Chapter 51: Hundred Lion Fist

Thinking about what happened last night, Ye Xinglan's eyes turned red. From childhood to now, she had never endured such humiliation.

Stopped by the shopkeeper and asked to pay, she didn't have any money on her, and Xu Lizhi didn't either. Gritting her teeth in anger, she had no choice but to use her soul communicator to call for help.

However, the shopkeeper was convinced they were deliberately dining and dashing. He demanded that they wash dishes and work until someone came to pay their bill. If no one came, they'd have to labor to repay the debt.

Poor Ye Xinglan, with her tender white hands, had to hold back tears and wash dishes.

And so, as a disciple of Shrek Academy's inner court, she ended up washing dishes at a seafood restaurant in Skysea City.

The worst part was, while she was repaying her debt by washing dishes, out of nowhere, a dozen media outlets appeared, snapping photos of her, Xu Lizhi, and the restaurant owner.

What made her want to vomit blood was that over half of the media claimed the seafood restaurant owner's actions—forcing Shrek Academy students to wash dishes—insulted soul masters and the academy itself, demanding a public apology from the owner.

Ye Xinglan was exasperated. Even though the media were clearly sensationalizing, they sided with Shrek Academy and her, so she couldn't contradict them publicly.

Because of this incident, overnight, she became a target of criticism, and even Shrek Academy's reputation was affected.

Originally, students from Shrek Academy forgetting to bring money and then choosing to wash dishes to repay their debt, rather than abusing their status, should have been a commendable act.

Even if the media found out, it should have been praised as an example of Shrek Academy's humility and reasonableness.

But because of one sentence from Xia Yi, the outcome took a complete 180-degree turn.

Recalling these events, Ye Xinglan gnashed her teeth in anger. All of this was caused by the two people in front of her.

Early in the morning, she dragged Xu Lizhi out with her. They didn't know where Xia Yi and Tang Wulin were staying, but Xu Lizhi suggested that since they were here for the competition, they'd surely go to the main arena. And indeed, they found them there.

"What's this about? I don't think we're that close. Oh, I remember now; you took half my fish last night. Are you here to pay me back for it?" Xia Yi grinned, showing a set of dazzling white teeth.

Hearing this, Ye Xinglan immediately bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She shrieked, "I paid for that yellowfish!"

The price she paid for that half a fish was already too high.

She would never allow Xia Yi to claim ownership of that fish again.

"Fine, you paid for it. But regardless, you did take my fish, didn't you? So why are you stopping me now? Do you think that just because you're a Shrek Academy student, it's a privilege for you to take my fish? Are you expecting an apology from me?" Xia Yi asked casually.

Ye Xinglan was startled and quickly waved her hands, saying, "I never said that!"

The events from last night weren't over yet; she dared not flaunt her status as a Shrek student again.

If those unscrupulous reporters overheard, she'd never be able to clear her name.

"In that case, why are you blocking my way? Don't get in the way; I'm heading to my match." Xia Yi brushed past Ye Xinglan and strode into Skysea Stadium.

"I…" Ye Xinglan opened her mouth but couldn't say a word. She couldn't understand how all the arguments she prepared last night were rendered useless, leaving her feeling as though she were in the wrong.

Xia Yi didn't care about Ye Xinglan. He felt no guilt for tricking her the night before.

When Xia Yi arrived at the stadium, the competition was already in full swing. Skysea Stadium was divided into numerous smaller arenas. Because the youth group generally didn't have particularly high-level soul rings—at most three rings—and the matches were individual battles, the arenas weren't very large.

Each arena had a diameter of about 30 meters, set close to each other. The dazzling variety of martial souls and soul skills left spectators mesmerized.

Glancing at the number card given to him by Long Hengxu yesterday, Xia Yi found his match was scheduled for the 13th arena in the second round.

The competition platforms were circular and equipped with soul barrier shields to prevent soul skill energy from leaking out.

This was Xia Yi's first time participating in such a competition, but he wasn't particularly nervous. His opponent was the weakest member of Class Zero, and he was confident.

When Xia Yi stepped onto the stage, Xu Xiaoyan was already waiting for him.

Xu Xiaoyan didn't know much about Xia Yi.

Though she had seen him in action before, Xia Yi's previous victory over Tang Wulin relied entirely on clever tactics, providing little insight into his abilities.

All she knew now was that Xia Yi's cultivation level was lower than hers and that he was a support-type soul master.

Xia Yi was confident, and Xu Xiaoyan shared that confidence.

Although she was the weakest member of Class Zero, she refused to believe she couldn't defeat a support-type soul master.

Each competition platform had a referee. The referee for Xia Yi and Xu Xiaoyan's match was a middle-aged man.

