The Fight

Xiao Chenyu came on the third day after Tang San obtained his First Soul Ring.

That evening, Wang Xingyu and Tang San had just returned from cultivating on the back mountain. Xiao Wu was squatting outside Dorm Seven, gnawing on a steamed bun.

Liu Long sauntered over to Dorm Seven, leaned against the doorframe, and shouted inside. "Rabbit, Boss Xiao sent me to pass on a message. He wants to spar with you on the back mountain tomorrow. Bring that blue-haired guy from last time too."

Xiao Wu looked up, but before she could speak, Wang Sheng sat up on a nearby bed. "Boss Xiao? Xiao Chenyu?" Liu Long ignored him and left after delivering the message.

Wang Sheng walked to the door and watched Liu Long leave, his brow furrowing. "This is trouble."

Xiao Wu took a bite of her bun. "Who is he? You know him?"

"Xiao Chenyu, the son of Nuoding City's lord. He's someone who can strut sideways through the academy." Wang Sheng leaned against the doorframe, his tone grim. "Sixth year, a level-eleven Battle Soul Master. His Martial Soul is a wolf, and he has a Soul Ring.

"He's gathered a bunch of upper-year students under him, and they specialize in bullying work-study students. Half the injuries I had before were from his people." He paused. "Liu Long, the one who cut in line at the cafeteria last time, is his lackey. You beat Liu Long up, and now he's come knocking."

Xiao Wu swallowed her mouthful. "He's only level eleven."

Wang Sheng looked at her, opened his mouth, then closed it again. That was true. Xiao Wu and Tang San both had level-ten Soul Power and had obtained their First Soul Rings. They had no need to fear him.

The next afternoon, on the back mountain.

By the time Wang Xingyu and Tang San arrived with Xiao Wu, Xiao Chenyu was already waiting. He stood alone, leaning against a tree trunk with his arms crossed, and looked up when he heard their footsteps. Wang Sheng had come along too, walking at the back with a grim look on his face.

But Xiao Chenyu hadn't come alone. A dozen or so people stood behind him, spread out in a semicircle.

Some leaned against trees, while others squatted on the ground, their gazes all fixed on Xiao Wu and Tang San. Liu Long stood at the far edge, the corners of his mouth turned up as he waited for a good show. Wang Sheng's steps faltered, and he lowered his voice. "He brought so many people."

Wang Xingyu swept a glance over them. There were a dozen or so, and most had fluctuations of Soul Power, though they weren't strong. Xiao Chenyu was probably the only one who actually had a Soul Ring.

Xiao Chenyu straightened up, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Wu and Tang San. "Just the two of you? You're the ones who beat up my man in the cafeteria last time?"

Xiao Wu tossed her scorpion braid behind her. "Your lackey cut in line himself. Who's he got to blame?"

Xiao Chenyu didn't take the bait. He loosened his wrists, and a Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.

A white Ten-Year Soul Ring. The dozen or so people behind him didn't move, but their gazes grew more intent. Xiao Chenyu glanced at Xiao Wu and Tang San. "Both of you, come at me together."

He spoke with complete confidence.

At Nuoding Academy, there weren't many people who could last three moves against him. What could two first-year work-study students possibly do? He'd brought so many people less because he feared losing than for the show of it.

Xiao Wu was about to step forward when Tang San reached out to stop her. "Me first."

Xiao Wu glanced at him and stepped back. Tang San walked to the center of the clearing and stood face-to-face with Xiao Chenyu. Xiao Chenyu looked him up and down. He was a six-year-old child, only as tall as Xiao Chenyu's chest.

"Just you? Fine. I'll beat her after I'm done with you."

Tang San extended his right hand. A Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet. It wasn't a white Ten-Year Soul Ring, but a yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring. Wang Sheng's mouth fell open. Until now, he'd only known that Tang San had defeated him. He hadn't expected Tang San to have obtained a Hundred-Year Soul Ring.

