"Hmph!"
Yu Tianheng gave a cold snort and lunged forward, and the two clashed again.
This time, Fang Lin struck first. His long saber swept down diagonally, aiming not for Yu Tianheng's chest or face, but for his wrist.
If Yu Tianheng pulled back his elbow or dodged outward, Fang Lin's next slash would strike at his centerline.
Yu Tianheng could have abandoned his advance, retreated sideways, and looked for another opening. Instead, he neither dodged nor evaded, but quickly turned his wrist and raised his dragon claw. He intended to take the blow head-on and seize the saber. Without his weapon, a Tool Soul Master would naturally pose no threat.
Fang Lin naturally wouldn't give him that chance. The two Soul Rings beneath his feet lit up in succession.
"First Soul Skill, Hell Power!"
"Second Soul Skill, Shadow Blade!"
A 50% increase in strength and speed.
A 100% increase in armor penetration!
Empowered by both Soul Skills, Fang Lin's heavy, forceful slash nearly produced a sonic boom as it cut through the air.
Clang!!
The dragon claw and iron saber collided violently. Yu Tianheng grunted and released the long saber in pain, red blood dripping down his wrist.
Fang Lin pressed his advantage without mercy. He twisted his waist, turning his upper body, and followed his saber as he unleashed a succession of slashes, now left, now right. One blow followed another, fierce and swift as a driving rain, keeping Yu Tianheng firmly at a distance beyond the blade's reach.
A scene remarkably similar to the first round played out once more, except that the contest of strength had become a clash of techniques. Saber and claws struck again and again, the clang of their collisions unceasing.
But a moment later, Yu Tianheng's movements began to slow.
Fang Lin's initial slash had cut through Yu Tianheng's dragon-scale defense. As the blade passed over his dragon claw, it had also left a layer of gray shadow. Yu Tianheng felt as though a hole had opened in his palm, and maintaining the beast transformation of his dragon claw suddenly consumed more Soul Power.
This won't do. If I defend for too long, I'm bound to slip up!
Such a high-intensity exchange of close-range attacks consumed a great deal of stamina. The defender also had to expend mental effort, constantly watching the angles of his opponent's attacks. Moreover, Yu Tianheng didn't know whether it was an illusion, but each of Fang Lin's slashes seemed heavier than the last, as though his strength were continually increasing.
As the foremost member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's younger generation, and the heir whose talent came closest in history to that of the sect master, Thunder Douluo, Yu Tianheng would never allow himself to lose to an ordinary Tool Soul Master.
Facing Fang Lin's onslaught like a raging storm, Yu Tianheng guarded the vital points of his head with one arm while lightning gathered in his other hand. A dragon claw wreathed in blue lightning took shape in his hand, then shot toward Fang Lin's face.
"First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
He had abandoned most of his defense, intending to take Fang Lin's attacks with his body in exchange for this opening, while also breaking Fang Lin's offensive.
Fang Lin naturally saw through Yu Tianheng's plan. He decisively abandoned the momentum he had built up for so long and turned sideways in advance, dodging the blow.
When the smoke cleared, Yu Tianheng seized the initiative. Both claws shot out, moving so fast they left afterimages as they headed straight for Fang Lin's chest. His attack was so fierce and swift that it brought a Beast Soul Master's advantage in close combat into full play.
Fang Lin raised his saber to block, using basic defensive moves such as sweeping, lifting, and parrying with practiced ease. He gave Yu Tianheng no opening whatsoever.
The battle fell into a stalemate once more, though on the surface it seemed to favor Yu Tianheng, who was suppressing Fang Lin with his attacks.
But Yu Tianheng had used his first Soul Skill twice and maintained his second Soul Skill once, leaving him short on Soul Power to begin with. With his dragon claw injured as well, anyone paying attention could see that the scales of victory were gradually tipping toward Fang Lin.
"Yu Tianheng is going to lose." Below the stage, Yang Yue let out a long sigh. He had previously thought he had lost to Fang Lin because of a moment's carelessness, but now he understood that even if he fought Fang Lin again, he would be no match for him.
"Brother Lin is going to win?" Yu Feng's mouth fell slightly open, and for a moment his face showed both delight and annoyance.
The clashes onstage continued, violent waves of air sweeping outward around the two fighters.
After the prolonged battle, a slight hesitation inevitably crept into Yu Tianheng's movements.
Fang Lin seized the opening. Using his second Soul Skill, he slashed Yu Tianheng across the chest with such force that Yu Tianheng was sent crashing uncontrollably onto the arena floor. Blood spurted from his chest as he fell, revealing a grisly wound deep enough to expose bone.
