Huo Yuhao: You Have Talent, but I Have the Future!!!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The round-faced boy swung his Iron Hammer Martial Soul.

He launched one attack after another at Qian Renchuan.

In an instant, countless hammer strikes wove together, sealing off every route of escape.

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 spiritual strength, Qian Renchuan strolled through the gaps between the hammer strikes like a slippery eel.

Every step

was perfectly placed.

Not an inch too far or too short.

After swinging his Iron Hammer Martial Soul more than a dozen times, the round-faced boy had failed to touch even the hem of Qian Renchuan's clothes.

Instead, he was left panting for breath.

Frustrated, he could not help shouting,

"Can you do anything but dodge?"

"Oh."

Qian Renchuan stopped and nodded calmly.

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

"I won't dodge."

"Huh?"

"What?"

The round-faced boy froze.

The next instant,

his vision blurred!

A few meters away, Qian Renchuan drove his right foot 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 face changed.

Fast.

Too fast.

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

and try 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

straight into the face of the hammer.

Clang!

A deafening crash rang out.

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

The webs between his thumbs and forefingers split open.

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 spectacle stared with their mouths open, unable to accept what they had just seen.

"One punch?"

"Just one punch?"

"He sent a level-twenty-one Tool Soul Master flying, Martial Soul and all, with one punch?"

"Doesn't the Eldest Young Master have no Soul Ring?"

"Where did he get that kind of strength?"

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

How was that possible?

Big Brother had never done any physical training. How could his body be so strong?

The power behind that punch

had definitely exceeded the limits of an ordinary Soul Grandmaster.

Was this the Physical Body Enhancement granted by his Skin Martial Soul? But that was absurdly strong!

Huo Yuhao was even more shaken.

Damn it!

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

There was no way someone who slept all day could have those abilities!

His physical strength and spiritual power defied all reason. Big Brother had hidden his abilities far too well!

But I should have realized it sooner. As a top-tier Body Martial Soul, the Skin Martial Soul would naturally make his body far stronger than others at the same level.

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

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

Wasn't surprising.

He really was strong right now!

But so what?

Cultivation was never about who started ahead. It was about who went farther!

I was a reborn Deity. I had the Mysterious Heaven Skill and Purple Demon Eyes as my foundation, cultivation experience far beyond this era's, and Soul Tools as a trump card no one else possessed!

Once I found a chance to leave Spirit Hall, reach the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest, find Brother Sky Dream, and fuse with that Million-Year Soul Ring...

Then even if you released the Seraphim alongside your Skin Martial Soul, I might not think you worth my attention!

You had talent. I had the future.

You might be stronger than me now, but what about in five years? Ten? How would you compete with me then?

Listening to Huo Yuhao's thoughts flood his mind, Qian Renchuan could not help smiling.

Third Brother really was worthy of being the reincarnated Emotion God.

He knew how to set his mind at ease, all right.

Though his confidence had gone through the roof.

But Qian Renchuan did not resent any of those thoughts. If anything, he looked forward to seeing what Huo Yuhao would do.

The stronger Third Brother became,

the harder he worked to find opportunities,

the greater the rewards Qian Renchuan would receive!

He had no idea why Third Brother was so certain he could find that Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in the Star Dou Great Forest during this era, but it did not matter.

Go on. Work yourself to the bone.

I'll lie back and collect the returns!

Just then, the round-faced boy sitting on the ground flushed red. He seemed unable to accept that one punch had defeated him.

Gritting his teeth, he got up and tried to summon his Martial Soul again.

"I don't accept this!"

"I was careless just now and didn't dodge. Let's go again!"

But Instructor Chen flashed between them and barked with a frown,

"Enough!"

"This is a sparring match, not a fight to the finish. 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 slouched as though he had no bones.

"Instructor Chen."

"Everyone's had their match."

"I'm going back to sleep. No one's stopping me, right?"

Before the instructor could answer, he turned and walked away.

Behind him,

everyone was speechless.

The talented students watched Qian Renchuan go, their expressions shifting.

Some acknowledged his strength.

Others still looked resentful and muttered,

"What's he so smug about? All he did was beat the weakest student in our class."

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

"If he weren't the Eldest Young Master, I'd have taught him a lesson myself!"

Despite their resentment, no one stepped forward to stop him.

His status was one reason, but the terrifying power of that punch had also intimidated quite a few of them.

At the Spirit Academy student dormitories,

Qian Renchuan pushed open a 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, so he had it to himself.

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

then dropped onto his bed without ceremony.

Qian Renchuan rolled onto his back and made himself comfortable. At the same time, he called up his system panel:

[Host: Qian Renchuan]

[Martial Souls: Skin, Seraphim]

[Level: 25 (Soul Grandmaster)]

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

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

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

[Bond Target (1): Qian Renxue; current status: None]

[Bond Target (2): Huo Yuhao; current status: None]