vncnus Chapter 56 Xu Xiaoyu
Chapter 56 Xu Xiaoyu
Chapter 56 Xu Xiaoyu
The Soul Master Youth Group competition proceeded exceptionally smoothly, and the three rounds of intense elimination matches concluded successfully in just three days.
After rounds of selection, sixty-four outstanding contestants stood out from hundreds of participants and successfully advanced to the main competition. Lu Xingchen was naturally among them, easily breaking through with overwhelming force throughout the competition.
After all, they are teenagers under the age of fifteen. Due to their age and years of cultivation, the highest level of a Soul Master in this age group is only the level of a three-ring Soul Venerable.
As for a Soul Master under the age of fifteen? There hasn't been one in this region of the East Coast for many years.
Only the established powers in the central and western parts of the mainland, with their deep-rooted resources and comprehensive training systems, can produce such brilliant geniuses in an endless stream.
The main competition was equally uncontested: in the round of 64 to 32, Lu Xingchen won;
In the round of 32 to 16, Lu Xingchen won;
In the round of 16, Lu Xingchen won again.
Like an unstoppable sharp blade, he advanced rapidly, encountering mostly two-ring Great Soul Masters along the way. The few three-ring Soul Venerables who occasionally appeared did not pose any threat to him and were all cleanly and decisively defeated by him.
"They're all all show and no substance, severely lacking in real combat experience. Has their academy never arranged any live-fire exercises?"
After several one-on-one battles, Lu Xingchen couldn't help but feel this way. He was surprised to find that although these opponents had the cultivation levels of the second and third rings, their actual combat abilities were rather disappointing.
Some opponents will stand still and remain completely exposed to the attack range when releasing amplification soul skills;
Some people's movements are stiff and awkward when releasing attack soul skills, full of flaws, and their trajectory is easily predicted.
Even worse, when they saw Lu Xingchen's "little bean"-like physique, they subconsciously relaxed their vigilance, and he seized the opportunity to take them down with a series of moves.
Ultimately, it's because Lu Xingchen's appearance is too deceptive.
Generally speaking, Soul Masters grow much faster than their peers, and the average age of Soul Masters who can participate in the Junior Group competition is between thirteen and fifteen.
Soul Masters in this age group, nourished by soul power, are generally over 1.5 meters tall. Some exceptionally talented and physically strong individuals can even reach 1.8 meters tall, making them no less impressive than adults.
Lu Xingchen, who is only seven years old and only 1.1 meters tall, stands in stark contrast to the other contestants with her tender and delicate face.
Most opponents, upon first seeing him, would unconsciously feel contempt, thinking that he had only gotten this far by luck.
This is why, in the previous matches, Lu Xingchen hardly needed to use his mental power to predict or interfere. With his superior physical qualities far exceeding those of his peers, he could knock his opponents off the stage and win the match by wielding the Holy Light Cross and smashing it repeatedly.
However, in today's quarterfinals, Lu Xingchen finally encountered an opponent he found "quite interesting".
"Xu Xiaoyu, Donghai Academy!"
With a slightly arrogant self-introduction, a boy dressed in the uniform of Donghai Academy stepped onto the arena.
He had neat short blue hair, a handsome face, and looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. He was tall and straight, and after taking the stage, he raised his head high, his eyes carrying a hint of innate arrogance. His gaze fell directly on Lu Xingchen, with a clear sense of scrutiny.
, "1
"In a battle between Soul Masters, stating your name is the most basic etiquette, isn't it?"
Seeing that Lu Xingchen had no reaction, Xu Xiaoyu raised her eyebrows slightly and reminded him with a hint of impatience in her tone.
Is that right?
Lu Xingchen subconsciously scratched his head. Recalling his previous battles, his opponents were either too nervous to speak or attacked right away; none of them had ever given their names.
But since Xu Xiaoyu brought it up herself, he went along with her and replied, "Tianhai Elementary School, Soul Master Class, Lu Xingchen."
