Chapter Forty-Five: The Aloof Maiden

During the past five days, Yang Yan had lost all appetite for food and drink, consumed by relentless contemplation both day and night, seeking to comprehend and cultivate his soul power. Yet his efforts yielded little progress. This elusive, mysterious force seemed to exist somewhere beyond his reach—he could sense it, yet it was intangible, invisible, and unattainable. The itch in his heart grew unbearable, nearly driving him mad.

The five days slipped by in the blink of an eye, and Yang Yan found no alternative method for cultivation. So, yesterday, he diligently focused on filling his body with spiritual energy, preparing himself for today’s challenge.

“The final match of the Tribal Martial Gathering: Yang Yan versus Sun Zhixin!”

A thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd as soon as the announcement was made. The entire arena exploded with excitement, and the atmosphere soared to a fever pitch. The annual event had finally reached its climax.

Yang Yan gazed at the girl standing before him, his brows furrowing slightly. Today, Sun Zhixin wore a simple, fitted outfit, her waist cinched with a pale green silk ribbon that accentuated the gentle curve of her gradually maturing figure. Her long, dark hair was tied in a ponytail, falling neatly down her back. Her face, though not strikingly beautiful, radiated a fresh, elegant charm that was pleasing to behold. Her clear, bright eyes held a hint of coldness, a touch of aloofness.

Noticing Yang Yan’s unwavering stare, Sun Zhixin’s delicate brows knit in displeasure.

A crisp chime rang out, echoing through the arena, and the final match of the Tribal Martial Gathering officially began.

“Please guide me—” Yang Yan bowed with his fists clasped, but before he could finish his words, the girl before him flickered forward, her figure suddenly appearing right in front of him. Her slender hand, swirling with crimson fire-attribute spiritual energy, struck straight at Yang Yan’s chest!

“Damn! Is she really that impatient?” Yang Yan cursed inwardly, but his body reacted swiftly. He instantly activated the ‘Shadow Step,’ tapping lightly on the ground and retreating rapidly, barely evading her attack.

Despite Sun Zhixin’s gentle appearance, each of her moves unfolded like blooming crimson flowers—her attacks seemed light and harmless, reminiscent of playful banter between lovers. Yet only those who faced her could sense the deadly force concealed beneath that softness.

Yang Yan was now deep within the fray, growing more astonished with each exchange. Sun Zhixin’s dexterity in controlling her spiritual energy was astonishing. Her seemingly gentle palm concealed a fierce, explosive fire-attribute energy. Yang Yan was certain that if he were struck, the compressed fire energy within her palm would erupt, leaving him instantly incapacitated.

In other words, each of Sun Zhixin’s seemingly casual attacks was tantamount to unleashing a miniature martial technique, truly terrifying!

This alone made it clear that Sun Zhixin’s innate fire constitution was of exceptionally high grade.

Compared to her, Xu Shaoguang from earlier was like a child playing at martial arts—they simply weren’t on the same level! Xu’s fire energy appeared fierce and powerful, but it was merely a superficial display; his control over spiritual energy was crude, with much of it dissipating uselessly, leaving little for actual use.

Sun Zhixin, on the other hand, possessed a higher-grade innate fire constitution, her fire energy was richer and more potent, and her soul power and mastery of spiritual energy far surpassed the norm. In comparison, she left Xu Shaoguang far behind.

A loud explosion echoed through the arena as Yang Yan finally ceased his evasive maneuvers. Transparent water-attribute spiritual energy surged from his palm as he punched toward Sun Zhixin’s crimson energy-wrapped hand.

At the point of contact, a blast sounded. Yang Yan reeled from the explosive force of Sun Zhixin’s fire energy, retreating at lightning speed. His fist emitted a sizzling noise, a sharp burning pain shooting through it. Glancing down quickly, Yang Yan saw most of the water energy coating his fist had been scattered, and strands of red fire energy lingered, burning and corroding his skin.

Sun Zhixin, meanwhile, only staggered slightly, nowhere near as disheveled as Yang Yan. One blow had made their disparity clear.

Yang Yan focused, gathering blue spiritual energy from within and directing it to his right fist. The remaining strands of fire energy were quickly eradicated by the blue energy.

Sun Zhixin’s brows furrowed at the sight, evidently wary of Yang Yan’s peculiar spiritual power.

Yet to Yang Yan’s mild surprise, Sun Zhixin offered him a faint smile, then spun gracefully, drifting toward him like a dancing butterfly for another attack.

Yang Yan had no time to ponder—perhaps he’d misread her expression. He hurriedly marshaled his blue spiritual energy, preparing to fight with all his might.

He now knew that relying solely on his water-attribute energy to defeat Sun Zhixin was mere wishful thinking. With this realization, Yang Yan decided to go all out, seeking a swift and decisive victory.

With a sharp motion, Sun Zhixin initiated the next assault. Her figure halted a short distance from Yang Yan, pivoting on her left foot, and using the momentum of her forward rush, she raised her right leg high, swinging it toward Yang Yan’s head like a bolt of lightning.

Yang Yan dared not be careless. Raising his right arm, he coated it in blue spiritual energy to block Sun Zhixin’s attack.

The blue energy proved formidable. In this clash, Sun Zhixin’s fire energy gained no advantage, and Yang Yan breathed a sigh of relief. But in the next instant, his expression froze.

Taking advantage of Yang Yan’s momentary distraction, Sun Zhixin delivered a kick to his chest. Yang Yan grunted, sliding four or five meters across the stone platform before clarity returned to his gaze.

“What happened to Yang Yan just now? Did he get distracted?”

“I couldn’t see clearly either. That shouldn’t have happened…”

Seeing Yang Yan kicked across the arena, the audience gasped in surprise, shocked by the unexpected turn of events. Only Elder Li and a handful of soul cultivators had noticed the subtle exchange.

“So young, and already capable of launching a soul attack. This year’s Tribal Martial Gathering is becoming increasingly fascinating!” Elder Li smiled, secretly musing to himself.

Coughing a few times, Yang Yan climbed to his feet, his face still marked by astonishment.

“Give up. You cannot defeat me.” The girl before him stared coldly, her voice indifferent.

“Heh, so I’m being underestimated…”