"Zhao Shi, that infamous rat from Class C, I'm not wrong, am I."
On the stage, Hu Liena pouted, her tone laced with disgust. Unlike Wang Zhong, who was solely focused on cultivation and oblivious to the world, she had a certain degree of understanding about everyone in each class of the first grade. And Zhao Shi from Class C was precisely the kind of person she detested the most. Bullying the weak, despicable and filthy – these words described Zhao Shi perfectly.
"Hey, Hu Liena, even though you're a top student in Class A, you can't insult someone like this."
Zhao Shi pouted, clearly displeased.
"Was I wrong?"
"Bullying, beating, and verbally abusing those with weaker soul power and strength than you, both inside and outside the classroom, that's you!"
"And it's also you who steals others' possessions and resources!"
As Hu Liena spoke, her disgust intensified with each point she made. As a Soul Master, she had never encountered someone with such a base character as Zhao Shi.
"I am teaching them to be respectful to powerful Soul Masters, lest they offend someone they shouldn't after leaving the academy and invite a fatal disaster."
"Moreover, I'm not taking their possessions and resources for nothing. When I become powerful in the future, I will surely remember their current contributions. At worst, I'll repay them tenfold then."
"Besides, their talent is such that they can't possibly use up all that money and resources. Some of them even want to send school resources home, isn't that outright betrayal of their own country! It's for their own good that I help them use it up!"
"Furthermore, the teachers don't even bother with these things, so why should you interfere with me."
Zhao Shi shook his head, speaking with an air of justification that made Hu Liena want to vomit.
"Talking so much with someone like you just dirties my mouth."
"Martial Soul, appear!"
A crisp, cold shout rang out, and a soft, adorable fox, as tall as a person and entirely golden-pink, appeared beside Hu Liena, gently nuzzling her cheek. With the appearance of her Martial Soul, she, who already possessed astonishing charm, became even more irresistible. Enchanting and captivating, soul-stirring and intoxicating.
"Martial Soul, embodiment!"
Seeing Hu Liena's Martial Soul manifest, Zhao Shi dared not show any carelessness and quickly summoned his own Martial Soul.
"Huh? What kind of Martial Soul is that?" Below the stage, Wang Zhong exclaimed in surprise.
"You don't know?" Xie Yue and Yan, standing beside Wang Zhong, countered with equal surprise.
Wang Zhong shook his head; he truly didn't know. He had been skipping classes, focusing on completing the system's training missions. As for regular academic exams, he had never worried thanks to Hu Liena's notes. He could simply glance at them and remember everything, so there was no need to sit in class for the entire morning. As for afternoon classes, they were for soul power training and physical conditioning, which he also didn't need to attend. The system's requirements were tens of times higher than the teachers', so there was no point. Therefore, Wang Zhong was never in class, and his homeroom teacher, Ying Yanyang, had never punished him for it.
"No way, what have you been doing outside all day? Everyone knows about this."
"Zhao Shi's innate soul power is actually level seven. According to the rules of soul power ranking, he could enter Class A, but his Martial Soul is just too weak."
"Despite having a beast Martial Soul's name, it's actually an armament Martial Soul. And unlike other armament Martial Souls, his is incredibly brittle. It will shatter with the slightest external force! Furthermore, although his Martial Soul is called 'Extreme Cold,' it only possesses a faint chill, not even truly cold! It's precisely because of these flaws that Zhao Shi's level dropped directly to Class C."
Xie Yue explained earnestly beside him. Wang Zhong listened, nodding, and looked at the ice lion covering Zhao Shi's body on the stage, lost in thought.
"An ice lion sculpted, though lifelike and vivid. But according to Xie Yue, his Martial Soul is not only fragile but also lacks cold attributes, its innate strength pitifully weak. A completely废武魂 (fèiwǔhún - waste Martial Soul), where does he get the nerve to challenge Nana? Is it because of his first soul ring?"
"Or perhaps, his Martial Soul has some other advantages that we're unaware of."
"First Soul Skill, Bewitching Charm!"
In the center of the arena, Hu Liena let out a delicate cry, and a large amount of pink mist overflowed from her fox Martial Soul, enveloping the entire stage within moments. In the center of the mist, Hu Liena's figure became ethereal and hazy. Her indistinct form was barely discernible, yet for some inexplicable reason, this near-illusory figure possessed a captivating allure that stirred the heart and intoxicated the senses.
"This young girl's Martial Soul is quite extraordinary, Your Majesty the Pope."
"With just her first soul skill, she can cover the entire stage. A Martial Soul of this caliber, is it possible that even that young fellow named Wang Zhong can't compare to her!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo stroked his chin, his gaze filled with admiration for Hu Liena. For an ordinary control-type Soul Master, the effective range of their first soul skill was usually thirty to forty meters. Anything exceeding fifty meters could be classified as genius. When the stage was first built, to allow all teachers and students of any level to showcase their skills, it was made very large – a colossal cube with sides of five hundred meters. Hu Liena's mist covering such a vast area could not be achieved by a mere hundred-year soul ring's soul skill. It was only possible if her Martial Soul was exceptionally powerful.
"Yue Guan, saying that is unfair to that young fellow Wang Zhong. He didn't even manifest his Martial Soul in the previous bout."
"How can you be so sure his Martial Soul is inferior to this young girl's!"
Bibi Dong remained silent, but Ghost Douluo, who had been quiet all along, uncharacteristically spoke up for Wang Zhong.
"Oh, old ghost! Judging by your tone, you seem to think highly of that young fellow Wang Zhong."
"Why don't we make a bet as well?" Chrysanthemum Douluo chuckled, looking at his old partner, suggesting with great interest.
"There's no need for a bet. In terms of Martial Soul strength alone, this young girl named Hu Liena far surpasses Wang Zhong."
Bibi Dong rested her chin on her hand and calmly replied to the bickering between Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
"However, that young fellow Wang Zhong, his Martial Soul gives me a very strange feeling. I still can't quite pinpoint what that feeling is."
As she said this, Bibi Dong's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Recalling the peculiar sensation she felt after her soul power entered Wang Zhong's body, her slender jade hand unconsciously twitched.
In the center of the stage, Zhao Shi, engulfed in the pink mist, became unusually excited.
"Excellent, truly excellent! Hu Liena's first soul skill is a mental confusion type! My luck is unbelievably good!"
"The Martial Soul counters the opponent, and the first soul skill does the same!"
His face flushed with excitement, Zhao Shi muttered to himself in the mist, "First Soul Skill, Ice Spirit!" As the soul skill unfolded, Zhao Shi's previously excited expression vanished, replaced by an utter calmness. His agitated emotions seemed to have never existed. His eyes became vacant, like a dead sea. Then, Zhao Shi gently closed his eyes and stood motionless, waiting quietly.
Hu Liena's footsteps sounded, and as she approached Zhao Shi, she saw him standing with his head bowed.
"A disgusting fellow like you dares to challenge me? Don't you know your own worth."
"Lie down obediently."
Hu Liena smiled triumphantly, extending her small hand. With soul power surging, she chopped her palm towards the back of his neck. If the blow landed, Zhao Shi would certainly fall unconscious on the spot and lose the challenge.