Xue Lei Han’s eyes flashed with a cold light.
His short hair fluttered in the wind as his hand gripped the hilt of his sword.
The Azure Rose Thorn Sword slowly unsheathed.
“A Sword Martial Soul?
Quite a rare one indeed,” Zhao Wuji chuckled, rubbing his two large fan-like palms together while glaring fiercely at Xue Lei Han.
As the Azure Rose Thorn Sword was drawn, a wave of cold air surrounded Xue Lei Han.
The temperature around him dropped rapidly, and a layer of white frost formed on the ground.
Dai Mubai and Tang San quickly carried the people lying on the ground away from the battlefield to a small hillside.
From there, they would be safe from the shockwaves of soul power while still able to observe the entire fight.
“It seems it’s not an ordinary Sword Martial Soul,” Zhao Wuji remarked.
His second soul ring quietly appeared, emitting a strong yellow light.
“If you won’t come over, then I’ll go to you!” With that, Zhao Wuji roared and charged forward.
His right palm, glowing with yellow light and carrying fierce wind, smashed toward Xue Lei Han.
“Is that so?” A purple ring and two black rings appeared behind Xue Lei Han.
Zhao Wuji, who was still rushing forward, saw the colors of Xue Lei Han’s soul rings, and his mouth opened wide in shock.
“Boom!” Dust and sand flew everywhere.
Zhao Wuji maintained his palm-striking posture and cursed with delight, “This brat is pretty fast.” He was both surprised and overjoyed.
Shrek Academy’s long-standing principle was to nurture monsters, and among this batch of new students, there was actually a monster among monsters.
How could he not be happy?
Xue Lei Han stood three zhang behind Zhao Wuji.
His second black soul ring flashed, followed immediately by the third.
Xue Lei Han stabbed the Azure Rose Thorn Sword into the ground.
A violent roar erupted from the smooth blade.
A wild sound wave mixed with ice and snow fiercely swept toward Zhao Wuji.
Then, another layer of cold air attached to his sword.
After releasing his third soul skill, Xue Lei Han quickly pulled out the sword and delivered a freezing ice slash straight down at Zhao Wuji’s head.
Zhao Wuji laughed loudly.
His first soul skill, Immovable Ming King Body, activated.
A thick layer of yellow light enveloped his entire body.
He thought to himself, “Not a bad attack wave, but it’s a pity you can’t break my first soul skill.” What he never expected was that the sound wave exploded right in front of him.
The soul power vibration and the roar caused the yellow light of the Immovable Ming King Body to dim by two layers.
An ice-blue sword light followed right after, freezing his surprised face and everything above his chest.
If Zhao Wuji could speak right now, he would definitely be cursing himself bitterly: “This isn’t just capsizing in a gutter.
This is capsizing a massive ship in a narrow strait.” Taking advantage of the few seconds Zhao Wuji was frozen, Xue Lei Han swiftly stabbed him eighteen times.
His speed and precision with the sword were so great that even Dai Mubai, who had the highest cultivation among the spectators, couldn’t clearly see the sword’s trajectory.
The cold air seeped into Zhao Wuji’s body through the sword wounds, making him shiver.
“Roar!” Zhao Wuji roared furiously and shattered the ice layer.
His face turned both black and red.
He had never expected such an outcome; it was truly too humiliating.
His third and fourth soul skills bloomed in succession.
Zhao Wuji was not angry, he was ashamed.
Xue Lei Han suddenly felt his body become extremely heavy.
He stared fixedly at Zhao Wuji’s pouncing figure, immediately raising his sword in front of his chest as a layer of icy light gradually condensed onto the blade.
“Damn, you still have more soul skills?” Zhao Wuji, who was in mid-air, saw that Xue Lei Han’s soul rings weren’t flashing and asked hastily.
Seeing Zhao Wuji’s ferocious face getting closer and closer, Xue Lei Han’s face turned pale.
He had clearly exhausted all his soul power.
“This is my self-created soul skill: Snow Mountain Sword.” The moment he said the word “Sword,” Xue Lei Han fiercely swung the Azure Rose Thorn Sword downward.
A massive ice peak suddenly burst out from the ground.
Zhao Wuji’s fist happened to smash directly onto it.
Zhao Wuji’s eyes were now full of admiration, but losing here was still too humiliating.
He roared, and his seventh soul ring suddenly appeared.
