The Power of the Core Flame vs. the Mountain Dragon King! The Dragon King's Probe!

Bai Yuan turned his gaze away from the direction where Dai Yun'er had disappeared.

Just as I expected.

He felt a gaze focusing on him.

That gaze was undisguised, carrying a clear direction, like a taut line, landing directly on his position.

He looked in the direction of that gaze.

At the entrance of the banquet hall, seven figures were walking in from outside.

Instead of a formal banquet dress, she wore a dark red outfit with a black pattern embroidered on the chest.

The beast-like creature bared its sharp teeth, looking ferocious and menacing.

Leading the way was a bald young man.

He is over two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a wide back.

Standing there, he was like a mountain, blocking out everyone behind him.

As he walked in, the guests who had been talking in hushed tones turned slightly to the side.

"Monster Academy King!"

"They actually came."

"I thought he wasn't coming back after he hadn't shown up for so long!"

The path naturally parted in his direction of travel, leaving a passage.

Then he stopped.

They were a few steps away from Bai Yuan.

He looked at Bai Yuan, his gaze calm and direct.

He didn't speak, nor did he make any unnecessary movements.

But that gaze made the surrounding air quieter.

Bai Yuan met that gaze, his expression unchanged.

Why did this happen without any warning?

Yue Zhengyu was about to ask what was going on, his gaze followed Bai Yuan's and fell on the bald young man.

This person is very strong.

He exuded an absurdly strong aura.

But why is he staring at Bai Yuan?

What trouble has this kid gotten into this time?

Gu Yue's gaze also fell on the bald young man.

Her expression didn't change significantly, but the calm that was settling deep in her eyes shifted slightly.

That force felt familiar.

She silently confirmed it in her mind.

The bloodline of the Mountain Dragon King.

Interesting.

This seems like a good omen; I'm going to take everything back!

Tang Wulin stood at the back of the crowd, following everyone's gaze.

He sensed something.

A vague sense of familiarity, the source of which he couldn't quite pinpoint.

He frowned, but didn't say it aloud; the feeling was definitely there.

The bald young man walked towards Bai Yuan, his pace neither hurried nor slow.

Yet it carries a rhythmic quality that subtly tightens the surrounding air.

The air grew slightly heavier, as if sensing the approaching presence.

He stopped in front of Bai Yuan, and his large hand reached out.

"Monster Academy, Long Yue"

His gaze fell on Bai Yuan's face.

Bai Yuan's lips curled slightly, showing no sign of panic, as he calmly extended his hand.

"Spirit Pagoda, Bai Yuan."

Dai Yun'er stood not far away and saw this scene, the corners of her mouth curving slightly.

Her plan is progressing as expected.

Now we'll see how this drama ends, or how it continues to unfold.

Dai Tianling shifted her gaze from her daughter to the two hands that were clasped together.

He shook his head.

He guessed she would come up with a solution, but he didn't expect her to do it so quickly.

He waits to see what the next step will be before deciding whether he needs to make any adjustments.

"Number one on the Genius Ranking!"

Long Yue's voice boomed through the banquet hall, filled with undisguised excitement.

"I've heard of you before! It's an honor to meet you today!"

He laughed heartily, his laughter revealing a ruggedness and confidence reminiscent of the mountains and fields.

It was as if he had finally met an opponent worthy of his serious attention.

He reached out and shook hands with Bai Yuan in mid-air.

"Boom--!"

An invisible shockwave exploded from where the two palms were clasped together.

A subtle ripple spread out around the two of them.

Long Yue's arm tensed instantly, his thick knuckles exerting force, and beneath his dark red skin, the power that the Mountain Dragon King was so proud of surged and roared.

A deep crimson light shone brightly, and wild dragon roars resounded throughout the land.

The domineering dragon's might crushed towards Bai Yuan.

Unfortunately, it had no effect on suppressing Bai Yuan at all.

What he needs to do is very simple.

Overwhelm and crush your opponent with pure violence.

However, when his palm fell, it was as if it was being supported by something.

Deep within Bai Yuan's palm, the Core Flame glowed faintly.

An aura of Destruction, like a thin mist slowly spreading, extended outwards along the lines of his palm.

It Long Yue surging, brute force of the dragon leaping within it, like water flowing into a deep pool, silently and layer by layer devouring it.

Long Yue felt as if his power had entered a bottomless abyss.

The force he thought was enough to crush his opponent was now slowly dissipating.

Long Yue's expression stiffened slightly.

He did not immediately withdraw his hand.

He felt himself being suppressed.

"Fun! Fun!"

Long Yue's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a suppressed excitement.

"You certainly didn't disappoint me."

He suddenly increased the force, and the dark red light surged again along his arm.

The power of the Mountain Dragon King surged outwards from his body like a rekindled lava.

He tried to use that force to press Bai Yuan's palm downwards.

He forced his opponent to take a half-step back in the face of his power.

Bai Yuan's hand remained completely still.

The surging force slid along the edge of his palm.

Then he began to increase the force, gradually increasing it.

He gradually gathered, compressed, and narrowed the surging, brute force of the dragon Long Yue.

"Snap--!"

A very soft sound, like something being slowly squeezed, came from between their clasped hands. (Dragon)

A flicker of barely concealed pain and astonishment crossed Yue's hardened face.

His dark red pupils contracted slightly for a moment.

He felt his bones bearing a pressure beyond the normal weight-bearing capacity of his hand.

This forced him to immediately adjust his grip to avoid being further suppressed.

His gaze lingered on Bai Yuan's face for a moment.

"Are you alright?"

Bai Yuan's eyes remained clear and calm, and a layer of black and red light rippled around the edge of his palm.

"You'd better let go first, you won't be able to take it anymore."

Long Yue looked at Bai Yuan and remained silent for a moment.

Then he released his grip, withdrawing his strength very quickly.

The two tightly clasped hands suddenly separated in that instant.

Long Yue took a step back and looked down at his palm.

He looked up at Bai Yuan again, his eyes showing neither anger nor resentment.

There was only one kind of seriousness that he rarely showed to others.

Bai Yuan's breathing became steady, and his hand, which he had withdrawn, fell to his side.

There was no trace left on him that warranted a second glance.

Long Yue's gaze lingered on Bai Yuan for a moment longer.

After a moment, he slowly spoke:

"You're strong. But I haven't lost yet."

"See you in the finals of the Soul Master Tournament individual competition."

Without saying anything more, he turned and strode out of the banquet hall.

The seven dark red figures followed closely behind.

After a brief silence, the conversation in the banquet hall resumed.

"Good heavens, the Dragon King's power has actually been at a disadvantage..."

The person next to him chimed in.

"As expected of the number one on the Genius Ranking, he really has something."

"The final will definitely be a fierce battle."

Long Yue has always been invincible, but today he stumbled against Bai Yuan.

Bai Yuan clearly sensed that countless eyes were fixed on him.

"Perhaps this guy is a different option."