The Crushing Defeat

In another private box, Ning Fengzhi and the other two had just arrived when they heard about a one-on-seven bet.

At first, they thought the challenger was far too arrogant. But when they heard it was Divine Lord Meng Zhang taking on the Shrek Seven Devils, they immediately grew interested.

When Xue Qinghe saw Xuan Qing walk onto the stage, his expression changed at once.

"Teacher, Senior Bone Douluo, that's the sworn friend Dugu Bo mentioned—the freak the education committee member Meng Shenji said was close to Soul Ancestor before turning ten."

Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong both froze.

They looked closely. The youth had long blue-green hair and a tall frame; he hardly looked like a child.

When Xuan Qing revealed his Soul Rings—one yellow, one purple, and one black—the three exchanged glances. They felt as if they were the real clowns.

Ning Fengzhi smiled bitterly.

"Uncle Gu, the Douluo Continent is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. We'd better stop jumping to conclusions."

Gu Rong sucked in a sharp breath.

"Where did this kid crawl out from? A ten-thousand-year third Soul Ring? I've never seen one—or even heard of one!"

Xue Qinghe's thoughts churned as he made a bold guess. "Ordinary Soul Masters get a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring for their fifth..."

"If we extrapolate from that..." He trailed off, but Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong understood.

If Xuan Qing's fourth Soul Ring was forty thousand years old, his fifth sixty thousand, and his sixth eighty thousand... then his seventh Soul Ring would absolutely be a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring at the latest!

The three shivered in unison.

They knew all too well what a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring meant. Tang Hao had been able to stand against Spirit Hall precisely because he possessed one.

On the Soul Fighting Arena stage, Tang San made the first move. He barked, "Move!"

The seven quickly formed up. Dai Mubai took the lead, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing took the flanks, and Tang San controlled the field from the center.

Ning Rongrong and Oscar provided support, while Ma Hongjun supplied covering fire and protected the two supporters. Their formation was tight, their coordination seamless.

Xuan Qing didn't hurry. His hands became dragon claws, and the Azure Dragon's phantom appeared behind him, roaring up at the sky.

Dragon might instantly enveloped the arena. Every Soul Master with a Beast Martial Soul felt terror rising from the depths of their bloodline.

In the Heaven Dou Team's section of the stands, Yu Tianheng failed to withstand it and dropped straight to his knees. His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul was the most heavily suppressed.

Dugu Yan was struggling against it, too.

"Couldn't that guy show a little restraint?"

She knew Xuan Qing was here, so there was a good chance her grandfather had come as well. But she hadn't expected Xuan Qing to go all out as soon as he stepped onto the stage, showing no consideration for anyone.

Xuan Qing moved. His First Soul Ring lit up, and a light rain fell over the stage, covering the entire Soul Fighting Arena.

His second and third Soul Skills lit up in quick succession.

His speed surged in an instant. He was even faster than Zhu Zhuqing, an agility-type attacker, and charged straight into the Shrek Seven Devils' encirclement.

Dai Mubai, at the very front, looked grim. His Second Soul Ring lit up, and the White Tiger Intense Light Wave burst forth.

Xuan Qing clenched his dragon claw and punched, shattering the wave. Then he threw another punch at Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai gritted his teeth. His Third Soul Ring lit up, and he activated White Tiger Vajra Transformation, greatly enhancing his attributes. He swung his fist as well.

"Boom!"

Their claws collided. Dai Mubai flew backward, spitting blood several times in midair. He hit the ground and staggered back more than ten steps before regaining his balance.

He knew his right hand had fractured. A single blow had already injured him.

Tang San's expression changed dramatically. Blue Silver Grass sprang wildly from the ground, trying to ensnare Xuan Qing, but a bizarre scene unfolded.

When the grass came within a zhang of Xuan Qing, it suddenly flattened itself against the ground, trembling like subjects before their king.

Tang San felt the terrifying suppression himself. His legs went weak, and he nearly fell to his knees.

"No... This is impossible! Why is my Blue Silver Grass being suppressed?"

Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu seized the opportunity to attack. Zhu Zhuqing unleashed her full speed and went straight for Xuan Qing's throat, while Xiao Wu kicked at his temple from the side.

Xuan Qing reached out with both hands. His left hand seized Zhu Zhuqing's wrist, while his right caught Xiao Wu by the ankle.

