Battle Against Zhao Wuji

"What did you say? Above level forty?" Zhao Wuji's eyes widened like copper bells. He stared at Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu with the gleaming eyes of a hunter who had spotted his prey.

Xiao Wu shrank back. "Teacher Zhao's stare is terrifying."

Realizing he had lost his composure, Zhao Wuji coughed twice to hide his embarrassment, then said to Dai Mubai, "In that case, I'll play with them myself. Mubai, tell them about me. I'll give you the time it takes an incense stick to burn. After that, you only need to last that long against me to pass."

With that, Zhao Wuji closed his eyes again, though he was nowhere near as calm as he looked. Two eleven-year-old Soul Ancestors. We've struck gold this time. Students can graduate at twenty once they reach level forty, and now two eleven-year-olds at that level have come to enroll. If that old fellow Flender finds out, he'll be too happy to sleep. Hmm. How much strength should I use?

Dai Mubai explained to Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu, "Teacher Zhao's full name is Zhao Wuji. People call him the Immovable Wisdom King. His Martial Soul is the Great Strength Vajra Bear, a powerful Beast Martial Soul. He has no weaknesses anywhere on his body, and his defense is terrifying. Even Soul Masters at his level struggle to break through it. His only weakness is speed, but when the gap in Soul Power is too great, even that weakness disappears. Over ten years ago, he offended Spirit Hall and was surrounded by sixteen bishops at the Soul Emperor level. He fought his way out, even though he was only a Soul Emperor himself at the time. Now he's far stronger—a level-seventy-four Soul Saint, second only to the dean at the academy. I've been here three years and have never seen Teacher Zhao fight at full strength. His seven Soul Rings have the optimal configuration: Two yellow, two purple, and three black. You'd better hope for the best."

Qin Muchu turned to Xiao Wu, who looked rather eager. "Well, Xiao Wu? Feeling confident?"

Xiao Wu flashed him an OK sign. "No problem. Just watch Sister Xiao Wu perform."

Qin Muchu pinched Xiao Wu's cheek, then called to Zhao Wuji, "Teacher Zhao, let's begin."

"Oh? Already?" Zhao Wuji glanced in surprise at the incense stick, which had barely burned down. He took out another, lit it, and planted it in the ground. Then he interlaced his fingers and pushed his hands outward, setting off a rapid crackle of popping joints. "Come on, then, you little brats. Show me what you've got."

"Why not call us blind little bears?" Xiao Wu muttered. Her Martial Soul possessed her in an instant. "First Soul Skill: Waist Bow!"

"Well now, that Martial Soul Possession was fast." Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up. He clenched his fists and slammed them into the ground. A ring of yellow shockwaves spread outward, forcibly interrupting Xiao Wu's first Soul Skill. "Doesn't seem to have much power, though."

"Oh? Is that so?" Xiao Wu gave him a wicked smile, her pretty face suddenly turning bewitching. "Second Soul Skill: Charm!"

Watching from the side, Dai Mubai cried out, "This is bad! A mental attack? Has she forgotten Teacher Zhao's nickname?"

Zhao Wuji looked at the red light in Xiao Wu's eyes and laughed. "A mental attack? Don't forget, I'm the Immovable Wisdom King." With that, he prepared to take her Charm head-on.

"Teacher Zhao, have you forgotten about me?" Qin Muchu stood to one side with his sword upright in his right hand. Forming sword fingers with his left, he ran them along the blade. "Second Soul Skill: Spiritual Storm!"

Invisible sword energy swept in from every direction. A bad feeling rose in Zhao Wuji's heart, and he hurriedly activated a defensive Soul Skill. Just then, the formless sword energy became several crescent-shaped blades of light that shot toward him at once.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

A burst of metallic impacts rang out. Zhao Wuji felt little in his body, but his mind reeled. His astonishment deepened. Good grief. The mental attack carried by that Soul Skill can even affect me.

He quickly gathered his wits and hastily resisted Xiao Wu's Charm. When he opened his eyes again, a long leg was kicking straight toward his head. Xiao Wu had used Instant Teleportation to reach him while he was defending himself.

"Well done!" Zhao Wuji roared. Instead of dodging, he threw a punch straight at Xiao Wu's abdomen.

Xiao Wu did not dodge either. She kept her leg aimed at Zhao Wuji and used her fourth Soul Skill. "Fourth Soul Skill: Invincible Golden Body!"

Invincible Golden Body was a powerful defensive skill that let her ignore physical attacks below the divine level for three seconds while doubling her strength. Bang! Xiao Wu and Zhao Wuji were both knocked backward.

"First Soul Skill: Ten Thousand Transformations, One Edge!" As Zhao Wuji retreated, Qin Muchu unleashed his first Soul Skill. A crescent of sword energy slashed out, carrying both the devouring effect of the Boundless Reversal Barrier and the armor-piercing effect of Steel-Cutting.

"Good lad! Quick thinking!" Zhao Wuji laughed and forcibly halted his retreat. "First Soul Skill: Immovable Bright King Body!"

At his words, brilliant golden light erupted from Zhao Wuji's body. He crossed his arms in front of the crescent of sword energy.

Seeing that Zhao Wuji intended to take the strike head-on, Qin Muchu's face took on an amused expression.

The crescent of sword energy soon struck Zhao Wuji's arms, and his expression changed dramatically. He felt about thirty percent of his strength vanish in an instant, while the sword energy's power more than doubled. Worse, a sharp force pierced his defenses and cut into his skin.

"Martial Soul Avatar!"

With no time to spare, Zhao Wuji no longer dared to hold back. He released his Martial Soul Avatar, transforming into a gigantic Great Strength Vajra Bear. Relying on the immense Soul Power and defense of his transformed body, he finally blocked Qin Muchu's attack.

The arena fell so silent that a dropped needle could have been heard. Dai Mubai rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Damn! He actually forced Teacher Zhao to use his Martial Soul Avatar? Was that sword strike really so strong?"

His shock was understandable. The sight was simply beyond belief. Zhao Wuji was a level-seventy-four Soul Saint, not far from becoming a Soul Douluo. There were probably fewer than a thousand experts like him across the entire continent. Few Six-Ring Soul Emperors could force him to use his Martial Soul Avatar, let alone a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.

If Dai Mubai had not seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought anyone who claimed such a thing was mad. Yet the proof stood before him, leaving him feeling as though he were living in a dream.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Zhao Wuji was the first to applaud. He looked at Qin Muchu and Xiao Wu, admiration and amazement plain in his eyes. "I never imagined you two youngsters could push me this far. With your strength, even some of the academy's teachers would have trouble beating you. Do you really want to enroll?"

Qin Muchu replied earnestly, "The sea of learning has no shore, and the path of martial arts has no end. My Soul Power Level may be higher than others my age, but I'm still young. There's much I don't understand and need to learn. Besides, we forced you to use your Martial Soul Avatar today through an unexpected move and sheer sharpness, not true depth of skill. In solid foundations, abundant Soul Power, and adaptable tactics, a chasm still separates me from the truly strong. It would be my honor to study at Shrek Academy."