"So that's how it is! Gu Yuena, you've been assigned to study under Teacher Xuan Ziwen!"
As they chatted over their meal, Liuxing learned about Gu Yuena's status in the Soul Tool Department, she had actually been taken in as a disciple by Xuan Ziwen.
Although Liuxing had never met Xuan Ziwen, he had heard of him.
After all, Xuan Ziwen was also a disciple of his grandmaster, Kong Deming, making him the same generation as Luan Yu, Luan Feng, and Jing Hongchen.
Despite being only an eighth-level soul engineer, it was said that if not for his weaker soul power, he would have already reached the ninth level.
At Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Xuan Ziwen held a high status, comparable to that of some ninth-level soul engineers.
That the academy arranged for Gu Yuena to be his disciple showed how highly they regarded her.
Time passed in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, Liuxing and his companions had already spent more than half a year at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
Ever since discovering their Martial Soul Fusion Technique, Liuxing and Liuying had stopped training separately.
Instead, they trained together, what they called "dual cultivation."
Of course, it was the proper kind of dual cultivation.
Because their martial souls were a perfect match, their cultivation efficiency improved significantly when training together.
In just over six months, they both broke through to Level 39.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before they reached Level 40 and could seek their fourth soul rings.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Arena.
Clang!
A crimson spear and a four-foot-long, pitch-black sword clashed mid-air, sending sparks flying.
A silver humanoid mecha wielding the crimson spear leaped high into the air and slashed downward toward a handsome young man on the battle stage.
The man had black hair draped casually over his shoulders, his expression cold and indifferent.
The ancient-looking longsword in his hand, resembling nothing more than a fire poker, exuded a chilling aura.
Two yellow, two purple, and one black soul ring flickered beneath his feet.
He gripped his longsword tightly, his entire being radiating the same sharpness as his blade, as if man and sword had become one.
As his soul power surged into the blade, the longsword began to emit a faint hum, its tip trembling ever so slightly.
Liuxing, wielding the fifth-level soul tool "Blazing Spear" crafted by Luan Yu, descended like a bolt of lightning toward his opponent, Ji Juechen, the top student of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's Control Soul Tool Department.
A cold light flashed as the spear tore through the air, leaving a trail of searing flames in its wake.
A crimson vortex of fire spread outward from Liuxing, resembling the descent of heavenly flames.
Ji Juechen's expression remained impassive. Unfazed by Liuxing's overwhelming attack, he raised his sword calmly.
Both hands gripping the hilt, it was as if he held the power of the world itself.
The space around him was filled with an overwhelming sword intent, piercing through the void.
A deep humming sound resonated in the air.
As spear and sword met, time seemed to freeze.
In that instant, the two weapons clashed, igniting an explosion of dazzling sparks.
A terrifying force tore through the air, generating a violent storm of soul power that engulfed the Arena.
Waves of powerful energy surged and crashed like a raging sea, transforming the entire stage into a battlefield.
Liuxing and Ji Juechen's figures flickered like lightning, moving so fast that the spectators could only see blurry afterimages.
The arcs traced by their weapons wove a breathtaking pattern in the air.
The piercing clash of metal rang out with each impact, accompanied by intense soul power fluctuations that made the entire battle stage tremble.
Hovering mid-air, Liuxing's Blazing Spear pulsed with immense soul power, illuminating the battlefield like a miniature sun.
The heat it radiated distorted the surrounding air, forming a massive vortex of energy.
"Watch closely, Senior Ji! This strike is called, Burning Heaven!"
With a resounding cry, Liuxing shifted into a throwing stance. In the next moment, the Blazing Spear shot downward like a crimson dragon, roaring as it lunged toward Ji Juechen.
"Good!"
Ji Juechen's grip tightened on his sword.
Three feet around him, sword energy raged wildly. A chilling aura shot skyward as his sword intent condensed into a massive energy blade, meeting the Blazing Spear head-on.
The fiery spear streaked through the sky, carrying the power of destruction as it closed in on Ji Juechen.
When the Blazing Spear and the energy blade collided, the air itself seemed to ignite.
