One Punch Sent a Battle Soul Elder Flying, and You Call That Support?

The Suotuo Great Soul Arena stood out against the night sky. Its enormous oval building blazed with light, and the roar of the crowd carried clearly across two streets.

The group entered the registration hall, filled out their forms, and each paid ten Gold Soul Coins for an Iron Soul Fighting Badge.

Dai Mubai and Oscar had already registered.

Ning Rongrong wrote "Seven Treasure Glazed Tile," Zhu Zhuqing wrote "Hell Spirit Cat," and Tang San put down "Thousand-Hand Asura."

When it was Xiao Wu's turn, she chewed on the end of her pen, stumped.

"Lin Xuan, what should I call myself? Cute Little Bunny? Or Invincible Beauty?"

Lin Xuan held her head still and took the pen from her.

"Just go with Jade Rabbit. Simple and easy to remember."

Xiao Wu nodded. "All right, I'll go with that."

On his own form, Lin Xuan wrote two words: Talisman Master.

After registration and Soul Power testing, everyone was sent to different Sub-Arenas to wait for their matches.

The matches were scheduled close together.

Zhu Zhuqing fought first in a singles match at the Fourteenth Sub-Arena. Using her speed to circle behind her opponent and strike, she forced her opponent out of bounds in under two minutes and claimed her first win.

Next came Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong's two-on-two match.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda boosted Zhu Zhuqing's strength and speed, pushing her agility-based fighting style to its limit. Together, they easily defeated the opposing pair of Soul Grandmasters.

When Dai Mubai's turn came, his singles victory was never in doubt. Empowered by White Tiger Vajra Transformation, his White Tiger Fierce Light Wave crushed his opponent head-on.

But in Dai Mubai and Oscar's two-on-two match, things took a sharp turn.

They drew two level-thirty-eight Assault-type Battle Soul Elders. Oscar's support could only do so much, and Dai Mubai could not hold off both opponents alone. His Soul Power ran out, and he was knocked off the platform.

Tang San's singles match was also scheduled early.

His opponent was a level-thirty-five tool Soul Master whose Martial Soul was the Mountain-Cleaving Axe.

Tang San kept his composure. He used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to maintain his distance, layered Blue Silver Grass around his opponent to restrict his movement, then spotted an opening and used Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon to knock the axe away. He secured the points for the singles match.

"Next, Jade Talisman Duo, please report to the Eighth Sub-Arena!"

The announcement echoed through the hall.

Lin Xuan and Xiao Wu walked onto the platform side by side.

Their opponents were two level-thirty-four Battle Soul Elders, one an assault-type and the other an agility-type. Their Martial Souls were the Rampaging Boar and the Gale Falcon.

The instant the referee called the start, Lin Xuan raised his right hand. Three lights formed at his fingertips.

The Blazing Fire Talisman, Gale Talisman, and Frost Lock Talisman struck Xiao Wu at the same time.

Fire curled around Xiao Wu's left fist, frost coated her right leg, and a swift current of air swirled around her body.

Before the two opponents could make out her movements, Xiao Wu had already used the wind-enhanced speed to rush the agility-type Soul Master.

Her third Soul Skill, Teleportation, activated, and she appeared directly behind the falcon Soul Master.

Her left fist slammed into his back with blazing heat, while her right leg swept out, its icy chill cutting off the Rampaging Boar's charge.

With Waist Bow and her soft-bodied techniques, she sent both level-thirty-four Soul Elders flying off the platform in less than half a minute.

The spectators below had not even seen how Lin Xuan had acted before the fight was over.

The referee loudly declared the winners. Lin Xuan and Xiao Wu stepped off the platform and hurried straight to the Second Sub-Arena.

This match was Lin Xuan and Tang San's two-on-two bout.

Their opponents were two level-thirty-three control-type Soul Masters.

Lin Xuan placed a Gale Talisman and a Blazing Fire Talisman on Tang San.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass immediately caught fire. Its vines grew far tougher, and their lashes became much faster.

Spider Web Restraint, which normally took time to set up, shot out far faster under the Gale Talisman's boost. It caught their opponents head-on and pinned them in place, while the flames burned through both of their defensive Soul Power in an instant.

The fight ended even faster than the last one.

In the waiting area, Ning Rongrong gaped and tugged on Zhu Zhuqing's sleeve.

"How does Lin Xuan's support ability even work? Fire, ice, speed boosts—he can grant all of them. Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can't empower someone with that many different attributes."

Zhu Zhuqing watched Lin Xuan return and said quietly,

"His boosts are far stronger than those of an ordinary Support Soul Master."

Flender stood at the entrance to the passage, rubbing the stubble on his chin with a conflicted expression.

He had thought Lin Xuan was merely a support-type prodigy with a higher level than most. He had not expected those three talismans to work together so devastatingly in a real fight.

And somehow, the ice and fire attributes could coexist on one person without clashing.

Lin Xuan sat beside Tang San, took a drink of water, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Less than five minutes later, he stood and straightened his sleeves.

"Dean Flender, arrange a one-on-one singles match for me."

Flender paused and turned to him.

"Are you serious? A support-type Soul Master in a singles match?"

Xiao Wu hurried over and grabbed Lin Xuan's arm.

"Lin Xuan, you won't have a teammate to take hits for you in a singles match. It's too dangerous."

Tang San tried to dissuade him too.

"Lin Xuan, support Soul Masters aren't as physically strong as Battle Soul Masters. You don't need to take that risk."

Lin Xuan gently pulled Xiao Wu's hand away and smiled.

"Xiao Wu, Little San, I've trained in hand-to-hand combat with you two on the Back Hill of Notting Academy for years. I'm not the sort to stand in the back and take a beating. Besides, if I can't win, I'll concede."

