Barehanded Instant Kill

Second Soul Skill: Azure Wood Claw!

With Martial Soul Possession complete, Zhou Cang unleashed his strongest offensive Soul Skill the instant he charged.

His right hand, now a dragon claw covered in scales, took on another layer of sharp, emerald-green light.

The aura around Zhou Cang grew fiercer still.

Just a weakling with a high Soul Power Level. He's so scared he hasn't even activated Martial Soul Possession. Zhou Cang sneered at Dai Zhuang, who stood motionless.

At the same time, excitement surged through him. Once he completed the task ahead of everyone else, what reward would his family receive?

So this is a member of the Star Luo Imperial Family? Maybe it's because he's from a branch family. Below the stage, Dugu Yan shook her head to herself.

It seemed this so-called genius from a branch of the Star Luo Imperial Family was nothing special after all.

He could not even react to a fight of this level.

Then again, he had reached rank twenty-five Soul Power at twelve years old. He probably had no combat experience at all.

Great. An exchange student really is a headache.

Qin Ming, troubled by the situation, prepared to step in and save Dai Zhuang at any moment.

After all, Dai Zhuang's identity was too sensitive. Nothing could happen to him.

If anything did, Qin Ming would suffer for it as his homeroom teacher.

It might even spark a much bigger problem.

Idiot. Dai Xuanyu felt nothing but disdain.

Just as Zhou Cang's attack was about to reach him, Dai Xuanyu moved.

Without even activating Martial Soul Possession, he simply extended his right hand and struck swiftly at Zhou Cang.

An idiot trying to stop a carriage with a mantis's arms. Zhou Cang rejoiced.

It was bad enough that Dai Zhuang had not used a Soul Skill. Now he did not even have time to activate Martial Soul Possession and was trying to block with his bare body.

What else could he be but an idiot?

The reward was his for the taking!

How did he break through my attack? Wait, what the hell is this power?!

But in the next instant, Zhou Cang's face changed. Fear welled up deep inside him.

Dai Zhuang had broken his strongest attack with his bare hand.

How was that possible?! He had to be dreaming.

Before Zhou Cang could think any further, tremendous force slammed into him, leaving him no chance to resist.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, Zhou Cang's body was driven straight into the arena floor.

"..."

For a moment, the entire combat ground fell silent as a graveyard.

Dai Xuanyu's move had clearly stunned everyone.

Even Dugu Yan and their homeroom teacher, Qin Ming, were no exceptions.

Then everyone came to their senses, and the place erupted like a boiling pot.

"How is that possible?! Is this a joke? He didn't use his Martial Soul or a Soul Skill, and he took Zhou Cang down in one hit?!"

"I know, right? I feel like I'm still asleep. How else could I be having a dream like this?"

"Someone slap me so I can tell if this is real!"

"Serves him right! Zhou Cang kicked an iron plate this time."

"..."

Some were incredulous, some were frightened, and others were secretly delighted. Their reactions varied.

A strange light flashed through Dugu Yan's beautiful eyes as she murmured:

"He took Zhou Cang down in one hit without even activating his Martial Soul. This Dai Zhuang is something else."

Even Dugu Yan had to admit that Dai Xuanyu taking Zhou Cang down with his bare hands had turned her understanding of the world upside down.

What that display revealed about his strength was terrifying.

"Teacher Qin Ming, you can announce the result now, can't you?" Dai Xuanyu asked from the stage.

Qin Ming came back to his senses and said, his expression complicated, "The winner of this practical combat test is Dai Zhuang."

"Oh, and Teacher Qin Ming, you'd better hurry and pry Zhou Cang out of the floor."

"Otherwise... well, well." Dai Xuanyu's reminder sounded considerate at first, but his meaning was unmistakable by the end.

His attitude stirred a nameless anger in some students who loved the Heaven Dou Empire, but they could hardly say anything.

After all, Zhou Cang had provoked the whole affair from start to finish.

So they turned on Zhou Cang instead, still embedded in the arena floor, and began complaining.

They said Zhou Cang had disgraced the Heaven Dou Empire.

Others breathed an unconscious sigh of relief. As long as Dai Zhuang was unharmed, that was what mattered.

Peace and an alliance between the two empires had not come easily. There could be no slipups.

That was reality. Some people benefited from the alliance and naturally wanted it to last.

Others stood to lose from it and wanted to destroy it.

This Dai Zhuang has quite a personality. Qin Ming saw nothing wrong with Dai Xuanyu's barbed remarks.

He came from Shrek Academy, and naturally believed in its way of doing things.

That was why he admired Dai Xuanyu, even though Dai Xuanyu was a member of the Star Luo Imperial Family.

Besides, strength reigned supreme in the world of Soul Masters. What was wrong with that?

Nothing.

So it was only natural for Qin Ming to admire Dai Xuanyu.

But as a teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he could not show too much of it.

Qin Ming therefore returned to his duties as a teacher.

He stepped onto the stage himself and pried Zhou Cang out of the arena floor.

After telling the students to warm up and train on their own, he took the unconscious Zhou Cang to the infirmary for treatment.

"Dugu Yan, Shao Ruizhe, you're up."

When Qin Ming returned, he announced that the practical combat tests would continue.

And so the day passed in practical combat tests.

Qin Ming knew what he was doing. The matchups he had arranged were well chosen.

Each one gave the participating students a chance to hone themselves.

Nor did Qin Ming let the support- and food-type students who could not take part in combat sit idle.

It's gotten a lot quieter all of a sudden. Dai Xuanyu sat in a chair, leisurely watching the matches.

After he had taken Zhou Cang down with his bare hands, everyone had become much better behaved.

But this was only the beginning. The real show would start once word of today's events spread.

Dai Xuanyu wanted to see just how many people opposed the two empires' cooperation.

As the saying went, stand in the middle and play both sides. Only then could he maximize the Star Luo Empire's gains.

Qian Renxue, what move will you make? Dai Xuanyu was curious.

He had shown her such an obvious opening. How would she use it?

There was a reason he cared so much about Qian Renxue's response.

She represented Spirit Hall, and her actions could reveal the direction Spirit Hall as a whole intended to take.

Whether the alliance endured or broke down, the Star Luo Empire would benefit.

But the sooner he knew which way things were going, the sooner he could adjust.