"Martial Soul Possession!"
Yan roared as a burst of dark red soul power erupted.
The Flame Lord Martial Soul materialized behind him, and with a shimmer, it instantly merged with his body.
The phantom of the Martial Soul solidified, encasing Yan's form.
"So this is the ancient Martial Soul, Flame Lord?" Ling Xiao murmured, his expression turning solemn as he watched Yan complete the transformation.
At this moment, Yan's original physical form was no longer visible. In its place stood a humanoid creature slightly taller than his original height. His body appeared to be made of solid rock, yet it was etched with fiery red patterns that pulsed as if molten lava were flowing through his veins.
The visage of his head was particularly terrifying, resembling a flame demon clawing its way out of purgatory. As the possession completed, the surrounding air grew scorched and distorted under Yan's influence. Ling Xiao was inwardly shaken by the sheer heat radiating from him.
As expected of a top-tier Beast Martial Soul. Just the possession alone grants such exceptional defensive and offensive power. This level of enhancement would be comparable to a Soul Skill for an average Beast Soul Master, but for him, it's merely the base state of his Martial Soul.
Though encased in the possession, the blurred outline of Yan's face was visible within the Flame Lord's features. Yan spoke: "Yan, Rank 18 Power Attack System Soul Master, Martial Soul: Flame Lord. Please advise!"
"..." Ling Xiao felt a bit speechless.
Announcing his stats before the fight felt a little awkward.
Is this a rule? It feels strange.
"This is the etiquette for mutual sparring among the academic circles of the Soul Master world," Xie Yue's voice drifted from the sidelines.
"If you leave the academy and roam the world in the future, you naturally won't need such formalities during life-and-death struggles."
"Understood." Ling Xiao's grip on the handle of the Profound Sky Axe tightened.
He slowly rotated his wrist, preparing for what was truly his first real battle.
He spoke softly: "Ling Xiao, Rank 11 Power Attack System Soul Master, Martial Soul: Profound Sky Axe. Please advise!"
Having finished the introduction, Ling Xiao didn't stand on ceremony.
He lunged forward, his right foot digging into the ground. His soul power surged through his body like a raging torrent. As he channeled his energy, the dark red halo around the Profound Sky Axe grew denser.
Closing the distance in a single stride, he gripped the axe with both hands and swung it downward with a thunderous shout.
"Let me see what you've got!" Yan seemed to catch the excitement.
Just like Ling Xiao, he threw a punch straight forward, meeting force with force and power with power.
BOOM!
The collision sounded like a muffled clap of thunder.
As the Profound Sky Axe struck Yan's fist, a powerful recoil surged back.
Ling Xiao felt as if he had struck a mountain of solid rock. His hands went numb, the webbing between his thumbs and forefingers throbbed with sharp pain, and he was forced back several steps before he could neutralize the shock.
In contrast, Yan hadn't budged an inch after the heavy strike. Clearly, not only was his cultivation level higher, but his defense and strength far surpassed the current Ling Xiao. However, Yan looked at the faint axe mark on the surface of his right fist and felt a flash of surprise.
Given the current gap in their cultivation, for a basic attack to leave a mark on his possessed form meant that Ling Xiao's attack power was exceptionally high.
"Again!"
Though he realized the massive gap between them, Ling Xiao did not retreat.
He lunged once more, swinging the Profound Sky Axe in a series of strikes aimed directly at Yan's chest. It was obvious that Ling Xiao intended to stick to a frontal assault. Even though he knew he was outmatched in raw strength, a direct, hard-hitting offensive was his style.
To him, trying to win through clever maneuvers or agility was simply unrealistic.
"Good!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After his Martial Soul Possession, Yan's strength was immense and his physical defense was top-tier. Facing the onslaught of the Profound Sky Axe, Yan didn't back down.
He met every move and every strike head-on with his bare body. His fists were like forged iron and stone, seemingly invulnerable. The Profound Sky Axe was heavy and incredibly sharp, yet Yan's fists remained unbroken.
Although the axe marks on his knuckles grew more numerous and crisscrossed, his defense held firm. Through the flow of soul power, one could see the Flame Lord's fists were actually regenerating.
