Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

The moment their eyes met, Zhou Yi felt a "buzz" in her brain. Ling Yu's figure in front of her blurred and doubled instantly, and the surrounding scenery twisted and spun. A strong sense of dizziness came over her!

"Now!"

Ling Yu gave a low shout in his heart, and at the same time pulled his left hand out of his pocket. With a "bang," the ground beneath his feet exploded, creating a barely perceptible shockwave. His body was like a spring that had been compressed to its limit, suddenly released, turning into a blurry afterimage, and instantly traversing a distance of more than ten meters!

Without any unnecessary movements, in the blink of an eye, Ling Yu rushed in front of Zhou Yi, twisted his waist and turned around, his right leg tearing through the air like a whip, with a piercing sound of wind breaking, a swift and powerful high side kick, fiercely slashing towards Zhou Yi's unsuspecting neck!

Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!

The students only felt a blur before their eyes, and Ling Yu had already appeared in front of Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi truly lived up to her reputation as a battle-hardened Soul Emperor; even with her mind interfered with by illusions, her body's instinctive reactions remained astonishingly fast.

The moment the wind struck her body, she groaned, forcibly breaking free of the illusion's sluggishness and regaining a sliver of clarity. In her haste, she only had time to cross her arms to protect her chest, her soul power instantly condensing on her arms.

"Bang!!!"

The dull thud, like the beating of a drum, resounded throughout the classroom!

Zhou Yi felt an immense force coming from her arms, and her body slid backward uncontrollably. Her feet plowed two clear tracks in the ground, and she only managed to regain her balance when she reached the edge of the open space!

The excruciating pain and numbness in her arms sent a shockwave through her.

Such incredible power!

This is definitely not the physical strength that an ordinary Soul Master should have!

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

All the trainees stared wide-eyed at the scene in disbelief.

Wang Dong'er suddenly covered her mouth, her pinkish-blue eyes wide open.

Zhou Yi...was kicked away?

Although it was a hasty defense, that was a Soul Emperor!

Zhou Yi shook her left arm, which was throbbing with pain and even trembling slightly. The last trace of contempt in her eyes completely disappeared, replaced by extreme solemnity and a hint of embarrassment at being caught off guard.

She stared intently into Ling Yu's eyes, those crimson tomoe-like eyes, her hoarse voice carrying a chill: "So you're a mental-type Soul Master. Such strange methods. But..."

She rubbed her arms, a fighting grin spreading across her face: "Your fists and feet are more of a 'surprise' to me than your silver tongue!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Yi's eyes flashed red, and a deep dragon roar erupted from the depths of his throat: "Martial Soul, Possess!"

boom--!

A blast of intense heat exploded!

Zhou Yi's figure seemed to grow taller, and dark red, fine dragon scales instantly covered her entire body, her hands transforming into sharp dragon claws.

The intense heat distorted the air, revealing the formidable power of the Red Dragon Martial Soul!

"Now, I'll show you what a Soul Emperor is!" Zhou Yi stomped her foot, causing the ground to crack, and her entire body transformed into a red afterimage, appearing in front of Ling Yu almost instantly. Her right claw, covered in dragon scales, went straight for his heart, and the speed was terrifying!

Ling Yu's eyes darted around rapidly, and the Sharingan's super-strong dynamic vision allowed him to accurately capture the trajectory of the claw attack.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, leaning his body to the side and back as if boneless, narrowly dodging the claw tip. At the same time, his right leg shot out like a venomous snake from its hole, striking Zhou Yi's knee from a tricky angle with lightning speed!

Zhou Yi bent her left knee slightly and used the outside of her calf to take the kick head-on.

With a muffled thud, Zhou Yi staggered, and Ling Yu used the momentum to drift backward. But Zhou Yi's attacks followed immediately. Her left claw swept across, blocking Ling Yu's retreat, while her right claw followed closely, aiming straight for his throat!

With a flurry of claw attacks, the assault was as swift and fierce as a storm!

Ling Yu's eyes were calm as he moved and dodged in the confined space. His Sharingan could clearly see every muscle tremor and soul power flow of Zhou Yi.

Sometimes he moved like a willow catkin in the wind, brushing past the claws; other times he leaped like a nimble ape across a ravine, narrowly avoiding fatal attacks.

Occasionally, seizing a fleeting opening, a precise jab or whip kick counterattack always hits the weak point in Zhou Yi's moves, causing her offensive to falter.

The two moved with lightning speed, transforming into two blurry figures, one red and one black, constantly colliding, separating, and colliding again!

The continuous explosions of fists and feet striking each other were like a dense drumbeat striking everyone's heart.

A sharp gust of wind scattered, causing the hair and clothes of nearby students to fly backward.

