Soul Reaper’s Dance

The air in the arena felt heavier as the next match was announced. The echoes of Jian Mu's brutal victory still lingered, but all eyes now turned to the center stage where a new pair of fighters stepped forward.

'Atleast I'm being acknowledged' Jian Mu feeling good that people could see he was worth something but he knew it was people in the same boat as him, weak and hopeless just like him.

On one side stood Li Xian, a rising star of the Soul-Steel Clan, one of the main families under the Heavenly Demon Sect's banner. His sleek black robes bore the silver emblem of a chained soul, glinting faintly under the harsh sunlight. With a tall frame and broad shoulders, he radiated a quiet but dangerous confidence. Beneath his composed exterior lay a reputation built on sheer power, his clan's Iron Soul Technique made him nearly invincible against most conventional attacks.

His opponent moved with an eerie calm.

The girl who had defeated Jian Mu stepped onto the platform, her slender frame wrapped in a simple gray robe. No clan insignia adorned her, marking her as an outsider yet no one dared to dismiss her after witnessing how easily she had shattered Jian Mu's pride. Her raven-black hair was braided down her back, and her expression remained cold, detached.

No name had been given when she defeated Jian Mu.

The crowd murmured to each other, curious and uneasy. "Who was she? What techniques did she use?"

Elder Bai raised his hand. His voice rang clear and sharp.

"Begin!"

Li Xian wasted no time. His muscles tensed as his qi surged, shimmering like tempered steel around his body. With a thunderous step, he charged forward, aiming a devastating punch at her head.

"Iron Soul Fist!"

The air trembled as his blow descended, swift, brutal, final.

Yet she did not move.

At the last possible instant, her head tilted slightly. The punch missed by a breath, and her hand rose, two fingers pressing lightly against his chest.

"Soul Piercer."

A pulse of invisible energy rippled outward.

Li Xian's eyes widened in shock as an unbearable pressure crashed into his mind. His vision blurred, his thoughts scrambled, a cold, agonizing sensation like claws tearing through his very spirit.

He staggered back, gasping

'What the hell was that attack, she didn't even hit me yet I still feel pain who is this...?"

He said nervously as he has never faced an opponent who dealt damage doing nothing

The crowd murmured louder now. Few could see what had happened, but those with sharper senses understood. She hadn't struck his body. She had struck his soul.

"You're slower than I expected," she said softly, her voice empty of emotion.

Li Xian clenched his jaw. The pain lingering in his mind infuriated him. He refused to lose—especially to some nameless girl. With a roar, his qi erupted. His skin darkened to an iron-gray hue as his clan's technique reinforced every fiber of his being.

"Let's see how you pierce me now you bitch!"

He charged again angrily, fists moving like hammers. Each strike cracked the ground beneath their feet, forcing her to retreat. Yet even as he advanced, a cold weight clung to the edges of his consciousness.

Her attacks were invisible, but every time her fingers brushed the air, that crushing pressure returned.

"Iron Soul Body—Unyielding Form!"

His qi exploded outward, forming a shimmering barrier of steel energy around him. It was a defensive art designed to block both physical and mental attacks.

She stopped moving. For a heartbeat, the arena grew deathly silent.

Then she spoke in a whisper that sliced through the air.

"Soul Reaver."

The temperature seemed to plummet. A wave of unseen force erupted from her body, crawling across the arena floor in jagged pulses. Where the energy touched Li Xian's barrier, cracks splintered across it.

His heart pounded as an icy grip tightened around his chest. His thoughts grew sluggish, his vision dimming.

'Soul attack!? Shit, shit this is bad... I have to kill her quickly or I'll be dead.'

Li Xian gritted his teeth and pushed more qi into his defenses. With a defiant shout, he slammed his palms together.

"Steel Soul Burst!"

A shockwave tore through the arena as his qi expanded, blasting her soul energy backward. Freed from her grip, he lunged forward, his palm glowing with blinding power.

"Die,bitch!"

His fist shot toward her heart.

But she was gone.

His eyes widened as a cold breath ghosted behind him. Before he could turn—

"Soul Shatter."

Her palm touched the back of his neck.

The invisible attack pierced through his mental defenses like a dagger. His qi trembled and collapsed inward. Agony wracked his entire body as his consciousness fractured.

'No no shit my soul...' He say feeling his body trembling

Li Xian crumpled to his knees, panting, his limbs refusing to move.

"You rely too much on your body," she murmured, stepping back as if he no longer interested her. "But strength means nothing when your soul is weak."

The arena fell into stunned silence.

Elder Bai hesitated only a moment before raising his hand.

"Winner, The unnamed girl!"

The crowd's murmurs turned into uproarious whispers. A nameless girl had defeated a member of the main clan and she had done it without ever breaking a sweat.

Jian Mu watched from the sidelines, jaw clenched. His fists trembled as his wounds throbbed. Despite the pain, a burning resolve filled his chest.

'Soul attacks... What kind of monster is this girl...' Jian Mu shocked knowing her techniques were beyond that of strong and dangerous.

As the girl left the arena, she cast a fleeting glance in his direction. There was no arrogance in her gaze only indifference.

But in that brief exchange, Jian Mu felt it.

A challenge.

And one day, he would answer it.

End of Chapter 19