After realizing how terrifyingly powerful Wei Xuan's Soul Tool was, Xiao Hongchen didn't dare let him use it.
"All right, I won't use a Soul Tool," Wei Xuan said calmly. "Let's find a place and fight."
"Fine," Xiao Hongchen agreed readily, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He was clearly eager for the coming battle.
"Go to Soul Tool Testing Zone Ten," Jing Hongchen suggested. "Few people are there, and it's easy to clear the area."
Wei Xuan naturally had no objection. Following Jing Hongchen's lead, the group quickly arrived at Zone Ten.
The testing field lay east of the Illustrious Virtue Hall. It wasn't large — a square two hundred meters on each side — but its reinforced ground was sturdy enough to withstand heavy bombardment.
At Jing Hongchen's command, the Soul Engineers who had been conducting experiments there quickly withdrew, leaving the arena empty.
Wei Xuan and Xiao Hongchen took their places at opposite ends of the field, separated by a hundred meters.
"Go, Brother Wei Xuan!" Meng Hongchen shouted, her eyes shining with excitement.
Jing Hongchen shook his head, helpless. Fortunately, only the four of them were present; otherwise, he'd be embarrassed by how fanatically his granddaughter cheered.
"Grandpa, who do you think will win?" she asked curiously, tilting her little face up at him.
He smiled, thinking for a moment. "I know your brother's strength well. But His Highness's combat power… not so much. We'll just have to watch and see."
He did have a sense of Wei Xuan's power, but it was vague — a single Soul Skill demonstration wasn't enough to judge the boy's true strength.
"Oh, I think Brother Wei Xuan will win," Meng Hongchen whispered confidently.
"Perhaps," Jing Hongchen said with a knowing smile, eyes full of anticipation.
"Remember," Xiao Hongchen called out, grinning, "you asked for this duel. Don't blame me if I hit too hard!"
He had long wanted to teach Wei Xuan a lesson. Now that the opportunity had fallen into his lap, he wasn't about to waste it.
"I hope you get your wish," Wei Xuan replied with a faint smile, unfazed by the provocation.
There was no need to take such childish spat seriously.
He inhaled slowly, focusing. Soul Power surged within him, and the air temperature around him plummeted.
A resonant dragon's roar echoed through the field.
The Ancient Ice Dragon spiraled up behind him — a magnificent creature of crystalline frost, its body emanating a biting chill.
As the Martial Soul manifested, Wei Xuan's entire aura transformed. His pupils turned icy blue, his presence cold and regal.
Though his form didn't shift into full beast possession, his very bearing exuded strength — like a young dragon in human form.
His long blue hair fluttered though there was no wind. White mist coiled around him, and the dragon circled gracefully overhead, breathing waves of frigid air.
"So cool…" Meng Hongchen whispered dreamily, clasping her hands to her chest, her bright eyes sparkling like stars.
Jing Hongchen covered his face with one hand, half in exasperation. My granddaughter's already swooning at this age…
Xiao Hongchen, on the other hand, stared blankly, astonished by the overwhelming presence of the Ice Dragon Martial Soul.
Even without moving, the air around Wei Xuan continued to drop in temperature. The very sunlight seemed to dim within the icy haze.
"Don't zone out," Wei Xuan reminded him calmly. "In three seconds, I'll attack."
"O–oh!" Xiao Hongchen startled back to focus, flustered. Getting distracted in combat was a grave mistake — if Wei Xuan had attacked earlier, he'd already have lost.
He quickly circulated his Soul Power and released his own Martial Soul.
His body crouched slightly — and from behind him, a golden leg extended, gleaming like pure metal.
Golden light flowed across his body, his back bulging until his clothes split apart. Two yellow Soul Rings appeared.
Behind him, a large three-legged golden toad materialized — his Martial Soul, the Three-Legged Golden Toad.
His Soul Rings flared brilliantly, energy waves rippling outward.
In a blur of motion, Xiao Hongchen hurled metallic spheres into the air — twenty in total, thrown within seconds.
Twelve hovered in midair under his control, while the remaining eight detonated, scattering a cloud of shimmering golden dust.
The particles didn't fall; instead, they floated, drawn toward the hovering spheres.
Before anyone could blink, the twelve orbs transformed — metallic tendrils sprouting outward, forming thick cannon barrels.
A strong magnetic pull drew the cannons toward Xiao Hongchen, fusing them to his shoulders, arms, sides, back, and chest — twelve in all.
"I'm ready," he said with a grin.