Tianhai Elementary School is an affiliated branch of Tianhai Soul Master Academy, mainly responsible for educating children who have successfully awakened their martial souls.
The Soul Master Class is a special class set up by the school specifically for children who have awakened their Martial Soul and have been found to possess Soul Power. It is dedicated to teaching them basic Soul Master knowledge and cultivation methods.
Once these children's soul power reaches level eleven and they break through to the first-ring soul master realm, the school will recommend them to go to Tianhai Soul Master Academy for further study and receive more systematic and professional training.
Lu Xingchen's current school registration is in the Soul Master class at Tianhai Elementary School. In addition, the four little ones also attend this elementary school.
Cocolia's plan is to send them to Tianhai Soul Master Academy together after they turn nine, so that they can receive better educational resources.
Of course, although he was nominally a student at Tianhai Elementary School, Lu Xingchen rarely went to school.
After all, the basic knowledge of Soul Masters taught in elementary school was too superficial for him. He could easily master it by simply consulting relevant information on the Soul Guidance Network.
Cocolia understood this, so she didn't force him to attend classes on time, but simply allowed him to retain his student status so that he could smoothly enter Tianhai Soul Master Academy later.
"A soul master class in elementary school?"
Upon hearing this answer, Xu Xiaoyu's face showed obvious surprise. He had also attended primary school and naturally understood the age restriction.
The students in the elementary school Soul Master class are generally under nine years old. Is this little guy in front of him even under nine? A child under nine years old has actually made it all the way to the top eight. This is really beyond his expectations.
But this surprise only lasted a moment before Xu Xiaoyu suppressed it. In his view, Lu Xingchen's success was mostly due to good luck, as the opponents he encountered were all too weak.
"Five, four, three, two, one, the match begins!"
In the brief moment between the two, the referee's deep and powerful countdown suddenly rang out, announcing the official start of the quarterfinals.
"Ice Staff!"
Almost the instant the referee finished speaking, a flash of light appeared on Xu Xiaoyu's right hand, and a long-handled staff, pure white and intricately carved, appeared out of thin air. At the top of the staff was a blue crystal the size of a pigeon's egg, emanating wisps of cold air.
At the same time, two rich yellow century-old spirit rings slowly rose beneath his feet. As the spirit rings pulsed, a cold energy aura spread out, causing the temperature around the arena to drop slightly.
"Little friend, you were indeed lucky to make it into the top eight, but unfortunately, you ran into me."
Xu Xiaoyu held the ice staff, looking down at Lu Xingchen with confidence in her voice, "If you don't want to get hurt, just surrender now, so you don't end up crying later."
Like all his previous opponents, he was clearly also deceived by Lu Xingchen's appearance and did not really take this "little bean" seriously.
Lu Xingchen didn't waste any words; faced with the other party's disdain, he responded with only actions.
"The Cross of Holy Light!"
Golden light gathered in his right hand, and the Holy Light Cross instantly appeared. The gentle yet majestic Holy Light Disc dispelled the surrounding chill.
The next second, he stomped his right foot on the arena floor and pounced towards Xu Xiaoyu like an arrow.
"Since you don't know what's good for you, then I'll show you what the difference in strength really is! First Soul Skill: Ice Wheel!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Xu Xiaoyu's eyes. He hadn't expected this little guy to be so fast, but he didn't panic. He simply tapped his ice staff lightly in Lu Xingchen's direction, and his first spirit ring shone brightly.
A pale blue ice wheel materialized out of thin air, its edges sharp as knives. It spun rapidly in the air, accompanied by a howling wind, and slashed towards Lu Xingchen.
"First Soul Skill: Restriction Domain"
Facing the rapidly approaching Ice Wheel, Lu Xingchen remained calm and raised the Holy Light Cross in his hand.
A yellow century-old soul ring also rose beneath his feet. As the soul ring flickered, a magnificent gem phantom appeared on the surface of the cross, and a special domain energy spread out, enveloping the entire arena.
"Chains of Holy Light!"
