Chapter 26: Soul Master

"Heh, your mouth is still as tough as your defense, for now." Yu Tianheng activated his martial soul directly, three soul rings—two yellow and one purple—rising beneath his feet.

The crowd gathered around the arena erupted in an uproar.

"This... a fourteen-year-old Soul Master!" Everyone exclaimed in astonishment.

Ning Rongrong, seeing this, could not help but worry for Li Xun. When Yu Tianheng was only at level twenty-nine, she had felt some confidence in Li Xun. After all, Li Xun possessed a thousand-year soul ring; even though it was not an active combat skill, the boost it provided to a soul master's physical attributes was undoubtedly immense. However, with Yu Tianheng breaking through to become a Soul Master, the situation had shifted entirely. Now, his opponent also possessed a thousand-year soul ring and held a clear advantage in the number of skills available.

Qin Ming, meanwhile, felt a genuine chill run down his spine. He had never agreed with Li Xun challenging Yu Tianheng in the first place, and the concerns Meng Shenji harbored were the very same ones he had. Both boys were prodigies with immense potential; he would feel the loss of either one deeply. If they could work together in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, he dared not imagine the heights their team could reach.

"Yu Tianheng has broken through to become a Soul Master?"

"Alas! Li Xun's talent is not lacking either; I heard he has already broken through to level twenty, but unfortunately, time waits for no one!"

"What a pity..."

Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin gathered together to discuss the match. The members of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy team also watched with wide-eyed shock. As teammates, they understood Yu Tianheng’s talent, but they had not expected him to reach the ranks of a Soul Master so quickly. This was no longer just an ordinary genius!

Li Xun ignored the clamor of the crowd. He raised his right hand slightly, and the Thousand-Hand Buddha materialized in an instant, with one yellow and one purple soul ring rhythmically pulsing beneath his feet.

"What! This boy’s second soul ring is actually a thousand-year one!"

When Li Xun’s soul rings appeared, the crowd felt a shiver of disbelief. This exceeded their understanding of the world. While Yu Tianheng’s feat of becoming a Soul Master at fourteen was shocking, such geniuses were occasionally seen. But a thousand-year second soul ring was unheard of—it was the first time they had ever witnessed such a thing. This implied that Li Xun’s physical constitution was already comparable to that of a Soul Master, and it meant that the ceiling for every soul ring he obtained in the future would be significantly higher than that of his peers.

"Did... did Qin Ming take Li Xun to hunt a thousand-year soul beast?" Meng Shenji’s hand, which had been stroking his beard, paused, accidentally plucking out a few strands.

"Qin Ming was too reckless. He didn't even consult us about such a major matter. If something were to happen, how could we answer to Ning Fengzhi?" Bai Baoshan frowned after the initial shock subsided.

"Indeed. It is only because Li Xun has great talent; an average student might have exploded and died during the absorption process," Zhi Lin added, glancing at Qin Ming and nodding.

"There is no need to be too harsh. The result is already set. What I worry about most now are these two children; if either of them refuses to accept defeat..." Meng Shenji’s aged face was full of concern.

"It is fine. At worst, we will cast aside our pride, go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and invite Li Xun to the academy."

"That is only right. With Li Xun’s talent, it is only a matter of time before he surpasses Yu Tianheng..."

The students standing near the three committee members heard their conversation and looked at Li Xun with shock. Based on the committee's words, Li Xun’s talent was even greater than that of the fourteen-year-old Soul Master, Yu Tianheng. Furthermore, even if Li Xun lost this battle, they intended to go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to recruit him.

"Li Xun, you insulted my uncle. I will make you regret the things you said."

"First soul skill: Thunder Dragon Claw!" Yu Tianheng shouted angrily. His first soul ring lit up, and his hands transformed into claws crackling with lightning.

"First soul skill: Birth of the Tree World. Second soul skill: Amplification."

Li Xun interlaced his fingers into the Snake hand seal. A crisp sound resonated as his first and second soul rings illuminated. With the activation of his skills, the Thousand-Hand Buddha instantly launched dozens of energy fruits into the air. As they reached their apex, they burst apart, scattering countless seeds like a torrential downpour. The moment the seeds touched the earth, they began to grow rapidly.

It took barely a second for this to unfold. By the time Li Xun finished speaking, nearly a hundred small, meter-high trees had appeared on the field. As soon as they emerged, they softened, turning into a dense thicket of vines that blocked Yu Tianheng’s path.

Yu Tianheng, who had just stepped forward, was startled by the sudden appearance of the vines. He reacted quickly, sweeping his Thunder Dragon Claws from side to side.

*Why is his first soul skill different from before?* Yu Tianheng’s expression turned solemn. He had seen Li Xun’s first soul skill previously; in his eyes at the time, those half-meter saplings were merely useful for restricting movement. He had been disdainful of them and never considered Li Xun a worthy opponent. If not for Li Xun’s connection to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he would have taught him a lesson long ago for getting close to Dugu Yan.

*Clang!*

Yu Tianheng swept his arm, severing a vine, but he felt a slight numbness in his hand from the impact. He scanned the area and realized these small trees were shifting between soft and rigid states—soft when hugging the ground, and rigid when standing upright, reaching his chest. Their durability was also increasing; even with his Thunder Dragon Claws, it took considerable effort to cut through a single one. And this was even after he had advanced to a level thirty Soul Master.

"Heh, you think a few measly plants can stop me?" Yu Tianheng sneered, suppressing his discomfort as the lightning on his palms intensified.

"Not enough? I’ll satisfy you." Li Xun formed the Snake seal again, circulating the chakra within him.

Nourished by his chakra, the seeds on the ground that had previously been dormant grew rapidly, replacing the ones Yu Tianheng had just broken in the blink of an eye. That wasn't all; sharp, dense thorns erupted from the previously smooth branches. As the thorns appeared, the saplings writhed like vines, twisting toward Yu Tianheng to entangle him.

"Hm? Second soul skill: Thunderous Surge!"

Seeing the thorn-like plants closing in from all sides, Yu Tianheng immediately unleashed an area-of-effect skill.

*Crackle, pop!*

Arcs of electricity enveloped Yu Tianheng’s body, accompanied by a loud, buzzing noise. The thorns were shattered inch by inch the moment they made contact with the lightning.

"Hmph! Is that all?" Yu Tianheng snorted, and taking advantage of the gap in his second soul skill’s execution, he lunged toward Li Xun.

"You are still eight meters away from me."

Li Xun curled his lips, manipulating the tree seeds to concentrate beneath Yu Tianheng’s feet. As soon as the seeds reached his feet, they began to grow, but they were shattered by the lightning on Yu Tianheng’s body before they could even mature.

However, Li Xun didn’t care. Simply accelerating the growth of existing trees consumed very little chakra; only the creation of life-seeds from the void required effort. His first soul skill was precisely the ability to create those seeds—a method he had devised to compensate for his lack of chakra.

*Crackle, pop!*

As the last flash of lightning dissipated, Yu Tianheng was forced to retreat several steps. He hadn't made any progress since the fight began; every time he took a step, new saplings sprouted from the ground. To avoid losing his balance, he was forced to remain in place, continuously discharging electricity to defend himself.

"I have to charge through in one go." Yu Tianheng’s expression was grim; at this rate, it couldn't even be called a confrontation.

"You are now twelve meters away from me."

Li Xun said calmly. He hadn't moved a single step since the start, but as Yu Tianheng retreated, the distance between them had only grown.