Eve of the Final Test

"Truly vicious..."

Zhongli watched Li Yongming walk off the stage with terror written all over his face and could not help but sigh.

Li Yongming had been so scared that he did not even cry at first. His mind had completely short-circuited. Only after he stepped down and gradually regained his senses did he let out a wail, crying miserably.

"Ahem..."

Chi Tianxiang coughed dryly twice, feeling somewhat guilty. Fortunately, nothing had happened. If something had gone wrong, he would have wanted to die. It was all because he had not read the written description.

Sigh!

"I'll give you ten minutes to discuss and rest. After that, I'll test your actual combat myself," Chi Tianxiang said with a stern face.

"Mm."

Zhongli nodded, then walked straight onto the stage toward the bewildered Mo Yuqing. He gently patted her shoulder, a helpless smile appearing on his face.

"What happened to him? I feel like... I didn't do anything?" Mo Yuqing looked both gloomy and somewhat self-reproachful. She was smart, but that did not mean she knew everything. In a situation like this, she simply could not understand what she had done wrong.

"Mm..."

Zhongli pondered briefly, then summoned Vortex Vanquisher. Pointing its tip directly at Mo Yuqing, he said with a cold, serious expression, "Would you be afraid if I did this?"

If she could experience something similar, she should understand, right? The feeling of having your life threatened isn't something a simple explanation can make someone understand.

Mo Yuqing looked at Vortex Vanquisher's sharp spear tip. It was not far from her, and its faint chill was indeed somewhat uncomfortable, but that was all.

"No. I'm not afraid at all."

Mo Yuqing looked Zhongli straight in the eye as she spoke.

"..."

Looking at the equally serious Mo Yuqing, how could Zhongli not know why she was unafraid? It was because he was Zhongli—the most dependable person in her heart, and also her best friend.

They had just gotten too familiar with each other...

So she did not treat him like an outsider at all...

"What if I were replaced by someone else?"

Zhongli pressed again.

"Someone else..."

Mo Yuqing thought for a moment, then tightly grasped Zhongli's wrist and said, "As long as you put a shield on me, I won't be afraid."

...Speechless.

"To put it vividly, it would feel like we were fighting a life-or-death battle, and the shield I put on you suddenly expired and vanished in an instant. You wouldn't be hurt, but you would still feel terrified and miserable. That was roughly how he felt just now," Zhongli said after some thought.

"The shield... vanished?"

Mo Yuqing imagined it for a moment, and an icy chill immediately ran through her bones. She could not help drawing in a sharp breath, fully experiencing that feeling of unease.

She blinked uncomfortably, then moved even closer to Zhongli. At the same time, she tightly wrapped both hands around his arm and said, "You... you have to renew the shield in time. Otherwise, that would feel awful."

"Uh... all right."

Zhongli's gaze shifted slightly as he began silently considering whether he should let Chi Tianxiang break his shield later, when would be best to do so, and how he should act after the shield broke.

What a hassle...

That old man in charge of the speed test had already noticed something was off. Some superficial work would be enough. Even if Chi Tianxiang was shocked, he was only a Soul Emperor. In the end, it would still depend on what Golden Crocodile Douluo decided. Therefore, what Zhongli did actually had little to do with Chi Tianxiang's reaction.

In other words, he just could not go too far.

Zhongli knew Golden Crocodile Douluo had just received intelligence from an informant, but that did not matter. He knew what he was doing. As long as Golden Crocodile Douluo feared his potential strength, he would not turn against him. After all, this was inside the academy. If something happened, the consequences would be serious.

So, there's a high chance that guy will find an opportunity to talk to me himself. All I need to do is seize the chance to speak with him alone and give him enough pressure and reassurance. Then I'll have plenty of room to grow. As long as I have enough time to grow, even if the entire Spirit Hall comes for me, they won't be able to do anything to me.

Pressure and reassurance did not conflict. The pressure was meant to make Golden Crocodile Douluo realize that he was extremely dangerous—not someone he could attack lightly, nor someone whose strength he could casually probe. Reassurance, on the other hand, was meant to make him believe Zhongli would not take the initiative to cause destruction, giving him greater room to maneuver.

All in all,

Although Golden Crocodile Douluo's informant had discovered what he had done and could roughly guess some things, it would not affect the bigger picture. As long as Zhongli remained dangerous yet orderly, the people of Spirit Hall would not dare touch him. Hua Banhao, who was safe and orderly, was the real focus drawing attention, so it was not a big problem.

"So, how should we fight next?"

Mo Yuqing secretly glanced at Chi Tianxiang before turning back to Zhongli.

"How should we fight..."

Zhongli repeated the words and began thinking as well. How should they put on an act this time? The two of them were both One Ring Soul Masters. They had too few soul skills, and their basic attributes were not high either, so there were basically no tactics they could use. What a pain.

"I have a suggestion."

A few minutes later.

"Had enough rest?"

Chi Tianxiang leaped directly onto the stage, revealing a forceful, proud smile.

His body was extremely muscular, his muscles as hard as granite. From a distance, he looked like a towering iron tower, radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

"Mm, we're ready."

As Solid as Bedrock.

Zhongli stood straight, looking fearlessly at Chi Tianxiang before him. At the same time, he raised his hands slightly, and a pale yellow shield appeared around both Zhongli and Mo Yuqing.

At first,

Mo Yuqing had been somewhat frightened by Chi Tianxiang's imposing presence. But when that pale yellow shield enveloped her, her expression changed. She became calm and composed, filled with confidence.

"We can begin at any time."

As she walked toward the other side of the arena, she looked at Chi Tianxiang and spoke.

Hmph, are they trying to flank me from both sides?

Watching Zhongli and Mo Yuqing take their positions, Chi Tianxiang's lips gradually curved into a smile. He took a step forward and shouted, "Martial Soul Avatar!"

His body rapidly changed, becoming even stronger and more robust. A layer of tough brownish-yellow fur grew over his skin, while a pair of enormous, sharp bull horns emerged from his head. Six Spirit Rings appeared alongside an overpowering pressure.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black.

"The battle begins with your attack."

Chi Tianxiang spoke arrogantly.

"Mist Splitter Reforged!"

"Vortex Vanquisher!"

Zhongli and Mo Yuqing summoned their Martial Souls at the same time, standing before and behind Chi Tianxiang. The two exchanged a glance and instantly reached an understanding.

They launched their attack!

Zhongli bent slightly at the waist and charged directly at Chi Tianxiang from the front, swinging Vortex Vanquisher in his hand straight at him...