Females Are Not to Be Provoked

"I challenge Qiangu Bai!"

Yu Longxing stepped onto the stage and boldly announced his challenge to the sixth-ranked member of the younger generation, leaving everyone stunned.

"Why is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan so fixated on the Qiangu Clan this year? There are clearly other soft targets!" someone asked in confusion. An informed person slowly explained, "Apparently, they didn't fight the Thunder Prison Vine with them or help that Mu family boy."

In previous years, families that had failed to secure a ranking tried their best not to provoke the top ten, ensuring nothing went wrong.

Yet this year, they kept targeting them. If Mu Baobao had not saved the Qiangu Clan's disciples, that would have been one thing. But taking advantage of their struggle against the Thunder Prison Vine to rise through the ranks was rather immoral—though still understandable.

After being suppressed for a thousand years, who the hell could stand it? Forgive and forget after being saved once? What the hell were they dreaming about?

"I'll yield to you!" Qiangu Bai stood up without hesitation and gave his place to Yu Longxing, immediately drawing a wave of mockery. "It's not hard to understand. The gap between them is pretty large. Like that ninth-ranked guy challenging the tenth—if the difference isn't too great, they can still fight it out."

Yu Longxing was one of the Blue Lightning Twins and ranked second among the younger generation. There was no point in picking a fight from the start. He might as well save his strength to challenge someone else.

As they spoke, someone picked a teenager ranked in the teens and went to squeeze a soft persimmon. Yu Longxing immediately said disdainfully.

"Qiangu Bai? You should just rename yourself Qiangu Coward!"

Qiangu Bai ignored him completely. "A wise man submits to circumstances. You wouldn't understand that."

He, too, was met with a barrage of ridicule. Ranked second, yet he would not challenge first, third, fourth, or fifth, instead going after sixth? He had absolutely no shame.

"I challenge Qiangu Luan."

This time, it was Yu Longyue's turn. She ranked third among the younger generation and was about as strong as Yu Longxing. But as the older sister, she had to give way to her younger brother... Besides, second and third were adjacent, so she did not fuss over it.

"I accept!" Qiangu Luan looked at this female dragon twice, a trace of fire burning in his eyes.

Qiangu Bai had refused before him. If he admitted defeat too, it would be far too humiliating. Besides, she clearly had fighting spirit. The difference between third and fifth was only two places.

He did have the ability to contend for fourth, but that was the younger sister of the first-ranked contestant—the Qiangu Clan's princess. They cherished her too much to compete with her. If they truly fought with their lives on the line, he believed he would not lose to Yu Longyue. The Break Evil Dragon valued unyielding resolve, and that only made him more fearless.

The two stepped onto the stage without much to say. There was nothing to say. They revealed six Soul Rings each, all in the optimal configuration.

"First Soul Skill, Fire Dragon Possession."

"Fourth Soul Skill, Bloodthirsty Blazing Flames!"

Yu Longyue was insanely fierce, immediately activating two enhancement Soul Skills. Thick dragon scales covered her entire body, maximizing her defense, strength, speed, attack, and every other aspect.

On top of that, blood-red flames ignited around her body, causing her aura to surge explosively once more.

She was fully comparable to a Soul Emperor at peak condition. This was clearly a Berserk-type skill, enhancing herself while consuming enormous amounts of energy.

Her flaming right fist smashed toward Qiangu Luan. He did not dare be careless and used a Soul Skill as well. His armor was also scarlet, but it was not made of flames. Instead, it radiated righteous energy...

"Sixth Soul Skill, Unyielding Battle Armor."

Because it was a ten-thousand-year Soul Skill, Qiangu Luan's enhancement was actually comparable to Yu Longyue's simultaneous boosts from a hundred-year and thousand-year Soul Ring. Soul Masters had two states: normal and explosive. Normal referred to their usual strength, while explosive meant going all out.

If one's martial soul and Soul Rings were powerful enough, one could fight above one's level. But if you could risk your life, so could others. That was relatively fair.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Explosive Fire Dragon Rush."

Yu Longyue transformed into a savage fire dragon, carving a black trench directly into the ground of the plaza.

