153: Soul

Long Lie, who had just jumped off the Arena Stage, frowned slightly. Why was it someone from the Dao Seeking Sect again?

At this moment, the Cultivators around the Arena Stage were few and far between, yet those five figures from the Dao Seeking Sect still stood tall and straight. Their orderly formation was particularly eye-catching amidst the sparse crowd. Such a probability could be called a "coincidence," but in Long Lie's eyes, he only felt an indescribable stifling sensation in his chest.

The ancient ring on his hand emitted waves of warmth once more.

"Disciple, do not act on impulse."

"Revered Master, I understand what to do."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Xingchen tapped his toes on the ground and swept onto the Arena Stage, his plain Daoist robe rippling with light patterns in the wind. He cupped his hands slightly and said in a gentle tone, "I ask for your guidance, Fellow Daoist."

To everyone's surprise, before the word "guidance" could even land, Long Lie didn't even lift an eyelid. He kicked off the ground and leaped off the Arena Stage again like an arrow.

A cold voice echoed throughout the venue: "I forfeit and admit defeat."

"Whoosh—!"

The surroundings instantly erupted into a frenzy. Curses and doubts pelted Long Lie like hailstones.

Many people had been looking forward to the clash between this first-place winner of the Myriad Spirit Affinity Realm and the Dao Seeking Sect Cultivators; some hadn't even watched the match of the Holy Son of Tianji Pavilion.

They had specifically focused their attention on this match.

In the end, he admitted defeat again without even fighting. What, was he afraid of losing Face by being sent flying off the Arena Stage in a single move by that Dao Seeking Sect member?

"This guy is way too cowardly. He doesn't even dare to fight before admitting defeat, and he's done it for two matches in a row."

"What do you know? This is called 'the wise man knows when to yield.' If I encountered those few from the Dao Seeking Sect, I would also choose to admit defeat without hesitation. This is better than being beaten off the Arena Stage."

"I wonder how this person managed to take first place in the second round of the competition."

"Sigh, the Saint and Saintess of the Medicine Pavilion are truly useless, actually dying at the hands of such a coward."

Already arrogant and looking down on the Prodigies of various regions, Long Lie was so enraged by these discussions that he clenched his fists tightly. His Spiritual Qi leaked out uncontrollably, and he nearly crushed his back teeth.

It seemed to sense Long Lie's emotions.

The ancient ring seemed to detect his surging hostility, and its warmth suddenly intensified. "One who achieves great things does not bother with trifles. Once you Breakthrough to the Soul Emergence Stage or even reach a higher Realm in the future, these few idle rumors today will be nothing more than passing clouds."

"I understand!"

Long Lie was unwilling. "But Revered Master, I understand the logic, yet if I must forfeit and admit defeat whenever I encounter someone stronger than myself, the path of cultivation is like rowing against the current. Am I, Long Lie, destined to only suppress others with my Realm?"

The Soul Body within the ancient ring was clearly somewhat angered:

"Fool!"

"Not to mention that your Aptitude is inherently inferior to those few; even if I help you win, my Soul Power will be exhausted. When we go to the Profound Realm in the future, who will be there to guide your cultivation?"

Long Lie remained silent.

The voice of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion Elder rang out once more.

Arena Stage Two: Loose Cultivator Long Lie versus Li Pingan of the Dao Seeking Sect.

Dao Seeking Sect again!!!

Long Lie took a deep breath and stepped toward Arena Stage Two.

With every step up, he felt the gazes from the surroundings grow a few degrees more intense, though in reality, not many people were paying attention to him.

Stepping onto the Arena Stage, he looked up at the slightly thin, dark-skinned youth opposite him.

"I..." Long Lie subconsciously wanted to admit defeat, his Adam's apple already rolling halfway, but the words suddenly got stuck in his throat.

Thinking back on his cultivation career, retreating one step led to retreating every step. He had finally obtained this ancient ring and could trample those high and mighty Saints and Saintesses under his feet. Then, a Dao Seeking Sect had appeared out of nowhere.

Today, he, Long Lie, did not want to retreat anymore.

Ignoring the warm aura coming from the ancient ring, Long Lie shouted, "Within ten moves, I will definitely send you flying off the Arena Stage."

The Soul Body in the ancient ring trembled with rage. If its Physical Body were still around, it would have slapped a whole bunch of such Disciples to death. It was only because its Soul Power was currently insufficient; otherwise, it would have long since dropped all pretenses and possessed him.

Li Pingan was stunned for a moment. He had chosen to admit defeat when facing his Senior Sister and Junior Brother earlier, so why did he change when he met me?

Even Mu Wanqing below the stage widened her clear almond eyes and said to Xie Xingchen beside her:

"Junior Brother, it seems the two of us are being looked down upon."

Having made up his mind, Long Lie summoned a three-foot long sword out of thin air. Spiritual power surged into the blade like crashing thunder, and a faint green glow instantly rose from it.

Three streaks of green Sword Qi lunged toward Li Pingan like arrows from a bow, aiming straight for his heart.

Looking at the sword shadows rushing toward him, Li Pingan's dark Face remained expressionless. Only when the Green Steel Sword was less than three feet away did he suddenly raise his hand.

A layer of pale gold Protective Aura quietly condensed.

"Puff!"

The two collided, and a dull sound rang out. The three streaks of Sword Qi were like small pebbles thrown into a lake; besides stirring up faint ripples, there was no other reaction.

Long Lie's pupils constricted, looking at the dark-skinned youth before him in disbelief. Although these three sword strikes didn't use his full strength, even a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer couldn't have blocked them so easily.

Before he could react, a figure suddenly vanished from the spot. Li Pingan's fist had already smashed forward like a gale, the wind of the punch carrying a Martial Dao Astral Qi that made one feel an overwhelming power that crushed everything.

In his haste, Long Lie held his sword horizontally to block, but this time, the Protective Aura directly shattered the green glow on the blade, and the fist smashed heavily onto his chest.

"Puff—!"

Long Lie flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the bluestone at the edge of the Arena Stage.

A mouthful of blood sprayed out, staining the robes on his chest red.

He never imagined that the strength gap between the two would be so large.

Li Pingan was equally puzzled. With this kind of strength, how did he fight like that with Junior Brother before?

"Revered Master! Revered Master, help me quickly!" Long Lie screamed frantically in his Sea of Consciousness.

But there was a dead silence in the ancient ring. No warmth came through, only a cold stillness, as if responding to his defiance.

Long Lie cursed, "If you don't help me defeat this person today, we will go our separate ways from now on. You can go to that Profound Realm by yourself!"

Just then, a ripple of spiritual power centered on Long Lie suddenly exploded outward.

The injured Long Lie, who had fallen to the ground, leaped up and snapped his eyes open. A trace of eerie black light flashed in the depths of his eyes, and the previously dissipated spiritual power around him suddenly became condensed, several times stronger than before.

His entire temperament underwent a complete transformation.

Below the Arena Stage, Ye Hao narrowed his eyes at this sight. "It seems this person is going to use that peculiar power again."

"I really envy Senior Brother. I also want to have another hearty battle with this person. Such a good whetstone is hard to find."

Xiao Lingxian stood to the side, her eyes fixed on the Arena Stage. A trace of surprise flashed across her cold Face; this state of the opponent felt somewhat familiar to her.

She murmured to herself, "This power feels a bit like a Soul Body."

"Soul Body?"

Ye Hao asked curiously.

Xiao Lingxian gave a soft "mm" and then briefly recounted her and Sister Qiyue's past experiences.

Ye Hao frowned slightly and looked at Long Lie on the Arena Stage again. "So that's how it is. So that's what's going on."