Grievous Injury

One ring.

Only one ring.

A level fifteen Soul Master, facing three Soul Elders, with only a single soul ring on his body.

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

Yet, not one of the three people standing opposite him could manage a laugh.

A purple thousand-year first soul ring—they had never seen such a thing; it defied everything they knew.

This new disciple the Pope had taken in was no simple character!

Furthermore, they felt it: the moment Gu Qingshan released his Martial Soul, a massive pressure descended like a mountain.

It wasn't soul power suppression; Gu Qingshan's soul power was far below theirs, making suppression impossible.

This was a more primitive, more savage pressure, like the instinctive fear one feels when facing an ancient, ferocious beast.

Hu Liena's expression shifted.

Her Heavenly Fox Martial Soul was trembling.

It wasn't fear, but a warning from the depths of her bloodline; the Heavenly Fox was a top-tier beast Martial Soul, and its perception of danger was extremely keen.

"First Soul Skill, Flame Impact!" Yan was the first to strike.

His body transformed into a mass of flowing fire, hurtling toward Gu Qingshan like a cannonball.

The first soul skill Flame Impact was his most frequently used offensive ability; it was fast and possessed strong explosive power, enough to make even an ordinary Soul Ancestor take it seriously.

At the same time, Xie Yue's figure cut in from the side like a phantom, his twin blades slicing through the air in silence, aiming straight for Gu Qingshan's right flank.

He didn't use a soul skill, but the sharpness of the blades, combined with the characteristics of his curved blade Martial Soul, was in no way inferior to the power of a soul skill.

Hu Liena was a beat slow.

It wasn't because she hesitated, but because the warning from her Heavenly Fox was so intense that she instinctively slowed down by those few fractions of a second.

But in the end, she still attacked: First Soul Skill, Charm Eyes.

A silvery-white light flickered in her eyes, and an invisible mental shockwave enveloped Gu Qingshan.

The effect of Charm Eyes was to induce a brief moment of mental trance; while not an offensive soul skill, it was enough to decide life or death in the heat of battle.

The trio's coordination was nearly seamless.

They had practiced this tactic countless times, and even when facing opponents of higher levels, they had never failed.

But today was different.

Gu Qingshan didn't even move.

He didn't raise his shield to block, didn't dodge, and didn't release a soul skill.

He simply stood there, the Thorn Shield hovering by his left hand, watching the three of them pounce toward him from three directions with an expressionless face.

Then.

Flame Impact slammed into the edge of the Thorn Shield.

The curved blades hacked into the surface of the shield.

The mental shockwave of Charm Eyes engulfed Gu Qingshan.

A dull, thunderous boom exploded over the arena.

All three figures were sent flying backward simultaneously.

It was as if three invisible giant hands had erupted from within Gu Qingshan's body, violently repelling the three of them.

Yan flew the furthest; he was sent back over ten meters, crashing heavily into the arena's perimeter wall, leaving a crater in the wall made of Black Vein Stone.

Xie Yue flew seven or eight meters, his back slamming into the ground, sliding a long distance before coming to a stop; his head lolled to the side, and he lost consciousness.

Hu Liena flew the shortest distance, but her injuries appeared the most severe; she lay motionless less than five meters from Gu Qingshan.

Bibi Dong sat in the spectator stand, her Pope Scepter creaking under the grip of her right hand.

Her expression was complex.

Although she knew this would be the outcome, seeing three Soul Elders simultaneously sent flying and severely wounded by the passive recoil of a fifteen-year-old child's ability still exceeded her expectations.

There was also a hint of gratification; this child was a disciple she had personally selected, and his strength was a testament to her own judgment.

"Healer." Her voice was calm, but her speech was a fraction faster than usual.

The healing Soul Master had been prepared; the moment the three were sent flying, she had already leaped down from the stands.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Light of Recovery."

A pale green halo spread from her palms, enveloping the three wounded.

Xie Yue's complexion eased slightly, and Hu Liena's breathing gradually stabilized, but Yan's condition was not optimistic.

The force with which he hit the wall was too great; beyond the recoil damage, there was the impact itself, and most of his ribs were broken.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on the healer's forehead as she quickly assessed their injuries, her soul power outputting continuously, layer upon layer of green light covering them.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the three of them finally stabilized their injuries and began to wake up one after another.

"Cough... cough cough..."

Yan was helped up by the healing soul master, and it took several coughs before he could catch his breath.

He looked down at his chest; a large patch of his white robe was stained red with blood, and waves of sharp pain radiated from his ribs. However, thanks to the healing soul master's treatment, the bones had been reset, and the pain was gradually subsiding.

His expression was the most complex of the three: shock, anger, shame, confusion... various emotions intertwined on his face, eventually settling into a bitter smile.

"I lost."

Hu Liena did not speak; her eyes remained fixed on Gu Qingshan.

She recalled the words her teacher had said earlier: "Qingshan's damage reflection is true damage; it cannot be defended against."

At the time, she had thought her teacher was just making polite conversation, trying to gild the lily for her own disciple.

Now, she knew.

The teacher wasn't gilding the lily.

The teacher was saving their lives.

Bibi Dong walked down from the spectator stand, the sound of the Pope Scepter striking the ground ringing out with exceptional clarity in the silent training arena.

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

Gu Qingshan's expression remained as indifferent as ever—neither ostentatious nor deliberately low-key; everything was within his expectations.

"Teacher, are the healers enough? Should I call for another one?"

Bibi Dong smiled, the warmth spreading from her eyes to the corners of her mouth, suddenly bringing a sense of humanity to a face that was usually so dignified it bordered on cold.

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

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

Although their injuries had stabilized, it would still take some time for them to fully recover.

Suffering a setback was good for them; it would keep them from thinking they were invincible and getting too big for their boots.

"Now," her voice regained the dignity of the Pope, though the smile had not yet fully faded from her lips, "are you convinced?"

Xie Yue was the first to speak, his voice calm but sincere: "Convinced."

He realized that Gu Qingshan hadn't even used a soul skill just now, nor had he even adopted a defensive stance.

If he had used a soul skill, they wouldn't have just been severely injured; they would have been finished. Therefore, he was genuinely and thoroughly convinced by Gu Qingshan.

Yan gritted his teeth, holding back for several seconds before finally squeezing two words through his teeth: "...Convinced."

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

"Convinced."

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

This display of strength had gone quite well.

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

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