Xiao Wu raised her voice and ordered, "Boss Han, my ass! I've never even heard of him. Wang Sheng, make this bastard Zhang Jian cry right now!"
The moment Xiao Wu finished speaking,
Before Wang Sheng could make a move,
A calculating glint flashed in Zhang Jian's eyes. He pushed off hard, his wild boar Martial Soul suddenly appearing, and lunged straight at Wang Sheng with a punch that carried a fierce gust of wind!
"I knew you wouldn't fight fair."
Wang Sheng seemed to have been prepared. A layer of yellow light rose from his body, and a tiger-shaped Martial Soul appeared behind him. His body swelled slightly, and his muscles tensed.
With a low tiger's roar, he stood his ground, crossed his arms before him, and took the blow head-on.
Han Qiu leaned against a nearby tree trunk, watching the two fight with a detached gaze. In his eyes, Wang Sheng and Zhang Jian were fighting like infants, their moves utterly unstructured, charging at each other on instinct and brute force alone.
Bang!
Fist met arm, and a dull impact suddenly rang out.
Wang Sheng's feet sank into the ground, making the loose stones tremble. The tremendous force traveled through his arms and spread throughout his body. He grunted, sliding two steps backward despite himself, his soles plowing two shallow furrows in the dirt.
Zhang Jian used the recoil to flip backward and land. The shadow of his wild boar Martial Soul swayed faintly around him as he breathed heavily.
He stared at Wang Sheng, a savage grin curling his lips. "A tiger Martial Soul? You've got decent brute strength, but too bad you can't stop my Wild Boar Charge!"
Before he had finished speaking, Zhang Jian lowered his waist, Soul Power surging through his body. His wild boar Martial Soul blazed brighter as he prepared to charge again.
"Don't clash with him head-on. Look for an opening!" Xiao Wu called from outside the circle, her eyes fixed on the fight.
Wang Sheng shook out his numb arms, his fighting spirit undiminished. The tiger shadow behind him roared, and he suddenly rushed forward. Abandoning his defensive stance, he swung a fist straight at Zhang Jian's face.
Han Qiu watched the two trade blows and shook his head inwardly.
Both of them only knew how to use their Martial Souls to strengthen their bodies. They relied entirely on head-on clashes for offense and defense, doing nothing but simple lunges and blocks. Neither knew how to deftly redirect force or anticipate an opponent's movements.
If he were in their place, he could subdue both of them in fewer than three moves using physical strength alone.
Just then, Zhang Jian spotted an opening and thrust his shoulder forward. The charging force of his wild boar Martial Soul erupted in full, aimed straight at Wang Sheng's chest.
Wang Sheng was already down, but Zhang Jian was still going to attack.
Seeing this, Tang San silently raised his hand, pinched a few pieces of gravel between his fingertips, and flicked them straight at Zhang Jian.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Zhang Jian's fist was about to land on Wang Sheng when several spots on his wrist suddenly stung, as if something had struck them hard.
His arms abruptly went weak and limp, and his prepared attack came to an immediate halt!
Wang Sheng seized the fleeting opportunity. His eyes flashed, and with a tiger's roar, he lunged at Zhang Jian!
Smack!
He slammed his palm into Zhang Jian's back, pressing him to the ground.
He immediately followed up with a flurry of kicks, giving Zhang Jian no chance to get up and counterattack. Waves of agony swept through Zhang Jian's body.
Not far away, Han Qiu watched the scene and thought, Tang San is quite meticulous, secretly using Hidden Weapons.
He was already well versed in the way of Hidden Weapons, so the others present couldn't detect them at all.
These guys are far too brazen. Even after being taught a lesson, they still don't know when to rein themselves in.
Seeing Zhang Jian defeated, Xiao Chenyu's face darkened abruptly.
"I'll go!"
A youth walked over from the back. It was Liu Long, who had fought Han Qiu.
On the other side, Xiao Wu was about to step forward when Tang San reached out and gently stopped her. "Let me," he said quietly. "Wang Sheng has used up too much Soul Power. He shouldn't fight again."
