Hearing this, Han Yu scratched his head, stood up from the stone bench, and walked slowly towards the dormitory. A flash of disdain crossed his dark eyes, and after a brief pause, he spoke calmly: "Well, if you want to expel me, go ahead. It's up to you. Shrek Academy? Ha, it doesn't matter to me."
"You?" Zhou Yi ground her teeth in frustration, stomping her foot in anger. She hadn't expected the tactics that had worked so well with other students to fail with Han Yu.
Is this boy really only a teenager? she thought, fuming.
What Zhou Yi didn't realize was that Han Yu hadn't truly joined Shrek Academy. He was merely here out of curiosity. As the direct disciple of the leader of the Noumenon Sect and the future head of the sect, he had no attachment to Shrek Academy. He didn't need the academy to grow stronger—the system and his sect were his real support.
So expulsion held no fear for him. It might intimidate other students, but it was meaningless to Han Yu.
"Hmph! You're just a waste," Zhou Yi scoffed, her voice full of scorn. "You won't even fight me unless I use my soul power. You're worse than a waste."
Her words only served to rile Han Yu, who had been trying to avoid confrontation. The more she taunted him, the harder it became to ignore.
"Waste?" Han Yu's lips curled into a smirk. At first, he hadn't cared, but Zhou Yi's repeated insults were pushing him past his limits.
Even a clay figurine has its breaking point. Let alone Han Yu.
He hadn't wanted trouble, but now… she was asking for it.
"You don't need soul skills?" Han Yu's voice grew cold as he turned slowly toward Zhou Yi. "Who are you looking down on? If you want me to use them, then so be it. I'll show you exactly what I'm capable of."
Zhou Yi's eyes gleamed with a sense of victory as she saw Han Yu finally take the bait. A smirk tugged at her lips. With a flick of her wrist, she produced a stick of incense, lighting it and placing it into the bark of a nearby tree. "Alright, let's begin then. The time is limited to one stick of incense," she said with an air of finality.
Han Yu didn't hesitate. In an instant, the scarlet Sharingan appeared in his eyes, the three tomoes spinning with an ominous energy. A dark and malevolent aura leaked from his form, and two soul rings—one yellow, one purple—rose from his feet.
Zhou Yi's eyes widened in surprise, her thoughts racing. What is this? Such an evil aura—could he be an evil soul master?
When she saw the configuration of his soul rings, her pupils contracted in shock. "Second ring… of a thousand years?" she gasped, clearly taken aback by Han Yu's soul ring cultivation.
Han Yu smirked in response. "Even so, I'm still just a great soul master, right?" His voice dripped with sarcasm, making it clear that he wasn't intimidated by her apparent superiority.
Zhou Yi's expression hardened. He's just a great soul master… and I'm a Soul Emperor. The difference in cultivation is massive. Even if he doesn't use his soul skills, he's still not a threat to me. A flash of disdain crossed her eyes as she readied herself.
Without warning, Han Yu stepped forward, his hands glowing with lightning as the air around him crackled. "Chidori Blade!" he declared.
Suddenly, an intense surge of electric energy shot out from the sword, crackling with the sharp sound of a thousand birds chirping in unison. The electric energy swirled in the air like a snake, flickering with deadly intent.
Zhou Yi's expression shifted, her mind reeling. What pure thunder attribute energy… she thought, watching in disbelief as the electric power swirled around Han Yu. But… his aura… it's so dark and ominous. Could he truly be an evil soul master? If he is… will there be a backlash?
Zhou Yi's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched Han Yu's lightning-infused sword clash with the air around him. Thunder and lightning… specialized in restraining evil, yet he possesses both attributes? The situation before her defied everything she knew, shaking her understanding to its core.
"Then, let's begin!" Han Yu's low voice echoed as he tightened his grip on the sword. His right leg bent slightly, and in an instant, he launched forward like an arrow from a bow.
The speed was so overwhelming that Zhou Yi could barely track him. Afterimages flashed before her, making it nearly impossible to distinguish which one was the real Han Yu. So fast! Which one is true?
A moment of panic flickered in her eyes, the result of her years of teaching and lack of direct combat. Her reflexes had dulled, and she was nowhere near as sharp as the young Soul Emperors she had trained. But she was still a Soul Emperor, and the experience of battle didn't disappear overnight.
With a sharp breath, Zhou Yi regained her composure, narrowing her eyes to focus on the nearest figure. She was determined to avoid the strike, but Han Yu was fast, and his movements were fluid.
The next instant, Han Yu closed in on her, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision. The blue blade shimmered, and the sound of crackling electricity filled the air as the blade surged forward to strike at her head.
