Charging Fortress

"I'm sorry, Teacher. I lost."

Faced with Tang San's apology, Yu Xiaogang suppressed the panic and embarrassment in his heart. As though he had finally found an outlet, he reprimanded him coldly.

He turned toward Tang San and said sternly:

"Do you know why you lost?"

"Have you truly taken the theoretical knowledge I taught in class to heart? You must have been neglecting your cultivation, slacking off, and even letting your mind wander in class, leaving your foundation insufficiently solid!"

"Otherwise, after that Spider Web Restraint just now, if you had unleashed your first Soul Skill an instant earlier, the outcome might not have been the same!"

"You're right to reprimand me, Teacher. I'll remember this."

Hearing this, Tang San lowered his head even further.

He felt his teacher was right. He had indeed hesitated somewhat during the battle. Had he been more decisive, perhaps he would not have lost so badly.

So he merely blamed his own inadequate skills. Filled with guilt for having let down his teacher's instruction, he remained silent throughout, offering not a word of rebuttal.

Nearby, Lin Yue watched the teacher and disciple play off each other with cold eyes. Unable to muster any interest in listening further, he interrupted them directly:

"Enough, Grandmaster Yu. If you want to lecture your disciple, you'll have plenty of time later. Now that your disciple has lost, why don't you demonstrate personally?"

As those words fell, Yu Xiaogang stiffened. His gaze immediately flickered, hesitation and indecision appearing on his face.

He had expected Tang San to win, leaving him no need to fight Lin Yue himself, so he did not dare answer for some time.

Seeing his cringing manner, Lin Yue's gaze cooled slightly. He sighed softly, his voice thick with mockery.

"Should I say that's just what I'd expect from you? To think I actually hoped to reason with someone like you. Looks like I really was too naive."

Seeing the chill spilling into the other man's eyes, Yu Xiaogang's heart suddenly clenched.

He knew perfectly well that if he hesitated any longer, losing every scrap of the dignity he had painstakingly maintained would be the least of his worries. More importantly, his very life might be in danger today!

"I-I never said I wouldn't compete with you!"

As he spoke, he deliberately raised his voice.

"I was merely thinking about something else just now!"

Looking at his forced show of resolve, Lin Yue could not be bothered to waste more words and said bluntly:

"You're the one who asked to spar."

"Now, I'll ask you one last time. Are we fighting or not?"

Driven into a corner, Yu Xiaogang instead calmed down. His eyes shifted as he swiftly calculated how to secure a sliver of hope for himself.

A moment later, he finally said unhurriedly:

"Since you're determined to compete, I'll oblige."

"However..."

He deliberately drew out the last word, his gaze roaming Lin Yue's face as he tried to catch his reaction.

Seeing him put on this act, Lin Yue knew he was scheming again and asked casually:

"However, what?"

Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat, coughed twice, and continued:

"However, I only have rank twenty-nine Soul Power, while you have practical combat experience at rank thirty or even higher. So this practical debate was never fair to begin with."

He paused, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he revealed his ultimate goal.

"So I demand a battle at rank thirty Soul Power, and you must choose Luo Sanpao as your Martial Soul!"

"Only then will it be fair!"

Having said this, he raised his chin slightly and added:

"Well? Do you dare?"

Though his question sounded brimming with confidence, Yu Xiaogang had already worked everything out clearly in his mind.

Luo Sanpao was the Martial Soul that had accompanied him throughout his life. Nearly thirty years had passed since its awakening, and he could recite its characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and combat rhythm backward with his eyes closed. No one in this world understood Luo Sanpao better than he did.

An outsider like his opponent, however talented, could unleash only so much of Luo Sanpao's power after picking it up on the spot.

At this thought, he could barely suppress the smugness at the corners of his mouth.

Looking at his calculating expression, Lin Yue chuckled.

Even Yu Xiaogang's scheming was this clumsy. So many people present had caught on to his intentions; how could Lin Yue possibly fail to see through him?

But he could not be bothered to expose him and simply nodded carelessly:

"Fine. Pay up."

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang was overjoyed. As though afraid the other man would change his mind, he hurriedly took out a Gold Soul Coin and handed it over.

Then, while Lin Yue once again placed the coin on the counter, he likewise hurried to lie down in a Game Pod first and select his Martial Soul.

At that moment, he gazed at the dazzling assortment of Martial Souls of varying strengths on the pale blue screen before him.

Yu Xiaogang's breathing suddenly quickened, countless emotions surging through him.

