The Great Stage of Douluo, My Name is Qian Xunji

For these reasons, Shui Bing'er, who had just returned from leave, did not go to class but instead came to watch the Thunder Academy match.

Zhen Ji and Wang Zhaojun exchanged a glance and, by tacit agreement, followed her to Thunder Academy.

All three were talented students from an academy affiliated with Skywater Academy, so their teachers did not make things difficult for them regarding such opportunities to broaden their horizons.

Because Martial Soul Hall had already achieved two consecutive victories, everyone in Element City, from soul masters to commoners, had turned their attention to this exchange tournament.

The number of spectators in attendance grew with each passing match.

The three young girls, Shui Bing'er among them, were inconspicuous in the crowd.

Zhen Ji and Wang Zhaojun nodded toward Sikong Zhen not far away, acknowledging him as a greeting.

With all three located in Element City, the Four Element Academies shared a close relationship; they often encountered one another during various drills or competitions.

The three would occasionally exchange intelligence to gain some advantages.

As soon as she entered the spectator stand and sat down, Shui Bing'er's gaze locked onto the stage, eager to see what this genius the teachers spoke of was really like.

She did not believe that an eight-year-old Soul Elder at level thirty-eight could truly exist.

Even her own Ice Phoenix martial soul was not that outrageous.

People naturally refuse to believe in things that lie beyond their own understanding.

As the members of the Martial Soul Hall team took the stage.

Shui Bing'er rested her chin on her hand, staring at the small blond boy standing at the very end of the line, her gaze unable to look away.

With soft, slightly curly golden hair, a warm and sunny smile, and fair skin, he was as handsome and pretty as a little prince.

Even though this was the home turf of Thunder Academy, some of their students could not help but steal glances at the beautiful little geniuses from Martial Soul Hall Academy!

Shui Bing'er did not know why, but she found herself unconsciously watching this blond boy.

If other heroes knew, they would likely explain to her what is meant by leadership aura and charisma.

If Arthur's martial soul were a beast martial soul, it would most likely be an imperial-grade martial soul.

This was related to the inherent traits of the soul master himself.

Even among the heroes, Arthur could be called a "child of destiny"!

Xiang Yu possessed the courage of a hegemon, Dongfang Jing possessed the heart of the strong, but only Arthur was a born king!

Whether it was the newly joined Dugu Yan and the Huyan Brothers, or the cold, strength-obsessed Dongfang Jing and the domineering, self-centered Xiang Yu, none had ever clashed with him, all implicitly taking Arthur as their leader.

From beginning to end, no one had ever questioned or disobeyed him.

Arthur's own level was not the highest, yet he achieved this level of authority entirely through his own ability and aura.

When he became serious, there would be no other voices within the team.

Chapter 85 Martial Soul Fusion Skill

Yu Tianxin was also sitting in the spectator stands; he was only fifteen years old this year, and although his talent was good, he had not yet officially joined the Thunder Academy team.

His father, Yu Chengwu, seemed to be busy with something very mysterious lately, something even he was not allowed to know; the abnormality within the family made Yu Tianxin feel anxious and uneasy.

This exchange tournament was a rare activity that allowed him to relax his mind.

He knew the news of the Martial Soul Hall team's two consecutive victories, but he did not take it seriously; an eight-year-old Soul Elder, a Soul Grand Master who defeated seven in a row, a Jade Phosphor Snake soul master who won without a fight by releasing poison mist...

Only the last one had a shred of credibility; the first two sounded entirely like exaggerated rumors.

It was at this moment that the match officially began.

The members of the Thunder Academy team had watched the previous two exchange matches and did not recklessly charge forward again.

The previous performances by Skywater Academy and Blazing Fire Academy had already set a precedent for them.

Especially the Blazing Fire Academy match, which made them determined to be wary of the Jade Phosphor Snake poison.

To deal with this Jade Phosphor Snake soul master, they had even swapped out their original support teammate, temporarily replacing them with a level thirty-five support-type soul master capable of mitigating toxins.

Qian Renxue and Xiang Yu looked at their opponents, who had not made a move for a long time, with some curiosity.

The Huyan brothers, standing at the very front, assumed a defensive posture, ready to unleash their soul skills to block any attacks.

Neither side made a move for a time, leaving the spectators on the stands looking at each other in confusion.

This stalemate made everyone afraid to act rashly.

Finally, Arthur completed his Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and since the opponents had not yet conceded, he could continue to unleash his attack!

The clouds in the sky were torn apart as a golden, blinding giant sword was held high by Arthur; the mere shockwave was enough to whip up a gale, blowing the hair of his teammates into disarray and causing their robes to flutter wildly.

The Huyan brothers shifted their positions, hiding behind him to avoid the massive range of the attack.

Feeling the immense soul power fluctuations and pressure, the Huyan brothers' legs went weak, and they looked once more toward Arthur, the center of this pressure.

