Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone Secured, Natural Energy!

Crack, crack—

A teeth-grating scraping sound rang out as the two collided. Cracks spread beneath their feet, Soul Power surged, and dust scattered in all directions.

Green and black intertwined, faintly locked in a stalemate. The enormous phantom of a black rhinoceros behind Wu Da roared incessantly, yet it could not advance an inch.

"Impossible!!"

Wu Da's heart shook violently. He stared in terror at the white-haired youth who only reached his waist. At some point, the latter's eyes had turned an ominous red. With one hand, he held Wu Da's horn in place. No matter how desperately Wu Da exerted himself or activated his soul rings, that hand remained as immovable as though it had been welded to his horn.

"I warned you, didn't I?"

Buzz—

The youth murmured softly. In his other hand, an azure glow had already taken shape, forming a rapidly spinning ball of energy.

"Don't underestimate me."

"This..."

"A Soul Ancestor was stopped by a Soul Master?"

"And it was an Iron Horned Mad Rhino Martial Soul, one focused on impact and strength?"

"Hiss—was a millennium first soul ring really this absurd?"

"You're asking me? How would I know?"

While the elders were still wondering whom they should help if Bibi Dong and Guang Ling started fighting, the situation in the arena made them all suck in cold breaths.

The moment Guang Ling Douluo saw Bibi Dong's expression, he had already felt a vague sense of foreboding. Hearing this now, he felt a chill rise in his heart.

Stopped?

Impossible!!

Even a monster had to have limits!

His neck felt as heavy as if it had been filled with lead. He turned it with difficulty, and his pupils abruptly contracted.

The youth's silver hair danced in the wind. Though his body was slight, he stood rooted in place like a mountain, blocking the black rhinoceros phantom several times larger than himself.

"Wu Da, what are you doing?"

Guang Ling Douluo's handsome face flushed red with rage. Veins on his neck writhed like twisted little snakes, his single eye bloodshot as he let out an angry roar.

Rip!!

Sharp spider legs blocked his path, only a single step away from this Fifth Enshrined Elder's vital points.

His Holiness the Pope stood suspended in the air, her wine-red eyes brimming with killing intent.

"Enough, Guang Ling," she said coldly.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei also released their Martial Souls at the right moment. A chrysanthemum and a ghostly shadow stood behind them, blocking the elders whose expressions had changed.

Even so, Guang Ling Douluo continued to stare fixedly at the arena.

That bitch can be smug for now. So what?

As long as that brat dies, everything can still be salvaged!

Go, Wu Da!

Finally, under his intense anticipation, Wu Da's body moved.

But—

Boom!!

Azure light suddenly erupted. It was as though Wu Da had been struck by a meteor. His massive body soared into the air, spinning as it flew backward even faster than it had charged in. He smashed through two stone railings in succession, gouged a long trench through the rocky floor, and only then barely came to a stop.

As the smoke cleared, Wu Da had already exited Martial Soul Possession. Covered in wounds, he lay unconscious in the trench.

Silence!

Deathly silence engulfed the plaza. Even breathing could be heard.

One move!

The Iron Horned Mad Rhino, renowned for its strength and impact, had fallen to the youth's single attack.

There was no technique, no strategy—only an absolutely head-on clash of power!!

The watching higher-ups felt as though they were dreaming.

Looking at the youth standing beneath the moonlight, they realized that even his clothes had not been disheveled.

Was this the power of a millennium first soul ring?

"Simply unbelievable."

"If this child does not die, a Titled Douluo may not even be his final destination."

"Heaven truly favors our Spirit Hall!"

They had a premonition.

Within the next ten years, Su Chen's name would resound across the entire continent!

"Guards!"

Bibi Dong shook the scepter in her hand, and a squad of neatly dressed Spirit Hall enforcement officers surrounded the area.

"Take Guang Ling away and lock him up!"

His Holiness the Pope shouted coldly. Emerald-green light surged from her hand, binding Guang Ling Douluo, who stood frozen in place.

He neither dodged nor resisted, merely staring fixedly at Su Chen.

"Your Holiness the Pope, the Fifth Enshrined Elder..."

The captain of the Enforcement Team looked at Guang Ling Douluo hesitantly, unwilling to step forward.

Guang Ling Douluo had long held tremendous authority within Spirit Hall. He truly did not dare act against him, yet this was the Pope's order, and he had no choice but to obey.

"He tried to harm Spirit Hall's future and attacked the Pope. What, are those crimes not enough?"

