Against Yu Tianheng

"You're too modest. Reaching Soul Elder at twelve isn't something that can be explained away with mere luck."

Yu Feng, the Wind Chime Bird Soul Master, stepped forward as well.

With these few students taking the lead, the others also came forward to exchange pleasantries with Ning Chen.

Though Ning Chen's family background appeared rather ordinary, his cultivation talent was among the best in the world.

Most of these people came from prominent clans or families, but they understood the terror of a twelve-year-old Soul Elder.

When facing someone like that, as long as there was no enmity between them, the first thing to do was befriend him.

Befriending a future rising star of the Soul Master World could never be wrong.

Although Ning Chen's arrival had taken up a future spot in the Continental Soul Master Tournament, with Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the others voicing their support one after another, as well as Ning Chen's overwhelmingly first-rate strength, no one dared show the slightest dissatisfaction toward him.

Just like that, a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Ning Chen's Soul Power had already broken through to level forty, though publicly, he had only advanced one level to level thirty-three.

Even advancing one level in a month was enough to directly spur on this group of Heaven Dou Tier genius students from Tiandou Academy.

Every one of them became even more diligent and hardworking in their cultivation.

The most obvious among them was Yu Tianheng.

As one of the candidates for young clan master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Tianheng had not picked up any of the bad habits of spoiled heirs. Instead, he cultivated diligently every day.

That was why he had been able to firmly hold the top spot in cultivation among their group for several years.

Now that Ning Chen had arrived, although Yu Tianheng said nothing openly, he had secretly developed a competitive mindset.

He cultivated day and night, to the point that even Dugu Yan felt sorry for him. The way she looked at Ning Chen was also filled with inexplicable resentment.

Ning Chen found this rather speechless, but what troubled him most was hunting a Soul Ring.

His true strength had already broken through to level forty, meaning he could hunt a Soul Ring and advance to Soul Ancestor.

However, he had only been at Heaven Dou Royal Academy for a month, so he did not have a suitable excuse to ask for leave.

Although there were fixed rest days every week, finding a suitable Soul Ring in just two days was practically impossible.

So he could only keep putting it off and wait for the right opportunity.

Over that month, something else happened as well.

Qin Ming, a Soul Ancestor who was not even a lowest-ranked Sky-Micro Teacher, had unexpectedly been transferred over as an exception.

Officially, he was an assistant instructor, helping the Heaven Dou Tier teachers instruct these students.

But in reality, with Meng Shenji supporting him from behind the scenes, Qin Ming was doing a teacher's job.

Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the other Heaven Dou Tier students had no objections to this.

There was no other reason: Qin Ming was strong enough. During that month, his Soul Power Level finally broke through level forty-nine and reached level fifty.

Moreover, Meng Shenji personally led Qin Ming to hunt his Soul Ring. He was now a level fifty-one Soul King.

A twenty-five-year-old Soul King was a genius among geniuses anywhere.

Such age and strength were enough to suppress the pride of these Heaven Dou Tier students.

Furthermore, Qin Ming's teaching ability was quite good.

In only a few days, he had discovered Ning Chen's catfish-like effect. Thus, he often singled Ning Chen out to spar alone against Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the other students.

That morning, at the training grounds deep within Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Ning Chen was battling Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan.

Qin Ming stood at the edge of the training ground with his arms crossed, calmly watching the three people facing off in the arena.

Over the past half month, he had already figured out Ning Chen's capabilities.

This kid's combat experience far surpassed that of his peers, and his battle awareness was too sharp for a twelve-year-old.

Ordinary one-on-one sparring was no longer much of a challenge for him, so Qin Ming decided to raise the stakes.

"Begin." Qin Ming gave the order.

Yu Tianheng moved first.

He stomped his right foot hard against the ground and shot toward Ning Chen like a cannonball, blue-violet lightning crackling around his right arm.

Facing Ning Chen, he had no intention of holding back. He went all out from the start.

