Chapter 38: Acceptance Through Defeat
Xiao Hongchen had always believed himself to be the second-in-command of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy. That belief fed his pride, and with it, his condescension toward others. So when he was defeated by Xiao Qiang, the regular members of the Sun Moon team couldn't help but whisper and complain quietly among themselves.
Xiao Hongchen opened his mouth to explain, but the words got stuck in his throat. There was no way he could say he'd been beaten twice by Xiao Qiang—one of those times after paying for the fight himself.
If he told them that story, he'd never hear the end of it. They'd laugh behind his back for years. In the end, Xiao Hongchen swallowed his pride and chose silence.
He watched quietly as the smile faded from his own face and gradually appeared on everyone else's.
Just then, Meng Hongchen, who had originally come over intending to console him, instead turned toward Xiao Qiang.
"Are you okay? Xiao's really a jerk—he hit me so hard," she said with mock concern.
Xiao Hongchen: "…"
He could tolerate the others being unaware of what had really happened. But Meng? She knew exactly how those previous fights went. Did she really think he was hit lightly?
Xiao Hongchen cursed silently, but at least this time, he kept his expression composed. Thanks to being defeated by Xiao Qiang twice, his mindset had matured—just a little.
"I'm fine," he said. "Brother Xiao was quite… careful."
Xiao Qiang, meanwhile, had been helped up by Meng Hongchen. He casually patted the dust off his clothes. With his current body, strengthened to the level of a Soul Master, and combined with his ability to absorb force and reinforce his body with soul power, the clash had felt like nothing more than a gentle push.
When Xiao Qiang changed into a fresh outfit, he looked completely unbothered, as if the earlier fight had never happened. There wasn't a trace of injury on him, even though he'd been launched by one of Xiao Hongchen's cannons.
Xiao Hongchen couldn't hide his frustration. There had been no satisfaction in defeating Xiao Qiang. In fact, the longer he stared at Xiao Qiang's unharmed form, the more cheated he felt.
Compared to the times he had ended up hospitalized, washing socks for Meng Hongchen as punishment, this outcome felt unfair.
Then came the sound of a soul camera clicking.
Click!
Xiao Hongchen spun around. "Meng! What are you doing?!"
Meng Hongchen grinned mischievously. "Hehe, brother, your eyes were so full of Xiao Qiang just now. I couldn't help but record the moment."
"Delete that photo right now!"
"Nope."
As Meng Hongchen dashed away with a smug smile, and Xiao Hongchen chased after her in embarrassment, Xiao Qiang looked at the white-haired, blue-eyed girl and remembered something from the comics.
Back then, Meng had joked that Xiao Hongchen only had Huo Yuhao in his eyes.
Now, that line was being recycled—only this time, he was the center of attention.
How the tables have turned, Xiao Qiang thought, amused.
"Alright, that's enough fooling around, you two," Ma Rulong interrupted. "The Hall Master wants you to get used to working as a team. We're preparing for the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Competition against Shrek Academy. Now, go ahead and introduce your martial souls and soul skills. I need to strategize for our match."
Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen finally stopped bickering. Compared to the arrogant genius who first appeared in the original timeline, Xiao Hongchen now looked noticeably more restrained.
"Xiao Hongchen," he began. "Martial soul: Three-Legged Golden Toad."
He took a breath before listing his soul skills in order.
"First soul skill: Metal Control. It enhances my control over metals, increases compatibility, and improves my affinity with gold."
"Second: Gold Boiling. It allows my soul power to boil, boosting the power and speed of my other soul skills. It also lets me absorb gold elements from the air, increasing efficiency while reducing the soul power cost of using soul tools."
"Third: Gold Condensation. I can condense controlled metals and metal elements temporarily and even shape them into functional soul tools using mental power."
"Fourth: Gold Sacrifice. This lets me burn my own soul power to greatly boost the strength of soul tools."
As Xiao Hongchen finished, 72 soul-guided cannons suddenly materialized around him in an instant. The display far exceeded what was expected from a four-ring Soul Master—clearly a product of all his soul skills working in synergy.
Then Meng Hongchen stepped forward.
"Meng Hongchen. Martial soul: Zhu Qing Ice Toad. First soul skill: Ice Toad Poison. Second: Ice Poison Ring. Third: Ice Refraction. Fourth: Ice Feedback."
Compared to Xiao Hongchen, her explanation was much more concise.
"My third skill creates an ice mirror I can use to relocate myself. The others just strengthen my poison-based abilities," she added, casually spinning her twin swords.
Then came Xiao Qiang's turn.
"Xiao Qiang. Martial soul: Sharingan."
There was a subtle shift in the room's atmosphere as he spoke.
"My first soul skill: Psychological Suggestion. It can make someone who appears stronger than me underestimate me. In a team battle, it can make an opponent look down on our group—but only if our overall strength appears weaker."
Ma Rulong and Ma Lao nodded in approval. While it sounded like a minor trick, in high-level battles like the upcoming one with Shrek, underestimation could be fatal. That made this skill extremely valuable.
Xiao Hongchen frowned. He had his suspicions. Maybe that's why he had been toyed with so easily during their first encounter.
"My second soul skill is Simulation," Xiao Qiang continued.
He raised his right arm, and as it rotated, arms began appearing from thin air—an illusion resembling Nico Robin's ability from One Piece. However, these arms were entirely fake.
"This ability distorts light," Xiao Qiang explained, "so others can't tell if I'm activating a soul skill or not."
Xiao Hongchen twitched. "So I really walked straight into your trap back then…"
"And finally, my third soul skill: Spiritual Detection," Xiao Qiang added. "Due to my martial soul, this skill has evolved slightly."
He activated both Spiritual Detection and Spiritual Sharing simultaneously. Instantly, everyone in the room could see and sense the surroundings within a 500-meter radius.
"This ability…!" Ma Rulong gasped. Even the team members were visibly shaken.
As soul engineers, they immediately understood what Xiao Qiang's ability meant: precision targeting, enhanced battlefield awareness, optimized soul tool performance.
This was no minor support ability—it was a game-changer.
With Xiao Qiang's spiritual detection, even the strongest Shrek team formation would be vulnerable.
Ma Rulong was just about to speak when Xiao Hongchen suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Xiao Qiang's hand.
"Let's not talk about the past," Xiao Hongchen said solemnly. "From now on, you're my brother. I, Xiao Hongchen, will protect you."
Click!
"Got it!" Meng Hongchen declared as she took a photo of the moment.
"See? My brother does treat Xiao Qiang differently."
"MENG! Delete that photo right now!"
"Nope."
As Xiao Hongchen chased his sister around the hall again, the other team members exchanged amused looks.
And Xiao Qiang?
He smiled, standing at the center of it all—no longer underestimated, no longer ignored.
Now, he was part of the team.