Under Lu Xingchen's mental control, the dense golden holy light instantly materialized, transforming into thick golden chains that, like agile snakes, swept across the ice wheel that was attacking from mid-air.
"Bang!"
A loud crash rang out as the golden chains of holy light collided violently with the pale blue ice wheel in mid-air.
The next second, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded: the powerful ice wheel was shattered by the chains of holy light, turning into countless tiny ice shards that dissipated into the air, while the chains of holy light also turned into specks of golden light during the collision, returning to the cross.
"How is this possible?"
Xu Xiaoyu's eyes widened suddenly, her face filled with disbelief.
He knew the power of the Ice Wheel all too well. It could easily cut down even a tree that would require several people to hug. How could it be so easily neutralized by this little guy from the elementary school Soul Master class?
He was momentarily stunned, his initial contempt instantly replaced by shock.
"Being distracted during battle is a major taboo."
Just as Xu Xiaoyu was stunned by the shock, Lu Xingchen's voice suddenly rang in his ears.
He was startled and suddenly came to his senses, only to find that Lu Xingchen had already crossed dozens of meters and appeared in front of him, the Holy Light Cross in his hand carrying a sharp wind, fiercely smashing towards him.
Second Soul Skill: Ice Spirit Shield!
In the critical moment, although Xu Xiaoyu was terrified, his years of training allowed him to maintain a degree of composure.
Without hesitation, he activated his second spirit ring. A dense, shimmering blue light burst forth from the tip of the ice staff in his hand. Under the radiant blue light, a thick, icy blue shield appeared out of thin air, enveloping his entire body and attempting to block Lu Xingchen's attack.
"Bang!"
However, the moment the ice shield came into contact with the Holy Light Cross, the blue light on the surface of the shield began to flicker violently, and the golden holy light, as if possessing corrosive power, eroded into the interior of the shield at an extremely rapid speed.
As the user of the soul skill, Lu Xingchen could clearly feel his soul power rapidly dissipating.
His first soul skill, "Binding Domain," has a very special effect: it can not only break all amplification-type soul skills, but also forcibly weaken the power of the enemy's energy-type soul skills by 30%.
Xu Xiaoyu's Ice Spirit Shield happened to be an energy-type soul skill, so it was naturally affected by the restraint domain, and its power was forcibly weakened by 30%.
However, Lu Xingchen's soul power has now reached level two thousand, so this loss of soul power is still within an acceptable range for him.
"drink!"
Lu Xingchen let out a low shout and suddenly exerted force with his right hand, making the light on the Holy Light Cross even more intense.
The Ice Spirit Shield, which had already been weakened by 30%, could no longer withstand the impact of this enormous force and shattered with a "crack," turning into countless ice shards scattered all over the ground.
After breaking through the protective barrier, the Holy Light Cross did not pause at all, sweeping towards Xu Xiaoyu's chest.
At such close range, Xu Xiaoyu had no time to dodge. She could only instinctively raise her ice staff and hold it in front of her, trying to use the hardness of her martial spirit to block the fatal blow.
However, while the idea was appealing, reality proved harsh.
Although Xu Xiaoyu possessed the cultivation of a second-ring Great Soul Master, his martial soul, the Ice Staff, was biased towards magical attacks, and his own strength attribute was not strong to begin with. Moreover, he was facing Lu Xingchen, whose physical qualities far surpassed those of his peers.
"Bang!"
In the instant of the collision, Xu Xiaoyu felt an irresistible force emanating from the ice staff. Like a kite with a broken string, she was sent flying, arcing through the air before crashing headlong into the soul-guided defensive shield at the edge of the arena.
"Bang!"
With another dull thud, Xu Xiaoyu's body slammed heavily against the soul-guiding shield, producing a sickeningly loud impact.
He slowly slid to the ground, his head spinning, his eyes rolling back, clearly indicating that he had lost the ability to fight.
Seeing this, the referee quickly stepped forward to check on Xu Xiaoyu's condition. After confirming that he was only unconscious and not in mortal danger, he immediately waved his hand and announced, "The match is over, Lu Xingchen wins!"
