Chapter 42 – Establishing Dominance
Since Lin Beiya clearly didn't know what was good for him, the trace of guilt Xiong Chumo had felt for "bullying the younger" quickly vanished. Now, all he wanted was to teach this brat a painful lesson.
With a thunderous roar, the image of a massive bear materialized behind him. Xiong Chumo entered his Martial Soul Possession state, his two yellow and one purple soul rings gleaming brightly—the perfect combination for his level, worthy of a Titled Douluo's grandson.
"Second Soul Skill—Berserk Strength!"
As his soul power surged, his already bulky frame swelled further, the muscles beneath his skin bulging like forged granite—exuding a violent aura of brute force.
Feeling the tremendous power coursing through his veins, Xiong Chumo's confidence soared. He stomped forward, the ground trembling beneath his feet, and lunged at Lin Beiya—who still stood there with eyes closed, hands calmly clasped behind his back.
In his mind, such arrogance was nothing short of courting death.
"Lie down, brat! That 'Invincible among your peers' title should belong to me!"
"Third Soul Skill—Furious Smash!"
He didn't hold back in the slightest. Since he dared to underestimate him, Xiong Chumo intended to crush him with everything he had. He didn't care if others accused him of relying on his higher rank to bully the weak—losing would be far more humiliating.
Golden light flared across his bear claws as he swung them straight toward Lin Beiya's face. In his imagination, this one blow would leave the boy half-dead, if not worse.
But reality… didn't match his expectations.
Just as the claws were about to connect, Lin Beiya vanished like a phantom, reappearing effortlessly at Xiong Chumo's back.
The crowd gasped.
Xiong Chumo's eyes widened for an instant—but he quickly suppressed his shock and spun around for another attack. Yet no matter how many times he struck, his claws met only empty air. Ten minutes later, his furious roars had turned into ragged breaths, his face slick with sweat.
"Damn it… what kind of 'Invincible' crap is this?" he panted furiously. "You're just dodging! Are you trying to exhaust your opponents to death?"
"Do you even dare fight me head-on?"
Before Lin Beiya could respond, his classmates in the stands exploded in anger.
"Have some shame! You're old enough for two rounds of junior academy, and you still have the nerve to talk about fairness?"
"Exactly! Why not ask him to stand still and let you hit him too?"
"Blaming others for your clumsy swings? Dodging is part of combat, you idiot!"
The insults from below only made Xiong Chumo's face darker. His pride as a Titled Douluo's grandson burned with humiliation.
"Enough chatter!" he bellowed. "Since he accepted my challenge, he should fight me properly! How can he claim to be the strongest in the academy if he only runs away? I don't accept it!"
Lin Beiya lifted a hand, gesturing for his classmates to calm down. A faint glow flickered in his palm as his Athena Statue martial soul appeared. His purple soul ring shone brilliantly, merging into golden radiance that spiraled skyward.
In the next instant, the Taurus Gold Cloth enveloped him, gleaming like molten gold. Lin Beiya stood motionless, arms crossed before his chest in his signature Iaijutsu stance.
"Not convinced, are you?" he said evenly. "Fine—then let's change the rules. If you can make me take even a single step back, you win."
Xiong Chumo's eyes widened. "You mean it?"
That was music to his ears. What could be more satisfying than pounding on a motionless target?
While he grinned viciously, Lin Beiya's classmates nearly pulled their hair out in frustration. With his superior agility, Lin Beiya could have easily worn down his opponent without risk—so why take such a stupid risk?
"Bei—!"
Before they could finish shouting his name, Lin Beiya—still with his eyes closed—raised a hand and crooked a single finger at Xiong Chumo, silently inviting him to attack.
That simple gesture poured fuel on the fire in Xiong Chumo's chest.
'Fine! You want to die that badly? Don't blame me for being ruthless!'
"Go to hell! Furious Smash!"
The same scarlet-golden light burst from his claws— but this time, Lin Beiya didn't even intend to dodge.
The moment Xiong Chumo's massive bear claws were about to strike Lin Beiya, a smug grin spread across his face—only for it to freeze instantly.
His claws met no resistance at all, as if he'd grabbed at empty air. In that same instant, a barrage of punches rained down on him like a storm, each blow crashing into his body with terrifying speed and precision.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The furious onslaught sent him hurtling backward, rolling dozens of meters before coming to a stop at the very edge of the arena.
"Urgh—!"
Lying flat on his back, Xiong Chumo stared at the ceiling in disbelief. He hadn't even seen how Lin Beiya had attacked.
Grinding his teeth, he struggled to his feet, his voice trembling with rage and humiliation.
"What… what did you just do!?"
Lin Beiya snorted lightly. "You couldn't even see my attack? That's your level? Go home and train for another two and a half years. Of course… that's assuming I don't cultivate during that time."
Seeing that Xiong Chumo could still stand, Lin Beiya secretly acknowledged the incredible endurance of beast-type martial souls. If that were Little Angel taking that hit…
Ahem, ahem… hitting one's wife is bad behavior. Absolutely not.
Just one mocking sentence was enough to send Xiong Chumo's blood boiling. With the crowd cheering and applauding below the stage, his face burned red with shame.
"Damn brat! Don't get cocky—I haven't lost yet!"
Blinded by anger, Xiong Chumo roared and charged once more. The result, however, was exactly the same. His massive body was sent flying again and again, each time hitting the ground harder than before.
After being knocked down countless times, he could barely move on instinct alone, yet that stubborn unwillingness still burned in his eyes. He was convinced Lin Beiya had used some trick to defeat him.
"Don't get too proud! I'll figure out your little trick soon enough!"
Lin Beiya smirked coldly. 'Break my Iai Barrier? Not in fifty years.'
"The frog at the bottom of the well only sees a patch of sky above him," he said softly, raising his hand. "Let me show you the true difference between us."
In Xiong Chumo's horrified gaze, Lin Beiya spread his arms for the first time. Behind him, a golden bull roared to life, divine pressure radiating from its towering form.
"Great Horn!"
"Stop!"
A powerful voice shouted just as the golden bull charged—but it was too late.
Xiong Chumo, already exhausted and nearly drained of soul power, couldn't even defend himself. The phantom golden bull slammed into him like a speeding truck hitting a drunk man. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was launched off the stage like a broken kite.
An elderly figure appeared silently, catching Xiong Chumo in midair. After checking his injuries, the old man's eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Lin Beiya.
"I told you to stop! Did you not hear me? Why did you strike my grandson so viciously!?"
Gasps spread through the crowd. From his words, everyone instantly recognized the elder's identity—the Devil Bear Douluo of the Elder Hall, and Xiong Chumo's grandfather.
Lin Beiya clasped his hands calmly. "Apologies, Elder Xiong. I simply don't yet possess the control to stop midway. Your grandson challenged me unprovoked and refused to yield even when defeated. I've already held back five-tenths of my strength. If I hadn't… he'd be a corpse by now."
"That's right!" someone in the audience shouted. "It was Xiong Chumo who started it! He's the one who bullied the younger and insisted on a head-on fight!"
"Exactly! He got what he asked for!"
"Elder Xiong, you're not planning to bully a student the same way your grandson did, are you?"
The Devil Bear Douluo's face turned an alarming shade of red as dozens of voices jeered. His trembling hand pointed furiously at the crowd, lips quivering with outrage.
"You… you little brats—!"
—
End of Chapter