Chapter 82: First Trial

He was dressed in splendid clothes, and his delicate hairstyle had been brushed repeatedly by the maidens.

In the middle of the open ground ahead of him lay a huge pool, where two sea Soul Masters were engaging in a Soul Battle, their black silhouettes crossing beneath the water.

Tie Li's arrival made Count Daise think another hired Soul Master had come; in recent days, many Soul Masters have arrived at the manor.

The other Soul Masters cast unfriendly glances at Tie Li; one more Soul Master meant one more competitor.

Count Daise's reputation in Hanhai City was not great, but he was also famously generous.

"Are you a land Soul Master?" Count Daise said, a hint of surprise in his voice upon seeing Tie Li's appearance.

The other Soul Masters reacted in turn, a mocking tint appearing in their eyes.

A land Soul Master wanting to battle sea Soul Masters in the Soul Battle pool? To them, that was a joke.

"Land Soul Master? Do you want to battle us?"

"In the Soul Battle pool, even if your Soul Power Level is higher than mine, you could never be my opponent."

"Heh, I'd love to teach this land Soul Master a lesson."

The Soul Masters present couldn't help but utter mocking sounds.

"Land Soul Master, you should go back; our Soul Battle here isn't suitable for you," Count Daise said lightly.

"I've heard you have three‑thousand‑year whale glue here," Tie Li said only half, but Count Daise understood his meaning.

"Want my whale glue? Sure, as long as you can defeat them and become one of the five combatants, I'll give you a piece of three‑thousand‑year whale glue; if you can beat Count Bei Er in a match, I can give you another piece."

"But you're just a land Soul Master; how could you win against sea Soul Masters in the Soul Battle pool?"

Tie Li frowned slightly; battling sea Soul Masters in the pool was indeed a tough problem, but Count Daise could offer two pieces of three‑thousand‑year whale glue.

He already possessed a two‑thousand‑year and a one‑thousand‑year piece as well; even though the effect wanes, stacking them yields a remarkable boost. Returning to Bai Ni Mountain, the Lightning Light forged by a Thunder Attribute Plant-type Soul Beast would push his body's limits to a new height.

Perhaps his Soul Power Level could break through to Forty Level, allowing his fourth Soul Ring to absorb a Soul Ring older than six thousand years.

Higher‑age Soul Rings could grant him greater amplification.

"I can give it a try."

"Alright, I can give you that chance," Count Daise said, somewhat surprised.

Tie Li nodded and announced his Soul Power Level.

Count Daise's selected Soul Masters were mainly First, Second, and Third Ring; Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings were Guest Ministers of his manor. As for why he didn't recruit external Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings, there were many reasons, but fundamentally it was a matter of trust.

Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings, at close range, could potentially threaten his life.

"Who among you wants to try against him?" Count Daise looked toward the Soul Elders in the arena.

Besides Tie Li, there were seven Three Ring Soul Elders; upon hearing Count Daise's words, they all wanted to step forward and show their faces before him.

If Count Daise were pleased, he could award several hundred Gold Soul Coins as a reward.

And the opponent was still just a land Soul Master.

"Lord Count, let me punish this shallow land Soul Master for you."

"I'll do it myself; I've never liked him anyway."

"Lord Count, let me."

The two Soul Masters originally battling in the pool were halted, leaving their spots vacant; both were Second Ring Great Soul Masters.

The pool was circular, ten meters in radius and a full fifteen meters deep, with a cross‑shaped platform at its exact center.

Count Daise selected a sea Soul Master who looked robust, with dark skin, a bald head marked by three scars as if clawed by some sea beast.

"Land Soul Master, remember this, I am Hai Xiao," the bald Soul Master exclaimed excitedly as the Count assigned him to handle the land Soul Master.

At Count Daise's signal, the two stood on opposite sides of the pool.

When Count Daise announced the start of the Soul Battle, the bald Soul Master immediately entered Martial Soul Possession State, flashing white, yellow, and purple, with three Soul Rings appearing beneath him.

His martial soul was a kind of cetacean Soul Beast; his upper body swelled and sprouted several spines, his head puffed up, and his lower half transformed with fish‑fin features, greatly enhancing his underwater mobility.

Leaping into the pool, his underwater speed was extreme, like a sea Soul Beast gliding through the water.

Tie Li placed a white fish pearl in his mouth, feeling the stored air release inside, and without hesitation he also plunged into the pool.

In an instant he summoned his martial soul; violet lightning burst in the pool, and several purple chains wrapped around Tie Li, the lightning's sheen even eclipsing his Soul Rings.

Several arcs of electricity sprayed outward, striking one or two Soul Masters who had stood too close.

"Bang"

As they were knocked back, a burnt smell emanated from them.

"Sizzle"

A Soul King standing beside Count Daise was tasked with protecting him, and a violet lightning bolt happened to spray toward the Count.

The Soul King instantly rose, shielding Count Daise, opened his right palm, and seized the violet lightning.

The Soul King's brow furrowed; he blocked the violet lightning, but his right palm bore a burn scar.

"His martial soul is strong; the lightning it releases exceeds the normal range of a Soul Elder," the Soul King whispered.

Sensing something amiss, everyone stepped back several paces, fearing they might be affected.

Below the pool, violet lightning flickered; that single scene alone sent chills down the other Soul Masters.

"Boom"

The bald Soul Master's sturdy frame was blasted out by Tie Li's hammer, still crackling with electric arcs; a lightning‑hammer wound marked his chest, a result of Tie Li deliberately restraining his force.

His whole body trembled, his consciousness slipping into haze.

Seeing the bald Soul Master's grim fate, the six who had been shouting stepped back.

Tie Li then crawled out of the pool; his underwater mobility couldn't match those sea Soul Masters, and he nearly got hit, but the advantage was that thunder's destructive power underwater was even greater, almost beyond his control.

But what truly gave Tie Li the initiative were the chains.

Having watched the sea Soul Masters' battle, he had been pondering how to curb their superior underwater mobility.

With an idea, Tie Li went to the blacksmith shop and forged six chains over five meters long, all crafted by himself using the shop's tools, and he infused a bit of thunder‑gold ore into them, giving them the ability to gather lightning.

It can serve as an extension of lightning attacks, and also effectively limit the Sea Soul Master's high mobility underwater.

Tie Li manipulates the chain to restrain the Bald Soul Master, then hammers him out forcefully with the Thunder Hammer.

"How about it, anyone still want to try?" Count Daise's eyes brightened.

(End of chapter)