Which Major Power Produced Jian Jiu? Xue Qinghe's Girlish Demeanor

The Burly Man's head rolled across the arena.

The blood-spattered face was still frozen in a vicious expression.

A level thirty-three Battle Soul Master.

Still killed in a single strike.

The air fell into deathly silence.

Li Zhexian put away the Azure Lotus Sword and turned toward the passage backstage.

His white boots stepped through the bloodstains, making sticky sounds.

Only after his figure disappeared into the shadows of the corridor did a roar erupt from below the stage, nearly lifting the roof off the Soul Fighting Arena.

"Jian Jiu! Jian Jiu!"

"Jian Jiu! Jian Jiu!"

Throughout the entire arena.

Every spectator shouted Jian Jiu's name in unison.

Some frenzied fans were so excited they could barely contain themselves, tearing at their hair and screaming.

The scene was truly spectacular.

In the VIP Box on the second floor.

The seven members of the Heaven Dou Royal Team had all fallen silent.

"Two purple Spirit Rings..."

Dugu Yan's emerald pupils narrowed vertically like those of a startled venomous snake.

Her voice was slightly hoarse as she said, "His first Spirit Ring was already a thousand-year one. How did this Jian Jiu do it? What major power raised such a monster? Or is he the disciple of some Title Douluo?!"

Everyone on the Douluo Continent knew!

Having Spirit Rings with the optimal age limit was already considered exceptional!

But his first and second Spirit Rings were both thousand-year rings?

It was simply unheard of!

Ye Lingling still looked lonely and isolated.

Yet a strange glimmer quietly flashed through her empty blue eyes.

Yufeng, who had previously said Jian Jiu was "easy," swallowed with difficulty.

"What a fast, sharp sword strike!"

"How could a Soul Grandmaster be this strong?!"

The Shi Brothers said in muffled voices, "Even if we could withstand that strike, we'd at least be injured."

Their Martial Souls were Black Tortoises, beast Martial Souls with top-tier defensive attributes.

At levels thirty-seven and thirty-eight, if they joined forces to form the Black Tortoise Formation, they could withstand attacks from Battle Soul Ancestors above level forty.

Yet now.

After seeing Jian Jiu's sword strike.

The two brothers no longer had confidence in their own defenses.

"Boss..."

Osler looked worriedly at Yu Tianheng. The other five pursed their lips as well, and the atmosphere was unusually grave.

"This Jian Jiu is indeed terrifyingly strong."

Yu Tianheng remained calm, his brows steady as he slowly said, "If he reaches level thirty, I definitely won't be his match."

"But he's only in his twenties now, and he's already used both Spirit Ring skills."

"There's no reason for me to lose to him."

In the VIP Box on the third floor.

The shock on Pufferfish and Snake Lance Douluo's faces gradually faded.

"This boy will surely achieve greatness in the future!"

"Young Master, it was the right decision to befriend him!"

Even as Title Douluo.

They had never seen a genius whose first and second Spirit Rings were both thousand-year rings.

Even they found it unbelievable.

Xue Qinghe appeared expressionless, but his rising and falling chest exposed the unrest in his heart.

After a long silence, he stepped out of the box.

Pufferfish and Snake Lance were about to follow.

The next moment.

"Don't follow me."

Downstairs.

Inside a private contestant's room.

Li Zhexian reclined in a soft chair, leisurely eating fruit.

He was now a star contestant of the Soul Fighting Arena.

Naturally, his treatment was top-notch.

Just then.

Bang, bang—!

A knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Li Zhexian immediately lowered his crossed leg, put on his mask, and assumed a cold expression.

How should he put it? He had shaped Jian Jiu's identity into that of a cold swordsman, the kind that looked especially impressive.

Once Li Zhexian had composed himself, he was just about to speak.

But the door had already been pushed open.

His brows furrowed.

Who was this thoughtless?

Looking up.

