Dugu Ce shook his head:
"No."
Xie Yue nodded on behalf of the Golden Generation:
"No."
"Then let's begin.
"First match: Dugu Ce versus Yan."
Bibi Dong returned to the seat of honor and raised a hand to signal the start.
Yan strode into the center of the Martial Arts Arena. With every step, the flagstones beneath his feet grew slightly hotter.
"Kid, don't say I'm picking on you."
Yan brought his fists together. Martial Soul Possession: Flame Lord.
Crimson flames surged from his body, and five Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—slowly revolved beneath him.
The aura of a fifty-second-level Soul King burst forth without restraint.
Dugu Ce walked to face him and raised his right hand.
Calamity Sacred Dragon Martial Soul Possession.
Dark golden flames rose from his palm, and five Soul Rings appeared beneath him: two yellow, one purple, and two black.
The stands erupted in an uproar.
"His fifth ring is fifty-eight thousand years old?
"He's only twelve!"
"Yellow, purple, black, black?
"That Soul Ring configuration is absurd!"
"Calamity Sacred Dragon?
"What kind of Martial Soul is that?
"I've never heard of it!"
Yan's pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure:
"Your Soul Ring configuration is impressive, but your Soul Power Level is what matters.
"Fifty-one against fifty-two. A one-level difference is still a difference."
"Is that so?"
Dugu Ce raised his left hand, and the Radiant Sacred Dragon Martial Soul appeared as well.
Brilliant golden flames surged from the palm of his left hand, shining in concert with the dark golden flames in his right.
Twin Martial Souls.
The uproar in the stands grew even louder.
Yan's expression finally changed.
"Twin Martial Souls... You've attached Soul Rings to both of them?"
"The Calamity Sacred Dragon is my main Martial Soul. I haven't added any Soul Rings to the Radiant Sacred Dragon yet,"
Dugu Ce said calmly.
"But one Martial Soul is enough to deal with you."
Yan's expression darkened:
"Arrogant!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yan's third Soul Ring lit up.
Flame Lord's Wrath.
A pillar of crimson flame erupted from the ground, shooting straight toward Dugu Ce's face.
Dugu Ce pushed off with his feet, activating his Ice and Fire Golden Body. His figure darted three feet sideways like a ghost, dodging the pillar's direct impact.
The scorching wave of heat grazed his shoulder. The dark golden sheen on his skin flickered faintly, leaving him completely unharmed.
"Ice and Fire Golden Body?"
On the VIP platform, an elderly worshipper opened his eyes and murmured,
"This kid's interesting."
Seeing his attack miss, Yan immediately lit up his fourth Soul Ring:
Lava Spike.
The ground split open in several places, and dark red magma surged through the cracks,
transforming into dozens of molten spikes that stabbed at Dugu Ce from every direction.
Dugu Ce neither dodged nor retreated. The fifth Soul Ring on his right hand lit up.
"Earth Dragon Roll."
Dark golden Soul Power poured into the ground beneath his feet. The earth within a twenty-meter radius of Dugu Ce began to shake violently.
The molten spikes shattered one after another in the tremors. The ground beneath Yan cracked as well, making him stagger and nearly fall.
"What kind of Soul Skill is that?"
Yan steadied himself, his expression changing.
"Control-type. You won't be able to stand steady for five seconds."
Dugu Ce shot forward, his right hand gathering a mass of dark golden magma.
Fifth Soul Ring: Magma Burst.
"Take this!"
The dark golden ball of magma tore through the air, trailing a long tail of flame as it hurtled toward Yan.
Grinding his teeth, Yan lit up his fifth Soul Ring: Flame Lord's Protection.
A crimson barrier of flame gathered in front of him, attempting to block the magma ball.
Boom!
The magma ball slammed into the barrier, exploding in a storm of dark golden sparks.
The barrier lasted less than two seconds before shattering. The remaining shockwave blasted Yan several steps backward, scorching holes into the front of his clothes.
