Rank Limit

At the Heaven Dou Grand Soul Fighting Arena, on a one-on-one Battle Soul Platform.

Niu Qing's face darkened when he heard the arrogant words from across the platform.

"Courting death!" Niu Qing roared. His Martial Soul instantly possessed him, making his body even more burly as every muscle swelled. He stomped the ground and charged at Dugu Chen like a tiger descending the mountain.

Watching the muscular brute attack, Dugu Chen did not react at all. He was merely somewhat surprised by Niu Qing's two yellow and one purple Soul Rings. He had not expected him to have the optimal Soul Ring configuration.

Seeing the thin and weak-looking Dugu Chen standing there as if he had been frightened stupid and did not dare move, a cruel expression flashed across Niu Qing's face. He let out another roar.

"First Soul Skill, Iron Arm."

Niu Qing threw a punch. Empowered by his First Soul Skill, the tremendous force instantly tore through the air, kicking up a fierce gust that scattered Dugu Chen's hair. Explosive booms and a savage aura rushed straight at him.

Within the Soul Arena, a phantom rhinoceros charged directly toward Dugu Chen.

Although Dugu Chen was highly confident in his own strength and had not taken Niu Qing seriously, he now saw that his opponent was far from weak among Soul Elders. He probably possessed at least thirty-seventh-rank Soul Power.

Faced with the ferocious incoming strike, Dugu Chen finally moved. He calmly raised his right hand and casually caught the punch.

"What?!"

Niu Qing's eyes widened. He could not believe that his full-force attack had been stopped so easily.

"Ha!"

With a loud shout, he raised his other hand and struck fiercely at Dugu Chen. Dugu Chen caught that punch with his left hand as well.

The spectators erupted in astonished cries. The visual impact on the Battle Soul Platform was simply too intense: a two-and-a-half-meter-tall muscular brute's powerful strike had been casually stopped by a thin figure only one-point-six meters tall.

"Go, Niu Qing!"

"I bet on you to win! Niu Qing, smash him!"

"Hit him! Hit him!"

Listening to the shouts below, Niu Qing was suffering in silence. The force coming from Dugu Chen's grip was terrifying, and he could not break free at all. His face reddened from exertion, veins bulging across his forehead.

Dugu Chen suddenly exerted force, pulling Niu Qing's arms apart and leaving his center wide open before swiftly kicking him away.

Looking at Niu Qing panting more than ten meters away, Dugu Chen casually dusted off nonexistent dirt from his clothes and said,

"Go on. I can still keep going."

Hearing this, Niu Qing knew he had run into an iron wall. He could only gamble everything on one final move.

"Third Soul Skill, Rhino Charge."

As Niu Qing activated his Third Soul Skill, Dugu Chen instantly felt himself being locked onto. He could not dodge. It was a strange feeling.

Watching Niu Qing charge at him with a half-meter-long rhinoceros horn growing from his head, dark crimson Soul Power surged around Dugu Chen's body.

"Sovereign's Descent."

Brilliantly colored beams of light erupted from Dugu Chen's body. Under the influence of his vast Spiritual Power, Niu Qing's charging motion slightly stalled.

Dugu Chen seized the opportunity. His fist, wrapped in dark crimson Soul Power, struck Niu Qing's face. Niu Qing felt his mind go blank, and then he was sent flying off the arena.

The audience instantly fell silent. No one could believe what they had just seen. He lost just like that? They had paid to get in, and this was what they got to watch?

The hostess was also filled with disbelief, but her professional instincts quickly allowed her to recover. She loudly announced,

"Our newcomer, 'I'm Not Good at Fighting,' has defeated Niu Qing, who was on a four-match winning streak! Let's congratulate him!"

The spectator stands erupted in furious curses. What they had thought was a guaranteed win had turned into a complete loss in the blink of an eye.

But none of that had anything to do with Dugu Chen. He had already left the Battle Soul Platform. He had helped the audience quit gambling for free. Surely they would know better now.

This one-on-one match had not improved him much. It seemed he was still too strong.

Dugu Chen had only made a slight move, yet he was already at the limit of this rank.

At the entrance to the rest area, he found Dugu Bo and Oscar waiting for him, along with Dugu Yan, who had finished even earlier.

When Dugu Yan saw Dugu Chen return, she immediately stepped forward, wrapped her arm around his, and pressed it into her embrace.

"How was it? How did it feel?"

Dugu Bo had long since become used to it. If he got angry every time, would he not have died of anger already?

"It felt pretty easy. I could practice using Sovereign's Descent and also get a look at some Soul Skills," Dugu Chen said casually.

Dugu Bo immediately felt an overwhelming wave of smugness hit him.

"Junior Brother, let's sign up for two-on-two. Oscar, come along too. In my last one-on-one match, I used my Second and Fourth Soul Skills, and my opponent was done for."

Dugu Yan dragged Dugu Chen and Oscar off to register for two-on-two matches, casually recounting how she had easily and happily KO'd her opponent. The Jade Phosphorous Serpent's poison was indeed a devastating weapon against low-level Soul Masters, especially since Dugu Yan had an enhanced version.

Dugu Chen first took Oscar through a two-person match, letting him experience what it felt like to be carried by an overpowered teammate. In short, there was absolutely no gameplay experience.

Soon, Dugu Chen and Dugu Yan's two-person Soul Combat began. Since Dugu Yan was a Soul Ancestor, their opponents were two Soul Ancestors as well, but it did not matter to the two of them.

Looking at the man-and-woman pair in their thirties across from them, Dugu Chen's expression remained utterly calm.

With the referee's command, the match officially began, and fierce cheers erupted from all around.

Although Dugu Chen had fought two matches in a row, his Soul Power reserves were deep and replenished quickly. He had already fully recovered.

