Chapter 19

Lu Ping was gone.

If it weren't for Mori's mention, Xi Fan wouldn't have noticed. Even though his Mingzhi (soul force) had no realm, Lu Ping was just a meter away from him, and he didn't sense anything at all.

"Where did he go?" Mori looked around.

Xi Fan didn't know, but he had a premonition. Could the soul force he just sensed be Lu Ping?

"Right, what did you say was wrong?" Mori asked.

No, it wasn't Lu Ping!

Xi Fan quickly confirmed. Although he couldn't sense that soul force now, the direction he sensed just now was definitely another one.

"There's a soul force..." Xi Fan said to Mori, his gaze turning to the direction he judged. There, only the two instructors on the examination platform and the principal were sitting.

What is it?

Xi Fan couldn't give Mori a more accurate description, but he felt that Lu Ping's departure might be related to this.

Third-year Soul Tower, 12th floor.

Su Tang, relying on her sixth-layer Li (strength) soul force, smoothly rushed to this floor. As Xi Fan said, in the third year, most students' soul forces were at the third or fourth layer, and the fifth layer was considered excellent. The sixth layer was an outstanding talent, giving her a crushing advantage in the third-year Soul Tower. If there was any difficulty, it was only on the 12th floor.

The 12th floor couldn't be passed by just relying on a higher realm. At this level, the ability to use soul force was crucial. When Xi Fan broke through the 12th floor in his third-year final exam, it wasn't because of his realm. His highest Jing (essence) soul force was only at the fourth layer, and beyond the ninth floor, it wasn't just about realm. He relied on his ability to use soul force, not just Jing soul force, but all the soul forces he mastered.

Su Tang had an even greater advantage in realm and also showed some talent in application. The expectations of Zhaofeng Academy were not unfounded. Indeed, she didn't disappoint. After several rounds of engagement with the lion-like幻兽 (phantom beast) guarding the 12th floor, she finally figured out its attack patterns. Her third-layer Chong (rush) soul force precisely captured the phantom beast's movements.

"Ha!"

With a final light shout, Su Tang's right hand shot out, and she accurately pressed the head of the charging phantom beast. Her left hand quickly followed, and both arms suddenly exerted downward force.

The phantom beast roared but couldn't match the sudden burst of strength from the sixth-layer Li soul force. Its head crashed into the ground, creating a large pit. The back half of its body, unable to absorb the momentum of the charge, lifted into the air.

"Boom!"

The phantom beast flipped over, its head hanging in the pit, and it stopped struggling.

Su Tang released her grip and cautiously stepped back two steps. This phantom beast was indeed tough to handle, and her breathing became a bit heavy. But she didn't immediately relax her guard, still closely watching the fallen phantom beast until it completely disappeared, then she truly relaxed.

"Phew."

Su Tang took a deep breath, checking a minor flesh wound on her left shoulder from the previous engagement, and was about to head to the top of the tower. Suddenly, a strong wind came!

It's not over!

Su Tang was extremely alert, leaping to the right to avoid the attack. Looking back, the phantom beast had indeed disappeared, and this time, a person appeared. It looked like the phantom beast, also formed by soul force. The initial attack missed, and now it seemed surprised and hesitant.

Tough to handle!

Su Tang immediately judged. Although the phantom beast was fierce, it just attacked without fear. This new opponent, however, showed emotions after the missed attack. Such an opponent was much more difficult to deal with than the mechanical attacking phantom beast.

Indeed, the 12th floor was much harder than the lower floors! Su Tang thought regretfully. After defeating the phantom beast, she was already tired, and she wasn't sure if she could defeat a stronger opponent.

But she couldn't just give up!

Su Tang quickly regained her composure, mobilizing her Chong and Ming soul forces, closely watching the opponent's every move.

The opponent moved!

Or rather, didn't move at all, but he had disappeared.

Su Tang was surprised. She had been watching closely, and her fatigue hadn't reduced her attention. But her third-layer Chong soul force didn't detect any movement from the opponent, who vanished into thin air.

There was no trace of the opponent within her 180-degree field of vision.

It must be behind me!

Although her third-layer Ming soul force didn't hear any sound, Su Tang made this judgment.

Turn, sweep kick!

Su Tang's reaction and movement were already fast, but they weren't enough for this opponent. The opponent appeared behind her and caught her sweeping kick.

The glowing phantom smiled and was about to throw Su Tang.

But the strength wasn't enough!

The resistance from her fingertips, brought by the sixth-layer Li soul force, was stronger than he expected.

"Who are you?" She heard Su Tang speaking to him. His smile made Su Tang feel uneasy.