"The quality of your flames is inferior to mine."
Dugu Ce stood where he was, the dark golden flames dancing in his right palm.
"When it comes to fire, you're at a disadvantage."
Yan looked down at the burns on his chest, his face dark as iron.
He was the only Soul King among the Golden Generation, and a fifty-second-level one at that. Yet now, a twelve-year-old child was beating him down.
"It's not over yet!"
Yan roared and slapped both palms against the ground. Martial Soul Avatar—Flame Lord Avatar.
This was his Seventh Soul Skill, but forcibly activating it with his fifty-second-level Soul Power came at a tremendous cost.
His body swelled to three meters tall, and magma-like crimson armor covered him from head to toe. His aura nearly doubled.
"Kid, forcing me to use my Martial Soul Avatar is something you can be proud of!"
Yan charged at Dugu Ce, each step leaving a charred footprint on the ground.
Watching him charge, Dugu Ce's lips curled into a slight smile.
"Martial Soul Avatar? I can do that too."
The Calamity Sacred Dragon's sixth Soul Ring—no, he only had five.
But the Calamity Sacred Dragon Martial Soul itself possessed the bloodline of a true dragon. He could unleash its draconic might without needing a Soul Ring.
Dark golden flames erupted from Dugu Ce's body, gathering behind him into the phantom of a ten-meter-long dark golden sacred dragon.
The dragon's might pressed down like a mountain, dimming the flames across the Martial Arts Arena.
Halfway through his charge, Yan's steps faltered under the pressure of that draconic might.
In that brief instant, Dugu Ce was already in front of him.
He clenched his right hand into a fist. Dark golden flames gathered around it, forming the shape of a small dragon, and he slammed it into Yan's chest.
"Calamity Dragon Fist."
Boom!
The three-meter-tall Flame Lord Avatar was sent flying by the punch, crashing into the wall at the edge of the arena and smashing a deep crater into the flagstone.
Yan slid down the wall. His Martial Soul Avatar vanished, and he returned to his original size. Clutching his chest, he coughed up a mouthful of black smoke. He struggled twice but couldn't get back up.
The entire arena fell silent.
Bibi Dong was quiet for a moment before announcing:
"First match, Dugu Ce wins."
A thunderous chorus of cries erupted from the stands.
"He killed him with one punch?"
"That was Yan's Martial Soul Avatar!"
"Calamity Sacred Dragon... What kind of monster is that?"
Supported by others, Yan left the Martial Arts Arena. As he passed Dugu Ce, he said quietly,
"Your flames... really are stronger than mine."
Dugu Ce nodded:
"Thanks for going easy on me."
Xie Yue leaped down from the stands, landing in the center of the arena. He looked at Dugu Ce without expression:
"How long do you need to rest?"
"No need to rest."
Dugu Ce rolled his wrist.
"Come on."
Xie Yue furrowed his brows slightly:
"You just finished a match. You must have used a lot of Soul Power."
"I used less than thirty percent against Yan. That's enough."
Dugu Ce raised his right hand, and the dark golden flames of the Calamity Sacred Dragon rose once more.
Xie Yue said no more. Martial Soul Possession—Moon Blade.
Two curved, crescent-shaped silver blades extended from his palms. Their razor-sharp aura cut through the air with a faint whistling sound. Five Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and one black—appeared beneath him.
Fifty-first level, the same as Dugu Ce.
"Your speed is impressive, but my Moon Blades are faster."
As soon as the words left Xie Yue's mouth, his figure vanished from where he stood.
It wasn't teleportation. He was simply moving too fast for the naked eye to follow.
Dugu Ce closed his eyes, his spiritual power spreading like a tide. His Soul Douluo-level spiritual power was more than enough to track Xie Yue's movements.
"Left."
Dugu Ce turned sideways, gathered a mass of dark golden flame in his right hand, and struck toward the empty space on his left.
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