You Be the Captain, I'll Just Focus on Being Beautiful!

"You, your soul ring... it's actually one yellow, two purple, and one black?!"

Yu Tianheng practically roared these words out.

This wasn't just some simple case of absorbing a soul ring beyond the standard age limit!

This was a complete leap across stages!

Not to mention ordinary soul masters, even a genius soul master like Yanyan, currently at the Soul Ancestor level, had at most two yellow and two purple rings. He actually had a black ring?!

Yu Feng subconsciously took a step back.

Osler's Ghost Leopard phantom emerged behind him, his eyes filled with awe.

Ye Lingling's grip on the Nine-Heart Begonia tightened slightly.

Even she, a support-type soul master, could feel the immense power contained within that ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Even the usually steady brothers Shi Mo and Shi Mo could not help but exchange glances, seeing the same shock in each other's eyes.

Eleven and a half years old, level 43, A thousand-year second soul ring...

A ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring...

Such talent, let alone the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, was unheard of even across the entire Douluo Continent!

Chen Jieqi stood in the middle of the crowd, his expression calm, as if he had only displayed something perfectly ordinary.

"Just luck, not worth mentioning."

These words fell into everyone's ears like a thunderclap.

"Luck?"

Such a heaven-defying feat, and he called it "just luck"?!

Yu Feng, standing to the side, spoke with a hint of barely concealed urgency.

"A black ring can only be produced by a ten-thousand-year soul beast. At your age, how could you possibly withstand the soul shock of a ten-thousand-year ring?"

"Absorbing a soul ring beyond the age limit is already a fantasy, let alone skipping levels to absorb a ten-thousand-year black ring; this simply defies the common sense of soul master cultivation."

Osler stood frozen in place, taking a long time to finally stammer out, "Stronger than the big sister..."

His soul power was slightly chaotic due to his shock, and his gaze toward Chen Jieqi shifted from initial friendliness and curiosity to pure awe.

Being able to achieve this could not be explained by talent alone.

There must have been unimaginable effort behind it, or perhaps some unknown fortuitous encounter.

The brothers Shi Mo and Shi Mo widened their eyes in unison, their faces turning slightly pale, their speech even becoming stuttered.

"W-we didn't see that wrong, did we?

It really is a black ring!

Chen, classmate Chen, just what kind of monster are you?"

The two exchanged a look, then were overcome with wild joy.

With such a teammate joining, the strength of the Huangdou Team would inevitably rise to a new level, perhaps even having a chance to challenge for the championship of the Soul Master Tournament!

Yu Tianheng stood to the side, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the tension.

He looked at the black ring under Chen Jieqi's feet, and for the first time, a sense of "powerlessness" arose in his heart.

As the vice-captain, he felt so mediocre in front of this young man.

But the pride and hot blood of a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul master quickly suppressed that trace of frustration.

With a strong person before him, retreating had never been his style.

He raised his head, and instead, a more intense fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.

Although Ye Lingling did not speak, her eyes revealed her inner shock.

She quietly glanced at Dugu Yan, and this usually assertive "big sister" showed no trace of jealousy on her face at this moment.

Instead, she wore an expression that was almost gratified and proud.

While everyone was still stunned, Dugu Yan took a deep breath and stepped in front of Chen Jieqi.

Her gaze swept over every teammate present before finally landing on Chen Jieqi, her voice crisp and firm.

"From today on, the position of captain of the Huangdou Team will be taken over by you!"

"Who agrees, who disagrees?"

As her voice fell, everyone was stunned, and the training room fell into instant silence.

"Sister Yanyan..."

Chen Jieqi wanted to speak, but was stopped by Dugu Yan raising her hand.

"Don't be in such a hurry to refuse."

Dugu Yan's lips curled slightly upward, and those eyes, usually so sharp and fierce, held a hint of tenderness at this moment.

"Although I, Dugu Yan, am a bit strong, look good, and have a powerful background, my temper isn't exactly great, but I have never been someone who fails to read the situation."

She turned around to face the members of the Imperial Team, her tone frank and open.

"Over the years, everyone has called me 'Big Sister' out of respect for me.

But I know clearly in my heart that I am impatient, impulsive, and often rely on brute force to win rather than my brain."

