Duel (New Year's Day Bonus Chapter)

"Speed up. Finish at my position."

Zhou Yi's voice suddenly rang in every student's ears.

As she spoke, Wang Dong abruptly began accelerating, but faster than her were Lin You and Xiao Xiao.

Unlike everyone else, who had grown exhausted along the way, Lin You felt relaxed enough to run another thousand laps. The moment he sped up, his feet seemed impossible to stop. With a whoosh, he swept past Zhou Yi, entering last yet becoming the first to complete one hundred laps.

Xiao Xiao came next.

Third was Wang Dong, who had just spoken.

The three of them were far ahead of the other students.

"Damn it. I actually lost!"

Wang Dong panted heavily, staring resentfully at the utterly relaxed Lin You.

His expression remained calm. Winning this assessment did not stir any particular feelings in him. Rather, what was there to feel accomplished about?

He simply ignored Wang Dong's words, so calmly that it nearly twisted her nose out of shape. It felt like kicking a lump of cotton as hard as she could.

Lin You then turned and left, heading toward the shade beneath the trees.

"Hey! Wait!"

Seeing this, Wang Dong hurriedly called out, but Lin You did not stop. At that moment, Zhou Yi's voice rang out again. Her expressionless face made her look as if she might devour someone. "There are fifteen minutes left. Those who haven't finished, hurry up."

"Damn it, what are you acting so smug for? You're even more arrogant than me."

The pinkish-blue-haired girl angrily punched a nearby tree, making the leaves rustle as a large number fell.

"Deliberately damaging the campus environment. Please go to the Logistics Department and pay a fine later."

Lin You's voice suddenly drifted from behind the tree, kindly reminding her.

Wang Dong's face instantly darkened. That bastard was actually coming over just to provoke her?

Pah! Bastard! I'm so mad!

She raised a hand to strike him, but Lin You moved with astonishing speed. He stepped back slightly and evaded her grab.

Unwilling to accept it, Wang Dong stepped forward again. Her foot arched with force, and tremendous power burst from her fair ankle. In a single leap, she crossed the distance and charged straight at Lin You!

Yet, facing this unyielding girl, Lin You merely summoned his Martial Soul and softly called out, "Elementalization."

The next second, Wang Dong leaned forward and lunged, only to hit empty air. Lin You was clearly right in front of her, yet there was no sensation of impact at all. She passed through his illusory figure, lost her balance from exerting too much force, and fell straight to the ground with a smack, nearly landing face-first.

Coming back to her senses, Wang Dong hurriedly scrambled up. Her silver teeth ground together with a creak. This was the first time she had ever been treated this way while away from home. It was utterly outrageous.

"You bastard, I challenge you to a duel!"

Wang Dong felt as if her dignity had been insulted. A yellow and a purple Soul Ring swiftly rose beneath her feet, while a pair of blue butterfly wings emerged from her back.

The wings formed a V-shape and consisted of many dazzling shades of blue that shifted continuously. Both their shape and color were flawlessly beautiful. In an instant, they drew the attention of everyone in the square.

Even Zhou Yi could not help curling her lips into a smile. Good, she had not even left yet, and they were already fighting right in front of her.

Interesting. You two little brats have exceptionally big guts.

"Interesting. I didn't expect to encounter another duelist here. Then I'll take the first move. My turn! I activate Oxygen Intoxication!"

Lin You's playful side rose. His illusory body drifted away at an unfathomable speed, and immediately afterward, enormous quantities of controlled atomic-level Oxygen Element rapidly gathered at the spot where he had been, forming a huge invisible barrier.

The barrier was thin and transparent, almost impossible to see. Before Wang Dong could even react, she charged straight through it. In the blink of an eye, she reached Lin You, who had released his Elementalization. She raised her right leg and stomped directly toward his chest.

