Huo Yuhao: Your Talent Is Strong, but My Future Is Stronger!!!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The round-faced boy swung his iron hammer.

He launched attack after attack at Qian Renchuan.

Hammer strikes overlapped in an instant, completely cutting off Qian Renchuan's escape routes.

At the sight,

the surrounding students burst into cheers.

"Good! Smash him!"

"Show him what a Tool Soul Master can do!"

Yet with his powerful mental strength behind him, Qian Renchuan slipped through the gaps between the hammer strikes as casually as if he were taking a stroll.

Every step

landed exactly where it needed to.

Not an inch too far, not an inch too short.

After a dozen or so swings of his Iron Hammer Martial Soul, the round-faced boy still hadn't touched so much as the hem of Qian Renchuan's clothes.

Instead, he had worn himself out and was panting for breath.

Unable to contain his frustration, he shouted,

"Is dodging all you can do?"

"Oh."

Qian Renchuan stopped and gave a slight nod.

"Fine. I'll give you what you want."

"I won't dodge."

"Huh?"

"What?"

The round-faced boy froze.

The next moment,

his vision blurred!

Several meters away, Qian Renchuan drove his right foot hard into the ground.

He shot forward as though he had teleported, appearing right in front of the round-faced boy in the blink of an eye!

The boy's expression changed drastically.

Fast.

Too fast.

So fast that he could only raise his iron hammer in front of his chest on instinct,

trying to defend himself.

But Qian Renchuan's Skin Martial Soul erupted, and all his Soul Power gathered in his fist.

Bang!

He threw a punch.

It struck the face of the hammer.

Clang!

A deafening crash rang out.

The round-faced boy felt an irresistible force surge through his hammer.

The skin between his thumbs and forefingers split open instantly.

His Iron Hammer Martial Soul flew from his hands.

The force sent him stumbling backward until he fell onto his rear, his face blank with shock.

The entire place fell deathly silent.

The students who had been enjoying the show stood with their mouths agape, unable to accept what they had just seen.

"One punch?"

"Just one punch?"

"He sent a level twenty-one Tool Soul Master flying along with his Martial Soul with one punch?"

"Doesn't the eldest young master have no Soul Rings?"

"Where did he get that kind of strength?"

In the crowd, Qian Renxue drew a sharp breath, shaken to her core.

How is that possible?

Big Brother has never done any physical training. How can his body be so strong?

The power behind that punch

definitely exceeded the limits of an ordinary Soul Grandmaster.

Is this the physical enhancement that comes with the Skin Martial Soul? But that's absurdly strong!

Huo Yuhao's thoughts were in turmoil.

Damn it!

Big Brother's speed, his strength, and the mental perception he showed while dodging those attacks...

There's no way someone who sleeps all day could have those abilities!

His physical strength and mental power defy common sense. Big Brother has hidden far too much!

But I should have realized it sooner. As a top-tier Body Martial Soul, the Skin Martial Soul naturally grants physical strength far beyond others at the same level.

They say Long Aotian had a body comparable to a Soul Elder's when he was only level twenty.

Since Big Brother awakened the Skin Martial Soul, strength like this...

isn't strange.

He really is strong right now!

But so what?

Cultivation has never been about who starts out ahead. It's about who goes farther!

I'm a reborn Deity. I have the Mysterious Heaven Skill and Purple Demon Eyes as my foundation, cultivation experience far beyond this era, and Soul Tools as my unique trump card!

Once I find a chance to leave Spirit Hall, reach the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest, find Brother Sky Dream, and absorb that million-year Soul Ring...

When that happens, forget your mere Skin Martial Soul. Even if you unleash your Seraphim as well, I might not take you seriously!

Your talent is strong, but my future is stronger.

You might be stronger than me now, but what about five years from now? Ten? What will you have to compete with me then?

Listening to Huo Yuhao's thoughts race through his mind, Qian Renchuan couldn't help smiling.

Third Brother really is worthy of being the reincarnation of the Emotion God.

That ability to talk himself back into confidence is something else.

Though his confidence has gone well past the point of reason.

But Qian Renchuan wasn't the least bit bothered by Third Brother's thoughts. He was looking forward to what came next.

The stronger Third Brother became,

the harder he worked to seek out opportunities,

the more astonishing the rewards Qian Renchuan would receive!

He had no idea what made Third Brother so certain he could find that Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in the Star Dou Great Forest in this era, but it didn't matter.

Go ahead and work yourself to the bone.

I'll lie back and collect the rewards!

Just then, the round-faced boy sat on the ground with his face flushed red, seemingly unable to accept that he had been beaten in a single blow.

Gritting his teeth, he scrambled to his feet and tried to summon his Martial Soul again.

"I refuse to accept this!"

"I let my guard down just now and didn't dodge. Let's go again!"

But Instructor Chen stepped between them in a flash and barked with a frown,

"Enough!"

"Practice matches end when the outcome is clear. You've lost. Step back!"

The round-faced boy looked deeply aggrieved.

But under Instructor Chen's stern gaze, he could only slink away.

Qian Renchuan, meanwhile, gave another enormous yawn and settled back into his usual boneless slouch.

"Instructor Chen."

"Everyone's done fighting now."

"No one's going to stop me from going back to sleep, right?"

Without even waiting for an answer, he turned and walked away.

Behind him,

everyone was speechless.

The gifted students watched Qian Renchuan leave, their expressions shifting.

Some acknowledged his strength.

Others still looked resentful and muttered under their breath,

"What's he so smug about? He only beat the weakest person in our class."

"Exactly. He picked an easy target. What a joke."

"If he weren't the eldest young master, I'd go teach him a lesson myself!"

Though some were furious, no one stepped forward to stop him.

His status was one reason. The terrifying force of that punch had also intimidated quite a few of them.

At the Spirit Academy student dormitories,

Qian Renchuan pushed open the door.

This was the room the academy had assigned to him and Huo Yuhao.

It was a standard four-person room, but classes were still in session. The dorm was empty apart from him.

He took his Golden Silkworm Silk pillow out of his Storage Soul Tool

and dropped onto the bed without hesitation.

Qian Renchuan rolled over and lay comfortably on his back, then brought up the system panel:

[Host: Qian Renchuan]

[Martial Souls: Skin, Seraphim]

[Level: 25 (Soul Grandmaster)]

[Mental strength: 233 (standard for an ordinary level 25: 135)]

[Physical strength: 361 (standard for an ordinary level 25: 205)]

[Soul Power: 2988/3000 (standard for level 26: 3000)]

[Bonded person (1): Qian Renxue; current status: None]

[Bonded person (2): Huo Yuhao; current status: None]