The Whole Audience Was Shocked!

Fists strike with fierce force!

Footwork moves with agility!

Palms and fingers weave together!

Hidden weapons pierce the air!

At this very moment, the competition arena is gradually heating up.

Everyone stares unblinkingly at the two women and one man on the stage, all of them dumbfounded.

The Nine Heart Begonia, primarily known for healing and support, is now swinging fists with such biting wind that it is truly shocking to behold.

Tang San is even more heaven-defying, his speed extraordinary and his movement techniques so bizarre that they are dizzying to follow.

Then there is Dugu Yan, who should have been using her Jade Phosphor Snake martial soul—whether following the path of a beast martial soul or the path of poison, both would have been reasonable. Yet, at this moment, her palms and fingers interlace, her techniques as untraceable as an antelope hanging its horns by its hooves, leaving onlookers terrified.

"Blue Silver Grass can be used like this?"

"A healing-type can be this fierce?"

The audience erupts in an uproar... Is this, is this even a battle between soul masters?

As the saying goes, laymen watch the spectacle, while experts watch the technique.

At this moment, in the highest-tier VIP seats, Emperor Xue Ye, Prince Xue Xing, Martial Soul Hall Platinum Bishop Salas, as well as Ning Fengzhi, Bone Douluo, and the trio of Heaven Dou Royal Academy committee members, without exception, are all stunned.

Anyone who has heard even a whisper of rumors in the soul master world knows that the Nine Heart Begonia is a damn healing-type martial soul; no matter what soul rings are added, it should only produce healing effects.

But...

What is going on with Ye Lingling on the Soul Fighting Platform?

"The Nine Heart Begonia martial soul... can also possess offensive capabilities?"

Salas twirls his beard, lost in thought.

"Is that... a Self-Created Soul Skill? And a systematic, powerful Self-Created Soul Skill at that?"

Bone Douluo squints his eyes, as if by doing so, he could see right through the Ye Family girl on the stage.

Cough, cough.

Emperor Xue Ye clears his throat twice and looks at Ning Fengzhi: "The Shrek team that Sect Master Ning thinks so highly of, it seems..."

He leaves the sentence unfinished, but the meaning is clear... You told me to wait and see, and this is what you show me?

Ning Fengzhi offers a bitter smile. Even with his tact, it takes him a long while to squeeze out a sentence: "The students of Heaven Dou Royal Academy are simply too outstanding!"

There is no help for it; before the match began, he told Emperor Xue Ye that he favored Shrek, and that his daughter Ning Rongrong was also studying there. But the result? Shrek loses their first match, and a crushing defeat at that!

This feeling is like bragging loudly while in high spirits, only to be slapped hard in the face—a completely unexpected slap.

"That is only natural!"

Prince Xue Xing chimes in from the side: "I have said it before, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy represents the face of the Empire and the highest standard of the Empire's young soul masters. It is not something that some Shrek team that popped out of nowhere can compare to!"

He is responding to Ning Fengzhi, but his smug gaze lands on the trio of Heaven Dou Royal Academy committee members... These three old things were trying to undermine him in front of his Imperial Brother just when Tang San revealed his ten-thousand-year soul ring. How about now?

Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhilin, being stared at by Prince Xue Xing, lower their heads, sweat pouring down like rain... They had just told the Emperor that Shrek was originally going to join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, but were driven away by Prince Xue Xing in league with Poison Douluo. And now, in the blink of an eye, Shrek has suffered a crushing defeat!

And they lost to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Second Team, a group of pampered playboys!

How are they supposed to speak? How are they supposed to respond?

They can only shrink their heads and play the ostrich.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the audience, Yu Xiaogang watches the arena as Tang San is gradually forced into a disadvantage by the two women, even beginning to take hits passively. He can no longer hold back.

Even if Tang San's movement technique is extraordinary, every time he is hit, he coughs up a mouthful of blood.

And while the attacks he lands on the two women are effective, Ye Lingling's martial soul is the Nine Heart Begonia, which restores them in the blink of an eye.

With one side waning and the other waxing, Tang San is destined to lose!

"Referee, referee..."

He screams hoarsely at the referee in mid-air: "They aren't competing, they are killing! I demand that you stop the match immediately and declare them the losers!!"

