Doulou Dalu 28

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"This…"

The four members of the Haotian Sect were momentarily stunned as they observed the martial spirits of Lin Fan's group. It seemed they weren't as weak as expected.

"Ice Phoenix and Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus—both top-tier beast spirits. Nine-Hearted Begonia is one of the rarest auxiliary spirits, renowned for its unparalleled healing abilities. The strength of these three girls is actually quite formidable, almost on par with other major sects. But…"

Captain Tang Long trailed off, then shifted his gaze toward Lin Fan. The moment his eyes landed on him, a sneer curled on his lips.

"A level 32 Combat Spirit Master like you? Are you joking? Do you expect these three girls to protect you?" Tang Long scoffed, his tone dripping with contempt. "And you have the audacity to call yourself a combat spirit master?"

"Hahaha…"

Laughter erupted from Tang Long's teammates and even the Haotian Sect disciples in the stands.

Tang Ye, a burly man wielding the Crazy Iron Hammer martial spirit, crossed his arms and smirked. "And that martial soul of yours… What is it, a 'Purple Flame Tiger'? Never heard of it. You sure you didn't just make that name up? Looks more like a sick cat to me."

Tang Xiaoyu, standing beside him, covered her mouth and giggled. "Level 32? How did he even get into the inner courtyard? Since when did our Haotian Sect lower its standards this much?"

The derisive laughter spread through the audience like wildfire. Initially, they had been eager to mock all four newcomers. But after seeing Shui Yue'er, Ye Keke, and Liu Erlong—three beautiful girls with rare martial spirits—they decided to spare them. Instead, all their disdain and ridicule zeroed in on Lin Fan.

Amidst the laughter, Lin Fan remained composed. A faint, nearly imperceptible smile played on his lips.

"That's enough."

A cold voice sliced through the noise.

Tang Yiran, a senior disciple of the sect, glared at Tang Long and his companions. "Do you even know the meaning of respect? Lin Fan is only fourteen. As direct disciples of Haotian Sect's golden generation, do you really think it's honorable to mock a new recruit?"

"Miss Yiran, let it go," a middle-aged man interjected, glancing at the sect elders in the stands. "Since they wish to challenge each other, let them start already."

Tang Yiran exhaled sharply before turning to Lin Fan's group. "Listen, if you can't win, don't hesitate to surrender. Don't let yourselves get injured over pride."

With that, she stepped off the stage and sat beside Tang Yuehua. The latter gave her a knowing look. "Sister Yiran, why are you upset? Don't worry. Tang Long and the others won't seriously hurt your disciple."

Tang Yiran sighed. "It's not them I'm worried about," she murmured. "They're underestimating Lin Fan too much." Her gaze flickered toward the ring. A shadow of confidence glimmered in her eyes. She remembered the raw power of Lin Fan's ten-thousand-year soul skill in the Star Dou Great Forest. They had no idea what they were up against.

The middle-aged sect elder signaled both teams to take their positions. "Since both sides are ready, let the challenge… begin!"

With that, he leaped to the edge of the ring, observing closely to prevent any serious accidents.

As soon as the starting bell rang, Shui Yue'er acted immediately. "Ice Phoenix Possession!"

Her body was enveloped in a shimmering blue aura as she took to the sky, hovering more than ten meters above the ring. This was part of Lin Fan's strategy. None of their opponents had flight abilities. While they could launch aerial attacks, hitting a moving target in mid-air would be difficult.

"Erlong, protect Keke and focus on ranged attacks. Keke, keep us healed and restore our soul power," Lin Fan commanded.

Liu Erlong nodded. "Understood."

"Third Soul Skill—Thunder of Fury!"

A massive lightning fireball surged toward the Haotian Sect disciples.

Tang Long chuckled and swung his Clear Sky Hammer. The hammer met the fireball head-on, causing an explosive shockwave. Flames burst outward, but the attack dissipated harmlessly.

"Is that all?" Tang Long smirked. "You'll have to do better than that."

Above them, Shui Yue'er launched another assault. "Second Soul Skill—Frost Blade!"

Sharp ice spikes rained down from the sky.

Tang Long grinned and activated his counterattack. "Third Soul Skill—Gale Hammer!"

The Clear Sky Hammer spun violently, creating a whirlwind of soul power that deflected the ice spikes with ease.

Lin Fan watched intently. "So that's how they defend. The Clear Sky Hammer's offense is overwhelming, but its defense is lacking. The Gale Hammer technique compensates for this by repelling attacks with sheer force."

Tang Long leaned back, his expression full of amusement. "Come on, ladies. Take your time. We'll play with you a little longer." His eyes lingered on Shui Yue'er. "Especially you, Ice Phoenix. Quite the beauty, aren't you?"

Lin Fan's jaw tightened. Enough was enough.

A cold smirk formed on his lips.

Then, without warning—he charged.

"What the—? He's actually rushing in?!"

The Haotian Sect disciples were momentarily caught off guard.

Tang Ye scoffed, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, I've had enough of this loser. Time to send him flying." He turned to Tang Long. "Brother, let me handle this. Once I take care of him, we can enjoy the real show with those girls."

"Fine, go ahead," Tang Long said casually, his eyes never leaving Shui Yue'er.

Tang Ye stepped forward, his four soul rings glowing ominously. His Crazy Iron Hammer turned a deep purple, brimming with terrifying power. "You're about to regret coming up here, brat."

Lin Fan didn't slow down. Instead, he grinned.

Tang Ye smirked. "You think you can take me on at level 32? What a joke. One good hit, and I'll—"

BOOM!

Before Tang Ye could react, Lin Fan's iron fists connected with his chest—like a battering ram.

His eyes bulged.

The next moment, his body flew backward like a broken kite, crashing into the arena wall with a deafening thud.

The crowd fell silent.

Tang Long's smirk vanished.

Tang Xiaoyu's eyes widened in disbelief.

Lin Fan cracked his knuckles and exhaled, his voice eerily calm.

"I believe you were saying something…?"