bookbashuk Chapter 31: Defeat and Xie Encounter
Chapter 31: Defeat and Xie Encounter
Almost as soon as Wu Changkong made his move, Yu Chen activated his Word of Power. The world instantly froze and expanded in his perception, and Wu Changkong's movements were slowed down to the extreme in his eyes.
Yu Chen was not overconfident. After all, Wu Changkong was a Soul Emperor, and even the most casual strike from a Soul Emperor was far beyond the capabilities of a mere one-ring Soul Master.
In the final instant before the wooden sword reached him, Yu Chen turned to the side with an incredibly precise movement, the wooden sword grazing past his clothes.
To outsiders, it seemed as if Yu Chen was shocked by Wu Changkong's speed and barely managed to dodge it at the last moment.
"He actually dodged it! Is this guy that strong?!" Xie Xie, watching from the sidelines, was shocked to see Yu Chen dodge the attack. He knew he couldn't have avoided it.
Wu Changkong sheathed his sword and stood still, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Not bad." He kept his word and stopped after one strike.
In the final match, Yu Chen faced Xie Xie.
Xie Xie's face showed obvious bitterness: "Teacher Wu, can I... admit defeat?" He had witnessed Yu Chen's unfathomable eyes and his ghostly evasion just now, and he had no chance of winning.
"no."
Upon hearing Xie Xie's words, Wu Changkong coldly refused and then announced the start of the battle.
"start!"
"Since that's the case, then let's fight." Seeing that a battle was inevitable, Xie Xie no longer avoided it.
With a wave of his hand, the Light Dragon Dagger appeared in his hand, and the yellow soul ring under his feet flashed!
The next moment, Xie Xie's Light Dragon Dagger flashed with a sharp golden light, and his figure transformed into a bolt of lightning, instantly stabbing towards Yu Chen's chest!
However, in Yu Chen's eyes, Xie Xie's speed was not enough. Yu Chen only needed to activate his Golden Eyes and did not even use any incantations to see Xie Xie's movement trajectory clearly.
"The speed is acceptable, but the intention is too obvious."
"Also, you are an agility-type Soul Master. Without absolute strength, don't charge in like a battle Soul Master. That will only make you look foolish."
To put it simply, Yu Chen didn't even move his feet; he merely turned slightly to the side, and the Light Dragon Dagger pierced through empty air right beside him.
Just as Xie Xie was still charging forward and adjusting his center of gravity, Yu Chen moved. His signature black spiky hair lifted slightly with the movement, revealing calm golden eyes below. His right hand made a grasping motion at his side, taking out a slender weapon from his soul tool.
It was a uniquely shaped naginata, with an ancient and simple blade, a long blade and a thick back, and an overall restrained dark gold luster.
"A weapon? No, could it be a soul tool!"
In battle, few Soul Masters use weapons alone, but the use of weapon-type Soul Tools is quite common.
Xie Xie was startled and quickly changed his move.
With a slight flick of his wrist, Yu Chen made the naginata feel as light as a feather in his hand. The blade swept horizontally, creating a graceful arc, each inch longer, each inch stronger.
The long weapon's attack range advantage was fully demonstrated. Xie Xie's Light Dragon Dagger couldn't reach Yu Chen at all, so he was forced to turn around and awkwardly dodge the sweeping attack.
Before Xie Xie could land steadily, Yu Chen's naginata was already upon him.
The naginata was exceptionally nimble in Yu Chen's hands. He could point, deflect, or press, always controlling the distance between the two, making Xie Xie feel as if he were stuck in a quagmire, having speed but unable to use it.
He tried several times to break through with his agility-based burst attack, but was easily stopped by the perfectly timed naginata.
Finally, Xie Xie could no longer bear being suppressed. He seized an opportunity, unleashed his soul power, and the golden light on the Light Dragon Dagger beneath his feet intensified, increasing his speed dramatically. He almost transformed into a streak of light and pierced straight into Yu Chen's center line.
This was his all-out attack.
A golden glint flashed in Yu Chen's eyes, and his black hair appeared even sharper due to the sudden surge of his aura. He neither dodged nor evaded, but thrust forward fiercely! The back of the blade faced forward, but due to its length advantage, it arrived first despite being struck later.
"clang!"
With a muffled thud, the back of the naginata struck Xie Xie's wrist precisely as he lunged forward.
A sharp pain shot through Xie Xie's body, instantly numbing his entire arm, causing the Light Dragon Dagger to fly out of his hand. Before his forward momentum could subside, just half a foot from his throat, he was met with the cold, dark gold back of the naginata.
The outcome is decided.
The entire room fell silent.
In the center of the arena, a black-haired boy stood holding a sword, his long hair falling naturally, creating a strange scene with the ancient naginata in his hand, a calm yet indescribable sharpness.
From the moment he drew his naginata until the end of the battle, Yu Chen did not move an inch. With just a long weapon and exquisite distance control, he rendered Xie Xie, a fighter specializing in agility-based attacks, powerless to fight back.
He didn't even use any soul skills, yet he completely suppressed Xie Xie, a level 18 soul master!
Seeing this, the other students on the playground stared at Yu Chen in disbelief, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Even Wu Changkong, who was usually calm and aloof, was slightly disturbed.
"The competition is over." Wu Changkong's voice broke the silence, growing even colder. "Do you know what kind of feeling you give me?"
He asked himself a question and answered it himself, his words as cold as ice: "Rotten wood cannot be carved!"
"No wonder you're in Class 5. But even if you're scrap metal, I will forge you into steel. Tang Wulin's martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, a universally acknowledged useless martial soul, yet he ranked third."
His gaze swept over Yu Chen, paused, and then said, "And some people haven't even shown their full strength yet."
"Now, everyone else, disperse and go back to rest. We'll have a meditation theory class this afternoon," Wu Changkong ordered, then looked at the three people in the room, "Yu Chen, Xie Xie, Tang Wulin, come with me."
Yu Chen remained calm, his golden eyes turning black again, and followed Wu Changkong away.
Xie Xie, rubbing his numb wrist, looked at the tall, black-haired figure ahead. His eyes held no more contempt, only a strong sense of resentment and… a vague sense of admiration. He had personally experienced the oppressive aura emanating from that long sword and its owner.
Wu Changkong's office.
"Yu Chen, Xie Xie, and Tang Wulin, you three are the most outstanding students in Class 5. Therefore, you will represent Class 5 in the upcoming promotion tournament!"
"Although you are currently in Class 5, the bottom-ranked class, if you defeat the classes ahead of you, you can change your class prefix and become Class 4, Class 3, or even Class 1!"
"Furthermore, you can even challenge classes from higher grades; if you win, you'll receive a generous reward!"
Looking at the three people in front of him, Wu Changkong explained the purpose of his visit.
"Don't worry, Ms. Wu, we'll definitely beat through the first grade!"
"After all, if I hadn't been dragged into this, I should have been assigned to Class 1!"
Hearing Wu Changkong's words, Xie Xie felt that the sky had cleared and the rain had stopped. He quickly adjusted his mindset and confidently continued, though he muttered with some dissatisfaction. He was clearly indignant that Long Hengxu had come to Class 5 for such a ridiculous reason.