Bibi Dong's beautiful face was covered in frost. The spider phantom behind her slowly moved forward. Under the gaze of that enormous spider, the Enforcement Team captain broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly bowed, then quickly took Guang Ling away.

Throughout it all, Guang Ling offered no resistance. He only kept his gaze locked on Su Chen, his single eye filled with an indescribable meaning.

Once Guang Ling had been taken away, Bibi Dong immediately relaxed. An indescribable joy welled up in her heart as her beautiful eyes blazed while she looked at the silver-haired youth.

This child truly is my lucky star!!

After this, Guang Ling Elder would probably never again be able to boss her around.

Overall, his decision had not been wrong. His mistake was that he had failed to accurately understand this child's strength.

Who could have imagined that Chrysanthemum Douluo had not only failed to exaggerate, but had even been somewhat conservative?

Her earlier disappointment was swiftly thrown to the back of her mind. Thinking back on it now, Su Chen had clearly acted only because he had been completely confident.

"You've truly given me a difficult problem. You helped me so much—how should I reward you, Su Chen?"

His Holiness the Pope murmured to herself. A faint blush appeared on her lovely face, making her beauty utterly breathtaking.

"Huff..."

Su Chen, who had hurriedly dispelled the Eight Inner Gates and Lin Dragon's Armor, faltered.

He felt slightly dizzy and stood still for a moment before he barely began to feel better.

"It really was still a little too much. My body is too small and too weak, and I don't have enough Chakra. It seems I need to get a laboratory as soon as possible to begin researching ninjutsu and Soul Power."

The youth moved his sore, weak arms with a sigh.

To others, this battle had appeared effortless, but only he knew how dangerous it had been.

First of all, this state, which granted him attack power comparable to a Soul Ancestor, could only last thirty seconds. One second longer, and the Eight Inner Gates and Lin Dragon's Armor would completely drain him dry.

Wu Da had also suffered from a lack of information. Otherwise, if he had dragged the battle out, the result would still have been uncertain.

Of course, without any large-scale battlefield-control soul skills, Su Chen could still have stalled for the time it took to burn an incense stick by relying solely on the Body Flicker Technique. It would just have looked rather too pathetic.

"Kid, are you alright?!"

Yue Guan and Gui Mei rushed over. The former supported him and, without another word, released Soul Power to examine him. Su Chen felt somewhat helpless and tried to pull away, but he had no strength left and could only let this man even more beautiful than a woman feel him all over.

A moment later, Chrysanthemum Douluo breathed a sigh of relief. "He's fine. He's just exhausted his Soul Power. A few days of proper rest will be enough."

Before Su Chen could say anything, he excitedly slapped the youth on the shoulder. "Just as expected of you—you actually managed something like this! Hey, tell me honestly. Did you already know you could win before the fight, which was why you agreed?"

He knew it. How could this kid possibly be so reckless?

"No. I only knew I wouldn't lose."

Su Chen shook his head.

A Soul Ancestor's strength was not so simple. He had merely happened to encounter someone whose abilities favored him, while that person knew absolutely nothing about him.

No matter what, his Soul Power was still too low. The Rasengan's power could deal effective damage against opponents of the same level, and even against Soul Grand Masters or Soul Elders, but it was somewhat inadequate against Soul Ancestors. He had to be empowered by Lin Dragon's Armor and the Eight Inner Gates.

"Aiya, forget it, forget it. You have no idea how ugly that old bastard's expression was!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo laughed loudly and gave his shoulder a hard pat. Then, remembering something, he took out an item and handed it to Su Chen. "Here, this is for you. It's your spoils of war."

Resting in his palm was an elongated red crystal—the very Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone Guang Ling Douluo had brought out.

Yue Guan clicked his tongue enviously, but then burst into delighted laughter.

"He lost a carefully cultivated expendable pawn and even threw away a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. Hahahahahaha! Do you think that old bastard will cry tonight? Hahaha!"

Ghost Douluo looked at him helplessly. "Watch your mouth. He's still the Fifth Enshrined Elder."

"So what if I laugh? After this, let alone being the Fifth Enshrined Elder, whether he can remain an elder at all is uncertain."

"I'm only saying this for your own good."

Ignoring the two men's argument, Su Chen's attention had already been completely drawn to the soul bone.

The moment he grasped it, the vague sensation finally became clear, making his heart race uncontrollably.

His senses had been right after all. This was—

Natural Energy!!