Dust mixed with flames as she shot forward at extreme speed. Qiangu Luan was practically unable to evade and could only withstand it head-on with a Soul Skill. His ten-thousand-year fifth Soul Skill activated.

"Dragon Breaks the Firmament!" He swung his staff.

The Break Evil Dragon coiled around the Coiling Dragon Staff rapidly expanded. The crimson and bright-red dragons roared as they collided, and a mushroom cloud exploded into the air.

Yu Longyue suffered more in this exchange. She had transformed herself into a dragon, and her figure was completely obscured by the explosion's smoke. Qiangu Luan took the opportunity to use another Soul Skill.

"Third Soul Skill, Dragon Soaring to the Clouds."

He also transformed into dragon form, though his body was incredibly illusory. Yet he swiftly arrived above the mushroom cloud.

This was clearly a movement Soul Skill. Like a dragon soaring and a tiger leaping, he raised the Coiling Dragon Staff high and assumed a throwing stance, gathering all his Soul Power.

Everyone had the illusion that what he held was not a staff... but a massive dragon.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Thousand Jun Throw."

Roar!

The giant dragon roared and smashed down toward the mushroom cloud below. Neither of them could see the other's movements.

But at this level, most clashes were direct confrontations. Their Soul Skills had broad attack ranges. What made everyone widen their eyes was that the moment the giant dragon plunged into the mushroom cloud—

Yu Longyue burst out from within it as well. She twisted aside to evade the attack, and her right arm became incredibly thick, transforming completely into a dragon claw. This was her second Soul Skill, Dragon Arm, and it clawed toward Qiangu Luan.

Boom! Bang!

Thousand Jun Throw struck the ground, scattering the mushroom cloud and blasting out a pit dozens of meters wide.

Its power was terrifyingly obvious. Qiangu Luan used Dragon Soaring to the Clouds, his fourth Soul Skill, to swiftly sweep aside and evade Yu Longyue. Both of them were enhanced by Soul Skills.

With every aspect boosted to a certain degree, neither had gained an advantage at the beginning... and the fierce clash began.

Fists and staff collided with the clang of metal. As time passed, trenches and craters spread across the plaza. Qiangu Luan began to waver.

The unyielding nature of the Coiling Dragon Staff had actually developed a trace of fear. Yu Longyue was simply too savage... She traded injuries for killing blows. Even if she took a staff strike, she would make sure to land a punch on Qiangu Luan. Both of them were covered in injuries.

For a weapon Soul Master, greater reach meant greater strength. Attack distance was his advantage, while his physical qualities lagged behind those of a beast Soul Master. The effect was painfully clear.

"Got you!"

His severe injuries caused Qiangu Luan to lapse for an instant. Yu Longyue, however, had remained tense throughout the battle. Even the blood flowing from her wounds added a hint of bloodlust to her berserk state. Her Dragon Arm grabbed Qiangu Luan.

One punch slammed him into the plaza and shattered the ground beneath him. Cracks appeared in his armor, and Qiangu Luan spat out blood.

"Third Soul Skill, Raging Fire Thunder."

A fireball condensed at the fire dragon's head, with arcs of electricity even winding around it. This came from the Soul Ring of a thunder-and-fire dual-element subdragon she had hunted. She had even activated that faint trace of Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon bloodline within her. If this continued, Mu Baobao had no doubt—

Yu Longyue would become a second Mu Beibei, possessing both light and lightning attributes—except hers would be fire and lightning.

But dual-element Soul Beasts were already rare, and finding one with both lightning and fire attributes was especially demanding. Moreover, her Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon bloodline was sparse, so the chances were slim.

"Stop. He has lost."

Unyielding Douluo, seated on the red platform, released an aura of majesty that dispersed Yu Longyue's Bloodthirsty Berserk state. She also realized that her anger had gone too far.

If that close-range Soul Skill landed, it would definitely cause severe injury and disfigurement. Then the two of them would likely fight to the death.

Yu Longyue released Qiangu Luan and silently returned to her seat. No one dared provoke her scarlet eyes. Once seated, she immediately crossed her legs and began meditating to recover.

