Chapter 187: Do You Think I'll Lose?
All five of them had attacked together, yet none managed to bring him down.
No—it felt as though he was still holding back. Otherwise, they might not have been able to stand against him at all.
"The Mountain Dragon King martial soul really is absurd!"
Truly, he stood unmoved—immovable as a mountain.
"As long as you understand," Long Yue replied calmly.
Just then, a girl's sharp voice rang from outside the training ground.
"Shrek Academy student Ye Xinglan—requesting a fair duel!"
Everyone inside exchanged bewildered looks.
Ye Zhi tilted her head. "Ye Xinglan? Who's that? Why's she here to challenge us?"
Dai Lingyu raised her hand. "I know her! She fought with us at the Tianhai Tournament. She's really strong."
"Strong enough to lose with you, you mean?" Dai Yueyan teased with a smirk.
"Fourth Brother!" Dai Lingyu snapped, instantly annoyed.
"Hmph, I suppose she's upset because the academy selected us for the exchange with Douluo University," Dai Yueyan said lazily.
"Though, well… the way our slots were decided…"
As a princess of Star Luo, Dai Lingyu was no fool—her political instincts were sharp.
And honestly, Shrek's decision to handpick participants without a fair test did seem questionable.
It shattered a bit of the idealized image she'd held of the academy.
"Why don't you go test her, then?" she suggested mischievously. "If she beats you, your spot's hers."
Her tone was sweet, but her eyes were gleaming—clearly stirring trouble for her brother.
After all, she'd once fought alongside Ye Xinglan and knew exactly how strong that girl was.
"Oh? You think I'd lose?"
"Fine. Let's see for ourselves."
"Wait—you're really going? What if you lose? You'd lose the qualification and that… other thing, remember?"
Dai Lingyu's teasing tone suddenly faltered. Losing a fight was one thing—but if her brother lost that, it would be a serious problem, one he couldn't easily explain.
"You think I'll lose?" he challenged, smirking.
"I want to see what makes this Ye Xinglan so fierce."
When Dai Yueyan stepped onto the field and saw Ye Xinglan standing tall with her sword in hand, his eyes lit up.
She was, unexpectedly, quite beautiful.
"What brings you here?"
Ye Xinglan gripped her Star God Sword, speaking every word with steel in her voice.
"I want fairness!"
Dai Yueyan nearly laughed aloud. Fairness?
"So that's what this is about? The exchange to Douluo University? Fine—defeat me, and the slot is yours."
At once, Ye Xinglan's expression sharpened to perfect focus.
Circles of purple light rose beneath her—the gleam of four radiant soul rings.
Four rings, all purple. A Soul Ancestor, with advanced rings beyond her level.
"First Soul Skill—Sword Star God!"
"Good! Come!"
Dai Yueyan's first soul ring blazed in response. A shimmering white energy shield spread across his body.
His golden hair turned pure white, fur rising, muscles expanding.
Martial Soul: White Tiger.
The Star Luo Empire had always worshipped personal combat power. It was why he, among the countless princes, had risen above all others—why the fourth prince was now crown heir, the future emperor of Star Luo.
Within Monster Academy, his strength ranked just beneath Long Yue's.
Boom!
The white tiger's claws met the Star God Sword with a thunderous clash, condensed soul power bursting outward in waves of pressure.
Neither gave ground. Their attacks collided like lightning, both springing back evenly matched.
Ye Xinglan's eyes shimmered, but soon calmed—same level, same number of rings. She would not lose.
This time, she would win—dominate, prove herself worthy through sheer strength!
"Second Soul Skill—Sword God Net!"
She wove her sword's energy into flashing threads of light, forming a net of gleaming blades that surged toward her opponent.
"Second Soul Skill—White Tiger Light Wave!"
Their soul skills collided again, bursting into a storm of wind and energy. Waves of force rippled outward with each impact.
As they fought, Dai Yueyan's confidence began to waver. He prided himself on the divine lineage of his White Tiger martial soul—raw power greater than most.
He'd thought himself second only to Long Yue at Monster Academy.
Never had he dreamed that this girl could fight him on equal terms—perhaps even surpass him through sheer will.
No—she wasn't merely equal. She fought like someone with nothing left to lose.
Every attack was a trade of injury for injury. She never blocked, never retreated.
Sure, his strength was mightier—but she wielded a sword.
Wounds for wounds, strike for strike—minutes passed in violent exchange, both bleeding and battered.
For the first time, Dai Yueyan felt panic rising.
Could he actually lose?
No. Impossible.
He couldn't allow that outcome—not here, not now.
Bracing his stance, he roared, launching into his trump card.
"Third Soul Skill—White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
His body grew a full size taller, the black-and-white fur turning dazzling gold.
His pupils gleamed brighter, and the golden 王 sigil blazed on his forehead as his aura skyrocketed.
The transformation drastically boosted all his attributes—at the cost of draining his soul power rapidly.
But no matter. He only needed to win.
Step by step, his momentum built as he advanced like a golden juggernaut.
Ye Xinglan inhaled deeply but did not back down.
"Stars… Fall!"
Beam after beam of sword light rained down, but she couldn't halt his approach.
He pressed forward relentlessly, golden claws slashing through the shockwaves.
Three-foot blades of energy extended from his tiger claws as he swung them with supreme confidence.
This was his strongest state—the White Tiger's defensive aura layered with Vajra transformation, his strength and resistance peaking.
Even his breath unleashed flashes of destructive White Tiger Light Waves.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each impact shook the ground and sent shockwaves through the training arena.
"I'd say… that girl's about to lose," Ye Zhi commented lightly. No one could stand against Dai Yueyan in this form.
Long Yue's expression darkened. "No. He's the one who might lose."
Because even now, despite Dai Yueyan's composed appearance, Ye Xinglan had not faltered.
Her eyes blazed with defiance.
I will prove my strength.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Sword Star Rain!"
All her previous strikes—every clash and every feint—had been to prepare this one attack.
So what if he hid behind his White Tiger Shield and Vajra Transformation?
She would defeat him at his strongest!
Kicking off the ground, Ye Xinglan leaped high into the sky, her figure radiant and divine, like a goddess born of starlight.
From above, her voice rang out, clear and commanding.
"Falling Stars!"
Instantly, the heavens ignited—a rain of blazing stars cascaded downward, blanketing the arena in dazzling light.
Dai Yueyan froze in place for a single stunned second, staring up at the overwhelming barrage that left no room to dodge.
"This... this can't be! How could a mere four-ring Soul Ancestor unleash such power!?"
It was almost impossible. The technique's scale and intensity should have far exceeded her realm—an ability beyond her level entirely.
But the reality was undeniable.
There was nowhere left to run.
"Fine then!" he roared. "I'll take it head-on!"
"Come, then!"
"I—Dai Yueyan—won't lose!"
(END CHAPTER)
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