High-Tier Puppets Appear

The Otherworld Auction House's golden light screen suddenly trembled uncontrollably in the morning light. The projection screen for the "Simulated Arena" cracked open, revealing a dark purple gap. Soul Power surged from the gap, carrying a bone-chilling cold that forced Soul Masters within a hundred meters of the plaza to retreat repeatedly. Gasps of cold air instantly erupted from the crowd—this level of Soul Power fluctuation far surpassed that of ordinary Titled Douluo, as if even the air had frozen into ice.

"What is that?" a Level 30 Soul Elder clutched his clothes, his voice trembling. Before he could finish, a line of blood-red characters suddenly appeared on the light screen, their edges glowing with black lightning, making hearts pound wildly: "High-level Puppet Challenge Channel Open. Challenge Target: Level 95 Puppet. Characteristics: Possesses self-awareness, mastered Otherworld 'Mysterious Tier Intermediate Combat Skill'. Warning: Overall strength crushes Soul Masters of the same realm. Challenge prohibited for those below Titled Douluo level!"

"Level 95?!" The plaza instantly exploded, the exclamations of the Soul Masters nearly lifting the roof. A Level 95 Titled Douluo-level puppet that possessed self-awareness and knew Otherworld Combat Skills? This had overturned everyone's understanding of "puppets." On the Douluo Continent, even the top-tier Soul Tool puppets of the Martial Soul Hall could only act according to preset programs; how could one possess independent thought and master cross-world skills?

"A puppet with self-awareness... the depth of this auction house runs deeper than imagined." Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect put away his Jade Folding Fan, his fingertips turning slightly pale. Beside him, Ning Rongrong's eyes widened, her small hands tightly gripping her father's sleeve. Her Level 33 Soul Power, in the face of that chilling cold, struggled just to stand firm.

On the west side of the plaza, the Martial Soul Hall's contingent suddenly stirred. Chrysanthemum Douluo Moon Guan, clad in a pink-purple robe, held a bone staff topped with a blooming Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. Pale golden Soul Power flowed around him, attempting to counteract the cold. However, his usual lazy smile had vanished, replaced by deep astonishment. He could clearly sense that the energy emanating from the dark purple gap was not "Soul Power," but a sharper, more condensed energy, like a peerless blade hidden in its sheath, ready to cut through anything at any moment.

"Lord Moon Guan, should we send someone to investigate this puppet first?" Palace Master Bai Feng, standing beside him, swallowed hard, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor. A Level 95 Titled Douluo-level challenge was something that, even for the Martial Soul Hall, only a few old monsters in the Worship Hall would dare to attempt lightly.

Moon Guan suddenly smiled. He tapped the ground gently with his bone staff, and pink-purple Soul Power spread along the flagstones, dispelling some of the surrounding chill. "Investigate? I've lived for nearly a hundred years, and I'm not afraid of any 'puppet'." He looked up at the light screen, a flicker of pride in his eyes. "It's just a lifeless object acting on programming. Even with the gimmick of 'self-awareness,' can it truly defeat my Ninth Soul Skill? Few Soul Masters of the same realm can withstand three of my moves, let alone a puppet without a soul."

As he spoke, the disciples of the Martial Soul Hall fell silent, their eyes filled with adoration. Although Chrysanthemum Douluo Moon Guan's strength was not top-tier among Titled Douluo, he was a long-established powerhouse. His "Two Poles Stillness Domain" could immobilize Soul Masters of the same level, and his Ninth Soul Skill, "Chrysanthemum Remains, Wounds Everywhere," could instantly tear through the Soul Power shields of Soul Masters below Level 90. On the Douluo Continent, there were only a handful of Soul Masters of the same realm who dared to claim they could surely defeat him.

Moon Guan strode towards the dark purple gap, carrying his bone staff. With each step, the pink-purple Soul Power around him intensified, and nine Soul Rings gradually appeared behind him—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black. The surrounding Soul Masters watched with trembling hearts.

"Lord Moon Guan is going to challenge it directly?"

"Is he crazy? That puppet knows Otherworld Combat Skills!"

"Perhaps Lord Chrysanthemum is confident... after all, he's a Titled Douluo!"

Amidst the murmurs, Moon Guan reached the gap. He raised his hand and placed it on the light screen, his voice booming, "Moon Guan of the Martial Soul Hall, Level 95 Titled Douluo, challenges the Level 95 puppet!"

"Challenger meets level requirements. 10,000 points deducted. Teleportation initiated." The system's cold voice sounded. The dark purple gap suddenly expanded, and a beam of light enveloped Moon Guan. The next second, his figure vanished from the plaza—only to reappear on the black stone arena, facing the high-level puppet that had everyone in awe.

The darkness surrounding the arena had transformed into a starry sky background, with countless stars swirling within, isolating the entire battlefield from the outside world. The puppet slowly emerged from the darkness, clad entirely in dark gold armor inscribed with dense Otherworld runes. The runes glowed with a faint red light, each one seeming to burn. Its head had no facial features, only a pair of scarlet eyes, like two flickering flames, fixed on Moon Guan. A cold, metallic voice spoke, "Challenger: Moon Guan, Level 95 Titled Douluo, Martial Soul: Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. Challenge begins."

Moon Guan's grip on his bone staff tightened slightly, a genuine solemnity flashing in his eyes for the first time. He could clearly feel that the energy fluctuations emanating from the puppet, while equivalent to a Level 95 Titled Douluo, possessed an "impenetrable" sense of condensation—not a single wisp of Soul Power leaked out; every strand of energy was compressed to its limit, more precise than any Titled Douluo he had ever seen.

"I'd like to see if your Otherworld Combat Skill can withstand my Soul Skill!" Moon Guan let out a low roar, his Ninth Soul Ring instantly igniting, and his pink-purple Soul Power surged explosively.

An invisible ripple of Soul Power spread from him as the center. Where it passed, even the stars in the starry sky background seemed to stop turning. This was his core control skill, capable of immobilizing Soul Masters of the same level for three seconds, enough time for him to unleash three powerful Soul Skills. But when the ripple touched the puppet, it was like hitting a steel plate, dissipating instantly without a trace—the puppet stood in place, unmoved, its scarlet eyes still fixed on him, as if the Soul Skill had been mere a gentle breeze.

"What?!" Moon Guan's pupils contracted sharply, his heart sinking. Even against a Level 95 Titled Douluo, it could immobilize them for half a second, but this puppet completely ignored it? Before he could ponder, the puppet suddenly moved—its figure turned into a dark gold afterimage, instantly appearing before him, its speed exceeding his Soul Power perception limit.

"Mysterious Tier Intermediate Combat Skill, Qi Wave Palm." The puppet's cold voice sounded. It slowly raised its right fist, the runes on its armor instantly lighting up, and pale red energy condensed into a fist-sized ball of light in its palm. Though small, the ball exuded a deathly aura that made Moon Guan's scalp tingle—he could clearly sense that the destructive power contained within this energy was enough to tear through his Soul Power shield and even shatter his Soul Core!

"Not good!" Moon Guan's hair stood on end. Without hesitation, his Ninth Soul Ring ignited again, and a more potent pink-purple Soul Power erupted instantly, "Ninth Soul Skill, Chrysanthemum Remains, Wounds Everywhere!"