When Bibi Dong's two words, "Begin," fell, the Soul Fighting Arena sank into an inexplicable silence.
Everyone's attention focused on Qin Yao and Hu Liena in the arena.
Hu Liena moved first. She unfurled her graceful form, her alluring figure radiating astonishing charm.
"Hu Liena, Demon Fox Martial Soul, Level 45 Control System Battle Soul Ancestor!"
Before her voice had even faded, four Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, and purple—rose one after another from beneath her feet, slowly circling her body.
A wave of gasps rose from the many Spirit Hall Academy students in the stands.
This was the strength of the Pope's personal disciple!
Hu Liena wore a confident smile. She believed she was strong enough to crush the ignorant brat who dared to overestimate himself.
Qin Yao merely said coldly,
"Qin Yao, Amethyst Winged Lion King Martial Soul, Level 43 Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor!"
The next moment, a soul-shaking lion's roar rang throughout the arena. A gigantic purple lion's phantom appeared behind him!
Its entire body was covered in dark-purple crystal armor. Its scarlet eyes looked down upon all living things, while its bone wings spread out behind it in a fearsome display. A domineering pressure, drawn from the depths of its bloodline, swept across the entire Soul Fighting Arena!
Then, four Soul Rings appeared beneath Qin Yao's feet.
Yellow, purple, purple, black!
When the final Soul Ring appeared, black as ink, the entire Soul Fighting Arena fell utterly silent.
Time itself seemed to freeze in that moment.
The confidence and disdain on Hu Liena's face froze, and her mind went blank.
Impossible!
A thousand-year second ring?
A ten-thousand-year fourth ring?
How could this be?
She had trained under her teacher, Bibi Dong, and considered herself one of the finest of the younger generation. Yet even her fourth Soul Ring had only five thousand years of cultivation.
But Qin Yao, whom she was meeting for the first time, had a ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring!
He wasn't just a genius. He was a monster!
The audience fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.
After a brief pause, an uproar erupted like a landslide and a crashing sea!
"Ten... ten thousand years! Am I seeing things? His fourth ring is black!"
"A twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor, with a ten-thousand-year fourth ring... Is he even human?"
Two young men in the crowd were equally aghast.
"Xie Yue, this..." Yan, a burly young man with fiery red hair, spoke with a dry voice. "Can Nana win?"
Xie Yue, silver-haired and red-eyed, wore an expression graver than ever.
"Nana's strongest weapon is her spiritual Charm. If Qin Yao has no effective way to resist it, he'll undoubtedly lose."
Xie Yue took a deep breath and analyzed the situation.
"But if his spiritual power can withstand her Charm, then with his terrifying Soul Ring Configuration, Nana might lose!"
They both knew that a Soul Ring's age directly determined the power of its Soul Skill.
A single ten-thousand-year Soul Skill was enough to change the entire course of a battle.
On the elevated platform,
Bibi Dong's fingers tightened unconsciously around the armrest.
Even as Pope, though she'd weathered countless storms, a huge wave surged in her heart.
Twelve years old, Level 43, a ten-thousand-year fourth ring.
Together, these three facts had already gone beyond her understanding of what a "genius" could be.
Even she herself hadn't come close to achieving this at his age.
The Worship Hall had actually kept such a trump card hidden!
She'd thought this would be a contest she could win with ease. Now, it seemed things were far from simple.
Meanwhile, the scene among the Worship Hall's elders behind Qian Daoliu was entirely different.
"Hahaha! Fourth Brother, your grandson sure has made you proud!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo's hearty laughter rang out without restraint as he slapped Qin Xiong on the back.
Qin Xiong grinned from ear to ear, standing bolt upright as if the ten-thousand-year Soul Ring had appeared on him instead.
"You bet! Just look whose grandson he is!"
Qian Daoliu sat in silence, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Excellent. Absolutely excellent.
Xiao Yao hadn't let him down.
He'd come up with the Whale Rubber body-tempering method, and over the past six years, Xiao Yao had endured more hardship than anyone. Now, the results were enough to cow the petty and the wicked.
With such talent and such resolve, his future achievements would know no bounds.
Only a man like him was worthy of Xue'er.
In the arena,
Hu Liena finally recovered from her tremendous shock.
She knew she couldn't afford to wait any longer.
Against a monster like this, any carelessness could be fatal.
"First Soul Skill, Charm!"
Purple light blazed in Hu Liena's eyes as an invisible spiritual attack shot toward Qin Yao.
At the same time, the second Soul Ring on her body lit up.
"Second Soul Skill, Fox Charm!"
Pink mist billowed from her body, carrying a strange fragrance. It rapidly covered half the arena and could leave any enemy within its range dazed.
She'd unleashed both moves at once—her favorite control combo!
Yet Qin Yao stood exactly where he was, without so much as a twitch.
Just as the spiritual attack and pink mist were about to touch him,
the third Soul Ring on his body suddenly lit up!
"Third Soul Skill, Lion King's Might!"
"Roar!"
The Amethyst Winged Lion King's phantom threw back its head and roared. An even more terrifying pressure than before burst outward from Qin Yao, sweeping across the arena!
All attributes increased by 150%!
This power didn't just affect his body. It also bolstered his spirit and presence.
The moment the invisible spiritual attack met the Lion King's pressure, it was crushed to pieces!
The pink mist billowing across the arena was driven back by his overbearing aura, unable to come within three meters of Qin Yao!
Hu Liena's Charm had been broken!
And it had been crushed in the most brutal, utterly unreasonable fashion!
"Pfft!"
Hu Liena staggered. A tremendous force rebounded against her, sending a stab of pain through her mind and nearly knocking her off her feet.
The instant her concentration faltered, a figure suddenly loomed before her.
Too fast!
Qin Yao's form became a purple blur as he crossed dozens of meters in an instant.
He hadn't even used his ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Skill. That would've been a bit too unfair.
Qin Yao's second Soul Ring lit up.
"Second Soul Skill, Lion's Fang!"
A mass of raging purple fire gathered in his right hand, forming the shape of a snarling lion's head. He casually pressed it against Hu Liena's chest.
Boom!
Hu Liena felt an immense force slam into her. Her protective Soul Power was torn apart in an instant, and the purple flames swallowed her whole as she was sent flying.
She traced an arc through the air before crashing down hard at the edge of the arena. Her Martial Soul vanished in an instant.
One move. Just one move.
The heart of the Golden Generation, the Pope's personal disciple, Hu Liena, a Level 45 Soul Ancestor—defeated!
The entire Soul Fighting Arena was as silent as the grave.
Everyone was stunned by how swiftly the battle had turned.
Qin Yao lowered his hand and stood in the center of the arena. Control System Soul Masters were indeed troublesome, but his Martial Soul was the Amethyst Winged Lion King, far more powerful than the Demon Fox Martial Soul.
That was the main reason Hu Liena's Charm had no effect on Qin Yao!
Just then, two furious roars erupted from the stands.
"Nana!"
"How dare you hurt my little sister!"
Two figures leaped down from above, surrounded by powerful waves of Soul Power, and landed heavily in the arena.
They were Yan and Xie Yue!
The two stood on either side of the unconscious Hu Liena, shielding her as they glared furiously at Qin Yao.
Yellow, yellow, purple, and purple Soul Rings rose around Xie Yue, and two blood-red Moon Blades appeared in his hands.
Yan was even more direct. His Flame Lord Martial Soul Possession covered his burly body in flaming patterns.
The Martial Soul Hall Golden Generation had gathered here.
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