The next morning, at dawn.
After a night's rest, Yu Tianheng headed to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Soul Fighting Arena.
That was where he and Lei Long had agreed to fight.
The Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Soul Fighting Arena was packed, the atmosphere as heated as a blazing flame. Its enormous dome was made of transparent crystal, allowing sunlight to pour through unhindered and illuminate the broad Soul Fighting platform at the center.
In the stands, the spectators wore a variety of clothes. Most were students of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, all children of nobles, dressed in splendid attire and bearing themselves with distinction.
Quite a few teachers from the academy had also come to watch.
Even the three members of the Education Committee had come in person.
They were Bai Baoshan, Zhi Lin, and Meng Shenji.
The three elders sat in the highest seats, looking down on the battle.
Watching the activity in the Soul Fighting Arena, Meng Shenji chuckled. "It's been a long time since the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was this lively. Come to think of it, Yu Tianheng is quite good at stirring up trouble. He hasn't been at the academy long, and he's already caused such a commotion."
Soul Douluo Zhi Lin stroked his beard and smiled. "Isn't a person who never stirs up trouble a mediocrity? Besides, it's just a fight between children, nothing serious. This is a good chance for us to see just how much that boy Yu Tianheng has grown over the past year."
Bai Baoshan agreed. "That's true."
In the spectator stands.
A girl in a white gauze dress looked at the beautiful Lan Lingmeng and asked with a smile, "Lingmeng, this unprecedentedly grand match started because of you. One of them is the young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the other is the son of an imperial marshal. One has a dragon Martial Soul, and the other has a tiger. Some people even jokingly call this a clash of dragon and tiger. Who do you think will win?"
"Everyone's been talking about it these past few days."
The girl who asked was named Su Sha. She, too, was the child of a Heaven Dou Empire noble and was on good terms with Lan Linmeng.
Lan Lingmeng gently brushed back the hair by her ear, a faint smile touching her lips. She said unhurriedly, "It's hard to say. Lei Long's Martial Soul is the Saber-Toothed Tiger, a top-tier Beast Martial Soul. He already had the potential to fight above his level, and now he's broken through to level forty, greatly increasing his strength. Among Soul Elders, hardly anyone is his match. On top of that, his clan has carefully trained him, so his fighting skills must be highly polished, and he has plenty of actual combat experience. That's why he has the better chance of winning."
Su Sha nodded and was just about to speak when Lan Lingmeng changed tack. "But Yu Tianheng is no slouch either. He comes from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects, with unfathomably deep foundations. What's more, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul is known as the continent's number one Beast Martial Soul, and its power is astonishing. As the young master, his strength naturally can't be underestimated."
"It's just a pity he's too young and hasn't had enough time to cultivate. If he were the same age as Lei Long-no! If he were given just a few more years, he could definitely defeat Lei Long with ease. As for now, he's still a little weaker, but he won't necessarily lose!"
Su Sha frowned and said somewhat helplessly, "You've said all that, but you still haven't told me who you think has the better chance."
Lan Lingmeng winked playfully and smiled. "The fight hasn't even started yet. Anything could happen. Martial Souls, strength, and fighting skills are certainly important, but how they perform on the spot, their strategies, and even luck could affect the final result. I don't want to judge too early. Let's wait for the match to begin and see them truly test each other on the platform."
With that, Lan Lingmeng turned her gaze toward the Soul Fighting Arena.
The two combatants entered from opposite directions.
In the Soul Fighting Arena, the atmosphere was as heated as a blazing flame. The spectators' shouts rose and fell in waves, forming an invisible tide of heat. Yu Tianheng and Lei Long stood facing each other.
Yu Tianheng was tall and slender, with handsome features. His short black hair stood like steel needles, giving him a sharp, capable look, while his simple blue combat clothes had a fierce edge.
His expression was cold, and confidence and determination flashed in his deep eyes.
Lei Long was equally imposing. His build was somewhat burly, his muscles taut, and his eyes held a murderous glint.
At the referee's command, the battle began.
Both sides released their Martial Souls at the same time.
Yu Tianheng released his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul. Surging Soul Power rose around him, and a low dragon's roar rang out. Blue-violet lightning enveloped his body in an instant, crackling without pause.
Three Soul Rings rose beneath his feet, two yellow and one purple.
The shadowy form of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul flickered in and out of sight behind him.
His Soul Power Level of 36 was revealed without reservation.
At the same moment, Lei Long let out a tiger's roar. A layer of blood-red light appeared around him, and a strong scent of blood spread through the air.
Three Soul Rings rose beneath his feet, two yellow and one purple.
His body rapidly expanded, and a layer of black fur covered his skin. His hands became enormous tiger paws, their sharp claws as long as daggers. Sinister fangs protruded from the corners of his mouth, a pair of tiger ears stood erect atop his head, and a thick tiger tail swung powerfully behind him. After the Saber-Toothed Tiger Martial Soul Possession, his whole body radiated a wild and violent presence.
The Soul Power Lei Long revealed was as high as level 40.
Soul Power surged around them, throwing the surrounding air into chaos. A thrilling battle was about to erupt.
Seeing that his Soul Power Level was four levels higher than Yu Tianheng's, Lei Long was certain victory was in his grasp.
The corners of his mouth curled up as he looked at Yu Tianheng with utter disdain, mockery in his eyes. "Yu Tianheng, so what if you're talented? Today is the day you lose. No matter how strong the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul is, it can't make up for the gap in our Soul Power Levels. Before my Saber-Toothed Tiger Martial Soul, you're nothing but an empty name!"
Yu Tianheng's expression was cold, his gaze burning like a torch as he stared straight at Lei Long without flinching. "Lei Long, you seem quite pleased with yourself. But you haven't even considered the gap between us."
"I'm thirteen this year, and my Soul Power has already reached level 36. What level was your Soul Power at my age?"
"I doubt it had even reached level thirty!"
"What do you have to be so pleased with?"
"You!" Lei Long began.
But Yu Tianheng beat him to it. "Yes, you've broken through to level forty, but so what? If I were your age, my Soul Power Level would probably already be above fifty. I'd be a Soul King, or even a Soul Emperor. At that point, I could thrash you with one hand. What qualifies you to put on airs in front of me? Who gave you the guts?!"
Lei Long was left speechless by Yu Tianheng's retort, his face flushed crimson with frustration.
In the spectator stands, the students who had heard the exchange belatedly realized that Yu Tianheng wasn't in the same age group as them at all. He was only thirteen.
At such a young age, his Soul Power Level had already surpassed that of most people present, leaving them deeply ashamed.
They were also shocked by Yu Tianheng's terrifying talent.
On the main platform, Meng Shenji's gaze sharpened at the sight. He turned to Bai Baoshan beside him and asked, "I remember that when Yu Tianheng first came to the academy a year ago, his Soul Power Level was only 31. Yet a year later, it's already level 36. A five-level increase in one year-that cultivation speed is a little too fast, isn't it?"