Sour, Spicy, Exhilarating

Off to one side, Tang San was utterly shocked by the fighting prowess Su Chen had displayed.

Su Chen's move had looked simple, but it was actually quite intricate. The force behind that kick had started in the hand braced against the ground, traveled through his arm to his waist, then flowed down his leg and converged at a single point. Not only had he brought his own strength to its fullest potential, he had added the power of his entire body.

Su Chen's technique bore a faint resemblance to the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer that Tang Hao had taught Tang San. Both relied on the movements of different parts of the body to unleash one's strength.

Tang San searched his heart. If he had been the one fighting Su Chen, even with the strength he had built through years of blacksmithing, supplemented by Mysterious Jade Hand and the internal power of Mysterious Heaven Skill, he might not have been able to withstand that kick.

Tang San could not help but marvel inwardly. After six years at Spirit Hall's Soul Master Academy, Su Chen, who had always idled his days away, has grown stronger as though he's shed his old skin and been reborn!

"You're pretty good. You actually took a punch from me and forced me to use soul power. Kid, you're pretty good! Now I'm going to get serious. Let's see how many moves you can take!" Dai Mubai looked at Su Chen, his gaze still perfectly calm. In his eyes, Su Chen was still no match for him. He was, after all, a Battle Soul Elder above level thirty!

"White Tiger, possess me!"

Dai Mubai stamped his foot and raised his hands. Three soul rings appeared around him, colored yellow, yellow, and purple from top to bottom.

"A Thousand-Year Soul Ring!"

Off to one side, Tang San could not help saying enviously, "And his other two soul rings are four hundred and seven hundred years old. They've already reached the limits a Soul Master can withstand for their first and second soul rings."

The two yellow soul rings bore four and seven markings respectively, indicating that Dai Mubai's rings were over four hundred and over seven hundred years old.

At Dai Mubai's shout, pale light suddenly erupted around him. His muscles swelled, and his blond hair instantly turned black and white, predominantly white. Markings shaped like the character for "king" appeared on his forehead. His hands doubled in size, white fur covered his palms, and sharp, daggerlike claws eight inches long could extend from them. His eyes turned a deep, dark blue.

"Use your martial soul. I don't want an unfair victory!" Dai Mubai said evenly.

"No need. I think I can deal with you without using my martial soul!" Su Chen replied just as evenly.

"What?"

"He's facing a Soul Elder above level thirty, and he isn't even going to use his martial soul?"

"Isn't that young man being too cocky?"

The onlookers kept shaking their heads at Su Chen. Even Tang San looked at him doubtfully.

"In that case, I've already lost this fight. But having met someone as outstanding as you, how could I be satisfied today without fighting you? Martial soul: Evil-Eyed White Tiger. Level thirty-seven Battle Soul Elder. Please instruct me!" Mockery flickered in Dai Mubai's eyes. As one of Shrek Academy's monsters, he had never had anyone dare speak to him like this before. This young man actually dreamed of defeating him without using a martial soul.

"Beat me, and you'll earn the right to know my name!" Su Chen smiled calmly and assumed an attacking stance.

Su Chen was not being conceited. He was confident. Before obtaining his second soul ring, his physical body alone had been capable of fighting a Soul Grandmaster above level twenty, or even a level thirty-one Battle Soul Elder.

Now, Su Chen had obtained his second soul ring. Moreover, it was fifty thousand years old, increasing each of his physical attributes by fifty thousand points. In his estimation, even without using his martial soul, his physical combat techniques alone would let him fight a Battle Soul Elder above level thirty.

The onlookers were dumbfounded. Among those of their age, Dai Mubai was already aloof and arrogant enough. They had never expected the masked young man before them to be even prouder than Dai Mubai.

"Fine."

Dai Mubai was getting angry too. Even his older brother, Dai Weisi, would not dare speak to him like that. He had already resolved to teach this outrageously arrogant young man a lesson.

"First soul skill: White Tiger Protection Barrier!"

Dai Mubai's innermost yellow soul ring burst into brilliant light. A white barrier of light wrapped itself around his body.

Whoosh!

Dai Mubai stamped his foot, moving far faster than before. In the blink of an eye, he closed in on Su Chen and swung his fist, driving it toward him with tremendous force.

Facing the incoming punch, Su Chen did not retreat in the slightest. He swung his own fist to meet it.

Bang!

With a dull thud, the two separated as soon as they collided. Su Chen stepped back half a pace, while Dai Mubai once again slid several meters backward. He only stopped when his body struck a stone pillar.

"This..."

Off to one side, the hotel manager murmured in distress. A third of the exquisite rose carvings on the pillar had cracked.

"I'll pay!"

Dai Mubai answered without hesitation, staring at Su Chen in shock. After using his first soul skill, his physical defense, speed, and strength had increased by fifty percent. Yet he was still no match for the youth before him.

At the thought that Su Chen had not even used his martial soul, Dai Mubai was so furious he almost wanted to cough up blood.

"Not going to continue?" Su Chen asked with a mocking smile.

"As you wish." Dai Mubai's sinister eyes flashed repeatedly, and his second soul ring shone. A milky-white ball of light gathered in his mouth.

Second soul skill: White Tiger Fierce Light Wave

In Dai Mubai's view, Su Chen excelled at close combat. As long as he attacked from a distance, Su Chen would have no way to deal with him.

Surging soul power poured out of Dai Mubai. Wherever the light wave passed, it acted like a laser, shattering tables and chairs into dust. Even the massive stone pillar, which took two people to encircle with their arms, was left with several conspicuous scars.

Move, move, move!

Wherever Su Chen moved, the light wave followed. Sometimes, Dai Mubai even anticipated his movements and cut off his escape route in advance.

Yet Dai Mubai grew increasingly shocked. Su Chen moved as nimbly as a rabbit, narrowly dodging his attacks every single time.

"Where is he?" Dai Mubai cried out.

Before long, the hotel lobby was a complete wreck. After shooting through a table Su Chen had used to block the light wave, Dai Mubai discovered to his astonishment that Su Chen had vanished from his sight.

"Behind you!" Tang San pointed behind Dai Mubai.

"Didn't your teacher teach you? Leaving your back wide open is a grave taboo for a Soul Master."

An enigmatic smile curved Su Chen's lips as he formed a strange hand seal. Crouching behind Dai Mubai, he thrust his clasped hands forward under everyone's shocked and curious gazes, chanting, "Secret technique: Thousand Years of Death!"