As she lifted her leg, her long legs, far beyond normal proportions, were revealed. Yet before her attack could land, a clear sensation of weakness spread through her body. Her limbs went limp, her mind could no longer focus, and dizziness washed over her. She felt unsteady even standing.

As a result, that fierce kick struck empty air, producing a piercing sound as it tore through the air.

As if he had foreseen her movements, Lin You smoothly sidestepped at exactly the right moment.

Wang Dong shook her head sharply, trying to drive the confusion from her mind. Yet the more she did so, the more apparent the negative effects became. Her chest began to feel tight, her breathing grew labored, and stabbing pain came from deep inside her head. Still, unwilling to admit defeat, she endured it and rapidly closed in, unleashing a flurry of close-range attacks and pressing forward step by step.

She was proud and exceedingly stubborn. Since Lin You was only a one-ring Soul Master while she was a two-ring Great Soul Master, using two Soul Skills against him would clearly be bullying the weak. She would defeat this annoying bastard with her real ability!

So she only intensified her offensive, but the results were astonishingly poor. Left with no choice, she even used her first Soul Skill, Butterfly Wing Cut. Her Martial Soul's wings transformed into sharp blades, slicing at her opponent with startling speed and precise, swift attacks. Yet it achieved little. At the most perilous possible moment, Lin You's body completed Elementalization, perfectly evading the attack.

With her Soul Skill thwarted, Wang Dong grew anxious. She refused to believe that her strong willpower could not withstand such a minor effect.

Lin You continuously shifted and dodged in his hydrogen elemental state. Although activating the Soul Skill consumed a certain amount of Soul Power each time, it did not matter much if it allowed him to widen the distance. He had expended very little during the run just now, enough to use it more than a dozen times.

After barely more than half a minute of relentless assault, Wang Dong's eyes suddenly became somewhat unfocused. She staggered back two steps, and the sweeping kick she had been certain would hit, her leg like a blade, struck nothing but air. Then, as her knees weakened, she collapsed directly to the ground. Her face alternated between pale and green, even her fingers trembling slightly. She struggled but could not rise, her expression incomparably ugly.

She looked as if she were drunk, her mind in complete chaos.

"To actually endure such severe Oxygen Intoxication through sheer willpower... This is the first time I've seen someone this stubborn."

With a sigh, Lin You slowly crouched down and gently blew a breath toward Wang Dong.

The next second, as though a spring breeze had brushed across her face, the excessive Oxygen Element accumulated in Wang Dong's blood was drawn out of her body.

Before long, light gradually returned to Wang Dong's eyes. The headache, dizziness, weakness, breathing difficulty, palpitations, chest tightness, scattered focus, and all other negative symptoms receded from her body. Clutching her head, she struggled into a half-sitting position on the ground and sat there blankly. The anger in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a trace of fear.

Just now, she had truly felt as if she were going to die!

It was as if all strength had left her body and something had dragged her into a bottomless, pitch-black deep sea. She wanted to struggle, but her entire body refused to obey. She wanted to breathe, but her chest felt so suffocatingly tight that it seemed ready to burst. Incomprehensible whispers constantly rang beside her ears, and even her consciousness had grown blurry.

She was going to die.

Wang Dong understood that clearly.

At that moment, she felt a little regret. Not regret for provoking Lin You, but regret for not listening to her two fathers, making them worry themselves sick, and running far from home without caring about anything. She had not even found her own parents yet, and she was about to die here.

But suddenly, the pitch-black deep sea lost its color and became a blinding white radiance.

The whispers beside her ears became clear voices. They sounded somewhat familiar. Her chest felt more open and comfortable than ever before, and strength filled every part of her body.

It was the complete opposite of how she had felt just moments ago. She had never felt so good before, as though everything that had happened had merely been an illusion.

Wang Dong raised her head and looked at the shadow above her that blocked out the sunlight. She realized something. Her lips moved slightly as she softly said, "I lost."

Happy New Year's Day, everyone! Also, let me recommend a book written by a friend.