Soul Land: Xiao Yan Reincarnates as Huo Yuhao

Dai Huabin leaned forward slowly, his eyes, now a deep, dark blue with twin pupils, giving him the aura of a killing machine.

His hands transformed significantly, doubling in size as white fur covered them. Sharp, dagger-like claws extended from his fingertips, each over eight inches long, flashing with a cold, deadly light.

At his feet, three radiant soul rings—two yellow and one purple—appeared, emanating a wave of soul power that pressed forward like a tidal wave, causing Xu Sanshi's facial muscles to twitch slightly.

"Hmph." With a cold smile, Dai Huabin lunged at Xu Sanshi like a streak of golden lightning, leaping at the last moment and swiping his clawed hand down at Xu Sanshi.

Xu Sanshi remained unperturbed, even as the attack approached. Stepping back with his right foot, he crouched slightly, raising the turtle shell shield in his right hand in front of him. Simultaneously, dark soul power surged from the shield, forming a black barrier around him.

"Boom—"

The next moment, Dai Huabin's tiger claw slammed into the shield, producing an ear-splitting explosion.

"First Soul Skill, Xuanming Tremor!"

At that instant, Xu Sanshi's first soul ring glowed, and the dark aura around the shield intensified. A powerful shockwave spread outward, forcing Dai Huabin back.

Xuanming Tremor, Xu Sanshi's first soul skill, was an area-of-effect knockback skill. If the opponent's power was lower than his, they would not only be pushed back but also stunned, with the stun duration dependent on the power gap.

Dai Huabin's level was slightly lower than Xu Sanshi's, and the brief stun alarmed him. As the daze wore off, Dai Huabin immediately activated his third soul ring.

"Third Soul Skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

Dai Huabin's eyes turned blood-red, and his third purple soul ring erupted in light. His already muscular body swelled further, his shirt tearing apart. His claws grew larger and turned silver, and a golden glow enveloped his entire form, as if he were gilded.

Now, with a substantial boost in both speed and strength, Dai Huabin swiped at the barrier Xu Sanshi had formed with the turtle shell shield, managing to tear it open slightly.

"What terrifying power!" Xu Sanshi was taken aback. Just as he was about to activate his second and third soul skills, he caught a glimpse of a golden flash in the eyes of a cloaked young man at the barbecue stall. That light shot directly into Dai Huabin's eyes.

"Ah!" Dai Huabin let out a wretched scream. A piercing pain hit his mind, causing his consciousness to blur, and his relentless claw attack halted momentarily.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Sanshi kicked Dai Huabin in the abdomen, sending him flying back a dozen meters, where he lay unconscious.

Normally, a single kick wouldn't be enough to knock out Dai Huabin, but the combination of Xiao Yan's mental interference and soul shock left him vulnerable to the strike, resulting in his immediate loss of consciousness.

"Huabin, are you okay?" A young woman with long black hair, who had accompanied Dai Huabin, hurried over. Her face showed concern as she helped him up, shooting Xu Sanshi a cold look. "Just you wait."

"Fine, I'm Xu Sanshi. Remember my name." Xu Sanshi crossed his arms and smirked defiantly.

"Alright, Xu Sanshi, I'll remember you." She said coldly, helping Dai Huabin to leave without looking back.

Meanwhile, Tang Ya watched Xiao Yan, confused and concerned. She couldn't understand his sudden reaction, but her intuition told her it was related to the golden-haired youth.

"Xiao Yan, are you… are you okay?" Tang Ya asked softly.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in his heart. He shook his head and replied, "I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."

At that moment, a glint of gold shot toward Xiao Yan's stall, embedding itself firmly in the grill—it was a gold soul coin. Xu Sanshi approached and said, "Hey, I'll take a rabbit. Keep the change."

"Here." Xiao Yan handed Xu Sanshi a roasted rabbit.

Taking a bite, Xu Sanshi exclaimed, "Wow, this is amazing! You're a great cook. Thanks for the help earlier, but next time, if I'm in a fight, don't step in."

"Help? I don't know what you're talking about," Xiao Yan replied, feigning ignorance. Privately, he thought, If it hadn't been Dai Huabin, I wouldn't have bothered.

"Xu Sanshi, were you dumped by your girl, Jiang Nannan, again? You should give up; she'll never like you," Tang Ya teased, still miffed over Xu Sanshi's earlier display.

"Tang Ya, if you don't stop, I'll shut you up myself!" Xu Sanshi growled, his eyes blazing.

"Go ahead! I'm not afraid of you," Tang Ya taunted back.

At that moment, another voice interjected, "Hey, who said I'd abandon Tang Ya?" It was Bei Bei, who walked over with a gentle smile. "Tang Ya, Xiao Yan, how's business? I had something to take care of, or I'd have joined you sooner. Xu Sanshi, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, he's been fighting, leaving your name behind to avoid responsibility," Tang Ya replied mischievously.

"Xu Sanshi, you're getting bolder by the day."

"What, not happy? Want to take it to the duel arena?" Xu Sanshi challenged, playfully riling up Bei Bei.

The four of them chatted around the stall until all the roasted rabbits were sold. Then Xiao Yan packed up and returned to his room.

---

Inside his room, a colorful stream of energy steadily flowed into Xiao Yan's body as he sat cross-legged in meditation.

"Hmm… Am I about to break through?"

A flash of white light, and Yao Lao's figure emerged from the ring. Observing the energy surging into Xiao Yan, he remarked, "It seems you're about to advance to Fighter."

"Yes, Teacher. I didn't expect to reach Fighter level so soon. I think it's due to the pill you made from the whale glue. My body's strength has increased, and the soul power from my million-year soul ring has partially unlocked, leading to a surge in power. With my soul power converting to dou qi, my cultivation sped up." Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan adjusted his focus, readying himself for the breakthrough.

Yao Lao nodded approvingly, stroking his beard. "Xiao Yan, was that young man today your enemy? If you want, I can make him disappear without a trace."

Xiao Yan's gaze turned steely. "No, Teacher. This is my revenge to take. Thank you, though."

"Ah, that's the disciple I taught. Focus on forming your energy vortex and advancing to Fighter. With me here, I promise you'll

become a supreme powerhouse of this world." Yao Lao's face broke into a pleased smile.