Xiao Chenyu's expression froze. He stared at the yellow ring of light, his mouth falling open and staying that way.

A work-study student, a first-year, and a Hundred-Year Soul Ring. He looked down at the white Ten-Year Soul Ring beneath his own feet, his Adam's apple bobbing. "You-"

Xiao Wu took a step forward and extended her right hand. A second Yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath her feet.

Another Hundred-Year Soul Ring. Wang Sheng was completely speechless. He leaned against a tree, looking at the two Yellow Soul Rings, then at the white one beneath Xiao Chenyu's feet. Suddenly, he felt his earlier worries had been a little unnecessary.

Xiao Chenyu's feet were nailed to the ground. He looked at the two Yellow Soul Rings, then down at the white one beneath his own feet. The shock on his face gave way to blankness.

Two first-year work-study students, two Hundred-Year Soul Rings. He was a sixth-year, with level-eleven Soul Power and a Ten-Year Soul Ring.

But he didn't retreat.

Xiao Chenyu stepped back twice, not to flee, but to open up some distance. He tilted his head, and the dozen or so people behind him took the hint, spreading out farther to form a loose circle around Tang San and Xiao Wu. Liu Long also stood up from beside the tree.

"So what if you have Hundred-Year Soul Rings?" Xiao Chenyu's voice had steadied again. "There are only two of you."

Wang Xingyu leaned against a tree, watching the scene with a melon seed pinched between his fingers.

Xiao Chenyu intended to fight a battle of attrition. Of the dozen or so people, only a few could really fight, but if they took turns, they could wear their opponents to death. No matter how fast Xiao Wu's Moon Shadow was, her stamina was limited.

No matter how fierce Tang San's Iron Thorn Strangulation was, his Soul Power was limited. Once both their stamina and Soul Power had hit bottom, Xiao Chenyu could step in, and even Hundred-Year Soul Rings would be useless.

Tang San and Xiao Wu stood back-to-back. Xiao Chenyu waved a hand, and two people charged in first.

Xiao Wu moved first. Moon Shadow lit up, and her figure split in two. Two afterimages swept apart to either side, and the two charging attackers lunged at empty air. Xiao Wu's real body had already circled behind one of them. She swept a leg into the back of his knee, and his knee buckled, dropping him to the ground. Before the other could react, Xiao Wu's knee had driven into his back, pinning him to the ground. It had taken less than three breaths from start to finish.

At the same time, Tang San took on two. Blue Silver Grass spread across the ground, tripping the one in front and sending him sprawling forward. The Blue Silver Grass closed in from all sides, wrapped around his limbs, and tightened sharply.

The second person tried to circle around from the side, but Tang San's second strand of Blue Silver Grass was already waiting. It wrapped around his ankle and yanked, sending him crashing onto his back.

Xiao Chenyu didn't panic. He waved his hand again. Two more people charged in, giving Xiao Wu and Tang San no time to catch their breath.

Wang Xingyu put the melon seed back in his pocket. His right hand hung at his side, and Blue Silver Grass quietly emerged from his palm, creeping down along his trouser leg.

He had no intention of joining the fight. With level-four Soul Power, going in would just be throwing himself away. But he had something else he could do. The roots of his Blue Silver Grass quietly stretched along the ground, passing through dead leaves and gravel until they found Tang San's Blue Silver Grass. The two plants joined together in the soil.

Transfer.

Tang San was meeting the third wave of three attackers, his Blue Silver Grass spreading into a net in the air.

His Soul Power expenditure was already beginning to show, and the blades of Blue Silver Grass trembled slightly. The moment Wang Xingyu's Soul Power flowed into it, the color of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass deepened. The metallic lines along the edges of its blades flashed for an instant, and the net tightened.

All three were caught at once, unable to struggle free. Tang San turned his head slightly and glanced at Wang Xingyu from the corner of his eye. He said nothing, but the Blue Silver Grass strangled them with a steadier force.

Xiao Chenyu frowned. Four people down, and not only were the two opponents showing no signs of fatigue, they were fighting more steadily than ever.

