Crippling the Wind Wolves

Stellar Force Surge!

The star patterns on the Starlight Bracer suddenly lit up, silver starlight flowing along Ning Chen's arm like a miniature galaxy.

His strength and speed surged dramatically in that instant.

With Voidstep, Ning Chen left an afterimage where he stood and evaded Feng Ying's second pounce.

At the same time, facing Feng Sun as he was dragged over by the Starlight Chains, Ning Chen clenched his right fist and threw a punch.

Ning Chen did not hold back with this punch.

His fist struck Feng Sun squarely in the abdomen.

Crack!

A crisp sound of bones breaking rang out across the Spirit Arena Stage.

Feng Sun's eyes bulged wide, and his mouth opened, yet he could not make a sound.

A savage force spread outward from his abdomen, and he felt as though his internal organs had all been knocked out of place by that punch.

His body curled like a shrimp as he flew backward like a kite with its string cut, slamming heavily into the energy barrier at the edge of the Spirit Arena Stage before sliding to the ground.

He curled up on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth. He tried to rise, but his legs had gone weak, and the agony in his abdomen kept him from gathering any Soul Power.

One punch had crippled him outright.

Feng Ying's eyes instantly turned red. "Sun!!"

Like a madman, he lunged at Ning Chen with both claws extended. His fourth soul ring lit up—Wind Wolf's Fury!

A massive azure Wind Wolf phantom appeared behind him. It opened its blood-filled maw and lunged at Ning Chen with violent wind pressure.

This was his strongest attack.

Yet Ning Chen did not even raise an eyelid.

Facing that enormous Wind Wolf phantom, he raised his right fist again.

The silver glow on the Starlight Bracer condensed to its limit as he pushed Stellar Force Surge to its peak.

One punch met it head-on.

Boom!

The Wind Wolf phantom shattered inch by inch before Ning Chen's fist as though it were made of paper.

The violent wind pressure scattered in all directions, making the spectators squint.

Ning Chen's fist pierced through the Wind Wolf phantom without losing momentum and smashed fiercely into Feng Ying's chest.

Crack!

Another crisp sound of breaking bones.

Feng Ying's chest caved in slightly. His eyes were wide, his face filled with disbelief.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but a mouthful of blood surged out first, choking off all his words.

His body swayed twice, then he toppled straight backward with a bang, crashing onto the Spirit Arena Stage and never moving again.

The entire venue fell silent.

Only a dozen or so breaths had passed since the host announced the start. Two agility-type Wind Wolf Soul Ancestors at levels forty-five and forty-six—one critically injured, the other crippled.

No, they were not dead, but everyone could see that even if they recovered, their cultivation would be ruined.

The force behind those two punches had utterly destroyed the foundations of their meridians.

The host stood with his mouth agape before finally remembering to announce the result. "The... the Star Sea Team wins!"

Deafening cheers erupted from the stands. The spectators in the Gambling District did not care who won or lost; they only cared whether the fight was exciting.

And that battle had undoubtedly been exciting.

Ning Chen withdrew his fist, and the silver light on the Starlight Bracer slowly faded.

He lowered his gaze at Feng Ying lying by his feet, his eyes as calm as if he were looking at a pile of trash.

Then he turned and walked over to Ye Lingling.

The girl was still standing where she had been. The anger on her face had faded, replaced by a complicated expression—relief, gratitude, and a trace of unfamiliar emotion that even she had not noticed.

"It's fine now," Ning Chen said blandly. "Let's go."

Ye Lingling watched his broad back, lightly biting her lower lip before quickly following him.

This time, she did not thank him again.

Because she knew that some words only needed to be said once.

Over the next stretch of time, Ning Chen took Ye Lingling through another five consecutive gambling matches.

All five opponents were different, but every match ended with the Star Sea Team's victory.

After seven consecutive battles, Ning Chen was neither flushed nor out of breath, and he had won every match with overwhelming strength.

This left Ye Lingling utterly shocked. The Soul Power Ning Chen displayed had nearly exceeded the limits of what she could understand.

She even began to wonder whether, back at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the spar between the six of them and Cao Benqi had truly forced out all of Cao Benqi's strength.

Of course, seven straight victories did not come without a price.

Ye Lingling had expended an enormous amount of Soul Power during those seven battles.

Although Ning Chen had handled nearly all the offense by himself, Ye Lingling habitually used Nine-Heart Begonia to heal him after every battle, even though Ning Chen had not actually been injured at all.

She knew full well that, with her level and combat ability, she could barely be of help in this two-person partnership. If she did not even provide healing, she would truly become nothing but dead weight.

Ning Chen saw through her thoughts but did not stop her. He knew that this outwardly aloof yet inwardly proud girl needed this method to preserve her sense of worth. So he let her do as she wished, stopping after every battle to wait until she had finished healing him before moving on to the next.

After seven battles, Ye Lingling's Soul Power was nearly depleted. When she used Nine-Heart Begonia for the last time, the gentle yellow glow had become so dim that it could barely take shape.

Ning Chen looked at her condition and knew they could not keep fighting.

"That's enough for today," he said. "Go back and rest. There's still the team battle tonight."

Ye Lingling nodded and did not force herself to continue.

She also knew that if she insisted on fighting in her current state, not only would she be unable to help, she would instead become a burden to the team.

The two left the Gambling District and returned to the main hall of the Contest District.

Qin Ming was standing there with the roster for tonight's team battle in hand. When he saw them return, his gaze paused briefly on Ye Lingling's slightly pale face, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"You went to the Gambling District?" Qin Ming asked.

"We fought a few matches," Ning Chen admitted frankly. "She used up quite a bit of Soul Power and needs time to recover."

Qin Ming glanced at Ning Chen, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, he merely sighed and said nothing more.

He turned to Ye Lingling, his tone softening somewhat. "Lingling, go back to the lounge and meditate to recover first. The team battle doesn't start for another two hours. There's enough time."

Ye Lingling nodded, then looked at Ning Chen again. She seemed to want to say something, but ultimately only said softly, "Then I'll go first."

She then turned and headed toward the resting area.

Only after Ye Lingling had gone some distance away did Qin Ming look at Ning Chen, a hint of scrutiny in his gaze. "What about you? Still fighting?"

"I am." Ning Chen's answer was brief and decisive. "I haven't fought a single solo match yet."

Qin Ming looked at Ning Chen and sighed. "You really are a monster. After fighting so many matches in a row, you still look like nothing happened.

Compared to me, a monster Soul Master who graduated from Shrek Academy, you're the true monster among monsters.

If you want to fight, go ahead. Just know your limits."

Ning Chen nodded and turned toward the Gambling District.