After all, Kong Xuan was not truly an eight-year-old boy, and under Yun Ming's guidance, he understood all the better that pride needed strength to support it.
Besides, his imagined enemy had always been God King Tang, so he had always trodden as though on thin ice, constantly reminding himself not to get reckless.
Thus, even against opponents he was confident he could defeat, he would not underestimate them or let his guard down.
Moreover, Xu Tianyi had been the one to propose fighting five alone. Kong Xuan felt no shame in surrounding him. Whoever lost would be the one embarrassed.
On the other side, faced with the three charging toward him, Xu Tianyi not only remained unflustered but was filled with excitement and exhilaration, itching to fight.
He was precisely that kind of born warrior, the sort who grew more excited as he fought!
A bright yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet. At the same time, his already sturdier-than-average body grew even taller and larger, and his originally black pupils turned deep purple, gleaming with an uncanny light.
Purple-gold dragon scales also covered his right arm, sharp dragon claws extended from his fingertips, and the faint phantom of a giant dragon appeared behind him.
The moment Xu Tianyi underwent Martial Soul Possession, the spectators gathered around the Soul Fighting Arena naturally recognized it as a dragon-type Martial Soul.
Although they did not know its exact type, practically any Beast Martial Soul related to dragons was a top-tier Martial Soul.
Especially given Xu Tianyi's appearance, anyone with discerning eyes could tell that this dragon of his was anything but ordinary.
With Xu Tianyi's Martial Soul Possession, his entire bearing also underwent a heaven-and-earth-shaking transformation.
Before, he could only have been called proud, but now he had to be described as wildly arrogant, for his whole being exuded the imposing presence of one who stood supreme above all.
Battle intent surged in Xu Tianyi's eyes. Even facing the imminent encirclement, he was confident he could defeat them one by one.
His gaze swept over the three charging toward him in succession before finally locking onto Ye Lingtong on the left.
Although he did not know what her Soul Skill was, as a tool Soul Master, her physical abilities were inherently inferior to a beast Soul Master's. Combined with his surprise attack, that would be more than enough to eliminate her outright.
At that moment, only about fifteen meters remained between the two sides, and Xu Tianyi finally moved.
As the Soul Ring beneath his feet flashed, his figure abruptly blurred, then became a purple-gold afterimage, dashing diagonally forward to the left at a speed close to teleportation.
Seeing his appearance after Martial Soul Possession, Ye Lingtong had assumed he was a Power Attack System Soul Master. She had never expected Xu Tianyi to be this fast.
With the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon as his Martial Soul, Xu Tianyi was naturally a Power Attack System Soul Master, but his first Soul Skill, Dragon Brilliant Flash, was a powerful Soul Skill combining speed and explosive power. Not only did it grant him a flash-like burst of speed, but it could also explosively amplify his attack power.
In the blink of an eye, he was before her. Ye Lingtong's breath caught; she had no time to react at all.
Following Ren Jun's instructions, Xu Tianyi held nothing back. A layer of Purple Qi suffused his sharp dragon claws, filled with destructive power.
That claw slashed straight toward Ye Lingtong's face. If it struck, she would likely die on the spot.
Ye Lingtong seemed frozen in fright. Watching the sharp dragon claws grow larger before her eyes, she could even sense the terrifying destructive presence upon them, and she instantly felt the threat of death.
Yet Ren Jun, above the Soul Fighting Arena, showed no intention of intervening at that moment. However, he had lowered his flying altitude considerably, ready to act at any time.
At that critical moment, with her life hanging by a thread, Ye Lingtong felt something tighten around her waist, and Bi Jin's Empowerment Chain pulled her backward.
Bi Jin was no Control System Soul Master who merely ate without earning his keep. The instant he saw Xu Tianyi move, he reacted, though it only just allowed Ye Lingtong to evade the strike.
With just one attack, Xu Tianyi had demonstrated enough strength to make their expressions change.
The spectators around the Soul Fighting Arena were likewise shocked by the power of Xu Tianyi's Martial Soul and Soul Skill, thinking it was no wonder he dared to fight five alone.
Having missed his strike, Xu Tianyi turned his gaze toward Bi Jin. With this Control System Soul Master present, he felt that attacking anyone else would probably achieve nothing either.
Although his first Soul Skill was powerful, he was currently only a rank-seventeen Soul Master. There was a limit to how many times he could use his Soul Skill in succession, so he could not waste it.
The Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up again as he chose Bi Jin as the target of his next attack.
Meeting Xu Tianyi's gaze, Bi Jin also felt his heart tremble, and a sense of danger welled up within him.
But just as Xu Tianyi was about to unleash his Soul Skill, his expression suddenly changed.
Pushing off hard, he darted to the left. His attempt to unleash his Soul Skill had been interrupted!
A crystal-like spear now stood embedded where Xu Tianyi had just been standing, its shaft still trembling slightly.
Naturally, Kong Xuan had acted after discerning Xu Tianyi's plan. He, too, had to admit that Xu Tianyi's Soul Skill was fast. Since he could not get there in time himself, he had simply sent his spear ahead!
When Xu Tianyi looked over in shock, he discovered that Kong Xuan had already charged up before him, Atlas Spear in hand.
The improvement in Kong Xuan's physique over the past two years had undoubtedly been enormous. As a tool Soul Master, his physical abilities were now absolutely no weaker than those of a beast Soul Master of the same rank.
Thus, even without unleashing a Soul Skill, Kong Xuan's speed was enough to astonish Xu Tianyi.
The Atlas Spear swept across, and Xu Tianyi instinctively raised his right hand, intending to block the strike with his scale-covered right arm.
The Atlas Spear's immensely powerful blade scraped across his dragon-scale-covered right arm, sending sparks flying as though metal had struck metal.
Although Xu Tianyi was not injured by the strike, the stinging pain in his arm shocked him. The Atlas Spear's sharpness seemed to have pierced through the dragon scales' defense.
There was no time for Xu Tianyi to think further. Kong Xuan turned the spear and attacked him again.
Against such rapid consecutive attacks, Xu Tianyi had no opportunity to unleash his Soul Skill and could only defend passively.
Xu Tianyi let out a low growl, enduring the pain as he once again used his right arm to block the spear shaft Kong Xuan brought down from above. At the same time, he hooked his dragon claws around, attempting to seize the shaft so he could counterattack.
But Kong Xuan turned his wrist, and the spear slipped free like a swimming dragon. Its tip then wheeled around, thrusting straight toward Xu Tianyi's chest.
Xu Tianyi's pupils contracted. He twisted sideways at the very limit, and the spear tip brushed past the front of his clothes with a whistle as it pierced the air.
Just as Xu Tianyi thought he had evaded the strike, the corners of Kong Xuan's mouth lifted slightly. The spear actually turned in midair, and its butt smashed heavily into Xu Tianyi's shoulder like a hammer.
Bang!
Xu Tianyi staggered backward. Before he could steady himself, silver light flashed before his eyes.
Clang!
The Atlas Spear's tip was already pressed against his throat, its chill piercing to the bone.
Kong Xuan stood with spear in hand, his breathing steady, as though the fierce exchange just now had not consumed the slightest bit of his stamina.
He said calmly, "You... lost!"