Chapter 23 – A Draw Still Counts as a Win
The acrid scent of scorched hair stung Lin Beiya's nose. A bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead.
He had narrowly avoided being swallowed whole by the sea of fire. It was his first time experiencing such a life-and-death battle.
No wonder—his opponent was a Soul Elder with a super martial soul. The pressure was immense.
"Miss Lei Ying is truly strong," Lin Beiya said with a faint smile. "If you hadn't held back at the start, I might've already lost."
"Ha! It's not too late to regret it now. Take this!"
Though the Blazing Flame Lion martial soul wasn't known for speed, Lei Ying's second soul skill — Explosive Flame Possession — boosted her agility until she rivaled an agility-type expert.
Wrapped in roaring flames, she charged toward Lin Beiya like a crimson meteor.
But Lin Beiya didn't panic. He raised one hand, and a shimmering crystal wall rose, enclosing Lei Ying in a translucent cube.
Indeed, the Crystal Wall wasn't only a defensive barrier—it could also trap enemies inside. That inspiration had come from a scene in the LC Mythos, where Shion fought Minos, one of the Three Judges of the Underworld.
Lei Ying's claw strike, charged with power, slammed against the wall. Ripples spread across its surface, but the barrier quickly returned to stillness, unbroken.
"Brat, if I could shatter this trick once, I can shatter it again!"
"Third Soul Skill — Infinite Fire Pillars!"
A pillar of flame erupted skyward, and the explosion shattered the crystal cube into glimmering fragments that dissolved in the air.
But that was exactly what Lin Beiya had expected. Even as the wall formed, he had already burst into motion, moving at lightning speed around her flank.
He'd noticed something earlier—whenever Lei Ying unleashed her third soul skill, the blinding flare of fire obscured her vision for a split second. That momentary blindness was the opening he needed.
By the time she realized it, Lin Beiya had already appeared behind her—hands aimed at her back.
"Starlight Extinction!"
The surge of energy behind her made Lei Ying's heart jump. She hadn't expected him to exploit her attack window this way.
But it was too late. The concentrated beam of starlight struck her squarely in the back, launching her across the ground. She tumbled for dozens of meters before finally skidding to a halt.
From a distance, Qian Daoliu and Mighty Lion Douluo, who were observing the battle, exchanged astonished looks.
"Brother, this child isn't simple," Mighty Lion Douluo murmured. "Not just his talent—his combat sense is outstanding."
"Mm."
Qian Daoliu nodded approvingly, though a flicker of disappointment flashed in his eyes when he thought of his granddaughter.
Faced with a disadvantage, Lin Beiya had calmly analyzed the situation and turned the battle in his favor. Meanwhile, his granddaughter—Qian Renxue, blessed with the Seraphim Martial Soul—had simply charged headlong when confronted by the Crystal Wall.
"To fight Lei Ying to such an even match with only a Soul Master's cultivation… impressive."
"It seems my granddaughter still has a long way to go," Mighty Lion Douluo sighed.
Although the outcome of the match wasn't particularly important to him, seeing Lei Ying lose composure still left him somewhat embarrassed.
Even Qian Renxue was stunned. Her golden eyes sparkled like stars as she stared at Lin Beiya—equal parts admiration and irritation flickering within.
"That bastard… he actually held back when he fought me!"
"Tch!"
Spitting dust from her mouth, Lei Ying slowly pushed herself up. The look in her eyes had lost all trace of arrogance—now there was only fierce determination.
If at first she'd fought merely to vent her friend's frustration, now she fought for herself—to prove her strength before them all.
"Burning Fusion!"
Before Lin Beiya's wary gaze, flames erupted from Lei Ying's body—searing hot and pure—before swiftly sinking into her skin, merging with her very being…
The aura surging from Lei Ying's body climbed higher and higher, rising to a terrifying peak— she was now only a step away from reaching the realm of a Soul Ancestor.
"If this were a year ago, before I learned my family's secret technique, I might've been helpless against you," Lei Ying said coolly, flames flickering in her eyes.
"But now… in this state, you're no match for me."
The moment her voice fell, her calves tensed like drawn bows—muscles coiling with explosive strength. The reinforced tiles of the training ground cracked underfoot, spiderweb fissures spreading from where she stood.
That incredible power brought with it blinding speed. Even with his recently improved perception, Lin Beiya could only glimpse a faint afterimage— and that was after several days of intensive visual training.
Relying purely on instinct, he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
A fiery fist, wreathed in roaring flames, crashed against him a heartbeat later.
Boom!
The impact hurled Lin Beiya backward, sending him flying until he slammed into one of the arena's stone pillars with a dull thud.
Touching the corner of his mouth, he felt warm blood smear across his fingertips.
A frown creased his brow. At this speed, his eyes simply couldn't keep up—he couldn't track Lei Ying's movements at all.
But fortunately…his other senses had evolved far beyond his sight.
Under Lei Ying's mocking gaze, Lin Beiya slowly closed his eyes. A strange sensation rose in his heart—an awareness that expanded outward. Within that stillness, he began to feel Lei Ying's presence with absolute clarity.
Lei Ying's expression flickered with surprise.
"You can't even follow me with your eyes open… and you think closing them will help?"
Still, she had no intention of backing down.
She had to defeat Lin Beiya—to uphold the pride of a Soul Elder.
She burst forward again, her right fist aiming straight for Lin Beiya's chest.
But to her astonishment, her punch struck nothing. No resistance. No impact.
She blinked and turned— and found Lin Beiya standing behind her, eyes still tightly closed, as if seeing her perfectly.
Even without opening his eyes, his presence locked onto her completely.
It felt as though she stood exposed before him, with nowhere to hide.
"W-What… what is this?" she stammered.
A faint smile curved Lin Beiya's lips, satisfaction gleaming beneath his calm expression.
"Relying on sight to track your enemy isn't wrong," he said quietly.
"But when your eyes can no longer keep up, most people fall into despair—and their fighting spirit collapses."
"Unfortunately for you, my other senses far surpass my sight. Every movement you make stirs the air around you… and the air, in turn, tells me everything I need to know."
"The instant it shifts, my body already knows how to respond."
Lei Ying froze, disbelief filling her eyes.
She understood his words perfectly—but to actually do something like that? Was such a thing even humanly possible?
Yet no matter how unbelievable it sounded, she refused to give in.
Once again, her fists ignited with fire, raining down blows like a torrential storm toward Lin Beiya's face. But just as he said—eyes still closed, he tilted, swayed, and moved in perfect rhythm, evading every strike as though he could see the future itself.
When Lei Ying finally stopped, panting lightly, she froze. Before her stood a shimmering Crystal Wall, rippling faintly like water.
Defeat was written all over her face.
She didn't want to admit it—but there was nothing more she could do.
"I lost," she said softly. "Looks like Xiaoxue's loss wasn't unjustified after all."
Lin Beiya opened his eyes, the calm in them unshaken, and with a small smile, dispelled the crystal barrier.
"No, Sister Lei Ying. Let's call it a draw. I might've dodged your attacks, but that's all I could do. I didn't have the means to defeat you."
Lei Ying stared at him for a moment before laughing heartily.
"Hah! A loss is a loss. You're still just a Soul Master—while I'm a Soul Elder. Picking a fight with you was already bullying. If I tried to call this a draw, that would be shameless."
She wasn't the type to make excuses.
And despite her defeat, her fiery spirit hadn't dimmed.
After several rounds of insistence, Lin Beiya could only accept the outcome—
His first true victory against a Soul Elder.
—
End of Chapter