Borrowing power through the Bronze Coffin

Atop a tall building, Huang He asked, "Teacher Zhou Yi, what do you think Jiang Hai's chances are of breaking through Xu Sanshi's defenses?"

They were all familiar with Xu Sanshi, one of the Outer Court's twin prodigies. He already possessed the strength to join the Shrek Inner Court, and his admission was practically guaranteed. Moreover, defense was his specialty. Otherwise, he would never have confidently wagered three Mystic Water Pills.

Zhou Yi shook her head. "That boy knew Xu Sanshi could definitely produce Mystic Water Pills, so he must know something about him. Yet he's still this confident, which means he must have something to rely on. Let's wait and see. Perhaps he really will surprise us."

Everyone waited, and Xu Sanshi showed no impatience either. He had no desire to earn a reputation for bullying someone younger while taking advantage of him.

About half an hour later, Jiang Hai let out a long breath, stood up, and said, "Let's do this!"

Xu Sanshi sprang up as well. "All right, kid, bring it on! I've been itching to get started. Xuanming Turtle, possess me!"

Black light flickered, and a thick layer of turtle shell covered Xu Sanshi's body. The Xuanming Turtle was a top-tier defensive martial soul. At the same time, three soul rings-two yellow and one purple-rose from beneath his feet, their radiance making the Xuanming Turtle's glow even more magnificent.

Everyone held their breath, awaiting the clash between this monster prodigy and Xu Sanshi.

With a thunderous crash, the Bronze Coffin appeared beside Jiang Hai and slammed into the ground.

Even Xu Sanshi, seeing Jiang Hai's martial soul for the first time, could not suppress a flicker of astonishment. What a heavy martial soul!

Jiang Hai gripped the edge of the Bronze Coffin and dragged it toward Xu Sanshi, step by step. Although Xu Sanshi was facing only a One-Ring Soul Master, Jiang Hai's footsteps seemed to land directly on his heart. That steady approach put considerable pressure on him.

In a spot no one had noticed, a stunning blonde woman appeared.

The Outer Court's First Beauty, Jiang Nannan.

A trace of complicated emotion filled Jiang Nannan's gaze as she looked at Xu Sanshi. Even she could not say whether she wanted him to win or lose. Perhaps she wanted him to win?!

Jiang Hai stopped just ten feet from Xu Sanshi. Hooking his arm around the Bronze Coffin's rim, he swung it with all his might. With gravity adding to its own weight, the Bronze Coffin's force had reached a terrifying level. Even an eight-hundred-year Diamond Tiger possessing a royal bloodline could not withstand this blow!

The Bronze Coffin bore down, making the ground tremble. Xu Sanshi raised his arms in front of him. Under Jiang Nannan's worried gaze, the Bronze Coffin collided with Xu Sanshi with a thunderous crash.

Jiang Hai's expression changed. Beyond every heaven lay another heaven, and beyond every expert stood someone greater. He felt the Bronze Coffin meet unprecedented resistance. This was the first time anyone had withstood its full-force blow. After the Golden Coffin had formed inside it, the Bronze Coffin's weight had reached a terrifying fifteen hundred jin.

How fearsome was a fifteen-hundred-jin Bronze Coffin backed by Jiang Hai's monstrous strength? Even a Soul Elder might not be able to withstand it, yet Xu Sanshi had taken the blow without wavering.

"Not bad, kid!" Xu Sanshi appeared perfectly unruffled, but he was far from comfortable. After all, he had blocked the blow entirely with his body, martial soul, and soul power. When the coffin struck, a strange vibrating force had also shaken him, leaving him in immense discomfort.

Before he could catch his breath, the Bronze Coffin slipped free of his control and came crashing down again.

Had Zhang Lexuan been there, she would have known what kind of howling tempest Xu Sanshi was about to endure!

Boom! Boom!

Jiang Hai swung the Bronze Coffin again and again, smashing it down as though he knew no fatigue. Under its relentless bombardment, Xu Sanshi's lower body had already sunk into the ground.

Boom!

Jiang Hai brought the coffin down once more, letting it lead his body into exerting force as he delivered blow after blow.

"The Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer? No, that's not it. It's a similar method of borrowing momentum, but it falls far short of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!" Wang Dong murmured to herself as she watched from the crowd.

Every swing of Jiang Hai's coffin carried a little more force than the one before.

The Bronze Coffin kept swinging down, looking for all the world like a hammer forging iron.

Yet Xu Sanshi remained like an unyielding rock. No matter how Jiang Hai struck him, he was as tough as ever.

"As expected of the Black Tortoise martial soul!" Jiang Hai could not help exclaiming. Any other Soul Elder would have struggled to withstand this bombardment, but the feedback through the Bronze Coffin told him that Xu Sanshi had not suffered the slightest injury.

Jiang Hai panted, and his first soul ring suddenly lit up. Golden light suffused him, and his strength abruptly increased by another ten percent. The Bronze Coffin slammed down with a thunderous crash, making Xu Sanshi's body tremble incessantly.

An attack like this was still nowhere near the limit of what he could withstand, but the vibrating force within the coffin was growing stronger and stronger. This blow even guided the lingering vibrations inside his body. The combined assault from within and without left him in unbearable discomfort, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yet beneath those vibrations, his body seemed to be undergoing tempering, and the soul power within him grew increasingly pure.

