First Meeting with Xuan Zi

Lin Qianyi gave a slight bow. "Hello, Dean Yan."

What was interesting was that she maintained just the right sense of distance with everyone—neither deliberately flattering nor lacking in courtesy. Every gesture carried the bearing of a well-bred young lady. Her calm and composed manner made Yan Shaozhe glance at her several more times.

What surprised him most was that the Soul Power fluctuations emanating from her body far surpassed those of her peers, even stronger than those of some outstanding students from the outer academy. A trace of approval flashed through Yan Shaozhe's eyes.

Yan Shaozhe gazed at Lin Qianyi and said slowly, "You performed exceptionally well in yesterday's match. That decisiveness and sense of responsibility left a deep impression."

Lin Qianyi gave another slight bow, her tone calm and courteous. "Thank you for the praise, Dean."

Yan Shaozhe's gaze was profound, as if he could see through people's hearts. "However, I noticed an unwillingness to admit defeat buried deep in your bones. Though you appear outwardly unruffled, that fierce desire to win and lose is like an undercurrent surging within your heart."

Lin Qianyi looked up at him, a trace of confusion flashing through her eyes.

"Yesterday's match," Yan Shaozhe paused, "you knew your chances of winning were slim, yet you chose to persist until the end. That determination is worthy of praise, but it also exposed your weakness. Sometimes, knowing when to let go is also a form of wisdom."

Lin Qianyi nodded thoughtfully, as though she had realized something from his words.

After a while, Yan Shaozhe brought Lin Qianyi before an ancient, elegant pavilion. Not far away, an old man reclined sideways in a lounge chair, holding a chicken leg in his left hand and a wine jug in his right. His clothes were disheveled, and he looked rather unkempt. Yet beneath that weathered exterior lay an indescribable aura.

"Elder Xuan, I've brought her," Yan Shaozhe said respectfully and steadily.

Xuan Zi slowly raised his clouded eyes and swept his gaze over Yan Shaozhe and Lin Qianyi before nodding faintly. "Shaozhe, you may return first."

"Yes!" Yan Shaozhe answered, a hint of reverence in his voice. He bowed to Xuan Zi, then respectfully withdrew.

At that moment, only Lin Qianyi and Xuan Zi remained in the pavilion, and a subtle silence filled the air.

Xuan Zi slowly rose to his feet. In an instant, even the sound of the wind around them seemed frozen by an invisible force. An immense Soul Power pressure spread from his body, tangible as it bore down heavily upon Lin Qianyi.

Lin Qianyi felt her breath catch, and her body trembled involuntarily before she sank into a half-crouch. The pressure was like a towering mountain weighing upon her, leaving her unable to breathe. Yet she bit down hard on her lower lip and refused to make a sound, silently enduring the nearly suffocating force.

Xuan Zi's gaze settled on Lin Qianyi. Seeing her like this, he paused in surprise, then the corner of his mouth lifted into a barely visible curve. He raised a hand and gave a light wave, and the Soul Power pressure suddenly intensified.

Lin Qianyi felt the pressure grow even heavier. Her hands clenched into fists unconsciously, her knuckles turning white. At that moment, a Martial Soul radiating azure light suddenly appeared behind her—Azure Luan. Its wings were spread as though it were about to take flight, like the light of dawn breaking through the darkness. At the same time, three Soul Rings appeared beneath her feet: purple, purple, black!

At the sight of such a Soul Ring Configuration, Xuan Zi's heart was instantly thrown into turmoil. This was a Soul Ring Configuration beyond even the finest! And that Azure Luan Martial Soul was extraordinarily rare, far from ordinary.

Xuan Zi promptly withdrew his Soul Power. Lin Qianyi seemed to have been freed from an abyss. She instinctively clutched her chest and gasped for breath.

Xuan Zi looked at her with deep eyes and spoke slowly. "The younger generation truly inspires awe!" Lin Qianyi forced herself to stand. Though she still swayed slightly, her gaze remained resolute. Xuan Zi continued, "Your talent has greatly surprised me, and earned my admiration as well. To persist beneath this old man's pressure for so long, you truly are impressive."

Lin Qianyi replied respectfully, "Thank you for your praise, Elder Xuan." Xuan Zi snorted lightly and explained, "Little girl, this old man was merely curious about you, so I had that boy Shaozhe bring you here. I wanted to see what you were capable of, but I never expected this."

