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**
In the distance, having walked a certain distance away, Ling Xiao couldn't help but look back.
The terrifying majesty displayed by Huyan Zhen left him deeply shaken. Such a powerful aura truly befitted the Sect Master of the Elephant Armored Sect, a powerhouse whose strength was comparable to a Titled Douluo.
Although he had defeated Huyan Li and his teammates, the strength of the Elephant Armored Sect could not be underestimated. The commotion generated by his battle against Huyan Li's group of seven just now didn't even amount to one-hundredth of Huyan Zhen's display.
Even though Huyan Zhen was merely a background character in the original story—
One who met an incredibly farcical death—compared to Tang San's continuous, ungrounded cheats and rapid leveling, Huyan Zhen was a true powerhouse who had survived hundreds of battles and achieved greatness after decades of bitter cultivation.
He was one of the apex existences in the Douluo Continent, commanding absolute reverence. If he, Ling Xiao, wished to become such a powerhouse, he would still need to cultivate ceaselessly and make continuous efforts before it could become possible.
After the battle concluded, Ling Xiao quickly returned to his room.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, circulating his soul power to slowly heal his injuries.
Compared to borrowing the power of a healing-type Soul Master or consuming medicinal pills, this method was undeniably slow and time-consuming, looking almost like he was looking for trouble for himself.
However, this act allowed him to gain a unique comprehension regarding the circulation of soul power. It was no longer like a raging torrent during combat, but rather like the trickling water of a mountain stream, making his control over the soul power within his body significantly clearer.
An hour later, under the nourishment of his soul power, Ling Xiao's injuries showed noticeable recovery. Those minor lacerations on his body no longer throbbed with obvious pain. Although he wasn't entirely healed yet, it was no longer an obstacle to his daily movements.
He stopped immersing his mind in the circulating soul power, turning instead to reflect upon the challenge from this morning. This morning's battle had truly yielded significant gains for Ling Xiao.
Though there were only two fights, they had still given him a profound understanding of the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul and the inherited foundation of the Elephant Armored Sect.
It was no longer a conceptual understanding drawn from written records, but a practical, firsthand experience. The Elephant Armored Sect truly deserved its reputation as one of the Seven Great Sects.
Though it was merely one of the Lower Four Sects, it still outmatched the vast majority of sects and clans, and the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul was absolutely not something ordinary Martial Souls could compare to.
Although Huyan Li was merely a high-level Soul Elder in cultivation, an average Soul Ancestor might not necessarily be his match. Scum like Bu Le would definitely not last a single exchange against him.
In the original timeline, because Tang San cheated so heavily and became a God in his twenties, too many talented disciples like Huyan Li were relegated to being mere background foils, entirely stripped of their brilliance. But in this lifetime, things might not turn out the same way.
It was truly intriguing to wonder what kind of future he would forge.
Furthermore, among the talented youth across the entire Douluo Continent, Huyan Li was by no means the strongest. If even he could provide such a fruitful harvest, those truly stunning and peerless geniuses would undoubtedly be even more staggering.
Thinking up to this point, a dazzling light flashed in Ling Xiao's eyes, his expression brimming with high spirits, and the soul power within his body seemed to surge fiercely because of it.
For a battle-crazed individual like Ling Xiao, who thoroughly relished the charm of this extraordinary world, simply visualizing sparring and exchanging pointers with those geniuses was already enough to make his blood boil.
It took quite a while before Ling Xiao calmed his mind, immersing himself once more into his healing. The previous excitement and fervor were suppressed deep within his heart, waiting for the day they would violently erupt.
Time flowed silently in this manner.
Four days later, the massive contingent of Spirit Hall slowly marched out of Colossal Elephant City. The grand lineup once again caused many passersby to look on and gossip fervently, but they had long grown accustomed to it and turned a deaf ear.
The challenge against the Elephant Armored Sect during this operation had been successfully completed, and it was time for them to set out. Of course, during this challenge, aside from Ling Xiao's clash with Huyan Li, Yan had similarly sparred with Huyan Li.
The result was naturally without any suspense.
Yan, whose cultivation had reached the Soul Ancestor level, suppressed his soul power to the peak Soul Elder realm and defeated Huyan Li without exerting much effort.
