Chapter Thirty: Battle of Soul Power

Hearing Nie Li's words, Chen Linjian and the others who were watching couldn't help but chuckle.

If Chu Yuan had taken Nie Li seriously as an opponent from the very beginning, things wouldn't have turned out so disastrously for him now. But Chu Yuan had been so arrogant, hands clasped behind his back, offering to let Nie Li have three moves—only to be knocked flat before even one. He'd tried to look cool and ended up looking like a fool. It was a brutal lesson.

Ye Ziyun glanced at Nie Li's utterly harmless expression and couldn't help but smile. Nie Li was truly wicked!

After a good while, Chu Yuan finally managed to climb back to his feet. His face was ashen, the muscles on it twitching constantly, clearly showing he was fighting back intense pain. The laughter from the crowd around them sounded especially grating to Chu Yuan's ears. A cold, murderous intent flickered in his eyes: "You asked for this! I'm going to kill you!"

Chu Yuan suddenly leaped forward, launching a whip kick at Nie Li. Only after reaching the Silver rank and subduing a Demon Spirit could one truly practice combat techniques, but as a member of a prominent family, Chu Yuan had learned some superficial moves. This whip kick was adapted from the Wind Spin Kick technique of his family.

Chu Yuan's kick came with a whistling sound through the air.

Nie Li naturally wouldn't try to match Chu Yuan's physical strength head-on. He shifted his body slightly, letting Chu Yuan's kick whistle past his cheek. Then, he executed a high kick aimed straight at Chu Yuan's chin.

Although Nie Li's raw strength was inferior to Chu Yuan's, his execution of combat techniques—the precision of his movements and his grasp of fighting opportunities—was far superior. Moreover, he targeted the blind spots of vision.

Seeing this, Chen Linjian raised an eyebrow slightly. This kid Nie Li really was an anomaly. At only thirteen years old, he already understood so much about runic patterns, and he was also highly proficient in combat techniques. Nie Li's attacks might look simple, but they were actually incredibly sharp and aggressive. If Chen Linjian himself were in Chu Yuan's position, he doubted he could have reacted in time either. It was hard to imagine how powerful Nie Li would become once he reached the Silver rank and fused with a Demon Spirit.

Chu Yuan suddenly felt his target vanish from sight, a jolt of alarm shooting through his heart. The next instant, a searing pain exploded from his chin, and his entire body was sent flying five or six meters through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.

The surroundings fell deathly silent—you could have heard a pin drop.

"What just happened?"

When Nie Li had first knocked Chu Yuan flat with an elbow strike, everyone had assumed Chu Yuan was simply too careless and got caught off guard. If Chu Yuan got serious, Nie Li wouldn't stand a chance. But contrary to everyone's expectations, when Chu Yuan attacked on his own initiative, Nie Li had once again dispatched him with just one move.

If the first time could be explained as luck, did two consecutive defeats mean it was still just luck?

Everyone stared in stunned silence at the youth before them, whose features still held a hint of immaturity. The sharp, dominating aura emanating from Nie Li was nothing like what you'd expect from a thirteen-year-old.

Huyan Lanruo watched Nie Li's back, her bright eyes shimmering with a strange, captivating light.

"It seems Big Sister still underestimated you!" Huyan Lanruo's gorgeous red lips parted slightly, her voice carrying an indescribable sensuality.

Nie Li was shrouded in far too many secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Ye Ziyun was also momentarily surprised, but quickly accepted it. The Nine Revolutions Ice Phoenix Art that Nie Li had taught her was far more powerful than any cultivation method she had ever seen. It stood to reason that Nie Li himself practiced even more formidable techniques. Overcoming a higher-level opponent shouldn't be too difficult for him.

Seeing Chu Yuan sent flying, Shen Yue clenched his fists tightly, his nails nearly digging into his flesh. Nie Li was far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined!

Having been knocked flat twice in a row, Chu Yuan felt a profound sense of humiliation. He was a Bronze Three Star Demon Spirit Master, and his raw physical strength alone was comparable to the Bronze One Star level. Yet Nie Li hadn't even reached the Bronze One Star rank!

He could sense that Nie Li's physical strength wasn't great—it was significantly weaker than his own!

But he had lost. Lost so inexplicably. Lost so shamefully!

Chu Yuan stared fixedly at Nie Li, his eyes bloodshot. His Soul Sea churned violently, and his Soul Power surged forth, erupting from his body.

Before fusing with a Demon Spirit, Soul Power didn't have many offensive applications. The main method was to bombard the opponent's Soul Sea with one's own.

Chu Yuan's Soul Power had reached 376, not far from the Bronze Four Star level. If he forcibly poured all of his Soul Power into the opponent's Soul Sea, there was a high chance it would cause the Soul Sea to rupture. If a Soul Sea ruptured, that person would be cut off from becoming a Demon Spirit Master for life! Without a Soul Sea, it was impossible to cultivate Soul Power!

The City of Radiance constantly faced threats from Demon Beasts, so the Demon Spirit Masters generally maintained solidarity and avoided killing each other. Even in duels, they rarely went so far.

But the current Chu Yuan couldn't care less about any of that!

"Die!" Chu Yuan's eyes blazed with ferocity, a vicious grin twisting his face. His Soul Power, like a tidal wave, crashed towards Nie Li's Soul Sea.

"Chu Yuan, stop!" Huyan Lanruo cried out, her voice trembling with alarm. Chu Yuan was truly planning to go for the kill! If Nie Li's Soul Sea ruptured, he would become a cripple!

Ye Ziyun's face also turned pale. Although she had previously said she wouldn't mind seeing Nie Li get beaten up, now that he was actually in danger, she felt intensely concerned—concern that was, admittedly, just that of a friend.

With Chu Yuan's level of Soul Power, he could easily crush Nie Li!

Chen Linjian stared intently at Nie Li. What would Nie Li do next? After all, Nie Li had challenged Chu Yuan himself; he surely had some kind of backup plan.