Boss Dai, I Don't Recognize You as My Boss

"Who gets into the main team and who becomes captain—we need a way to decide."

After Flender said that, the area around the training ground fell much quieter.

Blue Tyrant Academy already had its own competition team, while the Shrek Seven Devils were students Flender had trained all along. Now that the two sides were joining forces, they could hardly just kick someone out. The captain's position, in particular, meant more than a title. It meant real command during matches.

Dai Mubai was the first to step forward.

He made no show of provocation. He simply looked at Ling Yun and said, "Shrek has always been a complete team. I'm the oldest, and my Soul Power is the highest of the seven, so I've always been captain. We can rearrange the team now that we've joined Blue Tyrant Academy, but you can't just be made captain because your Soul Rings are unusual."

There was nothing wrong with that.

Ling Yun wasn't angry either. Instead, he nodded. "So you want another fight?"

"Easiest way."

Dai Mubai rolled his shoulders. "Of course, I was careless last time. This time, I won't hold anything back. I know you're strong, but I, Dai Mubai, am no soft persimmon."

Liu Erlong didn't stop them, and Flender also thought this was the simplest solution. When Soul Masters argued, fists were often the handiest way to settle things. As long as they agreed to stop short of serious harm, it was better than having conflict erupt later in a match.

The two soon reached the center of the training ground.

Dai Mubai activated his Martial Soul at once. His already tall body swelled further, golden hair fell long down his back, and his strange eyes carried an especially intense Pressure. Three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—slowly appeared.

"Dai Mubai, level thirty-seven Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder. Martial Soul: Evil-Eyed White Tiger."

Ling Yun listened, then released Greninja.

Four Soul Rings—yellow, purple, purple, and black—appeared. Even though everyone had seen them once before, their gazes still drifted helplessly toward the pitch-black ring.

Dai Mubai kept his eyes on Ling Yun himself. "Use your Fourth Soul Skill too. If we're fighting over the captaincy, I don't need you to go easy on me."

"I'm not going easy on you."

Ling Yun flexed his wrist. "I only just got my Fourth Soul Skill. Using it on a teammate would feel a bit like bullying. Let's fight first. I'll use it if I need to."

Dai Mubai's gaze sharpened at once.

That stung more than an outright taunt.

"White Tiger Protection Barrier!"

His First Soul Ring lit up, and milky-white light rapidly covered his entire body. Dai Mubai wasted no words. He drove off the ground and charged straight at Ling Yun.

The thing a Power Attack System fighter feared most against an Agility Attack Type opponent was being kept at a distance.

That was why he had no intention of giving Ling Yun the chance to spread water across the field.

Tang San stood at the edge of the ground. Seeing this, he nodded slightly. "Boss Dai has the right idea. Ling Yun's Third Soul Skill needs water to work with. If he doesn't have time to prepare the field, his speed advantage will be limited."

Yu Xiaogang agreed with that assessment.

But the words had barely left their mouths when Ling Yun slid half a step backward.

His First Soul Ring lit up.

Three Water Shadow Clones scattered in different directions at once.

Dai Mubai did not hesitate. His strange eyes swept over the figures, then he abruptly changed direction and drove a fist toward the one on the right.

His fist passed straight through its body.

Water burst apart.

A fake.

The real Ling Yun had already reached Dai Mubai's rear flank. Just as he raised a hand to strike, Dai Mubai spun as though he had expected it and swept a fist toward him.

Ling Yun's eyes brightened slightly.

Dai Mubai's reactions really were much better than before.

Ling Yun did not take the blow head-on. He leaned back, and a current that had quietly spread beneath his feet carried him swiftly away.

Only then did Dai Mubai notice that a very thin film of water had appeared across the center of the training ground.

Ling Yun had not released it all at once.

He had spread it little by little while the clones drew Dai Mubai's attention.

His Third Soul Ring lit up.

With Wave Treading, Ling Yun's speed surged.

Dai Mubai chased him several times, but he could not even touch the hem of his clothes, let alone catch him. He stopped and lit up his Third Soul Ring.

"White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

His body swelled again, his muscles bulging visibly, and his aura grew far stronger in an instant.

A student on Blue Tyrant Academy's side could not help murmuring, "He's even fiercer than before."

Dai Mubai was already a Soul Elder with formidable head-on fighting ability. Once White Tiger Vajra Transformation was active, his strength, defense, and explosive power all rose sharply. If Ling Yun dared to meet him directly now, even his level advantage might not make it easy.

