After Yu Tianheng's match, the following duels varied in strength.
Some contestants were Soul Elders around the thirtieth level, while others were merely Soul Masters at the teens in rank.
What was worth noting, however, was that even those Soul Masters at the lower levels offered great insight for Li Chang'an, who had never personally experienced real combat.
After all, real-world battles between Soul Masters were nothing like what novels or anime depicted—no one shouted out the names of their Soul Skills at the top of their lungs. Or if they did, such cases were rare. And even then, the purpose wasn't to announce to an audience but to intimidate the opponent through sheer momentum, or to intentionally mislead them by calling out a different Soul Skill order.
In a real Soul Master battle, there were no flashy theatrics. Most of the time, soul rings simply flashed, Soul Skills erupted, and the key was to strike when the enemy showed a weakness. No one would foolishly shout out their Soul Skills and alert their opponent beforehand.
Even battles between low-ranked "rookie" Soul Masters were far from boring.
At least for Li Chang'an, who watched with great interest. Though these people's levels weren't high, their battle experience was considerable. Perhaps in the eyes of true experts it was nothing more than "weaklings pecking at each other," but to ordinary people, these fighters were undeniably impressive.
He couldn't understand why, in the original story, the students of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy were portrayed as so incompetent. Maybe it was simply to make Tang San and his group look more extraordinary.
And so, three days passed.
Every day, Li Chang'an came to observe the battles between Soul Masters, mentally simulating how he would respond if faced with those same situations.
On the fourth day, Li Chang'an finally signed up to participate in a Soul Duel.
The academy randomly assigned him a partner—a twenty-eighth-level Great Soul Master. Li Chang'an's own Soul Power was at level twenty-six, a mere two levels below.
Of the five arenas, three were currently occupied with duels, leaving two empty.
Li Chang'an stood upon one of the open platforms.
Across from him stood a young man in his twenties, plain in appearance but sturdily built, with an honest face. He was the first to introduce himself."Zhang Tieniu. Martial Soul: Iron-Armored Rhinoceros. Level 28, Great Soul Master!"
Before a friendly sparring match, it was customary to give a brief introduction of oneself. In the world of Soul Masters, failing to do so could be taken as provocation.
So, Li Chang'an replied in kind:"Li Chang'an. Martial Soul: Jade-Scaled Sword. Level 26, Great Soul Master!"
"Both sides, prepare…"
The referee paused briefly before announcing,"Match—begin!"
As soon as the word "begin" was spoken, both participants summoned their Martial Souls.
A large, imposing phantom of a beast flashed behind Zhang Tieniu. When his Martial Soul possessed his body, his figure instantly grew larger and more muscular. A curved rhinoceros horn sprouted from his nose bridge, and two faint yellow Soul Rings appeared, circling around him.
In contrast, a jade-green sword appeared in Li Chang'an's hand—its appearance so exquisitely crafted that it looked more like an art piece than a weapon. The serpent carving coiled around the hilt seemed almost alive, ready to slither out at any moment.
At the same time, two yellow Soul Rings appeared around him as well, their hue noticeably deeper than Zhang Tieniu's.
Just by looking, one could tell the difference in their Soul Ring quality.
Zhang Tieniu's Soul Rings were likely from hundred- to three-hundred-year-old beasts. Li Chang'an's, however, were from four- to five-hundred-year-old and eight- to nine-hundred-year-old beasts—a significant gap.
Both displayed their Martial Souls but did not attack immediately. They studied one another carefully, each searching for an opening.
Such strong pressure!
His Soul Power is clearly two levels lower than mine, and his is a weapon-type Martial Soul—so why do I feel such an intense sense of oppression? Zhang Tieniu's forehead began to sweat as the youth before him, standing calmly with his sword, seemed to radiate greater and greater pressure.
He knew he couldn't sit idly by any longer.
He had to strike first.
"ROAR!!!"
With a thunderous bellow, Zhang Tieniu's first Soul Ring lit up.
He released a heavy roar, and his already burly body swelled even larger. Then, like a charging bull, he stomped forward with booming steps that made the platform tremble.
This was his first Soul Skill—simple in effect: it enhanced his physical strength and defense, and even provided a slight boost in speed. Though the improvement wasn't immense, it was undeniably practical.
Facing Zhang Tieniu's ferocious charge, Li Chang'an remained calm. His Soul Power surged through his meridians as his first Soul Ring lit up.
First Soul Skill: Sword Qi!
He swung his sword in a swift arc—an ethereal blade of light tore through the air, flying straight toward the charging Zhang Tieniu.
Over the past few days, Li Chang'an had been studying his Soul Skill, trying to understand how Soul Power was converted into Sword Qi. Unfortunately, he still hadn't grasped the underlying principle.
It was, simply put, too advanced for his current level of understanding.
Slash!
The blade of light cut past Zhang Tieniu's cheek, leaving a neat wound.
Zhang Tieniu was shocked. He hadn't expected his opponent's Sword Qi to be so sharp. As someone with the Iron-Armored Rhinoceros Martial Soul, even without activating his skills, ordinary arrows couldn't pierce his skin. On the battlefield, he could easily ignore volleys of arrows.
Yet now, even after activating his first Soul Skill and greatly boosting his defense, a single strand of Sword Qi had sliced his face open.
I can't hold back anymore—this needs to end quickly!
Determined, Zhang Tieniu's second Soul Ring lit up. Instantly, his skin turned rough and gray, resembling a layer of hardened iron hide.
In this state, he was practically impervious to blades and spears. The only drawback was that his speed barely improved, leaving him a bit clumsy.
In truth, Zhang Tieniu's Martial Soul wasn't suited for arena combat—it was made for the battlefield. With his immense strength and near-impenetrable defense, he could lead a charge to shatter enemy formations.
But on a restricted platform, he couldn't fully unleash his potential. Against a faster opponent, he was little more than a slow-moving target.
Li Chang'an, however, wanted to test just how sharp his sword truly was.
So instead of dodging, he chose to face Zhang Tieniu head-on!
In a real life-or-death battle, he would've evaded and attacked from afar with Sword Qi, never letting the opponent get close. But since this was a spar meant to gain experience, running away the whole time wasn't an option.
(End of Chapter)
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