First Cry of Judgment, a Crushing Battle

First Cry of Judgment, a Crushing Battle

The uproar in the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena had yet to fully die down when the battle horn of Heaven Dou Royal Academy sounded once more. On the second day of the preliminaries, the enormous Soul Tool screen hanging above the arena displayed a blood-red matchup that stabbed into every spectator's eyes:

Heaven Dou Royal Academy vs. Purple Star Academy!

In the VIP viewing area, Qin Ming's steady voice rang out beside Ling Feng and the others. "Purple Star Academy is mid-tier in strength. Their captain has Soul Power at rank thirty-seven, and his Martial Soul is the Purple Electric Lion. Their tactical core is a frontal assault, with harassment from both flanks. Ling Feng, Yu Tianheng, you two will break through their defensive core head-on! Yan Yan, control the field! Everyone else, follow the established formation and protect Lingling!"

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.

"Ling Feng." Dugu Yan's voice carried a trace of barely noticeable concern as her purple vertical pupils turned toward him. "Be careful."

Ling Feng gave a slight nod, his gaze calm as still water. "Make it quick." His eyes swept across the opponents below as though appraising lambs awaiting slaughter. Opponents of this level were not even enough for him to warm up.

Standing beside Ling Feng, Yu Tianheng caught sight of Dugu Yan's concern for Ling Feng from the corner of his eye, and his chest tightened. He took a deep breath and suppressed his turbulent emotions. The domineering aura of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul faintly emanated from his body as he said in a low voice, "Ling Feng, don't hold us back!"

Ling Feng could not even be bothered to lift an eyelid, as if he had not heard the provocation.

"Both teams, enter the arena!" The referee's booming voice pierced through the roaring crowd.

Ling Feng stepped forward, his figure straight as a spear. His Moon White with Gold Trim academy uniform reflected a cold gleam beneath the Soul Tool lights. He took the lead, his steps steady. Every footfall carried an invisible, weighty presence that instantly drew most of the crowd's attention. The buzz caused by Shrek's initial display of brilliance had not yet faded, but at this moment, everyone's focus was fixed on this mysterious powerhouse who had crushed the academy's top student, Yu Tianheng, three days ago!

"That's him! The monster Heaven Dou Royal Academy just produced!"

"I heard Yu Tianheng couldn't even withstand one move from him?"

"What's his Martial Soul? That pressure is terrifying!"

Purple Star Academy's seven members had long since prepared themselves. Their captain, Zhou Xiong, was broad and muscular, with wild purple hair standing upright strand by strand. Frenzied lightning flashed in his eyes as he stared fixedly at Ling Feng, who was walking at the front. So this was the guy! The one the academy had been talking up like some legend! He let out a low roar. "Form up! Purple Electric Lion, possess me!"

"Roar!" A savage lion's roar erupted. Zhou Xiong's body instantly swelled, purple fur covering his entire frame. A thick lion tail lashed behind him as violent purple electricity crackled across his body. Two yellow and one purple Spirit Rings beneath his feet shone brilliantly! The six members behind him summoned their Martial Souls at the same time—beast-type Strength Attack or Agility Attack Martial Souls across the board. Their Spirit Rings gleamed as they formed a menacing triangular assault formation, their target pointed directly at the tip of the Heaven Dou Team's spearhead—Ling Feng!

"Begin!"

The referee's voice was like a spark tossed into a powder keg!

"Charge!" Zhou Xiong roared. His legs slammed into the ground as he launched forward with unstoppable ferocity, wrapped in blinding purple lightning like a true mad lion pouncing on prey. His claws tore through the air, striking straight for Ling Feng's face! The six members behind him burst forth as well, their soul skills lighting up as they flanked from both sides, attempting to disrupt the support of Heaven Dou's other members.

"Hmph!" Yu Tianheng snorted coldly as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon possessed him. Lightning flashed wildly around his dragon claws as he prepared to meet the attack. He could not tolerate Ling Feng stealing the spotlight again!

However, just as Zhou Xiong's purple lightning lion claws were about to reach him, a sudden change occurred!

Ling Feng, who had stood still like an abyss, moved!

