Chapter 10: Zhang Lexuan

Ye Xixuan swept his Shadow Spear downward in a diagonal arc before him, guiding the flickering blue-purple lightning dancing across his body into the weapon. Within a few breaths, the brilliance of the lightning faded entirely.

Lightning, by its very nature, possesses an attribute of light, which was naturally countered by his extreme darkness.

"Brother Bei, be careful." Ye Xixuan slung his Shadow Spear behind him, his entire body tensing instantly. Then, his spear struck out like a dragon, the dark, sharp tip lashing toward Bei Bei’s face like a torrential storm.

Previously, the short, wide sword and the shield of darkness he had manifested using his first soul skill had displayed the characteristics of an agility-type and a defense-type battle soul master, respectively; this time, however, it was a display of pure power!

Bei Bei had appeared passive earlier because he had been caught off guard, allowing Ye Xixuan to seize the initiative. Now, he became serious, viewing Ye Xixuan as a rival of his own caliber.

Having been personally trained by Elder Mu since childhood, how could he be a mediocre talent?

A low, rumbling roar suddenly erupted from Bei Bei. Intense blue-purple electrical light surged over his body, rapidly concentrating within the palms of his hands.

He had activated his first soul skill, Thunder Dragon Claw, repeatedly, but kept it suppressed and condensed many times over. With blue-purple lightning coiling around them, his hands seemed to transform into true thunder dragon claws. The intense energy fluctuations were completely contained within these claws, creating a sense of suffocating pressure.

This was a more advanced application of soul skills, requiring immense control over one’s own power.

Bei Bei’s hands, transformed into blue lightning dragon claws, now possessed the preliminary might of true dragonization. With a flicker of movement, he took the initiative and lunged toward Ye Xixuan.

After all, this was Ye Xixuan’s first real combat experience, and he lacked seasoning. The wide, sweeping strikes of his spear were devastatingly powerful, but their weakness was clear: they lacked subtle variation. When there is a gap in cultivation between two parties, such flaws are easily exploited.

As Bei Bei sidestepped the spear tip, his left claw clamped tightly onto the shaft, while his right Thunder Dragon Claw struck ferociously toward Ye Xixuan’s chest.

"It’s over."

Hearing Bei Bei’s confident murmur, Ye Xixuan’s gaze hardened. He voluntarily abandoned the Shadow Spear held in his right hand. Enveloped in deep, abyssal light, it instantly condensed into a tangible, pitch-black dragon claw. The knuckles were thick, and each black dragon scale was sharply defined, extending all the way to his wrist.

Although Ye Xixuan had formed this claw through his first soul skill, "Condensed Shadow," it looked more like a true dragon transformation than even Bei Bei’s.

Just as Elder Xuan and Zhang Lexuan marveled at Ye Xixuan’s ability to learn and adapt, the black and blue-purple dragon claws collided.

"Boom—"

Blue-purple lightning spilled from the gaps of the dark dragon claw, illuminating Ye Xixuan’s indifferent face.

Only after obtaining his first soul skill did he realize the profound enhancement brought by the "Heart Demon Mark" talent. It did not merely amplify speed, strength, and defense; it enhanced the attributes of his martial soul itself, most visibly manifested in the increased power of his soul skills.

Meanwhile, Bei Bei was also surrounded by a cold, deathly aura of darkness.

Light and shadow overlapped and merged, appearing like a black sun and a blue-purple sun grinding against each other as they descended to the ground.

Even with Elder Mu’s temperament, a moment of trance flickered in his dim eyes at this sight. He and Long Xiaoyao had clashed in exactly this manner during the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament of their era.

As the dual-colored light dissipated in the sky, Bei Bei stabilized his footing. The lightning around him faded, though he still had the strength to continue.

Ye Xixuan, however, stumbled back ten steps, gasping for air with a pale face. Having exhausted all his soul power, he simply and candidly conceded.

"Brother Bei, I have lost."

"When I was your age, I was nowhere near as good as you." Bei Bei dismissed his martial soul and smiled, reaching out his right hand toward Ye Xixuan. He was not a man of narrow mind, and Ye Xixuan had earned his respect through talent and strength.

"It seems that with you on Sea God Island, I won't be bored anymore. By the way, if you get the chance, I’ll introduce you to that dead turtle. And I’ll make sure he has a duel with you too, just to see the wonderful expression on his face."

"A turtle?" Ye Xixuan was momentarily stunned. He shook Bei Bei’s hand, realizing instantly that he was referring to Xu Sanshi, the owner of the Profound Martial Shield martial soul.

Bei Bei laughed mischievously. "That’s his martial soul, but his strength is not weak—at least not inferior to mine."

"Bei Bei, you brat, you're causing trouble again." Elder Xuan stood up, dusted off his seat, and shot Bei Bei a grumpy glare.

Bei Bei put on a look of feigned righteousness. "Elder Xuan, this is called sharing the wealth; how could it be causing trouble? I gained a lot from this duel with Xixuan, and I always think of that guy Xu Sanshi whenever there’s something good."

"Then you three little things can go share the wealth together." Elder Xuan snorted, though it was unclear whether he missed the ambiguity in his words or said it on purpose. "I won't be accompanying you."

In the next instant, Elder Xuan vanished.

Ye Xixuan instinctively let go of Bei Bei’s hand, pulling away with a strange expression.

Bei Bei shrugged helplessly, just about to offer an explanation, when Elder Mu’s gentle voice suddenly rang out.

"Xixuan, Bei Bei, come here."

"Yes," Ye Xixuan and Bei Bei replied in unison.

Elder Mu introduced Zhang Lexuan to Ye Xixuan.

"Xixuan, this is Zhang Lexuan, the head senior sister of the inner court. From now on, she will guide your cultivation. Her martial soul is the moon, which should be quite compatible with yours."

"You can just call me Senior Sister, just like Bei Bei and the others do," Zhang Lexuan said with a gentle smile, crouching down to pat Ye Xixuan’s head with a touch of tenderness.

When Ye Xixuan and Bei Bei were dueling, Elder Mu had already told her about Ye Xixuan’s background. Their experiences were highly similar; no one could understand Ye Xixuan’s inner feelings better than she could.

"Senior Sister." Ye Xixuan bowed politely.

Zhang Lexuan’s smile became even softer, though to Bei Bei, it looked a bit jarring—once upon a time, that warmth had been his alone. However, reflecting on how gentle the senior sister was to every student in the inner court, he managed to let it go.

Besides, he considered himself no longer a child and would not show such childish jealousy.

Every boy at that age seems to have a bit of that awkwardness.

Ye Xixuan had not forgotten Tang Ya, so he immediately asked Elder Mu, "Elder Mu, I would like to go to the East City Gate of the outer court first."

"Then let Bei Bei take you there, and you can familiarize yourself with the academy along the way," Elder Mu said with great openness.