Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

As he spoke, his gaze suddenly shifted, then locked onto the student with the White Bear Martial Soul not far away, and he once again took a heavy step and shot out.

"Boom! Boom!"

However, this time he failed. Two mud balls flew from not far away and intercepted him halfway, causing him to unconsciously change his trajectory slightly, and giving the students of the White Bear Martial Soul a chance.

Yan had already moved to the edge of the square, surrounded by a dense crowd. However, he still dared not linger, constantly moving to maintain the greatest possible distance from Lü Song. Then, he shouted at the student with the White Bear Martial Soul, "Why aren't you running yet?"

"Ah... oh oh..."

The man, as if waking from a dream, tried to escape, but unexpectedly, as he turned around, his back was wide open, giving Lü Song an opportunity. Lü Song naturally wouldn't let this chance pass; he pushed off the ground and sped up, catching up to him in just a few seconds.

"Go together."

Yan had already arrived beside the student with the Azure Wolf Martial Soul. Seeing the good opportunity he had created, he shouted and launched an attack. Tuoba Hong immediately responded and stepped forward, and the other two subconsciously followed and surrounded Lü Song.

"Oh!"

Lu Song grabbed the shoulder of the White Bear Martial Soul student and threw him forcefully. As expected, another student was eliminated. However, it was precisely because of this action that he exposed a moment when his old strength had just worn off and his new strength had not yet been generated. At this moment, the remaining four students, including Yan, had already surrounded him.

"You can create opportunities, but betraying your teammates like this is not a good habit."

Lu Song gave Yan a deep look, then firmly planted his feet and prepared to fight.

Lu Song's words did not cause Yan's expression to change in the slightest. While running, he suddenly slapped the back of the person with the Azure Wolf Martial Soul, and then threw him towards Lu Song.

Lu Song originally spun around to deal with the black panther spirit and Tuoba Hong's white-armored earth dragon first, as the two of them were faster and closer, and should arrive earlier.

However, just as he turned his head, he suddenly heard a rapid gust of wind behind him. He subconsciously turned his head and saw the Azure Wolf Martial Soul student being thrown over, almost inches away. A pair of sharp claws, shimmering in the breeze, fiercely grabbed at his back.

"Coincidence? It's their first time working together, how could they have such precise coordination?"

He was about to turn back to face the wolf's kiss again when he suddenly felt the whistling wind brought by the black panther rushing towards him. The panther in front and the wolf behind, the timing was so perfect, he could hardly believe that this was the first time they had worked together.

"Boom! Boom!"

Lu Song was caught in a pincer attack by the Black Panther and the Blue Wolf, and it seemed he was about to suffer a great loss. However, as a Soul Venerable who had experienced countless battles, he reacted very quickly. Instead of focusing on one direction, he raised his leg in a one-legged stance and then kicked out with a powerful spinning kick.

With two muffled thuds, the students of the Black Panther and Azure Wolf martial spirits were each sent flying. Although they didn't escape immediately, their condition was somewhat affected. However, by this point, Yan had already achieved his goal, and their usefulness was no longer significant.

As Lü Song stood on one leg, he suddenly felt his feet sink, and his center of gravity shifted, almost causing him to fall to the ground. He quickly looked down and then locked his gaze on Tuoba Hong.

All that could be seen was that where he landed on one foot, his entire foot had sunk into the ground, and it was unclear what was going on.

"Your control over earth element extends that far?"

Lu Song looked at Tuoba Hong with disbelief. He had dealt with powerful soul master families like the White Armor Earth Dragon within the Spirit Hall before, so he was naturally familiar with some of the characteristics of this kind of spirit.

The chubby boy, Tuoba Hong, hadn't acquired his first spirit ring, so his combat strength should be limited, which was what puzzled Lü Song. He was assigned to Class Three, clearly lacking the top-tier talent to control earth elements within a ten-meter radius, so why was he able to get caught in his trap?

However, he didn't have time to figure it out at that moment. Just as he humiliated himself by sinking one knee into the ground, two figures landed, rolled, and then rushed over again at an even faster speed.

Because he was momentarily caught off guard and didn't have time to finish off the attacker, the students of Black Panther and Blue Wolf Martial Soul had a chance to counterattack.

"You guys are still a bit too hasty."

Lu Song landed on his other foot to stabilize himself. Looking at the other two rushing towards him, he pushed off with his legs and twisted his waist to quickly pull his foot out of the ground. Then, his powerful soul force erupted instantly.

"Boom bang..."

The two students who charged forward were sent flying at an even faster speed. Even without using soul skills, a Soul Master's direct burst of power was not easy to withstand. This time, no miracle occurred; they were rendered unable to fight and eliminated.

"Boom!"

Just as Lü Song was about to make another move, a figure suddenly darted out from his blind spot, followed by a powerful burst of flames rushing towards his face.

Yan had arrived beside him without him noticing, and taking advantage of his momentary loss of footing, she launched a rapid and continuous attack.

Wisps of crimson flames escaped from his body, and the pale red outer flames moved with the wind, flowing like a lion's mane. Surrounded by flames, he resembled a god of fire, unleashing his power and ferocity.

