In the center of the arena, Yan released his Martial Soul. Blazing flames rose continuously from his body, and crimson magma patterns spread along his arms and chest. As one of the most powerful Martial Soul in the Spirit Hall, the Flame Lord already possessed powerful offensive and defensive capabilities. After the Martial Soul Possession, Yan's figure visibly swelled up, and his skin was covered with a layer of dark red armor resembling lava. The five Soul Ring beneath his feet pulsed slowly, scorching the surrounding air until it distorted slightly.
Xing stood opposite him, slowly lowering the baseball bat that had been casually draped over her shoulder. Yan's earlier entrance with the phrase " Galactic Baseballer " had clearly pleased her; her gaze towards him was much more pleasing than before, and she even took the initiative to say, "Not bad, you're on point. I'm very satisfied. If you perform well later, I can give you a small gift, as a special reward from the Galactic Baseballer to challengers."
Yan was stunned for a moment, then grinned. Although he had witnessed Huyan Li, Feng Xiaotian, Yu Tianheng, and Dai Weisi being knocked off the stage one after another by Xing, he showed no sign of backing down. On the contrary, the other party's words ignited an even stronger fighting spirit. The flames on his body suddenly surged, and his second and Third Soul Ring lit up at the same time. Thick flames covered his entire body, and he stomped heavily on the ground, charging forward like a burning meteorite.
Xing didn't dodge; instead, he gripped his bat tighter and stepped forward to meet Yan's charge. The metal bat traced a clean arc in the air, colliding head-on with Yan's arm, which was covered in lava armor. A dull thud resounded throughout the arena. Yan's body jolted violently, his forward momentum halting instantly. Several cracks appeared on the solid arena beneath his feet, but he gritted his teeth and managed to block the blow thanks to the Flame Lord's formidable defense.
What truly changed Yan's expression was the moment the baseball bat struck his arm. He felt an indescribable force travel along his bones into his body, as if he hadn't collided with a young girl, but with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast charging at full speed. After just one blow, both arms were already slightly numb, and his fingers even briefly lost sensation.
Xing's eyes lit up when she saw that he hadn't been knocked away. She flicked her wrist, and the baseball bat slid across Yan's arm. The next strike came down almost without pause. Yan had no time to retaliate and could only raise his arms to protect his chest. Flames and magma solidified into an even thicker defensive layer, completely enveloping him.
"Bang!"
The second collision was even heavier than the first. Cracks beneath Yan's feet instantly spread outwards, and his body was forcefully pushed back several meters. He struggled to regain his balance, but his arms trembled uncontrollably, and clear cracks appeared on the surface of his newly formed magma armor. Xing didn't continue his onslaught. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, looking at Yan who had blocked his attack once again, his tone now showing more approval. "Not bad. Those guys before you were basically sent flying with one hit, but you managed to catch them twice in a row."
Yan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the soreness and numbness in his arms, and the flames on his body rose again. He knew, of course, that he was far from having the upper hand. Since the start of the battle, he hadn't even truly touched Xingyi. But the more this was the case, the less willing he was to admit defeat. The title of the Golden Generation wasn't something just anyone could casually bestow. He stood here representing the Spirit Hall, and even knowing he couldn't win, he at least wanted to show everyone the backbone of the Spirit Hall's younger generation.
Seeing that he had regained his footing, Xing didn't give him any more time to adjust. She twirled the bat in her hand, a smile playing on her lips, and then slowly said, "In that case, let's make it one last hit. If you can still stand after this one, I'll consider you to have passed the test of the Galactic Baseballer."
As she finished speaking, her free hand slowly swept across the surface of the baseball bat. With a soft hum, blue patterns lit up one after another on the metal surface, as if the ordinary baseball bat had been completely awakened at this moment, and pale blue energy flowed rapidly along the shaft. Xing gripped the bat with one hand and neatly twirled it at her side, her entire aura changing in that instant.
"Rules are meant to be broken!"
On the other side of the arena, Yan's pupils suddenly contracted. Before they even made contact, he already felt an even stronger pressure coming towards him than the previous two times. Without hesitation, his fifth Soul Ring lit up instantly, and all the Soul Power in his body erupted without reservation at this moment. The huge phantom of the Flame Lord rose from the ground behind him, and scorching magma condensed layer by layer on the surface of his body, eventually forming a thick lava barrier that was almost solid.
Xing had already rushed in front of him.
The baseball bat sliced through the air, sweeping towards him with a piercing whistle. Yan braced himself tightly with his arms, his teeth almost bleeding, his Soul Power surging wildly into the defense formed by his fifth Soul Skill. Watching the bat draw ever closer, he couldn't help but let out a deafening roar, "Aaaaaah--Block it!!!"
