Golden Trio Rejected

A glimmer of light flashed from an exquisite spatial ring, and a stick of incense appeared in Qian Renxue's hand. A cluster of flames ignited at her fingertip, lighting the tip of the incense.

Qian Renxue injected a trace of soul power into the incense and tossed it; the stick landed firmly in a stone pillar at the edge of the Martial Arts Platform.

"Begin." Qian Renxue turned around, her golden eyes sweeping over the six people standing in battle formation.

Qian Daoliu, Bibi Dong, and the two Title Douluo, Chrysanthemum and Ghost, retreated to the edge of the platform by tacit agreement, leaving the central arena to the young ones.

Bibi Dong gripped her scepter with slight force, her gaze locked firmly onto Qian Renxue.

"Your Highness, be careful!" Li Taibai was the first to strike. With a soft shout, his Green Lotus Sword martial soul manifested.

The ancient, simple longsword flowed with a faint spiritual light, and four soul rings—two purple and two black—emitted a heart-stopping pressure.

"Martial Soul, Possession!"

Ling Feng gave a low shout, and his White Tiger martial soul suddenly possessed him. His frame grew by a foot, his muscles bulged, and white fur sprouted from beneath his skin. Tiger stripes appeared on his face, his eyes turned into vertical pupils filled with ferocity, and two purple and two black soul rings pulsed around him.

Ye Fan followed closely behind, his Qilin martial soul possessing him.

A pair of rugged horns grew from his head, and fine scales covered his face and arms. His aura became heavy and violent, also sporting a configuration of two purple and two black soul rings.

A fluffy fox tail whipped out from behind Hu Liena, her ears became long and pointed, and a faint flush spread across her skin, her charm innate.

A pair of crescent blades appeared in Xie Yue's hands, the edges flashing with cold light.

Yan's body suddenly expanded, and raging flames ignited around him, scorching the air until it distorted.

The three of them had their one yellow and two purple soul rings light up in succession; though they were not as impressive as the three prodigies, they still possessed a formidable momentum.

"Your Highness, are you not using your martial soul?" Li Taibai stood with his sword, his brows slightly furrowed.

Qian Renxue had not even manifested her soul rings, which made him feel increasingly uneasy.

Qian Renxue hooked the corner of her lips into a faint smile and said proudly, "I will suppress my power to the level of a Soul Ancestor. As for my martial soul... we shall see if you have the qualifications to force me to use it."

"Qian Renxue, you will pay for your arrogance!" Hu Liena was incensed by her attitude. A flash of charm flickered in her eyes as she activated her second soul skill: "Charm!"

An invisible mental wave surged toward Qian Renxue.

"Hmph." Qian Renxue let out a cold snort, her mental power acting like a sharp blade, instantly tearing the mental wave apart.

"Pfft—"

Hu Liena was struck as if by a heavy blow; she spat out a mouthful of blood, her face turning deathly pale in an instant.

"Nana! Are you alright?" Xie Yue rushed forward to support her, his eyes full of worry.

"Brother, I just need a moment to rest." Hu Liena waved her hand, her voice weak, and the look she cast toward Qian Renxue held a hint of fear.

Qian Renxue spoke indifferently: "Mental attacks are fine, but you must know your opponent. Judging whether an enemy's mental power is higher than your own is the most basic common sense."

Before the words had even faded, the flames around Yan surged violently, and his third soul ring shone brilliantly. A savage look appeared on his face, clearly intending to unleash a powerful soul skill.

Qian Renxue's figure suddenly vanished, leaving only a faint afterimage behind—it was the "Inch Step" taught by Chen Qingxuan.

Through the high-frequency vibration of her leg muscles, she erupted with extreme speed instantly, requiring no buildup, for that buildup was already integrated into every breath she took.

In the blink of an eye, she appeared at Yan's side, her hand shaped into a blade, striking precisely at his neck.

"Ah!"

Yan let out a miserable cry, his body flying several meters away. He crashed heavily to the ground, clutching his neck in agony, unable to rise for a long time.

That strike had seemed effortless, yet it had precisely hit his nerve nodes, temporarily blocking the circulation of his soul power.

"The wind-up for your soul skill is too long." Qian Renxue withdrew her hand, her tone calm. "An enemy will not wait for you to strike a pose."

Ling Feng, Li Taibai, and the others felt their pupils shrink, subconsciously putting distance between themselves and Qian Renxue.

In less than a breath, Yan had already lost his combat effectiveness. This speed, this judgment—it was terrifying to the point of suffocation!

"Be careful, I'm coming again." Qian Renxue's figure swayed violently, and several afterimages appeared in place, making it impossible to distinguish the real from the fake.

The next moment, she appeared behind Li Taibai, her hand-blade raised again, aiming straight for the back of his head.

"Watch out!" Ye Fan shouted, rushing forward in an attempt to provide support.

