Soon, it was Xu Zhengyang's turn to compete in a soul dueling match.
When Xu Zhengyang stepped onto the arena platform, not only did he find it strange, but his opponent did as well.
His opponent was actually a Beast Martial Soul Master around twenty years old, whose Martial Soul was the rare Ice Silkworm.
Although Xu Zhengyang was over 1.6 meters tall, his face looked exceptionally youthful, making it obvious that he was still a minor.
The Ice Silkworm Soul Master looked utterly surprised. "Little brother, judging by your appearance, you're not an adult yet, are you? This sort of battle between Soul Masters isn't suitable for you."
Xu Zhengyang's expression was serious. "Whether I'm up to it can wait until after we fight. Surely your mouth isn't the only tough part of you."
As the host introduced them, both sides revealed their Martial Souls and Soul Rings. When Xu Zhengyang gripped his Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear, both his opponent and the spectators burst into laughter.
The Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear in Xu Zhengyang's hands looked more like a pitch-black iron rod over three meters long, making it far less imposing.
Besides displaying a hundred-year Soul Ring, the Ice Silkworm Soul Master opposite him now held a snow-white saber, wore a suit of armor, and had two barrel-like objects on his back. These all appeared to be simple Class 1 Soul Tools, and his Soul Power had actually reached an astonishing rank nineteen.
The Ice Silkworm Soul Master looked puzzled. "Little friend, don't you have any Soul Tools? You actually dare step onto the soul dueling platform without any Soul Tools? Doesn't that make fighting any further unnecessary?"
Xu Zhengyang was utterly fearless. "So what if you have Soul Tools? All of that can wait until after we fight."
At the referee's command, Xu Zhengyang's first soul dueling match officially began.
Gripping the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear in both hands, Xu Zhengyang charged swiftly at his opponent, his entire figure like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, brimming with momentum.
Just as Xu Zhengyang thrust his spear with all his strength, the Ice Silkworm Soul Master held his snow-white saber and blocked the strike head-on.
In terms of strength, Xu Zhengyang was in no way inferior to the Ice Silkworm Soul Master. Two years of grueling training had made his body far stronger than those of Soul Masters at his level, leaving him hard-pressed to find a match among Soul Masters of the same rank.
The Ice Silkworm Soul Master forcibly blocked Xu Zhengyang's thrust and retreated three steps, but showed no sign of faltering.
The Ice Silkworm Soul Master turned his saber crosswise, then slashed straight at Xu Zhengyang. Threads of Cold Qi even suffused the blade, and Xu Zhengyang felt a chill despite being several meters away.
Xu Zhengyang had no fear whatsoever of close combat. His spear struck again and again, thrusting, jabbing, blocking, and flicking upward as he employed every basic spear technique. Each move was exceptionally steady, without the slightest dragging through mud and water.
After exchanging dozens of moves in succession, neither side had gained any advantage. Xu Zhengyang's Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear carried tremendous force and weight, while his opponent possessed deep reserves of Soul Power and executed his moves with practiced fluidity.
At that moment, the Ice Silkworm Soul Master's expression darkened. His first Soul Ring flashed, and a terrifying icy presence rapidly suffused his entire body as his Soul Power surged dramatically. This was his first Soul Skill: Ice Silkworm's Freeze. It appeared to be a Soul Power amplification skill.
As the Ice Silkworm Soul Master used his Soul Skill, his originally snow-white saber instantly became like an ice sculpture, emanating even stronger Cold Qi. Even his armor gained a layer of ice.
Xu Zhengyang did not retreat either. He sent his spear out like a dragon, the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear moving as fast as lightning and brimming with boundless momentum as it thrust straight at his opponent's head.
But the Ice Silkworm Soul Master actually leaped up, tilting his body slightly as he delivered a backhand slash straight at Xu Zhengyang's head.
Xu Zhengyang refused to show any weakness, utterly unafraid of trading injury for injury. He slightly adjusted the spear held in both hands and spun rapidly, executing a returning-horse thrust from below that drove straight into his opponent's shoulder.
Unfortunately, his opponent reacted too quickly, tilting his body again and chopping his snow-white saber against the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear. The spear's direction shifted slightly, leaving it to scrape across the armor and leave a long scratch.
But at that moment, Soul Power suddenly flickered in the two barrels on the Ice Silkworm Soul Master's back. Two balls of snow-white light shot out, heading straight for Xu Zhengyang's head and abdomen.
Xu Zhengyang had long been on guard against the Ice Silkworm Soul Master. With all his strength, he swung his Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear crosswise, blocking the two balls of white light with its head and shaft respectively.
Unfortunately, these two balls of white light seemed extremely unusual, possessing a terrifying ice attribute. The spear's shaft and head froze over in an instant, and the Cold Qi even traveled straight along the shaft into Xu Zhengyang's hands. Xu Zhengyang felt a shudder run through his entire body.
The Ice Silkworm Soul Master seized that fleeting opportunity, sweeping his snow-white saber across and slashing straight at Xu Zhengyang's abdomen.
Seeing that his movements had slowed and his opponent's attack was fierce, Xu Zhengyang let out a loud shout. His first Soul Ring flashed, and a terrifying blaze rose from the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear. The originally pitch-black spear instantly turned blazing red, and even the Cold Qi on it evaporated in that instant.
Immediately afterward, Xu Zhengyang swept his Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear across with a stroke that could sweep aside a thousand troops. Terrifying explosive force burst from the spear, its attack power and strength both doubling in that instant.
The Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear collided with the snow-white saber, and a sharp crack rang out. The Ice Silkworm Soul Master's snow-white saber seemed to take the instantaneous burst of force and was shattered outright.
Moreover, in this all-out strike from Xu Zhengyang, the Tiger-Head Zhan Gold Spear tore onward like a blade splitting bamboo, slamming into the Ice Silkworm Soul Master's armor and sending him flying several meters.
The Ice Silkworm Soul Master struggled to stand again, but Xu Zhengyang leaped forward like a fierce tiger released from its cage. Before his opponent could react, the spear was already pressed firmly against his neck.
Only then did the referee announce Xu Zhengyang's victory.
The Ice Silkworm contestant looked bitter. "It seems I really underestimated you. To think that even using all three of my Soul Tools at once wasn't enough to deal with you."
Only then did Xu Zhengyang speak slowly. "No, I underestimated you, and I underestimated your Soul Tools. Otherwise, you wouldn't have had even that fleeting opportunity."
Even after leaving the arena platform, Xu Zhengyang was still reviewing the battle.
Clearly, this victory had been a very close call. His opponent's combat awareness and physical fitness were both considerably worse than his own, yet he had managed to fight for so long by relying on three Soul Tools. In particular, bringing the ice attribute of that fragile Ice Silkworm Martial Soul to such strength was indeed quite impressive.
Of course, there was another point: Xu Zhengyang himself had somewhat underestimated his opponent. Those three Soul Tools had clearly not been forged by his opponent himself. Although he used them skillfully, there were still certain openings in how he linked them together. Moreover, Class 1 Soul Tools were still relatively too weak. Had he been using Class 2 Soul Tools instead, Xu Zhengyang really might have capsized in a gutter.
At that moment, Xu Zhengyang could not help thinking of someone: Ji Juechen, who had appeared in the original novel. He was a master swordsman, but also a Soul Engineer. Yet from beginning to end, he had never used any external Soul Tools. Instead, he had forged his own sword into a Soul Tool, making him the most unconventional figure in the entire Sun Moon Empire.
"Perhaps I really should think carefully about my future. The path of a Soul Master alone is ultimately far too limiting."