Acting His Age? VS Ma Rulong

Elder Ma hurried forward.

He placed a hand on Lin Xi's forehead and carefully sensed his condition.

After confirming that the young man was not in any danger, the old man's lips twitched unnaturally.

He had never dreamed that the core disciples of Mingde Hall he had trained would lose so cleanly and thoroughly.

Elder Ma coughed.

"Meng Hongchen will also receive the qualifications of a Main Squad Member."

Ma Rulong narrowed his eyes, the veins on his neck bulging as his face burned with embarrassment.

"Team leader, I object."

Everyone turned to look at him.

The tall young man stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "The seven of us have worked together for so long, and I have always been the core of the team.

"Adding them to the main squad will only disrupt the team's rhythm."

"So I object."

Ma Rulong crossed his arms and looked down at Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.

Within the team,

the captain possessed the vast majority of the authority. Even the team leader had to consider the captain's feelings.

Xu Tinglan tilted his head toward Ma Rulong.

He understood.

When he had read the novel in his previous life, Xu Tinglan had found it somewhat strange.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were clearly second only to the captain in strength, so why were they still Reserve Team Members?

The two sides were even openly at odds with each other.

It seemed there had always been a reason for it all.

Xu Tinglan was not too surprised. Such things were far too common. Hadn't similar situations arisen among national teams at the Olympics in his previous life?

He stood up and leaped onto the stage.

The youth raised his head slightly, looking at Ma Rulong down his nose as he said dismissively,

"You object? Who do you think you are?"

"Do you really think that eating a few more years' worth of meals gives you the right to throw your weight around?"

The Main Squad Members widened their eyes and stared at the youth in disbelief.

The person onstage had short, tousled pale golden hair, handsome features, and a well-proportioned build.

When he had been sitting below the stage just now, the youth had not spoken.

He gave off a refined and easygoing air, like a Soul Tool apprentice absorbed in research.

But once he stepped onto the stage,

his entire aura changed abruptly.

The composure in his brows and eyes transformed into a sharp appraisal. Whenever his gaze swept over an opponent, it was as though he were sizing up prey.

The youth's lips curled up slightly, his expression filled with undisguised provocation.

Ma Rulong's eyes turned bloodshot, and he panted heavily.

"Good, good, good. You've got guts."

"Just wait. I'll show you why I'm the captain!"

His right foot slammed heavily against the ground. With a boom, he landed on the stage.

Xiao Hongchen watched the scene with a gleeful grin. He raised his fist slightly toward the stage.

He had great confidence in his good brother.

For ordinary Soul Masters, the limit for a Fifth Soul Ring was twelve thousand years.

Xiao Hongchen's Fifth Soul Ring, however, came from a thirty-thousand-year Gold Essence Beast, far beyond the limits of ordinary people.

That was already an astonishing age.

But compared to Xu Tinglan, it was nothing.

"The match begins!"

Following Elder Ma's command,

both sides activated Martial Soul Possession.

A milky white glow lit up around Ma Rulong, and his head enlarged by a full circle.

With a series of throws from his hand, eight Level 6 Energy Gathering Soul Cannons appeared at his shoulders, beneath his arms, at his waist, and along his legs.

Surging energy rapidly accumulated.

Six Soul Rings revolved around him.

Not one of them possessed an active skill. They were all passive skills that enhanced his body, Soul Power, and spiritual power.

Xu Tinglan also donned Mountain and Sea Heaven-Bearing, while a Silver Frost Sword appeared in his hand.

The entire blade radiated a chilling, murderous aura.

Five star gemstones gleamed brilliantly upon it.

Mountain and Sea Heaven-Bearing was a Level 6 Soul Tool crafted by Kong Deming, and it was still suitable for use now.

The Demon-Slaying Sword had likewise been forged by him and his adoptive father, a First Grade Thousand Forging metal Soul Tool.

The Propulsion Soul Tool on his back blazed with light.

Xu Tinglan charged toward his opponent at astonishing speed.

When Ma Rulong saw the two black Soul Rings on the youth's body, he instinctively froze. The fifth one in particular was black as an abyss.

The Energy Gathering Soul Cannons finished charging.

Platinum-white shells shot out with incredible speed.

Xu Tinglan held the Mysterious Turtle Shield and neither dodged nor evaded.

The phantom of a turtle beast on the front of the shield seemed to possess intelligence. It actually opened its mouth and swallowed every incoming blast from the Energy Gathering Soul Cannons.

His speed only dropped slightly, and he was almost completely unaffected.

Ma Rulong's expression instantly turned grave at the sight.

This Martial Soul could actually produce such an effect.

Shielded by the Mysterious Turtle Shield, Xu Tinglan continued closing in at an astonishing pace beneath the firepower of eight Level 6 Soul Tools.

Those were Level 6 Soul Tools!

Ma Rulong flicked his wrist and tossed out a pure white bracelet.

It suddenly exploded in midair.

Xu Tinglan's fourth Soul Ring flared with black light.

Sea-Summoning Mountain-Fixing!

Although he could not craft auxiliary Soul Tools, he had some understanding of the functions of most Soul Tools.

The bracelet his opponent had used was called a Repulsion Bracelet.

This bracelet was a Level 5 Soul Tool, and it had only one effect: generating a powerful airflow to knock back its target.

Rain began falling over the fighting stage.

Threads of rain cascaded down onto Ma Rulong's face.

He stared at the youth in disbelief. It could actually rain inside this hall?

But what came next was even more shocking.

The Repulsion Bracelet had no effect whatsoever.

Xu Tinglan's body expanded to a height of three meters, radiating a dense and oppressive presence. With unstoppable force, he brought the Demon-Slaying Sword down upon Ma Rulong's head.

Ma Rulong cursed inwardly.

This guy was tough as hell and immune to control. How could there be such a disgusting fighting style?

Changing tactics, he raised his right arm.

A disk appeared around his right wrist and expanded into a two-meter Energy Shield in the blink of an eye.

Clang!

The Demon-Slaying Sword slammed into the Energy Shield.

There were ten flight and Propulsion Soul Tool exhaust ports on Xu Tinglan's back, all of them erupting with energy.

The strength and defense granted to his body by Sea-Summoning Mountain-Fixing gave him an especially enormous advantage in close combat.

Ma Rulong's Energy Shield did not last long before it was shattered.

The golden radiance of an Invincible Barrier lit up.

He glared coldly at his opponent.

This guy was obviously looking down on him.

Ma Rulong was so furious he nearly coughed up blood. He carried ten Repulsion Bracelets specifically to prevent opponents from closing in on him.

Yet they were completely useless now.

He could only compete in close combat.

Taking advantage of the Invincible Barrier's three-second duration,

Ma Rulong took out the Ruby Helmet and put it on.

A greatsword appeared in his hand, radiating Crimson Gold light. It was called Butcher, a peak Level 6 Soul Tool.

The sword blades collided.

A dark red beam shot out from the helmet.

Most of Ma Rulong's Soul Rings enhanced Soul Power and spiritual power, providing little physical reinforcement.

Pressed down by the youth's attacks, he was visibly falling into a disadvantage.

He looked utterly disheveled.

The dark red light fired from the helmet faded, revealing a monkey before everyone.

It beat its chest and roared wildly.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a four-meter-tall, powerfully built Crimson Ape.

It radiated the pressure of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

It was clearly a Soul Beast, though no one knew what method had been used to control its mind.

The Crimson Ape joined the battle.

It swung its fist and smashed down at Xu Tinglan from above.

Bang!

The youth raised his left arm, and a Mysterious Turtle Shield blocked the Crimson Ape's enormous fist.