Gong Changlong's right palm suddenly turned fiery red and collided with Yang Jian's fist.
In the next instant, thick clouds of white mist billowed out from the point of impact, engulfing both of them.
Yang Jian was the first to emerge from the mist. He staggered back more than a dozen steps before barely managing to dispel Gong Changlong's domineering Soul Power. But unexpectedly, Gong Changlong had also been forced back two steps.
Though it was only two steps, a trace of undisguised astonishment still appeared in Gong Changlong's eyes.
He hadn't used his Martial Soul, much less unleashed a Soul Skill, but he was still a powerful Titled Douluo! Yang Jian, on the other hand, was only a three-ring Soul Elder. And Yang Jian hadn't used his Martial Soul either. That result was nothing short of astonishing.
As the mist cleared, a hint of approval crossed Gong Changlong's face. "Well done, lad. The power of Ultimate Water actually suppressed me. I'm curious—what is your Martial Soul?"
Old Gong devoted himself to caring for Soul Beasts and studying their breeding. He paid no attention to the outside world, and barely kept up with what went on in the Inner Court, so naturally he knew nothing of the rumors circulating through the Outer Court.
It had been a long time since Shrek Academy had seen a Soul Master with an Ultimate Attribute—and especially one with Ultimate Water, which could suppress a fire-attribute Soul Master like him. That was why Gong Changlong was interested in Yang Jian's Martial Soul.
If he wasn't mistaken, Yang Jian's Martial Soul had something to do with that dog.
Though the little dog looked completely harmless, with its adorably fierce expression, Gong Changlong had still noticed something unusual about it.
"Xiao Bai is my Martial Soul."
Yang Jian discreetly flexed his slightly numb arm, his expression still courteous. "Elder Gong, am I qualified to use a Soul Beast with fifty thousand years of cultivation for practical training now?"
Gong Changlong shook his head. "There aren't many Soul Beasts with fifty thousand years of cultivation or more in the Beast Enclosure. It's not as if you can use one just because you're strong enough. At the very least, you need to be an Inner Court disciple."
"In terms of strength, you were certainly good enough to withstand one of my attacks. But you're not an Inner Court student yet, so the rules won't let me arrange practical training for you against a Soul Beast with fifty thousand years of cultivation."
As he spoke, Gong Changlong paused, a faint smile appearing on his face. "However, I can make an exception and let you challenge a Soul Beast with forty-two thousand years of cultivation."
Forty-two thousand years... That wasn't bad.
"Then thank you, Elder Gong."
At this, Zhou Yi and Ye Qingyuan both breathed a sigh of relief.
The practical training proceeded quickly. Most of the groups accomplished the goal Zhou Yi had set beforehand—defeating a thousand-year Soul Beast. Only a few groups were unfortunately eliminated.
Soon, only Ye Qingyuan and Yang Jian remained to complete their practical training.
Zhou Yi looked at Ye Qingyuan expectantly, then spoke in her hoarse voice. "Next, Ye Qingyuan. Enter the Beast Fighting Arena."
At her words, Ye Qingyuan stood up, immediately drawing the attention of the students who had already finished their practical training.
"She's going to challenge a thousand-year Soul Beast alone, too... Can she really do it?"
"Isn't Teacher Zhou Yi picking on her? Or... is she actually that strong?"
"We all needed to work in groups for practical training, but she's facing a thousand-year Soul Beast by herself..."
As she heard the murmurs around her, Ye Qingyuan smiled sweetly at Yang Jian, who was watching her. Then she took a deep breath and walked straight into the Beast Fighting Arena.
Ye Qingyuan walked to the center of the arena. Teachers stood on either side, ready to protect the students' safety. In other words, even if a student failed to defeat a thousand-year Soul Beast, the two teachers would ensure they came to no harm.
The referee on the right signaled toward the far end. A shrill mechanical clatter rang out, and the enormous iron gate in the distance slowly opened. An eerie sound drifted out of the pitch-black passageway.
The Soul Beast didn't rush out of the passage right away. And the noise didn't sound like footsteps; it was more like the movement of some kind of arthropod.
Ye Qingyuan's eyes narrowed sharply. Her Martial Soul appeared, and three dazzling Soul Rings—yellow, purple, and purple—rose around her.
"She has a Soul Ring configuration that exceeds the limit, too?"
"Her second Soul Ring is already a thousand-year Soul Ring?"
Ye Qingyuan's Soul Ring configuration astonished the students watching as well. But compared with Yang Jian, whose configuration was utterly heaven-defying, Ye Qingyuan seemed like a genius they could more readily accept.
Or perhaps, with Yang Jian as a point of comparison, even a Soul Ring configuration like hers seemed a little less impressive.
Still, Zhou Yi looked surprised.
She'd known that Ye Qingyuan had reached the rank of a three-ring Soul Elder, but she hadn't realized that Ye Qingyuan was also a genius who had surpassed the conventional Soul Ring limits.
It seemed her decision to place Ye Qingyuan in a group by herself had indeed been the right one.
In the next instant, a long, lean spider, gray from head to toe, darted out of the passageway. A few yellow, threadlike strands clung near its not particularly large body.
A thousand-year Crypt Demon Spider!
Ye Qingyuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Though the Crypt Demon Spider was neither as powerful in attack nor as venomous as the more fearsome Man Faced Demon Spider, and was less notorious than the latter, it was far more difficult and devious to deal with.
However, the wide-open arena greatly weakened the Crypt Demon Spider.
The Crypt Demon Spider excelled at using all kinds of terrain to set traps for its opponents, then relying on its special abilities to kill them. This open arena completely wiped out its advantages.
In that case... she'd finish this quickly.
The single yellow Soul Ring behind Ye Qingyuan flashed. In an instant, she transformed into a streak of blue-gold light and shot toward the Crypt Demon Spider.
The Crypt Demon Spider, having lost its terrain advantage, didn't choose to meet Ye Qingyuan head-on. Instead, it darted toward the edge of the arena. But it was nowhere near as fast as Ye Qingyuan, who soon caught up to it.
Yet just as Ye Qingyuan drew close, a huge Spider Web Cage sprang up, enveloping her completely.
The Crypt Demon Spider's innate skill, Spider Web Cage!
Wherever the Crypt Demon Spider went, it could conceal its webbing in the ground. It controlled these threads with its mental power. The moment an enemy stepped into range, it would activate the trap, using the threads' unique properties to form a cage and trap them inside!
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