Li Zhexian saw Xue Qinghe in white robes walk in while idly waving a fan.

He said nothing and continued pretending to be a cold swordsman.

His emotionless eyes stared at Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe stopped and calmly stared back at Li Zhexian.

Neither of them gave an inch.

They remained locked in a standoff for quite a while.

Then Xue Qinghe suddenly said, "Do you still want tomorrow's Three Immortals Chicken?"

Li Zhexian could no longer keep it up.

The cold swordsman image he had created instantly crumbled.

"Oh my, my Crown Prince is here!"

"Come, sit down, sit down!"

Upon hearing the words "my Crown Prince," Xue Qinghe's cheeks stiffened slightly.

He covered his mouth and coughed twice before Li Zhexian ushered him to a seat.

The moment he sat down.

Xue Qinghe started pressing him.

"Li Zhexian, do you even consider me a brother?"

"You're this strong, so why didn't you tell me?"

Perhaps even Xue Qinghe himself had not realized...

Just how much his tone resembled that of an unreasonable girl demanding an explanation.

Li Zhexian rolled his eyes. "I told you. There aren't many students in the Royal Academy who can beat me."

"You just didn't believe me."

"I..."

Xue Qinghe was briefly left speechless, then continued, "But you didn't tell me you were participating in Soul Fighting either."

"You're the busy Crown Prince. How could I trouble you with such a trivial matter?"

This time, Xue Qinghe had nothing to say.

He pressed his thin lips together and ignored Li Zhexian, silently watching the two Spirit Masters fighting on the arena.

"Hey, are you mad?"

Li Zhexian bumped his shoulder against Xue Qinghe's.

Xue Qinghe immediately lifted himself from his seat and shifted farther away.

"You really are petty."

Li Zhexian wrapped an arm around Xue Qinghe's neck. Ignoring how the latter's body stiffened, he cheerfully said, "Who doesn't have a few secrets?"

"Mm. As long as you don't do anything that wrongs the other person, it can all be understood."

Xue Qinghe turned his head and looked at Li Zhexian's handsome, spirited features before slowly nodding.

"Mm, you're right."

After that topic ended.

Neither of them spoke again.

Li Zhexian still had his arm around Xue Qinghe's neck, occasionally showing off a piece of fruit.

Xue Qinghe's nose was filled with the young man's slightly bloody yet unusually pleasant scent.

He tried to ask calmly, "Li Zhexian, your opponent later is Yu Tianheng. Are you confident?"

"We'll see when the time comes."

"Yu Tianheng, nineteen years old. His Martial Soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. He's a level thirty-nine Soul Elder, with yellow, yellow, and purple Spirit Rings."

"First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw, a single-target attack. Second Soul Skill, Thunderous Might, a group attack. Third Soul Skill, Wrath of Thunder, an enhancement-type skill."

Li Zhexian looked at the calm-faced Xue Qinghe in surprise.

"Is this you helping me cheat?"

Xue Qinghe said as if it were only natural, "Yu Tianheng saw your Spirit Skills. Now you know his. That makes it fair."

Li Zhexian smiled. "I probably won't need it, but I appreciate it, brother."

At that moment.

The previous Soul Fighting match ended.

It was already nine o'clock.

The host was already on the arena announcing the next match.

Hearing his name called, Li Zhexian stood up.

"I'm off. Remember to cheer for me."

"Alright."

Xue Qinghe nodded.

When he saw Li Zhexian about to leave his sight, he finally could not help shouting, "Li Zhexian, wait until you come back!"

Without turning around, Li Zhexian waved a hand.

As he stepped out of the somewhat dim corridor.

His ears were filled with the excited cries of the spectators.

Li Zhexian walked to the steps leading up to the arena.

He looked straight ahead.

On the steps on the other side.

A young man in fitted blue clothing slowly walked onto the arena...

Wishing all readers a peaceful Dragon Boat Festival!