Chapter 57: Zhang Xue vs. Strong Cyan Tiger

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Zhang Xue vs. Strong Cyan Tiger

The Soul Beast Battle Royale arena.

It was originally used for multiple Realm-Breaking Soul Beasts to fight until only one remained, at which point the battle would end.

ROAR—

When the staff opened the Fine Steel Cage, several angry roars echoed in everyone’s ears. Five tiger-shaped soul beasts bared their fangs, their bloodshot eyes fixed intently on Zhang Xue.

Strong Cyan Tiger: Enraged

Level: 11

Rank: Tier One Low-Grade Soul Beast

Strength: 13 (+2)

Agility: 10

Spirit: 5 (-2)

Soul Energy: 20

Soul Energy Skills: Vicious Claw Pounce

’They seem just a little bit stronger than a Blood Wolf.’

Li Heng saw the Strong Cyan Tiger’s stats and made a quick estimation based on his own strength. He figured he could take on eight of them without any problems.

If there were any more, he might suffer a minor injury!

This was real life, and Li Heng didn’t want to feel so much as a scratch.

"Wang Junde used to be one of the people in charge of the Battle Hall, but he was later transferred to the Soul Energy Alliance. He’s got a harsh mouth, but he’s fine otherwise."

"That girl, Zhang Xue, is his niece. Although this whole thing is partly to support her, Zhang Xue herself is genuinely outstanding. Besides, the compensation he gave you, that stalk of Sword Qi Grass, was quite generous."

Although Lin Jiangang didn’t turn to look at Li Heng, the information he shared was clearly meant for him.

"Manager Lin, I’ve actually always had a question about this National Targeted Exam. Besides targeted admissions, is there some other, more important significance to it?"

Li Heng felt that if it were just for targeted admissions, there would be no need for all this trouble and special competition. There had to be another reason, and he was suddenly quite curious.

Lin Jiangang seemed to have anticipated Li Heng’s question and smiled faintly. "Besides personal honor and numerous rewards, it’s also about the development of the students’ home cities. This year, the Soul Energy Alliance plans to establish high schools affiliated with the Soul Energy University in the top ten ranking cities! Those cities will also get extra qualification spots for the secret realm exam! Whichever student secures a top-ten spot for their city, the city will grant them permanent access to the exam’s secret realm."

’No wonder!’

Hearing this, Li Heng nodded, understanding instantly.

Secret realms weren’t like Dungeons. Although the resources inside them would regenerate, the cycle was long and slow. They didn’t reset immediately, and some resources, once gone, would never reappear.

Extra qualification spots for the secret realm exam meant more chances to enter, and thus, more Soul Energy resources to be obtained.

This could significantly improve the quality of the students!

On a deeper level, this concerned the long-term development of an entire city! Whether for the students or for the city itself, this National Targeted Exam was truly significant.

"Yes! Thank you, Manager Lin. I understand now!"

However, for other people, influenced by all these factors, they might feel burdened by a sense of honor, believing the responsibility was immense and the pressure enormous.

It wasn’t that Li Heng lacked a sense of honor, but rather that such things were, for him, optional.

’Why bother with all this flashy stuff? I can just grind Dungeons indefinitely. Isn’t that better?’

’But then again, I saw the expectant looks on my parents’ faces. And since I’ve already come this far... might as well put on a show and see what happens, right?’

Seeing Li Heng’s calm tone and unruffled expression, Lin Jiangang couldn’t help but think to himself: ’Are all good swordsmen such damn monsters? With a mindset like this... tsk tsk... in a few years, he could very well become a Great Soul Warrior of the Sword Way!’

Li Heng was unaware of Lin Jiangang’s internal assessment of him. He just saw that Manager Lin had no intention of continuing the conversation.

So, he turned his attention back to the battle royale arena, where Zhang Xue was fighting four Strong Cyan Tigers to a standstill with a single silk ribbon!

As for the fifth Strong Cyan Tiger, it was being fought by Zhang Xue’s Cold Ice Python, a detail that everyone was selectively ignoring.

After all, the star of this battle was Zhang Xue!

’No wonder her hands felt so... smooth before. They didn’t feel like the hands of someone who uses a cold weapon. So her weapon is a silk ribbon!’

As a weapon, a silk ribbon would be classified as a soft weapon.

Soft weapons are incredibly difficult to master. Back at Thirteenth Middle School, Li Heng had seen someone practicing with a whip who often ended up striking themselves...

Soft weapons require painstaking effort, demanding more time and perseverance than "hard weapons"—unless, of course, the user is exceptionally talented.

Although there’s a common saying that "the weirder the weapon, the faster you die," this clearly didn’t apply to Soul Masters.

Because when most Soul Masters encountered a strange weapon, they knew they had to be extra vigilant.

At that moment, Zhang Xue could be seen with her white silk ribbon dancing through the air. Her figure weaved between the tigers’ claws, her footwork as light as a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface. The moment the tip of her foot touched the ground, she was already somewhere else.

This kind of footwork was clearly beyond what the basic Body Technique taught in compulsory education could achieve!

Her Body Technique was excellent, and her skill with the soft weapon was just as impressive. The white ribbon seemed soft and graceful, but it concealed a hidden power, becoming as hard as steel when swung.

Every time the ribbon neared a Strong Cyan Tiger’s head, it would snap forward with ferocious force, lashing viciously against its skull!

The Strong Cyan Tiger would flinch back slightly from the blow, but its next attack would be even fiercer than the one before!

"ROAR—"

CRACK!

...

The roars of the Strong Cyan Tigers and the cracking of the silk ribbon intertwined as Zhang Xue felt the pressure mounting.

Because she was facing four Strong Cyan Tigers at once, she rarely used the ribbon to "bind" them. Instead, she mostly relied on techniques like slapping, fanning, and snapping. Depending on the situation, a single strike from Zhang Xue sometimes had to "handle" two or more of the tigers!

This went on for nearly five minutes!

The pressure on Zhang Xue was immense. Although the feedback from her soul beast pet indicated it was in an even match, she could feel her own stamina draining and her concentration wavering. Her condition had deteriorated significantly.

Worse, while dodging a Strong Cyan Tiger’s Soul Energy Skill, her back had been scratched. That single blow had almost made her give up entirely.

’I can’t keep this up any longer.’

Whether in terms of time or her own condition, Zhang Xue knew she couldn’t afford to drag this out. Gritting her teeth, she decided to risk it all on one bold move!

Suddenly, Zhang Xue’s steps quickened. It seemed as if her body twisted in mid-air without her feet even touching the ground.

And the white ribbon, which had been "slapping" at the beasts, suddenly wrapped around the leftmost Strong Cyan Tiger.

The instant the ribbon ensnared the tiger, Zhang Xue held her breath. She pulled with all her might, launching herself through the air toward the captured beast!

Faced with this sudden change from the human, the other Strong Cyan Tigers seemed momentarily confused, but it didn’t stop them from launching their own attacks.

After a two-second pause, they continued their deadly pounce toward the airborne Zhang Xue!