Severe Injury

One ring.

Only one ring.

A level-15 Soul Master, facing three Soul Elders, with only one Soul Ring on him.

No matter how you looked at it, the scene was ridiculous.

But not one of the three standing opposite him could laugh.

A purple thousand-year First Soul Ring—they had never seen one before. It was already beyond their understanding.

This new disciple the Pope had taken on was no ordinary person!

And they felt it: the moment Gu Qingshan released his Martial Soul, a tremendous pressure came crashing down like a mountain.

It wasn't Soul Power suppression. Gu Qingshan's Soul Power was far below theirs; he couldn't possibly suppress them.

This was a more primitive, more overbearing pressure, like the instinctive fear of facing an ancient Ferocious Beast.

Hu Liena's expression changed.

Her Heavenly Fox Martial Soul was trembling.

It wasn't fear, but a wariness rising from deep within her bloodline. The Heavenly Fox was a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, with an exceptionally keen sense for danger.

"First Soul Skill, Flame Charge!" Yan made the first move.

His body transformed into a streak of rushing flame, and he hurtled toward Gu Qingshan like a cannonball.

Flame Charge, his First Soul Skill, was his most frequently used attack. It was fast and explosive, powerful enough to make even an ordinary Soul Ancestor take it seriously.

At the same time, Xie Yue's figure slipped in from the side like a ghost. His twin blades soundlessly cut through the air, heading straight for Gu Qingshan's right flank.

He didn't use a Soul Skill, but the sharpness of that strike, combined with the properties of his Curved Blade Martial Soul, was in no way inferior to a Soul Skill.

Hu Liena was half a beat slower.

It wasn't because she hesitated. The warning from her Heavenly Fox was simply too strong, and she instinctively slowed down for a fraction of a second.

But in the end, she still made her move: her First Soul Skill, Bewitching Eyes.

Silver-white light shimmered in her eyes as an invisible wave of mental force swept toward Gu Qingshan.

Bewitching Eyes caused brief mental disorientation. Though it wasn't an offensive Soul Skill, in battle it was enough to decide life or death.

The three of them coordinated almost flawlessly.

They had practiced this strategy countless times. Even against opponents of a higher level, they had never failed.

But today was different.

Gu Qingshan didn't even move.

He didn't raise his shield to block, dodge, or release a Soul Skill.

He simply stood there, the Thorn Shield floating at his left side, his expressionless gaze fixed on the three people charging at him from different directions.

Then.

Flame Charge slammed into the edge of the Thorn Shield.

The Curved Blade struck the shield's face.

The mental shock wave from Bewitching Eyes engulfed Gu Qingshan.

A muffled boom exploded through the air above the training ground.

All three figures were sent flying at once.

It was as if three invisible giant hands had burst out of Gu Qingshan's body, hurling them away with tremendous force.

Yan flew the farthest. He was flung more than ten meters before crashing hard into the training ground's perimeter wall, leaving a dent in the wall of Black Vein Stone.

Xie Yue flew seven or eight meters. His back slammed into the ground, and he slid a long way before stopping. His head lolled to the side, and he passed out.

Hu Liena flew the shortest distance, but seemed to be the most seriously injured. She lay face down less than five meters from Gu Qingshan, motionless.

Bibi Dong sat in the stands, her right hand gripping the Pope Scepter so tightly that it creaked.

Her expression was complicated.

Although she had known the outcome would be like this, seeing three Soul Elders simultaneously blasted away and gravely wounded by the passive counterattack of a level-15 child still made a visual impact beyond her expectations.

And there was a trace of satisfaction. This child was a disciple she had personally chosen; his strength proved the soundness of her judgment.

"Healer." Her voice was calm, but she spoke a little faster than usual.

The healing Soul Master had been ready for this. The instant the three were sent flying, she had already leapt down from the stands.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Light of Renewal."

A pale green glow spread from her palm, enveloping the three injured Soul Masters.

Xie Yue's expression eased somewhat, and Hu Liena's breathing gradually steadied, but Yan's condition wasn't looking good.

He had hit the wall with tremendous force. He had suffered not only the counterattack but also the damage from the collision itself, and most of his ribs were broken.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on the healing Soul Master's forehead. She quickly assessed their injuries, continuously channeling her Soul Power as layers of green light washed over them one after another.

After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the three were finally stabilized and gradually came around.

"Cough... cough, cough..."

The healing Soul Master helped Yan sit up. He coughed several times before he could catch his breath.

He looked down at his chest. A large patch of blood stained his white robe, and waves of pain throbbed where his ribs were. But the healing Soul Master had set the bones, and the pain was gradually easing.

His expression was the most complicated of the three: shock, anger, shame, confusion... All sorts of emotions mingled on his face, before finally becoming a bitter smile.

"I lost."

Hu Liena said nothing. Her eyes stayed fixed on Gu Qingshan.

She remembered what her teacher had said earlier: "Qingshan's counterattack deals true damage. It can't be defended against."

At the time, she had thought her teacher was just putting on a show, flattering her own disciple.

Now she understood.

Her teacher hadn't been flattering him.

Her teacher had been saving their lives.

Bibi Dong descended from the stands. The sound of her Pope Scepter striking the ground rang especially clearly through the silent training ground.

She walked up to Gu Qingshan and looked down at the child, who had to lift his head to meet her gaze.

Gu Qingshan still wore that faint, unruffled expression. He wasn't showing off, nor was he making a point of keeping a low profile. Everything had gone according to his expectations.

"Teacher, is one healer enough? Should we call another?"

Bibi Dong smiled. The smile spread from her eyes to her lips, bringing warmth to a face that was usually so imposing it seemed almost cold.

"No need." Bibi Dong reached out and ruffled Gu Qingshan's hair, the gesture natural and casual, as if she were petting a well-behaved little animal. "One is enough."

She turned to look at the three battered members of the Golden Generation.

Their injuries had been stabilized, but they would need more time to recover fully.

A little setback would do them good. It would keep them from thinking they were invincible and carrying their tails high in the air all day.

"Now." Her voice regained the majesty of the Pope, though the smile hadn't quite left her lips. "Are you convinced?"

Xie Yue spoke first. His voice was calm but sincere. "I am."

He realized that Gu Qingshan hadn't used a Soul Skill at all, or even taken up a Defensive Stance.

If he had used a Soul Skill, they would have suffered far more than just serious injuries. So Xie Yue was thoroughly convinced.

Yan gritted his teeth and held it in for several seconds before finally squeezing two words through them. "...I am."

Hu Liena looked at Gu Qingshan for a long while, then slowly nodded.

"I am."

Gu Qingshan felt around in his pocket, pulled out a Blue Silver Leaf, and popped it into his mouth. As he chewed, he thought:

That display of strength went pretty well.

Just as he reached the seventh chew, the health bar in his sea of consciousness jumped again.

5670.