A blinding explosion of fire erupted, and a violent shockwave rippled outward.
The watching students and teachers were visibly shaken by the sheer intensity of the clash.
Flames and sword energy intertwined in a breathtaking spectacle.
Liuxing's eyes gleamed with excitement as he realized his full-force attack had not instantly overwhelmed Ji Juechen but instead led to a stalemate.
"Now this… this is what makes a fight exciting!"
Grinning, he activated his third soul ring, which emitted a deep black glow.
"Third Soul Skill, Complete Burn!"
At his command, Liuxing's silver mecha became covered in glowing red fissures, as if it were about to shatter.
In the next moment, an overwhelming burst of fiery energy erupted, making him look like a divine being descended from the heavens.
Boom!
The air detonated as Liuxing propelled himself forward with explosive speed.
At the same time, he delivered a powerful kick to the base of the Blazing Spear's shaft.
Crack!
With the sudden surge of energy from his soul skill, Liuxing's force overwhelmed Ji Juechen's energy sword, causing it to waver and crack under the pressure.
Ji Juechen's body trembled, but his eyes only grew more determined.
The five soul rings around him flickered in sync, resonating like ripples on water.
His sword intent sharpened even further, becoming as fierce as a ravenous beast.
The energy sword that had nearly shattered suddenly condensed, growing even more solid. Its sword intent became sharper and more powerful than ever.
"Wait… Is he… breaking through mid-fight?"
Among the spectators, Jing Ziyan couldn't help but curse in astonishment.
Seeing that Liuxing had used his third ten-thousand-year soul skill and still failed to gain the upper hand, Nana showed a trace of worry.
"Liuxing… is he going to lose?"
Xu Tianzhen also couldn't sit still. Losing to Ji Juechen wouldn't be shameful, after all, he was the current head of the Control Soul Tool Department, the undisputed strongest in combat ability among their Levels.
Moreover, Ji Juechen's soul power had reached level 59, on the verge of breaking through to Soul Emperor.
Meanwhile, Liuxing was only at level 39. The fact that he could fight Ji Juechen to this extent was already an astonishing feat.
"He won't lose. He will win."
Liuying said with certainty, confidence shining on her face.
Only she knew just how strong Liuxing truly was.
A ten-thousand-year third soul ring?
That was nothing, Liuxing simply didn't want to reveal his trump card yet.
She knew her own strength well. Ji Juechen was powerful, but she was confident she could defeat him.
As for Liuxing, although he was slightly weaker than her for now, he wouldn't lose easily.
"Even Ji Juechen can't suppress him?"
Up in the stands, Jing Hongchen watched the battle with a thoughtful expression.
While everyone else only saw Ji Juechen making a breakthrough during the fight, his sword intent reaching a new level, Jing Hongchen alone noticed the look of excitement and confidence on Liuxing's face.
Ji Juechen was the head of the Control Soul Tool Department.
His martial soul was a sword, one of the most ordinary weapon spirits.
His innate soul power was a mere level 3.
But Ji Juechen was born to be a swordsman.
Ever since awakening his martial soul at the age of six, he had been obsessed with the sword.
At eight, after breaking through to level 10, he ventured alone into the Soul Beast Forest.
When he emerged, covered in blood, he had already obtained his first century-old soul ring.
That's right, at just eight years old, with a mere level 10 soul power, Ji Juechen had slain a hundred-year soul beast on his own and obtained his first soul ring.
At the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, the students' average soul power was even higher than those at the continent's number one academy, Shrek Academy.
However, that was because they relied on medicinal aids to speed up their cultivation.
At least 95% of them would never be able to break through to the seven-ring level because of this.
But for a soul engineer, reaching level five or six was already considered incredibly powerful.
Yet Ji Juechen had never taken any medicinal aids.
His strength came solely from repeatedly challenging strong opponents and honing himself in the midst of life-and-death battles.
Just like in this battle with Liuxing, he evolved once again, his sword intent breaking through to the next stage.
That was how he had always been. In the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, he was an anomaly.
Despite being the top student in the Control Soul Tool Department, Ji Juechen wielded only a single sword, a blade he had personally forged using his soul power.
