Complete Suppression

East Sea Academy, Testing Area.

Compared to the uproar at the academy gates, this place was much quieter. The enormous circular arena was forged from an unknown dark metal, its surface covered in scratches left by time and scorch marks from energy. A faint smell of ozone lingered in the air—the residue of high-frequency soul power collisions.

After the initial screening, the originally massive crowd had been reduced by nearly two-thirds. Around three hundred remained in the testing area, each with sharp eyes and a steady presence. They clearly had real ability. They stood in small groups, either resting with their eyes closed or speaking in low voices. Whenever they glanced at others, their looks carried scrutiny and competitiveness.

A massive electronic screen hung directly above the arena, scrolling line after line of names and numbers. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie followed the instructions to their designated waiting area. Xie Xie had long since put away his previous laziness. With his arms folded and chin raised, he looked like a young master who feared no one in the world. Yet his gaze kept drifting toward a solitary figure nearby, carrying a trace of wariness and defiance.

There, Yun Ying still wore her red-and-black training clothes. The Flame-Reaver Spear rested casually at an angle beside her feet, its tip touching the ground. She leaned against the wall as though everything around her had nothing to do with her, her gaze unfocused as if she were lost in thought. Faint heat still rose from around her body—the lingering battle intent that had yet to fully settle after their brief clash earlier.

"Hmph, what's she acting so high and mighty for?" Xie Xie muttered. Turning back to Tang Wulin, he said, "Boss, if I draw her later, just watch me snap that crappy spear of hers in half!"

Tang Wulin did not look at him. His gaze swept over the teachers adjusting the equipment on the arena, as well as the expressionless, cold-tempered referee—Wu Changkong. He said in a low voice, "Don't underestimate her. She's very strong."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Xie Xie waved dismissively. "But I'm an agility attack-type soul master. Even if I have to wear her down, I'll wear her down!"

Tang Wulin opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing more. He merely patted Xie Xie on the shoulder, conveying a little reassurance through his strength. He had seen it more clearly: Yun Ying's interception earlier had not relied purely on her soul power level. Her exquisite control over strength and the killing intent contained in her spear techniques were far beyond what an ordinary peer could possess.

Just then, the names on the electronic screen began scrolling rapidly before finally stopping. A voice amplified through a soul guidance device rang throughout the testing area:

"First match: Number 78, Xie Xie, versus Number 211, Yun Ying. Both students, please take the stage."

Whoosh—

The crowd's attention instantly focused on them.

A confident smile immediately appeared on Xie Xie's face. He even shot Tang Wulin a reassuring look before striding toward the arena. Yun Ying, meanwhile, unhurriedly picked up her spear from the ground and leaped lightly onto the arena in a few bounds, her movements clean and efficient.

The two faced each other.

With a flick of Xie Xie's hands, two flashes of cold light appeared. The one in his left hand was black as ink, while the one in his right shimmered with pale gold. His twin martial souls—the Shadow Dragon Dagger and the Light Dragon Dagger. He held the daggers in a reverse grip, blades facing inward, the best stance for close combat and instantaneous bursts of power. Soul power surged around him, and his speed rose sharply. His entire body seemed ready to merge into the light itself, elusive and unpredictable.

"Hey, spear girl." Xie Xie spoke, his voice carrying across the arena through soul power, filled with provocation. "Put away that broken spear of yours. If it snaps later, no one will be around to wipe your tears."

Yun Ying looked at him expressionlessly. She did not even blink much. She merely flicked her right wrist, and the Flame-Reaver Spear drew a full arc through the air before its butt slammed heavily into the metal floor with a dull thud. A faint ripple of red light spread outward.

"You talk too much." She said only four words. Her voice was crisp, yet they struck like stones thrown onto ice.

Wu Changkong gave no opening remarks. He simply raised a hand and chopped it downward. "Begin."

Before his words had even faded, Xie Xie moved!

The extreme speed of an agility attack-type soul master was fully displayed. His figure almost instantly split into two intertwining streaks of light, one gold and one black. Like two nimble fish, they circled Yun Ying at high speed. The Light Dragon Dagger took the offensive, gleaming gold as it struck at vital points. The Shadow Dragon Dagger controlled the battlefield, dark shadows flickering as it attacked her lower body one moment and blocked off her retreat the next.

His strategy was clear: use his speed advantage for rapid harassment and probing attacks, force Yun Ying to move and defend repeatedly, drain her stamina and soul power, then deliver a fatal strike once she was exhausted and revealed an opening.

Yet one minute passed, then two...

The situation on the arena did not develop as Xie Xie had expected. Yun Ying merely relied on the spear in her hands and eyes that seemed capable of predicting all of Xie Xie's movements, using only the most basic blocks and interceptions.