The next instant, the baseball bat slammed into the lava barrier.
"Bang--!"
A deafening roar, like muffled thunder, shattered the lava defense formed by all of Yan's Soul Power in front of him in less than a breath. The terrifying impact struck his arms head-on, sending him flying off the ground and tumbling along the arena. Debris and sparks flew everywhere as he rolled for over ten meters, his body nearly flying off the arena several times, only to crash into the edge at the last moment, stopping less than half a meter from the edge.
The entire arena fell silent for a moment, all eyes fixed on the edge of the ring. Yan lay there motionless, his arms still trembling noticeably, and his Flame Lord Martial Soul had been dispelled. Just when many thought the match was over, his fingers suddenly twitched, and then, supporting himself on the ground, he slowly stood up again.
Yan's movements were slow and almost labored; his arms trembled so much he could barely support his body, yet he gritted his teeth and stood up. The moment he regained his footing, a huge cheer erupted from the audience, especially in the area where the Spirit Hall Academy was located, where many young Soul Master stood up and shouted for him. To witness so many geniuses being sent flying by a single blow, yet still managing to withstand Xing's attack head-on without falling off the stage—that alone was enough to prove the prestige of the Golden Generation.
Xing was clearly surprised. She glanced at Yan, who was less than half a step from the edge of the ring, then put away her bat and walked over. Yan instinctively tensed up, but Xing didn't continue attacking. She simply patted him on the shoulder twice and said with great satisfaction, "Not bad. You managed to take a hit from Galactic Baseballer head-on without falling. I acknowledge you. Of course, the reward we agreed on can't be forgotten. Here, take this."
After saying that, she pulled out a steaming cup of coffee from somewhere and solemnly placed it in Yan's hand. Wisps of deep, almost eerie black smoke slowly rose from the surface of the dark brown liquid, making it look nothing like an ordinary drink. Xing, however, didn't seem to notice anything amiss and added earnestly, "This is a specialty of the Astral Express. Not everyone can usually get to drink it. Consider it a small reward for passing the test."
After she finished speaking, she turned around and walked off the stage with satisfaction, leaving Yan standing there, looking down at the cup of coffee in his hand that was still emitting black steam.
At that moment, Yan seemed to see two tiny figures suddenly appear above his head. The one on the left grabbed his ear tightly and shouted, "Don't drink it! This stuff is obviously no good. How could normal coffee emit black smoke!" The one on the right, however, kicked it away and said excitedly, "What are you afraid of? This is a specialty of the Astral Express, a genuine Starry Sea beverage! Others can't even get their hands on it. Hurry up and have a sip!"
Yan stared at the cup in silence for a few seconds, but finally felt that the little figure on the right made more sense. He was, after all, a Spirit Hall Golden Generation, and he had even withstood a terrifying full-force blow from Lian Xing. How could he possibly be knocked down by a cup of coffee? With that thought, he simply tilted his head back and, under the questioning gazes of many people in the room, drank the coffee in one gulp.
In the VIP section, Lin Yuan and March 7th almost simultaneously raised their hands and slapped their foreheads.
"It's over."
Their voices were unusually in sync.
Yan Gang had just swallowed his coffee when he froze on the spot. The next second, an indescribable taste rushed up his tongue and down his throat. He felt as if his esophagus had taken the full force of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. His internal organs protested in an instant, the arena in front of him began to spin wildly, and even the voices of tens of thousands of spectators around him quickly faded away.
In just a few breaths, countless images flashed uncontrollably through Yan's mind: his childhood training at the Spirit Hall, joining the Golden Generation, his first meeting with Hu Liena, his first battle, and being sent flying by Xing Yi's staff. He suddenly felt that his life had been quite exciting, but he never expected that the biggest crisis would come from a cup of coffee.
"Thump."
Yan lay stiffly on the arena, wisps of black smoke still billowing from the corners of his mouth.
An eerie silence fell over the entire arena once again.
On the other side of the VIP section, Himeko casually picked up her coffee and took a sip, her expression unchanged. She quickly noticed that Aventurine next to her was staring at her cup, so she smiled and pushed the coffee pot slightly towards him, "What's wrong? Want to try some? Want a cup?"
Aventurine glanced at Yan, who had completely lost consciousness on the stage and was still emitting black smoke from his mouth, and then at the cup of coffee in Himeko's hand that was exactly the same color. His smile froze for a moment. Almost without hesitation, he waved his hands repeatedly and leaned back in his chair.
"No, no, this special product of the Astral Express should be reserved for those who truly appreciate it."