Aside from being exceptionally sharp and durable, it had no special effects.
That sword, originally just an ordinary iron bar, had been tempered by Ji Juechen's soul power day after day, year after year, until it took its current shape.
Because of this, Ji Juechen had long since become one with his sword.
His initial disadvantage in innate soul power didn't hinder his growth in the slightest.
Even compared to those with level 7 or 8 innate soul power, his cultivation speed was just as fast.
And yet, even Ji Juechen, who had made a breakthrough and evolved his sword intent in the middle of battle, was only able to suppress Liuxing after all that effort.
One had to remember, Ji Juechen was a full twenty levels higher than Liuxing!
Under the immense pressure of Ji Juechen's powerful sword intent, Liuxing felt his blood boil.
Finally, finally, he was feeling true pressure. His eyes gleamed with excitement.
This was exactly why he had wanted to challenge Ji Juechen.
Liuying was strong, but she would always hold back when fighting him, afraid of hurting him.
Others like Gu Yuena and Xue Nu were formidable, but they couldn't push him to use his full strength.
And besides, those two were tricksters, did they really think he didn't know they were holding back as well?
As if they were the only ones with trump cards!
As for Ye Guyi and Xu Tianzhen, they were simply too weak to be considered.
In the face of Ji Juechen's concentrated sword intent, Liuxing's aura was too scattered.
Although it appeared vast and overwhelming, it was easily torn apart by the sword intent's precision.
Under this pressure, Liuxing's mind reached a state of extreme focus. Deep within his spiritual sea, the shadow of a long spear slowly emerged.
As this process unfolded, Liuxing felt his soul power and spiritual power beginning to merge under Ji Juechen's sword intent.
Following this sensation, Liuxing grasped his Flame Light Spear. A destructive aura, infused with his intent, erupted forth.
"What is this...?"
Up in the stands, Gu Yuena, Snow Empress, and Jing Hongchen's expressions shifted.
Directly facing Liuxing, Ji Juechen fell silent for a moment. Then, he suddenly smiled.
"So that's how it is. I thought I was using you as a whetstone… but I didn't expect that I would become one myself."
His rarely seen smile spread across his face. Rather than feeling shaken by the fact that he had served as Liuxing's stepping stone, his sword intent surged once more.
The next moment, all of Ji Juechen's aura withdrew into his body, his sword energy and sword intent suddenly falling into complete stillness.
Only the longsword in his hand quivered slightly.
Holding his sword in his right hand, he ran his left fingers gently across its edge. Then, he slowly swung the blade.
At first glance, it seemed like an unhurried motion.
Yet, as his sword moved, the solid ground of the battle arena split open, leaving a chasm several meters deep that continued to extend as Ji Juechen glided forward.
At the same time, as if pulled by an invisible force, Liuxing moved as well.
The tip of his Flame Light Spear condensed an aura of annihilation and destruction, infused with flames that sought to burn everything to ashes.
He took a single step forward, but instead of charging, his footfall caused the entire battle arena to tremble violently.
Jing Ziyan's pupils contracted. Such immense strength!
Then, her gaze shifted worriedly toward Ji Juechen.
"Ji! Don't lose!"
"Burn away! Annihilation, One Spear!"
"Sword, Silence!"
One attack carried the power to destroy worlds, to reduce all to ashes.
The other was silent and still, capable of extinguishing all things.
Scarlet spear light clashed against gray sword radiance in front of everyone's eyes.
Students near the battlefield stumbled backward, their faces filled with terror.
When the two attacks collided, it felt as if space itself had collapsed in a radius of dozens of meters around them. Reality seemed to distort.
Even if it only lasted for an instant, they were certain their eyes weren't playing tricks on them.
Up in the stands, Jing Hongchen stood up abruptly.
To his shock, even he couldn't comprehend the profundity behind that single spear and that single sword.
That was a domain beyond the reach of soul engineers, a fundamental difference between soul engineers and true soul masters in combat.
The battle between spear and sword lasted for only a second before,
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted from the point of impact.