Li Taibai felt a chill on the back of his neck. In this life-or-death moment, he could no longer care about his dignity; he lunged forward, rolling several times on the ground to narrowly avoid the strike.

He looked up, cold sweat instantly soaking his back—Qian Renxue's afterimage was still flickering in place, while her true form had appeared on the other side, watching him with a mocking smile.

While Li Taibai was catching his breath, Qian Renxue instantly appeared in front of Ling Feng, her palm strike aimed directly at his face.

Ling Feng instinctively tilted his head to dodge, but saw Qian Renxue shift the power in her waist, lashing out with a whip kick like a steel rod that hit his abdomen with precision.

"Bang!"

Ling Feng was struck as if by a heavy hammer, his body flying three yards back until he hit the railing at the edge of the platform, barely coming to a stop.

Seeing this, Ye Fan's third soul ring suddenly lit up. Just as he was about to release his soul skill, Qian Renxue's Inch Step activated, arriving before he could finish, and she pressed a fist into his chest.

Ye Fan groaned, stumbling back several steps. He forced himself to steady his stance, his right fist surging with violent soul power as he slammed it toward the Qian Renxue in front of him.

Qian Renxue leaned back slightly, just enough to avoid the punch, while her right hand reached out to grab Ye Fan's wrist, using the momentum to pull and twist.

Ye Fan instantly lost his balance, his body sliding uncontrollably across the ground for several meters, crashing right into Li Taibai, who had just climbed back to his feet.

"Ye Fan, you bastard, get away from me!" Li Taibai was knocked off balance and hurriedly pushed him aside.

Qian Renxue turned her head, her gaze landing on Xie Yue, who was supporting Hu Liena.

Xie Yue felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet, instinctively retreating several steps, his hand gripping his curved blade trembling slightly.

Watching their panicked expressions, Qian Renxue instantly lost interest and said indifferently, "Is this all the level you have?"

Ling Feng, Li Taibai, Ye Fan, and Yan, who had been knocked to the ground, struggled to climb back up, gathering together while staring at Qian Renxue with vigilant eyes, their faces as heavy as iron.

In the exchange just now, they hadn't even managed to touch the hem of Qian Renxue's clothes; this sense of powerlessness was even more stifling than defeat.

At the edge of the Martial Arts Platform, Bibi Dong could finally hold back no longer. She looked at Qian Daoliu and asked, "Grand Elder, what is going on? She didn't use any Soul Skills, and she barely even utilized her Soul Power, so how could she achieve such a result?"

Qian Daoliu glanced at her, his tone flat: "Just watch."

Bibi Dong's expression darkened, and she cursed inwardly: Old geezer, you just wait!

However, she knew that Qian Daoliu would never reveal a single thing, so she could only cast her gaze back toward the arena.

"What exactly did you do?" Ye Fan looked at Qian Renxue, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness.

Ling Feng, Li Taibai, and the others also looked over, their eyes filled with confusion.

They clearly possessed the cultivation of Soul Ancestors and Soul Elders, and Qian Renxue's strength was indeed only at the Soul Ancestor level, so why was the gap so vast?

Qian Renxue said slowly, "Sixty percent of a Soul Master's power comes from their Soul Rings, thirty percent from their Martial Soul, and the remaining ten percent is the power one can erupt with themselves."

"Soul Rings certainly bring powerful Soul Skills, but what if you are unable to use those Soul Skills?"

"A Soul Master without Soul Skills is actually quite fragile."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the group: "Before reaching the Soul Saint realm, releasing a Soul Skill requires about a breath of time. During that interval, your bodies experience a brief stagnation, which is the perfect moment for me to attack."

"We naturally know these things," Ling Feng frowned. "What we want to know is how you could appear at our sides in an instant? You didn't use your Soul Rings!"

Qian Renxue lazily swept a glance over them: "It is simply because I am fast, and you are too slow."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the six turned a shade of green and white. Being told so bluntly that they were "slow" was undoubtedly a great humiliation for these geniuses.

Yet, the recent exchange left them unable to refute it—that speed was so fast that their Martial Souls and Soul Rings had become mere decorations.

"Release your Soul Skills," Qian Renxue suddenly said. "I will give you time. Without your Soul Skills, you are not worthy of crossing blades with me."

Ling Feng took a deep breath and looked at Yan, who was still clutching his neck: "Yan, step aside. Do not interfere."

Yan opened his mouth as if to say something, but under Ling Feng's firm gaze, he eventually lowered his head and retreated silently to Hu Liena's side, standing with them.

In the center of the arena, only Ling Feng, Li Taibai, and Ye Fan remained, watching Qian Renxue with grave expressions as their Soul Power began to surge wildly—this time, they were going to get serious.

Qian Renxue stood quietly in place, her golden eyes devoid of even the slightest ripple.