The bricks on the ground had already been crushed into a crater with Arthur at the center, and the golden giant sword pierced the firmament, split the clouds, and swung fiercely toward the opposite side.

As the golden giant sword descended, the long-suppressed energy poured out like a terrifying torrent.

The attack continued along the path of the sword's strike.

A massive cylindrical energy shockwave formed, blasting toward the members of the Thunder Academy team.

"Stop!"

The teacher from Thunder Academy responsible for protecting the students immediately rushed forward, attempting to intervene.

He was promptly swallowed by the golden attack as well.

"Boom, boom, boom!!" This Soul Emperor teacher released his Martial Soul.

He used his own physical body to withstand the attack, the two forces colliding...

Dust and smoke billowed everywhere!

The Soul Masters in the stands could not see the scene below clearly; only the people from Thunder Academy began to move in for a rescue.

Slowly, the dust dissipated, revealing the scene after the battle.

The arena was left in ruins, broken and battered by the aftermath, with the destruction extending in a fan shape in front of the golden-haired boy holding the sword.

Right in the center of the Thunder Academy side, the Soul Emperor was covered in blue scales, his stature having grown taller, his eyes transformed into those of a beast.

Behind this Soul Emperor, he had forcibly carved out a safe zone, shielding the members of Thunder Academy within it.

Even so, these members were in poor condition; their auras were withered, their faces pale, and there was no longer any fighting spirit in their eyes.

The Soul Emperor held his hands behind his back, acting as if nothing had happened and appearing unscathed, though in reality, countless scales had shattered off him.

He looked at the golden-haired boy opposite him—who was not even as tall as his shoulder and was merely a Soul Elder—and grew inwardly vigilant.

What kind of monsters are these?

···········································

The golden-haired boy's face was no longer gentle. He planted his long golden sword into the ground and rested his hands upon the hilt. Dust floated around his feet, and the wind whipped his white cape behind him, his lake-blue eyes now holding only the majesty of a king.

His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were dissatisfied with the scene before him.

The massive shockwave had struck straight ahead, but the distance covered was only about two hundred meters.

"As expected, it's still too weak." Being only level twenty-nine was too much of a stretch.

Even relying on the Holy Grail to max out his soul power output, the efficiency was still that of a Soul Grand Master. He was not very satisfied, but Qian Renxue, standing behind Arthur, was filled with envy.

She really wanted to learn this move; not only was it powerful, but it was also incredibly cool. However, it was a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, so she couldn't learn it!

············································

On the high platform.

Originally, Yu Yuanting had wanted to discuss the matter of his family's Thunder Douluo with Qian Xunji, so his attention had not been on the competition arena.

The sudden appearance of the giant golden sword startled Yu Yuanting, who had been busy weighing his words.

Fortunately, his own Soul Emperor had blocked it in time.

While this made Yu Yuantian heave a sigh of relief, he also felt a surge of anger.

"Your Holiness the Pope, using such methods in a small friendly match is going a bit too far." Yu Yuanting believed that Martial Soul Hall must have cheated, using some special means to allow their student to unleash such powerful strength.

"This is merely this student's Martial Soul Fusion Skill. If one cannot fully display their own strength, then what is the point of this friendly match?" Qian Xunji estimated the time; it was just right for lunch.

"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill?" Yu Yuanting froze for a moment. A Martial Soul Fusion Skill could indeed allow a Soul Master to display strength far beyond their own level, but...

"Isn't he alone? How did he perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?" He hadn't seen anyone from Martial Soul Hall coordinating with him!

"Doesn't he have two Martial Souls himself?" Qian Xunji said, turning his head to ask the next question, "Shall the individual matches continue?"

"..." Yu Yuanting glanced down at the Thunder Academy members, who, while not seriously injured, were dejected and devoid of any fighting spirit, and shook his head.

"Forget it, we forfeit the rest of the matches for Thunder Academy."

"Very well, then we shall take our leave first..."

Before Qian Xunji could finish his sentence, Yu Yuanting interrupted, "I have one more matter I wish to discuss with you, Your Holiness the Pope. I wonder if you could grant me the favor."

Forcibly suppressing his previous anger, Yu Yuanting spoke with a smile to reveal his purpose; he still knew the weight of the current situation.

··········································

Chapter 86: Murderous Intent?

In the Heaven Dou Empire, within the city center of Heaven Dou City, inside a magnificent mansion.

A middle-aged man with an ordinary face, a cold expression, and a weary temperament was pacing back and forth in his study.

This person was none other than Yu Xiaogang!

Ever since he received the letter from his father and traveled through the night to reach Heaven Dou City, Yu Xiaogang had been looking forward to his father's arrival.

However, to his disappointment, he had already been in Heaven Dou City for seven days, long past the time he had agreed upon with his father.

This anxiety and waiting had caused him to completely cast his disciple Tang San to the back of his mind, and he hadn't even mentioned the Mimicry Cultivation Ground he had used to lure him over.

He was only a Soul Grand Master, and although he had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy also had the royal Xue Clan as its backer.