Chapter 292 - 163: Soul Technique, Soul Fire

Evidently, Lu Shang had originally wanted to fight Li Chang’an.

But for some unknown reason—perhaps he received some news or an order—he forced himself to abandon the idea and turned to leave.

But Li Chang’an had finally managed to corner him. How could he possibly let him go so easily?

Even though he knew there was little chance of killing Lu Shang this time, he had to at least test his opponent’s strength and force him to reveal a few of his trump cards.

Li Chang’an was now in the late stage of the Martial Saint Realm.

No matter how outrageously talented Lu Shang was, he couldn’t possibly have grown strong enough to clash head-on with a Martial Saint.

Therefore, after closing the distance, Li Chang’an threw a seemingly casual punch. It struck Lu Shang square in the chest, swatting him out of his rapid retreat and sending him flying back onto the stage, just like a game of whack-a-mole.

The punch didn’t look like it held much power.

But Li Chang’an hadn’t held back in the slightest.

Any ordinary Martial Artist below the Martial Saint Realm would have been blown to pieces had they taken that punch head-on.

Even another Martial Saint would likely have been grievously wounded.

And yet, when that tyrannical force struck Lu Shang, it felt like hitting a ball of cotton.

Recalling the sensation of the punch, Li Chang’an realized his opponent likely possessed some unknown technique for dispersing force. He couldn’t help but grin. "Looks like you can take a punch. Perfect. I haven’t had a good workout in a long time. Today, I’ll use you as a punching bag to warm up!"

Lu Shang’s fall only shattered a few dozen of the stone tiles on the stage. Although he looked a bit disheveled, he hadn’t lost his ability to fight.

Looking up at Li Chang’an, who stood not far away, Lu Shang’s expression was incredibly grave.

He had just turned twelve this year and was already a Grandmaster in the Bone Marrow Refining Realm. Thanks to his special Cultivation Method, he could even fight opponents several Small Realms above him.

But facing Li Chang’an, who was only nine, he sensed immense danger.

’How is this possible?’

’I am a Son of God, favored by destiny and fated to become the future master of the Jiuzhou Continent! How could my Realm and strength be lower than someone younger than me?’

In the past, he had always been the one to crush others with his talent and strength.

This was the first time he had ever suffered such a major setback at the hands of someone so much younger than himself, and it left Lu Shang feeling deeply unsettled.

’There’s definitely something strange about this Crown Prince of Great Zhou!’

...

Li Chang’an had no interest in wasting any more words with him.

After landing the first punch, he didn’t pause. He vanished from the edge of the stage in a flash.

The next time he registered in the crowd’s vision, Li Chang’an was already in front of Lu Shang, his fist raised for another strike.

This time, Lu Shang was prepared.

But even so, he still couldn’t keep up with Li Chang’an’s astonishing speed and took another solid punch straight to the face.

Lu Shang was sent flying back dozens of meters, leaving a trail of shattered bluestone slabs in his wake.

"COUGH, COUGH... PTOO!"

Lu Shang coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyelid twitching uncontrollably. He hadn’t expected Li Chang’an to be so fast, much less for his combat prowess to be so terrifying.

The first time Li Chang’an had punched, he had been able to use the Power of his Divine Soul to control his body, making it as pliable as a ball of cotton to easily disperse most of the force.

Even after taking a direct hit, he had been able to scramble back to his feet without any serious injuries.

This time, however, as Li Chang’an’s fist connected again, Lu Shang was shocked to find it wasn’t so easy to disperse the force. He had absorbed at least thirty to forty percent of the blow’s power!

’We’ve only exchanged blows once.’

’And he’s already found a flaw in my Cultivation Technique and adjusted his attack to exploit it!’

’What the hell kind of monster is he?’

’No, that’s impossible. Logically, there shouldn’t be a monster in this world more monstrous than I am!’

At this thought, Lu Shang’s eyes turned bloodshot. He wiped the blood from his face and stared deadly at Li Chang’an, grinding his teeth. "You’re the one who wouldn’t let me leave. Don’t blame me for taking you down with me!"

Li Chang’an watched him.

Hearing this, he grinned with great interest. "Bring it on. Show me what you’ve got!"

During their brief exchange, he’d sensed that his opponent’s Cultivation System seemed different from others. Lu Shang cultivated the Martial Dao.

But his Divine Soul seemed far more powerful than a normal person’s.

It was even stronger than that of many Cultivators.

A powerful Divine Soul allowed for perfect control over the body, enabling it to perform maneuvers in battle that would seem inconceivable to an ordinary person.

At the same time, Li Chang’an discovered that his opponent’s strange Power of the Divine Soul could be used not only for defense but for offense as well.

In the two punches he’d thrown, Li Chang’an had clearly felt a strange power travel up from Lu Shang’s body and onto his own fists.

After only two punches, the amount of power transferred wasn’t significant.

But Li Chang’an didn’t know what that power would become if he continued to make physical contact, or if it would eventually transform into a weapon his opponent could use against him.

Lu Shang panted heavily as wisps of dark black flame began to rise from his body.

Seeing this, the surrounding Martial Artists all gasped in shock.

It seemed that from the moment this young man calling himself Lu Shang had appeared, the focus of the event—which should have been on the younger generation of Martial Artists—had shifted entirely.