The Thunder Sabertooth let out a low, rumbling growl.
Its muscles coiled beneath its striped hide, lightning crawling along its fangs as its pupils narrowed. This was no ordinary beast—it understood the situation. Three Spirit Masters. Two coordinated. One unpredictable.
The moment of stillness shattered.
The beast exploded forward.
Lightning detonated beneath its paws, the ground cracking as it crossed ten meters in an instant, jaws snapping toward Mo Xuan's throat.
Too fast.
Lin Yue moved first.
His support martial soul flared, pale light wrapping around Mo Xuan's body, amplifying perception and reaction speed. At the same time, Mo Xuan activated his Space Soul Ring.
The world tilted.
The snow beneath the Thunder Sabertooth folded inward, space compressing just enough to twist its trajectory. Its charge skewed sideways, fangs missing Mo Xuan by less than a finger's width.
Wei Zhan's eyes flashed.
"Good," he said sharply—and leapt.
Silver wings burst from his back as the Silver Falcon Martial Soul fully manifested. He descended like a blade from the sky, spirit claws tearing through the air in a crescent arc aimed straight at the beast's spine.
The Thunder Sabertooth roared and twisted mid-air—too fast, too experienced.
Lightning erupted from its body in a violent pulse.
Wei Zhan clicked his tongue and flipped backward, barely avoiding the blast. He landed lightly on a tree trunk, snow cascading around him.
"So it really is Rank Five-plus," he muttered, excitement flickering in his eyes. "Good. I was hoping for something that wouldn't die in one exchange."
Mo Xuan didn't respond.
He was already moving.
The Spirit Spring pulsed against his chest as he stepped forward, releasing a controlled surge of energy. Snow, ice, and broken branches lifted subtly from the ground—not violently, but deliberately—suspended in warped space around the Thunder Sabertooth.
The beast hesitated.
That hesitation cost it.
Lin Yue struck.
His attack martial soul flared, twin streams of energy converging into a single precise blow that slammed into the beast's flank, forcing it sideways into Mo Xuan's spatial field.
The moment it crossed the boundary—
Mo Xuan clenched his fist.
Space compressed.
The suspended debris collapsed inward like a closing net, striking the Thunder Sabertooth from multiple angles at once. Ice shards cracked against its hide, snow exploded in blinding clouds, and the beast howled in rage.
Wei Zhan laughed—a short, sharp sound.
"Not bad at all," he said. "You don't overpower your enemies. You corner them."
Mo Xuan's gaze flicked toward him, cold and steady. "And you rely on speed and pressure. Flashy. Effective. But wasteful."
Wei Zhan grinned. "That's called confidence."
The Thunder Sabertooth burst free of the snow cloud, blood streaking its fur, lightning intensifying instead of weakening. Its eyes burned with fury—and calculation.
It changed tactics.
Rather than charging, it circled.
Slowly.
Lightning crawled along the ground with each step, forming a widening field of crackling energy.
Elder Feng's voice rang out sharply from behind.
"It's adapting! It's preparing an area strike—don't let it finish!"
Mo Xuan's heartbeat thudded once.
This is where efficiency ends… and decisiveness begins.
Inside his sea of consciousness, the ancient beast stirred, eyes opening fully.
Good, it said. Now show them you can escalate.
Mo Xuan stepped forward into the lightning field.
Lin Yue stiffened. "Mo Xuan—!"
The moment Mo Xuan crossed the boundary, electricity surged toward him—
—and vanished.
Space folded.
The lightning bent, twisted, redirected into a spiraling arc that wrapped around Mo Xuan without touching him. The first Soul Ring blazed, its spatial pattern spinning faster than ever before.
Wei Zhan's pupils shrank.
"…You redirected it."
Mo Xuan raised his hand.
Then brought it down.
The warped lightning collapsed inward, slamming straight back into the Thunder Sabertooth's chest in a deafening explosion. Snow vaporized. Trees shook. The beast screamed as it was driven into the ground, a smoking crater forming beneath it.
Silence fell.
Steam rose from the crater.
The Thunder Sabertooth struggled once—then went still, unconscious but alive.
Mo Xuan exhaled slowly.
[Soul Power: 11.8 → 12.1]
[Spatial Control Proficiency: Increased]
[Second Soul Ring Resonance: Detected — faint]
Wei Zhan stared at the crater for a long moment.
Then he laughed again—this time, openly.
"Alright," he said, hopping down from the tree. "I admit it. You're not just clever. You're dangerous."
Mo Xuan turned to face him. "And you're not reckless. Just aggressive."
Wei Zhan extended a hand. "Wei Zhan. Properly this time. I don't lose easily—and I don't forget rivals."
Mo Xuan looked at the offered hand for a brief second—
Then shook it.
"Mo Xuan," he said. "Try to keep up."
Lin Yue watched the exchange quietly, twin martial souls dimming, a strange sense of tension and inevitability settling in his chest.
Elder Feng smiled faintly.
Good, he thought. A rival like this will force him to grow faster than any training ever could.
Above them, the storm clouds shifted, thunder rolling faintly in the distance.
The first regional hunt was over.
But the real trials—
and the real competition—
had only just begun.