Douluo Dalu 3: Legend of the White Fox

Xia Yi hadn't expected that Wu Jin's arm could suddenly become as slippery as a snake, bonelessly slipping free from his grasp.

Once freed, Wu Jin quickly clenched his fist, and his massive punch headed straight for Xia Yi's chest.

Xia Yi didn't hesitate. He gathered his soul power into his own fist and struck out in return.

With his formidable physical strength, he didn't fear going head-to-head with Wu Jin, as long as Wu Jin refrained from using his claws.

But Wu Jin, having just suffered due to Xia Yi's strength, had no intention of engaging in a head-on clash.

At the moment their fists were about to collide, a layer of brilliant white light erupted from Wu Jin's fist.

"Roar!"

A thunderous roar echoed from within Wu Jin's fist. The powerful and majestic sound carried the might of a king reigning over all beasts.

For a brief moment, Xia Yi seemed to see an enormous, white lion standing atop a snowy mountain, letting out a deafening roar as countless beasts bowed in submission below.

Reacting quickly, Xia Yi bit down on his tongue, the sharp pain jolting him back to reality. But by then, Wu Jin's fist was already upon him.

A gigantic lion's head manifested from Wu Jin's fist, enveloping his powerful punch as it hurtled toward Xia Yi's fist.

Disoriented by the roar and unable to fully concentrate his soul power, Xia Yi had no choice but to rely on raw physical strength. He slightly retracted his punch, then accelerated it with all his might, meeting Wu Jin's lion punch head-on.

At this point, Xia Yi already knew he had lost.

Wu Jin had lured him into a trap from the start. Pretending to go for a direct clash, Wu Jin had made Xia Yi lower his guard.

And it had worked. Overconfident in his own physical strength, Xia Yi hadn't dodged, opting instead for a direct confrontation.

However, Wu Jin had never intended a fair clash. By activating a soul skill at the last moment, he had caught Xia Yi off guard.

The moment Wu Jin unleashed his soul skill, Xia Yi was already at a disadvantage. No matter how strong he was physically, he couldn't withstand Wu Jin's powered-up punch.

Bang!

The dull sound of impact rang out. Wu Jin's forward motion came to an abrupt halt, while Xia Yi stumbled back seven or eight steps before regaining his balance.

"Soul skill!"

Xia Yi's fists throbbed with pain, but he ignored it, his eyes fixed on Wu Jin. The punch had clearly utilized a soul skill, yet Wu Jin's soul rings hadn't lit up at all.

Wu Jin also stared at Xia Yi. He hadn't expected Xia Yi to snap out of the Lion King's Roar and mount a counterattack so quickly.

After a minute of silence, Wu Jin finally spoke coldly, "You tricked me once and threw me down. I tricked you once and punched you. We're even now."

With that, he turned to Ye Yingluo, bowed slightly, and said, "I'm sorry, Teacher, I lost."

Before Ye Yingluo could respond, Wu Jin walked away, leaving the crowd in stunned silence.

The other class advisors were utterly baffled. Wu Jin's strength had clearly overwhelmed Xia Yi, so why had he suddenly conceded?

Only Xia Yi frowned. As Wu Jin turned away, he had caught a faint, blood-red gleam flashing in Wu Jin's eyes.

Perhaps that was the real reason for his sudden surrender.

"Alright, you're part of Class One now. Come with me," Ye Yingluo said, ignoring the bewildered stares of her colleagues. She gestured for Xia Yi to follow and left decisively.

After they departed, Wu Zhangkong finally broke the silence, his voice low and grave. "Self-created soul skill. How is that possible?"

A self-created soul skill was one that a soul master developed through their own comprehension. Only the most extraordinary talents could achieve this, and some self-created skills were even passed down as family techniques. Tang Sect techniques and the Clear Sky Sect's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method were examples.

Wu Zhangkong's former teacher, the Crimson Dragon Douluo Zhuo Shi, had his own self-created skill, the Crimson Dragon Nine Techniques, which could only be used by those with dragon-related martial souls.

To see a self-created skill appear in such a small academy as Eastsea was beyond Wu Zhangkong's expectations.

Wu Jin's initial miscalculation had been underestimating Xia Yi's strength. Similarly, Xia Yi had fallen into Wu Jin's trap because he was unaware of self-created skills.

If Xia Yi had known about self-created skills, he might have spotted the signs when Wu Jin made his move.

"This guy...what a monster," the Holy Spirit Douluo Yali finally murmured after a deep breath.

In just two exchanges, Xia Yi had surprised her twice.

In the first round, she had thought Xia Yi would be overpowered by Wu Jin's strength. Instead, he had thrown Wu Jin to the ground with his astonishing might.

In the second round, she had believed Wu Jin's self-created skill would leave Xia Yi defenseless. Yet Xia Yi had not only reacted but also countered, albeit at a disadvantage.

"Nana, if you were up against Wu Jin, how confident are you in winning?" Yali asked, turning to Na'er.

"I'm not sure," Na'er admitted. The fight had barely scratched the surface of either combatant's abilities, leaving her uncertain of Wu Jin's full strength.

"You might manage a draw, but Xinglan wouldn't stand a chance against him if Wu Jin went all out," Yali remarked solemnly.

"Xinglan" referred to Ye Xinglan, a student from Shrek Academy's inner court.

Yali was well-acquainted with Ye Xinglan's abilities. If Ye Xinglan had been in Xia Yi's place, she wouldn't have been able to break free from Wu Jin's Lion King's Roar in time.

"Teacher, why did he surrender?" Na'er asked in confusion.

"Because Wu Jin is an Evil Soul Master," Yali replied gravely. "There's an extraordinarily malevolent power within him. To ensure victory over Xia Yi, he pushed his strength to the limit. If the fight had continued, that power might have consumed him. He had no choice but to surrender."

(End of Chapter)