"Haha, are you all ready?"
Zhao Wuji sat cross-legged in the arena, watching Xiao Yan and the others approach. A smile appeared on his face, and he laughed.
"Come on, then. Let me test what you little fellows can do."
As Zhao Wuji finished speaking, he flicked a lit incense stick from his fingertip. It landed at the edge of the arena, a thin wisp of white smoke curling upward.
"Seven treasures turn forth, and glazed tile appears!"
Xiao Yan and Xiao Wu stood at the front, while Ning Rongrong stood at the very back. She called out, and seven-colored light streamed from her body, finally condensing into a miniature glazed tile pagoda in her right hand.
"First: Strength!"
"Second: Speed!"
As Ning Rongrong finished speaking, Soul Power flowed into the glazed tile pagoda. Streams of light like colorful ribbons poured from it, bestowing their buffs on Xiao Yan and the others.
Xiao Yan suddenly felt lighter, his whole body moving much more easily.
Xiao Yan could not help calculating that if he also fused with the Soul Division Martial Soul, his speed would probably be nearly twice as fast...
"Oh? There's even a little one from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Zhao Wuji's face showed a flicker of surprise when he saw the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's hand. Then he laughed.
"Looks like that old fellow Flender's going to grin his face apart this year."
"Bang!"
The moment Zhao Wuji finished speaking, he caught them off guard by stomping one foot directly onto the ground.
"Watch out!"
Xiao Yan had been watching Zhao Wuji all along, and the moment the man moved, he warned everyone.
Sure enough, as Zhao Wuji stomped down, an earthy-yellow wave of Soul Power spread across the ground toward them. He clearly meant to interrupt Ning Rongrong's buffs.
"Swish!"
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing reacted quickly as well, leaping into the air to escape Zhao Wuji's control. As for Ning Rongrong at the rear, a Blue Silver Grass vine burst from the earth, wrapped around her waist, and lifted her off the ground. It was Tang San's doing.
"Teacher Zhao, you're picking on youngsters and launching a sneak attack. Isn't that a bit much?"
Seeing Zhao Wuji strike first, Dai Mubai could not help speaking up from the sidelines.
"Cut the nonsense, Xiao Bai, or come find me tomorrow for some practical combat training!"
Zhao Wuji snorted, and Dai Mubai immediately shut up. Only he knew how painful Teacher Zhao's practical combat classes were. Perhaps they should have been called punching-bag classes instead.
"Cold Flame · Soul-Concentrating Pierce!"
In midair, the instant Xiao Yan leaped, cold-white Bone Spirit Cold Flame roared out. It transformed into pale ice crystals that rained down directly in Zhao Wuji's path.
After all, every Soul Master knew that the first thing to do in battle was eliminate the opposing support Soul Master.
That was why Zhao Wuji had struck first to throw their formation into disarray.
"Good lad!"
Sensing Xiao Yan's attack, Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow. He wrapped his hand in Soul Power and punched straight at the pale ice crystals in midair, clearly intending to rely on his superior Soul Power to break Xiao Yan's Soul Skill outright.
"Clink! Clink, clink!"
With one punch, Zhao Wuji smashed several pale ice crystals to fragments in his hand. But streaks of frost covered his fist.
Cold seeped through his skin and into his body.
"Xiao Wu!"
As soon as Zhao Wuji made his move, Xiao Wu had seized the moment to run forward. After all, having spent the past few years with Tang San, she knew Xiao Yan's Martial Soul could also slow opponents and paralyze their souls.
Thus, the instant the pale ice crystals shattered, Zhao Wuji's movements stalled for a moment. Xiao Wu hooked both legs toward his neck, intending to use her first Soul Skill, Waist Bow, to restrain him in midair and strangle him.
"Hehe."
Unfortunately, Zhao Wuji far surpassed Xiao Wu in both weight and level.
Even though he had been caught off guard, Xiao Wu's kick only lifted him slightly off the ground. She was nowhere near able to strangle him.
Zhao Wuji looked at Xiao Wu, who was close at hand, and reached for her lower leg, intending to deal with her first.
"Charm!"
Xiao Wu had not expected her first Soul Skill to have so little effect. She looked at Zhao Wuji, her eyes instantly turning pink as she activated her second Soul Skill, Charm.
"Swish!"
At the same time, a black figure appeared behind Zhao Wuji. It was none other than Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing's claws glinted coldly as she struck at the spot behind Zhao Wuji's ear and the back of his neck, timing her attack for the instant Xiao Wu restrained him.
Two sharp claws flashing with cold light descended, but the result...
"Hehe, you really have surprised me!"
Zhao Wuji snorted, raising one hand in front of his throat while sweeping the other behind him.
Xiao Wu's foot struck Zhao Wuji's arm as though she had kicked an iron tower. Pain shot through her foot, and she jumped backward, baring her teeth as she muttered a complaint.
"How is this old geezer so hard?"
On the other side, Zhu Zhuqing's claws tore through Zhao Wuji's clothes, but failed to break his defenses. Seeing his hand reaching for her, she twisted nimbly in midair,
planting one foot on his arm to push off. But their strength was on entirely different levels, and she was flung backward, landing far away.
"Blue Silver Entanglement!"
From a distance, Tang San controlled his Blue Silver Grass, making it appear around Zhao Wuji once more. Thorn-covered vines curled toward him.
In midair, Xiao Yan's right fist was wrapped in Bone Spirit Cold Flame as he punched down at Zhao Wuji's head.
"Heh, boy, didn't Xiao Bai tell you just now?"
Seeing Xiao Yan dare to punch him, Zhao Wuji's eyes showed a trace of scorn. He stomped his right foot and drove his right fist straight at Xiao Yan in midair.
Xiao Yan's expression grew grave. He could feel immense pressure from Zhao Wuji, but only by relying on Dou Techniques did he have a chance of holding out for the time it took one incense stick to burn.
"Mountain-Bombarding Fist!"
"Cold Flame · Soul Armor!"
A Yellow Soul Ring surrounded Xiao Yan, and transparent armor encased his body. Bone Spirit Cold Flame covered his right fist as it collided with Zhao Wuji's.
"Bang!"
The Yellow Tier High Level Dou Technique struck Zhao Wuji's fist, and a ferocious force surged from his hand.
Xiao Yan had attacked from above, and the powerful force struck his Soul Armor and was weakened considerably. Even so, Zhao Wuji's punch still sent him flying backward.
"Senior Brother!"
Tang San cried out, sending a strand of Blue Silver Grass whistling through the air to catch Xiao Yan.
On the other side, Zhao Wuji stood in the arena with his hands behind his back. He looked at Xiao Yan and the others with an indifferent expression and said,
"Not bad. You're already outstanding, but you're still a little short."
Zhao Wuji held his right hand behind his back. White frost covered his right arm, and even his body was coated in a fair amount of frost from that blow.
His right arm trembled slightly behind his back. He could not help wondering in astonishment what kind of Martial Soul this was, as the bone-piercing cold kept burrowing into his body.
The frost on his arm was not difficult to clear. By crushing it with his Soul Power, he only needed to use a Soul Skill to remove it. But if a dignified Soul Saint used a Soul Skill against a few little fellows,
he would truly lose face if word got out.
"He's forcing himself to hold on. The Cold Fire should have paralyzed him to some extent."
Having taken the punch head-on, Xiao Yan tasted blood in his throat. He suppressed the churning Soul Power in his body and let out a breath. Only then, kneeling on one knee, did he have a chance to speak.
Hearing him, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing did not hesitate. They charged at Zhao Wuji again, one from the left and the other from the right.
At a time like this, they all chose to trust Xiao Yan.