Before Tang San could react, Yu Xiaogang cried out in shock.
Rank sixteen? How could he be rank sixteen...
How could a six-and-a-half-year-old have cultivated to rank sixteen...?
Yu Xiaogang simply could not understand. "Did you take some drug to boost your cultivation? That could damage the foundation of your future growth!"
When faced with something he did not understand, he would define it through possibilities he already knew.
Awakening his martial soul at six, then advancing six ranks in half a year?
In his eyes, that was utterly impossible!
It was impossible anywhere on the entire continent!
"I don't recall ever saying my soul power was only rank fourteen."
After arriving in Nuoding City, Jin Jiuxiao had indeed never said that he was only rank fourteen.
He had merely taken out that assessment report for them to read.
Yu Xiaogang choked on his words. Thinking back, Jin Jiuxiao really did seem to have never said that.
Jin Jiuxiao looked at Tang San opposite him. "Tang San, are we fighting or not?"
"This isn't fair!"
Before Tang San could answer, Yu Xiaogang shouted, "Your soul power level is a whole three ranks higher than San's!"
Seeing how unable Yu Xiaogang was to accept this, Jin Jiuxiao found it rather amusing.
He already couldn't stomach something this minor?
If he learned that Jin Jiuxiao's first soul ring was eleven thousand years old, wouldn't he fall apart on the spot?
"Tang San and I are about the same age. Why have I reached rank sixteen, while Tang San is only rank thirteen under your guidance?"
Jin Jiuxiao was telling the truth. Tang San's current age was indeed close to the physical age of his body after taking human form.
Tang San first looked at Yu Xiaogang. "Teacher, it's fine. It's only a three-rank difference."
He was confident that even with a three-rank gap, Jin Jiuxiao would be no match for him.
Then he looked at Jin Jiuxiao. "Jin Jiuxiao, Teacher's earlier conclusion wasn't without reason. You're a genius with innate full soul power. There's no need to swallow herbs or potions that pull up seedlings to force their growth."
Tang San did not believe a native of this world could cultivate faster than he did.
He had the Mysterious Heaven Skill!
The Mysterious Heaven Skill was countless leagues above these natives' breathing techniques.
Without the Mysterious Heaven Skill, how could Jin Jiuxiao possibly cultivate faster than him?
The only explanation was the possibility his teacher had mentioned.
To raise his cultivation, Jin Jiuxiao had pulled up seedlings to force their growth, using drugs that might overdraw his future potential.
A temporary lead might bring glory, but falling behind in the future would be far more painful.
Tang San could not help shaking his head inwardly, feeling that Jin Jiuxiao had acted far too rashly.
Electric light coursed around Jin Jiuxiao. "Why don't you come and find out for yourself whether that's true?"
"Then be careful." Tang San held his breath and focused.
"First soul skill-Blue Silver Entanglement!"
Tang San stamped his right foot down hard.
Thick blue silver vines erupted wildly from underground, sweeping toward Jin Jiuxiao like venomous snakes.
Lightning gathered in his hands. "Thunderbolt!"
The lightning released from Jin Jiuxiao's hands tore through vast swathes of blue silver vines like rotten wood, shredding them to pieces.
Without losing any force, it continued toward Tang San.
"?!" A gleam of purple flashed through Tang San's eyes.
He had already activated the Purple Demon Eye.
"Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!" Tang San shouted under his breath.
His feet flew as he used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to dodge Thunderbolt by the narrowest margin.
"Don't think you're the only one with self-created soul skills."
Jin Jiuxiao deliberately called the footwork a "self-created soul skill."
Tang San's earlier attitude made it clear that he had pegged Jin Jiuxiao as a native of the Douluo Continent.
He considered himself a cut above the rest, carrying the distinctive arrogance of a Tang Sect disciple from his previous life.
Then Jin Jiuxiao would grant his wish and reinforce that impression.
"Lightning Speed!"
Tang San saw only a flash of lightning before Jin Jiuxiao vanished.
The voice had come from... behind him!
He planted his right foot and forcibly turned his body, his hands taking on a jade hue.
Thrusting out his right hand, he unleashed Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, intending to catch Jin Jiuxiao's punch and counterattack.
"Aaargh!"
A scream trailed farther and farther away.
Tang San hurtled backward several meters, unable to stop himself.
He hit the ground and rolled several times before finally coming to a halt.
Tang San's head was spinning a little.
Even Mysterious Jade Hand combined with Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon couldn't catch a single punch from Jin Jiuxiao?
Just how strong was Jin Jiuxiao?
Jin Jiuxiao had seen him use Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, so it was hardly surprising that he had mistaken it for a self-created soul skill.
Yu Xiaogang thought the same thing, after all.
But Jin Jiuxiao actually had self-created footwork? The name "Lightning Speed" alone made it clear that this was a self-created soul skill focused on extreme speed. Its straight-line acceleration was bound to surpass Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.
The key to Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track lay in "perplexing," not sheer speed.
Besides, Jin Jiuxiao's attribute was lightning, and most lightning-attribute soul masters were exceptionally fast and had powerful attacks.
It made sense that Tang San couldn't match him.
Having found an excuse for himself, Tang San shook his slightly dizzy head and his numb right hand.
Yu Xiaogang was already dumbstruck.
Reality was nothing like the scene he had imagined.
Wasn't Tang San supposed to defeat Jin Jiuxiao easily, after which Jin Jiuxiao would beg to become his disciple?
Why had it turned out like this?
His speed surpassed Tang San's.
His strength surpassed Tang San's.
His soul skill was more powerful.
And despite their similar ages, his rank was a full three levels higher!
Although Jin Jiuxiao had not revealed his soul ring, Yu Xiaogang dared to say that the soul ring for his first soul skill, Thunderbolt, was certainly no young ring!
But it absolutely could not exceed four hundred and twenty-three years!
Why?
Why was there such a huge difference in the power of their soul skills?
Yu Xiaogang glanced at Jin Jiuxiao in his Martial Soul Possession state, then at Tang San's Blue Silver Grass. "That's it... Jin Jiuxiao's Rey martial soul is a top-tier lightning-type beast martial soul."
"But San's Blue Silver Grass is only a trash martial soul."
"The strength of a martial soul also determines the strength of its soul skills. This outcome is only natural..."
Seeing the situation on the field, Yu Xiaogang immediately reached a conclusion. San must use the Clear Sky Hammer to defeat Jin Jiuxiao...
Apart from that... only hidden weapons remain.
He did not believe Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul could defeat Jin Jiuxiao's Rey martial soul.
The Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and these few "self-created soul skills" alone were not enough.
Sure enough, after Tang San got back to his feet, his gaze became utterly serious. "Jin Jiuxiao, you're very strong."
Tang San admitted that his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul alone was indeed inferior to Jin Jiuxiao's Rey.
But Blue Silver Grass was not his only martial soul. His second martial soul was the Clear Sky Hammer, the world's number-one tool martial soul!
It was normal for him to fall short of Jin Jiuxiao early on. Blue Silver Grass was a trash martial soul, after all.
Once he cultivated to Titled Douluo, he would have a full eighteen soul rings!
The soul rings for his second martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, would start at ten thousand years! What could Jin Jiuxiao possibly use to beat him?
But there was no way he would simply concede defeat.
"Oh? Go ahead and use whatever else you've got." It was not as though Jin Jiuxiao had never considered killing Tang San right here.
But he was unsure whether any "outside factors" would intervene.
A minor skill like Thunderbolt could already be unleashed at will with just one hand.
Why had he used both hands to release Thunderbolt?
Because what he had originally intended to use... was Extreme Lightning Thousand Birds!
Before you continue