However, the referee ignores him entirely.

In a corner of the audience.

Huo Wu stares blankly at Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling as they display their might on the Soul Fighting Platform.

Gulp.

Her throat feels dry, and she swallows involuntarily. Her fists are clenched, her delicate body trembling, her eyes burning with intensity as she mutters to herself: "Is... is that Dugu Yan's secret weapon? That Thousand Spider Poison Hand is actually this terrifying? Such a powerful Self-Created Soul Skill, one million Gold Soul Coin seems like it was worth the price!"

"And... isn't the Nine Heart Begonia a healing-type martial soul? How can it possess such terrifying combat power? Could Ye Lingling's transformation also be because of the Scripture Depository?"

A healer turning into a main damage dealer—this is the first time in history!

Looking at Ye Lingling's heroic, bold, and wild demeanor on the stage, at this moment, Huo Wu finally realizes why that young man—no, the Pavilion Master—had scoffed at the Blazing Blade she had condensed...

At the same time, she secretly made up her mind that she must go to the Scripture Depository again, and this time, she would bring enough Gold Soul Coin!

She had to secure the intelligence on Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, and that Blazing Blade manual was even more essential; she had a vague feeling that it was very important to her.

Meanwhile, in the VIP box.

Li Jingzhe swirled his wine glass, watching the arena below with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Tsk tsk... Scoundrel couldn't escape this beating from his hometown after all."

"However..."

Li Jingzhe's gaze swept toward the high-platform VIP seats where Emperor Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, Salas, and the others were seated.

Laymen watch the spectacle, while experts watch the technique.

Others might not understand the changes in Ye Lingling, but those people on the high platform certainly did!

"Once the impact of this battle spreads, a massive crowd will inevitably flock to the Scripture Depository."

A flicker of anticipation flashed in Li Jingzhe's eyes.

By spreading cultivation techniques and martial arts, he could receive critical returns on power whenever others practiced them. If he could use the momentum of the Soul Master Tournament to build the reputation of the Scripture Depository and spread these techniques across the Douluo Continent...

Wouldn't the gains from those critical returns allow him to reach level one hundred in a single day and ascend to godhood?

However...

Li Jingzhe seemed to think of something suddenly and asked the System, "Tell me, System, once today's events ferment, the news of these techniques and martial arts won't be able to be kept secret... but this floor only has so many, and they won't be enough to sell."

With only those nine techniques and martial arts on the first floor of the Scripture Depository, how could he spread them across the entire Douluo Continent?

Wouldn't that just mean everyone was taught by the same master, making their moves predictable and easy to counter?

[The Scripture Depository has a total of nine floors. Every time the host obtains a soul ring, a new floor will be unlocked. Each floor varies based on the quality of the soul ring; the higher the quality of the soul ring, the higher the probability of obtaining top-tier techniques and martial arts...]

[At the same time, every time the host obtains a soul ring, the bookshelves on the original floors will automatically replenish with new martial arts and techniques.]

Oh?

Li Jingzhe's eyes lit up.

So that's the mechanism?

In other words, the nine techniques and martial arts provided on the first floor are actually just samples for customers to experience?

"It seems I need to obtain a soul ring as soon as possible..."

Saying this, Li Jingzhe tilted his head back, drained the wine in his glass, and pushed the door open to leave.

There was no longer any suspense in this match.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling—one provided all-around lockdown and output, while the other fought with a reckless, life-for-a-life style. If that little Scoundrel could still turn the tables, it would truly defy the laws of heaven.

Li Jingzhe left the Great Soul Arena and headed straight for the Scripture Depository.

As the saying goes, to do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools. Before going to obtain a soul ring, he still needed to refine a Vermilion Fruit to push himself to a higher level!

Physical strength was directly related to the quality of the soul ring one could obtain, and the quality of the soul ring was directly related to the probability of the Scripture Depository producing top-tier techniques.

Below the divine realm, a martial soul could have at most nine soul rings attached, and every single ring was precious!

Every ring should be pursued to its absolute limit!

But as he crossed half of Gourmet Street, he saw a figure, straight as a pine, standing a hundred paces from the Scripture Depository, examining the building and occasionally showing an expression of approval...