At a thought from Xuan Qing, a wisp of Chaos silently spread onto Xiao Wu.

He swept his arms and hurled the two women toward the three in the rear. They flew like cannonballs, landing right in the path of Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire Line.

"Ah...!"

The flames struck them, and they cried out in pain.

Ning Rongrong, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were knocked over as well, interrupting Ning Rongrong's amplification!

"Xiao Wu!"

Tang San's eyes turned bloodshot. Breathing like a bull, he extended eight spider legs from his back. A Silent Sleeve Arrow shot from his right wrist, while his left hand hurled more than a dozen gleaming pellets.

Xuan Qing's gaze turned cold.

"Are weapons other than Martial Souls and Soul Bones allowed in a Soul Fighting match? Didn't your teacher teach you the rules?"

He raised his right hand. The raindrops onstage gathered before him into a water shield three feet thick.

Every Hidden Weapon that entered the shield sank into it as if trapped in a swamp. They slowed more and more until they stopped, suspended in the water.

Tang San's face went pale. His greatest trump card was his Hidden Weapons, and now they were useless.

Xuan Qing pulled something from his ring... a brick? It looked like a Gold Brick.

He tossed it in his hand, then grinned. The sight made Tang San's scalp prickle.

What followed was strange to behold. Tang San's Eight Spider Lances stabbed wildly, but couldn't break through Xuan Qing's Dragon Scales.

Xuan Qing chased Tang San around, bringing the Gold Brick down on his head again and again while lecturing him.

"This brick's for ambushing me and fighting dirty."

"This brick's for cheating with Hidden Weapons."

"This brick's for being so full of yourself."

"This brick... Never mind. I just feel like whacking you."

"You!"

Tang San tried to curse, but another brick smacked him on the forehead with a thump.

He was beaten until his head was a mass of bumps. He tried to escape with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, but Xuan Qing was far too fast. This was pure stat crushing.

Tang San panicked.

He seized his chance and thrust his Eight Spider Lances at Xuan Qing's cheek, the one place not covered by Dragon Scales and thus more vulnerable!

"Shhk!" A lance scraped his cheek, leaving a streak of blood.

Tang San laughed maniacally. "Hahahaha! You're done for! My Eight Spider Lances are poisonous—deadly poisonous!"

Xuan Qing looked at him as if he were an idiot. He snapped his fingers, and the wound on his cheek healed instantly, without even leaving a scar.

Tang San's smile froze completely. Poison was the trump card he'd counted on to catch Xuan Qing off guard, but it hadn't worked at all.

Xuan Qing raised both hands. Azure-blue lightning danced between his dragon claws.

He lifted his hands over his head, and a massive lightning orb more than three meters across took shape, crackling and flashing.

Xuan Qing thrust both hands forward, sending the orb crashing toward Tang San.

Tang San dodged with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, but the lightning orb flew toward the other six.

Dai Mubai and the others had only just gotten back up. When they saw the orb, their faces turned green.

Tang San's expression changed dramatically. "Get out of the way!"

But it was too late.

Just as the orb was about to hit, Xuan Qing suddenly appeared behind Tang San and kicked him in the back, sending him flying into the other six.

"Here you go!"

Tang San crashed into the others, and all seven tumbled to the ground. Xuan Qing swept his right hand, gathering the rainwater on the stage into a ten-meter-long Water Dragon, so lifelike it seemed ready to take flight.

He brought his fingers together and pointed ahead. "Heavenly Flood Surge, go!"

The Water Dragon roared toward the ground beneath the seven.

Xuan Qing raised his joined fingers. "Divine Flood Dragon Soaring Clouds, rise!"

"Rumble!" The ground exploded, and a massive column of water shot into the sky. The seven screamed inside it, tossed around until they were completely disoriented.

When the column of water dispersed, the seven lay on the ground, soaked through, their clothes in tatters and their hair a mess. They looked as if they'd spent dozens of spins inside a washing machine.

They weren't badly injured, but their appearance was ruined, and all their masks had fallen off.

Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu were especially embarrassed. Their clothes clung to their bodies, soaked through, and they wanted to die on the spot.

The stands fell utterly silent. It had been too fast. The one-on-seven match had lasted barely two minutes in all.