"Wow!!! That's amazing, little guy!"
As the referee announced his decision, cheers and gasps of amazement erupted from the stands.
At the very moment Lu Xingchen defeated Xu Xiaoyu and the referee announced the result of the match, a young voice filled with deep worry quietly rang out from a secluded corner of the stands at Tianhai Stadium.
"Dad, will my brother be alright?"
The speaker was a beautiful little girl, about five or six years old, with the same light blue hair as Xu Xiaoyu. Her hair was soft and flowing over her shoulders, making her skin look as white as snow and her eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a painting.
At this moment, her clear, sapphire-like eyes were fixed on the unconscious blue-haired boy on the stage, her eyes filled with undisguised worry, and her little hands unconsciously gripped her father's sleeve beside her.
Beside the little girl sat a middle-aged man with short blue hair. He was dressed in a well-tailored dark blue outfit, and his face bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Xu Xiaoyu, only with more rugged features and a sense of worldly wisdom between his brows.
At this moment, he looked at his son being carried off the stage by medical staff. There was no worry on his face, but rather a look of disappointment and frustration. His tone was filled with anger and helplessness: "Hmph, that brat, I've told him many times before to curb his arrogant ways and never look down on others."
"As a result, he still refused to repent and always thought he was a genius of Donghai Academy, so he was arrogant and looked down on everyone. Now look what happened, he was completely outmatched in front of a kid who was several years younger than him. It's really embarrassing!"
"
The middle-aged man was clearly dissatisfied with his son Xu Xiaoyu's arrogant personality. In his view, the loss in this competition was both unexpected and reasonable.
If Xu Xiaoyu hadn't underestimated her opponent and been careless in her defenses from the start, Lu Xingchen wouldn't have been able to seize the opportunity and win in one fell swoop.
"Daddy~"
Hearing her father scolding her brother, the little girl in the stands gently tugged at her father's sleeve, her little mouth slightly pouting, her eyes full of pleading, hoping that her father would stop blaming her brother.
She knew her brother was a bit proud, but in her heart, he was still the good brother who would protect her and buy her candy.
Looking into his daughter's big eyes, filled with worry and grievance, the middle-aged man's anger vanished instantly, leaving only tenderness in his heart.
He quickly softened his tone, reached out and gently touched his daughter's head, patiently comforting her, "Xiaoyan, don't worry, that brat just fainted from the shock, he's fine, the medical staff will take good care of him."
He paused, then looked up at Lu Xingchen, who had just stepped off the stage, a hint of barely perceptible approval flashing in his eyes. He added, "Moreover, his opponent, Lu Xingchen, actually held back at the last moment. Look at where the cross landed; it avoided vital points, and the force was somewhat restrained. Otherwise, given the strength that child displayed, your brother would probably have been more than just unconscious."
As an experienced Soul Master, the middle-aged man could naturally discern the precision of Lu Xingchen's attack.
When the Holy Light Cross swept out, it clearly restrained most of its force, merely using the impact to knock Xu Xiaoyu away without actually injuring his vitals. Otherwise, given the rapid momentum just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"I see."
Hearing her father's words and confirming that her brother was not in mortal danger, Xu Xiaoyan finally felt relieved, and her slightly pouting lips slowly relaxed.
She looked at the small figure who had already stepped off the stage, her clear blue eyes filled with curiosity and admiration.
She doesn't look much older than me, and is even shorter, yet she has such formidable strength that she can easily defeat her brother, whom she considers very powerful. She's truly amazing!
"Lu Xingchen".
Xu Xiaoyan silently memorized the name, her little head filled with amazement.
This name, along with that small yet imposing figure holding a golden cross, was etched into her heart, becoming the most memorable presence for her during this Tianhai Alliance Grand Competition.
She secretly thought that she must learn from this amazing young man and become a humble yet powerful Soul Master.
(Image of the Holy Light Cross.)