Lin Xi wore an expression of resentment as he rubbed the lump on his head.
"Boss, that soul beast of yours has no sense of light or heavy! It hit me so hard I got a bump!"
Lin Xi complained bitterly. That monkey was a ten-thousand-year soul beast, and his small frame could hardly withstand such a strike.
"That'll teach you a lesson—stop slacking off all the time."
The red-clothed young man, addressed as Boss Ma, was none other than Ma Rulong, the captain leading Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's team in this Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament.
Ma Rulong lightly stroked the ape-like soul beast beside him as a gesture of reward.
"Old Xiao, toss me a bun."
Lin Xi shouted toward the spectator seats.
A plump, white bun flew over. Lin Xi caught it in one hand, stuffing it into his mouth and chewing vigorously, as if venting his frustration.
Just then, a surprised voice came from behind Jiang Jue.
"Hey, Jiang Jue, you're here too!"
The person behind him quickly ran up.
Jiang Jue turned around. "Meng, you're here as well?"
The newcomer was Meng Hongchen, and following behind her was Xiao Hongchen, who had his head lowered slightly.
Meng Hongchen beamed and said, "Jiang Jue, I passed the assessment! I'm officially a reserve team member for the tournament. We can fight side by side now!"
"That's great. I'll be counting on you, Miss Meng."
"Of course, Jiang Jue~"
Meng Hongchen laughed cheerfully, speaking in a playful, older-sibling tone.
Xiao Hongchen's face darkened as he watched the two interact. "Hey, you two, isn't this a bit inappropriate in public?"
Meng Hongchen shot her brother a glare, then pulled Jiang Jue's hand and started walking off.
Xiao Hongchen suddenly felt his heart shatter. He waved his fists in the air at Jiang Jue's departing figure.
But when Jiang Jue turned around, Xiao Hongchen immediately lowered his head, staring at his toes as if nothing had happened.
"Jiang Jue, just you wait. One day, I, Xiao Hongchen, will defeat you and make you admit that I'm the stronger one!"
Xiao Hongchen clenched his fists, his eyes burning with determination.
His youthful spirit surged once again. His blood boiled with passion.
"Boss Ma, we're here!"
Meng Hongchen called out softly toward the arena.
"Oh, Meng, you're here. And who's this beside you?"
Ma Rulong smiled at the two approaching figures.
"This is my boyfriend, Jiang Jue. He's also one of our reserve team members."
Meng Hongchen's cheeks flushed slightly as she spoke, tightly holding onto Jiang Jue's arm.
This was the first time she had publicly acknowledged Jiang Jue as her boyfriend. She couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
"Nice to meet you, Jiang Jue. I'm a bit older, so everyone calls me Boss Ma. You can call me that too, or just Ma."
Jiang Jue smiled slightly. "Nice to meet you, Boss Ma."
He had no reason to be stingy with a respectful address, especially since Ma Rulong was a Soul Emperor and a Level Six Soul Engineer, as well as the captain of their team.
"Hahaha! We're all brothers now!"
Ma Rulong laughed heartily, clearly pleased with Jiang Jue's respectful attitude. His eyes practically said, "You're a smart one, kid."
Just then, a surprised cry rang out.
"Ahhh!"
Everyone turned their heads.
It was Xiao Hongchen—he had slipped and fallen down the stairs.
A moment ago, Xiao Hongchen had been daydreaming about his glorious future. Suddenly, when he looked up, a red-furred ape face appeared before him.
Startled, he instinctively threw a punch.
However, the ape was extremely agile and dodged instantly. But Xiao Hongchen had swung with too much force, causing him to lose his balance and tumble down the stairs.
Fortunately, the height wasn't too great, so he wasn't seriously hurt.
At some point, Lin Xi had appeared in front of Xiao Hongchen, looking down at him with an enigmatic expression.
"Mingde Hall's road is slippery. If you fall, climb up yourself."
"Huh?"
"What, we're not bros?"
Xiao Hongchen was stunned for a moment before realizing what had just happened.
In all his years, he had never bowed to anyone—except Jiang Jue. He was always the one showing off in front of others, so when had it ever been someone else's turn to show off in front of him?!
"You think you're tough?"
Xiao Hongchen stood up, smirking coldly.
"Being tough is a crime now? I'm super tough, alright?"
Lin Xi casually flipped his side-swept bangs, completely unfazed.
"Let's go outside and settle this!"
Xiao Hongchen's anger flared even more.
"Lin Xi, get over here!"
Ma Rulong suddenly barked, his face darkening.
Lin Xi had entered Mingde Hall two or three years ago, whereas Xiao Hongchen had only joined last semester, so Lin Xi didn't recognize him.
But Ma Rulong did.
This was Xiao Hongchen, the young master of Mingde Hall.
If things escalated, as the team captain, he would bear responsibility. Worse, Xiao Hongchen's grandfather worked under Jing Hongchen himself.
If this turned into an incident, would his grandfather still have a chance for promotion?
There was no way Ma Rulong was going to mess up his family's future over this.
Jiang Jue also looked at Lin Xi.
He vaguely remembered this guy. Though Lin Xi had only appeared once before, what he did left a deep impression.
During a match against Shrek Academy, Lin Xi had deployed two layers of invincible barriers—one to protect himself, and the other to trap Ma Xiaotao inside.
It was a brilliant idea.
But reality was harsh.
Lin Xi had underestimated Ma Xiaotao's firepower.
His two-layered defense basically turned into a high-pressure cooker, directly vaporizing him.
In a literal, physical sense, he was vaporized—nothing remained.
Now, hearing Ma Rulong's order, Lin Xi dramatically flipped his hair before striding away.
Xiao Hongchen patted the dust off his clothes, his eyes narrowing slightly as if deep in thought.
"Alright, everyone, let's introduce ourselves!"
Ma Rulong tactfully changed the subject, waving toward the spectator seats.
Several students walked down one after another.
They were all around seventeen or eighteen years old.
"Alright, as seniors, why don't you introduce yourselves first?"
A bespectacled young man in blue clothing stepped forward.
"Hello, junior brothers and sisters. I'm Xiao Xiafeng, Martial Soul: Steamed Bun, a Level Five Food-type Soul Engineer."
He conjured a steaming white bun, filling the air with a delicious aroma.
"I'm Chen Fei, Martial Soul: Flash Bird, a Level Five Melee Soul Engineer."
Chen Fei spoke coldly, clearly not very talkative.
The person beside him had a gentle demeanor, resembling a kind older brother.
"I'm Chen An, same Martial Soul: Flash Bird, but a Level Five Long-range Soul Engineer."
In soul engineering, levels were more important than soul power—advancing in rank meant gaining the ability to craft stronger soul tools.
"Ahem… I'm Lin Xi, a Level Five Defensive Soul Engineer."
Lin Xi seemed eager to say more, but Ma Rulong cut him off.
"And I'm Ma Rulong, Martial Soul: Giant-Headed Spirit Ape, a Level Six Soul Engineer."
"A few of our members aren't here today, so you'll meet them next time."
"Now, introduce yourselves!"
Meng Hongchen stepped forward.
"Meng Hongchen, Martial Soul: Vermilion Ice Toad, Level Five Melee Soul Engineer."
"Xiao Hongchen, Martial Soul: Three-Legged Golden Toad, Level Five Defensive-Control Soul Engineer."
Lin Xi, who had been indifferent, suddenly froze.
A Hongchen?
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
"Alright, Jiang Jue, your turn."
Jiang Jue smiled slightly.
"Greetings, seniors. My name is Jiang Jue, a Rank 39 Soul Master."
"My Martial Soul… is Human Emperor Banner!"