Just as expected!
With Ling Feng's agile footwork, Song Si couldn't even touch the edge of his clothes and was left completely on the defensive. His face was already bruised from the hits he'd taken.
"Damn it!"
Infuriated, Song Si retracted his Martial Soul. As Ling Feng once again leapt toward him, Song Si directly caught the incoming fist with both hands. Regardless of who was stronger, he threw his entire body forward and slammed his head fiercely into Ling Feng's.
Thud!
A dull thump rang out. The force of the impact left Song Si dizzy and disoriented, causing him to fall backward.
Ling Feng also staggered from the sudden blow and collapsed shortly after.
Although Ling Feng's soul power was higher than Song Si's, he had spent quite a bit of it dodging the swings of Song Si's frying pan earlier. As a result, his soul power consumption was even greater.
So, on the surface, it looked like a tie.
"What a madman," Liu Long cursed under his breath. He also looked down somewhat on Ling Feng for fainting—he'd actually tied with a civilian soul master with lower soul power.
"It's really a draw?" Xiao Wu was surprised. "But still, Song Si did pretty well. His Martial Soul is actually less effective than his own body."
This was mainly because Song Si's Martial Soul was a frying pan—clearly not an offensive-type soul. The wide surface area made it harder to swing efficiently. When wielded horizontally, it was okay, but vertically, the air resistance made it unwieldy.
With Ling Feng's nimble movements, it was naturally difficult to land a hit.
Under such conditions, Song Si's own arms were more effective. But even so, Tool Soul Masters generally had weaker physiques than Beast Soul Masters. So even though he seized the right moment, Song Si still passed out first.
In truth, this wasn't a draw—Song Si had lost.
As the referee, Zhou Qing declared, "Since Song Si fainted first, the first round goes to your noble student."
"Hey! Zhou Qing, whose side are you on?!" Xiao Wu protested.
"As the referee, I have to be impartial," Zhou Qing replied calmly. "Besides, when Song Si wakes up, tell him Ling Feng also fainted after him—it'll be more effective that way."
Tang San understood Zhou Qing's reasoning. If Song Si found out he had merely drawn with Ling Feng, he might overestimate his own strength.
So it was better this way—better that he lost.
Xiao Chenyu was quite surprised. He had expected Zhou Qing to be biased toward Song Si, but Zhou Qing had acted completely impartially. This only strengthened his belief that Zhou Qing came from a powerful background.
Second Round.
Wang Sheng vs. Liu Long!
"I'm surprised you still have the courage to fight me," Liu Long said with a sneer, looking at Wang Sheng. "Didn't learn your lesson from yesterday when I beat you black and blue?"
It turned out the bruises on Wang Sheng's face were Liu Long's doing.
"You picked on us working students when our three big brothers weren't around. Now I'll stand up for them," Wang Sheng said firmly. Soul power surged through his body as a "王" character appeared on his forehead, and his claws grew slightly sharper.
Unlike Tool Souls, Beast Souls manifest by fusing with the user's body. As soul masters grow stronger, more of their body becomes beast-like, and by the Soul Sage level, they can achieve the Martial Soul True Body—transforming completely into a soul beast form.
But Wang Sheng was only a rank-9 Soul Scholar, not even a full Soul Master yet. His partial transformation gave him the signature "王" on his forehead, a few tiger whiskers on his face, and slightly sharpened claws.
His beastification was still extremely limited.
Liu Long didn't let his guard down. He released his Martial Soul—a metal staff—which he held firmly, eyes locked on Wang Sheng.
"Begin!"
At Zhou Qing's signal, Wang Sheng crouched low like a tiger cub, black eyes narrowing with a hint of gleaming light.
If one looked closely, they'd notice his gaze focused entirely on Liu Long's lower half.
He had clearly taken Tang San's advice to heart.
Liu Long swung his staff horizontally toward Wang Sheng's waist.
Even with the physical boost from his beast soul, Wang Sheng didn't dare take the hit head-on. He ducked low, dodging the strike, then seized the opportunity to pounce toward Liu Long.
Seeing this, Liu Long's eyes flickered with contempt.
Wang Sheng always used the same two moves—dodge, then pounce. Liu Long had practically developed a reflex for this. He grabbed the staff with one hand, ready to block Wang Sheng's claws and then kick him away.
But this time, Wang Sheng wasn't aiming for his chest or throat.
He went for the legs.
By the time Liu Long realized, it was too late.
Wang Sheng lunged and grabbed Liu Long's ankle. With a yank and a lift, Liu Long's balance was thrown off and his head smacked into the ground.
Thud!
A muffled sound echoed.
Liu Long's vision blurred. Wang Sheng seized the moment, straddled his waist, and punched him square in the eye sockets—giving him a pair of fresh black eyes.
With a cub-like growl, Wang Sheng looked up and shouted triumphantly, "Roar~ I won!"
He was overjoyed!
Before, when Liu Long picked on him, that iron staff always hit its mark, while Wang Sheng's attacks were either blocked or deflected.
He knew it was because Liu Long, born into a noble family, had trained with the family's inherited staff techniques since awakening his Martial Soul.
Wang Sheng, a commoner, may have awakened a powerful tiger-type Beast Soul, but lacking any real combat technique, even with a comparable physique, he couldn't land a solid hit.
But now, with Tang San's guidance, he had his own fighting strategy.
Why had he always aimed for the throat before?
Sure, it was a weak point—but one the enemy would guard.
Why not go for the legs instead? Disrupt their balance first, then strike when their defense opened.
This fighting style might not be flashy—it might even seem a little "dirty"—but for a commoner soul master just starting out, in the low-level soul ranks below Soul Elder, this kind of technique could very well save his life one day.
"Wang Sheng wins," Zhou Qing declared. He walked over with Tang San to check Liu Long's condition.
They were still kids, after all. A blow to the back of the head could be dangerous if it caused serious damage.
"He's fine," Zhou Qing sighed in relief after pressing on the grassy ground. "Good thing the soil's soft and covered with grass. If this had happened on a school playground, the kid might be stuck in bed for two days."
Liu Long sat up, grimacing in pain. He rubbed the back of his head, then covered his eyes.
Compared to the knock to the head, the pain from his new black eyes—courtesy of Wang Sheng—was far worse.
"Wang Sheng, you got me this time," Liu Long grumbled. Though clearly frustrated, he accepted his loss and muttered, "Next time, I'm winning for sure!"
"I'll be waiting," Wang Sheng grinned, revealing a pair of sharp canine teeth—another sign of his beast soul.
"Hmph."
Liu Long turned and walked away.
But Zhou Qing couldn't help noticing a subtle sense of mutual respect forming between Wang Sheng and Liu Long.
[Maybe this is why schools allow students to 'spar' with each other. In the right environment, it builds camaraderie but without proper structure and guidance, it can easily devolve into bullying...]