The crowd below the stage gasped.
Only a breath or two had passed between the opening appearing and Yu Tianheng falling injured. A moment ago, he had been pressing Fang Lin back, yet in the blink of an eye he lay on the ground in a sorry state. The contrast left many people unable to react.
Fang Lin pressed his long saber against Yu Tianheng's chest, and the match was declared over.
"Fang Lin wins this match!"
"The champion of this Heaven Dou Tournament is Fang Lin!"
The referee announced the result. The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into cheers and applause.
Most of the people present, teachers included, had never expected the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the greatest Beast Martial Soul under heaven, to lose to an ordinary Tool Soul Master. Yet after watching the entire match, they felt that Fang Lin's victory was only natural.
This match, in which an ordinary Tool Soul Master had defeated a powerful Beast Soul Master, could be called a textbook example. Fang Lin had shown exceptional skill in judging the timing of the fight and his opponent's thinking. Even at the end, when Yu Tianheng had abandoned his defense to lure Fang Lin into attacking, Fang Lin hadn't taken the bait. Instead, he had chosen to give up his offensive and continue advancing steadily.
"I never expected Yu Tianheng to lose to Fang Lin. What a huge upset."
"Yu Tianheng underestimated his opponent early on, used up too much Soul Power, and let his opponent lead him by the nose."
"Yu Tianheng made adjustments during the fight, but Fang Lin was too seasoned and gave him no chance at all. He isn't even fourteen yet, is he? He's got a lot of practical combat experience!"
"Yu Tianheng isn't much older either. He's only a little younger than Fang Lin, right? I hear that once a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's rank rises, their body undergoes Dragon Transformation. Once he reaches Soul Ancestor, it'll be hard for Fang Lin to win."
Listening to the cheers and discussion around him, Yu Tianheng felt the Qi and blood in his chest churn, and his face flushed red.
I actually lost!
I lost to a Tool Soul Master with an iron saber Martial Soul that couldn't be more ordinary!
Extreme frustration, combined with excessive blood loss, made the eyes of this proud direct grandson of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon roll back, and he fainted.
"Why is he still unconscious? Could his brain have suffered an impact?"
Among the teachers watching the match, there was no shortage of healing-type Soul Masters.
A black-haired female teacher produced a green jade plate in her hand. The purple Soul Ring beneath her feet lit up twice, and Yu Tianheng's wound healed completely, leaving only a faint white scar on his chest.
But Yu Tianheng still didn't wake up. The female teacher frowned and carefully examined his wound.
"Put him in the infirmary and keep him under observation."
He was a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, perhaps even its future heir. If anything happened to him at Heaven Dou Academy, it would be trouble.
Watching the stiff Yu Tianheng being carried away, Fang Lin scratched his head, then rubbed his chin and fell into thought.
Was my last slash really that powerful?
Before he could figure out why, Yu Feng, Niu Heng, and the others came over, all wearing happy expressions.
Niu Heng wrapped an arm around Fang Lin's neck and said with a grin, "Not bad, Linzi! You've really brought Teacher Sun honor this time!"
"Brother Lin, you're amazing!" Yu Feng's eyes were practically full of stars. Then his expression changed, and he said with a hint of regret, "What a shame. If you'd told me earlier that you had a chance of winning, I would at least have bet more."
Yu Feng was talking about the 1:10 odds. He had bet 10 Gold Soul Coins and made a small profit, but when he thought about how he had missed a chance to get rich overnight, he felt regret again, hating himself for not betting more and taking a bigger gamble.
"Chance of winning, my ass," Fang Lin said irritably. "If I'd known I could win, would I have left you the chance to earn Gold Soul Coins?"
By the end of the fight, Fang Lin had used up most of his Soul Power as well. If Yu Tianheng hadn't made a mistake, the outcome would have been hard to say.
After the group chatted for a while, a female teacher called Fang Lin away and gave him a black metal card.
"This is a credit card with 5,000 points on it. You can exchange them for whatever you want at the academic affairs office, or exchange them for Gold Soul Coins at a one-to-one rate."
Fang Lin took the metal card. The front bore the large characters for Heaven Dou, while the back had seven silver stars arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, the emblem of Heaven Dou Academy. The design reminded him of Gold Soul Coin cards, and he guessed it had a similar record-keeping function.
The credit reward for first place was 5,000 points, equivalent to 5,000 Gold Soul Coins. Fang Lin was finally well-off for once. Not only could he buy the piece of Thousand-Year Whale Rubber at Begonia Studio, he would also have enough left over to go to the inner city and buy Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue later.