Momentum Surges

Gu Yue Na's silver hair hung messily around her face.

"I-I'm not sulking."

She retorted softly, though there was little confidence in her voice.

Leng Yulai leaned against the doorway, her scarlet eyes full of teasing amusement.

"Yes, yes. The five minutes are up. Come in and watch together."

This time, Gu Yue Na did not refuse.

The five-minute rest period ended. The instant Lu Jun opened his eyes, an electronic synthesized voice sounded by his ear.

"Challenge begins. Opponent selected: Xu Sanshi, one of the Shrek Seven Monsters from Ten Thousand Years Ago, at the Three Ring Soul Elder stage."

"Defeat the opponent or hold out for five minutes to earn points."

When Xu Sanshi's figure appeared on the Virtual Battlefield's screen, the entire viewing hall instantly erupted.

"Ancestor Xu Sanshi?!" someone exclaimed. "He was the strongest defense-type Soul Master among the Shrek Seven Monsters back then!"

"His Black Tortoise Shield Martial Soul was said to have invincible defense among those of the same rank. Even Soul Ancestors couldn't break through it."

"It's over. Lu Jun's really going to fall this time."

The Core Disciples all turned to look at Qiangu Zhangting, their eyes filled with questions.

"Brother Zhangting, do you think Lu Jun has a chance of winning?" a female disciple could not help asking. "Is Ultimate Ice effective against defense-type Soul Masters?"

Qiangu Zhangting crossed his arms over his chest, a confident smile curling across his lips as he shook his head.

"Impossible." He spoke decisively. "Defense-type Soul Masters fear Ultimate Attributes the least, especially Weapon Spirits."

"Ancestor Xu Sanshi's Black Tortoise Shield has the Water Attribute. It's said that while it isn't an Ultimate Attribute, it rivals one."

"Besides, Lu Jun's Martial Soul is a sword, not a powerful Beast Martial Soul. He has little advantage at this stage, and his burst power isn't enough. He simply can't break the Black Tortoise Shield's defense, let alone when Ancestor Xu Sanshi also possesses the Black Tortoise Bloodline."

The moment his words fell, the battle displayed on the screen abruptly changed.

Facing Xu Sanshi, Lu Jun merely slowly raised the Ice Abyss Sword, cold air coiling around its blade.

Once again, he unleashed his domain, changing the battlefield and creating an environment favorable to himself.

Xu Sanshi frowned, but he did not panic. He smashed the Black Tortoise Shield onto the ground, and black light flowed across it as it steadily blocked the invading chill.

Yet in the face of Xu Sanshi's defense, Lu Jun suddenly sheathed his sword.

This action left everyone in the viewing hall stunned.

"Did he give up?" someone asked doubtfully.

Qiangu Zhangting gave a scornful laugh.

"See? What did I say? He simply can't break through that defense."

On the screen, both Lu Jun and Xu Sanshi stood still without moving.

Lu Jun remained motionless because he was silently increasing the strength of his domain.

Xu Sanshi did not move because he had to devote all his strength to defending against the cold air around him.

As well as the Ice Poison that was slowly seeping into his body.

Time passed bit by bit. Just as everyone thought Lu Jun was about to lose like this,

Lu Jun suddenly pressed his right hand against the sword hilt, and icy-blue Soul Power erupted.

Terrifying cold swept across the entire field in an instant. A thick layer of frost formed over Xu Sanshi's Black Tortoise Shield at a visible rate, and even his movements began to slow.

Xu Sanshi immediately circulated his Soul Power, trying to shatter the ice, but the layer only grew thicker. In the blink of an eye, both his arms and legs were completely frozen.

Lu Jun merely raised his hand again and released his second soul ring.

Ice Abyss Slash!

The next second, the Ice Poison that had accumulated in sufficient amounts within Xu Sanshi's body erupted all at once, transforming into Ice Blades that grew from the inside out.

His chest, abdomen, head, and more were all pierced through by Ice Blades growing from within.

