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Ye Lan glanced at the Soul Grandmaster badge on his chest and shook his head helplessly.
He never imagined that the very badge he wore would be perceived as a sign of weakness by that red-haired lunatic.
The moment Xue Beng shouted, soul power of every color flared to life.
In an instant, Beast Spirit Masters underwent their transformations, and Tool Spirit Masters summoned their weapons. More than twenty soul rings rose from beneath their feet, casting a brilliant glow, as the battle intent of ten individuals surged toward the heavens as one.
Students returning from the simulated training grounds noticed the massive surge of soul power from the academy gates and quickened their pace.
"What's happening?" a petite female student asked.
"Who knows. It's probably that prince causing trouble again," a young man beside her muttered, quietly pulling her back.
"Who's that blond guy? He must have really ticked off the prince. Tsk, tsk. I doubt he'll be leaving the academy in one piece," another male student commented.
"Is he an outsider? I hope he's okay. If only he were a Soul Ancestor, then he could..." a youth who was often bullied by Xue Beng whispered to his friend.
His friend quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Who is he? Did Xue Beng get jealous because he's too handsome?" a tall girl asked with a frown.
"No idea. Let's just keep our distance from Xue Beng. He's so annoying," a cute girl next to her said with disdain.
These noble students, with their prestigious backgrounds and high talent, looked down on Xue Beng. The only member of the royal family who had earned their respect was Xue Qinghe. To them, Xue Beng was nothing but a disgrace to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
"No way, he's gorgeous! If things get out of hand… Yao Yao, we have to go help him," the tall girl said, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Ye Lan.
The cute girl nodded. With plenty of friends and acquaintances nearby, controlling the situation wouldn't be difficult.
Ye Lan observed the soul ring configurations of the ten people before him and was inwardly impressed. As expected of students from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
Their soul rings were all of high quality; not a single white one among them. These heirs of nobility never lacked money. When they first awakened their spirits, hiring a team of Soul Masters to help them obtain soul rings was a simple matter. Now that they had reached the Soul Grandmaster rank, the academy's instructors made it even easier.
Among the ten, two caught Ye Lan's attention: a three-ringed Shadow Leopard Soul Elder and a three-ringed Giant Strength Bear Soul Elder. Their soul ring configurations were Yellow, Yellow, Purple. The rest were Soul Grandmasters with the standard two yellow rings.
If all ten were to unleash their strongest soul skills simultaneously, it would certainly pose a threat to him.
Unfortunately for them, they had clearly overestimated their own strength and, more importantly, underestimated his. Did they really think a ten-on-one fight gave them the advantage?
Most of them seemed to think that if they all attacked at once, they would accidentally kill Ye Lan. While they wanted to help Xue Beng vent his anger, they had no intention of committing murder. With this in mind, the Shadow Leopard Soul Elder and the Giant Strength Bear Soul Elder remained where they were.
Only three charged forward: a Darksteel Spear Tool Spirit Master, a Vajra Tiger Beast Spirit Master, and a Flame Dog Beast Spirit Master.
Seeing their hesitant movements, Ye Lan guessed their thoughts. If you don't intend to kill me, then I'll spare you as well.
"Let's test the mettle of Heaven Dou Academy's students!" Ye Lan's pupils flashed with golden light. Golden Eyes, activated!
The first to reach him was the Darksteel Spear Master. He led the charge, spear held tight, and closed the distance with incredible speed. Boosted by his first soul skill, he appeared three meters before Ye Lan in an instant. With a flick of his shoulder, he thrust the spear toward Ye Lan's shoulder. The spearpoint moved faster than the man, a dark glint arriving first and making the fine hairs on Ye Lan's skin stand on end.
That speed is respectable, Ye Lan acknowledged. Through his Golden Eyes, he could see the attack was more than twice as fast as that of an average Soul Master.
Unfortunately, for his Golden Eyes, it was still too slow.
Ye Lan sidestepped slightly, pulling his right foot back to pivot and face his opponent. He watched the dark spear slice through the air where his chest had been moments before—then his hand shot out and seized the weapon's shaft.
The charging Soul Master was brought to an abrupt and jarring halt. His forward momentum threw his body into an awkward posture, legs lurching forward while his arms were yanked back. Despite being off-balance, he clung desperately to his spear, trying to force it forward. Yet Ye Lan, holding the spear with a single hand, didn't move an inch, solid as an immovable king.
Seeing their comrade, Zhao Li, seemingly lock Ye Lan in place, the Vajra Tiger and Flame Dog masters seized the opportunity to attack from the left and rear. Their first soul rings, both yellow, lit up.
"Vajra Claws!"
"Flame Dog's Bite!"
The Vajra Tiger master's fists sprouted long, sharp silver claws that shimmered dangerously. The Flame Dog master's face morphed into a massive, fiery maw filled with dozens of sharp teeth. Sizzling red saliva dripped from his mouth, burning holes in the marble floor.
Ye Lan completely ignored the Vajra Tiger's claws but frowned at the flaming jaws. Your Martial Spirit is a Flame Dog, but must you really bite people?
Soul power flooded his right arm, and his muscles bulged. With a powerful twist, he lifted the Darksteel Spear master clean off the ground and swung him like a human flag. The makeshift weapon, a blur of afterimages, slammed into the two oncoming attackers, sending both the Vajra Tiger and the Flame Dog masters flying nearly ten meters back.
After swatting the annoying Flame Dog away, Ye Lan released the spear shaft. The Darksteel Spear master, who never let go of his weapon, was flung another ten meters. Ye Lan nodded with a hint of approval at his tenacity. Even though he's one of that red-haired psycho's lackeys, his dedication is admirable. No matter how I swung him, he refused to let go of his weapon. That's how a Tool Spirit Master should be... unlike a certain someone.
The first exchange was over. Ye Lan's effortless victory stunned the crowd.
"He's not just a pretty face! I can't believe he's this strong! That spear user, Zhao Li, is ranked in the top three among all Tianzhi-level students!" the tall girl exclaimed.
"He really is handsome… Lei Ze is all yours, I want this one!" the cute girl giggled.
"Brother, do you think he can win against them?" a skinny youth asked, gritting his teeth.
The person beside him shook his head. "That was only three of them. The strongest two—the Soul Elders—haven't even moved yet."
(End of Chapter)