The current Zhao Wuji looked like a true ferocious beast, radiating wild battle intent.
Dai Mubai muttered in shock from the side, “Teacher Zhao actually used his seventh soul skill.” Tang San looked at Zhao Wuji, who now resembled a Powerful Diamond Bear, and asked, “Is Teacher Zhao’s seventh soul skill to turn himself into a soul beast?” Even in this situation, Dai Mubai couldn’t help but smile and corrected Tang San, “Part of what you said is correct.
Teacher Zhao’s current combat power is equivalent to the fifty-thousand-year Powerful Diamond Bear he once killed.
He possesses its terrifying attack power and monstrous defense, but he doesn’t lose his reason like a soul beast.
This is his strongest seventh soul skill, Martial Soul True Body.” Seeing Tang San fall silent, Dai Mubai patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Teacher Zhao will show mercy to Xue Lei Han.
After using the seventh soul skill, the final assessment will definitely let you all pass.” Only then did Tang San reveal a slight smile.
Although he had exchanged a few words with Xue Lei Han earlier, he was still quite worried about Xue Lei Han, who was fighting on his behalf.
“Surrender.
The time it takes for an incense stick to burn has already passed, and you have no soul power left.
Your exam is passed,” Zhao Wuji said.
His clothes were ragged as he spoke, and he shivered, clearly still affected by the cold from the ice peak.
“Who said that having no soul power means you’ve lost?” How could Xue Lei Han accept such an outcome?
Xue Lei Han’s face became even paler.
His ice-blue pupils glowed faintly, devoid of any emotion.
He raised his sword and assumed the starting stance he often used when sparring with Chen Xin.
“Didn’t they say you passed?
Why are you still fighting so desperately?” Zhao Wuji asked in confusion.
Dai Mubai hurriedly stepped forward.
Looking at Xue Lei Han’s deathly pale face, he was also puzzled.
“My battle… is not over yet.” Xue Lei Han stopped Dai Mubai with a look, then faced Zhao Wuji, head held high and feet planted firmly on the ground.
“Snow Killing Sword Art!” A cold wind rose around Xue Lei Han.
In the next instant, he appeared behind Zhao Wuji.
In mid-air, he executed sixteen different moves in succession, each targeting a different vital point, instantly dazzling Zhao Wuji.
“Immovable Ming King Body!” Zhao Wuji roared.
This time, the yellow light was extremely weak, as if it could shatter at any moment.
There was nothing he could do about it.
Earlier, he had underestimated Xue Lei Han’s self-created soul skill and failed to catch his breath.
A mass of cold air was still stuck in his chest, causing him unbearable pain.
The Azure Rose Thorn Sword drew streaks of beautiful sword light.
Xue Lei Han knew that when Zhao Wuji used the Immovable Ming King Body, he could only defend passively and could not breathe during that time.
As long as he could break that breath, Xue Lei Han would win.
While using his adapted version of Sword Daoist Chen Xin’s Seven Kill Sword Art, the Snow Killing Sword, he pushed his physical stamina to the limit.
Thanks to years of bitter training, even without using soul power, he could fight someone of the same rank for half an hour.
But his opponent was a Soul Saint.
Xue Lei Han bit his lip unwillingly.
A fierce, cold light burst from his eyes as the Azure Rose Thorn Sword in his hand suddenly radiated intense icy crystal light.
The final move of the Snow Killing Sword Art: Ice Sky, Snow Ground, Revealing Killing Intent!
A move that injured the enemy by a thousand while damaging oneself by eight hundred.
He poured all the endless cold energy in his body and his unyielding pride into this final sword strike.
The price was that for half a day afterward, he would be unable to mobilize even a trace of soul power.
But for Xue Lei Han, who fought primarily with physical strength, whether he used soul skills or not made little difference.
“Slash!” Xue Lei Han shouted.
His body drove the Azure Rose Thorn Sword, which drew a brilliant arc of light in the air as it slashed fiercely toward Zhao Wuji.
An explosion rang out, scattering broken ice across the ground.
Smoke and dust billowed wildly, and the entire center of Shrek Academy shook.
“It… broke…” Dai Mubai stared blankly at Xue Lei Han’s still upright back.
He had never imagined that a forty-level Soul Honored could break a Soul Saint’s protective barrier without using soul power.