Xiao Wu nodded, privately admiring Tang San for thinking things through.
"Liu Long, you absolutely must not lose again," Xiao Chenyu warned in a low voice.
"Don't worry, Brother Xiao!" Liu Long strode proudly into the arena, thinking to himself that Xiao Chenyu had always been the only one among the senior students who could beat him. Now, at most, there was one more: Han Qiu.
But who could have expected the sudden turn of events in the next instant!
Boom!
Before Liu Long could even summon his Martial Soul, he was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily at Xiao Chenyu's feet.
"Brother Xiao, how is this kid so strong?! Just now, before Liu Long could even summon his Martial Soul, he got in close and kicked him flying. Liu Long didn't even have time to react!"
"This is ridiculous! How come each of these work-study students is harder to deal with than the last? Could they really be those protagonists chosen by fate from the storybooks?"
Even Han Qiu couldn't help giving the kid who said that another look.
A prophet, huh? He's got a promising future.
The senior students behind Xiao Chenyu kept whispering among themselves.
Xiao Chenyu stepped into the arena, his expression calm and his gaze fixed on Tang San. He thought to himself that, like Han Qiu, this person had something about him that set him apart from ordinary people.
He took a deep breath and declared, "Xiao Chenyu, sixth-year student, wolf Martial Soul, level-eleven Battle Soul Master!"
As his voice fell, a white Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet, and the shadow of a wolf-shaped Martial Soul appeared behind him. His body transformed along with it, and his strength climbed steadily.
Tang San paused to think.
By announcing his name and Martial Soul, Xiao Chenyu was observing the etiquette between Soul Masters. The Grandmaster had mentioned it to him before: failing to respond would be taken as contempt and could easily earn him someone's resentment.
He possessed a four-hundred-year Mandala Snake Soul Ring, so naturally he had no fear of a fight. In his view, with his current strength, even if Han Qiu were here, he had the confidence to take him on.
Tang San spoke slowly. "Tang San, first year, Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, level-eleven Tool Soul Master!"
As his voice fell, a yellow Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath his feet.
When everyone heard the words "Blue Silver Grass," their eyes filled with disdain. It was a Trash Martial Soul recognized throughout the continent, good for fodder at best. How could it possibly be used in battle?
But the instant the yellow Soul Ring came into view, the entire crowd fell silent. Disbelief was written all over their faces.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck! What's going on?"
A hundred-year Soul Ring!
Xiao Chenyu's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart shook.
A hundred-year Soul Ring! As the city lord's son, I only have a ten-year Soul Ring. A hundred-year one was beyond my reach!
This little work-study student in front of me actually has a hundred-year Soul Ring?
Could his talent have been so astonishing that some peerless expert or major power took notice and helped him?
Otherwise, how could a six-year-old first-year work-study student become a level-eleven Soul Master and have a hundred-year Soul Ring too? At that thought, Xiao Chenyu looked at Tang San with far greater caution.
His companions behind him shouted, "Brother Xiao, what are you afraid of? Blue Silver Grass is a recognized Trash Martial Soul!"
"That's right! Our boss has a power-attack Beast Martial Soul. His destructive power is way beyond the other guy's!"
"Even a hundred-year Soul Ring can't save Blue Silver Grass! Brother Xiao, tear his Martial Soul apart with one swipe!"
Hearing the shouting behind him, Xiao Chenyu barked, "Shut up, all of you!"
The senior students immediately fell silent. Xiao Chenyu focused his gaze on Tang San.
"Let's begin," Tang San said evenly, standing quietly where he was. He sounded composed, but inwardly he didn't dare let his guard down for a moment. Xiao Chenyu had a Soul Ring, and his strength was far beyond Zhang Jian's or Liu Long's.
Sure enough, Xiao Chenyu pushed off hard, leaving two deep footprints in the ground.
Before he even got close, a ferocious pressure rushed at Tang San. His hand transformed into a wolf's claw and clawed straight at Tang San. His attack was swift and sharp, without a single wasted movement.