"Everyone, get them."

Everyone remaining moved. Liu Long was among them, circling toward Xiao Wu from the side.

Xiao Wu's Moon Shadow flashed repeatedly, afterimages darting through the crowd. Whenever an afterimage dispersed, someone fell. But those who fell got back up and lunged at her again.

Moon Shadow began to slow. Two afterimages dwindled to one, and it lingered for less and less time.

Tang San was under even greater pressure. Five people surrounded him at once, pulling at the net of Blue Silver Grass until it creaked. The metallic lines of Iron Thorn Strangulation continued to tighten, but each tightening consumed Soul Power. Tang San's breathing grew heavy.

Wang Xingyu pressed his back against the tree, and the roots of his Blue Silver Grass burrowed deeper.

Soul Power flowed in an unbroken stream into Tang San's Blue Silver Grass through the underground root network of the wild Blue Silver Grass. Wang Xingyu had also begun to pant. Transferring Soul Power consumed his stamina, and with only level-four Soul Power to draw on, he couldn't last long.

But he didn't let up.

Bolstered by the Soul Power, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass grew darker and darker, and the net never broke.

Liu Long lunged at Xiao Wu from the side. Her Moon Shadow had just flashed past the two people in front of her, and the afterimage had yet to fade when Liu Long's claw reached the side of her shoulder.

Xiao Wu turned sideways to evade, but she was a beat too slow. His claws grazed her sleeve, tearing a gash in it. Xiao Wu frowned, spun around, and swept a leg into Liu Long's waist. He flew sideways into a tree trunk, slid down, and lay still.

But Xiao Wu's breathing had also grown ragged, her chest heaving.

Xiao Chenyu moved.

He had waited until now. Xiao Wu's Moon Shadow had slowed, and Tang San's Blue Silver Grass no longer spread as quickly as before. Though Liu Long was down, the others were still keeping them entangled.

Xiao Chenyu used Martial Soul Possession, his wolf-transformed figure charging through the crowd straight at Tang San. He could see clearly that of the two, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was the core of their control.

As long as he took Tang San out, Xiao Wu wouldn't be able to hold on, no matter how fast her Moon Shadow was. Level-ten Soul Power against level eleven, Hundred-Year Soul Rings against a Ten-Year Soul Ring-his only advantages were his Soul Power Level and stamina. After dragging things out this long, Tang San's stamina and Soul Power should both have hit bottom.

Tang San saw him charging and sent Blue Silver Grass springing from the ground to wrap around him.

Xiao Chenyu twisted aside to dodge the first strand, then dodged the second. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass really had slowed, and the gaps between its movements were much wider than usual.

Xiao Chenyu charged up to Tang San and brought a wolf claw down with a rush of wind.

Tang San didn't dodge. His Blue Silver Grass was still wrapped around three other people, and he couldn't pull it back. He raised his right hand. The exceedingly fine metallic line on its back flashed, and a faint layer of iron gray covered his entire forearm.

Iron Thorn Vine's strangling ability could not only bind people, but also strengthen its user. This was a use he had discovered through experimentation.

The wolf claw struck the iron-gray layer with a dull metallic clang.

Xiao Chenyu's claw rebounded from the impact, leaving only a faint white mark on Tang San's forearm. Xiao Chenyu froze for an instant.

In that instant, Tang San's left hand swept across his waist, and several cold glints appeared between his fingers. They weren't Hidden Weapons, but stone pellets. They were bits of gravel his Blue Silver Grass had turned up from the ground during the fight; he had casually scooped up a few.

The stones struck Xiao Chenyu's knee and wrist. They didn't hit hard, but they were accurate. Xiao Chenyu's knee buckled, and he fell to one knee.

Blue Silver Grass sprang from the ground and bound his limbs. Iron Thorn Strangulation. Its metallic lines shone dazzlingly in the setting sun. Xiao Chenyu struggled a few times, but couldn't move an inch.

"I give up."