There was still a sword mark on Zhao Wuji’s chest, from which blood slowly flowed.
The wound was neither too deep nor too shallow.
Clearly, that final strike had not only broken Zhao Wuji’s Immovable Ming King Body but had also successfully injured him.
At this moment, it looked as if Xue Lei Han was the victor.
His blue clothes fluttered as he sheathed his sword and turned around.
Although his face was frighteningly pale, he appeared largely uninjured.
In contrast, Zhao Wuji’s clothes were in tatters, and many fine sword marks covered his body.
He looked utterly wretched.
Zhao Wuji spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with the stagnant air in his chest.
The moment the blood hit the ground, it instantly froze into ice.
“You really are a little monster.” Zhao Wuji’s voice was weak, but it carried immense excitement.
This time, they had truly picked up a treasure.
“We passed, right?” Xue Lei Han remained standing, his gaze fixed steadily on Zhao Wuji.
“Of course you passed, idiot.
Ouch, it hurts so much.
Dai Mubai, go call Oscar over.” After hearing this, Xue Lei Han slowly left the battlefield and sat down on the side.
Only then could he no longer hold back and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Every time Xue Lei Han’s sword collided with Zhao Wuji’s Immovable Ming King Body, he himself was shaken by the rebound force.
Now that the situation was settled and his mind relaxed slightly, that mouthful of blood finally came out.
He then hugged his sword and entered meditation.
He had previously been troubled by his inability to fully master his fortieth-level soul power and swordsmanship.
But after this exhausting battle that depleted all his stamina, he vaguely sensed a breakthrough point.
Dai Mubai looked at the extremely disheveled Zhao Wuji.
He wanted to laugh but didn’t dare.
He quickly called out loudly for Oscar.
Oscar’s first words upon arriving nearly made Zhao Wuji die of anger: “Boss Dai, who is this beggar?
When did our academy hire a beggar teacher?” This single sentence caused Dai Mubai, who had been holding back his laughter, to lose control and burst out laughing.
Zhao Wuji immediately cursed loudly and kicked the laughing Dai Mubai away.
Only after receiving Oscar’s sausage did he finally catch his breath.
“Damn it, I’ve really lost face this time.” Zhao Wuji’s face was dark.
Seeing Oscar walking toward Xue Lei Han, he hurriedly stopped him.
“He is breaking through.
It must have been triggered by our life-and-death battle.
No one is allowed to disturb him.
I will guard him tonight.
You all follow Dai Mubai back to the dorms.” Zhao Wuji waved his hand irritably, but he was also very much looking forward to seeing what level Xue Lei Han would reach after breaking through.
“Let’s go, Third Brother.” Xiao Wu smiled gently at Tang San.
Tang San glanced at Xue Lei Han once more before leaving with the others, following Dai Mubai back to the dormitory.
The night passed without incident.
The temperature this morning was very strange.
It was clearly the height of summer, yet there was no trace of heat.
Villagers living near Shrek Academy even felt a hint of coolness.
Xue Lei Han breathed quietly.
More than a dozen huge ice pillars firmly surrounded him, isolating him from any external interference.
Suddenly, an invisible sword qi flashed through the ice pillars.
Xue Lei Han slowly opened his eyes.
The cold air around him gradually dissipated.
The ice pillars shattered and fell to the ground with a crash.
Wherever the sword qi had passed, the surfaces were perfectly smooth.
During his closed-door cultivation, Xue Lei Han had successfully created his third self-created soul skill.
When using his second soul skill, the Azure Rose Thorn Sword would be wrapped in a mass of icy sword qi.
He had tried to break that sword qi down bit by bit and recombine it himself.
Although it was also called Icy Sword Qi, this self-created soul skill could compress the originally shapeless sword qi into an extremely difficult-to-observe sword and use it to attack enemies.
However, the soul power consumption was extremely high, and there were usage restrictions.
Being able to release the Icy Sword Qi once a week was already quite good.
His soul power had also become abundant again.
Seeing that no one was around, he took off yesterday’s casual clothes and retrieved a set of light blue combat attire from his storage ring and put it on.
“You brat aren’t bad,” Zhao Wuji’s voice suddenly appeared in front of him.
Xue Lei Han calmly looked at the still somewhat listless Immovable Ming King and slightly cupped his hands.
“Thank you for guarding me last night, Teacher Zhao.”