50: Arena Glory and Soul Palace Shadow

The first round of the Inner Academy selection competition, the Illusory Heart Road, concluded, and Xiao Chen, with an astonishing fifth-place finish, powerfully advanced to the second round of arena battles. This result caused quite a stir in the Outer Academy. A student without Dou Qi, relying solely on soul power to overwhelm the vast majority of Fighting Master and even Great Dou Master students, completely overturned many people's understanding of the cultivation system.

The upcoming arena battles will adopt a system of drawn matchups and single-elimination, continuing until the final rankings are determined. The higher the ranking, the more abundant cultivation resources one can obtain as rewards, and more importantly, the higher the "Inner Academy points" one can earn, which is crucial for one's starting point and privileges upon entering the Inner Academy.

When the draw results were announced, Xiao Chen's opponent for the first round was an old student at the three-star Great Dou Master level named Reina. He primarily cultivated lightning-attribute Dou Qi, had a volatile temper, and launched swift attacks, making him somewhat famous in the Outer Academy. Upon learning that his opponent was Xiao Chen, Reina revealed a disdainful, sinister smile.

"Hmph! A guy who relies on soul tricks, dares to get on stage and clash head-on with us? Watch as I smash your soul with one punch!" Reina leaped onto the arena, silver lightning flashing and crackling around his body, exuding an imposing aura.

Most of the spectators below the stage also did not favor Xiao Chen. After all, arena battles were different from the Illusory Heart Road; they were real, head-on confrontations. No matter how strong one's soul power, if there wasn't enough Dou Qi to support defense and sustained combat, it would be easy to be defeated in one blow by an opponent skilled in strong attacks.

Xiao Chen calmly walked onto the arena. He was well aware of his strengths and weaknesses. His advantages were the precise perception, mysterious combat techniques, and powerful instantaneous explosive force brought by his Spirit Realm Soul; his disadvantages were the lack of Dou Qi for sustained combat and frontal defense. Therefore, his strategy was clear: a quick decisive battle, to win by surprise!

"The match begins!" The chief elder referee commanded.

"Lightning Arc Burst Step!" Reina roared, lightning exploding under his feet, and his body shot towards Xiao Chen like a bolt of lightning. His fist, accompanied by an ear-piercing thunder, smashed fiercely towards Xiao Chen's face! He started with a Xuan Rank Low-Tier strong-attack Dou Technique!

Facing this swift attack, Xiao Chen instantly executed the Swimming Fish Steps to its maximum, his body like boneless, slipping past the punch by a hair's breadth. At the same time, a blue light flashed in his eyes, and a Soul Impact was silently launched, directly piercing into Reina's mind!

"Ugh!" Reina's charging figure suddenly froze, a sharp pain like a needle piercing his brain, his offensive instantly crumbling, revealing a huge opening!

"Now!" Xiao Chen seized the opportunity, his body pressing close like a whirlwind. He did not use Dou Qi, but instead infused soul power into his right fist, combining it with the Iron Bone Fist's force exertion technique. A plain, unadorned straight punch, yet containing terrifying hidden force, heavily struck Reina's abdomen!

"Bang!"

A muffled thud sounded! Reina only felt a strange power penetrate his Dou Qi (Fighting Skill) armor, directly acting on his internal organs! His eyes bulged, a mouthful of sour liquid spewed out, and his entire body curled up like a shrimp as he flew backward, heavily crashing onto the edge of the arena, losing his combat ability!

The entire venue fell silent!

One move! Just one move! The three-star Great Dou Master Reina, defeated!

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the calm figure standing on the stage. There were no dazzling Dou Qi (Fighting Skill) lights, no earth-shattering clashes; the battle ended so quickly, so strangely!

"What... what kind of attack was that? Can soul power be used like this?"

"He didn't seem to use Dou Qi at all! Purely relying on physical strength and soul attacks?"

"Too terrifying! This Xiao Chen's fighting style is simply impossible to guard against!"

On the high platform, Instructor Ruolin's beautiful eyes sparkled with brilliance, and Elder Mu She also nodded slightly, clearly quite satisfied with Xiao Chen's performance. The other elders were whispering among themselves, full of curiosity about Xiao Chen's unique combat system.

Xiao Chen's first victory was like a resounding slap in the face to all who doubted him. In the subsequent rounds of competition, he continued this style, relying on the precise prediction of his Spirit Realm Soul, the mysterious evasion of Swimming Fish Steps, the instantaneous interference of Soul Impact, and close-range attacks infused with hidden soul force. He repeatedly defeated stronger opponents, overcoming several formidable Great Dou Master opponents, advancing triumphantly all the way, powerfully entering the top sixteen!

His performance completely captivated the audience and also attracted the attention of truly top-tier geniuses.

When Liu Qing, Lin Xiuyai, and others watched Xiao Chen's matches, their gazes became solemn. They realized that this young man without Dou Qi was by no means lucky, but an extremely troublesome opponent! His fighting style completely transcended the traditional Dou Qi framework, making him unpredictable.

However, just as Xiao Chen was enjoying boundless glory, shadows in the dark were quietly closing in.

In a hidden corner of the Outer Academy.

"Your Excellency Envoy, that Xiao Chen's soul fluctuations are extremely pure, undoubtedly of the Spirit Realm! Moreover, he seems to have had some extraordinary encounter in the Illusory Spirit Realm, and may be hiding even greater secrets," a low voice reported.

The Black-Robed Figure, referred to as the "Envoy," was shrouded in cold black mist, revealing only a pair of emotionless eyes. He spoke hoarsely: "A Spirit Realm Soul... so young... indeed the 'high-quality material' our Soul Hall needs. Continue to monitor him and figure out his activity patterns. When the Inner Academy selection competition ends and he lets down his guard, that will be the best time to act. Remember, capture him alive; his soul is priceless!"

"Yes, Your Excellency Envoy!"

The Soul Hall's minions had already set their sights on Xiao Chen as their prey. A conspiracy against him was being secretly woven.

Xiao Chen was not entirely unaware of this. His powerful soul perception had repeatedly caught that faint, chillingly deathly sense of being spied upon. He knew that people from the Soul Hall were nearby. This made him even more eager to improve his strength and... find reliable allies.

In the quarter-final match, Xiao Chen's opponent was Liu Fei, the young woman with the peculiar pupil technique.

Liu Fei's pupil technique was very strange; she could see through energy flow and even interfere with souls to a certain extent. This posed a considerable challenge for Xiao Chen. During the match, Liu Fei's pupil technique repeatedly greatly reduced the effectiveness of Xiao Chen's soul attacks, and the two fell into a stalemate.

In the end, Xiao Chen had no choice but to use the newly cultivated Illusionary Dream Realm, creating multiple illusions combining reality and falsehood, to barely confuse Liu Fei's pupil technique. He seized the opportunity and narrowly won by one move, difficultly advancing to the semi-finals.

This match greatly exhausted Xiao Chen, but it also gave him a deeper understanding of the application of the Illusionary Dream Realm.

The draw results for the semi-finals were out: Xiao Chen vs. Lin Xiuyai; Liu Qing vs. Zi Yan.

The true pinnacle showdowns were about to begin! And Xiao Chen's next opponent was one of the recognized top powerhouses of the Outer Academy, Lin Xiuyai, whose cultivation had reached the peak of five-star Great Dou Master and possessed extraordinary swordsmanship!

Facing such a formidable enemy, could Xiao Chen once again create a miracle? How should he deal with the threat of the Soul Hall in the shadows? The path to the Inner Academy was filled with glory and danger! Xiao Chen's journey had entered its most crucial stage!