There was no earth-shattering display—only a terrifying pressure that descended abruptly, as though freezing the soul itself! The Judgment Angel Martial Soul possessed him instantly! With a sharp whoosh, a pair of enormous light wings condensed from sacred golden radiance and an aura of destruction unfolded behind Ling Feng. Holy brilliance intertwined with the majesty of destruction, making him appear like the God of Adjudication descending upon the mortal world!

Bzzzz—!

The first Spirit Ring to light up was the deep black one that made hearts tremble! A Ten-Thousand Year Spirit Ring!

"Domain of Judgment!" Ling Feng's icy voice sounded like a Divine Oracle.

Centered on him, a massive circular domain more than twenty meters in diameter instantly spread outward! Within it, the air seemed to solidify, filled with a strange force field woven from holiness and destruction. Dazzling golden holy light carried an aura capable of purifying all things, while strands of profound black destructive energy slithered through the holy light like venomous snakes, emanating a chill that made souls shudder!

God-Tier Choice triggered!

Option One: Thunderous Suppression. Use the Spear of Judgment to severely injure Zhou Xiong in an instant and intimidate the entire arena. Reward: Spirit Ring lifespan +100 years.

Option Two: Domain Crushing. Use the Domain of Judgment to fully suppress Purple Star's seven members and shatter their fighting spirit. Reward: Slight increase in spiritual perception range.

Option Three: Establish authority through momentum. Coordinate with Yu Tianheng and end the battle in a supporting role. Reward: Low-grade Soul Tool blueprint ×1.

The options flashed through Ling Feng's mind in an instant. Thunderous suppression would certainly feel satisfying, but it would not be shocking enough. Establish authority through momentum? Ridiculous! Only crushing them with his domain could fully display the might of judgment and establish his unshakable core position in this team! Besides, an improvement in spiritual perception was crucial to his control over the entire battlefield!

"Option two!" Ling Feng's will was iron.

The instant the domain descended, Zhou Xiong's fierce charging momentum came to a screeching halt! He felt as though he had crashed into a swamp of viscous golden mud, while countless cold snakes of destruction wrapped around him! The holy light scorched his Soul Power, and the aura of destruction eroded his will! The purple lightning he had taken such pride in became like a guttering candle in the wind within the domain, dimming and twisting as its violent momentum was forcibly suppressed! Even more terrifyingly, fear arising from the depths of his soul flooded over him like an icy tide! He felt as though he was not facing a Soul Elder, but confronting a lofty deity! The lion claw he had swung became limp and powerless, and even maintaining Martial Soul Possession became extraordinarily difficult!

"Urgh!" Zhou Xiong let out a pained grunt. His forward charge was forcibly pinned in place, his body hunching uncontrollably as veins bulged across his forehead. Beads of sweat the size of beans instantly soaked his temples. The six members behind him fared even worse! The moment the Domain of Judgment enveloped them, it was as though invisible heavy hammers had slammed into them! Two Agility Attack Soul Masters with weaker Soul Power had their legs buckle, dropping directly to one knee. Their Martial Soul light flickered violently, nearly impossible to maintain! Their eyes were filled with terrified horror, as if they had seen the end of the world descend!

"What... what kind of domain is this?" Yu Tianheng's charging body came to an abrupt stop, his pupils shrinking sharply! He stood close to the edge of the domain, and the terrifying aura of holiness intertwined with destruction caused even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul within him to tremble uneasily! Shi Mo and Shi Mo instinctively stepped half a pace back. The dense defense of their Black Tortoise Martial Souls activated on instinct, yet they still felt their minds reeling. Yu Feng and Osler turned pale; Agility Attack Soul Masters were even more sensitive to this kind of spiritual suppression!

The entire arena fell silent!

In the Great Soul Arena holding tens of thousands, one could hear a pin drop!

Everyone had been stunned by the terrifying domain that had suddenly unfolded like divine punishment descending! The dazzling holy light, the roaming black lines of destruction, the figure at the center of the domain resembling a deity... With merely one Martial Soul Possession and one soul skill, he had pinned Purple Star Academy's aggressive seven-man team in place like seven chicks awaiting slaughter, unable to move!

Crushing! Absolute crushing! A double crushing of sight and soul!

