Chapter 42 Injuring Flander, Strength Approaching the Soul Emperor_1

"Too late." A drawn-out voice rose from behind Flender, startling him.

Before he could react, a crimson sword light slashed directly towards his back.

"Hiss, this fast?" Flender couldn't help exclaiming in horror. He had only been slightly distracted by the uniqueness of Xu Ran's Soul Rings for a moment, not expecting that Xu Ran would directly reach behind him in such a short amount of time. Moreover, the power of this sword strike was beyond his expectations.

This made him involuntarily alarmed.

Xu Ran's strength was far greater than he had imagined. With such strength and tricky attack methods, even a common Soul Emperor here might face defeat. This level of combat power simply shouldn't be possessed by a Soul Elder.

What even Xu Ran himself didn't know was that his power was not limited to the Soul King level he estimated. His true combat power was not much less than that of a Soul Master who had just made a breakthrough to Soul Emperor. After all, Xu Ran had only just arrived on the Continent and was unfamiliar with the combat power expected at each level.

He underestimated his own strength and overestimated that of a Soul King.

His strongest individual attack soul skill, Blood Kill, after the Soul Ring had reached over three thousand years of age, sky-rocketed his power directly. The attack power of Blood Kill was definitely on par with that of a Soul Emperor.

Such formidable attack power, appearing so suddenly, made Flender dare not to be negligent.

Flender's second Soul Skill flashed, and his arm instantly transformed into a pair of wings, his speed soaring in that moment. His Martial Soul, the Four-eyed Cat Hawk, was a powerful agility-type Martial Soul; as a Soul Sage, his speed was naturally terrifyingly fast.

But at such a short distance, that slash of blood-red sword light was still inevitable, grazing his arm. A fine line of blood emerged, which Flender quickly concealed.

Flender's gaze towards Xu Ran changed in an instant.

He was well aware of the caliber of prodigy standing before him!

A level 32 Soul Elder had actually injured him, even with his Martial Soul unleashed. How could he not be shocked? If he told Zhao Wuji and the others about this, they probably wouldn't believe it either. A Soul Elder possessing such terrifying strength.

Although Xu Ran was able to injure him due to many reasons. The distance between them was less than ten meters, and he was so stunned by Xu Ran's three purple Soul Rings that Xu Ran caught him off-guard with a surprise attack from behind.

But regardless of the reasons, Xu Ran's true fighting power was enough to compare with a Soul Emperor.

If it weren't for his formidable strength, no matter how distracted he was, no matter how close their distance, Xu Ran wouldn't have been able to injure him.

Such a prodigy like Xu Ran, if nothing unexpected happens, will achieve much more than Sword Douluo ever did. Sword Douluo wasn't this strong in his youth and as a Soul Elder at best, with good luck, could defeat some Soul Ancestors. Where would he have Xu Ran's terror?

Xu Ran now has nearly the combat power of a Soul Emperor!

"The younger generation will surpass us." Flender said, finding no other words to describe Xu Ran. Xu Ran's talent was almost unparalleled in the world.

Even the monsters of Martial Soul Hall couldn't possibly outmatch Xu Ran's talent.

A thousand-year first Soul Ring, who could achieve that?

No one, I'm afraid.

At least, he had never seen anyone, aside from Xu Ran, who obtained a thousand-year soul ring as their first one.

"Dean Flender, have we passed the test?" Xu Ran smiled, sheathing the "Godslayer Sword." At this moment, he had a deeper understanding of his own strength.

"You've certainly passed in terms of strength. With your current power on par with Soul Emperors, if you couldn't pass, then there would be no point in running Shrek Academy any longer."

"However, there are still some formalities that Shrek Academy must follow," Flender said, his eyes alight with fervor again as he grabbed Xu Ran's arm to gauge his bone age.

"Twelve years old, with body strength terrifyingly high; almost comparable to an ordinary Soul Emperor's body," Flender murmured, unable to hide his amazement. He had thought that Xu Ran was about the same age as Dai Mubai to have such strength, yet he was only twelve. At such an age, to possess such fearsome power, 'monster' might not even suffice to describe him.

After speaking, Flender turned his gaze towards Xiaowu, who conscientiously extended her arm to let him examine.

"Twelve years old, level 28 Grand Soul Master," Flender said after the examination.

"There's no need for any further assessments. From now on, you are directly students of Shrek Academy. By the way, state your Martial Souls so I can register them," Flender eagerly said, at this point valuing Xu Ran alone more than the entire student and faculty body of Shrek Academy. Under these circumstances, why would he bother with any unnecessary tests?

Such a genius, wherever they go, would attract universal attention. It was already not easy for him to come to Shrek Academy. What if more trouble drove him away?

In the face of a genius, it is only natural to show the utmost respect.

"Xu Ran, 12 years old, level 32 Soul Elder, tool Martial Soul 'Godslayer Sword.'"

"Xiaowu, 12 years old, level 28 Grand Soul Master, beast Martial Soul Soft Bone Rabbit." The two of them reported their information for Flender to register.

At this time, Ma Hongjun came over with a beaming smile, saying, "Brother Ran, Sister Xiaowu, welcome to Shrek Academy. If you encounter any trouble here, feel free to look for me. Although I'm not very strong, I'm quite familiar with the surroundings."

He had just thrown Dai Mubai to Zhao Wuji and quickly ran back, then he witnessed what had just happened.

His teacher, Flender, a Soul Sage-level powerhouse, had come off worse in an exchange with Xu Ran. He may have concealed his injury well, but Ma Hongjun still noticed it.

And the teacher also said that Xu Ran's combat power was close to that of a Soul Emperor.

Such strength was certainly on par with the teachers.

And Xu Ran was so young; it would be easy for him to break through to Titled Douluo in the future. Not taking the chance to cozy up to such a strong pillar would be foolish of him.

"Who's your Sister Xiaowu? You weren't acting like this just now," Xiaowu said in a tender voice, recalling how Ma Hongjun had just sided with Dai Mubai and even called her "babe," which was absolutely intolerable.

"Sister Xiaowu, I just look a bit older, but I'm only twelve years old, too. Although I might be slightly older than you, in the world of Soul Masters, strength is respected. Brother Ran and Sister Xiaowu are unparalleled geniuses under heaven, so it's only right for me to call you brother and sister," Ma Hongjun said earnestly, his eyes devoid of any improper intent as he looked at Xiaowu.

Though he was a bit lascivious, he definitely wouldn't dare to provoke someone like Xiaowu. Angering Xu Ran would result in a miserable end. Some women, no matter how beautiful, cannot be touched; otherwise, you not only fail to get close but also invite a world of trouble. Clearly, Xiaowu was that kind of woman.