Jade-Shaking Force

Early the next morning, the Outer Court's Training Ground was already packed. A first-year challenging Thunderclap Bei Bei, one of the Outer Court's most talked-about students? That was enough to draw a crowd.

Among the spectators, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stood side by side, though they had tacitly left a wide gap between them. Clearly, the new roommates had introduced themselves with their fists yesterday.

Huo Yuhao had a conspicuous bruise beside his left eye. He rubbed his aching temple, helpless frustration filling him. If Yu Xiaogang hadn't spouted nonsense in his head during last night's fight—"Lunge left, feint with your right fist"—he never would have taken such a beating with Spiritual Detection Sharing at his disposal.

"Master," Huo Yuhao asked cautiously in his mind, "Wang Dong's Martial Soul is called something like the Light Goddess Butterfly. What kind of Martial Soul is that?"

Within his spiritual sea, Yu Xiaogang stiffened, his hands clasped behind his back.

Light Goddess Butterfly?

He had combed through Spirit Hall's entire collection of books back in the day and had never seen that name. But who was he? This was Shrek, his home turf. How could he show weakness in front of his newly accepted disciple?

"The Light Goddess Butterfly. The name tells you it has the light attribute. And second..." Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat and forced out an explanation. "It's a Martial Soul that only women can awaken."

Huo Yuhao froze. "B-but Wang Dong's a boy! He's my roommate!"

Yu Xiaogang faltered, then his face darkened. "Are you questioning this master's theory?" he snapped.

Huo Yuhao pressed his lips together and said no more. But a seed of doubt had quietly taken root in his heart. Thinking back to their fight last night, Wang Dong's legs had indeed been unusually long, but that was hardly proof she was a girl. It seemed that even the "God-Teacher's" theories had fallen behind the times after ten thousand years.

Meanwhile, on the arena platform.

Gu Mingyuan and Bei Bei stood facing each other.

Bei Bei inclined his head slightly, every bit the courteous gentleman. "Bei Bei. Level thirty-eight assault-type Soul Elder. Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon."

Gu Mingyuan returned the gesture. "Gu Mingyuan. Level twenty-two assault-type Soul Grandmaster. Martial Soul: Golden Jade Body."

"I'll suppress my Soul Power to level twenty-two, the same as yours, junior." Lightning flickered around Bei Bei.

"Show me what you've got."

"I hope you'll teach me a thing or two, senior." Gu Mingyuan nodded.

Xu Sanshi, serving as referee, hopped onto the edge of the platform and tossed a Gold Soul Coin in his hand. "The rules are simple. The first to leave the platform loses. If Bei Bei uses his Third Soul Skill, he loses too. Begin!"

Before his words had faded, both fighters activated Martial Soul Possession.

Beneath Gu Mingyuan's feet, his second Soul Ring flared. Jade-Shaking Force!

In an instant, the fine golden lines across Gu Mingyuan's skin seemed to come alive, slowly winding over its jade-like surface.

Bei Bei's gaze turned grave. With his cultivation suppressed, he had only level twenty-two Soul Power. He recalled watching Gu Mingyuan fight a Nine-Hundred-Year Bone-Shaking Ape alone in the Star Dou Great Forest. If he himself had been only level twenty-two then, he wasn't sure he would have won that battle.

Today, he had come to see what Gu Mingyuan could really do.

"Careful, junior."

Bei Bei's right arm transformed into a dragon claw, and his first Soul Ring lit up. Thunderclap Dragon Claw lunged straight at Gu Mingyuan.

Gu Mingyuan neither dodged nor retreated. His first Soul Ring activated Golden Jade Barrier at the same time. His strength, hardness, and defense all surged. Crossing his arms, he took Bei Bei's dragon claw head-on.

Bang!

Gu Mingyuan stood firm as a mountain. Bei Bei, however, noticed the flowing golden lines on Gu Mingyuan's body flash at the moment of impact. They seemed to have absorbed part of the force.

Bei Bei frowned.

He knew only that Gu Mingyuan's second Soul Ring came from a Bone-Shaking Ape. He had no idea what the Soul Skill actually did. Worse, the force that rebounded from that clash told him something unmistakable: Gu Mingyuan's body was already a match for Bei Bei's when he used Martial Soul Possession as a Soul Elder!

Bei Bei stopped testing him. His second Soul Ring flashed. Thunderous Might!

A dense web of blue-violet lightning descended, engulfing Gu Mingyuan.

Faced with an attack that covered the entire area, Gu Mingyuan still chose not to dodge. He endured it with his Golden Jade Body. Electricity coursed over him, making his hair stand on end, but the layer of jade-like skin and golden lines protected him. Not a single scorch mark appeared.

Bei Bei was stunned. At the same level, his lightning couldn't even break through Gu Mingyuan's defense?

Below the platform, Zhou Sichen stared blankly. His new roommate seemed a bit too strong. When he'd bet fifty Gold Soul Coins earlier, he hadn't expected to see them again. Now, though, things were starting to look different.

Could it be...? Zhou Sichen watched the two on the platform, his hopes rising.

On the platform,

Bei Bei glanced at Xu Sanshi, an odd look in his eyes. With defense like that, once Gu Mingyuan's cultivation caught up, Xu Sanshi might lose his title as the Outer Court's top defender.

Xu Sanshi had dropped his usual carefree expression too. He stared at Gu Mingyuan, his thoughts unreadable.

Just then, Gu Mingyuan slowly lowered his crossed arms.

"Senior Bei, this next blow will be strong." Gu Mingyuan's voice cut through the crackling thunder.

Bei Bei's eyes sharpened. Defense meant nothing without a way to attack. Judging by what he had seen, there was only one reason Gu Mingyuan would say that: his second Soul Skill could store power or reflect damage!

"Come on, junior."

With a low shout, Bei Bei swung his Thunderclap Dragon Claw again and closed in.

Purple light flashed in Gu Mingyuan's eyes as he slid aside with uncanny footwork. A secret art of the Tang Sect: Ghostly Shadow Trace!

Bei Bei advanced with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track as well, but as they crossed paths, he discovered that Gu Mingyuan's footwork was a full thirty percent faster than his! Gu Mingyuan even left two lifelike afterimages behind him. They took a full three seconds to fade.

The instant he avoided Bei Bei's claw, Gu Mingyuan unleashed the full power of his second Soul Skill, Jade-Shaking Force.

The impact he had absorbed from Thunderclap Dragon Claw and Thunderous Might mixed with his own Soul Power and converged in his right fist.

At the same time, the blue trait Serious Punch activated.

Its power was forcibly doubled!

Fist and claw collided in midair.

Boom—

A shockwave swept outward.

The clash lasted only an instant before Bei Bei's expression changed drastically. Tremendous force surged through his dragon claw. Sensing danger, he instinctively drew on all his Soul Power. The purple third Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up on its own.

Even so, the punch drove Bei Bei back several steps. He dug both claws into the platform's stone slabs, gouging two furrows through them before he barely managed to stop.

Gu Mingyuan, for his part, was pushed back five or six steps by the recoil.

He shook out his numb right hand and felt his second Soul Skill begin absorbing the recoil again. His eyes lit up.

As long as I keep fighting, couldn't this second Soul Skill turn me into a perpetual-motion machine?