Before long, the freshman assessment had reached the semifinals. The competition platform expanded once more, as though reserving ample space for an even fiercer confrontation.

The referee had also been replaced with a more powerful teacher. After all, the Soul Skill Lin Qianyi had displayed last time had truly left a deep impression.

On the high platform, teachers from every class had gathered, their eyes fixed tightly on the arena. They knew that although the youths standing on the field had yet to reach the three-ring Soul Elder realm, anyone who had made it into the semifinals was no ordinary opponent.

As both teams entered at the same time, the atmosphere instantly grew tense. "Freshman Class Ten, Zhou Sichen, Strong Attack System Battle Soul Master." One of the boys was the first to announce his identity, his voice steady and forceful.

"Freshman Class Ten, Long Xiangyue, Agility Attack System Battle Soul Grandmaster!" The second boy followed closely behind, sharpness gleaming in his eyes. "Freshman Class Ten, Cao Jinxuan, Control System Battle Soul Grandmaster!" As the last boy's voice fell, it was like a prelude sounding for the battle about to begin.

Zhou Sichen and the other two had long heard of Lin Qianyi's reputation. They knew that neither her strength nor her mind could be underestimated. Even though she had never fully displayed her abilities, no one dared take her lightly.

Lin Qianyi's voice was as calm as a bottomless lake, without the slightest ripple. "Freshman Class One, Lin Qianyi, Control System Battle Soul Elder!" Her voice was not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. Wang Dong was equally unhurried.

"Freshman Class One, Wang Dong, Strong Attack System Battle Soul Grandmaster!" Huo Yuhao followed after her. "Freshman Class One, Huo Yuhao, Control System Battle Soul Scholar!" Each name drawn was like an invisible line carved through the air, separating the two teams while also raising the curtain on this intense clash.

When the referee's declaration fell, the arena seemed infused with new vitality. Zhou Sichen was the first to summon his Martial Soul—an ancient-looking book.

This was a relatively special type of Tool Martial Soul. In the world of Martial Souls, book-type Martial Souls were anomalies and exceedingly rare. Zhou Sichen was like a unique star, shining with strange light amid this Martial Soul-filled sky. He had actually cultivated to Innate Soul Power Level 7, and was unrestricted by attributes. This undoubtedly made him an astonishing existence.

Cao Jinxuan's gaze instantly froze, as though everything around him had lost its color and become somewhat blurred. Behind him, an exquisite clock slowly emerged.

The clock resembled a work of art. Its overall shape was that of a city gate, round on top and square below. The white clock body stood roughly half a meter tall, with a circular dial embedded within it. Beneath it hung a pendulum engraved with golden floral patterns, swaying faintly as though telling the secrets of passing years.

As the clock appeared, the two hundred-year Soul Rings behind Cao Jinxuan also began to pulse. They seemed to regard the clock as an inseparable part of Cao Jinxuan's body, rising and falling as they enveloped it.

Though Zhou Sichen's Martial Soul could not be considered top-tier in quality, its rarity was enough to make others view it in a new light. Cao Jinxuan's Martial Soul was called the Time-Passing Clock, and its quality was no less than Lin Qianyi's Azure Luan or Wang Dong's Light Goddess Butterfly Martial Soul. It was a genuine top-tier Martial Soul.

The Martial Soul of the Agility Attack System Soul Master Long Xiangyue was a flying dagger. The three standing shoulder to shoulder clearly had their sights set on Lin Qianyi and Huo Yuhao. They knew that Lin Qianyi was powerful. If she attacked first, she would become a sturdy shield, while also blocking any possible Mental Attack from Huo Yuhao.

When the flying daggers in Long Xiangyue's hands shot like lightning toward Lin Qianyi, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao reacted swiftly and unleashed Mental Interference.

In an instant, the consciousness of the three seemed to fall into chaos and became somewhat blurred. Seeing this, Lin Qianyi and Wang Dong did not hesitate to coordinate with Huo Yuhao's attack. From the moment Lin Qianyi saw their positioning at the start, she had already understood that they were targeting her.

But she had also keenly caught the weak point in their formation. After evading Long Xiangyue's fierce assault, she immediately coordinated with Wang Dong and unleashed her First Soul Skill. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Long Xiangyue hurriedly retreated a step to avoid the edge of their attack.