Chapter 26 The Privilege of the Winner

"What's going on with this kid's attack?"

On the academy's playground, Lü Song, a Soul Master, retreated repeatedly. Faced with Yan's rapid punches and kicks, he was unable to defend himself for a moment.

Weapon Soul Masters excel at close combat, but that's when they wield a weapon spirit. In order to reduce the difficulty of the students' assessment, Lü Song voluntarily gave up using weapon spirits and fought against the students' combined attacks with his fists and feet.

This wouldn't have been a big deal. A three-ring Soul Master against a group of Soul Masters who didn't even have Soul Rings was basically a crushing defeat. But he didn't expect to run into an anomaly like Yan.

Flame is inherently one of the most destructive energy attributes, not to mention that Yan's martial soul has undergone an evolution, and after releasing the martial soul, it can set the body surface on fire from all directions without any blind spots. For Lü Song, he is a hot potato that is difficult to handle.

The Soul Master of the Three Rings is indeed powerful, but weapon spirits are inherently less resistant to energy attacks such as fire and ice. Moreover, he has not yet used his weapon spirit. Although his body is covered with soul power, his magic resistance is only slightly higher than that of an ordinary person, and he cannot withstand the burning of flames that are at least thousands of degrees.

Therefore, in the current situation, Lü Song dared not take Yan's attack head-on. He could only dodge and retreat to try to regroup. However, Yan's attacks were too dense and each one was perfectly timed, keeping him firmly under control. He could only keep retreating and trying to find an opportunity.

"You have no chance."

Lu Song retreated continuously, his breathing becoming rapid. Looking at the child in front of him who was no more than six years old, he felt an immense pressure. Suddenly, Yan spoke coldly from the other side, and Lu Song was startled, momentarily losing his composure.

"Oh!"

He stepped back again, but missed his foot, and his entire foot and knee sank into the mud. At that moment, Yan's hand, wreathed in flames, grabbed him.

In a moment of panic, Lü Song instinctively pushed off with his other foot, leaping out of the ground to narrowly avoid Yan's grab, using the recoil to retreat.

"Oh!"

However, something unexpected happened again. The moment his back hit the ground, he suddenly felt a sense of relief, and then he felt himself fall to the ground, where, for some reason, there was another large crater.

As Lü Song fell into the pit and was about to get up, he found himself surrounded by mud, leaving him nowhere to grab hold. At that moment, two claws attacked from behind, and it was none other than the chubby little boy Tuoba Hong, who had kept his distance from him from the beginning.

The claws of the White Armor Earth Dragon Martial Soul could inflict considerable damage if they landed on him. Lu Song quickly turned and flipped over to narrowly avoid it, but before he could even catch his breath, a burst of flames rapidly spread across his face.

At this critical moment, he finally couldn't hold back any longer. He closed his eyes and fell backward, while simultaneously raising his right hand. The scythe spirit that was originally stuck in the ground shot out quickly and arrived in his hand in an instant.

While weapon-type martial souls do not provide the same enhancement to the body as beast-type martial souls, they possess effects similar to natal magical artifacts in the world of cultivation. They can be moved at will and even briefly manipulate objects for combat, and can protect their master in times of crisis.

With his scythe in hand, Lü Song's aura changed instantly. However, Yan had already pulled the chubby boy away from the spot, and the flames on his body went out, as if nothing had happened.

"Teacher, is this test over?"

When Lü Song stormed out of the pit, filled with rage, he heard Yan's words that poured cold water on his anger, forcing him to calm down.

"What...what happened here? Why are there so many holes in the playground..."

Lu Song hesitated for a moment before asking, pointing to the crater in the ground and looking at Tuoba Hong beside Yan. He was furious at being tricked by a group of students and beaten so humiliatingly, and he wanted to figure out exactly how he lost.

"This... teacher, this was a trap I set, but I don't know why you fell into it..."

After glancing at Yan, Tuoba Hong replied, "To be honest, when Yan asked him to manipulate the soil underground to move and form a hollow trap, I was full of doubts because I couldn't think of any way to get Lü Song to step on it. However, in reality, Lü Song not only stepped on it, but also fell into the largest trap."

Even now, he's still a bit bewildered. This battle was won in a rather confusing way. It feels like Lu Song was completely led by the nose by Yan. Is this boss he just casually recognized really that powerful?

How did you do that?

Unable to get any information from Tuoba Hong, Lü Song could only look at Yan. Recalling the battle just now, he was still shaken. From the moment Yan made his move until the end, he, a three-ring Soul Master, was forced into a trap step by step and was completely at a disadvantage. This was simply unbelievable.

"I anticipated your actions and then guided you to act in the direction I planned. It's that simple."

When Yan was asked a question by Lü Song, he simply replied with a perfunctory answer. However, it was the truth. By observing Lü Song's various data, such as his height, weight, and foot width, he calculated the pressure when Lü Song landed with both feet on the ground and the pressure when he landed with one foot on the ground.