Xu Sanshi was completely killed.

The electronic synthesized voice sounded.

"Congratulations on defeating the second-level opponent. Rest time: five minutes. Prepare for the next-level challenge."

Seeing this, the viewing hall fell utterly silent.

"Ancestor Xu Sanshi... was instantly killed?"

"He was the strongest defense-type Soul Master. He was just dragged to death like that?"

"What kind of monster is this guy?! Could he be like that girl in first place and defeat everyone until he meets Ancestor Huo Yuhao?"

Listening to the discussions around him, Qiangu Zhangting felt his face burn.

It was as though someone had slapped him across the face.

Fortunately, no one was paying attention to him right now.

Otherwise, he would have made a complete fool of himself.

I'll never comment on this guy again. What a monster. Could he be from Shrek Academy?

Qiangu Zhangting cursed inwardly.

Inside the room, even Gu Yue Na had to admit,

"He's quite impressive..."

At some point, Leng Yulai had appeared behind her and smiled as she patted her shoulder.

"What? Not being stubborn anymore?"

Gu Yue Na immediately put on a stern face.

"I'm merely evaluating his strength objectively."

Leng Yulai smiled without saying anything, her gaze returning to the screen.

What Lu Jun displayed next once again overturned everyone's understanding of a Soul Elder.

The lights of the Virtual Battlefield lit up again and again, then went dark again and again.

Every flash of light was accompanied by the defeat of another Shrek ancestor.

Lu Jun's ranking points rose higher and higher, faintly showing signs of reaching the top.

The breathing in the viewing hall grew increasingly heavy.

"T-the sixth one..." someone said with a trembling voice. "Every battle has been completely one-sided. No one can stand against him."

"He's too strong. His performance is even more outrageous than that girl's. Could even Ancestor Huo Yuhao be no match for him?"

"Hard to say. It really is hard to say. That's Ancestor Huo Yuhao, the strongest Soul Master from Ten Thousand Years Ago. Even at three rings, he isn't someone we can defeat."

"There isn't even a record anywhere on Douluo Continent of anyone defeating Ancestor Huo Yuhao."

"Sigh, all the experience and techniques he left behind have been recorded, but not a single one of us can beat him."

"Exactly."

At those words, Qiangu Zhangting clenched his fingers until his knuckles turned white.

When he had challenged the ancestral phantoms back then, every battle had been a bitter struggle. Yet the young man on the screen was crushing through them as easily as chopping vegetables.

The gap was simply too great.

"He's only relying on an Innate Domain. It's nothing special. Once my Battle Armor has a domain too, maybe I'll be able to do the same."

Qiangu Zhangting was somewhat unconvinced.

But then he remembered that after becoming a Three-Word Dou Armor Master, he would no longer be allowed to enter the Virtual World, and his spirits deflated.

"Challenge begins. Opponent selected: Huo Yuhao, one of the Shrek Seven Monsters from Ten Thousand Years Ago, at the Three Ring Soul Elder stage."

"Defeat the opponent or hold out for five minutes to earn points."

When the screen lit up this time, Lu Jun did not attack immediately for the first time.

On the empty battlefield stood a quietly composed youth dressed in simple fitted clothing.

A faint golden light flickered in his eyes, while three seemingly ordinary soul rings floated behind him.

White, yellow, purple.

The most ordinary soul ring configuration, yet it instantly made every muscle in Lu Jun's body tense.

When Huo Yuhao appeared, the viewing hall suddenly fell deathly silent.

"He really ran into Ancestor Huo Yuhao..."

"He's here, he's here. He's the second person to meet Ancestor Huo Yuhao today. Want to bet on how long he can last?"

"I'll bet one million Federal Coins that he lasts one minute!"

"Bullshit. Thirty seconds, tops."

"How about this? I'll bet ten million Federal Coins that he can defeat Ancestor Huo Yuhao?" a Core Disciple said cautiously.

"Bullshit!"