"Urgh!" Li Taibai let out a muffled groan, spraying blood as he pitched forward and fell to the ground. The Green Lotus Sword flew from his hand and embedded itself in the distant floor, humming softly.
The Martial Arts Platform fell silent in an instant.
Qian Renxue stood at the center, a few strands of golden hair falling loose and only making her seem sharper.
She looked toward the burning incense stick atop the stone pillar. Its tip still trailed blue smoke, and more than half the allotted time remained.
At the edge of the platform, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan stood dumbfounded, their faces pale.
Even Bibi Dong in the distance had her pupils suddenly contract. The hand gripping her scepter—without using her Martial Soul, without unleashing any soul skill, relying solely on her physical body and speed, she had defeated three geniuses whose boosted strength was close to that of Soul Emperors in succession...
Just how terrifying was Qian Renxue's strength?
"Li Taibai, give me the wine gourd." Ye Fan struggled to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His face remained pale, his internal energy was a tangled mess, and waves of pain came from his back; every movement pulled at his injuries.
Li Taibai also pushed himself up from the ground, his body still trembling slightly. Looking at Qian Renxue, he gave a wry smile. "Miss Qian, that strike of yours was really heavy."
"I didn't hit you hard," Qian Renxue said indifferently. "The force I used against you was only half of what I used on those two."
Li Taibai instinctively looked at Ling Feng and Ye Fan. Ling Feng was still sprawled on the ground, unable to recover.
The corner of his mouth twitched—those two had absurd defenses, like iron walls, yet they had been left in that state. His own condition was now nearly the same as theirs. It seemed Qian Renxue truly had not intended to kill him.
He wiped the blood from his lips, his gaze gradually turning resolute. "Miss, forgive me, but I don't want to lose so inexplicably."
"Sword Immortal Wine Gourd, fill up." The wine gourd at his waist glowed faintly.
Li Taibai removed the Sword Immortal Wine Gourd from his waist, pulled out its stopper, raised it over his head, and tipped it toward his mouth.
Clear liquor streamed into his throat like a silver thread, accompanied by repeated gulping sounds.
Within a few breaths, he had drunk a third of the wine in the gourd. His Adam's apple bobbed, and a faint flush spread across his face.
This Sword Immortal Wine Gourd was one of Li Taibai's core trump cards.
It could store energy equal to up to three times his own Soul Power, condensing that energy into wine for use whenever he needed it.
At level ten, it could store wine equal to one full measure of his Soul Power each day.
Now that he was level forty-five, it took three days to store one measure.
One gourd of wine was exactly equal to his total Soul Power.
The wine could not only restore Soul Power and suppress injuries, but also grant a twenty-percent increase to all attributes.
That was precisely why he had always been able to keep Ling Feng and Ye Fan firmly beneath him.
It came with its own support effects, gave him uninterrupted endurance, and let him store four times as much Soul Power as Soul Masters of the same level.
"Catch." Li Taibai tossed the wine gourd to Ye Fan. "Each of you gets a third. There's no more."
The upper echelons of Spirit Hall all knew that this wine had miraculous effects, but no one knew the secret that the gourd could store three times his Soul Power. He had never revealed it, not even to Qian Daoliu.
Ye Fan caught the wine gourd, tilted back his head, and drank a third before tossing it to Ling Feng.
Ling Feng downed the remaining wine and casually threw the empty gourd onto the ground, where it landed with a light clang.
As the liquor entered their bodies, faint halos immediately rose around the three of them. Their chaotic auras gradually stabilized, their depleted Soul Power began to recover, and their physical auras strengthened slightly.
The Martial Arts Platform was silent. Only the incense stick atop the stone pillar continued to burn quietly, ash falling in soft flakes. Before long, more than half of it had burned away.
"You've more or less recovered," Qian Renxue said as she watched them.
"Do you have any new tricks? If not, then this match should end."
Ye Fan, Ling Feng, and Li Taibai exchanged glances, and a trace of determination flashed in each of their eyes.
Ye Fan stepped forward first, slowly walking toward Qian Renxue. His voice was low but clear. "Ling Feng, if you still intend to hide your strength, then from now on, this is all you'll ever amount to in Spirit Hall."
He knew Ling Feng too well—their Martial Souls had originally been of equal rank, and their potential was comparable. Over the years, both had concealed their true abilities, maintaining a delicate balance.
But today was different. Qian Renxue's strength had shattered that balance. If they did not reveal their true power, Spirit Hall's resources would inevitably tilt toward her, and they would receive less and less.
Only by displaying value enough to stand on equal footing with Qian Renxue could they preserve their current positions.
Ling Feng's eyes flickered. In the end, he gritted his teeth and did not refute him.
Ye Fan stopped several yards before Qian Renxue. He suddenly raised his head and let out a long roar that echoed across the Martial Arts Platform.
He activated his Martial Soul with all his strength, and a gigantic Qilin phantom emerged behind him. Its scales were distinct, its horns imposing, and it stood upon the void. With every step it took, the aura around it surged higher.
Qian Renxue's golden eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the Qilin phantom with interest—its aura was more than a level stronger than before.
Seeing this, Qian Daoliu moved his fingertips. A golden barrier instantly covered the entire Martial Arts Platform, completely sealing off the aura within.
His expression was grave. Clearly, he too had sensed Ye Fan's abnormality.
"Martial Soul Evolution—Divine Beast, Five Elements Qilin!"
With an angry roar from Ye Fan, the Qilin phantom behind him suddenly erupted with dazzling light.
Its original single flame hue faded, replaced by five-colored streams of light that coiled around its body.
They corresponded respectively to the Five-Elements Power of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Each power was incomparably pure, intertwining and radiating a pressure that made hearts tremble.
"Roar—"
The Five Elements Qilin released a deafening roar, descended from the heavens, and plunged into Ye Fan's body.
Ye Fan's aura soared like a rocket, and his Soul Power fluctuations finally stabilized at the realm of a level sixty-three Soul Emperor!
His Qilin Battle Armor changed as well. Five diamond-shaped gems appeared on his chest, each flashing with one of five colors as their light flowed endlessly.
"Domain—Five Elements Domain!"
Ye Fan spread his arms, and five-colored ripples spread through the space several yards around him.
Wherever the domain reached, green vines grew from the ground (wood), ice crystals condensed (water), flames rose (fire), rocks emerged (earth), and sharp metallic energy swirled through the air (metal). The Five-Elements Power cycled endlessly, forming an independent energy field that enveloped Qian Renxue.
"This is... the aura of a Divine Level Martial Soul! And such a Domain, one I've never seen before!"
Shock flashed through Qian Daoliu's eyes as he laughed. "This kid hid himself deeply indeed. If not for today's match, who knows how much longer he would have kept it hidden?"
"But as long as he belongs to Spirit Hall, that is good. Very good."
Bibi Dong stood outside the barrier, watching the Divine Level aura erupt from Ye Fan's body. Her pupils suddenly contracted, and the hand gripping her scepter trembled slightly—Divine Level Martial Soul! Her gaze became increasingly complicated.
Qian Renxue watched the Five-Elements Power flowing around Ye Fan, and the fighting spirit in her golden eyes grew even stronger. "Now this is a little interesting. This is more like it."
Feeling the surging power within him and the sense of control granted by his Domain, Ye Fan looked at Qian Renxue and said confidently, "Qian Renxue, do you still think we aren't qualified to make you use your Martial Soul?"
Before you continue