"Teacher Lin Mu, the Continental Soul Master Tournament is no joke. These two are so young; how much Soul Power could they possibly have? We can't just drag two burdens along, can we?"
Dugu Yan was already seething from being kicked earlier, and now Lin Mu was forcing two children into the core team. Her dissatisfaction was reaching its limit. If this continued, she feared her and Yu Tianheng's standing in the Royal Fighting Team would be undermined by these newcomers.
Yu Tianheng and the others remained silent, but their expressions signaled agreement. Tang San and Xiao Wu looked to be thirteen or fourteen at most. In the Soul Master world, adding two likely Great Soul Masters to a team of Soul Elders was a recipe for disaster.
Lin Mu glanced at Dugu Yan, his voice indifferent. "Whether they are a burden or a backbone... you'll find out soon enough."
"Then let me test them!" Dugu Yan's green eyes turned cold as she glared at Tang San. "You, little brother. Step forward."
Tang San didn't immediately move. He looked at Lin Mu, waiting for his Master's permission.
"No," Lin Mu interjected. "Your Jade Phosphorus Serpent poison is useless against Tang San. Fighting him would be a waste of time for both of you."
Dugu Yan's face flushed with fury. This man dared to claim her family's legendary poison was useless?
However, Lin Mu wasn't exaggerating. Between Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill and the specialized training Lin Mu had given him, Dugu Yan's current level of poison was a minor annoyance at best. Without her poison, her combat effectiveness would plummet, making her no match for Tang San's control.
Lin Mu pointed to Yu Tianheng, the captain. "Tang San, you spar with him."
Yu Tianheng was stunned. 'Me? Personally testing a kid five years my junior?'
"Yes, Master." Tang San stepped into the center of the arena, his expression as calm as a deep pool.
To ensure Yu Tianheng was at his peak despite the earlier kick, Lin Mu looked toward the back of the group. "Lingling, heal him."
"Of course, Brother Lin Mu," Ye Lingling responded instantly. Her voice was soft and sweet, a jarring contrast to the cold, aloof Snow Lotus persona she showed the rest of the team.
The team froze. They looked between Ye Lingling and Lin Mu with wide eyes. Their quietest, most distant member was addressing the new leader with such intimacy?
'Just how deep is their history?'
Under their bewildered gazes, Ye Lingling summoned the Nine-Hearted Begonia. Accompanied by a gentle fragrance, a white petal descended from the sky, merging into Yu Tianheng's body. Within seconds, the lingering pain in his chest vanished.
Yu Tianheng stood up and walked into the arena. He decided he would hold back; he didn't want to accidentally cripple the boy in front of the Crown Prince.
"Yu Tianheng, Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Level 39 Power Attack System."
"Tang San, Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass, Level 34 Control System."
"Level... 34?!" Yu Tianheng's jaw nearly dropped.
The boy was barely fourteen. Reaching Level 34 at that age was a feat of high-tier geniuses. Furthermore, he was doing it with Blue Silver Grass, the poster child for trash Martial Souls. This made Yu Tianheng, the heir of the strongest beast type dragon clan, feel a sudden, sharp pang of self-doubt.
"Level 34 at his age? Brother Lin, your disciple is truly a monster," Xue Qinghe praised from the sidelines. Having seen Lin Mu's rings, he was becoming more resilient to these shocks, but the speed of Tang San's growth was still alarming.
"Soul Power level is just a number; it doesn't represent true combat strength," Lin Mu replied cryptically.
Yu Tianheng perked up. 'Right. Blue Silver Grass is still Blue Silver Grass. No matter how much Soul Power he has, his quality cannot match my dragon!'
The battle began. Tang San took the initiative, sending a wave of vines surging across the floor.
Yu Tianheng sneered, his right arm transforming into a massive lightning claw. "First Soul Skill: Thunderous Dragon Claw!" With a sweep of his arm, he tore the oncoming vines into shreds.
However, Tang San didn't panic. He shifted into the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, his figure becoming a blur. Blue Silver Grass continued to erupt from the ground, not to bind, but to disrupt. Even as the lightning incinerated the grass, the constant regrowing vines forced Yu Tianheng to slow his pace.
Once Tang San established a safe distance, his second Soul Ring flashed.
"Second Soul Skill: Flower Picking, Flying Leaves!"
Tang San's hands moved with the speed of a Thousand-Armed Guanyin. Dozens of leaf blades, hardened by ice crystals and shimmering with a pale golden light, rained down on Yu Tianheng. Each blade was aimed with surgical precision at his joints and eyes.
"Damn it!" Yu Tianheng roared. The sheer volume of projectiles forced him to stop his charge and focus on defense.
"Third Soul Skill: Thunderous Fury!"
Blue lightning exploded from his body, vaporizing the leaves and clearing the area. "It's over! Your grass can't stop my thunder!" Yu Tianheng charged like a meteor, determined to end the farce.
But just as he reached Tang San, he felt his feet snag. He had missed a few specialized vines hidden beneath the charred remains of the others.
"First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Crystal!"
The vines around his ankles instantly transformed into diamond-hard crystalline bonds. The sudden halt in momentum, combined with the extreme toughness of the ice-blue crystals, tripped the mighty dragon, sending him face-first into the dirt.
In the blink of an eye, Tang San was standing over him, a razor-sharp crystalline leaf blade pressed against Yu Tianheng's jugular.
The silence in the training hall was absolute. Yu Tianheng stared up in a daze. He had lost, lost to a trash Martial Soul five levels lower than him.