Dugu Chen headed straight for the male Soul Master. As for the other opponent, Dugu Yan would handle her.

Flames rose in his hand, and with a casual flick, he sent scorching fire racing toward the two opponents.

"Watch out!"

Feeling the intense heat of the flames, the two instantly split apart.

The flames landed on the ground and set the surrounding area ablaze. The pair was separated as a wall of fire rose between them.

"Damn it," the male Soul Master cursed under his breath.

"You should worry about yourself!" Dugu Chen's voice rang out.

He held a flaming spear in his hand, with flames circling his body, making him resemble the Fire God.

Dugu Chen had never learned spear techniques. Relying on his formidable physical strength, he simply swung it forward like a staff and smashed down.

The male Soul Master's Martial Soul was a Fire Wolf. Terror filled his eyes as the flaming spear came crashing down. He felt an unprecedented suppression, frightening him into standing frozen in place, unable to move.

Bang!

Watching his opponent fly off the Battle Soul Platform, Dugu Chen wore an equally surprised expression.

Dugu Chen had condensed the flaming spear with Ultimate Fire, and by sheer coincidence, his opponent possessed a Fire Wolf Martial Soul. Under the suppression of Ultimate Fire, the man could not bring out his strength at all. Moreover, it was his first time encountering such a situation, and he had no way to respond. That was why the battle ended so abruptly.

Dugu Chen realized it afterward as well. It was also his first time facing a fire-attributed Soul Master, and he had not expected Ultimate Fire's suppression to be even more outrageous than he had imagined.

After the battlefield had been divided, Dugu Yan faced her opponent and simultaneously released her Second and Fourth Soul Skills. The two skills could be used together: the Fourth Soul Skill, Jade Phosphor Poison Formation, trapped the opponent, allowing the Second Soul Skill to strike precisely.

The female Soul Master was suddenly trapped inside a cage formed from Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison. The air was filled with intense Man Faced Demon Spider Neurotoxin. Within Dugu Yan's formation, she had to circulate her Soul Power to protect herself, but that would rapidly drain her Soul Power.

Her Martial Soul was Sky Blue Vine, an excellent Control System Martial Soul. Without a powerful Soul Skill to break open the poison array, she would lose once her Soul Power ran out.

Her fourth purple Soul Ring lit up, and a massive Overlord Flower suddenly grew from beneath the platform, forcibly breaking through the poison array.

After escaping, the female Soul Master's chest heaved violently. She had clearly consumed too much Soul Power. Looking at Dugu Yan and then Dugu Chen, who was watching from the side, her eyelids twitched. She suspected she had been set up. How had she become the only one left so quickly?

Seeing that the two of them had barely expended anything, the female Soul Master could only surrender.

Upon hearing her opponent surrender, Dugu Yan jumped onto Dugu Chen's back. Dugu Chen caught her, feeling a soft warmth against his back.

With her arms around Dugu Chen's neck, Dugu Yan whispered into his ear.

"Ah! I didn't expect the opponents to be so weak. Junior Brother, do you think your Senior Sister is already invincible among female Soul Masters of our generation?"

Hearing that, Dugu Chen thought of Qian Renxue. Among female Soul Masters of their generation, only she could suppress his Senior Sister.

But feeling the softness on his back and the silky touch beneath his hands, Dugu Chen praised her, "Of course. Twenty years from now, who else besides Senior Sister could be the strongest female Soul Master in the world?"

Dugu Yan smiled beautifully upon hearing that. Though she knew he was flattering her, she was still happy.

When Dugu Bo saw the two of them ahead, he could not help feeling sour inside. The cabbage he had raised at home was about to be rooted up by the pig he had brought back himself. For a brief moment, he even regretted taking Dugu Chen as his disciple.

Seeing Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan restrained herself somewhat. She climbed down from Dugu Chen's back, linked arms with him, and the group left the Soul Arena under Dugu Bo's lead.

"How was it? How did it feel?" Dugu Bo asked on the way back.

"The opponents still felt too weak. There was no training value at all. Teacher, can I fight in the Soul Ancestor bracket?"

Dugu Chen felt no pressure at all fighting Soul Elders. With his current strength, even without using his domain or Ultimate Attribute, he could rival a Soul King. Fighting Soul Ancestors could at least help him practice using his Self-Created Soul Skill. Soul Elders had no effect whatsoever.

Hearing this, Dugu Bo could not help sighing once again at how monstrous his disciple was.

"You can challenge opponents above your rank, but you must not use your Martial Soul. With your physical strength and Sovereign's Descent, you are more than capable of dealing with Soul Ancestors. And hasn't your Sovereign's Descent reached a bottleneck? Perhaps you can break through this time."

Dugu Chen nodded after hearing that. That had been his thought as well. With a body and Soul Power comparable to a Soul King's, if he used his Martial Soul and Ultimate Attribute, it was not that Dugu Chen looked down on the people at the Great Soul Arena, but the quality of their Martial Souls was generally not high. With both Martial Soul and attribute suppression, what would he even train? His opponents might as well raise a white flag immediately.

Dugu Bo helped Dugu Chen and Dugu Yan summarize the experience they had gained from today's Soul Combat. As for Oscar, there was nothing much to say. He just needed to lie back and let himself be carried.

Over the following days, the three of them participated in the evening matches every three days, and their records became exceptionally impressive. Dugu Chen and Oscar remained undefeated, while Dugu Yan lost a few matches when she was placed against Dugu Chen.

The three of their names resounded throughout the Great Soul Arena. People came one after another to recruit them, but Dugu Bo sent them all away. Thus, the news that Poison Douluo had three geniuses in his household spread throughout Heaven Dou City.