Soul Power

Sensing the imminent danger, Xing Jue swiftly raised his right palm, summoning a surge of Martial Qi. In a heartbeat, his hand blazed with a blinding light. His mastery over the Gale Devouring Palm had grown tremendously since reaching the early ranks of the Martial Lord realm.

Just as he prepared to unleash his attack, the Gale Wind Ape vanished. No sound, no warning, no movement, it simply disappeared into thin air.

"Damn it!" Xing Jue cursed under his breath, quickly adjusting his stance to evade the unseen threat. But before he could escape, a flash of white light streaked across his vision. A searing pain shot through his right wrist, and a spray of blood splattered against his face. The agonizing shock caused his concentrated energy to dissipate, the Gale Devouring Palm vanishing in an instant.

"Swish!" Before he could react, another streak of white assaulted him, leaving a bloody gash across his chest.

"Shhh… Shhh… Shhh…" The sound of flesh being ripped apart filled the air. Xing Jue found himself completely helpless, his body wracked with waves of pain and numbness. He could feel the lifeblood draining out of him with each passing second.

His vision blurred, his head spinning, and his consciousness fading in and out.

"Am I going to die?" he mumbled, staring at the relentless white flashes through his heavy eyelids.

"No, I can't die!" he roared within his mind. He had too much to live for.

A torrent of memories flooded his consciousness.

He saw himself as a young boy, kneeling on the cold pavement, pleading for a brighter future...alone and filled with longing.

He saw himself enduring the grueling training in the Xing Clan's ancestral hall, pushing his limits with unwavering determination.

He saw the crushing weight of despair when he was cast out from his own family...the burning resentment churning within.

He saw the glimmer of hope, the second chance bestowed upon him by Elder Feng... his spirit reignited with renewed vigor.

"I can't die, I won't die, I refuse to die like this!" He roared, his resolve echoing through his very being. As his memories flickered before his eyes, a surge of raw energy erupted from within, a wave of powerful Spirit Power so potent it enveloped his entire body in a swirling vortex of darkness.

"Screech! Screech! Screech!"

The Gale Wind Ape, sensing the dramatic shift in Xing Jue, scrambled backward, its usual ferocity replaced with a flicker of fear as it stared at the dark, ominous aura now emanating from the human.

Moments passed, and the dark shroud began to recede, flowing back into Xing Jue's body. As the energy settled within him, the wounds inflicted by the ape began to close. Color returned to his pale face, strength returning to his limbs.

"Incredible, this…This is the power of Soul Eater Clan's Spirit Power!" Xing Jue exclaimed, his voice filled with awe as he took stock of his miraculously healed body. Not only could it mend his wounds, but it could also replenish his strength. This power was beyond anything he'd ever imagined.

The Gale Wind Ape, seeing the dark energy dissipate, its fear replaced by renewed aggression.

"Well, well," Xing Jue chuckled, "Looks like your little power surge didn't last too long, did it?"

"Boom!" With an earsplitting roar, the Gale Wind Ape launched another savage attack, its fist aimed at Xing Jue's chest.

This time, Xing Jue didn't flinch. He stood his ground, meeting the ape's gaze head-on. With a surge of power, his right palm blazed with an intense light.

"Shhhk!" The ape's fist connected, tearing through Xing Jue's defenses and leaving another deep gash on his chest. But before it could retreat, Xing Jue lunged forward, his left hand clamping around the ape's wrist in a vice-like grip.

"Die!" he snarled. With the ape's attack thwarted, Xing Jue brought his charged right palm crashing down onto the creature's chest without a moment's hesitation. Ignoring the look of terror in the beast's eyes, he unleashed the full fury of the Gale Devouring Palm.

"Thump!" A sickening thud echoed through the chamber, accompanied by a sickening spurt of blood. The once-mighty Gale Wind Ape collapsed, its life extinguished. All that remained was the gaping hole in its chest, a testament to the devastating power of Xing Jue's final blow.

Outside the training chamber, a crowd of several hundred disciples had gathered, their whispers a mixture of anticipation and morbid curiosity. They were engrossed in heated debates about Xing Jue's fate. Some even went as far as to mimic the solemn chants of monks, offering prayers for his soul as if he were already dead.

"Out of the way, out of the way!" a booming voice rang out from the edge of the crowd. The disciples parted hastily, creating a path for three figures clad in the robes of elders.

Leading the way was the elder who had posted the challenge announcement. Beside him walked another elder, their expressions a mixture of concern and apprehension. And at the forefront, his presence commanding respect, stood a white-haired elder with a purple medallion adorning his chest - the head of the Outer Palace, a high-ranking Martial Venerable.

"Elder, this is the chamber," the announcement elder said, bowing respectfully as he pointed towards the iron door. He explained that once the chamber's light turned red, it couldn't be opened from the outside, leaving only two options - to open it from within or to force it open. As soon as he'd sensed something amiss, he'd rushed to inform the Head Elder.

"Hmm," the Head Elder grunted, stepping towards the chamber door. He raised his right fist, golden Martial Qi gathering around it like a miniature storm. The air crackled with power, the sheer pressure emanating from him palpable.

"Amazing, is that the strength of a Martial Venerable?" gasped a nearby disciple.

"Incredible," murmured the others, their eyes glued to the elder's glowing fist.

"Step back, everyone, step back!" Another elder, who'd been trailing behind the Head Elder, barked, ushering the awestruck disciples further away from the chamber. One wrong move, one miscalculation and the residual energy from a Martial Venerable's attack could be devastating.

"Boom!" Just as the Head Elder prepared to shatter the iron door, it swung open.

The crowd gasped, staring at the rising door in utter disbelief.

"Could it be... he's still alive?" someone whispered, his voice trembling with astonishment.