"So... so strong!" Strange light flickered repeatedly in Dugu Yan's enchanting vertical pupils as she watched the upright figure at the center of the domain. Her heart accelerated uncontrollably. This was the power of the Judgment Angel! This was the man she had chosen to follow!

"Oh my god! Th-that's a Ten-Thousand Year Spirit Ring! A domain-type soul skill!"

"Purple Star Academy's people... can't move?"

"That's terrifying! Is this Ling Feng's true strength? One soul skill suppressing the entire field?"

After the brief silence came cries of shock that erupted like a tsunami! Countless spectators shot to their feet, stretching their necks as they stared fixedly at the shocking scene on the stage.

At the center of the arena, Ling Feng's expression remained indifferent, as though he had merely done something insignificant. The Judgment light wings behind him gave a slight flap, and the pressure within the domain abruptly intensified once again! The black lines of destruction instantly became more active!

Thud! Thud!

Purple Star Academy's two Agility Attack Soul Masters, who had already been on the verge of collapse, could no longer hold on. Their Soul Power completely dissipated, their Martial Souls vanished, and they rolled their eyes back before collapsing unconscious with foam spilling from their mouths! The remaining members, including Captain Zhou Xiong, had all turned pale as paper. Their bodies shook like sieves, and even standing had become a luxury. Nothing remained in their eyes but endless terror and despair! This was not a battle at all—it was a one-sided judgment and execution!

"Stop... stop! We surrender!" Zhou Xiong used every ounce of strength in his body to squeeze out a hoarse wail from his throat. He looked at Ling Feng as though he were a prehistoric beast wearing human skin.

The referee finally snapped out of his daze and hurriedly blew a shrill whistle. "The match is over! Heaven Dou Royal Academy wins!"

With the referee's declaration, the suffocating Domain of Judgment receded like a tide. The aura of holy light and destruction vanished in an instant. With several thuds, Purple Star Academy's members, freed from the domain's suppression, collapsed limply to the ground like mud. They gasped for air, their eyes filled with the fear of surviving a catastrophe whenever they looked at Ling Feng.

The light wings behind Ling Feng slowly folded away, and his aura returned to calm, as though that godlike, demonic figure from moments ago had only been an illusion. He did not even glance at the opponents sprawled across the ground. Turning around, his calm gaze swept over his equally distracted teammates before finally landing on Qin Ming.

"It's over." His voice was flat and unruffled, as though he had merely crushed a group of ants.

The entire Great Soul Arena remained immersed in the brief but incomparably shocking domain crushing. Countless gazes followed that Moon White with Gold Trim figure as he walked down from the stage, filled with awe, fervor, and disbelief.

Yu Tianheng stood where he was, fists tightly clenched. His nails dug deeply into his palms, and his knuckles had turned white. As he stared at Ling Feng's calm, indifferent back, an unprecedented pressure and intense sense of humiliation nearly swallowed him whole. A domain! A Ten-Thousand Year Spirit Ring! Just one strike! All the pride he had once possessed seemed so laughable before the other man's absolute strength!

"So this is... the Judgment Angel..." Ye Lingling watched Ling Feng's back, and even ripples appeared in her cool eyes.

Dugu Yan quickly caught up to Ling Feng and walked shoulder to shoulder with him. Her purple eyes held undisguised admiration and a trace of unusual affection as she said softly, "Impressive."

Ling Feng did not stop walking, merely responding with a faint "Mm." His gaze seemed to pierce through the clamorous arena and fall upon an unknown distance. One crushing victory was only an insignificant step. Shrek, Tang San... they were the targets he truly needed to judge.

Spiritual perception range slightly increased! The system prompt sounded in his mind. Ling Feng could clearly feel that every movement within a hundred meters around him—even the faint fluctuations of Soul Power from certain spectators in the stands—was reflected more distinctly in his spiritual world.

In the VIP seats, a trace of extremely well-hidden gravity flashed through the molten-gold depths of Xue Qinghe's eyes. She gently rubbed the jade thumb ring on her hand as she watched Ling Feng's back vanish into the contestant passage, waves rising in her heart.

"Judgment... a domain... a Ten-Thousand Year Spirit Ring..." she murmured soundlessly. "Ling Feng, just how many trump cards are you still hiding? It seems I must reassess your threat level. Perhaps it is time to prepare an even greater 'surprise' for you."