"But he is different. He is calmer than me, better at planning, and understands even better how to let everyone play to their greatest strengths."

Dugu Yan paused, then continued, "A team is never the glory of one person, but the result of everyone fighting side by side. Naturally, the position of captain should go to the most capable.

I cannot compare to his talent and strength, let alone his understanding of cultivation.

He is truly worthy of this captaincy."

Her voice was not loud, yet every word rang out with conviction, stirring ripples in everyone's hearts.

Everyone knew how proud Dugu Yan had been since becoming the 'Big Sister' of Tiandou Academy.

Let alone giving up the captain's position, even getting her to take half a step back was as difficult as ascending to heaven. With her strength and temper, no one dared to challenge her!

Only Yu Tianheng could hold out for a little longer.

Yet at this moment, Dugu Yan's gaze was open and her expression composed, without a hint of reluctance, as if she were simply stating the most ordinary of facts.

Chen Jieqi listened in silence for a moment.

He had indeed thought about vying for the captaincy in the future, but certainly not now. Taking the position right after joining would be far too flashy.

He had intended to win people over with his strength first and slowly build prestige, so that he could truly earn their conviction and lay a foundation for the future.

But Dugu Yan's words were sincere and reasonable, and she was using her own reputation to pave the way for him, affirming that he, Chen Jieqi, was worthy of this position.

This trust felt heavy and significant.

"Sister Yanyan..."

Chen Jieqi looked up, meeting Dugu Yan's gaze, his tone becoming more earnest.

"Since you've said so, I won't be coy, but..."

He shifted his tone, a slight smile playing on his lips, "I want to take the captain's position with my strength."

Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow, a flash of appreciation crossing her eyes.

"In all our private spars over the years, I have never once won against little brother Xiao Qi."

Dugu Yan looked at Yu Tianheng, who stood to the side with a complex expression, and tilted her chin.

"Empty words are unconvincing. Yu Tianheng, you go out as our representative and have a soul duel. Seeing is believing.

Whoever is stronger takes the lead!"

She paused, then added, "Don't hold back. Let me see your true strength."

Yu Tianheng was stunned at first, but then a blazing fighting spirit erupted in his eyes.

He remembered how, over the years, he had challenged Dugu Yan time and time again, losing repeatedly, yet standing back up every single time.

It was precisely because there was a strong person leading the way that he had never stopped his pursuit of becoming stronger.

And now, an even stronger existence had appeared.

"Alright!"

Yu Tianheng nodded vigorously, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement.

"Yanyan, I've long wanted to spar with classmate Chen!

It is my honor to cross hands with a true expert!"

He looked at Chen Jieqi, feeling no jealousy or resentment, only pure fighting spirit and respect.

As a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul master, the blood of battle ran deep in his bones. With a strong opponent before him, backing down was never his style.

He would only face the challenge head-on, find his own shortcomings in the heat of battle, and become stronger for it.

Yu Feng took a deep breath and patted Yu Tianheng on the shoulder.

"Boss Yu, don't embarrass us."

Osler also clenched his fists, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Come on, let's see just how strong Chen Jieqi really is!"

The brothers Shi Mo and Shi Mo spoke in unison, "Boss, go for it!"

Even the usually silent Ye Lingling nodded slightly, a flicker of anticipation flashing in her eyes.

Every member of the Huangdou Team had gathered around by now, their burning gazes fixed on the two people in the center.

This was no simple soul duel; it was a testament to the passing of the torch, the starting point for the Huangdou Team to reach even greater heights, and more importantly, it was their tribute to and longing for the strong.

"Since this is a soul duel, I shall act as the referee."

Qin Ming stepped forward with a smile, unable to hide the anticipation in his eyes.

He looked at Chen Jieqi, then at Yu Tianheng, a trace of nostalgia crossing his gaze.

Back when he was at Shrek Academy, he had been just like this, clashing time and again with stronger opponents, constantly breaking through his own limits in the heat of battle.

As his voice faded, everyone stopped talking and quickly moved to the dedicated soul dueling room next to the training hall.

At this moment, everyone felt it: a true confrontation was about to begin.

And this would be the moment the Huangdou Team welcomed their rebirth.