"Impossible, that was a beast equivalent to a high-rank Martial Lord!" another scoffed, his skepticism echoed by the others. No one could survive an encounter with such a powerful creature, let alone a novice disciple.

The heavy iron door finally came to a stop, revealing a shimmering blue barrier that pulsed with restrained energy. The air crackled with anticipation as the crowd held their breath, their heartbeats a steady, synchronized drum.

A figure emerged from the shimmering barrier.

"Wow, what a crowd!" Xing Jue grinned, his blood-soaked clothes and disheveled appearance contrasting sharply with his bright smile. He acknowledged the awestruck faces staring back at him. However, what truly captivated their attention wasn't his shocking appearance but what lay draped across his right shoulder: the lifeless body of the Gale Wind Ape.

"The...The Gale Wind Ape!" the announcement elder choked out, his face ashen as he pointed a trembling finger at the beast.

"No... No way! He actually killed the Gale Wind Ape!" Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the stunned crowd as they struggled to reconcile what they were seeing with what they thought was possible.

"Young man," the Head Elder boomed, his voice laced with amusement as he addressed Xing Jue. "Did you slay this beast?" Despite his position of authority, he projected an air of warmth and approachability.

"Yeah, that's his name, right? Gale Wind Ape?" Xing Jue shrugged. "Honestly, you wouldn't believe the trouble I went through! I searched that entire chamber and couldn't for the life of me find that 'proof of challenge' you mentioned," he said, shooting a pointed look at the announcement elder. "So, I ended up dragging him out here. Talk about a workout! Figured it couldn't have been for nothing, right?"

"Show some respect!" the chastised elder sputtered, indignant. "You are speaking to the Head Elder of the Outer Palace!"

"So?" Xing Jue retorted, rolling his eyes. "That doesn't mean I should kill a beast for free, does it?" His brazen disrespect nearly made the elder choke on his own outrage.

"But seriously, Elder," Xing Jue continued, his tone shifting seamlessly from irreverent to polite in an instant, "How many points do I get for this bad boy?" His drastic change in demeanor nearly sent the nearby elder toppling over in shock.

The Head Elder threw back his head and laughed heartily, genuinely amused by this audacious and undeniably talented young man. " A Martial Disciple in the early stages, taking down a beast that could rival high-rank Martial Lords, " he mused, shaking his head. "I do believe I'm starting to like this kid."

The word "early-stage Martial Lord" hung in the air, sending another wave of shock through the crowd. Their jaws dropped, eyes widening as they turned to gape at Xing Jue with a newfound respect. An early-stage Martial Lord at such a young age? He was practically a prodigy! Even in the entire Outer Palace, he was likely the only one.

"So, it was a peak-stage beast," Xing Jue mumbled to himself, admiring the point card in his hand that now held a staggering 10,000 points. "No wonder it was so strong." Because the Gale Wind Ape had been a temporary resident of the training chamber, there weren't any pre-determined rewards for its defeat. However, the Head Elder had promptly ordered the points-keeper to load Xing Jue's card with an unprecedented number of points. He was officially rolling in it.

He turned towards his usual residence, a wide grin splitting his face. "Now, what are those knuckleheads up to?" he wondered aloud as he saw his two roommates pacing anxiously outside their shared dwelling. All they ever did was goof off and make a ruckus. What could have gotten them so worked up?

"Xing Jue! Xing Jue! You're back!" One of them spotted him approaching and yelled, relief flooding his voice.

"What's going on?" Xing Jue asked, his brow furrowing as he reached the foot of the stairs.

"Xing Jue," the other roommate cried, grabbing his arm and dragging him away. "You have to come see Four Eyes, now!"

"Let go of me! I don't want to see him," Xing Jue snapped, shaking off his roommate's grip. Four Eyes' name was enough to ignite a fiery temper within him. Without acknowledging his roommate's protests, he continued toward his room.

"Xing Jue, please, you have to see him," his roommate pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation. "Four Eyes... he's... he might not make it."

Xing Jue froze mid-stride. "What did you say?" he whispered, a knot of dread twisting in his gut.

His roommate's words came out in a torrent, each one laced with fear and urgency. "This afternoon, a group of disciples came looking for you. Said they wanted to 'have a word'."

"We told them you were out, but they didn't believe us," he continued. "They demanded we bring you to them."

"We refused, so they attacked." His voice cracked. "There were too many of them, we… We were completely outmatched."

"Then Four Eyes showed up..." he trailed off, tears welling up in his eyes. "He saw what they were doing to us and... and he tried to stop them!"

"Four Eyes is strong, but… But they had an early-stage Martial Lord with them," he choked out. "One move, that's all it took. He… he shattered Four Eyes' leg!"

"Before leaving, they... they left a message." His voice was barely a whisper now. "They said… They said you have until noon tomorrow to meet them at the Life and Death Platform." He swallowed hard, his next words choked out through a sob. "If you're not there… they'll cripple every last one of us."

Their words painted a grim picture, filling Xing Jue with a chilling certainty of what had transpired. The disciples who'd attacked were undoubtedly seeking revenge for their humiliating defeat. His roommates, new recruits like himself, had likely never experienced a real fight. To be subjected to such brutality… it was more than they could handle.

"Where's Four Eyes now?" he rasped, his voice tight with anger.

"At the Medical Hall," his roommate whispered, his shoulders slumping in defeat. At Xing Jue's grim nod, he backed away, giving the volatile young man a wide berth.

"Damn it!" Xing Jue roared, his fist clenching around the points card, crinkling the edges. He spun on his heels and bolted towards the Medical Hall, his every thought, his every prayer centered on his injured friend.

"Four Eyes, you better not be dying on me," he snarled, fury lending him speed. He'd make them pay. Every last one of them would pay dearly for what they'd done!