Dai Mubai clearly thought so too.

"White Tiger Fierce Light Wave!"

White light projectiles shot out one after another, sealing off Ling Yun's paths of movement.

Ling Yun changed direction repeatedly to avoid two of them, but the third was already bearing down on him.

This time, he did not dodge.

A Water Shuriken swiftly formed in his palm, and he hurled it head-on.

The two attacks collided. Water exploded, scattering countless fine droplets across the training ground. Dai Mubai used the moment of obscured vision to rush in, driving a fist straight at Ling Yun's chest.

"Got you!"

But Ling Yun smiled.

"Who told you this was my real body?"

Dai Mubai's expression changed. His fist fell, and the Ling Yun before him turned into a puddle once again.

The next instant, the Pink Soul-Power Tongue Scarf whipped in from the side and wrapped around Dai Mubai's right arm. Before he could muster the strength to break free, Ling Yun used Wave Treading to circle behind him, twisting with the motion.

Dai Mubai felt a pull on his arm, and his balance shifted at once.

An ordinary Soul Elder would already have been thrown.

But Dai Mubai was immensely strong under White Tiger Vajra Transformation. He stamped a foot hard against the ground and forced himself steady, then reached back to grab the scarf.

Ling Yun let go first.

The instant Dai Mubai's strength pulled at empty air, Ling Yun closed in.

No Soul Skill.

Just a crisp side kick.

Thud!

Dai Mubai crossed his arms before his chest and was kicked several meters backward. He had barely regained his footing when Ling Yun closed from the left, feinting with a punch. Dai Mubai raised an arm to block, but the real strike came from below and landed in his abdomen.

Ling Yun retreated immediately after that one punch.

He never pressed his luck.

Nor did he pit his strength against Dai Mubai's. At last, Dai Mubai understood why this fight felt so frustrating.

Ling Yun simply refused to trade blows head-on.

Each time, he baited out a move, struck once, then left.

No matter how strong his White Tiger Vajra Transformation was, Dai Mubai had to touch Ling Yun first.

After more than a dozen exchanges, Dai Mubai's Soul Power expenditure kept mounting, while Ling Yun showed no clear loss of speed.

Watching from the sidelines, Tang San had already worked out the likely result.

"Boss Dai has lost."

Ma Hongjun was plainly unconvinced. "He's still standing, isn't he?"

"There's no point continuing." Tang San shook his head. "Ling Yun has been wearing him down from the start. Boss Dai's Third Soul Skill can only last so long. Once White Tiger Vajra Transformation ends, the gap will only grow."

As if to prove him right.

After another exchange, the boost surrounding Dai Mubai finally began to weaken.

This time, Ling Yun did not retreat.

Three Water Shadow Clones appeared together and rushed Dai Mubai from different directions. Dai Mubai managed to identify two as fakes. He was about to attack the third when the real Ling Yun skimmed over the water and slipped into his blind spot.

His shoulder bumped lightly against Dai Mubai's chest.

Dai Mubai lost his footing. The Pink Soul-Power Tongue Scarf wrapped around his waist, and Ling Yun used his momentum to pull and fling him straight over the training ground's boundary line.

Dai Mubai took several steps backward after landing but ultimately stayed on his feet.

He was unhurt.

But the outcome was clear.

Ling Yun had not used his Fourth Soul Skill from start to finish.

Dai Mubai was silent for a moment. He could take a loss, though, and withdrew his Martial Soul. "The captaincy is yours. No objections."

Ling Yun gave him a thumbs-up. "You Shrek people can keep calling him Boss Dai among yourselves. I don't mind. But let's not do that on the Blue Tyrant side. Too easy to mix up."

Laughter broke out around them. Dai Mubai's face darkened, but he did not argue.

Just as he was about to walk back, Ma Hongjun could no longer hold himself back and jumped forward.

"Hold on!"

The chubby boy looked at the water covering the ground, then at Ling Yun.

"Boss Dai's Power Attack System. He only lost because he couldn't touch you. With all that water and those clones, weren't you just taking advantage of the fact that he couldn't catch up?"

Ling Yun raised an eyebrow.

"So?"

Fire flared around Ma Hongjun as his Evil Fire Phoenix began to possess him. "I'm up next. Let's see whether your water can put out my Phoenix Flame."