"I told you! Even without Soul Power, I could still beat you!"
Yu Tianheng realized he had only taken one step back, while Yu Xiaochuan had retreated several steps. He could not suppress the smile on his face.
"Hmph, you only have an advantage in the lightning attribute. My Caterpie isn't a lightning-attribute Soul Beast. You've got a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, and you're comparing lightning-attribute Soul Power with my Caterpie Martial Soul? Have you no shame?"
Yu Xiaochuan thought this little fellow was adorably stupid, acting as though he had already won.
The golden lightning in his hands dispersed, replaced by Bug-type power.
Compared with Electric-type power, Bug-type power was not as strong, yet tenacity shone through its weakness.
"Changing moves? But Xiaochuan, the move you're using now looks even weaker!"
When Yu Tianheng saw Yu Xiaochuan disperse the lightning and gather a weak kind of Soul Power in his hands, he could not help feeling contempt.
He poured lightning-attribute Soul Power into his fist, setting off a series of crackling pops.
"Haha, take this!"
After Yu Xiaochuan had exchanged punches with him and stopped dodging, Yu Tianheng knew he wanted to fight at close quarters.
Delight entered his eyes, and he burst out laughing.
He planted his foot on the ground and lunged forward, throwing an incredibly swift and fierce punch toward Yu Xiaochuan's chest.
"You think I'm afraid of you?"
Yu Xiaochuan neither dodged nor evaded. Without a trace of fear, he met the attack with a punch, Bug-type light flashing over his fist.
Recalling the feeling of his fists gnawing into the tree trunk earlier, he unleashed Bug Bite with all his strength.
Their fists collided, and this time, they were actually evenly matched.
A rank-nine Soul Scholar had exchanged punches with a rank-twelve Soul Master and managed a draw. This was astonishing.
Moreover, Yu Xiaochuan's Martial Soul was a Trash Martial Soul like Caterpie, while his opponent's was a powerful Martial Soul like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
It could only be said that this was possible because several different conditions had come together.
For instance, Yu Tianheng no longer had enough Soul Power to unleash a Thunder Dragon Claw, while Yu Xiaochuan still had plenty, and he had also used Bug Bite.
The power produced by a move was certainly greater than that of casually gathering Soul Power in a fist.
One punch, then another, each striking flesh.
Yu Tianheng kept exclaiming in delight, his blood boiling.
"This feels great! This is how it should be, exactly how it should be! Xiaochuan, you've finally realized that real men should fight head-on instead of running away!"
Yu Tianheng spoke as he exchanged punches with Yu Xiaochuan.
His gaze was fervent, each punch more forceful than the last.
However, what Yu Tianheng failed to notice was this.
Yu Xiaochuan was secretly activating Bug Bite's ability to consume Berries, drawing in the lightning-attribute Soul Power on his fists.
One punch, then another.
Finally, Yu Xiaochuan felt the force behind Yu Tianheng's punches decline. The lightning on his fists dimmed, showing signs of flagging.
And he had stored up enough power.
"Bug! Bite!"
Yu Xiaochuan knocked aside one of Yu Tianheng's punches with his fist. Lightning coiled around his hands as an insect's cry rang out.
Both fists shot out simultaneously from the left and right, aimed at Yu Tianheng's chest.
This strike contained the lightning-attribute Soul Power Yu Xiaochuan had drawn from Yu Tianheng with Bug Bite, along with Bug Bite's own attribute power.
His fists shot out, swift as lightning and mighty as thunder.
They slammed into Yu Tianheng's chest, sending him flying.
Yu Tianheng had lost.
He had lost beyond all doubt.
"I... I lost?"
Yu Tianheng lay on the ground, his face filled with astonishment. He tried to get up, only to feel a searing pain in his chest, as though it were about to split apart.
But he still wanted to get up and fight again.
He tried to mobilize his Soul Power, only then realizing that his body was completely empty, without any Soul Power left.
His vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
"Whew-that was close. I almost lost, but the final winner was me, Yu Xiaochuan!"
"Yu Tianheng, not bad."
Watching Yu Tianheng fall, Yu Xiaochuan breathed a sigh of relief.
His own Soul Power was nearly depleted as well. Fortunately, he had drawn in Yu Tianheng's Soul Power with Bug Bite; otherwise, it would have been hard to say who would win.
This fight had been a narrow victory through and through.
Still, Yu Xiaochuan was already very satisfied with having achieved this much. This was his limit.
Using the Trash Martial Soul Caterpie to fight above his rank against Yu Tianheng, who possessed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, was worthy of praise, even if it had only been a narrow victory.
Looking at the unconscious Yu Tianheng, Yu Xiaochuan sighed. "And now I have to clean up your mess."
He wanted to carry Yu Tianheng on his back, but he had barely any strength left. Yu Xiaochuan simply gave up on carrying him.
"Hey, come out! Take Yu Tianheng back."
Yu Xiaochuan's words fell.
A middle-aged man emerged from the shadows and actually picked up the unconscious Yu Tianheng.
Yu Xiaochuan raised an eyebrow. "So that brat Yu Tianheng really does have a guard."
Only then did the middle-aged man realize that Yu Xiaochuan had been bluffing. Still, Yu Tianheng was unconscious now, and it was time to hurry him back.
"I'll leave Tian Heng to you, then. I'll be going."
"Wait. The clan leader wants to see you."
"The clan leader wants to see me? Fine, fine, I'll go see him."
Yu Xiaochuan was utterly exhausted and only wanted to go back and sleep, but since the clan leader wanted to see him, there was no harm in going.
He could ask for a hundred-year-old ginseng to treat his injuries while he was at it.
Yu Xiaochuan followed the middle-aged man to the clan leader's residence and soon met the old clan leader.
"Tian Heng already acquired his First Soul Ring, yet he lost again?!"
At the sight of the unconscious Yu Tianheng, a trace of surprise flashed through the old clan leader's eyes. His gaze shifted to the dirt-covered Yu Xiaochuan.
This child had actually defeated Yu Tianheng.
Earlier, he had casually told Yu Tianheng's guard that if Yu Xiaochuan defeated Yu Tianheng, he should bring him over.
But he had thought this was almost impossible. He had never expected the child with the Trash Martial Soul to emerge victorious in the end.
"That's right, I won, but it was a costly victory. Old man, give me a ginseng to replenish myself. It doesn't need to be too old. Four hundred years will do."
Yu Xiaochuan made his request directly upon arriving.
He really was in poor condition. If he recovered normally, he would need several days of rest.
Of course, Yu Tianheng was in an even worse state.
"You beat my grandson into this state, and you still dare ask me for ginseng?"
The old clan leader was speechless too. Was this child a little dense?
Still, seeing that Yu Xiaochuan had indeed won at a heavy cost and looked about to collapse, he took out a four-hundred-year-old ginseng.
"Thank you, Clan Leader."
After accepting it, Yu Xiaochuan fed it to Caterpie.
As Caterpie gnawed on the four-hundred-year-old ginseng, Yu Xiaochuan asked, "Was there something you wanted to see me about, Clan Leader?"
"Nothing much. I simply wanted to meet you. Your Martial Soul is quite unusual. You've risen nine ranks in such a short time. That is utterly unprecedented in the Soul Master World."
The old clan leader looked at Caterpie with a probing gaze.
He had reached rank nine in such a short time.
If he maintained this speed, wouldn't that mean Yu Xiaochuan could become a Titled Douluo in a few years?
"Besides, you beat my grandson. It was only right that I meet you."
"I won't be able to win in the future."
Yu Xiaochuan sighed.
Caterpie finished eating the four-hundred-year-old ginseng, but there was no sign of a breakthrough. The barrier between rank nine and rank ten was actually so solid that it could not be broken through easily.
Even the medicinal potency of a four-hundred-year-old ginseng could not change that.