm guard, and no matter how hard he pulled back, he could not free it.

Realizing something was wrong, Oslo immediately changed tactics. The claws on his other hand shot out, slashing toward Ouyang Ling's face.

But once an agility-type Soul Master of the same rank was forced into close combat, how could he possibly be a match for a power-attack-type Soul Master of the same rank?

The initiative had completely fallen into Ouyang Ling's hands.

"Leopard is going to lose."

Below the stage, Yu Tianheng made his judgment.

And just as he said, Ouyang Ling, whose reaction was a beat faster than Oslo's, threw a fist that was faster and fiercer than the incoming claws!

"Thud—"

With a dull, heavy impact, his fist slammed into Oslo's chest.

That single punch bent Oslo's entire body like a shrimp. The frozen claws instantly broke free from the arm guard's locking ice blade, and he was sent flying backward through the air.

But before he could leave Ouyang Ling's attack range, Ouyang Ling planted his right foot and spun sharply! The azure dragon tail behind him lashed out like an iron rod, brutally striking Oslo's chest and worsening the injury from the punch.

The three chunks of ice on the tail gleamed with cold light. From the instant they made contact, frost seeped through Oslo's entire body. Before he even finished flying through the air, he was frozen inside a massive block of ice.

Under ordinary circumstances, he could have broken free with soul power.

But now...

Where could he find the strength?

All he could do was blink inside the ice.

Seeing that the outcome had been decided, Qin Ming pronounced the result.

"Ouyang Ling wins. Oslo, leave the stage."

Yet at that moment, Qin Ming could only sigh helplessly inwardly.

After two battles, his goal of teaching Yu Feng and Oslo a lesson had been achieved. But as for uncovering Ouyang Ling's actual capabilities... he had gained almost nothing.

More importantly,

Qin Ming glanced at Yu Feng below the stage, then glared at Oslo, who had been frozen into an ice block. In no more than three moves, those two had lost cleanly and decisively. It was truly disgraceful!

Oslo, being carried away to be thawed: "..."

He wanted to cry, but had no tears!

Yet just then, Yu Tianheng stepped onto the Spirit Arena. "Teacher Qin, I also want to have a match with Ouyang."

Especially after Ouyang Ling had possessed his martial soul, the fighting intent in Yu Tianheng's heart had grown even stronger. When he stepped onto the Spirit Arena and met Ouyang Ling's gaze face-to-face, their eyes seemed to lock in a brief standoff, as though two dragon roars had sounded.

Yu Tianheng's heart tightened as intense pressure washed over him. He immediately understood that his intuition had been absolutely right!

At the same time, before Qin Ming could respond,

"Then let's do it!"

Ouyang Ling, who had been looking forward to this for a long time, readily agreed.