"Good," Wei Xuan replied. His gaze sharpened as he launched forward.
Against a long-range Soul Engineer, the best tactic was to close the distance — deny the opponent any chance to unleash their barrage.
Otherwise, he'd be reduced to target practice.
Seeing Wei Xuan rush in, Xiao Hongchen smirked faintly. The twelve barrels on his body glowed simultaneously.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Twelve shells roared forth, fiery streaks curving through the air toward Wei Xuan.
Each one was aimed precisely along his predicted path, sealing every route of escape.
Wei Xuan didn't use his spiritual sense. When he'd said he'd fight "as a Soul Master," he meant it — no divine sense, no spell techniques, no external help.
This was a pure test — a chance to gauge the strength of this world's Soul Masters through his own body.
Without spiritual perception, he relied solely on his eyes. His reactions slowed slightly — but not enough to hinder him.
He stomped hard, body shooting sideways in a blur. In a single bound, he covered several meters, twisting between the incoming shots.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosions erupted across the field, shockwaves rippling outward. Even from a hundred meters away, the air seared with heat.
Wei Xuan avoided the direct blasts, though the shockwave grazed his back, burning hot against his skin.
Yet his balance didn't falter — his combat experience from his previous life kept him steady and composed.
Of course, Xiao Hongchen's assault didn't stop there. Dozens more shells streaked through the sky, a veritable rain of fire.
Five volleys in succession — sixty shells blanketed nearly the entire field. Wei Xuan had nowhere to run.
At the same time, Xiao Hongchen began to move, keeping distance — as any true long-range engineer would.
"Let's see you dodge this!" he said with a smirk, already picturing Wei Xuan in flames.
Jing Hongchen's fingers tightened around a glowing Soul Barrier generator in his hand, ready to deploy it if needed.
"Ah! Brother Wei Xuan!" Meng Hongchen cried out, covering her eyes in fear.
Wei Xuan glanced up at the descending barrage. His face remained calm — utterly composed.
When he entered battle, all distractions vanished. Only victory remained.
Behind him, the Ice Dragon reared, roaring as its ethereal form solidified.
At the perfect moment, Wei Xuan leapt onto its back. His movements were smooth and precise, his balance unshakable.
"Roar!"
Under his control, the dragon soared upward, meeting the rain of shells head-on.
Though facing upward, Wei Xuan stood steady — not by technique, but through the instinctive unity between him and his Martial Soul.
He guided the dragon through the storm, weaving between explosions like a streak of frost through fire.
Each blast rocked the air, smoke and flame filling the field — yet the Ice Dragon and its rider emerged unscathed.
"Wha—what?!" Xiao Hongchen gasped. He had never imagined such a way to evade artillery fire.
Even Jing Hongchen was speechless, eyes widening in disbelief.
Once free of the barrage, the Ice Dragon leveled out midair, circling above the field.
Wei Xuan's first Soul Ring flared to life. The dragon opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of freezing mist.
Where the mist spread, the temperature plunged. Within moments, the entire field was shrouded in white.
The lingering flames died instantly. Frost spread over the ground, glistening beneath the dimmed sunlight.
"Ugh—!" Xiao Hongchen shuddered violently. His limbs felt stiff, his blood nearly frozen in his veins.
"What a terrifying Soul Skill…" he muttered, realizing the immense suppression weighing down on him.
Within the frost field, his Soul Power circulation slowed to a crawl, his energy flow nearly blocked.
The Ice Dragon dove, and Wei Xuan leapt from its back at a height of ten meters, twisting midair.
His right leg arced downward in a fierce kick aimed at Xiao Hongchen's head.
Sensing mortal danger, Xiao Hongchen's instincts screamed.
Golden light surged from his palms — two small barrels materialized in his hands, each no longer than a centimeter.
He thrust both forward, releasing a burst of energy.
The recoil force blasted through his arms, launching his entire body backward like a projectile.
It was a Level 1 propulsion Soul Tool — simple but practical, using burst energy to move rapidly.
Of course, only if the user could control its power precisely.
Seeing him retreat, Wei Xuan immediately pulled back his strike, canceling the Soul Power condensed in his leg.
Landing smoothly, he rolled forward and lunged again like a hunting leopard.
Sweeping his arm, he drew upon the freezing mist — Soul Power surged outward, condensing the vapor into solid ice.
Dozens of sharp ice lances formed in the air around him.
With a flick of his hand, they shot forward at blinding speed, each slicing through the air with a shrill hiss.
(End of Chapter)