A single Soul King was understandable—after all, Spirit Hall was vast and powerful—but three Soul Kings and even a Martial Soul Fusion Technique? Unless a Soul Emperor took the field, it was doubtful anyone could win.
Lin Fan stated calmly,
"This generation of the Spirit Hall team is known as the 'Golden Generation.' That alone shows how much they've been invested in and nurtured."
Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened. With that kind of strength, not even Tang San in the next tournament might reach such a height.
Liu Erlong glanced at him and asked,
"Lin Xuan, if you already know how powerful Spirit Hall's team is, why are you still so confident that we'll be able to take the championship from them?"
Lin Fan replied casually,
"Don't get me wrong. What I'm saying is, without me, your team would be utterly powerless. Honestly, you might not even make it past the preliminaries. The Heaven Dou division only has five qualifying spots."
"As for those so-called Soul Kings from Spirit Hall—they're average at best. The only real threat is their Fusion Technique. It's troublesome, but not unbeatable."
His tone was brimming with confidence.
"Hmph, so what if you're a Soul King? There's a limit to bragging," Dai Mubai couldn't hold back anymore. The grey-haired youth before him had a handsome face and a cultivation level that surpassed his own—it ignited his jealousy.
"Exactly. You're just a Level 53 Soul King. Spirit Hall has three, and two of them can use Fusion Techniques. What makes you think you can win?" Ma Hongjun chimed in angrily. Their earlier defeat still stung.
Even Ning Rongrong stepped forward, not holding back,
"So arrogant for a lowly Soul King. You're probably a few years older than us. If we were your age, our soul power would be way above yours!"
Lin Fan responded coldly and dismissively,
"What? Not convinced? You're right—I am older than you. But if you're so dissatisfied, the nine of you can come at me together."
"If you can beat me, I'll kneel and apologize for everything I've said. But if you lose, don't come crying about it."
Dai Mubai sneered,
"You think being a Soul King makes you unbeatable? It's not like we've never fought one before!"
"Brothers, are we going to let him insult us like this?"
"Dean, allow the seven of us to challenge him together!"
Flender looked at the furious students and nodded slightly. Deep down, he also wanted to see just how strong this "Lin Xuan" really was—someone bold enough to claim Spirit Hall's team was nothing.
"Alright. But be careful—you know the opening ceremony is in a few days," Flender warned.
He wasn't one to avoid conflict—after all, he often said: "A Spirit Master who doesn't cause trouble isn't a good Spirit Master."
Truthfully, Lin Xuan's arrogance had annoyed even Flender and the others. After all, Tang San and the others were their pride.
Lin Fan stepped back slightly and summoned his Slaughter Sword, sneering,
"Go ahead, show me what you've got. Don't say I didn't give you a chance."
"Tang San, what's the plan?" Dai Mubai asked.
"Since he's alone, let Rongrong buff us first. I'll start by restraining him with Blue Silver Web, and you all follow up with your strongest attacks," Tang San quickly devised a strategy.
"Got it." Dai Mubai nodded.
They quickly fell into formation, with Dai Mubai at the front.
"Martial Soul Possession!" Dai Mubai roared, his body swelling as four soul rings lit up.
The others also summoned their Martial Souls, fully ready to attack.
Flender watched Lin Fan's calm expression and couldn't help but ask,
"Can they defeat this Soul King?"
Yu Xiaogang said with some confidence,
"Even though their soul power is lower, if their coordination is good, they can still defeat a Level 53 Soul King."
But Liu Erlong frowned and added,
"I saw Lin Xuan in action once. He defeated Teacher Yin Shu in a single move."
"That blood-red sword of his carries a terrifying killing aura. I suspect it's a top-tier Tool Soul."
The three had different opinions—largely because they didn't truly understand Lin Xuan.
Zhao Wuji stood nearby with folded arms and announced,
"Battle, begin!"
"Seven Treasures, rise! First: Strength! Second: Speed! Third: Soul!"
From the backline, Ning Rongrong empowered her teammates one after another.
"Go!"
"Third Soul Skill—Blue Silver Web!"
Tang San activated his thousand-year soul skill, casting a net of Blue Silver Grass in all directions to trap Lin Fan.
"Why isn't he dodging?" Tang San wondered.
"Bathing Blood Phoenix! Phoenix Fire Line!"
"White Tiger Light Wave!"
Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai couldn't hold it any longer—they unleashed their attacks with full force.
But at that moment, Lin Fan activated his second soul skill:
"Soul Ring Skill—Indestructible Sword Aura."
A crimson aura encircled him, forming a near-impenetrable shield. It instantly shattered Tang San's restraint and reflected 70% of the damage from Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's attacks back at them.
"What?!" Dai Mubai immediately activated his White Tiger Barrier.
Ma Hongjun used his third soul skill to fly up and evade.
Technically, if Lin Fan used his full strength, he could even reflect a Title Douluo's ninth soul skill. But for now, he was holding back appropriately.
"Teleport! Waist Bow!"
"Nether Hundred Claws!"
Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu followed with their attacks, but both were repelled by the aura around Lin Fan.
"What is that shield? It's harder than a turtle shell!" Xiao Wu groaned.
"Pathetic. You can't even break my defense. That's your so-called power?" Lin Fan mocked.
"Let me show you what a real attack looks like. First Soul Skill: Death Strike."
Soul power surged at the tip of his Slaughter Sword, forming a blood-red slash several meters long.
The moment he unleashed it, everyone watching felt the oppressive aura of inevitable death.
"Damn it! There's no way that's a hundred-year soul skill!"
Swoosh—!
Before anyone could react, the sword energy tore through the air, flying straight at the team.
"Zhao Wuji!" Flender shouted in alarm at the sheer force of the blow.
"Unmovable King's Body!"
Zhao Wuji activated his Martial Soul and leapt in front of the team.
Boom!
Zhao Wuji's face turned purple. He nearly coughed up blood but forcefully held it down.
"Impossible... His attack broke through most of my defense," Zhao Wuji muttered.
"The fight is over. If this teacher hadn't intervened, you'd all be seriously injured," Lin Fan said coldly, sheathing his sword.
Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others were left red-faced, humiliated, and speechless.
Author's Note:
Came as promised!
Also recommending a friend's fanfic based on Throne of the Seal. It's a niche one, but great quality!