In the thirty-odd years since awakening his Martial Soul as a child, he had remained shackled by Luo Sanpao, that mutated Trash Martial Soul. His cultivation had been stuck fast at rank twenty-nine, and he had endured endless cold looks and ridicule, possessing peerless theoretical knowledge but none of the strength to match it.

In his entire life, Luo Sanpao had never brought him the slightest glory. Only this once had it become his sole means of gaining leverage over Lin Yue and restoring his dignity.

But only this once.

Fervor and anticipation flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, and he could not help speaking excitedly.

"From now on, I'll never again be trapped within Luo Sanpao's shackles!"

With that, his gaze swept rapidly across the screen, soon locking onto a Martial Soul icon both familiar and unfamiliar.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!

One of the top Beast Martial Souls recognized throughout the Douluo Continent, the Martial Soul his family had taken pride in for generations-the one he had most longed for and wanted at his awakening, yet had failed to obtain!

Without the slightest hesitation, Yu Xiaogang pressed confirm. Just as wild joy rose in his heart, a challenge notification immediately popped up.

[Lin Yue has challenged you. Accept?]

Seeing this, a trace of disdain flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes, and he said softly, "Accept."

The challenge officially began, entering the three-minute preparation phase.

[Match successful! Arena Mode activated! Level locked for this match: rank 30!]

[You have three minutes to prepare. At both parties' request, other Martial Souls are prohibited for this match. You may only use Luo Sanpao and select its Soul Skills.]

[Good luck. Countdown commencing!]

Once the system's announcements ended, the countdown began.

Yu Xiaogang glanced at the projection of Luo Sanpao hovering before him, undisguised contempt in his eyes.

After all, in his view...

A Trash Martial Soul was ultimately a Trash Martial Soul. Only powerful Soul Skills could compensate for its shortcomings.

So, for his first through third Soul Skills, he directly selected the three skills with the strongest explosive power, then began waiting for the Arena to appear.

Meanwhile, Lin Yue looked at the Luo Sanpao Martial Soul on his screen and sank into thought.

As everyone knew, Luo Sanpao's awakening had failed because of that good-for-nothing Yu Xiaogang. Strictly speaking, it should count as the juvenile form of the Golden Sacred Dragon.

The best proof was that the Golden Iron Triangle's Martial Soul Fusion Skill required Luo Sanpao as its core to activate.

Thinking of this, Lin Yue recalled numerous fan works and the speculations of online readers.

By continually absorbing pure dragon-attribute Soul Rings and refining its bloodline, it could gradually purge its impurities, ultimately evolving and awakening as a true Golden Sacred Dragon.

Unfortunately, Lin Yue glanced at the mere three Soul Skill slots available.

Three Soul Skills could at most awaken a little draconic aura within Luo Sanpao, still a hundred and eight thousand miles from true evolution. A qualitative transformation would require at least five or even six Soul Rings.

He then shook his head, casting aside those miscellaneous thoughts and dwelling on them no further.

"Forget it. Thinking so much is useless anyway. As long as I can win, that's enough."

After he spoke, the three minutes ran out.

The three Soul Skills Lin Yue selected for it were as follows.

First Soul Skill: Headlong Charge.

It charged forward at extreme speed, unable to change direction along the way, so its Soul Power consumption was relatively low.

Second Soul Skill: Scale Armor Barrier.

Hard biological scales covered its entire body, forming a sturdy protective barrier. Because of Luo Sanpao's species, those biological scales were dragon scales.

Third Soul Skill: Gigantification.

Its size and physical toughness surged briefly, boosting its strength, constitution, defense, and other attributes across the board for around three minutes.

When the three-minute countdown reached zero, the scene before him coalesced anew, and the platform spread out beneath his feet.

Lin Yue raised his eyes toward Yu Xiaogang a short distance away and spoke first:

"Enough talk. Let's get straight to it."

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's lips curved slightly upward.

He had never intended to waste time anyway. He had already decided to strike first while his opponent was unprepared and catch him off guard.

Immediately, he circulated the Soul Power within his body, and Luo Sanpao's projection appeared beside him.

"Second Soul Skill: Thunder Cannon!"

With a roar from Luo Sanpao, crackling currents coiled around its body. Then a concentrated beam of dazzling lightning shot out, carrying a howling rush of wind and leaving scorched black marks across the ground, its momentum terrifying.

Yet Lin Yue's expression remained unchanged at the sight. He likewise summoned his own Luo Sanpao to stand before him.

"Second Soul Skill: Scale Armor Barrier!"

