Douluo Dalu: I have a Soul Beast Clone

After Yu Tianheng's fight, the matches that followed varied in strength.

The strongest contenders were around level 30 Spirit Elders, while the weakest were Spirit Masters at just over level 10.

Interestingly, even the battles of those low-level Spirit Masters offered significant insights to Li Chang'an, who had never experienced real combat before.

After all, real battles between Spirit Masters weren't like in novels or anime, where participants loudly shout out the names of their spirit abilities. Even when they did, such cases were rare, and the purpose wasn't to inform the audience but to gain a psychological edge over their opponent with a loud roar or to confuse them by deliberately calling out the wrong sequence of spirit abilities.

In reality, battles between Spirit Masters were straightforward and efficient. Spirit rings would light up, and abilities would be unleashed in rapid succession. Finding and exploiting the opponent's weaknesses was the key to victory—there was no room for shouting out moves and giving the enemy advanced notice.

Even the so-called rookie fights between Spirit Masters at level 10 or so were far from dull.

At least Li Chang'an found them fascinating. Despite their low ranks, these competitors demonstrated substantial combat experience. While these matches might seem like a "rookie battle" to seasoned fighters, to ordinary people, these Spirit Masters were undoubtedly experts.

It's hard to understand why the original story portrayed the students of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy so poorly. Perhaps it was just to highlight Tang San and his companions' brilliance?

And so, three days passed.

Each day, Li Chang'an would come to observe the battles, mentally simulating what he would do if he were in their position.

On the fourth day, he finally signed up for a fight.

The academy randomly paired him with a 28th-level Spirit Grandmaster, only two levels higher than his own 26th-level spirit power.

Of the five arenas, only three were currently hosting matches, leaving two open.

Li Chang'an stood on one of the empty arenas.

Opposite him was a young man in his twenties with an unremarkable appearance but a sturdy physique. He looked honest and straightforward, introducing himself first, "Zhang Tieniu, martial soul: Iron Armor Rhino, 28th-level Spirit Grandmaster!"

It was a tradition among Spirit Masters to briefly introduce themselves before a friendly duel; failing to do so would be seen as disrespectful.

Li Chang'an followed suit, "Li Chang'an, martial soul: Jade-Scaled Sword, 26th-level Spirit Grandmaster!"

"Both sides, prepare…"

The referee paused briefly before announcing, "Begin!"

As the referee gave the signal, both fighters immediately summoned their martial souls.

A massive shadow flickered behind Zhang Tieniu as he activated his martial soul. Upon possession, his body grew taller and significantly more robust, with a curved rhino horn emerging from his nose bridge. Two faint yellow spirit rings materialized, circling him.

Li Chang'an, meanwhile, summoned a jade-like sword of exquisite craftsmanship. It was more reminiscent of an art piece than a weapon. The hilt featured a coiled jade-scaled serpent engraving that looked lifelike, as if it might spring to life at any moment.

Two yellow spirit rings—deeper in color than Zhang Tieniu's—appeared around Li Chang'an. The disparity in the quality of their spirit rings was evident at a glance.

Zhang Tieniu's spirit rings were likely only a few hundred years old, while Li Chang'an's were 400–500 years and 800–900 years old, respectively. The gap was considerable.

After summoning their martial souls, neither moved immediately. Instead, they scrutinized each other, searching for weaknesses.

What a powerful presence!

How is he exerting such pressure on me? His spirit power is lower than mine, and he wields a tool martial soul! Zhang Tieniu's forehead was dotted with sweat as the oppressive aura from his young opponent intensified. He knew he couldn't afford to hesitate any longer.

He made the first move.

"Roar!!!"

With his first spirit ring lighting up, Zhang Tieniu let out a thunderous roar. His already muscular frame grew even bulkier, and his copper-like legs stomped heavily on the ground, causing the arena to quake. Charging like a rampaging bull, he hurtled toward Li Chang'an.

This was Zhang Tieniu's first spirit ability, which enhanced his strength, defense, and slightly increased his speed. Though the improvements weren't massive, it was a highly practical ability.

Faced with Zhang Tieniu's ferocious charge, Li Chang'an remained calm. Soul power surged through his body as his first spirit ring lit up.

First Spirit Ability: Sword Qi!

With a swift slash of his sword, a streak of pale sword qi shot forward, targeting the charging Zhang Tieniu.

Li Chang'an had spent days studying this ability, trying to grasp the principles behind converting soul power into sword qi. Unfortunately, its complexity eluded him; the process was simply too advanced for his current understanding.

The results, however, were undeniable.

Shing!

The swift sword qi grazed Zhang Tieniu's cheek, leaving a neat wound in its wake.

Startled, Zhang Tieniu realized that the sword qi was far sharper than he had anticipated. As the wielder of the Iron Armor Rhino martial soul, his physical defenses were unparalleled. Even arrows couldn't penetrate his skin, especially after activating his first ability. And yet, a single slash of sword qi had cut through him with ease.

I can't hold back anymore. I need to end this quickly!

Determined, Zhang Tieniu activated his second spirit ring. His skin transformed into a rough, gray texture resembling iron, as if covered in a layer of rhino hide.

In this state, Zhang Tieniu was virtually impervious to physical attacks. However, his speed remained limited, leaving him somewhat sluggish.

Zhang Tieniu's martial soul was more suited for battlefield skirmishes, where his ironclad body and immense strength could lead the charge and disrupt enemy formations. On a confined arena stage, however, his movements were restricted, and he became an easy target for faster opponents.

Eager to test his sword's sharpness, Li Chang'an chose to confront Zhang Tieniu head-on.

In an actual battle, Li Chang'an would never engage in close combat with an opponent like Zhang Tieniu. Instead, he would maintain a distance, unleashing sword qi to wear him down. But this was a friendly spar meant to hone his skills, so evasion wasn't an option.

(To be continued)