Although Zhou Yi's cultivation level was higher, she was only a teacher. Compared to Ling Yu, an elite Chunin who had grown up through life-and-death battles in the Third Shinobi World War, her practical experience and combat ability were still far inferior.

Zhou Yi became increasingly alarmed as she fought.

Ling Yu's close-combat ability is too strong!

It's not just about superhuman strength and speed, but more importantly, about the control over the rhythm of battle and the almost precognitive insight.

Many of her attacks seemed to be "seen" in advance, and the opponent could always neutralize or avoid them with minimal cost, while the opponent's counterattacks always hit her in the most vulnerable spots.

This is something no ordinary Soul Master could do!

There's definitely something wrong with those eyes!

"Hmph, slippery brat!" Unable to gain the upper hand after a long attack, Zhou Yi's eyes flashed with a fierce light. She feigned an opening and took a blow from Ling Yu's finger aimed at her ribs. Taking advantage of the moment when Ling Yu's fingertip retracted, she suddenly pulled her right fist to her waist, and dark red soul power gathered madly towards her fist like flames!

"First Soul Skill, Crimson Dragon Claw!"

Her right arm was instantly enveloped by the expanding crimson dragon claw phantom, the scorching heat distorting the air and causing a surge of power!

Immediately afterwards, the enormous dragon claw phantom, carrying an aura of tearing everything apart, slammed fiercely towards Ling Yu's face! Its speed was nearly twice as fast as before!

Ling Yu's pupils suddenly contracted.

There's no way to dodge it! It's too fast and too fierce!

He instantly crossed his arms in front of his head to protect himself, pouring his soul power into his arms without reservation!

"boom--!!"

The crimson dragon claw phantom slammed solidly into Ling Yu's crossed arms as he blocked, unleashing a burst of violent power accompanied by scorching heat!

Ling Yu felt as if his arms had been struck by lightning, the pain excruciating. He was slammed backward by the immense force, his feet leaving two clear tracks on the hard floor.

The sleeves of his arms turned to ashes the moment they touched, leaving his exposed skin charred black and red.

He took a deep breath, channeling his soul power to forcefully suppress his surging blood and qi, stabilizing his body. The crimson tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly as he stared intently at Zhou Yi, who was rushing towards him again.

"You've made me use my soul skill, you should be proud of yourself!" Zhou Yi's cold voice was filled with anger at being offended, and she continued her pursuit without stopping!

The ground beneath her feet exploded with a deafening roar, and her figure transformed into a crimson streak of light, almost immediately following Ling Yu's retreat. Her left claw, covered with the remaining phantom of a dragon claw, tore through the air with a deadly shriek, aiming straight for Ling Yu's heart!

There was no way to avoid it!

Ling Yu's eyes narrowed, and his scorched hands flashed across his face, forming a simple hand seal. He uttered a low shout: "Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"

Rumble!

A thick, sturdy, two-meter-high earthen wall suddenly rose from the ground, like a solid shield, blocking Ling Yu's way with great difficulty!

"A mere trick! Break it!" Zhou Yi shouted fiercely, her momentum undiminished. Her left claw, burning with soul power, slammed into the center of the earthen wall without any fancy moves!

"boom--!"

Earth and rocks crumbled, and dust filled the air! The hard earthen wall was blasted open by this attack, which contained the residual power of the "Red Dragon Claw" soul skill, creating a hole the size of a washbasin. Spiderweb-like cracks spread out from the hole.

However, Zhou Yi's determined attack was ultimately thwarted, and her momentum was momentarily halted.

She looked up through the broken wall and the swirling dust, only to see Ling Yu had somehow leaped onto the top of the remaining earthen wall, looking down at her from above.

The boy's clothes were tattered, and the scorch marks on his arms were glaring. His breathing was slightly rapid, but his spine was straight. His scarlet eyes remained calm amidst the dust, as if burning with an invisible flame.

"Teacher," Ling Yu's voice came clearly, with a hint of inquiry and a sharpness he had never shown before, "It seems you won't understand until I beat you into submission."

Zhou Yi retracted her slightly numb left hand, staring at Ling Yu on the wall, her vertical pupils flashing with a mixture of anger and coldness: "Understand? I understand you're an unruly, self-righteous genius! I understand your eyes and your fighting skills are somewhat impressive! But that doesn't change anything! Here, in my class, I set the rules! Strength is the only truth! You either submit today, or get out!"

Ling Yu gently shook his head, the last trace of expectation in his eyes fading away, leaving only pure calmness and determination: "Opening champagne at halftime is not a good habit."

He said no more, raised his hands again, and his ten fingers danced rapidly like butterflies flitting among flowers, forming a series of complex and swift hand seals.

"Lightning Release: Chakra Mode!"

