Defeating One Opponent After Another

At the entrance to Shrek Academy's yellow dormitory building!

A crowd gathered around as Gu Dao's expression turned exceedingly grave. He immediately unleashed both of his Soul Skills. Invisible wind elements gathered behind him, forming a faint, wavering wolf silhouette, while a pair of claw blades glimmering with eerie light appeared in his hands.

Atop a tall building on the outskirts, two middle-aged teachers stood side by side.

Huang He said, "Teacher Zhou, that Jiang Hai should be one of your students, right? Should we intervene?"

Zhou Yi said indifferently, "Why should we intervene? If you ask me, the academy is still far too gentle in how it trains its students. Look at all those second-year veterans-not one of them could beat a new student. I hope the third-years won't disappoint me too much!"

Huang He gave a bitter smile. He was the third-year homeroom teacher. Glancing at Zhou Yi, he continued, "Teacher Zhou, aren't you afraid something might happen to that boy named Jiang Hai? This is a private fight, after all, with no referee present. If something happened to him, it would be a shame to lose such a promising seedling."

Zhou Yi said indifferently, "Everyone must take responsibility for their own words and actions. If something happens, he'll have brought it upon himself. Huang He, you're simply too soft. If you're still like this after we return, I'm afraid the class you teach will become the academy's laughingstock!"

Huang He shook his head with a bitter smile. Do you think everyone is a lunatic like you? Don't you know how many students die under your instruction every year? I just hope this interesting little fellow doesn't fall into your hands and perish, you old hag. Still, this old hag does have a knack for teaching.

Huang He looked down toward the yellow dormitory building and silently resolved to be stricter.

Within the crowd, Gu Dao let out a low shout, turned into a fleeting afterimage, and charged at Jiang Hai.

"So fast!"

The speed Gu Dao unleashed already rivaled that of some Soul Elders. The Gale Demon Wolf truly deserved its reputation as a top-tier agility-type Martial Soul, racing with the gale.

Gu Dao had assessed his opponent before attacking: Jiang Hai was immensely strong, but slow.

Chen Yong grew excited in the crowd. Was the boss about to unleash his ultimate move? He widened his eyes, unwilling to miss a single detail.

The instant Gu Dao vanished, Jiang Hai had already swung his coffin up and smashed it down.

A strange scene unfolded. Gu Dao suddenly appeared directly in front of Jiang Hai's coffin, as though he had run into it himself.

"Good lad!" Zhou Yi exclaimed, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes.

"How is that possible?" Huang He was equally astonished.

With a thunderous crash, the massive Bronze Coffin smashed into Gu Dao. Under the terrifying impact, the Gale Blades condensed in his hands shook violently and soon shattered. Then the enormous coffin slammed into his body.

Clang!

The coffin hit the ground, and an agile figure sprang from atop it. Before Gu Dao could react, fists hammered into his chest one after another with unstoppable force. His Soul Power shuddered, and he could not help coughing up a mouthful of blood as his body flew backward.

Jiang Hai's speed was indeed unimpressive, but that was while he was burdened by a Bronze Coffin weighing over a thousand jin. Once he released it, his speed was far from weak. After all, speed and strength complemented each other.

In the blink of an eye, the third-year Gu Dao had been defeated once again. The crowd fell utterly silent!

"Nice!" Chen Yong could not contain his excitement and shouted. As the people beside him turned to look, a chill ran down his back, and he hurriedly added, "Nice... what a shame! He almost won!"

"Teacher Huang, did you notice anything?" Zhou Yi asked, her eyes gleaming.

Huang He nodded. "Jiang Hai seemed to predict Gu Dao's attack trajectory from the very beginning, then swung his coffin a step ahead. The timing of its descent was also perfect, which made it look as though Gu Dao had deliberately rushed into it."

Zhou Yi said, "Who taught that useless Gu Dao before? Another useless fool, who taught him straight into worthlessness. Someone saw through every one of his attack trajectories at a glance, and he didn't know how to adapt at all. And while the Bronze Coffin's strength was formidable, it wasn't enough to defeat him. Yet what was he doing? Did he really think his opponent would only attack with his Martial Soul? With strength like that, could his speed really be utterly worthless? Idiot!"

Zhou Yi's words were cutting, and Huang He could not help defending Gu Dao. "But the attack trajectory Gu Dao chose really was the optimal one. That much deserves some credit."

Zhou Yi gave Huang He an indifferent glance. "That's precisely why I said his teacher was useless. If even you know that's the best angle of attack, wouldn't someone else know it too? Against an opponent with tremendous strength but inferior speed, the optimal choice is the stupidest one!"

"Uh!" Huang He rubbed his nose awkwardly and said nothing. Hadn't she just insulted him too?! Still, Zhou Yi had a point. The optimal choice sometimes truly was not the best one, but Jiang Hai's judgment and decisiveness remained astonishing.

With that approach, if he made even the slightest mistake, if Gu Dao did not attack as he predicted, then his heavy, powerful Martial Soul would leave him without even a chance to react against a Soul Master with Gu Dao's unrivaled speed.

Everyone had only seen Jiang Hai finish Gu Dao in a move or two. They had not seen the contest of wits and the danger behind it.

The slightest deviation would have reversed the outcome.