Layers of hard dragon scales instantly covered Luo Sanpao's entire body. The lightning slammed into the scaled armor, a tremendous shock wave exploding outward as arcs of electricity scattered everywhere.

The smoke slowly dispersed, revealing the Scale Armor Barrier still perfectly intact, without even a single crack.

Lin Yue's voice drifted calmly through the lingering dust and smoke:

"Is that all you've got?"

Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened at the sight. With a cold snort, he stirred his Soul Power once more.

"Third Soul Skill: Lie Yan Breath!"

The next instant, Luo Sanpao beside him abruptly drew a deep breath, swelling its round body.

Then scorching crimson flames burst from its mouth. Rolling waves of heat ravaged the entire platform, the high temperature warping the air and engulfing his opponent completely.

This continued for roughly several dozen seconds.

The raging flames gradually receded.

On the platform, Lin Yue still stood firmly in his original spot, utterly unharmed.

Clearly, Luo Sanpao, crouched low in a defensive stance before him, had blocked every last bit of the opponent's attack.

"Are you finished?"

He feigned puzzlement, then said in a voice as calm as still water:

"Then it's my turn."

"Third Soul Skill: Gigantification."

As he spoke, Luo Sanpao before him likewise let out a low roar.

Its body expanded at a rate visible to the naked eye. In just a few breaths, it grew more than four or five times larger, looking thickset and solid, fully three people tall, like a small mountain.

Across from him, Yu Xiaogang briefly froze in surprise at the sight.

"Are you planning to use Luo Sanpao like a city wall to defend against attacks?"

Then mockery appeared on his face, and he sneered:

"But that just makes you a sitting target. How foolish."

Hearing this, Lin Yue merely gave a faint, derisive chuckle, not bothering to explain further.

"First Soul Skill: Headlong Charge."

The giant Luo Sanpao pushed off with all four limbs. Its heavy body hurtled straight ahead with unrivaled force, its footfalls making the ground tremble slightly.

Watching that enormous body charge, Yu Xiaogang's expression changed drastically. Without time to think, he hurriedly stirred his Soul Power and unleashed another skill:

"Second Soul Skill: Thunder Cannon!"

Dazzling lightning erupted again, howling as it struck the charging giant Luo Sanpao. It merely scattered a few tiny sparks, failing to slow it in the slightest.

Soon, Luo Sanpao had rushed right up to him like a moving fortress.

Yu Xiaogang's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with horror. Abandoning all semblance of composure, he hastily threw himself sideways with all his strength.

The next instant, that enormous body brushed past him and slammed hard into the platform's barrier!

Boom!

A deafening crash erupted. Amid flying chunks of stone, the entire platform shook violently.

Staggering as he steadied himself, Yu Xiaogang felt towering waves surging through his heart, thick terror flooding him.

He had never imagined that Luo Sanpao, which he regarded as a Trash Martial Soul, could unleash such terrifying power!

But he had only just straightened up, still not recovered from his shock, when the giant Luo Sanpao behind him slowly turned around amid the dust and smoke, locking onto his position once more.

Then Lin Yue's voice rang out again:

"First Soul Skill: Headlong Charge."

The massive, lumbering body moved again, bearing down on him with the force to crush everything in its path.

That first impact had already shaken Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul apart and sent it back into his body.

In his haste, he gritted his teeth and circulated his Soul Power again, summoning Luo Sanpao anew to shield him while shouting hoarsely:

"Third Soul Skill: Lie Yan Breath!"

Crimson flames gushed out. This time, they finally had some effect, reducing the charging speed by roughly a tenth and barely checking that Mount-Tai-crushing impact for a moment.

Yu Xiaogang seized that tiny opening and flung himself sideways once more.

Another thunderous crash rang out. His Luo Sanpao shattered and dispersed in the collision yet again, returning to his body.

But before he could even catch his breath, Lin Yue's voice had already drifted into his ears from the other end of the platform like a vengeful ghost demanding his life.

"Third Soul Skill: Headlong Charge."

The third charge!

Yu Xiaogang's face went completely white.

Two desperate dodges in succession, combined with repeated uses of powerful Soul Skills, had already drained most of his Soul Power, leaving him exhausted in both mind and spirit.

When Luo Sanpao was summoned again, even its projection looked somewhat dim.

And the power of its third Soul Skill, Lie Yan Breath, was greatly diminished.

This time, he had absolutely nowhere to dodge!

[Thanks to reader Tako for the nine recommendation votes. Thank you for your support!]