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**
Though puzzled, Xie Yue smiled and nodded to Ling Xiao.
When Hu Liena noticed him, she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! It's Ling Xiao."
She walked over and sized him up, blinking her bright, large eyes with a hint of doubt.
"Ling Xiao, I heard from Teacher that the Dean took you as a disciple and said you've undergone a 'rebirth,' but you don't look any different to me?"
Pouting slightly, Ling Xiao replied, "Who says you have to change your appearance after a rebirth?"
He secretly thought of Tang San.
When that guy awakened, his transformation was... well, it wasn't just a resemblance issue; he looked like a completely different person, becoming so handsome he was basically peerless.
As a result, his teacher didn't recognize him, his friends didn't recognize him, his so-called brothers and sisters of the Shrek Seven Devils couldn't tell who he was, and even his beloved Xiao Wu failed to recognize him.
If Tang Hao hadn't taken him to awaken the Blue Silver Emperor lineage, and if his mother hadn't been the Blue Silver Empress herself, it was possible even his parents wouldn't have recognized him.
Scoffing inwardly, he dismissed those thoughts. Ling Xiao said with confidence, "But the rebirth is real. I'm dying for a fight right now."
At this point, Ling Xiao's tone shifted as he turned to Yan.
"Yan, I'm challenging you."
"Hmph, fine. I won't use my second soul skill. Let me see just how far your strength has progressed."
With that, Yan retreated to an open space and faced Ling Xiao, letting him make the first move.
Looking at Yan, a sharp glint seemed to ignite in Ling Xiao's eyes, and all other thoughts vanished. He only wanted to vent his power and see the true extent of his capabilities.
He took a few slow steps until they stood opposite each other. To the confusion of Xie Yue and the others, he didn't immediately release his Martial Soul. Instead, he maintained a solemn expression, focusing his mind and calming his breath.
Suddenly, he moved—bursting forward like a cannonball. He lunged at Yan with a ferocious speed, throwing a single punch. Simultaneously, a black-red glow of Soul Power erupted around him.
With a loud shout, Ling Xiao utilized the techniques of Eight Extremes Fist, intending to test the raw strength of his physical body.
BOOM!
Fist met fist. Seeing that Ling Xiao hadn't released his Martial Soul, Yan—whose cultivation was a whole rank higher—wasn't about to initiate his Martial Soul Possession first.
Seeing Ling Xiao attack with only Soul Power and physical strength, Yan felt a surge of excitement and met the attack with a punch of his own.
The collision sent Soul Power rippling outward, creating a thunderous roar. The shockwave of the two clashing forces vibrated through the air, instantly drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
"What?"
The sound of heavy footsteps rang out in succession.
The powerful recoil forced Yan back three consecutive steps before he could stabilize himself. Looking at Ling Xiao, who had retracted his fist with perfect composure, Yan couldn't help but feel shocked.
Just now, relying on the fact that his rank was higher, he hadn't used his full strength.
But even so, he had already reached the two-ring level and was a top-tier Beast Martial Soul master. Even without Martial Soul Possession, his physical strength should technically be far beyond what any Tool Martial Soul master could withstand.
Many students were watching the spar, and most of them recognized Yan. After that exchange, a wave of surprised discussion broke out. Among them, Xie Yue and Hu Liena—who knew the two boys best—were the most stunned.
In a contest of pure physical strength without Martial Souls, Yan had actually lost the first exchange. They knew Yan hadn't gone all out, but Yan was a veteran of many battles and knew exactly how much force to apply.
For this to happen, it was obvious that Ling Xiao's physical strength had already far exceeded the normal standards for a Tool Martial Soul master of his rank.
Having repelled Yan with one punch, Ling Xiao felt no pride, only a sense of absolute clarity and exhilaration. The excitement in his eyes was impossible to hide—or rather, he didn't want to hide it at all.
Ever since his rebirth allowed his physical body to perfectly match the Profound Sky Axe, he had been craving a full-throttle, unrestrained battle. He had been itching for this for a month, and now his wish was finally granted.
"Battle!"
With a long-suppressed roar, Ling Xiao's spirit reached its peak.
The black-red light intensified as the massive Profound Sky Axe manifested in his hands.
He swung it in a dual-handed overhead cleave. There was no probing, no holding back—just a singular, focused force, as if he intended to split through any obstacle in his path.
CLANG!
Dark red light flared. Being repelled moments ago had made Yan realize that Ling Xiao's strength had indeed increased tremendously compared to a month ago. He stopped holding back and instantly activated his Martial Soul Possession.
The Flame Lord Martial Soul enveloped his body, obscuring his form.
Burning with dark red, high-temperature flames, a massive fist encased in rock met the Profound Sky Axe with a deafening crash. This time, Yan did not underestimate his opponent.
Aside from not using his second soul skill and suppressing his Soul Power to the peak of the one-ring Soul Master level, he went all out. After blocking the axe, Yan's Soul Power surged.
With a forceful shove, he repelled Ling Xiao. Glancing at the faint mark left on his rocky fist, Yan gained a rough understanding of Ling Xiao's power.
If he hadn't reached the two-ring rank—specifically, if his second soul ring hadn't come from a Great Earth Rhino, which significantly boosted his defensive capabilities—that strike would have been difficult to block.
Excluding the effects of soul skills, Ling Xiao's current offensive power had already surpassed the peak one-ring version of Xie Yue. Staggering back a few steps, Ling Xiao's battle intent burned even hotter, his eyes seemingly flickering with fire.
The more he fought, the more courageous he became, as if his stamina was infinite. He lunged forward again, meeting strength with strength.
The heavy Profound Sky Axe was incredibly nimble in his hands, moving without the slightest lag. It was fast and ferocious, tearing through the flaming pressure of the punches to clash with Yan.
The Flame Lord possession granted Yan immense strength and defense. As the rock and axe collided repeatedly, heavy booms echoed, and the shockwaves of Soul Power continuously rippled through the air.
"Good! Again!"
Yan grew more thrilled as the fight progressed.
He had never had such a clash with a peer.
While Xie Yue would face him head-on, he wasn't as direct and brutal as Ling Xiao.
Xie Yue's blade intent was terrifying—fast and ruthless—but he couldn't sustain a prolonged physical confrontation like this; he usually used agile and varied techniques to suppress Yan, making him feel like he had strength but nowhere to aim it.
But this? This was a meeting of true equals.
Both were overjoyed.
Ling Xiao had long forgotten everything else, focused only on the opponent before him. As he swung the axe, he didn't care for exquisite maneuvers or searching for openings to secure a quick win.
He simply poured every ounce of his strength into each strike, venting his battle intent to the absolute limit. Though the Profound Sky Axe was heavy, in this state of total exertion, Ling Xiao found it exceptionally comfortable.
It felt neither too heavy nor too light—it was perfect.
It felt as though it shared a heart with him; in the heat of battle, even the axe seemed excited. With every swing, his heart felt lighter, and the Soul Power within his body flowed faster and smoother.
The axe's momentum was fierce and unyielding, peak hardness meeting peak heat, each move carrying terrifying power and a razor-sharp edge.
Facing Ling Xiao's storm-like assault, Yan met every move.
Without using his second soul ring or his two-ring Soul Power, he pushed the Flame Lord to its limit. Dark red light pulsed around him, and the flames surrounding his body burned with increasing intensity.
**
Enjoying the story? Support the translation and get early access to future chapters here: www.patr eon.com/c/FanficTranslator
Thanks for reading!
I have 70 advanced chapter now on Patreon. I will post 5 advanced chapter on Patreon everyday except Sunday