Zhou Yi's eyes widened, but her reflexes kicked in. In a fluid motion, she sidestepped the attack, using her Soul Emperor-level agility to narrowly avoid the blade. She moved with the speed of someone who had spent years honing her physical abilities, and she was much faster than Han Yu at that distance.
As the two separated by three meters, Han Yu didn't show any sign of frustration. Instead, he smiled faintly, his calm demeanor unnerving. Without hesitation, he swung the long knife again, his movements fluid and precise.
The cold blade gleamed with a deadly aura, and the air around it vibrated with the constant crackling of electricity. Han Yu's soul power infused the sword, amplifying its deadly potential as he advanced once more, his eyes locked on Zhou Yi, calculating his next move.
"Hmph! There's a huge gap between our strengths. You can't defeat me," Zhou Yi scoffed, her confidence unwavering. In her mind, Han Yu, though talented, was still just a Great Soul Master. Even with his impressive soul ring configuration, he was far from her equal.
A sneer tugged at the corner of Han Yu's mouth. She's as naive as Dai Huabin. He wasn't about to let her words go unchallenged.
"Chidori Blade! Elongation!" Han Yu chanted as he infused a massive amount of thunder-attribute soul power into his sword. The azure blue light on the blade intensified, growing thicker and brighter, its surface now covered in crackling lightning. Sparks flew in every direction, and the roar of thunder rang out around him.
With a swift, fluid motion, the sword shot forward. A sharp "stab!" filled the air as the blade, now longer and crackling with energy, cut through the space between them.
Zhou Yi's eyes widened in shock as the sword struck her. The move, too quick and unexpected, left a deep gash across her arm. Blood began to drip steadily from the wound, and her disbelief was palpable. How did this happen?
"How about this move, Teacher Zhou?" Han Yu mocked, watching her cover the wound on her arm. His eyes flashed with disdain. A teacher of Shrek Academy… is this all you have?
Zhou Yi's face darkened, but she quickly masked her surprise with arrogance. "Hmph! I was careless just now. You tricked me, but the same move won't work again."
She raised an eyebrow, convinced that Han Yu had simply relied on the external soul tool and its ability to extend the blade to catch her off guard. Now that she understood the trick, she was sure she could handle it. Her confidence in her own strength was rooted in years of experience, and she believed that Han Yu's victory was nothing more than a fluke.
Just a Soul Master… she thought dismissively, preparing herself for the next round.
"Foreign objects are always foreign objects," Zhou Yi sneered, her voice cold. "If you, a soul master, rely on soul guidance tools, you'll never become a true great weapon!"
"Foreign object? Soul guide?" Han Yu's lips curled into a slight smile, but it was laced with mockery. He hadn't expected Zhou Yi to be so narrow-minded. If she truly thought that tools were just tools—that they were something less than what they were meant to be—then it was clear she couldn't grasp the bigger picture.
When humans use tools, aren't they still human? Han Yu thought. Humans are called the spirit of all things because they create tools through their wisdom. If you discard your tools, what are you left with? Just a wild animal, no better than a monkey.
"You can never wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep," Han Yu muttered, his voice tinged with disdain. "The summer insect doesn't speak of the ice, and the well frog doesn't speak of the sea."
He shook his head, having no more interest in speaking with someone so limited in their thinking. Han Yu slowly sheathed his sword, the blade disappearing into the scabbard on his back.
Zhou Yi, seeing that Han Yu seemed to back down, allowed a smug smile to form on her face. "Why? Have you realized your mistake and given up the soul guide?"
Han Yu didn't respond. He simply squatted down, his focus returning to his own body. With a deliberate motion, he held his left wrist with his right hand, and in the next moment, a violent surge of blue lightning shot out from his left palm, crackling like a thousand birds calling in unison.
"Chidori," Han Yu whispered softly, the sound of the word a prelude to the electric storm that pulsed through the air.
Zhou Yi's eyes widened in shock. The raw energy coming from Han Yu was far beyond what she had expected, and it only made her realize just how mistaken she was to underestimate him.
A low, rumbling voice emanated from Han Yu, and in that instant, he seemed to transform into a god of thunder, his left hand crackling with electricity. The thunder and lightning sizzled and sparked with an almost malevolent energy.
With a sudden, powerful push from his toes, Han Yu shot forward, his speed so fast that it was like an arrow loosed from a bow, streaking toward Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi, her eyes narrowing, couldn't help but be taken aback by the sheer intensity of the lightning in Han Yu's hand. What is this? His soul ring isn't even glowing brightly… she thought, confusion flickering across her face.
Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of Han Yu's power, but before she could react, Han Yu was already upon her, his form nothing but a blur, leaving her to wonder how far his abilities truly stretched.