"Next!" Jiang Hai's voice rang out again, excitement flickering in his eyes. He felt his Soul Power burning. Only an opponent like this could put enough pressure on him.

But Gu Dao's defeat had placed enormous pressure on everyone else.

Even the third-year Gu Dao was no match for him, and he had lost so miserably. They might not win if they stepped forward either.

Losing ten gold coins was a small matter, but they could not endure the humiliation of third-years losing to a boy who had only just enrolled.

When no one stepped forward for a long time, Jiang Hai frowned in dissatisfaction and sneered, "So these are Shrek Academy's students? Its second- and third-year veterans? Not a single one of you has any guts? Or can't you bear to part with ten gold coins? If I'd known, I wouldn't have come to Shrek Academy. A bunch of cowards!"

Jiang Hai shook his head and made to leave!

"Wait! What did you say?" This time, none of them could hold back. Indignation swept through the crowd. Jiang Hai's sweeping insult was intolerable to people who took pride in being Shrek Academy students.

Even Huang He could not help saying indignantly, "That brat's words are just begging for a beating!"

"Isn't it the truth?" Zhou Yi sneered. "If they really had any backbone, they would step forward one by one. Even if they all lost, I would think more highly of them. Being beaten by a newcomer until they're afraid to show their faces-that is Shrek Academy's true disgrace. If you ask me, if no one fights, every second- and third-year should be expelled. If they don't dare step forward against a newcomer, won't they flee without a fight when they face stronger enemies in the future?"

Huang He said sheepishly, "Teacher Zhou Yi, surely it isn't as serious as you make it sound? They're all children, after all. It's understandable that they're afraid of losing face. Besides, someone has stepped forward now!"

"Xi Feng, third-year student of Shrek Academy, rank twenty-five defense-type Battle Soul Master. Please instruct me!" Xi Feng stepped out, and an enormous ice shield appeared before him, accompanied by two yellow hundred-year Soul Rings. Almost every Shrek Academy student had the optimal Soul Ring configuration. Apart from Huo Yuhao, virtually none would have a ten-year Soul Ring.

The ice shield stood as tall as a person, enough to conceal Xi Feng's entire body!

Jiang Hai praised him. "You're much better than that bunch of gutless cowards. Watch out, I'm going all out. First Soul Skill, Diamond Body!"

Golden light spread out from within the Bronze Coffin, washing Jiang Hai's body in gold until he resembled a little golden figure.

"So that's his first Soul Skill!" For some reason, seeing Jiang Hai's first Soul Skill made the others breathe a sigh of relief. Until now, he had never used it.

"Attack!" Jiang Hai shouted, his agile figure charging straight ahead. This time, he did not use the Bronze Coffin to overwhelm his opponent with brute force. The heavy coffin combined with his divine strength was too devastating to effectively hone his abilities, so he once again abandoned it and charged.

Facing Jiang Hai's ferocious approach, Xi Feng did not let down his guard in the slightest. He raised his shield before him and drove forward with the strength of his entire body. His first Soul Ring abruptly lit up as well. First Soul Skill, Iron Mountain Charge!

Boom!

Jiang Hai's golden fist struck the raised shield, sending shards of ice exploding in every direction. The enormous shield trembled continuously, and Xi Feng felt as though he had rammed into a humanoid tyrannosaurus. His blood surged, and he staggered back two or three steps before dissipating the force and stopping.

Golden light also rippled over Jiang Hai's body, continually neutralizing the impact transmitted through the enormous shield.

"Again!" Jiang Hai roared. He felt his Soul Power beginning to stir. Since the Golden Coffin had appeared, his Soul Power had been growing even faster, approaching rank fourteen in just a few days. This collision had allowed him to sense an opportunity to break through.

Another fist blasted forward. Xi Feng's expression turned bitter, but he had no choice but to brace his shield and block.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

One punch after another hammered into the shield. Xi Feng retreated continuously, while the golden light on Jiang Hai's body dimmed considerably. His Soul Power surged, only a hair's breadth from a breakthrough.

Jiang Hai threw another punch, but his body suddenly stiffened. A terrifying chill swept through his limbs and bones, intertwining with the Soul Power inside him.

Xi Feng had been on the verge of collapse, but Jiang Hai's next attack never came. He glanced over and brightened with delight. The moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived. His second Soul Skill had already activated while he was blocking Jiang Hai's punches. It was a passive defensive Soul Skill: Frost Attachment.

Every time he took an attack, cold energy would seep into his attacker's body. Once enough had accumulated to freeze the attacker, it would trigger.

Xi Feng had thought he would never hold out until Frost Attachment triggered, but he had succeeded. Looking at the frozen Jiang Hai, he unleashed his first Soul Skill, Iron Mountain Charge, once more and slammed into him.

A thunderous crash rang out.

Jiang Hai's body retreated one step, golden light rippling over him.

"Impossible!" Xi Feng exclaimed in shock.

Regretful voices also rose from the crowd. Bei Bei said, "This truly was Xi Feng's best opportunity. Unfortunately, while his defense is strong, his strength is only average. His skill simply can't break through little brother Jiang Hai's own defensive Soul Skill. The moment little brother Jiang Hai wakes up will be the moment Xi Feng loses!"