The previous surprise and hesitation could be understood as the phantom calculating its next attack, a more advanced and complex operation. But what about this smile? A phantom generated by the tower's soul force shouldn't have such human-like emotions.

Su Tang immediately felt something was wrong. She realized this phantom might not be controlled by the tower but by someone else, or it might be someone.

The phantom didn't answer. He realized he had exposed a weakness due to his carelessness. He had no initial precautions. He even thought he could end the exam with the initial sneak attack.

He didn't expect the attack to miss, didn't expect Su Tang's quick reaction, and didn't expect his throw to fail.

He didn't want any more surprises and decided to act faster.

In his current state of Shen You (spirit wandering), he didn't have an advantage in brute force. He decided not to struggle with Su Tang and was about to let go of her hand. But this struggle allowed Su Tang to find her advantage.

Strength!

Her strength was something even this mysterious phantom couldn't easily match.

So she planted her left foot, exerted force, and used all her strength!

The right leg, which was caught, suddenly shot forward. The phantom, who was about to let go, didn't expect Su Tang's kick to be so strong.

The kick hit the phantom's chest, causing its form to twist and distort.

It looked like just a phantom, but this phantom was different from the previous one. The previous one didn't distort when hit.

What is it?

No time to think, just attack!

Su Tang didn't miss the opportunity. Her body quickly followed, punching and kicking.

Combat techniques naturally made the most of the Li soul force. The phantom remained distorted and couldn't recover, maintaining a half-formed appearance.

It seems he can't do anything now?

Su Tang deduced and intensified her attacks.

The phantom was in trouble. He wasn't a phantom generated by the Soul Tower. The 12th floor exam was already passed after defeating the phantom beast.

He was Yuan Yi, an instructor at Xiagong Academy, a master of Jing soul force, sitting next to Principal Balayan. The phantom in the 12th floor tower was his fourth-level ability: Shen You.

The phantom was completely under his control. Xiagong Academy planned to use this method to obstruct Zhaofeng Academy students from breaking through the 12th floor. He thought a single sneak attack would complete his mission but didn't expect the struggle to continue, and now he was at a disadvantage.

Not good, very not good!

If this continued, he wouldn't just obstruct the exam; he would be injured by the destruction of the phantom.

No choice!

Yuan Yi didn't want to hurt Zhaofeng Academy students, just to ruin their scores. But now, not only could he not stop them from breaking through the 12th floor, but he would also be injured. He couldn't hold back anymore.

The fourth-level ability Shen You wasn't just that.

Yuan Yi focused his mind, and his Jing soul force was continuously channeled, fully activating Shen You.

In the 12th floor of the Soul Tower, Su Tang's punch suddenly missed.

The phantom, which she had almost beaten into shapelessness, suddenly disappeared.

Jing soul force wasn't Su Tang's specialty. She had only barely broken through the first layer in her second year and hadn't focused on it since.

But even with her first-layer Jing soul force, she sensed the dense Jing soul force behind her, accompanied by danger.

Turn, attack!

Su Tang's reaction and agility were still fast, but this time, the opponent was faster! The Jing soul force, which she had almost shattered, reformed into a human shape, even clearer than before. Before Su Tang could see anything, the phantom's attack hit her...

The Li soul force Su Tang had gathered instantly dissipated. She lost her strength and consciousness, suffering from the soul force released by the opponent's attack.

He should have done this earlier! Yuan Yi thought, preparing to end Shen You, but suddenly felt something behind him.

Instinctively turning, the phantom's throat was locked by a hand.

Who is it?

Yuan Yi was surprised, but the other person had no intention of communicating. A surge of power, undetectable in a split second, instantly bloomed, giving Yuan Yi no chance to react. He didn't even see who it was.

"Boom!"

Another loud noise, not the first today.

Everyone's attention was drawn again, all staring in shock. The third-year Soul Tower... was it going to collapse too?

"Run!!" The examiner shouted, and everyone quickly scattered.

Compared to the first-year Soul Tower, the third-year one collapsed more suddenly and unexpectedly. A sudden loud noise, and the entire tower crumbled.

"What's going on?" Everyone was stunned.

The first-year Soul Tower was destroyed, and now the third-year one too. Could they be a bit more creative?

Zhaofeng Academy people wanted to laugh, Xiagong Academy people wanted to cry, and Principal Balayan couldn't react, as Yuan Yi beside him suddenly groaned and spat out a mouthful of blood, spraying three meters.

In the rubble, a figure gradually appeared.

A boy carried a girl, stepping out of the rubble, step by step, as if that year in the snowfield, he carried the little girl.

His name is Lu Ping, the Ping of peace.

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