In the end, he used a single strike of his Hell Lava Blast to directly shatter the control of Huyan Li's third soul skill, "Suppressive Slaughter," utterly crushing Huyan Li's ultimate defense head-on.
The tyrannical and violent nature of his assault was not a single bit inferior to Ling Xiao's, completely suppressing Huyan Li. However, given the preceding matches between Ling Xiao and Huyan Li—as well as the one against the seven Huyan brothers—
Even though the clash between the Flame Lord Martial Soul and the Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul was spectacular, it ultimately failed to generate the same level of raw excitement.
This left Yan incredibly frustrated.
Yan had originally believed that by continuously challenging the successors of major factions throughout this operation, he could make his name resound across the Soul Master world and establish his own legendary reputation.
He never expected to stumble right out of the gate. In the battle against the Elephant Armored Sect, Ling Xiao had stolen the entire spotlight, while he was relegated to being a mere background foil.
What an infuriating guy.
Riding atop his Scaled Horse, Ling Xiao looked over at the visibly disgruntled Yan.
Knowing exactly what was on the youth's mind, the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smirk as he said leisurely, "Still brooding? The factions we are set to challenge along this journey are by no means few. Isn't it a bit too early for you to look so miserable?"
Hearing Ling Xiao's words, Yan's brow furrowed, and a spark of fire seemed to ignite within his eyes as he snapped back in annoyance, "There are more? You planned this from the very beginning, didn't you, Ling Xiao? You did it on purpose! You set me up again!"
"Hmph, next time, don't even think about making me queue up behind you. I'm going to be the first to challenge them, so you just sit tight and prepare to be my backdrop."
Yan let out a sharp huff, turning his head away with absolute confidence.
"Oh..."
The smirk on Ling Xiao's face widened, and he couldn't repress a smile. With a flicker in his eyes, he replied, "Alright then. For the sake of our brotherhood, I'll grant you this opportunity."
At the same time, Ling Xiao chuckled inwardly.
Heh, a head-on clash between two exceptionally powerful fire-attribute Martial Souls next... now that is going to be interesting. It will be far more entertaining than using my Profound Sky Axe to fight. I'll just sit back, watch carefully, and enjoy the show first.
Beside him, Yan was completely oblivious to Ling Xiao's internal scheming.
He simply hadn't expected Ling Xiao to agree so readily, which caught him somewhat off guard. He couldn't help but glance sideways out of curiosity, but ultimately failing to fathom the reason, he didn't bother thinking about it further.
In any case, his objective had been achieved.
At this thought, a gleam of excitement surfaced in Yan's eyes.
In the upcoming challenge, he was absolutely going to showcase his skills to the fullest.
The details of the sparring match back at the Elephant Armored Sect would undoubtedly spread like wildfire. The feat of Ling Xiao taking on seven opponents alone and crushing the Elephant Armor Formation head-on would certainly skyrocket his reputation.
Yan refused to lose to Ling Xiao.
This time, he was going to forge a glorious name for his Flame Lord Martial Soul, letting the entire Soul Master world know that Ling Xiao wasn't the only exceptional talent among Spirit Hall's younger generation—there was also him, Yan.
Not far behind the duo, several Scaled Horses were pulling a massive, luxurious carriage at a steady pace. Inside, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan listened to the banter between Ling Xiao and Yan, letting out a soft chuckle as a look of nostalgia drifted into his eyes.
The youth would always possess their own ideals and goals, wishing to rely on their own strength to spread their names far and wide across the continent, earning the reverence and admiration of others.
Back in the day, he had been exactly the same.
It was only with the passage of time, the accumulation of experience, and the natural maturation of his mindset that these desires gradually faded.
He wondered what the future held for these young men.
Suddenly, Yan remembered something and asked, "By the way, which sect are we challenging next? Where is our second stop?"
Ling Xiao turned his head to look at Yan, an intrigued expression playing on his features as he replied, "This time it isn't a sect. It's one of the Five Great Advanced Soul Master Academies of the Heaven Dou Empire—Blazing Academy."
**
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I have 100+ advanced chapter now on Patreon. I will post 5 advanced chapter on Patreon everyday except Sunday