First Battle

"Both sides, summon your Martial Souls!"

Seeing that the atmosphere had reached its peak, the host announced the start of the Martial Soul summoning period.

Before every match, there were thirty seconds for Martial Soul summoning. This both showcased the contestants and heightened the atmosphere in the arena.

It also gave both sides time to prepare, preventing overly dramatic battles. After all, only exciting fights could satisfy the audience.

"Mad Lion Possession!"

With a roar from Liu Xiong, a golden lion Martial Soul enveloped him. His muscles instantly swelled, his body grew twice as large, and a violent aura burst forth.

At the same time, a white Ten-Year Spirit Ring and a yellow Hundred-Year Spirit Ring slowly appeared, one above the other.

"Mad Lion! Mad Lion! Mad Lion!"

Liu Xiong had a certain degree of popularity in this venue. Once he summoned his Martial Soul, his bulging, muscular appearance sent many people into a frenzy.

In contrast to the commotion caused by Liu Xiong's Martial Soul, Zhou Liang's side was much quieter. A Martial Soul Soldier stood behind him as two yellow Hundred-Year Spirit Rings slowly appeared.

"Look! That kid's Martial Soul is actually humanoid? And both of his Soul Rings are Hundred-Year ones!"

"Obviously. Aren't students from advanced Soul Master academies supposed to have Hundred-Year Soul Rings?"

"What a strange Martial Soul. It's even detached from the body—that's a trait only weapon Martial Souls possess. But it looks like a human soldier? Shouldn't it be a beast Martial Soul?"

"No wonder he reached the level of Grand Soul Master at such a young age. So he has a top-tier mutated Martial Soul!"

"So what if it's a mutated Martial Soul? Liu Xiong may only be a Grand Soul Master, but he's incredibly strong. Those powerful muscles of his were trained through a muscle-building regimen!"

"A muscle-building regimen? There was such a thing?"

The two played off each other so well that they truly drew the attention of those around them. Though this was only one corner of the spectator stands, there were far more than just these two people like them.

"Kid, don't say I didn't warn you. Stand right there and don't move. Let me throw you out. Otherwise, if you get hurt, don't blame me," Liu Xiong said after looking at the childlike figure across from him.

"Uncle! Don't hold back. I'm only two levels below you. My combat ability isn't that weak!" Zhou Liang said with a smile as he looked at the muscular middle-aged man kindly warning him.

"Since that's the case, then I won't show mercy!" Liu Xiong narrowed his eyes, leaned forward, and charged out.

Bang!

Liu Xiong's broad palm, wrapped in beast claws, slammed against a shield.

The powerful force made the shield tremble slightly, while the sharp beast claws scraped across its surface.

Fortunately, Zhou Liang's body was strong enough. Otherwise, while Liu Xiong's strength might not have been enough to break the shield, it would likely have sent Zhou Liang flying backward.

Zhou Liang shifted forward sideways, raising his left hand by his shoulder to form a triangular stance. He used the Tortoiseshell Round Shield to block Liu Xiong's beast claws while fiercely drawing the long blade in his right hand.

Rip!

The long blade collided with Liu Xiong's other beast claw. Though both were condensed from Soul Power, they still produced a sound like clashing metal.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The two exchanged blows rapidly. Liu Xiong's twin claws left afterimages as they slashed forward again and again.

Zhou Liang was no less formidable. He continuously used the Tortoiseshell Round Shield to block the attacks, while the long blade in his hand struck out from time to time. It not only warded off attacks, but also lashed toward Liu Xiong whenever an opportunity arose.

Unfortunately, the two-level gap in Soul Power, coupled with the difference in physical development, meant that while Zhou Liang could block most of the attacks, some still slipped through.

Fortunately, Zhou Liang had condensed Soul Power Armor. All those attacks were blocked by it. Sparks flew with every strike, but they caused no substantial damage.

Seeing Zhou Liang fall into a disadvantage, Liu Xiong revealed a smug smile, and the surrounding audience burst into cheers.

The sight of a genius being defeated always stirred people's emotions. After all, these geniuses would all become lofty figures in the future, and seeing them fail now gave the spectators a sense of pleasure.

Unfortunately, they all seemed to have overlooked something.

A figure appeared behind Liu Xiong. It was the Martial Soul Soldier, which had already transformed into a Shield-and-Sword Soldier.

The raised long blade came slashing down at high speed.

The sense of danger that followed surged into Liu Xiong's heart. Years of training made him instinctively let out a roar.

"Roar!"

As he roared, his Second Soul Ring lit up. A shockwave spread from his body—his second Soul Skill, Roaring Shockwave.

The shockwave instantly blasted both the Martial Soul Soldier and Zhou Liang away, sending them flying backward with its tremendous force.

After taking several steps back to steady himself, Zhou Liang looked at Liu Xiong in surprise and thought, A Soul Skill similar to a repulsion aura? No wonder his second Soul Ring is a Hundred-Year one. A Ten-Year soul beast couldn't produce such a rare Soul Skill!

The forcibly unleashed explosive Soul Skill left Liu Xiong panting. He raised his head and looked at Zhou Liang, who had just regained his footing ahead of him.

Liu Xiong felt somewhat relieved. If he had not reacted quickly enough, he would probably have already lost the match.

I can't let my guard down again!

As that thought flashed through Liu Xiong's mind, his First Soul Ring lit up, and he opened his mouth toward Zhou Liang.

"First Soul Skill, Roaring Lightwave!"

A white lightwave shot toward Zhou Liang.

Bang!

Zhou Liang thrust the Tortoiseshell Round Shield in his left hand forward and directly shattered the white lightwave.

After slowly letting out a breath, he looked at Liu Xiong charging toward him at high speed.

He released his right hand, and the Soul Power long blade dissipated. Then he clenched his hand tightly again, and a Soul Power spear appeared in his palm.

He stomped forward with his left foot. The power of his divine ability took effect, and a peculiar force emerged. Centered on the Tortoiseshell Round Shield in his left hand, it transformed into a rebounding force.

Bang!

The rapidly charging Liu Xiong slammed hard into that rebounding force and was instantly sent staggering backward before falling to the ground after several steps.

He raised his head and looked at Zhou Liang in shock, then quickly performed a backward flip and got to his feet, intending to counterattack.

At that moment, Zhou Liang, who had remained in place, forcefully planted his right foot backward and lowered himself into a half crouch.

"Ha!"

At the same time, he gave a fierce shout. The power of two divine abilities converged, using the Soul Power spear in his hand as the source before instantly thrusting forward.

Soul Power transformed into a sharp shockwave and instantly pierced forward. Even after the spear had stopped, that force continued to surge onward, piercing through the first thing it encountered.

Just then, Liu Xiong had gotten to his feet. His gaze instantly went blank as a sharp sensation rushed toward him, freezing him on the spot.

Just as that force was about to pierce through Liu Xiong, it suddenly dissipated into nothingness.

Liu Xiong slowly came back to his senses and looked at Zhou Liang across from him with a bitter smile.