Clang! Clang! Bang! Bang!

The sounds of metal striking metal fell as densely as rain. The sharp slashes of the Light Dragon Dagger were effortlessly knocked away by the spear shaft, while the sinister sneak attacks of the Shadow Dragon Dagger were blocked in time by the spear's butt. Yun Ying's spear sometimes darted out like a snake leaving its burrow, stabbing toward Xie Xie's wrist. At other times, it swept toward his lower body like a venomous dragon lashing its tail. She needed no dazzling soul skills. Basic spear techniques alone dissolved Xie Xie's storm of attacks into nothing.

What alarmed Xie Xie even more was Yun Ying's exceptionally tricky positioning. She always forced him into dead angles where his speed was difficult to use. Her breathing remained steady and deep. Her footwork looked simple, yet she always seized the crucial positions. Her control over the rhythm of battle far exceeded what her age suggested.

Gradually, the smile on Xie Xie's face froze, replaced by growing shock and suspicion, along with a hint of barely noticeable irritation. Fine beads of sweat appeared at his temples, and his breathing began to grow heavy. Yun Ying, by contrast, remained as calm as an ancient well. Only the faint heat around her body seemed to have grown slightly thicker, while even her gaze had barely changed.

How could she be... this difficult to deal with? Xie Xie was horrified. The speed advantage he had always been proud of could not produce a decisive effect against her absolute experience and technique.

He could not drag this out any longer!

A vicious glint flashed through Xie Xie's eyes. His body suddenly accelerated, and the radiance on the Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger surged. Golden and black soul power frantically gathered toward the daggers, forming tiny whirlpools of energy. He was gathering strength, preparing to unleash his first soul skill—Light Dragon Storm!

As long as this powerful attack landed, it would definitely injure Yun Ying.

However, at the very instant before his soul power erupted, Yun Ying moved.

She did not use any soul ring. She merely drew her spear back, then thrust it forward at a speed too fast for the naked eye to catch! This spear strike was plain and unadorned, without any flashy technique. It held only absolute speed and power! The spear tip carved a straight red line through the air, aimed directly at Xie Xie's chest, left completely exposed as he charged his attack!

"Not good!" Xie Xie's soul nearly left his body. He hastily unleashed Light Dragon Storm, trying to stop the spear.

Pfft—

The golden energy of Light Dragon Storm collided with the spear tip, but it lasted less than half a second before being pierced through like paper! The red spear seemed to have a mind of its own, precisely weaving around the energy blast. Its tip trembled and struck Xie Xie squarely in the chest!

A tremendous force crashed into him. Xie Xie's vision went black, and his body flew backward out of control before slamming heavily into the edge of the arena. It felt as if all his internal organs had been knocked out of place.

"Stop!" Wu Changkong's icy voice rang out. He had already appeared between them like a ghost. With one palm strike, an invisible wave of air erased Yun Ying's follow-up spear attack.

Yun Ying's spear tip was only one centimeter from Xie Xie's chest. Its fierce sharpness had even sliced through his clothes, leaving a cold, stinging sensation on his skin.

Xie Xie lay on the ground, gasping for breath. His back was already soaked with cold sweat. Looking at the spear tip so close to him, his heart pounded wildly. The relief and lingering fear of surviving by a hair's breadth swept through his body. If Wu Changkong had not intervened in time, he might really have become a human skewer today.

Yun Ying withdrew her spear. Its tip lowered with a faint hum. She glanced at the utterly bedraggled Xie Xie, seeming somewhat uninterested. Picking at her ear, she said in a voice not loud but clear enough for everyone nearby to hear:

"You're not even as interesting as that kid Tang Wulin."

Xie Xie's face instantly turned the color of liver. A breath caught in his chest, nearly suffocating him. "You... you..." He pointed at Yun Ying, his finger trembling. "Why didn't you use a soul skill? Are you looking down on me?"

Yun Ying had already turned to leave the arena. At his words, she paused and glanced back over her shoulder, her brows slightly furrowed. She muttered in a low voice, yet it landed on Xie Xie's heart like a block of ice:

"Should've just stabbed you."

Xie Xie shuddered all over. A chill shot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head. No longer caring about keeping up appearances, he scrambled to his feet and rushed toward the edge of the arena, practically fleeing off the stage. He was terrified that if he moved any slower, that spear would really come down on him.

Below the arena, Tang Wulin watched Xie Xie's miserable state and shook his head helplessly, though a grave look flashed through his eyes. Yun Ying's performance had been even more overwhelming than he expected. That effortless, back-to-basics fighting style could never be explained by talent alone.

At that moment, the names on the electronic screen began scrolling again.

"Second match: Number 91, Tang Wulin, versus..."

Everyone's attention focused once more.