Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene, unable to believe it.
A guy without Soul Power had defeated a level forty-two Soul Ancestor with a single punch?
And from the look of it, Li Dong couldn't withstand his punch at all and had passed out on the spot.
Ah, to be young: lie down and fall right asleep.
What shocked the disciples below was that Li Dong wasn't one of the sect's lowest-ranking disciples. He was someone who had undergone a Martial Soul Second Awakening!
The Body Sect disciples Toji had wiped out single-handedly didn't have a single Second Awakening among them. They simply couldn't compare to Li Dong.
A Body Martial Soul that had undergone a Second Awakening was among the very best at its level. Even a Soul King shouldn't have been able to defeat him as easily as Toji had.
Toji withdrew his fist and swept his gaze over the crowd, his face impassive.
"Next."
The moment Toji's voice fell, an uproar erupted below the platform.
The disciples who had been waiting and watching were now angered by Toji's arrogant attitude.
They shouted one after another, scrambling to get onstage and teach this newcomer, who didn't know how high the heavens were or how deep the earth ran, a lesson.
"He's too arrogant! Let me at him!"
"Just a guy with no Soul Power, and he dares run wild in our Body Sect!"
"Me! I'll make sure he learns what real strength is!"
The scene descended into chaos for a while. Disciples competed to raise their hands, and some had even begun shoving one another to get onstage first.
Seeing this, the elder frowned and shouted sternly:
"Quiet! We'll go in the order you signed up! Anyone who makes more noise will be disqualified on the spot!"
The elder's authority quieted the scene somewhat, but the disciples' anger had not subsided.
In the end, a tall, strongly built youth stepped onto the platform and stood opposite Toji.
His gaze was as sharp as a blade as he looked at Toji.
"Body Sect disciple, Wang Meng, level forty-eight Soul Ancestor."
Wang Meng cupped his fist in greeting.
Toji returned the courtesy to those who were polite:
"Toji, level thirty-nine."
"Begin!"
Wang Meng snorted and instantly released his Martial Soul. He too had the perfect configuration of two yellow and two purple rings, and a faint bronze light appeared around his body. He looked like a bronze statue, hard as could be.
A torso-type Martial Soul?
Another Second Awakening, and Bronze Grade at that.
Toji saw at a glance how his opponent intended to fight.
"Activate!" Wang Meng shouted. The bronze light around him suddenly burst forth, and his third and fourth Soul Rings flashed in succession. His presence climbed steadily, rising to its peak.
Those were obviously amplification-type Soul Skills.
At his strongest, Wang Meng charged straight at Toji. His Second Soul Ring lit up, and his fist hurtled toward Toji's chest with a howling rush of wind.
I refuse to believe you can take me out with one punch too!
Toji raised an eyebrow at Wang Meng, who had used a Soul Skill.
He remembered Du Busi telling him that Body Sect disciples would never use their Soul Skills lightly, because every time they used one, their opponent became more familiar with it.
Only by using a Soul Skill at a critical moment, when it could have a decisive effect, could they conceal their strongest abilities to the greatest extent.
Wang Meng's fist was covered in a layer of bronze light, evidently the effect of his Second Soul Skill. The force of that punch was enough to shatter a boulder.
However, just as the fist was about to hit him, Toji's body suddenly swayed slightly, and he easily evaded the blow.
Wang Meng's fist struck empty air with a muffled sound.
"What?!"
Wang Meng's pupils contracted.
Having dodged the punch, Toji had already appeared behind him like a ghost.
Wang Meng was greatly alarmed and spun around, only to find that Toji had vanished from his sight again.
So fast!
Was he really someone without Soul Power?
This was ridiculous.
The people below the platform, however, could be said to have seen everything clearly.
There was only one word for Toji's speed: fast. Absurdly fast!
Even some Soul Kings narrowed their eyes and focused completely on Toji as he moved at high speed, only to find that they had some difficulty tracking him.
Wang Meng remained wary and quickly adjusted his breathing, trying to sense Toji's position.
But Toji was simply too fast. He couldn't track him at all.
Suddenly, Wang Meng felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looked down to see that Toji's fist had already slammed into his stomach, making him spit from the pain.
Toji's next attack came again. Wang Meng immediately raised both arms in front of his chest to block, but Toji's fist was like an iron hammer, smashing straight through his defense.
Wang Meng felt a tremendous force hit him, and he involuntarily stumbled back several steps, both arms going numb.
"This guy's strength... how can it be so great?!"
Wang Meng was shocked, but he didn't back down. Instead, he grew even angrier.
With a low roar, he charged at Toji again, all four Soul Rings flashing in succession as his fists flew like a raging storm.
After dodging for a while, Toji found another opening in Wang Meng's attacks. His right hand formed a claw and clamped down on Wang Meng's wrist.
"What?!" Wang Meng was shocked and tried to break free, only to find that Toji's hand was like an iron vise, locking firmly around his wrist.
The next second, Toji forcibly yanked Wang Meng in front of him, grabbed his neck with his other hand, and slammed him into the ground.
"Bang!"
Wang Meng's body crashed heavily into the ground with a dull thud.
Toji's hand gripped his neck so tightly that he couldn't break free, and his face instantly turned bright red. He desperately grabbed Toji's wrist with both hands, trying to pry his fingers apart, but Toji's strength far exceeded his imagination. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't budge it in the slightest.
"Do you surrender?" Toji asked without the slightest emotional fluctuation, as calmly as if he were asking whether he had eaten.
Wang Meng gritted his teeth, a trace of unwillingness flashing in his eyes.
He was an exalted Body Sect disciple, only fifteen and already close to the Soul King realm. His own Second Awakening was Bronze Grade, too. By any measure, he was a genius. How could he surrender just like that?
He suddenly raised his leg, trying to knee Toji in the stomach. But Toji seemed to have anticipated the move. He shifted slightly to the side and easily dodged the blow.
Toji pressed his other hand firmly against Wang Meng's chest, pinning him tightly to the ground again.
Wang Meng felt a tremendous force bear down on him. It was as if a boulder were pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
"Do you surrender?"
Toji asked again, his tone still calm, though the force of his grip increased somewhat.
Was this guy a robot?!
Wang Meng's face had turned from red to purple, and breathing grew harder and harder. His hands fell limply to the ground, and a trace of despair finally flashed in his eyes.
If this were a fight to the death, I'd have died hundreds of times already.
Our actual combat experience isn't even on the same level.
No wonder he could wipe out a whole team of Body Sect disciples by himself.
"I... surrender," Wang Meng squeezed the words out of his throat with difficulty, his voice hoarse and weak.
Hearing this, Toji let go and stood up.
Wang Meng lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his chest heaving violently, as though he had just made a trip to the gates of hell.
He looked at Toji, then finally raised a hand and gave him a thumbs-up.
"You win. I admit defeat. No wonder the sect master personally recruited you. You're a freak, even without Soul Power."
Toji said nothing and simply nodded repeatedly. He glanced at the people below the platform again, his tone neither pleased nor displeased, entirely natural:
"Next."