Born with Divine Strength

Knowing that Huo Wushuang had come merely to challenge him to a fight, rather than simply pick a fight for no reason,

Lin Huo found it troublesome, but he was even more tempted.

To him, an elite Soul Master like Huo Wushuang, one who had a name and role in the original work, was practically the perfect whetstone.

Huo Yun and the others had lost too quickly that morning for him to enjoy himself. This was a perfect chance to test where his current limits lay.

At that thought, Lin Huo's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. "You want to fight me?"

"Exactly!" Huo Wushuang's eyes gleamed like torches, his fighting spirit already surging.

"Fine! Then I'll fight you!"

Leaving the dormitory, the two walked side by side to a broad clearing in the gardens suitable for combat, then put some distance between themselves.

Lin Huo swept his gaze over the chirping birds, fragrant flowers, and carpet of green grass around them. Instinctively concerned, he asked, "This isn't a place for fighting. If we break something later, are you paying, or am I?"

Lin Huo's entire fortune barely amounted to a few thousand Gold Soul Coins. If he truly had to compensate for these expensive garden features, he would not even be able to cover a fraction of the cost.

His pockets were simply too empty. Some matters had to be settled in advance.

Huo Wushuang had seen plenty of impoverished students like Lin Huo at the academy. One look was enough for him to understand Lin Huo's predicament.

So that Lin Huo would not hold back and fail to enjoy the fight, Huo Wushuang immediately grinned boldly. "They're just a few patches of land. What's there to worry about?

The entire academy belongs to my family anyway. If something gets damaged, then it gets damaged. You won't be the one paying for it!"

"Damn..."

Children born into great families really did throw money around without a care!

After a brief sigh, the great worry in Lin Huo's heart vanished. His fighting spirit firmed, and he smiled confidently. "It's a deal! Then let's begin!"

Huo Wushuang had been itching for a fight and could no longer restrain himself. Following proper etiquette, he stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said:

"Huo Wushuang, Level 19 assault-type Battle Soul Master. Martial Soul: One-Horned Flame Tyrannosaur. Please advise!"

Refusing to be outdone, Lin Huo cupped his fists as well. "Lin Huo, Level 6 assault-type Battle Soul Warrior. Martial Soul: Charmander. Please advise!"

"..." An eerie silence suddenly descended for a moment, until Huo Wushuang spoke uncertainly:

"Uh... what? You're really a Level 6 Soul Warrior?!"

Before they had even begun fighting, Huo Wushuang's momentum dropped noticeably.

He was the sort of person who stopped caring about everything once his blood got pumping. Earlier, all he could think about was that Lin Huo was a powerful opponent capable of taking on seven people alone, so he had rushed over without hesitation.

Now that they were introducing themselves, the heat in his head temporarily faded. Only then did he realize that Lin Huo was merely a junior who had just entered the academy.

A six-year-old junior with Level 6 Soul Power—no matter how strong Lin Huo was, when it came time to actually fight, Huo Wushuang found himself unable to strike.

Seeing that Huo Wushuang seemed inclined to stop, Lin Huo was the one who became unhappy.

How could such a fine whetstone be allowed to run away?

Lin Huo glared at Huo Wushuang in displeasure, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "So what if I'm a Level 6 Soul Warrior? Are you fighting or not? Why are you acting like such an old woman?"

Looking at Lin Huo's fierce aura and the complete absence of fear on his face, Huo Wushuang was utterly baffled.

He could not understand it. A Soul Power gap of thirteen levels was no joke.

Lin Huo knew this and still insisted on fighting him. Were juniors these days all such reckless fools?

Huo Wushuang could not figure out where Lin Huo's confidence came from, but that did not stop him from offering a kind warning.

"Hey! You're only a Level 6 Soul Warrior, while I'm a Level 19 Soul Master! Can't you see the difference between us?"

Lin Huo raised a brow. "Then why don't you go home and sleep? Let's just pretend none of this happened today. I'll move back in with Sister Huo Wu later and keep living with her."

"Come on, pretty boy! Don't expect me to go easy on you!"

The words struck precisely on a sore spot. Huo Wushuang's expression hardened. Without another word, he activated Martial Soul Possession and charged straight at Lin Huo.

Huo Wushuang's Martial Soul was the One-Horned Flame Tyrannosaur. The strength enhancement granted by such a top-tier Martial Soul was far beyond anything Huo Yun and the others could compare to.

With Level 19 Soul Power as his foundation, Huo Wushuang's speed now made even Lin Huo feel some strain.

Of his three fourfold attribute enhancements, speed was conspicuously absent. This inevitably placed considerable restrictions on him when fighting above his level.

Just like now, when Huo Wushuang threw a punch at him, Lin Huo simply was not fast enough to dodge. He could only channel Soul Power into his fist and meet it head-on.

With the support of a top-tier beast Martial Soul, Huo Wushuang possessed formidable strength, enough to rival an ordinary assault-type Soul Grandmaster.

Yet Lin Huo's strength was absurd as well. His fourfold Soul Power enhancement was layered atop a body with fourfold strength.

The moment their fists collided, there was not even the slightest deadlock. Huo Wushuang instantly felt as though he had slammed into a heavily loaded carriage charging at full speed.

The Soul Power coating his fist was torn apart and shattered first. Then his fist was forced back against his chest by an irresistible brute force, sending his entire body flying.

Huo Wushuang landed butt-first on the grass and rolled backward another two and a half times before finally coming to a stop.

Sitting on the grass with several clumps of turf still stuck to his head, Huo Wushuang stared blankly around him and began questioning his life.

Who am I? Where am I? What just happened? Did I fly?

Before Huo Wushuang could finish questioning his life, Lin Huo had already blasted apart the turf beneath his feet and shot toward him like a cannonball.

The training from both family and academy kicked in at the crucial moment. Huo Wushuang could not even spare a thought for his image as he instinctively rolled and scrambled away from the attack.

Once he was out of danger, he turned back to look at where he had been standing. Lin Huo's foot had already sent grass and dirt flying everywhere.

Huo Wushuang swallowed in horror. If he had reacted even a little slower, he had no doubt he would have been sent flying through the air again.

Damn it! He was only a Level 6 Soul Warrior. How could he possess such absurd brute strength?

Despite being thirteen Soul Power levels lower, he could still send him flying. Was this thing even human? Had he really not transformed from some Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?

Lin Huo had used just two moves to beat Huo Wushuang into scrambling all over the ground, yet he was somewhat dissatisfied with his own performance.

Lin Huo understood his present weakness very clearly. His strength was more than formidable, but in terms of agility, he was severely lacking.

Every move relied entirely on explosive brute force. His speed was sufficient, but the consequence of such explosive force was that his attacks left no room for adjustment.

To anyone with even a little combat experience, such a direct fighting style was riddled with openings.

Just like his second move while pursuing Huo Wushuang—if he had possessed even a little more agility, the battle could have been officially declared over.

Unfortunately, he always fell short by that tiny bit. He still needed more practice!

After finally calming down, Huo Wushuang looked at Lin Huo uncertainly and asked in confusion:

"Lin Huo! What is up with that monstrous strength of yours? I'm a Level 19 Soul Master, yet I couldn't even block your attack?"

Lin Huo curled his lips into a smile. "I was born with divine strength!"