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"If I die, then it is simply Heaven's will. But I will not let Elder Meng, Elder Zhi, or Elder Bai die because of me," Ye Lan said firmly.
Dugu Bo looked at Ye Lan's unwavering eyes and felt a deeper sense of admiration for him.
To think that someone so young could possess such backbone and courage—he was far stronger in spirit than Xue Xing's nephew.
"Very well, I agree. I'll suppress my spirit power to the Soul Elder level and only use my first three spirit abilities. Boy, just don't die. If you can't hold on, I might consider letting you go." A hint of appreciation for talent flashed in Dugu Bo's gaze.
"I ask Senior Dugu to go all out. I, too, want to know my own limits," Ye Lan replied.
"Shall we begin now?" Dugu Bo asked.
Ye Lan shook his head and turned to Meng Shenji. "Elder Meng, please take us to a more open area. This place is not suited for fighting."
He glanced at the ten-meter-high ceiling above them—if they fought here, the building would likely be demolished.
"Oh? Even this space is not enough for you?" Dugu Bo asked curiously.
"You'll understand soon enough, Senior," Ye Lan said.
Hiding behind Xue Xing, Xue Beng hadn't expected things to unfold like this. Remembering the Blue Silver Sacrifice from the previous day, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Could the Poison Douluo really hold back to the Soul Elder level?
Xue Beng trusted Ye Lan's chances of winning more than the three Elders of the Academic Committee did, but now he was in too deep to back out.
Following behind Xue Xing, Xue Beng clasped his hands together, praying silently for Ye Lan to lose—lose, lose.
Ye Lan and Dugu Bo followed Meng Shenji to a wide-open space to the west of the academy.
After giving a small nod to the three Elders, Ye Lan stepped forward until he was fifty meters in front of Dugu Bo.
"Ye Lan, martial soul: Blue Silver Grass. Life-type Great Spirit Master. Please guide me, Senior Dugu," Ye Lan said.
Dugu Bo looked at Ye Lan's serious expression and replied, "Dugu Bo, martial soul: Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor. Title: Poison."
As soon as Dugu Bo's voice fell, Ye Lan poured soul power into his legs—one hundred and thirty percent output.
In just a few moments, he charged right up to Dugu Bo.
Ye Lan wasn't here just to last five minutes. If that was his only goal, he had many ways to achieve it—he could easily waste half the time just by running circles around Dugu Bo.
His true purpose was twofold: first, to test his own strength; second, to earn Dugu Bo's respect. If he spent the whole five minutes fleeing, even if he lasted, the fight would look pitiful, and Dugu Bo wouldn't think highly of him.
So Ye Lan took the lead, sprinting straight for Dugu Bo.
Seeing Ye Lan close the gap in only a few blinks, Dugu Bo was surprised.
So fast!
Is this really the speed of a Great Spirit Master with a Blue Silver Grass martial soul? It's almost on par with a speed-type Soul Elder.
As the two were about to clash, Ye Lan's eyes flashed gold, tracking Dugu Bo's every move.
However, Dugu Bo made no attempt to counterattack—it seemed he wanted to test Ye Lan's strength.
As the teacher of Zhu Zhuqing, a speed-type spirit master, Ye Lan's control of speed was no less than hers.
Using his sprint momentum, Ye Lan channeled soul power into his legs, waist, and right arm.
Power surged from his feet, through his shoulders, and into his arm.
The punch he threw was lightning-fast—his arm was a blur, leaving only a faint afterimage in the air.
Dugu Bo, having rarely faced speed-type spirit masters, assumed Ye Lan was a speed-specialized attacker with little strength. He brought his right hand up, fingers pressed together, to block the punch.
To his surprise, his palm failed to stop the fist. Ye Lan's punch carried the force of a power-type Soul Elder; it broke through his guard and smashed into his chest with tremendous impact.
The blow sent Dugu Bo sliding back several meters. Though his Titled Douluo physique kept him from injury, he felt the lingering force in his chest, and couldn't help but wonder: Can a Great Spirit Master really unleash such power?
A ghostly green light began to coil around his body.
"Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor—Possession!" Dugu Bo roared.
Scales covered his skin, his facial structure elongated, and a pair of golden horns sprouted from his forehead. His emerald eyes turned a sinister black-green.
Though the Jade Phosphor Serpent was not a top-tier power-type beast spirit, Dugu Bo's evolved Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor was formidable. Its main attribute was poison, but its physical enhancements placed it between top-tier and high-tier power-type beast spirits.
Ye Lan took advantage of the transformation time to close in again.
This time, he unleashed a whip kick, the black arc of his leg slicing through the air like a crescent moon.
Just before it struck, Dugu Bo completed his possession. His right arm became a blur as he slapped at the back of Ye Lan's leg.
Bang!
The kick was forced down, and searing pain shot up Ye Lan's leg—a clear sign of Dugu Bo's possessed strength. Even at a Soul Elder-level power output, his possession gave him force on par with a Soul Ancestor.
Seeing Ye Lan's leg deflected, Dugu Bo smirked.
That's more like it.
Before, he had almost wondered if he was about to lose to a Great Spirit Master.
He rolled his neck, adjusting to the possessed state. Since becoming a Soul Sage, he had rarely used simple possession, usually going straight to his Spirit Avatar.
Ye Lan, seeing Dugu Bo still hadn't attacked, poured all his strength into a right punch.
Dugu Bo met it head-on, fist to fist.
This time, Ye Lan truly felt the difference—Dugu Bo's scales had boosted his defense to Soul Ancestor levels. The impact made Ye Lan's knuckles feel like they were cracking, pain lancing into his mind.
Ignoring it, he threw a left uppercut at Dugu Bo's ribs, his golden eyes locking onto every movement.
When Dugu Bo reached to grab his fist, Ye Lan's form blurred—
Shunpo—constant state!
He shifted ten centimeters sideways in an instant, slipping past Dugu Bo's guard and landing the blow squarely on his lower ribs.
Dugu Bo's eyes gleamed with appreciation at the strange sidestep.
Looks like I'll need to take this seriously. If I actually let him drag this out for five minutes, where would my face be?
Instead of retreating, Dugu Bo leaned forward into the punch. The shift in his center of gravity kept him from being knocked back.
His lips curled into a faint smile.
"There's your opening."
(End of Chapter)