".Heh. Aren't you so-called great powers always putting on one face in public and another behind closed doors?"
Seeing that Ming Yue's expression didn't seem fake, Gong Changshao couldn't help wavering a little.
After all, how could someone who had never experienced darkness yearn for that seemingly bright dawn?
"You seem to have gotten something wrong. You should know that I'm the one giving you a chance."
Her indifferent expression unchanged, Ming Yue held up three fingers and continued, "I'll give you three seconds to think it over."
"3." One raised finger dropped.
"2." Another finger dropped.
"1."
"I agree!"
Before Ming Yue could lower another finger, the immense pressure broke Gong Changshao. He let out a loud shout.
"Very good." Ming Yue snapped her fingers. Void Archives flashed, and she used a pseudo-Thousand Worlds to transport the two of them to an enclosed arena.
"This is a pill that can instantly restore you to full strength. Take it."
She tossed a small porcelain bottle to Gong Changshao. As he caught it instinctively, Ming Yue changed the subject:
"You have one minute to prepare. This will be a fight to the death. Whoever wins will receive a reward from this Tower Master."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ming Yue flashed to the outer edge of the arena.
"..." Gong Changshao stared at the porcelain bottle in his hand, at a loss for what to do, and fell briefly silent.
"Damn it, I don't know what kind of luck a piece of trash like you had, but that's the Spirit Pagoda's standard-issue logistical supply, newly developed by the Tower Master!"
"Even I, a Titled Douluo, can only get one a month."
"Hmph! You've got thirty seconds. If you don't take it, I'll be taking it back!"
His dithering directly infuriated the Titled Douluo from the Spirit Pagoda.
After a disdainful remark, the man coldly lit up his Soul Rings.
Seeing this, Gong Changshao didn't hesitate any longer. He was going to die either way; if he fought with all he had, he might still have a sliver of hope.
With that thought, he steeled himself, tipped back his head, opened the bottle, and swallowed the pill inside.
The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth. In an instant, a wave of warmth spread throughout Gong Changshao's body.
He clenched his fist in disbelief. The feeling of abundant Soul Power and renewed stamina was both familiar and strange.
"...It actually works like this!?"
He exclaimed instinctively. The Titled Douluo opposite him looked a little disappointed.
But when he remembered the reward Ming Yue had just mentioned, his spirits lifted again. "The Tower Master's talent is beyond the comprehension of scum like you."
"Fine by me. I'd feel bad accepting the Tower Master's reward for killing a helpless cripple."
"Ten seconds left. Prepare to die, scum."
Soul Power surged around him as the Titled Douluo watched Gong Changshao with murderous intent.
"Hmph! It's not as if I've never spilled the blood of a Titled Douluo. It's still anyone's game!"
Quickly coming back to his senses, Gong Changshao lit up his own Soul Rings!
"Boom!"
The next instant, the two of them slammed their feet into the arena at the same time. As their Soul Rings blazed, powerful Soul Skills collided!
The sounds of clashing energy and bodies rang out without pause.
Visible waves of energy shone brilliantly.
Yet Ming Yue, watching from outside the arena, remained unruffled.
She simply had Xiao Ya appear and report the pair's status in real time.
On the arena, the Titled Douluo found himself evenly matched in both Soul Skill and physical combat against an Evil Soul Master who was only level 89.
And this was happening right in front of the Tower Master. He didn't know why the Tower Master had made him fight this man to the death.
But the thought of seeing disappointment in the Tower Master's eyes made the Titled Douluo tremble.
"N-no! I can't let that happen to me!!"
With a roar, he unleashed all his Soul Power. As his Soul Rings blazed and his Soul Spirit appeared, he activated his Martial Soul Avatar!
He transformed into a majestic, awe-inspiring Cang Ying!
"Caw!"
A piercing eagle's cry rang out as Cang Ying rushed at Gong Changshao, wrapped in a surge of Soul Power!
"You think you've already got me beat!?"
With a cold laugh, Gong Changshao also activated his Martial Soul Avatar, transforming into a giant spider. Multicolored light even glimmered across his limbs and body!
Seeing that both combatants had reached their peak, Xiao Ya called out a timely warning to Ming Yue from outside the arena.
"Pseudo-Judgment of Shamash."
Ming Yue nodded and raised her hand, summoning a pseudo-Judgment of Shamash, its golden-orange Heavenly Fire conjured by Void Archives.
She flashed onto the arena and, in an instant, tossed a special Soul Tool at Cang Ying, sending him flying.
Using the momentum to turn, she moved with blinding speed and cleaved the head from Gong Changshao's Martial Soul Avatar with a single stroke!
"...!?"
The enormous spider head slid from its body. Its many eyes were filled with humanlike confusion and disbelief.
Although Gong Changshao had known he might die, even at the moment of death he couldn't understand why Ming Yue had gone to such lengths before killing him.
"...So after all that, it only dropped a Soul Bone—and one that had already fused with him, at that?"
On the arena, Ming Yue kicked aside Gong Changshao's head as it slowly returned to its original form. She tossed the restored Void Archives into the air, then had Xiao Ya come out to observe with her.
"From this Soul Master's emotional changes and self-perception at the moment the Master killed him, it seems he was only shocked and disbelieving right up to the end."
"Perhaps we overlooked the most important point, Master~"
Floating above Gong Changshao's corpse as it gradually returned to human form, Xiao Ya continued her observations, then suddenly flew to Ming Yue's ear and whispered.
"Emotional changes... self-perception..." Ming Yue murmured, her brows furrowing. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed through her mind.
"Self-perception. Do you mean the key to the experiment is still his self-perception while using his Martial Soul Avatar!?"
Ming Yue slapped her palm, realizing what mattered.
"That's more or less my guess. If you try the experiment again, Master, you can try using Fenghuang Down~"
A hint of praise flashed across Xiao Ya's usually expressionless face, and a rare faint smile appeared.
Then she vanished, returning to Void Archives.
"Fenghuang Down..." Ming Yue relaxed her brows and snapped her fingers, releasing the Soul Tool restraining the Titled Douluo.
"Tower Master, you..."
"You did well. Congratulations on winning the match. As your reward—"
"Take this. You'll receive three additional logistical supplies, and your armor can also be upgraded once."
Ming Yue waved a hand, cutting him off. She snapped her fingers, and the pseudo-Thousand Worlds returned them to the laboratory. Then she casually wrote him a note.
"...Yes! Thank you, Tower Master!!"
He was already somewhat used to the Tower Master's methods. What mattered was the thin sheet of paper she had handed him.
He accepted it as if it were a priceless treasure, then wisely left the laboratory.
Before you continue