"Look at my martial spirit—the Triangular Rhinoceros!"
Instantly, a surge of powerful soul energy erupted from Niu Shuai. Lin Fan, unfazed, smiled and summoned his own martial spirit.
Purple Flame Tiger.
Under the oppressive aura of the Fire Tiger, Niu Shuai's rhinoceros spirit visibly weakened. Before he could react, Lin Fan struck him across the face, leaving half of it swollen.
"Oh my god, Boss Niu Shuai is getting beaten…"
"But he's a Level 39 Battle Soul Master!"
Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd.
Niu Shuai, now desperate, shouted, "What are you all waiting for?! Get in here and help me! Where are my Manniu family members?"
At his call, over a dozen young men stood up, releasing their martial spirits. As Lin Fan had suspected, their spirits were all variations of bulls and rhinoceroses, confirming they belonged to the same clan. Fortunately, most of them were at a moderate level—only three had crossed Level 40, while the rest hovered in the 30s.
"They must be new recruits," Lin Fan mused. "With the reputation of the Haotian Sect, the outer disciples alone should number in the tens of thousands, second only to the Spirit Hall."
Seeing them charge at once, Lin Fan saw an opportunity to test his second ability.
He leaped into the air, raised his hands toward the sky, and whispered, "A Stroke of Genius..."
A brilliant white sword aura erupted from his body, illuminating the entire courtyard. The charging disciples suddenly froze, their bodies convulsing as if electrocuted.
A few collapsed instantly, coughing up blood.
"Brother, I can't move! What's happening?"
"It's paralysis! Use your soul skills to break free and attack together!"
Two disciples at Level 43 managed to shake off the paralysis, only to realize Lin Fan had disappeared.
A cold voice came from behind them.
"First Soul Skill—Flaming Tiger Claw."
Bang! Bang!
With just two strikes, the two high-ranking disciples fell to the ground.
Meanwhile, the paralysis effect from Lin Fan's Green Lotus Sword Formation wore off, and the remaining Manniu disciples began activating their soul skills.
"Exploding Bull Horns!"
"Invincible Bull Fist!"
Watching them charge again, Lin Fan smirked. A shadowy battle axe materialized in his right hand.
Shadow Battle Axe.
Even without summoning it, he could still utilize its abilities, but having the axe in hand dramatically boosted his power. If he had used it from the start, these disciples would have been defeated in an instant.
Just as he prepared to counter their attack, a fiery red silhouette shot past him.
"You brainless brutes, always ganging up on newcomers—try taking my punch!"
A surge of intense soul power erupted as the newcomer's martial spirit—a Red Dragon—manifested around her.
"First Soul Skill—Tyrannosaurus Possession!"
With a single devastating punch, the Manniu disciples were launched through the air, crashing into the courtyard floor. Some were knocked out instantly. The entire square fell silent.
The girl landed gracefully and smirked.
"Don't worry, they'll live. The Manniu family isn't as tough as they act."
Lin Fan turned to get a better look at her.
She had long, fiery-red hair tied into a high ponytail, with striking, slender legs and a powerful presence. The dragon spirit still flickered around her, flames dancing in the air.
"A mutated Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex?" Lin Fan thought in shock. "Shouldn't a Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus be blue? Could she be... Liu Erlong?"
The girl turned to him and grinned.
"Hey, you're pretty strong. My name's Liu Erlong. From now on, you stick with me—I'll make sure these bullies don't mess with you again. Let's fight together."
Lin Fan blinked. This was Liu Erlong?
She looked younger—no older than eighteen—but still possessed that wild, fearless charm.
"Do you know me?" she asked, cracking her knuckles. "Or do you want to fight?"
Lin Fan quickly shook his head. "No, not at all! I'm just surprised to meet you. My name's Lin Fan. You're from the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Clan, right? What are you doing in Haotian Sect?"
Liu Erlong shrugged. "The clan's too boring. I wanted adventure, and Haotian Sect has always been a place I admired."
Before they could continue, the defeated Manniu disciples scrambled to their feet. Their leader, Niu Shuai, bowed hastily.
"Sister Erlong, you're the boss now! We won't bully anyone again, I swear!"
"That's enough."
A commanding voice rang out, and a figure descended from the sky, landing on the stone floor.
"Teacher Yiran!"
Liu Erlong immediately retracted her martial spirit and stepped forward respectfully.
The woman, Tang Yiran, scanned the courtyard, her gaze pausing on Lin Fan and Liu Erlong before settling on the wounded disciples.
"Disciples of the sect are forbidden from infighting," she said sternly. "As punishment, all of you—run ten laps around the square."
Liu Erlong groaned. "Even me?"
"Of course," Tang Yiran replied. Then, turning to Lin Fan, she added, "You too."
As Lin Fan jogged alongside Liu Erlong, he caught glimpses of Tang Yiran deep in thought.
"What was that soul skill he used?" she pondered. "Group damage, control, and self-defense—at least a ten-thousand-year soul skill. But at his level, that should be impossible…"
After completing their punishment, Tang Yiran called all 200 outer disciples to gather.
She addressed them loudly:
"Today marks the final selection for inner disciples. There are only four spots left. Now, I will explain how we will decide them."
Liu Erlong grinned. "A fight? I like it."
Lin Fan sighed. Why is she so excited about fighting?
"Only four out of two hundred will pass?" Lin Fan thought. "This is going to be brutal."
Tang Yiran raised her chin and smirked.
"The selection method is simple. I will fight all of you at once."
Silence. Then an uproar.
"What?!"
"She's going to fight all of us alone?"
"What if more than four people remain standing?"
Liu Erlong practically vibrated with excitement. "Teacher Yiran is so cool! I have to make it to the final four!"
Lin Fan, however, was more concerned. "Wait, can she really handle all of us alone?"
Liu Erlong scoffed. "You don't know her strength. Teacher Yiran is a Soul Emperor in her twenties, and her martial spirit is the Clear Sky Hammer. She's a monster."
As if on cue, Tang Yiran ascended into the air, her voice booming across the square.
"Let the final selection... BEGIN!"
A moment later, she raised her hand—and a massive, purple Clear Sky Hammer materialized in her grasp. Six glowing soul rings revolved around her.
"Brace yourselves."
With a single downward swing, the Clear Sky Hammer slammed into the courtyard.
BOOM.
The stone floor shattered, sending shockwaves rippling outward. Dozens of disciples were blown away instantly, some knocked unconscious by flying debris.
Lin Fan's eyes widened.
"She eliminated dozens of people in a single hit!"
Now, he truly understood why the Clear Sky Hammer was the strongest weapon spirit in the world.
Liu Erlong, undeterred, grinned. "Alright! Time to show what I've got!"
"First Soul Skill—Tyrannosaurus Possession!"
As her red dragon spirit flared to life, Lin Fan knew one thing for sure:
This was going to be a battle for survive