"Damn, it's not just female tigers that can't be provoked. Female dragons are even more terrifying!" Everyone's legs trembled. Yu Longyue's behavior had been utterly savage. Most men probably did not have as much fighting spirit as she did.

Even the Coiling Dragon Staff's unyielding nature had been beaten into fear. Before life and death, nothing else mattered.

"Looks like it's our turn. You go first!"

People continuously stepped forward to issue challenges or accept them. In the end, Qiangu Luan also picked a soft persimmon ranked in the teens. Finally, only they remained.

"Look at how cowardly you are." Ma Xiaotao rolled her eyes, though probably no one would dare fight him.

Even a Soul Douluo-level Thunder Prison Vine had been blasted to pieces by him. She slowly stepped forward, looked around at everyone, and spoke slowly. "First of all, I would like to thank the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan for giving an outsider like me the opportunity to participate in the Sacred Mountain Grand Competition."

"I am Ma Xiaotao, a third-year student of Shrek Inner Court, disciple of Ming Feng Douluo Yan Shaozhe, dean of the Spirit Department, and granddisciple of Dragon God Douluo Mu En, master of the Sea God Pavilion. That means I cannot slack off like certain people. I have to win honor for the academy."

As she spoke, she glanced at Mu Baobao. This guy could truly be infuriating sometimes. Her words caused a stir.

Mu Baobao being the great-grandson of Dragon God Douluo was no secret. Otherwise, he would not have been qualified to participate in the Sacred Mountain Grand Competition. Ma Xiaotao had no blood relation to Mu En, but she was even more frightening. Her seniority exceeded theirs by two generations.

Zhan Tian, Unyielding Douluo, and the ancestors of both the Qiangu Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would all have to call her junior sister. Qiankun and Thunder Douluo were only one generation older than her.

She had directly become their grandmother, leaving them utterly dumbfounded. Yet she continued introducing herself. "Putting all that aside, I am personally a descendant of Phoenix God Ma Hongjun—the Evil Fire Phoenix, Ma Xiaotao."

How could an ordinary person be accepted as a disciple by a Super Douluo? If one was not a monster, one could not even enter Shrek. Ma Xiaotao had revealed her martial soul long ago.

Even after hearing her admit it personally, everyone still gasped. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan acknowledged it. They were descendants of Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin's branch, while Yu Xiaogang was their paternal uncle.

The Golden Iron Triangle had also been the teachers of the First Generation Shrek Seven Devils. Naturally, they extended their affection accordingly.

The Qiangu Clan, however, clenched their teeth. Phoenix God Ma Hongjun's opponent in the war ten thousand years ago had been Azure Luan Douluo, the third worshiper of Spirit Hall. Both had been kings among avian martial souls, and both ultimately died.

Only Qian Jun and Jiang Mo had survived, forced to become attached to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. These histories were publicly treated as forgotten, but how could they truly be? They should have enjoyed a glorious era, rather than submitting to another family as they did now.

"So, the person I challenge is Qiangu Liren." The Evil Fire Phoenix cried through the sky. "Ma Xiaotao, Rank 67 assault-type battle Soul Emperor."

"Qiangu Liren, Rank 65 assault-type battle Soul Emperor. Please advise me." Qiangu Liren slowly rose from the black platform. Everyone followed her with their eyes. She was simply too beautiful.

Liren—beautiful woman... Qiangu was even better. Mu Baobao felt that her temperament somewhat resembled Cai Meier's.

The Coiling Dragon Staff housed the Break Evil Dragon, while Cai Meier's martial soul was the Dragon Soul Evil-Breaking Spear. Both were top-tier weapon martial souls, so they had naturally researched such matters.

The Break Evil Dragon was not limited to attaching itself to a staff. The two were practically of the same origin, and even their temperaments were similar.

Gentle, tranquil, and reasonable... except one was mature, while the other was still somewhat youthful.

Qiangu Liren loosely gripped the air with her right hand, and light immediately extended outward. A staff appeared in her hand, crystal-clear like white jade and unlike the metallic Coiling Dragon Staff.

It carried the ethereal feeling of drifting clouds and mist, radiating a gentle white glow that made her seem almost detached from the mortal world.

