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*****
"Xu Sanshi!!!"
"Go, Su Wen!"
The stands were crammed with several hundred spectators, many of them freshmen. Though cases of upperclassmen bullying newcomers were rare and there was no real conflict between the two sides, the host of the Duel Arena still fanned the flames with a few well-chosen words, turning this into a heated clash of "new blood versus veterans."
The Duel Arena was the Outer Court's battleground.
Here it was one-on-one, real combat. The victor earned a point of victory credit, while the loser gained nothing. These victory credits were extremely important—whether for grade promotion or for qualifying into the Inner Court, they were valuable additional points.
All it cost was a ten gold soul coin venue fee, and students could challenge as they pleased. The academy provided referees, post-match healing, and other necessary support.
"Alright then, let's wait and see—will a dark horse rise among the freshmen, or will the strength of the veterans still reign supreme?"
As the referee's impassioned voice rang out, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Countless gazes landed on Su Wen. This was the boy who, on the very first day of enrollment, had shaken the entire freshman class and even faintly made his name in the Outer Court—yet, for some reason, had vanished from sight ever since. That air of mystery was enough to hold everyone's attention.
"Match… begin!"
At the same time, Xu Sanshi raised his chin proudly, flashing a confident smile toward Bei Bei in the audience.
He was a powerhouse nearing Soul Ancestor level—how could this not be a one-sided beatdown?
Bei Bei's pupils shrank sharply, urgently signaling for Xu Sanshi to be cautious. But Xu Sanshi remained nonchalant, even waving at a few familiar classmates in the stands.
And then—
"Pfft~!"
Blood sprayed out along with several teeth.
Before Xu Sanshi could even summon his martial soul, a massive fist slammed into his face. (A fist literally the size of a sandbag.) In slow motion, his cheek distorted violently from the blow, ripples coursing across his facial muscles, and then his entire body was sent hurtling backward.
Just as he was about to be flung out of the arena, a massive hand covered in white fur seized his calf, halting him midair, suspending him before he could fall.
Bei Bei's lips twitched as he turned his head away, unable to watch.
"Holy—!" Xu Sanshi had barely thought of summoning his martial soul when Hurricane hurled him skyward again, breaking off his attempt.
In the blink of an eye, Hurricane became a white blur, sweeping into the air like the wind itself. As Xu Sanshi's helpless body came down, the creature drove another crushing punch straight into his abdomen.
"Boom!!!"
Xu Sanshi's body slammed into the ground like a torn sack, crashing down with a thunderous impact that made the entire arena quake.
Everyone stared in stunned disbelief.
"Is that… a Wind Baboon?!!"
"No! It looks more like a mutated variant. A normal Wind Baboon martial soul could never have this kind of power!"
"What in the world is his martial soul? The Wind Baboon isn't supposed to excel in raw strength! And if it's a detached martial soul, then shouldn't his real body be weak?"
The arena buzzed with uproar.
Everyone had expected a fight between equals; the general belief was that this would be a contest between two peak-level Soul Elders to see who could edge out the other.
But the moment the Wind Baboon appeared, the entire situation flipped on its head.
This was nothing like an ordinary Wind Baboon!
"…"
"Xuanming Turtle!"
Xu Sanshi's face was full of shock. Ignoring the blood trickling from his mouth, he gritted his teeth against the pain in his abdomen and forced himself up. In that instant, his martial soul flared—behind him, a nearly three-meter phantom of a black turtle slowly condensed.
"Xuanming Power!"
"Xuanwu Shield Array!"
With two sharp cries, two spirit rings—one purple, one yellow—flared beneath his feet.
Thick water-element energy surged around him, forming a domain-like water field. Even his martial soul seemed to transform—the turtle phantom's shell faintly revealed the shadow of a small serpent coiling across its back.
Dozens of condensed shields materialized, encasing him within their protection. For the first time in the match, he finally felt a trace of safety.
"Roar~!"
Hurricane growled lowly, turning to glance at Su Wen.
Su Wen gave a slight nod.
Hurricane bared his teeth in a grin, raising his arms. Several blades of pale cyan wind condensed around his body, radiating a chilling aura of destruction, before streaking toward Xu Sanshi.
"No way!" Xu Sanshi's eyes went wide as he watched the cyan wind blades slice through shield after shield, ripping apart his water domain and cutting straight toward him. His face paled. Only now did he begin to understand Bei Bei's expression earlier—he truly feared Xu Sanshi might die here!
The referee's pupils shrank violently as he darted toward Xu Sanshi.
These wind blades were simply too fast, too sharp.
In just an instant—
He never would have imagined a battle between two Soul Elders could reach such a terrifying level!
What kind of monsters were these?!
He cast a glance at Su Wen, who still stood calmly in place, not even a speck of dust on his robes. The referee's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
At the same moment, Hurricane's massive figure—nearly four meters tall—moved.
Huge but not lumbering, his body was as light as the wind.
In a blink, he was beside Xu Sanshi.
One punch shattered the shield next to him, and then, grabbing Xu Sanshi by the collar, he yanked him clear of the attack zone just before the wind blades struck.
The blades were no boomerangs; they weren't under fine control by the caster. They were pure destructive skills, uncontrollable once released. That was why Hurricane had looked to Su Wen beforehand for permission…
Hurricane released his grip, dropping Xu Sanshi back down.
His legs buckled, and Xu Sanshi staggered several steps as he landed.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Explosions rang out as the cyan blades slammed into the arena's protective barrier.
The referee froze, staring in disbelief.
The entire arena fell into a strange silence.
"…"
(End of Chapter)