The Soul Fighting Zone, a lounge.
Xu Sanshi sat in a chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Bei Bei rarely saw him so lost in thought. In his memory, Xu Sanshi had always been a carefree, optimistic man.
Just what had Little Brother Huo said to shake Xu Sanshi this badly...?
"Sanshi, don't take it to heart. Little Brother Huo has a sharp tongue, but his heart isn't bad."
"No, I'm not angry with him. I'm angry with myself." Xu Sanshi rubbed his face and let out a long sigh. "He was right. You can't force love, even if you've paid for it."
Bei Bei: "..."
What had gotten into Xu Sanshi today...? Why did he suddenly seem like he'd seen through the illusions of the mortal world...?
Bei Bei cleared his throat. "Seriously, why are you so obsessed with Jiang Nannan? There are plenty of other pretty girls at the academy."
"You wouldn't understand," Xu Sanshi said quietly. "She's different from the others. Before, she and I..."
Seeming to realize he had nearly let slip an incredible secret, Xu Sanshi stopped himself just in time.
Bei Bei froze for a moment.
He remembered that Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan hadn't seemed to have much to do with each other before. Then, after a certain holiday, Xu Sanshi had suddenly begun pursuing her.
His keen intuition told him there was definitely a story between those two.
What had happened during that time?
Bei Bei remembered that Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan were both from the Heaven Dou Empire. Something must have happened between them during that holiday.
While Bei Bei lowered his head, piecing things together, Xu Sanshi stood up. "I was rash today. I'll go apologize to that junior tomorrow."
"That's good," Bei Bei said. "I've spent a few days with Little Brother Huo. He's not a bad person. Are you heading back?"
"Since we're already here, wouldn't it be a shame not to have a match?" Xu Sanshi stretched and smiled. "It's been ages since we sparred. My hands are itching for a fight!"
"Perfect. I've been wanting to try out a move I just learned." Bei Bei loosened his wrists, an equally excited smile appearing on his face.
The Soul Fighting Zone was a place where students could spar, challenge one another, and earn Soul Fighting credits.
Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei were known as the Outer Court Twin Stars: one the strongest defense-system student, the other the strongest power attack system student. A fight between them naturally drew countless spectators.
The two walked onto the Soul Fighting Arena and faced each other from a distance.
A middle-aged teacher serving as referee walked to the center of the arena. "Fourth-year Bei Bei challenges fifth-year Xu Sanshi. You already know the consequences of victory and defeat. Are you ready?"
Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi nodded together.
"Begin."
At the referee's command, both released their Martial Souls at the same time.
The noisy stands fell silent, and everyone watched the arena intently.
As the Outer Court Twin Stars, Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi put on a spectacular match every time they fought.
Bei Bei's right arm rapidly swelled, covered in fierce blue-violet scales and wreathed in lightning.
Not to be outdone, Xu Sanshi revealed the enormous black Tortoise Shell Shield on his right arm.
Their sharp gazes met, their intense black and purple Soul Power dividing the arena in two.
"Hah!"
Bei Bei sprang off his right leg, leaping into the air and charging straight at Xu Sanshi.
"What?"
Xu Sanshi stared up at Bei Bei, his eyes widening.
He had never seen Bei Bei open a fight against him like this.
This was a tactic that smashed the cauldrons and sank the boats, leaving no way back.
Their Soul Power Levels were close, both around thirty-eight or thirty-nine, just one step away from forty.
But Bei Bei belonged to the power attack system, while Xu Sanshi belonged to the defense system. A head-on assault like this wouldn't give Bei Bei much of an advantage.
Besides, attacking downward from high above cut off every avenue of retreat.
In the past, Bei Bei had always used his superior speed and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to circle around, find a weakness in Xu Sanshi's defense, and break through in one strike. Why had he changed tactics today?
"But this suits me just fine!" The corners of Xu Sanshi's mouth lifted.
Though he belonged to the defense system, he was also immensely strong. Often, he considered himself half a power attack system fighter. The chance to clash head-on with Bei Bei in a contest between men thrilled him.
Bei Bei had reached the peak of his leap, roughly four or five meters above the ground, and all three of his Soul Rings lit up at once.
Thunder Dragon Claw, Thunderous Might, Thunderclap Fury-all three Soul Skills activated simultaneously!
In an instant, blue-violet scales covered the right side of his chest as well. His right arm, entwined with blue-violet arcs of lightning, radiated a terrifying, savage aura. Amid the chaotic crackle of electricity, a faint dragon's roar could be heard.
"You're going that far?"
Xu Sanshi inwardly sensed trouble.
Bei Bei had played every trump card right from the start, without any thought for what came afterward. Victory or defeat would hinge entirely on this one strike.
His own three Soul Rings lit up simultaneously in response.
First Soul Skill, Mysterious Underworld Shock; second Soul Skill, Mysterious Underworld Shield Formation; third Soul Skill, Mysterious Underworld Power-activate!
His strength abruptly surged to nearly twice its original level, and his already enormous Tortoise Shell Shield grew even larger.
Just then, Bei Bei's airborne body began spinning in an unbelievable posture.
"What kind of move is that?"
Xu Sanshi was momentarily stunned. Looking up at Bei Bei in midair, he could just make out the slightly excited smile on his face.
"Lightning Poison Dragon Drill!"
There was no time to think. Xu Sanshi hurriedly positioned his massive, city-wall-like Xuanming Shield in front of him.
The spinning Thunder Dragon Claw slammed into the Xuanming Shield with terrifying might and force. Xu Sanshi gritted his teeth hard and drove the shield into the ground, trying to withstand this immensely powerful blow.
Combined with the tremendous momentum of a high-speed dive and rotation, the already devastating Thunder Dragon Claw became even more overwhelming.
His defensive power was indeed formidable. The Xuanming Shield suffered not the slightest damage beneath that terrifying claw.
But Bei Bei didn't need enough strength to destroy the Xuanming Shield. He only needed to be stronger than Xu Sanshi.
Xu Sanshi's strength was already terrifying, but it still fell a little short of Bei Bei's. Under the tremendous impact, his insufficient strength cost him control of the Xuanming Shield, and the enormous Tortoise Shell Shield was knocked aside.
Bei Bei seized the opening, pressing his electricity-covered right claw directly onto Xu Sanshi's shoulder.
Xu Sanshi convulsed under the electric shock and fell to the ground.
The match had lasted only one exchange. All the spectators saw was Bei Bei leaping high, then colliding with Xu Sanshi. Xu Sanshi failed to block him and lost.
It was over quickly, but no one thought it lacked excitement. This most primal clash of bodies kept everyone's nerves strung tight with exhilaration.
"Bei Bei wins!"
The referee's announcement rang out.
"You... what kind of move was that?" Xu Sanshi asked, gritting his teeth as he climbed off the ground. "It actually boosted your strength that much!"
Bei Bei chuckled, flexing the five fingers of his right claw.
"That move is called Lightning Poison Dragon Drill."
"Little Brother Huo taught me."