"It is said that when the Break Evil Dragon was born between heaven and earth, it did not know whether it was truly a dragon. It lived among the dragon race for a time and left descendants behind. My martial soul is also a mutated martial soul."

"The dragon coiled around my staff is a wind dragon variant—the Cloud Dragon." Qiangu Liren spoke as she pointed her Coiling Dragon Staff forward. The white glow immediately intensified, gaining a hint of sharpness.

Bathing Fire Phoenix and Phoenix Wings Soar to the Heavens. Ma Xiaotao also activated two enhancement Soul Skills. She was even faster than Yu Longyue as she kicked toward Qiangu Liren, only for the Coiling Dragon Staff to sweep across and block her.

"The Cloud Dragon is a wind dragon variant. Its perception of heaven and earth is naturally not weak."

"First Soul Skill, Cloud Mist Enveloping."

Wisps of cloud-thread separated from the Coiling Dragon Staff and wound toward Ma Xiaotao's body. Seeing this, Ma Xiaotao fiercely kicked the staff and retreated. The two began fighting.

All that could be seen was a streak of red repeatedly attacking Qiangu Liren, only for her to evade using a movement technique similar to Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. This was the Cloud Vortex Divine Fist that she had comprehended after observing the cloud-and-mist vortexes alongside Yuanen Yehui.

Cloud Mist Ethereal Step.

That was the name Qiangu Liren had given it. The Coiling Dragon Staff technique was supremely yang and forceful, not especially suitable for her mutated martial soul, so she had made minor adjustments herself.

After missing countless times, Ma Xiaotao finally struck her target by compressing her flames into an explosion and increasing her speed once more.

"Second Soul Skill, Cloud Smoke Like Illusion."

Qiangu Liren immediately transformed into insubstantial mist, and Ma Xiaotao's attack passed straight through her.

This was clearly a defensive Soul Skill. A white cloud remained where she had stood, followed by another and another. In an instant, they occupied half the plaza before erupting.

All the clouds shot out countless cloud threads, twisting into thick cords that wrapped around Ma Xiaotao. Her compressed flame explosions blew apart many of them, but there were simply too many, covering half the plaza and leaving her nowhere to retreat.

This was Qiangu Liren's third Soul Skill... Cloud Passes Leaving Traces. Combined with her second Soul Skill, Cloud Smoke Like Illusion, it could even create something akin to a substitute body. Paired with her first Soul Skill, Cloud Mist Enveloping, its control ability was formidable.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Phoenix Meteor Shower."

Ma Xiaotao stopped moving as more than a dozen fireballs fell from the sky, destroying the combination of Qiangu Liren's three Soul Skills in one stroke. Her speed then exploded as she closed in again.

Having learned her lesson, she stuck tightly to Qiangu Liren. Even when cloud threads wrapped around her, she could directly blast them apart with compressed flame explosions. This was a profound secret only high-level fire-type Soul Masters could comprehend.

Every element had its own equivalent: fire's explosiveness, earth's hardness, wind's ethereality... This was also the foundation of a Self-Created Soul Skill. Qiangu Liren immediately began to fall somewhat behind.

Ma Xiaotao's attacks grew fiercer, carrying some of Yu Longyue's flavor. Her flames scorched the surrounding air with waves of oppressive heat, even more explosive than Yu Longyue's.

The ground was battered with countless cracks. After several battles, the entire plaza had already become unrecognizable.

"Uh... I was wrong. It's not just female tigers and female dragons that can't be provoked. Female birds... no, female phoenixes... no female can be provoked. They're terrifying when they go mad." One disciple immediately cowered. "When I find a wife in the future, I should find someone like Ah Li. She looks so gentle."

Then he was met with threats and glares from her older brother, Qiangu Zuiren. Who could watch their family's precious cabbage get rooted up by a pig? He was not even allowed to think about it.

Mu Baobao deeply agreed. Villains and women were not to be provoked. One was extremely sinister.

The other became someone everyone feared when she went mad, and she might even use the same underhanded tactics as a villain. But if a woman cared for you, she could give you her entire heart.

The difference was that one was always sinister, while the other became even more ruthless only after being provoked. One had to be cautious.

In short... just do not provoke them!