At the same time, Dugu Yan silently released the glow of her first Soul Ring from the rear.

Jade Phosphorus Red Venom turned into a wisp of pale red mist and drifted soundlessly toward Yu Tianheng, clinging to his skin.

The Frenzy Venom took effect. Yu Tianheng's speed and attack power rose again, and his offensive became even fiercer.

Ning Chen abruptly shifted his footing and narrowly dodged Yu Tianheng's lightning-wreathed straight punch.

The gust from the fist brushed past his ear, filling the air with the scorched smell of lightning.

Yu Tianheng's assault did not stop. His second Soul Ring lit up in turn—Thunderous Might.

Countless fine arcs of lightning burst from his body and spread in every direction, blanketing the central area of the battlefield.

Ning Chen did not take it head-on.

The Starlight Bracer flashed with silver light, and the Stellar Shield instantly condensed before him.

The lightning arcs struck the shield, sending out ripples like rings on water, but failed to pierce its defense.

Seeing this, Dugu Yan's second Soul Ring lit up as well. Jade Phosphorus Blue Venom transformed into pale blue mist and spread toward Ning Chen's feet.

This was her Soul Skill, Jade Phosphorus Blue Venom. Though it could numb pain, it was actually a paralytic poison. It could be used on allies to eliminate pain, or on enemies to numb their senses and make them sluggish.

Ning Chen caught sight of the approaching blue mist from the corner of his eye and decisively unleashed Stellar Force Surge.

The silver starlight on his bracer flared sharply, and a warm power surged from his arm throughout his body. His speed and strength rose in an instant.

He kicked off the ground, his body tracing an arc between Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan. He avoided the range of Jade Phosphorus Blue Venom while closing in on Yu Tianheng's right side.

Yu Tianheng reacted swiftly, sweeping his left elbow toward him with lightning wrapped around it, but Ning Chen was even faster under the boost of Stellar Force Surge.

He ducked beneath the elbow strike, lightly slapped Yu Tianheng beneath the ribs with his right palm, and used the force to pull away.

The strike was not heavy, but it perfectly disrupted Yu Tianheng's attacking rhythm.

Yu Tianheng's breath hitched slightly from the palm strike, and the lightning arcs of Thunderous Might weakened somewhat as well.

Just as Dugu Yan was about to adjust the direction of her poisonous mist, Ning Chen used the opening created by their separation to activate the Starlight Bracer again.

The Stellar Shield condensed for a second time. This time, he did not use it for defense, but compressed it at the front of his bracer into a palm-sized silver cone of light aimed at the gap between Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan.

"Break." Ning Chen shouted softly, and the light cone flew from his hand, leaving a silver streak through the air before landing precisely on the ground between them.

With a muffled boom, the silver light cone exploded, transforming into a shockwave that spread in all directions.

Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were both forced two steps back by the shockwave, and their coordinated formation was instantly torn apart.

Seizing the opportunity, Ning Chen flickered and appeared three meters to Dugu Yan's side.

He did not attack. He merely raised his right hand as the silver light on the Starlight Bracer slowly receded.

Had he attacked just now, Dugu Yan would already have lost without any defense.

Dugu Yan's expression changed slightly. She bit her lip and withdrew her Martial Soul.

Yu Tianheng stopped as well, the lightning around him gradually fading. He looked at Ning Chen in silence for a moment before suddenly smiling. "Good footwork."

Ning Chen withdrew the starlight from his bracer and smiled faintly as he caught his breath. "I got lucky."

Qin Ming stood at the edge of the arena with a satisfied look on his face and clapped his hands. "Not bad.

Tianheng's frontal suppression and Dugu Yan's flanking restraint were the right approach.

Ning Chen's counterattack was also decisive. He used speed to break their coordination, split the battlefield, and defeat them one by one.

That's enough sparring for today. Rest for fifteen minutes. The next group, get ready."