Below the stage, the battle had drawn the attention of many.
Most of the onlookers were students of the Spirit Hall Academy. Seeing an exchange between a mere Rank 11 and a well-known genius like Yan—where the cultivation gap was so vast—was an eye-catching sight.
Hu Liena watched the match nervously, her heart filled with worry. Over the past few days, she had learned how formidable Yan was. While she didn't think he could beat her brother, he was certainly a peerless opponent within his rank.
Ling Xiao, currently at a similar cultivation level to her, was clearly doomed to lose this match. She only hoped he wouldn't get hurt too badly; after all, he was the first friend her age she had met since coming to Spirit Hall.
Xie Yue noticed Hu Liena's anxiety and comforted her: "Don't worry. Look, even though Yan's cultivation is much higher than Ling Xiao's, he isn't using his rank to suppress him. He hasn't mobilized his full soul power."
"Furthermore, he is mostly utilizing the Earth-attribute power within the Flame Lord Martial Soul, relying on heavy defense and strength to clash with Ling Xiao. He hasn't used much of his Fire-attribute power. It's clear Yan just wants to test Ling Xiao's strength. He won't necessarily be injured."
Xie Yue's explanation seemed to put Hu Liena slightly at ease.
On stage, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.
Although he was slightly at a disadvantage, Ling Xiao felt more refreshed the longer he fought. His previous spar with Meng Yiran had been too short. Moreover, Meng Yiran lacked strength; she would be knocked back after only a few exchanges.
Yan was different.
Ling Xiao had exerted his full strength, swinging the Profound Sky Axe faster and faster, each strike heavier than the last, yet Yan blocked them all, leaving no opening to exploit.
Bang!
Ling Xiao gripped the axe handle tight and, using the rotational force from his waist, swung a heavy horizontal cleave, only for Yan to block it directly with his left forearm.
Ling Xiao thought to himself: As expected, the defense on his arms is just as strong.
Right now, Yan was almost invulnerable to him; even if he stood still and let Ling Xiao take a few free swings, it might not matter. In the early stages, a Beast Martial Soul really does have an advantage over Tool Soul Masters—to them, their entire body is a weapon.
Having blocked the horizontal sweep, Yan snorted and flexed his arm, shoving the Profound Sky Axe aside. His right fist shot out like a cannonball aimed straight at Ling Xiao's chest. As soul power surged, his Martial Soul fully activated.
The red patterns on his body glowed intensely, his temperature skyrocketed, and flames began to roar around him.
"Puff!"
Taking a direct hit from Yan, Ling Xiao groaned and was sent reeling back several steps.
He clutched his chest with his left hand, feeling an agonizing pain and a searing burning sensation. Yan's punch hadn't just been powerful; the flames on his fist had scorched Ling Xiao's clothes and left a blackened burn mark on his chest.
Taking several sharp breaths, Ling Xiao realized that compared to him, Yan had deeper soul power and far more combat experience. If this continued, he would exhaust his soul power without ever defeating him.
The only option now was to go all out and settle it in one strike.
Despite knocking Ling Xiao back, Yan showed no sign of contempt. He was becoming more excited by the second. He could see that Ling Xiao's combat style was identical to his own—uncompromising, direct, and head-on.
This was exactly to his liking.
He had faced Power Attack System Soul Masters with similar styles before, but their talent was always a tier lower. Even if their cultivation was close, they couldn't last long once he went all out. The only one who could truly challenge him was Xie Yue.
Unfortunately, Xie Yue followed a "fusion" path; while he had a power-oriented style, he also incorporated elements of the Agility Attack System. His combat was flexible and unpredictable, often catching people off guard.
Although he had lost to Xie Yue before, Yan never truly felt satisfied with the defeat. In terms of raw combat power, he believed himself to be superior to Xie Yue.
But this Ling Xiao... his fighting style was brutally direct.
Frontal assault, pure and simple.
Although Yan was currently holding back a portion of his strength—otherwise Ling Xiao wouldn't have lasted this long—the difference was Ling Xiao's immense talent. When his cultivation eventually caught up, he would surely be a magnificent opponent.