"The rules are simple. Use your abilities as you see fit without holding back. I will intervene if necessary to ensure your safety. A match ends if one side surrenders or loses the ability to fight. If the disparity is too great, I will make a judgment. You have 30 seconds to prepare. I'll count down from five before the match begins."

As a disciple of Wu Zhangkong, Xu Xiaoyan excelled at seizing the right moment in battle. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Xia Yi, searching for a weakness to defeat him with one decisive strike.

She was adept at exploiting opportunities and ensuring her attacks hit the mark.

However, this time, her brows furrowed slightly. To her surprise, Xia Yi appeared full of vulnerabilities—because he wasn't preparing at all.

"Are the kids in this competition really this bad at fighting?" Even the referee couldn't help but silently criticize.

In his eyes, Xia Yi was merely a pretty face, utterly unskilled in combat.

"Five, four, three, two, one! Begin!"

As the countdown ended, Xu Xiaoyan immediately summoned her long ice staff. She retreated quickly, wary of Xia Yi—not because of his strength but because she feared falling into one of his traps and ending up like Tang Wulin.

While retreating, she activated her first soul skill. As her first soul ring glowed, an icy ring shot out from the tip of her staff and appeared beneath Xia Yi's feet in the next instant.

A layer of ice spread upward from Xia Yi's feet, encasing him in an instant.

The referee shook his head, looking at the frozen Xia Yi. "Such poor practical experience! Why even enter the competition? I declare…"

"Crack!"

Before the referee could finish, a cracking sound rang out. With a shake of his arms, Xia Yi shattered the ice encasing him.

Xu Xiaoyan's pupils shrank sharply. While her daytime martial soul lacked absolute control, she hadn't expected Xia Yi—a support-type soul master who hadn't even activated his martial soul—to break free from her soul skill so effortlessly.

"Again!" Xu Xiaoyan's soul ring lit up once more, and this time, the ice ring appeared above Xia Yi's head.

"Heh, let me show you what power is." Xia Yi stomped the ground with his left foot, propelling himself forward like a cannonball. Though not an agility-type soul master, his terrifying strength granted him explosive speed. The icy aura of the ring above him missed its mark.

In just a few strides, he closed the gap between himself and Xu Xiaoyan. To him, her speed was pitifully slow. Before she could react, Xia Yi swatted the ice staff out of her hand and grabbed her neck with his right hand.

Before the referee could intervene, Xia Yi raised his arm and threw Xu Xiaoyan off the platform.

"Disappointing. Compared to Na'er, you're far too weak—not challenging at all." Xia Yi shook his head and left the arena.

As he stepped down, a nearby platform erupted with the roar of a Lion King. Xie Xie, using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, attempted to close in on Wu Jin. However, Wu Jin's first purple soul ring glowed. In less than a second, he unleashed over a hundred punches.

Every possible location where Xie Xie might appear was blanketed by fist shadows.

This was Wu Jin's first soul skill: Hundred Lions Fist. A hundred punches in one second. If even one punch hit, it would leave a mark on the opponent, and the remaining punches would automatically home in on the mark.

If hit once, avoiding the remaining ninety-nine punches would be impossible.

Xie Xie, an agility-type soul master, naturally didn't plan to take the attack head-on and retreated swiftly.

But Wu Jin wasn't about to let him escape so easily.

"Roar!" A deafening roar emanated from Wu Jin's fists, exuding the domineering aura of a king among beasts.

Xie Xie froze momentarily under the roar's pressure.

"Stop!" The referee, with five soul rings shining brightly, stepped in front of Xie Xie just in time. Boom, boom, boom!

All hundred punches landed on the referee, who staggered backward despite using soul skills to mitigate the impact.

After all, it was a hundred punches. While no single punch could harm him, the sheer volume in one second was enough to give him a tough time.

If not for his soul skills, he might not have been able to withstand it.

In the audience, Long Hengxu was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected the competition to start with Class Zero losing two combatants.

Xie Xie's loss to Wu Jin was understandable; after all, Wu Jin's two thousand-year soul rings were no joke.

But Xu Xiaoyan losing to a support-type soul master? That was harder to justify.

And Xia Yi hadn't even used his martial soul!

Xu Xiaoyan had taken immense effort to persuade Wu Zhangkong to let her join Class Zero, but this loss was deeply disappointing.

Luckily, Xia Yi hadn't gone all out, and Wu Jin's Hundred Lions Fist was stopped in time by the referee. Otherwise, Class Zero might have lost two prodigies in one day.

Little did Long Hengxu know, in the audience, Wu Zhangkong had already summoned his Frost Sword, prepared to act at any moment.

(End of Chapter)