"Nine Treasures, Glazed Light—First, Speed! Second, Strength! Fourth, Soul!"
Ning Tian's voice rang out as her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda hovered in her hand, glowing with radiant, multicolored light. Her first, second, and fourth soul rings lit up simultaneously. Beams of light surged from the pagoda and entered Chen Junting's body.
At the same time, Chen Junting activated his first two enhancement soul skills. A surge of soul power flooded through him—his aura rising sharply.
"Shua—!"
A wave of sword energy tore across the forest floor, heading straight for Chen Zifeng.
But Zifeng didn't dodge. With a calm expression, he activated his first and second soul skills. His Soulchaser Sword flashed blood-red, meeting the sword wave head-on.
The clash triggered a violent ripple of energy. Like blades of wind, the shockwave shredded the nearby leaves and branches into fine dust.
Chen Junting narrowed his eyes. "What a pity. It's not the time for a duel yet."
Without hesitation, he slashed again. Seven streaks of sword light arced around Chen Zifeng, boxing him in.
Support arrived.
From the rear, Xiao Xiao and Cao Jinxuan unleashed their soul skills. Soundwaves—inaudible but powerful—slipped past Junting and struck Zifeng, slowing both his body and the flow of time around him.
Boom—!
Three massive Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons materialized behind him. The impact twisted the air, shaking the ground within a ten-meter radius.
From the flanks, Wang Dong and Dai Huabin—having dealt with Gong Yangmo—struck with precision.
Wang Dong's wings turned razor-sharp, glowing gold, as he slashed in from the left. On the right, Dai Huabin, using White Tiger Vajra Transformation, pounced—claws extended and glinting.
Just then, Ning Tian's fourth amplification landed on the trio, boosting their attacks by 50%.
Faced with this combined assault, Chen Zifeng released two slashes of blood-red sword qi, cutting down Junting's sword arcs. Then, spotting a brief opening, he lunged at the Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons.
But they were ready.
Xiao Xiao, timing his reaction perfectly, recalled her martial soul. Zifeng's slash hit nothing but air. In that fleeting moment when his strength dipped—
Boom!
The Three Cauldrons merged into one. Her second soul skill activated, releasing a ripple of dark energy that slammed into Zifeng's chest and sword at once.
That was the cue.
Wounds exploded across Chen Zifeng's body as four attacks landed in perfect unison. Blood sprayed into the air. His knees buckled. He was badly hurt.
Struggling to rise—
"Shua—!"
Chen Junting's blade struck, knocking the Soulchaser Sword out of Zifeng's grasp.
He looked up slowly—only to see his martial soul gripped by the hand of the junior who wielded the Seven Killings Sword.
"You've lost, senior."
Calm and composed, Chen Junting pressed the crystalline Seven Killings Sword against Zifeng's chest. With a flick, he dislodged the Inner Court badge,which spun once in the air before landing in Ning Tian's hand.
Zifeng exhaled deeply. "Yeah… I lost."
He never expected to be defeated like this—overwhelmed by second-year juniors. Granted, it wasn't just him. Gong Yangmo was also captured.
He glanced to the side—
Gong Yangmo was tied up like a dumpling, light ropes binding his limbs. His badge had already been stripped, and a junior Great Soul Master had him by the collar.
If he'd had Gong Yangmo's amplification... maybe he could've lasted.
Noticing Zifeng's stare, Gong Yangmo quickly looked innocent. "Don't give me that look! I got ambushed by their soul tools! I'm support, remember?"
Zifeng shuddered. "You are seriously disgusting sometimes."
Cough.
Chen Junting cleared his throat, drawing their attention. His smile was casual—but sharp.
"Two seniors... you wouldn't want to be the only ones who end up embarrassed in the final assessment, right?"
The two Inner Court students exchanged glances.
And immediately understood.
Faced with this "suggestion," they didn't even argue. They shared everything they knew about their teammates.
Because Chen Junting was right—
If anyone was going down, they weren't going down alone.
---
Meanwhile.
In a nearby tree, a towering man stood motionless on a thick branch. His presence was heavy, but strangely the branch didn't bend.
This was Zhao Gang—a battle instructor assigned to observe.
He'd seen it all.
"Those two got careless," he muttered. "Walked right into a trap."
Then he frowned. "But the deciding factor wasn't strength—it was soul tools. Looks like... it's time we start taking those seriously."
He rubbed his chin in thought.
It was the first time he'd truly respected soul tool tactics.
But the moment passed. He looked off into the forest, eyes narrowing.
"Let's see how far they can go. If the Inner Court students don't shake off their arrogance, they'll be picked off one by one."
---
Elsewhere in the forest.
Leaves crunched underfoot as five figures sprinted across the forest floor, their formation tight and pace relentless.
"Huo Yuhao, how long are we going to keep running?"
Wu Feng's voice was edged with frustration. Her fiery temper was burning. Two powerful soul masters were closing in behind them—and she hated feeling hunted.
Just fifteen minutes earlier, their group had encountered two Inner Court seniors. Even with Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection, they'd been spotted. Xie Huanyue and another teammate stayed behind to buy time. The rest escaped—but barely.
And escape felt like being toyed with.
One of the seniors was an Agility-Type Soul Master, and they were clearly toying with their prey.
Just then, Yuhao's expression changed. His eyes lit up.
"Found it!"
A sudden voice called out from ahead—
"Found me?"
The team froze.
In front of them, a flash of lightning shot through the undergrowth. A dark-skinned girl with lightning surging from her limbs stepped out. Her vertical pupils glowed with predatory focus.
Xixi.
Agility-type. Inner Court. Deadly fast.
"You're surrounded."
Rustle.
Behind them, a figure stepped from the brush. Wang Lian, holding a Level 5 soul tool longsword, blocked their retreat.
But Yuhao only smiled.
"No... you're surrounded."
That smirk sent alarms blaring in the seniors' minds. Wang Lian scanned the area—
"Ah—!"
Xixi screamed.
In an instant, an electro-net slammed over her body. Arcs of electricity danced across her skin. Her face twisted—not in pain, but a mix of rage and surprise.
As she struggled, the net contracted.
Her speed—usually unstoppable—was useless.
---
(End of Chapter)
---
My Stones...