As for where this guy landed, it was naturally obtained by betraying his teammates. Yan initially hid and didn't show his face, letting those four cannon fodder be dealt with first. At least he provided some data on Lü Song's actions, which allowed him to complete the complete puzzle of the plan.

The first place where Lü Song's foot sank was a trap with varying pressure; the subsequent traps were all different, but he had considered them all, which allowed him to gradually force the three-ring Soul Master into a dangerous situation. Of course, explaining in detail would be too troublesome, so he just gave that casual reply.

"You say you predicted my actions? That's impossible."

Lu Song was filled with disbelief. Although it might be true, it was too surreal for a battle-hardened three-ring Soul Master like himself to be outmaneuvered by a child. He preferred to believe it was just a coincidence.

Yan coldly replied, "Is it difficult to predict your actions? Don't overestimate yourself. There was once an evil soul master who thought I was a rat he could crush at will, and then he died. Now that I've passed the test, you probably have nothing more to say. If there's nothing else, I'd like to take my leave."

After saying these words, Yan shook off his shiny red clothes and straightened them. Then he turned and walked leisurely to the shade of a tree in a corner of the playground. He didn't have time to waste with this teacher. Wouldn't it be better to spend that time reading a couple more books?

"Alright, what are you looking at? If you were as good as him, you wouldn't be able to slack off either. Now, let's continue the assessment. Your group, get ready to begin."

Yan's departure infuriated Lü Song, who saw the troublemaker, but he had no reason to lash out. He could only vent his anger on a group of students who were still watching the commotion. His sudden shout startled the children, and the unfortunate second group, who were targeted, were brutally beaten under everyone's watchful eyes.

Chapter 27 My Little Brother's Thoughts

"Brother Yan, how did you predict Teacher Lü Song's actions? You're amazing!"

Under the shade of the trees on the school playground, Yan was reading a book when Tuoba Hong followed, looking at him with a face full of flattery and admiration.

"It's hard to change a person's habits. You can roughly predict their personality and choices in different situations from their actions. And the pressure is different when standing in the same position with one foot versus two feet. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Yan looked up and explained briefly. Sure enough, the chubby boy's round face was full of confusion. He shrugged, looking rather disheartened, and stared at the guy in front of him and said in a deep voice, "You said before that you wanted to team up with me to pass the practical test, and now you've passed the test."

"So, tell me, what are you up to by being so attentive to me? I want the truth, and you'd better tell me the truth too."

Yan kept smiling as he said this. Several little girls who were peeking at him from a distance reacted strongly to his smiling face, turning their heads away with red faces. However, Tuoba Hong, who was standing in front of him, had a different feeling. His legs trembled involuntarily, and a chill ran down his back. He felt as if he was being stared at by some ferocious beast.

"To be honest."

Yan spoke again, his eyes filled with cold scrutiny, and said indifferently, "You know I'm not easily fooled, and I dislike being deceived. I don't think you'd be willing to try my methods. Let me tell you, I've killed people before. Do you know what it feels like to kill someone?"

"Yan, Boss Yan, you must be joking."

Tuoba Hong forced a smile. Yan's gaze swept over him again, and he shuddered and hurriedly said, "Boss, I'll talk, I'll talk... I confess. I approached you and wanted to be your friend."

Part of the reason is that I sensed the power of your martial spirit, and that made me curious. Of course, the most important thing is, I just want to ask, boss, where do you get your food from every day? Could you tell me? I'm a real foodie.

"Food?"

Yan was taken aback by the answer. Based on the feedback from the AI, he could basically conclude that the chubby boy was telling the truth, and that the latter reason was the key to his approach.

This left him both amused and exasperated. He had thought the chubby boy had some ulterior motive or other idea, but it turned out he was just after a bite to eat, just for this, to become someone's lackey?

Yan sized up Tuoba Hong again. He had a very round figure, with fat almost all over his body, and his mouth was practically watering when he talked about food. Well, he was definitely a glutton. In his previous life, he had met a few gluttons like this. They would recognize someone as a follower just for a bite to eat. That made sense.

"I brought these from home; you can't buy them outside."

Yan found the guy much more agreeable after that, and patted the meadow beside him. "Come, come, sit down, let's talk!"

"I knew it. I've basically explored all of Wuhun City, but I haven't found any food with that unique aroma."

After telling the truth, Tuoba Hong relaxed and sat down next to Yan, letting out a long breath. He had really been startled just now.

"Your soul power is progressing well. In a few more months, you should be able to break through to level 10 by the end of the year. Have you thought about what kind of soul ring you want to acquire?"

Yan patted Tuoba Hong on the shoulder, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. Without the fat man noticing, he had roughly figured out his background and even made a rough estimate of the other party's soul power level and progress.

Tuoba Hong scratched his head. "I haven't decided yet, but our White Armor Earth Dragon Clan has a long history, and when it comes to choosing a soul ring, we basically listen to our elders."

"The best choice should be an earth-attribute soul beast with dragon blood. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan is like that. Every soul ring they choose is related to the dragon race, constantly stimulating the dragon blood in their bodies to undergo dragon transformation, and finally transforming into a true dragon."