A Display of Might (Part One)

"Little monsters, have you discussed your strategy? The time for one incense stick has already passed." Zhao Wuji's rough voice rang out again.

"Teacher Zhao, we've discussed it. Let's begin." Lin Qing stepped forward and spoke.

"Good, then let's begin." With that, Zhao Wuji stood up again. His muscles immediately crackled, and then he somehow produced another incense stick, lit it, and planted it in the ground.

Seeing Zhao Wuji rise, the group swiftly formed up. Lin Qing stood at the front, Zhu Zhuqing slightly behind him to one side, Ning Rongrong at the rear, with Xiao Wu guarding beside her, while Tang San stood in the middle.

"Martial Souls!" Lin Qing gave the command, and all five instantly summoned their Martial Souls.

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing immediately underwent Martial Soul Possession. Rabbit ears and cat ears emerged atop their heads respectively, their figures stretched taller, and rabbit and cat tails grew from behind them.

Tang San flipped his right hand over, and a blue vine covered in barbs grew from his palm.

Lin Qing used a different pose to summon his Martial Soul. He clenched his left fist and threw a shock punch to his left. In the next instant, the space he struck split open with a crack. The fissure continued expanding until it was large enough to fit a human head before stopping.

Then, a black blade slowly emerged from the spatial crack. The black blade lay horizontally as it came out, its hilt facing right as it moved sideways.

Finally, the black blade floated horizontally before Lin Qing. He extended his right hand and grasped the hilt. The spatial crack instantly vanished, as if it had never existed.

Seeing Lin Qing's method of summoning his Martial Soul, the others suddenly felt that their own methods were far too ordinary. Even Zhao Wuji stood there blankly for a moment as he watched Lin Qing summon it.

Lin Qing had developed this method of summoning his Martial Soul through researching Infinity Castle. He first summoned his Martial Soul within Infinity Castle, then opened the door between Infinity Castle and reality in the form of a spatial crack, and finally let the Nichirin Blade come out on its own. It truly was a perfect way to show off.

Finally, Ning Rongrong, positioned at the back of the group, spun in place and summoned a seven-tiered pagoda radiating glazed treasure light.

Only then did the five Spirit Rings appear.

Aside from Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong and Tang San both had the usual two yellow Spirit Rings. Lin Qing and Xiao Wu's Spirit Rings, however, were especially eye-catching. Three rings—yellow, purple, purple—appeared, startling Zhao Wuji yet again.

"A thousand-year second ring! Good, good, good! You truly live up to the name of little monsters! I hope you won't disappoint me!" Zhao Wuji stomped his right foot, and the Vigorous Vajra Bear Martial Soul instantly possessed him.

Zhao Wuji's height suddenly shot up, brown fur growing across his body. His bones crackled as they expanded him into a far larger figure. Then, seven Spirit Rings—two yellow, two purple, and three black—rose in sequence and settled steadily around him. In an instant, the overwhelming pressure unique to a Soul Sage descended upon the five of them.

"Seven Treasures have a name, first: Strength!"

"Seven Treasures have a name, second: Speed!"

Ning Rongrong made the first move, granting Lin Qing and Zhu Zhuqing boosts to strength and speed respectively.

Lin Qing sensed the change in his own strength, surprise flashing across his face. "No wonder the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is called the continent's number one support Martial Soul. Not only are its boosts substantial, but it also has a separate multiplier. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's enhancement is (the sum of all my own strength) × (1 + the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's boost percentage). With Ning Rongrong's current enhancement, it can directly raise my strength to 1.3 times its current level!"

Feeling this power, Lin Qing grew excited and took the initiative, gripping the Nichirin Blade. "Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"

Lin Qing's Nichirin Blade transformed into a Water Breathing blade. Holding it with both hands, he swung a flat slash before him. In the next instant, a flat slash formed of flowing water flew toward Zhao Wuji.

"Interesting. First Spirit Skill: Immovable Vajra Body!" Seeing Lin Qing's slash incoming, Zhao Wuji remained where he was with his arms folded across his chest. The first Spirit Ring beneath him lit up, and golden light burst forth around him, forming a defense around Zhao Wuji that could even reflect attacks.

However, Zhao Wuji's reflection could not rebound attacks that were too powerful. Although Lin Qing's First Form was not particularly powerful, it was still beyond what Zhao Wuji's Century Spirit Skill could reflect.

Sure enough, when the slash struck Zhao Wuji's golden shield, it was not reflected but blocked.

Seeing that his first Spirit Skill had failed to reflect Lin Qing's attack, Zhao Wuji was stunned. "Kid, my first Spirit Skill can reflect attacks! For it not to be reflected, that strike needs to possess at least the power of a high-tier Soul King!"

"I didn't expect you to really be such a monster! You're only a Soul Ancestor, yet you can already unleash an attack from a high-tier Soul King!" Zhao Wuji was still deeply shocked. He had seen plenty of geniuses, but this was the first time he had seen one like this.

"Teacher Zhao, aside from an ordinary attack, that was my weakest strike." Lin Qing said casually. "Next, Teacher Zhao, I'm going to get a little more serious."

"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!"

"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"

Lin Qing first used the Third Form to close in, then unleashed the Fourth Form, whose attack power was formidable even among Water Breathing forms, to deal damage.

Seeing this attack, Zhao Wuji was no longer as relaxed as before. His entire body sprang into action.

"Second Spirit Skill: Vigorous Vajra Palm!" Zhao Wuji's second Spirit Ring lit up, and his hands abruptly enlarged into two massive bear paws that slammed toward Lin Qing.

"First Spirit Skill: Blue Silver Entanglement!" Seeing this, Tang San immediately unleashed his first Spirit Skill as well. Countless Blue Silver Grass shoots burst from the ground, growing wildly and wrapping around Zhao Wuji's body, hindering his movements.

"How annoying. Break!" Zhao Wuji shook his Soul Power, and all the Blue Silver Grass vines wrapped around him shattered, turning into fragments that fell to the ground.

At the same time, Lin Qing's attack followed close behind.

Zhao Wuji thrust out both palms, colliding with Lin Qing's Nichirin Blade.

Clang!

A sharp clash of metal rang out. Lin Qing was knocked back by the terrifying force, while Zhao Wuji also took two steps back.

"Good kid!" Zhao Wuji swiftly steadied himself.

Lin Qing's body, however, moved with graceful ease. Borrowing Zhao Wuji's force, he leaped high into the air, then adjusted his direction and descended toward Zhao Wuji.

"Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel!"

Lin Qing raised his blade above his head, then twisted his body in midair, continuously flipping forward. Water flowed with his rotations, and in the blink of an eye, Lin Qing had become a water wheel crashing down toward Zhao Wuji.

"First Spirit Skill: Immovable Vajra Body!" Zhao Wuji could only use his first Spirit Skill again, gathering a golden shield before him to block Lin Qing's attack. He also crossed his arms, using them as a second layer of protection.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The clashes of metal rang out intermittently. The water wheel spun as it sliced against Zhao Wuji's defenses, like a Water Breathing version of an Eightfold Halo.