Xu Sanshi sensed the change as well, and delight spread across his face. That's it! If this keeps up a little longer, I might just break through to level thirty-nine. Who knew getting beaten had benefits like this?

Overjoyed, Xu Sanshi became even more spirited. Every blow from Jiang Hai's Bronze Coffin had become a form of tempering, and he blocked them with even greater enthusiasm.

By now, Jiang Hai's expression had changed too. Can a Soul Elder's defenses really be this strong? Even a Soul Ancestor couldn't break through this fellow's defenses without using soul skills! Should I concede? No. The Mystic Water Pills mean far too much to me.

As though Jiang Hai had reached a decision, a phantom suddenly appeared inside the Bronze Coffin and merged into his body.

"Borrow power!"

This was the Bronze Coffin's true wondrous ability: it could briefly borrow the power of the corpses sealed within it. However, this method severely depleted the power remaining in those bodies, exacting an enormous price with every use. Jiang Hai therefore rarely used it, but now, facing Xu Sanshi, the temptation of three Mystic Water Pills was simply too great.

Just as Xu Sanshi had said, Mystic Water Pills were worth ten thousand gold, yet could not be bought even if one had the money. Apart from Xu Sanshi, Jiang Hai had no other means of obtaining them.

Lin Youtian's power filled Jiang Hai's body. At this moment, he effectively possessed the combined strength of himself and a Quasi-Soul Ancestor. Bronze light blazed from the Bronze Coffin, and beneath everyone's astonished gazes, it came crashing down.

Boom!

A terrifying blast of air swept outward. Xu Sanshi's arms, braced overhead, could no longer withstand that dreadful force.

Black Tortoise Power!

His purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring suddenly lit up, and a mighty power surged from within him. With a boom, he sent the Bronze Coffin pressing down on him flying. But the hasty response caused his blood and vital energy to recoil, and he could not suppress the mouthful of blood that burst from his lips.

He had lost!

The crowd erupted. Xu Sanshi, a sixth-year student with a top-tier defensive martial soul, had actually lost.

Yes-the instant Xu Sanshi used a soul skill, he had already lost to Jiang Hai.

Jiang Hai was hurled backward, and the borrowed power faded instantly. Bei Bei stepped forward and struck the flying Bronze Coffin with his palm. His expression darkened. With a thunderous crash, the coffin dropped heavily to the ground, throwing up a great cloud of dust.

Only now did Bei Bei realize just how heavy Jiang Hai's martial soul was. No wonder even Xu Sanshi had failed to withstand his attack.

"What was that power?" Huang He asked in bewilderment. In that final instant, he had distinctly sensed Jiang Hai's strength rise to an inconceivable level. It was precisely in that instant that Xu Sanshi had been defeated.

Zhou Yi shook her head. "I don't know either. It seems this little fellow has quite a few secrets. Still, that power probably doesn't belong to him, and using it places a heavy burden on him."

"Boss!" Chen Yong rushed out anxiously and came to Bei Bei's side.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Brother Bei Bei!" Jiang Hai stood up, and Chen Yong immediately supported his weakened body.

Bei Bei praised him. "You truly are extraordinary, little brother Jiang Hai. These are the Mystic Water Pills Xu Sanshi lost to you. Keep them safe!"

"Thank you!" Jiang Hai said.

After he accepted the three jade bottles from Bei Bei, the Bronze Coffin vanished with a rumble. He glanced at Chen Yong, who immediately helped him leave.

The crowd voluntarily parted to let Jiang Hai and Chen Yong through, but everyone else lingered.

What had they just witnessed? A new student had actually defeated Xu Sanshi! Although Xu Sanshi had not used his soul skills, was that not enough to prove Jiang Hai's strength? Defense was Xu Sanshi's greatest specialty!

At this moment, Jiang Hai had truly made his name throughout the Shrek Outer Court. No-he had already made his name when he began challenging the second- and third-year students.

Strength earned respect wherever one went.

From this moment on, no one called Jiang Hai an arrogant fool anymore, even if his words really were arrogant.

No, that was not arrogance. That was strength!

Boom!

Xu Sanshi turned to leave, but the instant he did, his soul power surged, and his aura climbed a notch.

He broke through?

Bei Bei, who had been watching Xu Sanshi all along, froze. He had never expected this rival, who was always crossing swords with him, to break through before he did.

Bei Bei glanced at Jiang Hai's retreating back and chuckled. He had wondered why Xu Sanshi had acted so differently from usual. Trading three Mystic Water Pills for a breakthrough in soul power was hardly a bad deal for him.

After all, the poorer someone's talent and the lower their soul power level, the better the effects of Mystic Water Pills. For Xu Sanshi, they were nowhere near as useful as one might imagine!

As for losing face, how much face did that fellow Xu Sanshi have left to lose anyway?

Outside the crowd, Jiang Nannan also slipped away silently. Not a single person had noticed her arrival.

Jiang Hai had been the undisputed heart of this contest.

"Time to go, time to go!" Zhou Yi waved her hand and vanished in a flash. This little fellow was a piece of uncut jade. She needed to go back and consider how best to carve and polish him. One look was enough to tell her that this boy would be no end of trouble!