Chapter 17: The First Soul Skill: Jiuxiao Long Yin
Lu Xuan stared at Qi Ling in disbelief as his attack was effortlessly blocked.
How could a mere one-ring spirit master, who hadn't even activated his martial spirit, stop his assault?
"Impossible! It has to be a coincidence!" Lu Xuan shouted, his voice tinged with desperation.
"How could you possibly block my attack?"
"Second Soul Skill, Shadow Hundred Claws!"
Lu Xuan unleashed his second soul skill, a fierce barrage of attacks that could launch hundreds of strikes in an instant. However, what made Lu Xuan's confidence crumble was the sight before him Qi Ling was moving as if he were weightless, effortlessly dodging every single one of Lu Xuan's attacks with just a few subtle movements.
Despite Lu Xuan's superior speed, he couldn't land a hit.
It was as if every time he struck, Qi Ling was already a step ahead, making the whole situation feel eerily unnatural.
Unbeknownst to Lu Xuan, this was due to Qi Ling's enhanced pupil power.
To him, Lu Xuan's attacks appeared as if they were in slow motion.
Combined with his ability to predict the future, Qi Ling could anticipate Lu Xuan's moves even before they happened, allowing him to avoid them with ease.
As Lu Xuan's relentless barrage finally ceased, he stood there, gasping for breath.
Qi Ling, with a calm smile, remarked, "Is that all you've got, Teacher Lu? You're already worn out, and I haven't even started."
"You clearly don't understand how to use a martial spirit! Let me show you,Martial Spirit Possession: Divine Dragon Emperor!"
With a roar, the dragon spirit enveloped Qi Ling, and this time, a yellow century-old spirit ring materialised around him.
As Lu Xuan observed Qi Ling's martial spirit, his expression darkened.
He knew Qi Ling's martial spirit was powerful, but why did it feel as though his own spirit power was being completely overwhelmed, despite Qi Ling being a one-ring spirit master?
"You're just a one-ring spirit master! What's the point of using your martial spirit?" Lu Xuan said, trying to sound calm.
"Even if you can dodge my attacks, you can't hit me! Can you keep up with the speed of an agility-type spirit master?"
With those words, Lu Xuan began to move rapidly around Qi Ling, fully utilising his speed advantage.
In his mind, as long as he maintained his speed, Qi Ling wouldn't be able to keep up, making him untouchable.
But Qi Ling simply watched Lu Xuan's rapid movements and shook his head with a smile.
"Teacher Lu, you're making a fundamental mistake. Physical capabilities can't always be directly compared!"
"Sure, I'm not as fast as you, but who says I need to be faster to defeat you?"
"First Soul Skill: Jiuxiao Long Yin!"
Seeing Qi Ling's stance, Tang San's expression changed drastically.
He quickly covered his ears, shouting, "No, Brother Qi is going to use that skill again!"
Xiao Wu, puzzled, asked, "What skill? Why are you covering your ears, Xiao San?"
"I don't have time to explain, Xiao Wu! Just cover your ears, now!" Tang San urged.
Although confused, Xiao Wu obediently covered her ears. The next moment, a melodious and powerful dragon's roar echoed from Qi Ling's mouth, reverberating through the air.
The majestic roar seemed to shake the very heavens, and every animal that heard it fell to the ground, trembling, too terrified to even look up.
Even the people in the vicinity were not spared they were left dizzy and disoriented, struggling to stay conscious under the overwhelming sound of the dragon's roar.
As for Lu Xuan, standing directly before Qi Ling, he was completely stunned, unable to move.
He could only watch helplessly as Qi Ling walked towards him, powerless to react.
This was the terrifying effect of Qi Ling's first soul skill: Jiuxiao Long Yin a forced stun that disregarded all conditions! No matter how high the opponent's spirit power, no matter how many spirit rings they had, or how strong their mental fortitude was, this ability couldn't be resisted. The only variables were the duration and severity of the stun.
No matter how fast an opponent might be, all their speed meant nothing if they were immobilised by a control skill, especially a forced stun.
As Qi Ling slowly approached, Lu Xuan's panic grew, but his body refused to respond.
He was utterly paralysed, trapped in his own fear.
Qi Ling said nothing, merely raising his fist with a smile.
He aimed it directly at Lu Xuan's face, the sound of the wind whistling through the air as his punch flew forward.
Lu Xuan could only close his eyes in terror, bracing for the pain that would surely break his nose.
But as the moment dragged on, he felt nothing.
Opening his eyes, Lu Xuan saw that Qi Ling's fist had stopped just millimetres from his nose.
"Haha, relax, Teacher, I would never hit you," Qi Ling said, laughing. "You're the teacher, after all!"
"We'll call this match a draw!"
With that, Qi Ling turned and walked away, leaving the arena without a backward glance at Lu Xuan.
As Lu Xuan finally recovered from the dizziness, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, his spirit possession fading away.
Seeing this, all the students erupted into cheers, "Boss Qi is mighty! Boss Qi is invincible!"
It was clear to everyone that Qi Ling had achieved a crushing victory but had shown mercy to save Lu Xuan from complete humiliation.
Surrounded like a hero, the students gathered around Qi Ling, escorting him off the playground with great fanfare.
"Wow, Qi Ling actually defeated Lu Xuan!" Xiao Wu said admiringly.
"And he did it so effortlessly how satisfying!"
"Indeed," Tang San agreed, nodding with respect. "Whether it's Brother Qi's strength or his final gesture of mercy, everything he did was flawless!"
"No wonder the teacher always tells me to learn from Brother Qi.
In many ways, I still have a long way to go to reach his level."
"Haha, let's head back," Xiao Wu said happily.
"After all the attention he got today, we should treat him to a great meal!"
Time flew by in the academy, and soon, a year had passed.
Wang Sheng and Boss Xiao had both gone to take the entrance exams for the Intermediate Spirit Master Academy, while the other students had returned home for the holidays.
Now, only Tang San, Qi Ling, and Xiao Wu remained in the dormitory for working students.
"Tomorrow the academy will be on vacation.
Brother Qi, Xiao Wu, aren't you two going home?" Tang San asked while packing his luggage.
Xiao Wu, lying on her bed with a forlorn expression, replied, "I'm not going home.
There's no one there, anyway,I might as well stay here at the academy."
Qi Ling also responded, "I have nowhere to go."
Unlike Tang San, who had a home to return to, Qi Ling had no place to call his own in this world.
From the moment she arrived here, the academy had been her only refuge.
Her previous life felt more like a distant dream, buried deep in his memory.
"I see," Tang San nodded thoughtfully.
After a moment, he suddenly suggested, "In that case, why don't both of you come home with me?"