A Wagered Duel, a Free Spatial Storage Soul Tool?

Feng Xiaolin, who was leading the way, moved with practiced familiarity and quickly brought everyone to an open area in the remote back mountain. He stopped and turned around, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit as he looked at Lin Yue!

Lin Yue stepped forward two paces and stood opposite Feng Xiaolin, a trace of puzzlement appearing on his face as he asked curiously:

"I wanted to ask this last time. Why are you attending an academy like this?"

"What? My home is near Nuoding City. Is it strange for me to study at Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy?"

Feng Xiaolin had not expected this fellow to bring up such a topic after obtaining his Spirit Ring. His hand paused slightly as he summoned his martial soul.

"I heard your brother is a genius with Innate Full Soul Power. He seems to be at Godwind Academy. Why didn't you go with him?"

Blood energy surged around Lin Yue's left hand as he summoned his martial soul. He stood with sword in hand, yet there was an odd look in his eyes as he gazed at Feng Xiaolin.

"Me? Hmph..." At the mention of Godwind Academy, several traces of deep disgust suddenly appeared on Feng Xiaolin's face.

His older brother, Feng Xiaotian, possessed Innate Full Soul Power due to a martial soul mutation. That was why Godwind Academy had taken notice of him and invited him to study there on the very day his martial soul awakened, offering exceptionally generous terms.

"Back when my brother awakened with Innate Full Soul Power and caught their attention, he wanted to bring me along. But the people from Godwind Academy refused."

The phantom of a Gale Demon Wolf condensed behind him. Feng Xiaolin's gaze became incomparably sharp, memories flickering in his wolf eyes as he unconsciously clenched his teeth.

"I secretly overheard those people from Godwind Academy talking among themselves. Behind my brother's back, they mocked him in every possible way, saying that his ability only came from a martial soul mutation. They didn't bring me back to Godwind Academy right away because they simply looked down on talent from commoner families like ours. They believed that if I didn't have a favorable mutation, I was bound to be a nobody."

"So I swore that I would prove them wrong. I would grow strong and build my own family, so my children would never be looked down on by anyone again!"

Feng Xiaolin spread his legs and lowered his stance, the sharpness in his eyes growing even fiercer!

So that was why he had been rejected.

Lin Yue slightly raised the blade in his hand, his gaze darkening.

That made sense. On the Douluo Continent, a world where bloodline and status determined one's superiority, and strength was believed to flow through one's lineage, a person's talent was largely decided at birth.

As the most typical kind of commoner Soul Master, Feng Xiaotian had only received extra attention because of his martial soul mutation. The leaders of Godwind Academy did not believe that such a favorable mutation could occur twice in a pair of brothers, so they had temporarily set Feng Xiaolin aside instead of bringing him back immediately.

What lofty arrogance.

Still, no matter how slim the chance was, they could not have truly abandoned Feng Xiaolin. They surely would have offered him quite decent treatment and sent someone to wait until the day of his awakening...

Since Feng Xiaolin still had not joined Godwind Academy even now, there could only be one explanation.

His martial soul awakening and Soul Power test had likely not gone well...

Lin Yue glanced at the shining phantom of the Gale Demon Wolf behind the boy, lowered his sword, and spoke.

"So your Innate Soul Power Level wasn't high, was it?"

A complicated expression flickered across Feng Xiaolin's face. He clenched both fists and spoke through gritted teeth.

"...That's right. My Innate Soul Power was only Rank 4."

Innate Soul Power Rank 4. Forget catching up to his brother—he had not even reached the passing line of Rank 5.

The contemptuous looks Godwind Academy's people had shown behind his back, along with the enrollment invitation they had offered out of respect for his brother—outwardly polite, yet inwardly no different from charity—all those scenes had deeply pierced Feng Xiaolin's heart.

One had to know that on the Douluo Continent, the level of one's Innate Soul Power almost completely determined the upper limit a Soul Master could reach in their lifetime.

For Soul Masters in particular, Rank 10 was a massive hurdle.

Countless Soul Masters had Innate Soul Power that was too low. They took too long to reach Rank 10 and squandered their golden years of cultivation, leaving them with little achievement for the rest of their lives.

Before obtaining their First Spirit Ring... or rather, before reaching Rank 10, Soul Scholars cultivated very slowly. Generally speaking, gaining one rank a year during this difficult stage was already considered diligent effort.

By the Douluo Continent's standards, reaching Rank 15 before the age of twelve was considered excellent. Reaching Rank 18 made one a minor genius, while reaching Rank 20... that already met Shrek Academy's admission requirements and qualified one as a little monster.

But if one did not even possess Rank 5 Soul Power, reaching Rank 10 would take at least five years. No matter how hard one worked before turning twelve, it would be impossible to meet the standard of "excellent."

Thus, once the golden period of cultivation was missed, every step behind led to further delay, until one's foundations were set in stone and one could achieve little in life...

Originally, that would have been Feng Xiaolin's future as well.

"But I'm different!"

The boy stood proudly, the fur on his body rippling in the wind as his gaze grew sharper and sharper.

Relying on the resentment in his heart after being criticized and rejected, he had forcibly pushed his level upward and completely broken through the limits imposed by others' expectations!

It had taken him only three years to break through to Soul Master and obtain a Spirit Ring. Over the following three years, he had grown by nearly three ranks each year!

He believed that although he could not compare to his brother, he had already cultivated with every ounce of his strength. That was also why all the students in the Junior Soul Master Academy feared and respected him.