Flender studied him for a moment.

"Fine. If you want to try, go ahead. It might do you good to learn what it's like facing a Battle Soul Master up close."

A short while later, the Sub-Arena's announcement sounded again.

"Thirteenth Sub-Arena, singles match! Level-thirty-five support-type tool Soul Elder 'Talisman Master' versus level-thirty-seven Assault-type Battle Soul Elder 'Hound'!"

Lin Xuan stepped onto the stone platform.

The burly man across from him had a hulking build and a fleshy face. Three Soul Rings—one white and two yellow—lit up around him. After Martial Soul Possession, short gray-black fur sprouted on his arms, and two sharp fangs protruded from his mouth.

Hound looked at Lin Xuan's slender frame and burst out laughing.

"You're that Jade Rabbit's support? You've got a death wish!"

Lin Xuan did not answer.

Three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—slowly rose beneath his feet.

He raised his hand and traced symbols through the air in quick succession, placing a Blazing Fire Talisman, Gale Talisman, and Frost Lock Talisman on himself.

Flames spread along his right arm, a green current of wind curled around his ankles, and a layer of crystalline frost covered his left hand.

Hound snorted. His third Soul Ring flashed, and he lunged like a vicious dog, charging straight at Lin Xuan's face with a foul gust at his back. Both claws tore through the air.

Lin Xuan shifted half an inch backward. The Gale Talisman propelled him half a body-width to the side, just clear of the claws.

Hound missed and swung back across.

Instead of retreating, Lin Xuan stepped in. His right hand burned with the Blazing Fire Talisman's flames as he drove an Inch Force strike straight at Hound's chest.

Thud!

The clothes across Hound's chest were instantly scorched. He staggered back three steps, both arms tingling.

In the viewing area below, Oscar rubbed his eyes.

"Did I see that right? A support-type traded punches with an assault-type Battle Soul Elder and knocked him back?"

Tang San stood by the railing, both hands resting on the iron bars as he watched closely.

"Lin Xuan hasn't used his full strength. He's using the man to practice his footwork."

On the platform, Hound burned with humiliation at being driven back by a support-type. His second Soul Skill erupted, boosting his speed again as he unleashed a relentless flurry of claw strikes.

Lin Xuan moved with elusive grace. He combined the dodging moves he had learned from Xiao Wu over the years with the footwork Tang San had taught him, weaving through the dense storm of claws. Now and then, he threw a punch to block, sending sparks and ice chips flying.

They fought head-on for a full two minutes. Hound was already panting, most of his fur burned away, and a stubborn layer of white frost clung to his left leg.

Lin Xuan flexed his wrist. That was enough.

"Warm-up's over."

As soon as he spoke, Lin Xuan swept up his left hand and activated the Frost Lock Talisman.

Three thick ice chains rapidly formed on the ground. They wound up Hound's legs and froze his legs and waist firmly in place.

Hound desperately pushed his Soul Power to break free, but the bitter cold seeped through his skin and into his meridians, slowing the flow of Soul Power within him.

Lin Xuan drove forward, channeling the power of the Gale Talisman and Blazing Fire Talisman into his right fist at once.

A rush forward, a twist of the waist, a punch!

His flame-wreathed fist smashed squarely into the arms Hound had crossed before his chest.

Crack!

The ice chains at Hound's feet shattered. The tremendous impact lifted him off the ground and sent him arcing through the air. He slammed into the floor beyond the platform, rolled five or six meters, and could not get up for a long while.

The entire arena fell silent.

The referee stood on the platform and rubbed his eyes. Only after confirming that Hound was down and not getting up did he raise his hand, stumbling over the words.

"The w-winner is Talisman Master!"

Below the platform, Ning Rongrong grabbed her hair with both hands, utterly bewildered.

"He punched a level-thirty-seven assault-type right out of the arena? And he's support-type?!"

Oscar swallowed beside her and glanced down at the sausage in his hand. His support and my support don't seem to be the same thing.

Lin Xuan withdrew his Soul Rings, shook the lingering warmth from his wrist, and stepped off the platform.

He had barely returned to the passage when Xiao Wu bounded over and wrapped her arms around his.

"Lin Xuan, that was amazing! That sidestep into a rushing punch had at least eighty percent of my skill behind it!"

Lin Xuan eased her back to his side and looked toward Flender, who was walking up to them.

Flender adjusted his glasses. The look behind the lenses was distinctly odd.

"Lin Xuan, be honest with me. Is your Martial Soul really just ordinary talisman drawing?"

Lin Xuan's voice was calm. "It's an ordinary Martial Soul. Practice makes perfect, that's all."

Flender's mouth twitched. He asked no more questions, merely turning to the others.

"That's it for tonight's matches. You all did reasonably well. Lin Xuan, Tang San, and Xiao Wu won every match. Zhu Zhuqing won twice, Rongrong once, Dai Mubai won one and lost one, and Oscar lost one."

"Get ready. We're heading back to the academy."

Dai Mubai trailed at the back of the group, his face dark. Zhu Zhuqing did not spare him a glance and walked briskly beside Ning Rongrong.

The group left the Great Soul Arena. A cool breeze swept through Suotuo City.

When they reached the southern gate, Flender suddenly stopped and turned toward the dark official road.

The woods on either side of the road were silent.

Tang San's right hand quietly dropped to the Twenty-Four Bridge Moonlit Night at his waist.

Lin Xuan sensed that something was wrong too.

The shadows beneath the trees ahead shifted slightly. A dark figure emerged step by step from deep within the woods and stopped in the middle of the road.