"Sizzle—!!!"

A piercing, crackling sound of electricity suddenly erupted, like hundreds of birds screaming at the same time!

A dazzling silver lightning burst forth from every pore of Ling Yu's body, enveloping his entire body in a radiant humanoid ball of light!

Wild electric snakes writhed and leaped across his body, crackling and popping with a chilling sound, while a faint burnt smell filled the air due to the high-voltage ionization.

The earthen wall ruins beneath his feet were even struck by the stray electric current, leaving tiny pits.

A violent and destructive pressure, like an invisible storm, swept outwards from Ling Yu's center!

All the students, including Wang Dong'er, were stunned by the sudden change and the terrifying momentum, as if they had been choked and could not make a sound.

Zhou Yi's vertical pupils instantly contracted to the size of pinpoints, and her heart sank!

Dangerous warning signs are like ice water poured over your head!

Her fighting instincts kicked in frantically, her third spirit ring shone brightly, and she activated "Blazing Scales" at full power. The dark red scales became even thicker, the magma patterns became clear, and the high-temperature shield was activated to its maximum!

At the same time, she quickly retreated, trying to create distance and examine this unknown change.

But it was too late!

Lightning is the embodiment of ultimate speed!

Ling Yu, standing atop the wall, merely bent his knees slightly.

next moment--

"call out--!!!"

A sharp, ear-piercing sound! It wasn't the sound that came first, but rather the dazzling figure of lightning that had already moved, and the sound followed the trail it left behind!

In Zhou Yi's vision, Ling Yu's figure "disappeared" from the spot.

No, it didn't disappear, but rather it was almost there, leaving behind a series of clear yet extremely brief silver afterimages!

These afterimages lingered on the earthen wall and in mid-air, while the real attack was already upon them!

Zhou Yi only had time to hastily cross her arms, which were covered with thick, blazing scales, to protect herself, and frantically poured her soul power into her chest and abdomen.

A fist enveloped in solid, dazzling silver lightning seemed to break through the limitations of space, ignoring the scorching heat shield and the thick dragon scale defense. Just as her arms closed, it pierced through the gap in her arm defenses like a precision-guided lightning spear, landing solidly on her lower abdomen.

boom!

This time, the thud wasn't loud, but it was unusually heavy, as if it were striking a large, leather-covered drum, the sound penetrating deep into the body.

"Ugh—!"

Zhou Yi's eyes bulged instantly, his pupils dilated for a moment, and all his roars, all his momentum, and all his soul power defenses were easily pierced through by this punch, as if they were made of paper!

She felt an indescribable, strange force, a mixture of extreme penetrating power and the paralyzing sensation of violent lightning, brutally tear through the protective armor of the Blazing Scales and slam into her abdominal cavity!

Excruciating pain!

Spasm!

paralysis!

Her internal organs seemed to shift and twist together instantly! A violent electric current surged through her meridians, bringing burning pain and uncontrollable muscle spasms!

His body suddenly bent forward, like a boiled shrimp, all his strength was scattered by this punch.

Immediately afterwards, her legs went weak, and she could no longer support her body. With a "thud," she fell heavily to the ground, her face hitting the floor with a dull thud.

She tried to struggle and get up, but the intense pain in her lower abdomen and the electric-like numbness throughout her body made it extremely difficult for her to even lift a finger. She could only futilely let out heavy, painful, and incoherent gasps, her body trembling slightly.

The dazzling lightning slowly subsided and went out.

Ling Yu's figure appeared clearly not far in front of Zhou Yi as he deactivated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

He stopped a few steps away from Zhou Yi, looking down at the homeroom teacher who was lying on the ground and unable to get up for a moment.

The air in the classroom seemed to freeze, with only Zhou Yi's heavy breathing and the students' suppressed gasps.

Ling Yu's voice rang out calmly, not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, including Zhou Yi's on the ground:

"Look."

He pointed to Zhou Yi, who was lying on the ground, curled up in pain.

"This is what you believe in: 'Reason is always built upon strength.'"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the silent classroom, over the young faces that were either shocked, fearful, confused, or subtly excited, before finally settling on Zhou Yi.

"When stronger 'power' emerges, does the 'principle' you uphold also change? Or should it never have been so narrow-minded in the first place?"

"My questioning of your words is not to deny the value of rigor and rigorous training. On the contrary, I believe true strength requires rules that can withstand scrutiny and an open mind that can accommodate different voices and paths. Calling students 'garbage' and driving them with fear and elimination might force out some geniuses who 'survive,' but doesn't this also stifle many other possibilities? Does it make them only remember 'might makes right' and forget why they need to have power in the first place?"

Ling Yu's voice was not loud, but it carried a heavy power that struck everyone's heart.