The commotion in Soul Fighting Arena No. 18 had already drawn thousands of spectators.
They included not only students from every year, but also quite a few teachers who had come to join the excitement.
Yet none of them could quite make sense of what was happening with Kong Xuan.
His Soul Rings clearly had not lit up, so what was going on with that ghostlike figure they could not track?
These people could not understand it, but there were knowledgeable people in the audience!
Ren Jun's gaze was fixed intently on Kong Xuan, his eyes filled with shock.
As a top student from Shrek, he had already identified the method Kong Xuan was using after a brief moment of astonishment.
Intent!
Spear intent!
Kong Xuan was only an eight-year-old, two-ring Soul Master, yet he had already grasped spear intent!
This was an ability that many Soul Masters pursued their entire lives without ever mastering.
Ren Jun felt that even if Kong Xuan had started practicing with a spear in his mother's womb, mastering spear intent at this age was still rather outrageous.
But the truth was right before his eyes. Ren Jun had finally gotten his wish and truly witnessed his student's talent and strength.
To be honest, even Ren Jun, an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, felt a trace of envy rise in his heart.
Xu Tianyang also realized that he could no longer lock onto Kong Xuan's position. The Soul Tools on his body had been aiming for ages, yet he still had no idea where to fire.
But Xu Tianyang was flying in midair. Even if he could not track Kong Xuan's movements, Kong Xuan could not get close to him either.
Just as that thought crossed Xu Tianyang's mind, he saw Kong Xuan's first Soul Ring suddenly light up. Kong Xuan thrust his spear in an utterly ordinary strike, but there was no one in front of him at all.
"Behind you!"
Someone in the stands cried out. Naturally, those watching from above could see more clearly.
The space behind Xu Tianyang rippled like the surface of water, as though Kong Xuan's thrust had pierced through space.
He had clearly only thrust straight ahead, yet his spear had now appeared eerily behind Xu Tianyang.
As a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, Xu Tianyang had considerable combat experience.
Though he did not know exactly what was happening, he reacted quickly once he sensed the danger.
The wings on his back abruptly reversed, and dozens of metal feathers turned into blades that twisted toward the spear tip.
Clang, clang, clang...
Amid a shower of sparks, Xu Tianyang blocked Kong Xuan's strike.
But Kong Xuan had no intention of letting him off so easily. The Atlas Spear in his hands thrust out relentlessly, laying siege to Xu Tianyang all by himself.
Faced with attacks from every direction, Xu Tianyang truly felt as though he were fighting five or six enemies.
The offensive Soul Tools on his body disappeared, and two shields appeared in his hands. He constantly shifted his position in midair, blocking every one of Kong Xuan's attacks.
Looking at the cracks that had already appeared on the Class 4 defensive Soul Tool shields in his hands, Xu Tianyang was utterly shocked.
A two-ring Soul Master's first Soul Skill actually possessed such offensive power. All he could say was that it truly lived up to being a thousand-year Soul Skill.
But amid his shock, Xu Tianyang also calmed down. Powerful Soul Skills often came with terrifying Soul Power consumption. He did not believe Kong Xuan could keep attacking like this forever.
Xu Tianyang was shocked by Kong Xuan's strength, while Kong Xuan had not expected Xu Tianyang to actually have some skill either.
He had originally thought Xu Tianyang was merely a ranged Soul Engineer, but he had not expected him to be equipped with defensive shields as well. This forced him to change tactics.
Xu Tianyang's deduction was correct. Kong Xuan's first Soul Skill, Void Stab, did indeed consume a great deal, and he had already stopped attacking.
Xu Tianyang seized this opportunity to escape Kong Xuan's "encirclement" instantly, shifting dozens of meters sideways in a flash.
In the process, Xu Tianyang directly lit up his strongest Soul Ring, his fourth.
Soul Guidance Array-Heavenly Net!
Twenty-four miniature cannon barrels deployed around Xu Tianyang. Since he could not lock onto Kong Xuan's position, he would simply blanket the area with cannon fire!
The dense barrage poured down like a torrential rain, and the entire Soul Fighting Arena seemed to tremble beneath the furious bombardment.
Kong Xuan's clear and serene spear intent merely prevented his opponent from judging his attacks and locking onto his position.
Although it involved spatial abilities, it could not hide him completely within space to evade damage.
Thus, Xu Tianyang's method of dense bombardment really did seem to be the most effective approach against Kong Xuan.
But even so-called blanket bombardment could not strike the entire area at the same time.
That being the case, Kong Xuan had room to maneuver.
His golden pupils grew a little brighter. In his eyes, all twenty-four attacks had already been categorized and marked. He had judged where they would land, and even the order in which they would arrive.
Boom, boom, boom!
Amid the clouds of dust and smoke, the spectators around the Soul Fighting Arena could not make anything out clearly.
Their hearts instantly leaped into their throats as they wondered whether Kong Xuan could withstand the Soul Cannons' attacks.
His classmates in particular were all standing on tiptoe, staring intently at the situation inside the Soul Fighting Arena.
Ren Jun still did not intervene. Although he could not see through the dust and smoke either, his powerful spiritual power allowed him to determine Kong Xuan's condition.
Kong Xuan was extremely fast, constantly changing direction amid the Soul Cannons' attacks.
Every movement he made seemed to stay one step ahead of the Soul Cannons.
Thus, the seemingly terrifying assault did not actually inflict any substantial damage on Kong Xuan.
Still, this exchange had certainly taken a considerable toll on both of them, and they then tacitly paused their fight for a moment.
Xu Tianyang hovered in midair, his metal wings gleaming coldly in the sunlight as four Soul Rings slowly revolved around him.
He looked down from above, and his brows involuntarily furrowed at the sight of the completely unscathed Kong Xuan.
Xu Tianyang truly had not expected a two-ring Soul Grandmaster to be so difficult to deal with!
"You do have some skill!"
Xu Tianyang folded his arms across his chest, not forgetting to strike an arrogant pose even now.
"Your first Soul Skill must have a spatial attribute, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't even be able to touch me!"
"But from those attacks just now, I've already sensed it. That Soul Skill of yours probably has a range limit too!"
As he spoke, Xu Tianyang controlled his Flying Soul Tool and climbed even higher.
He raised his hand, a dazzling light gathering at the Soul Cannon's muzzle. "Can you still reach me from this distance? Give up!"
Kong Xuan looked up, his golden eyes as calm as still water.
At this distance, his first Soul Skill really could still reach Xu Tianyang.
But he had already tested it earlier. Though Void Stab was powerful, Xu Tianyang could still handle it.
He slowly raised the Atlas Spear, pointing its tip straight at the heavens, his voice indifferent. "Do you really think you're invincible?"
"Flight Restriction!"
As those words fell, an invisible force abruptly descended!
The air throughout the Soul Fighting Arena seemed to freeze in an instant. The metal wings on Xu Tianyang's back suddenly let out a piercing crack, and the Soul Tool core went out instantly!
"What?!"
Xu Tianyang's expression changed drastically. His body suddenly sank, and he plummeted uncontrollably from high in the air.