Training Ground.
Xu Wei's face was twisted in fury.
As a soul master, his physical resilience was far beyond ordinary people. Since the fight hadn't involved soul power, he wasn't actually injured but the bright red shoe print stamped across his livid face was impossible to ignore.
His eyes burned with hatred as he stared at Lu Feng, his mind still reeling.
'How… did I lose?'
'How could I have lost?!'
The moment he had opened his mouth to respond, Lu Feng's fist had already smashed into him, leaving him no time to react.
He, a Soul Ancestor, a titled genius among his peers, had been defeated by Lu Feng, who had only awakened his martial soul less than two months ago.
The humiliation was unbearable. Worse still, he had been kicked in the face. If word got out, he'd become a laughingstock.
He was a true noble, a prince set to inherit the throne of his dukedom next year! A prodigy among prodigies!
And yet, Lu Feng was already turning away, not even sparing him a second glance.
"Stop!!!" Xu Wei roared, barely containing his fury. "I underestimated you, I let my guard down. What's your soul power level?"
The fight had ended too quickly, erupting the moment tempers flared. He hadn't even had the chance to gauge his opponent properly.
Lu Feng glanced back. "Thirty-three. Why? Want another round?"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Thirty-third rank?! No way!"
"He awakened his martial soul less than two months ago, that's impossible!"
"Don't judge others by your own limits. What's impossible for you means nothing to someone with a god-tier martial soul."
"Is he even human?"
"Human? Yes. Ordinary? Hell no. He's a freak among freaks, born with innate full soul power exceeding level 20. After absorbing his soul rings, he probably jumped a few more levels."
The spectators buzzed with theories.
Xu Wei sneered. "Since you're at the thirty-third rank, how about a real fight with soul power? I'll even give you three free moves."
Lu Feng shrugged. "Sure."
Xu Wei was desperate to salvage his pride.
But for Lu Feng, this was a battle across realms.
The higher one's soul power, the greater the enhancement in every attribute. Breaking through a major boundary meant a qualitative leap in strength.
A Soul Elder challenging a Soul Ancestor?
That was no small feat.
Seeing Lu Feng agree so casually, Xu Wei smirked inwardly but the utter indifference in his opponent's eyes only stoked his rage further.
'This bastard isn't even taking me seriously!'
He gritted his teeth, silently vowing to crush this upstart, this love rival who had humiliated him, in the most brutal way possible.
The next instant—
Xu Wei unleashed his radiant martial soul: Stellar Crown.
"Third Soul Skill—Starlight Surge!"
A faint blue light streamed from the Stellar Crown martial soul, enveloping Xu Wei's body in a shimmering halo before seeping into his skin.
Starlight Surge was a buff-type soul skill, one that drastically enhanced all his attributes, sending his combat prowess skyrocketing.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Stellar Guardian!"
Without pause, Xu Wei activated his fourth soul skill.
Stellar Guardian was the strongest support skill in the Stellar Crown's arsenal.
It granted monstrous defensive capabilities.
It could shield a single target or an entire area.
Having just broken through the fortieth rank, Xu Wei had only recently acquired this skill, and it had catapulted his fighting strength to new heights.
At his current soul power level, the defensive might of Stellar Guardian rivaled even the full-powered shields of the Yu Clan, renowned for their defensive prowess. Against fellow Soul Ancestors, breaking through his defenses was practically impossible.
He was virtually untouchable.
And this overwhelming defensive skill wasn't just limited to himself, it could protect his entire team.
The Star Luo Empire lacked strong support-type soul masters, which was why the Xu family was so highly valued and why Xu Wei had always been treated with such reverence.
This was the source of his arrogance.
And the reason he dared to offer Lu Feng three free moves.
With these stacked buffs, Xu Wei's defense, soul power, speed, and other attributes surged to terrifying levels. His effective combat strength now matched that of a level 49 Battle Soul Master.
At the Soul Ancestor tier, buffs could boost one's power by nearly nine levels. But as soul masters grew stronger, the sheer magnitude of their soul power made percentage-based increases less dramatic in terms of raw levels.
For example, when Ning Fengzhi buffed the Sword Douluo, he only raised his strength by roughly one level pushing the 96th-ranked Sword Douluo, Chen Xin, to the equivalent of 97th rank.
Now, with his attributes maximized, Xu Wei's soul power pressure intensified violently.
Some of the Zhu family disciples standing too close couldn't withstand the oppressive aura and instinctively stepped back.
The crowd watched in awe.
To them, Xu Wei's victory was already guaranteed.
A level 49 powerhouse against a mere level 33 Soul Elder?
This wasn't a fight, it was a foregone conclusion.
No amount of skill could bridge such an insurmountable gap in raw power.
Up in the pavilion...
Xu Ruyun's phoenix-like eyes gleamed with pride as she smirked, her lips curving into a satisfied smile. "My nephew is practically bullying him at this point."
She appeared to be in her early twenties, dressed in an elegant, flowing gown that accentuated her slender, graceful figure. Her crimson hair was tied in an elaborate updo, and her long, jade-white legs peeked tantalizingly through the sheer fabric of her skirt.
Her presence exuded an intoxicating mix of nobility and allure, every poised movement carried an unspoken seduction. In terms of charm, she was every bit the equal of Zhu Zhuyun standing beside her, a true peerless beauty.
Dai Weis sighed. "Of course he's bullying him. Just Stellar Guardian's insane defense alone would be tough for even me, a pure assault-type, to break through, let alone Lu Feng, a control-type stuck at level 33." He shook his head regretfully. "What a shame Xu Wei can't join Star Luo's royal academy and fight alongside me. With him, the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament would've been..."
Xu Ruyun sighed delicately. "There's nothing to be done. Our clan's ancestral rules forbid the Xu family from appearing publicly in major events unless the empire faces invasion." She flicked her sleeve dismissively. "If I were Lu Feng, I'd surrender right now. Don't you agree?"
Zhu Yan chuckled, nodding at his stunning concubine. "Admitting defeat now would be the wise choice. Though I must say, the boy's performance today has already exceeded my expectations."
Xu Ruyun's gaz, languid yet sharp drifted back to Lu Feng. "Twelve years old. Thirty-third rank. He's the youngest Soul Elder in the empire's history, isn't he?" A hint of genuine admiration colored her voice. "With his limitless potential, given a few more years, even my nephew might not be able to defeat him." She suddenly turned to Zhu Zhuyun. "Zhuyun, have you ever sparred with him?"
"I... no, I haven't." Caught off guard, Zhu Zhuyun stiffened momentarily before shaking her head.
Admitting their "spar" would inevitably lead to uncomfortable questions, Who won? How did it happen?, and she'd rather forget the humiliating memory of being tied up, dangling from a tree, and spanked like a disobedient child.
She knew exactly how terrifying Lu Feng's emerald vines and roots could be.
But this was an open training ground, no plants to manipulate. More crucially, the sheer gap in soul power between them was insurmountable.
Xu Wei's offer of "three free moves" was a taunt. Against such overwhelming strength, Lu Feng wouldn't land a single hit in thirty attempts, let alone three.
And Xu Wei's counterattack? It would be lethal.
For the first time, Zhu Zhuyun found herself doubting Lu Feng's chances and to her surprise, a thread of worry coiled in her chest.