Chapter 105: The Arrogant Yan
On the other side, Xie Yue and Hu Liena arrived at a small villa where Yan was waiting.
"Captain, I've just received notice from Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
They've arranged a duel for me in three days against Dugu Feng of the Dugu family—the strongest student in the academy.
Once I defeat him, I'll have trampled all of Heaven Dou Empire's so-called prodigies beneath my feet!"
Sitting leisurely on the sofa, Yan swirled a glass of red wine as he spoke with confidence.
"This time, you'll be the one stealing the spotlight," Xie Yue said with a faint smile.
"Well, you two are both stronger than me," Yan said coolly. "You're the secret weapons for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Tournament two years from now. Having you fight now would be a waste of talent."
He said it casually, though his eyes kept drifting toward Hu Liena.
Xie Yue sat down beside him. "We just encountered Dugu Feng," he said. "His soul power is significantly lower than yours. The only thing to be cautious about is his poison.
According to Spirit Hall's records, Dugu Feng has quite the dueling history.
He's fought matches within the academy—against the Feng brothers, Yu Tianheng—as well as on the public arenas against opponents like Black Sky of the Black Tiger Sect and Zhu Zhuqing of the Zhu Clan.
Every single one of those ended in victory.
He defeated Yu Tianheng across a major rank gap, which revealed that his second spirit ring was a thousand-year ring—an extraordinary feat.
Within Spirit Hall's records, that's the first instance of a thousand-year second ring.
That alone proves his body's endurance is top-tier.
His main technique releases a purple toxin from both hands, fast and sharp as blades.
Yan, if you don't finish the fight quickly, once his poison fills the arena, you might stumble badly."
Xie Yue might have sounded disdainful outside the academy, but in truth, he knew Dugu Feng's details inside and out—even the nuances of his techniques.
"Brother, you missed something," Hu Liena added softly. "All his duels took place before he became a Soul Elder. No one knows what his third soul skill is."
Yan gave a proud smirk. "Captain, Nana, what you say is all true, but aren't you giving him too much credit?
He's keeping his third ring a secret, fine—but I haven't revealed my fourth either.
The best way to deal with a poison master is to not give him a chance to spread poison at all.
Once the match begins, I'll unleash a storm of attacks and knock him straight off the stage."
He rose to his feet. Because of his spirit, his eyes glowed red, and at that moment they blazed with wild arrogance.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena exchanged a look but didn't argue.
They only reminded him out of care for the Pope's grand plan—so he wouldn't get carried away.
The Pope had sent Yan to Heaven Dou City to demonstrate Spirit Hall's power and crush the Empire's younger generation, showcasing to all spirit masters that Spirit Hall was the true sanctum of strength.
That was the Pope's goal—failure was not an option.
Their caution came purely from the importance of this mission, not because they genuinely feared Dugu Feng.
After all, the gap in their soul power exceeded ten levels. Even with a thousand-year second ring, Dugu Feng stood no real chance against a level 48 Soul Master.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At last, Dugu Feng arrived at the arena—only to freeze in shock.
"This is enormous!"
No wonder they delayed the match by three days—the entire dueling platform had been newly constructed, now triple its former size.
An open-air stage, one hundred meters across.
The Academy's three commissioners had truly put thought into this—though Dugu Feng could sense the underlying malice toward Yan behind their generosity.
Yan's martial spirit, the Flame Lord, was dual-affinity with earth and fire—neither of which aligned with speed.
A large arena favored a poison master, giving Dugu Feng ample room to spread toxins.
Still, he shook his head. This wasn't how he preferred to fight—but the academy's reasoning was obvious: they wanted a win.
He represented Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, after all—their final hope.
On the northern side of the arena stood rows of spectator seats, packed with people.
Among them, Dugu Feng spotted a familiar face.
"Brother Xue, you're here too!"
He moved quickly toward Qian Renxue, who regarded him with calm, thoughtful eyes that held a trace of admiration.
"Brother Feng, your duel has captivated the entire city. You represent the Heaven Dou Empire—how could I not come?
You're facing Yan of Spirit Hall, twelve levels above you. Just standing here to fight is already a victory. Don't pressure yourself too much."
Her tone was gentle and full of encouragement.
Dugu Feng, staring toward the stage, replied firmly, "Brother Xue, don't worry.
If battles were decided only by comparing spirit levels, we might as well call out our ranks and declare the result without fighting.
As a soul master, my pursuit is to win every fight with my own strength."
Resolute, he turned and stepped onto the arena.
Qian Renxue watched his back as he walked away, appreciation flickering in her golden eyes. Why isn't someone like him part of Spirit Hall?
Across the stage, Yan walked up as well, his fiery red hair cascading behind him, exuding wild confidence.
"Go ahead and strike—I'll show you the difference between us!"
Without waiting for a referee, he spoke arrogantly and arrogantly raised his energy.
This duel, watched by the entire city, was his stage to crush Dugu Feng completely, to glorify Spirit Hall's power.
Dugu Feng's eyes flared violet.
The Dugu family's honor mattered too. He would make their name known among the top sects.
This duel would mark the beginning of the Dugu clan's rise.
"Please!"
He shouted powerfully, his aura bursting out in waves—the kind earned through countless victories, the kind that looked down on all foes.
That force instantly shattered Yan's notion of poison masters as mere tricksters.
He had expected Dugu Feng to dart around the edges of the arena, spreading clouds of lethal toxins.
That was the image he'd built in his mind.
But reality wasn't so simple.
In a blink, Dugu Feng entered Martial Spirit Possession. Three spirit rings—yellow, purple, purple—rose around him.
Purple mist began to radiate from both his hands—the third stage of his Jade Phosphor Purple Poison, spreading toxins through every pore, though for now he could only channel it through his hands.
The violet haze shimmered faintly as it enveloped his whole body.
Step by step, he approached Yan—not fast, but utterly unyielding.
"Flame Rock!"
Yan activated his second soul skill. Dark-red fire flared up, his clothes shredded, and muscles bulged like solid granite as his form expanded to over three meters tall.
He looked much like an Elephant Armor Sect soul master—his defense monstrous.
With his defense in place, he grinned. "It's over, Dugu Feng!"
Four rings rose around him, and the fourth shone brightly.
He had no intention of testing or probing. Whatever tricks Dugu Feng had, Yan would end it with sheer overwhelming power—blasting him right off the arena.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10