"These past years, my brother has constantly urged me to go to Godwind Academy. But I will never bow my head to those things that once relied on their lofty status to humiliate me. I will prove myself and carve out a path of my own!"

"So, let's duel! If I win, Xiao San will be mine!"

Green light burst from his eyes. Feng Xiaolin threw off his coat, and his entire aura abruptly rose to its peak!

"Even if you win, you'll still have to see whether Ah Yin is willing... But there's no need to say more. You probably won't be able to beat me..."

Lin Yue released his martial soul as well. His gaze burned, his expression brimming with confidence as he smiled. "And what if you lose?"

Feng Xiaolin snorted and directly patted the small pouch at his waist, saying loudly:

"If I lose... I'll give you the Spatial Storage Soul Tool, the most valuable thing on me. If you lose, you'll leave Xiao San and stop interfering with my pursuit of her. How about it?"

He was offering a Spatial Soul Tool worth several thousand Gold Soul Coins just like that... That little waist pouch was probably a gift from Feng Xiaotian. Tsk, tsk, selling off his father's land without feeling the slightest pain...

With that thought, Lin Yue grinned. "Sure. I didn't expect someone to be giving away a Spatial Storage Soul Tool for free these days."

"Enough nonsense!" Feng Xiaolin stepped forward and declared fiercely:

"Feng Xiaolin, Rank 18 Agility Attack Type Battle Soul Master, martial soul: Gale Demon Wolf. Please enlighten me!"

He had risen fourteen ranks in six years? Indeed, for a Soul Master with Innate Soul Power Rank 4, that was already astonishing progress.

"But... it's still far from enough."

Lin Yue held the Blood Sword horizontally and lowered his stance, speaking coldly:

"Lin Yue, Rank 14 Strength Attack Type Battle Soul Master, martial soul: Ghost Sword."

Rank 14!!

Upon hearing that number, Feng Xiaolin's pupils contracted sharply, and an indescribable sorrow and melancholy welled up in his heart.

So this was Innate Full Soul Power?

The fruits of his six years of struggle had been mostly caught up to by such a genius in less than a month.

At that moment, Feng Xiaolin finally understood why his brother had never told him his exact Soul Power Level.

It was probably to keep from discouraging him...

"So the gap between my brother and me was actually this enormous..."

Suppressing the brief melancholy in his heart, Feng Xiaolin fixed his gaze ahead. After regaining his spirit, he shouted:

"But no matter what, my Soul Power is still four ranks higher than yours. I have the advantage. Watch out!"

This time, Feng Xiaolin did not hesitate in the slightest. His yellow Spirit Ring flashed.

"First Soul Skill, Wind Blade!"

The sharp air formed a razor-edged streak that instantly tore through the sky and shot straight toward Lin Yue!

The instant his Soul Power activated, Feng Xiaolin's body flashed. He vanished from where he stood, following close behind the gale as he launched a fierce assault!

Interesting...

Man and Soul Skill attacked together. After going all out, this fellow had finally managed to give Lin Yue a little surprise.

Rather than retreating, Lin Yue advanced. The dark yellow Spirit Ring behind him suddenly shone brightly!

First Soul Skill, Berserk.

Surging blood energy exploded from his left hand, becoming like scarlet little snakes that burrowed into every part of Lin Yue's body.

The next instant, he rose with sword in hand. His speed surged dramatically, and he was actually faster than the darting, weaving Feng Xiaolin!

Continuous Thrust!

Lin Yue thrust the Blood Sword in his left hand forward. Its sharp edge collided with the Wind Blade and shattered that Soul Skill in an instant!

Yet Feng Xiaolin, who had charged at the same time, had already flashed behind Lin Yue.

"Slash!"

Without the slightest technique, the boy swung his claws down with all his strength!

In the Gale Demon Wolf possession state, Feng Xiaolin's furious strike went straight for Lin Yue's back.

But he had forgotten that at this moment, Lin Yue was no slower than him—only faster!

Just as Feng Xiaolin raised his claws to gather strength, Lin Yue stepped forward, twisted his body, and drew his sword.

An arc of light like a silver moon erupted beneath the Blood Sword and met the wolf claws descending with full force!

The moment their pure strength collided, Feng Xiaolin's expression changed dramatically. The impact sent him staggering back several steps, blood dripping from his claw tips as his entire right hand trembled slightly.

Such terrifying strength! His First Soul Skill could actually grant him such a powerful boost!

No, this won't do! He's a Strength Attack Type Soul Master—I absolutely can't fight him head-on!

Though his right hand had nearly lost its combat ability from that blow, Feng Xiaolin gritted his teeth and flashed away, releasing his First Soul Skill once more.

A Wind Blade soared skyward, aimed straight at Lin Yue's head. In that instant, Feng Xiaolin shifted his attack direction again and rapidly closed the distance with Lin Yue!

Using the same trick a second time?

In the instant Lin Yue hesitated, his brow rose. Yet he suddenly saw the Spirit Ring behind Feng Xiaolin light up again.

"Wind Blade!"

Two Wind Blades formed a pincer attack and shot toward Lin Yue at the same time!

The next instant, Feng Xiaolin dropped to all fours and leaped fiercely into the air. Using the force of his descent, he lunged at Lin Yue's head with both claws, completely cutting off every route of escape!

"This time, let's see how you stop it!"

Three attacks struck from different directions at once. Feng Xiaolin roared as he pushed his speed to the absolute limit!