"So that's how it is. This Xu Sanshi is really wicked," said Tang Ya, frowning. She clearly disapproved of Xu Sanshi's underhanded behavior of destroying another's soul ring.
"He was also blinded by jealousy," Beibei defended his close friend with a helpless shrug.
A glimmer of mischief flickered in Beibei's eyes as he turned to Huo Yuhao and whispered in his ear.
"Wouldn't this be bad?" Huo Yuhao hesitated, unsure.
"What's wrong with it?" Beibei replied. "As long as you do it secretly, no one will find out."
He added quietly, "This match is all about pride. If Xu Sanshi loses, he'll be so ashamed he might actually want to die. You two are on good terms—do you really want to see him humiliated like that?"
In the past three months, Huo Yuhao had gotten along quite well with Xu Sanshi thanks to Beibei's introduction.
"Alright then," Huo Yuhao finally agreed, albeit reluctantly.
On the other side, Jiang Nannan sat beside Zhang Lexuan, both watching as Shi Yu stepped onto the battlefield.
"Big sister," Jiang Nannan asked uncertainly, "do you think Shi Yu can really beat Xu Sanshi?"
"It's hard to say," Zhang Lexuan replied thoughtfully. "In terms of soul power and soul rings, Xu Sanshi has the advantage. It's still difficult for a Great Soul Master to take down a Soul King."
She paused, then added, "But after spending a few days with Shi Yu, I don't think he'd do anything reckless. Since he initiated this challenge, he must have a plan. Considering how special his abilities are... I'm actually leaning in his favor."
"I'm also optimistic about him," Jiang Nannan smiled, clearly comforted by Zhang Lexuan's words.
By now, thousands of students had gathered at the competition grounds, and the crowd was still growing. Everyone wanted to witness this heated match. Even Shi Yu's roommate, Dai Huabin, had arrived with Zhu Lu.
In a quiet corner, Elder Xuan sat casually with a chicken leg in one hand and a wine jug in the other. Next to him were Yan Shaozhe, Du Weilun, and several other senior staff members from the outer courtyard, watching intently.
On stage, Shi Yu and Xu Sanshi faced each other, eyes brimming with hostility.
"If you're a man, don't hide!" Xu Sanshi challenged, pointing at Shi Yu. As he activated his martial soul, a massive shield materialized in front of him, radiating a heavy, overwhelming pressure.
Four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—hovered around him, displaying his formidable strength.
Behind Shi Yu, a space vortex appeared. He released his martial soul, revealing two soul rings—one yellow and one purple. Though fewer in number, the thousand-year second ring gave him an edge in ring quality.
The audience stirred briefly at the sight of his thousand-year soul ring. While rare, it wasn't unheard of. For instance, Wang Dong from Class One also possessed one.
Shi Yu didn't bother replying to Xu Sanshi's provocation with words. Instead, he raised his middle finger... then flicked it into a thumbs-up—pure mockery.
The crowd roared.
"Ooooohhh!!"
The provocation was too blatant. Booing and cheers exploded across the arena. This was going to be good.
"You're courting death!" Xu Sanshi shouted and charged straight at Shi Yu.
Shi Yu remained motionless, smiling calmly as Xu Sanshi barreled toward him. He was composed and still, as if unfazed.
This only infuriated Xu Sanshi more, making him speed up—though he remained alert. He was sure Shi Yu would teleport again, likely to his blind spot.
Sure enough, as Xu Sanshi closed in, Shi Yu vanished just before impact—without warning or trace.
Elder Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he munched on another chicken leg.
"All you do is run?" Xu Sanshi growled, braking hard. He spun and swung his shield toward the energy he sensed behind him.
His strike hit nothing—just air. The energy had been a false signal—Shi Yu's spatial deception.
"Who said I can't attack?" Shi Yu's voice came from behind Xu Sanshi—his original position.
Xu Sanshi turned, and in the split second his pupils contracted, pain struck him hard.
Shi Yu had released the Eight Spider Lances, stabbing into him with eight piercing legs. Each one landed on a different part of Xu Sanshi's body, embedding nearly half a finger deep.
"Ahhh!" Xu Sanshi let out a painful scream and swung his shield in retaliation, but Shi Yu was already gone—teleporting once more.
He reappeared over ten meters away, looking at Xu Sanshi with a mocking smile, clearly trying to provoke him further.
"Damn it!" Xu Sanshi yelled, charging at him again in furious strides.
But just as he closed the gap—Shi Yu disappeared again.
The distance reset—more than ten meters between them.
"You said you wouldn't run!" Xu Sanshi bellowed. He was most frustrated by Shi Yu's seemingly unlimited teleportation. Even if Shi Yu were stronger, he wouldn't be able to land a hit like this.
To a defensive soul master like him, this was torture. If the enemy didn't attack, his defense was useless—his greatest strength turned into a disadvantage.
"In a battle, there's offense and evasion. Why shouldn't I dodge?" Shi Yu replied sarcastically.
Then suddenly—SLAP!
A palm-shaped energy burst from the air beside Xu Sanshi and slapped him directly in the face.
The entire arena fell silent.
…Did he just get slapped by space?
Laughter erupted. Jiang Nannan burst out laughing, and even Zhang Lexuan beside her covered her mouth, struggling not to laugh.
The attack hadn't been powerful, but it was deeply humiliating.
Xu Sanshi froze in disbelief, cheeks turning red. He hadn't expected Shi Yu to be capable of this kind of airborne attack.
"Why didn't you dodge? Do you like getting slapped?" Shi Yu grinned.
"I'LL KILL YOU!!" Xu Sanshi roared again. His soul power surged with thick, violent pressure as rage consumed him.
"It's not that easy to kill me." Shi Yu chuckled and vanished again, dodging yet another attack.
He was just too fast.
Shi Yu's teleportation and speed completely countered Xu Sanshi's heavy and slow fighting style. As long as their spirit power difference wasn't massive, Xu Sanshi couldn't touch him.
Even when Xu Sanshi used Xuanming Zhen, a powerful soul skill, he couldn't lock Shi Yu down.
Xu Sanshi was like a fortress, but his opponent was an elusive ghost.
Had Shi Yu been fighting someone like Beibei—with fast, long-range lightning attacks—it would have been a completely different story. He would've had to fight seriously.
But against Xu Sanshi?
Shi Yu had the perfect counter.
After dodging over a dozen attacks, Shi Yu saw another opening.
The Eight Spider Lances struck again, stabbing into Xu Sanshi's body. This time, Shi Yu injected poison before teleporting out of reach again.
Watching from the stands, Beibei's face darkened.
This wasn't looking good.
It wasn't that Xu Sanshi was weaker—but that he couldn't fully use his strength. Shi Yu's style nullified everything he relied on.
"…Junior brother," Beibei leaned in toward Huo Yuhao. "It's up to you now. Help Xu Sanshi lock onto Shi Yu's location."