A Single Punch Was Enough

The battle continued.

Ma Xiaotao was beginning to show signs of fatigue, while Qiangu Liren merely kept dodging and defending, launching only occasional attacks.

She had gone all out, pouring considerable strength into every move. The elders could not help but marvel at the Panlong Twins of the Qiangu Clan.

"Ma Xiaotao truly is worthy of being a descendant of the Phoenix God. The Evil Fire Phoenix has not tarnished its reputation. Xiao Ali's footwork and Martial Soul... after all, they restrain her somewhat. This is not an embarrassing loss."

They already believed the outcome had been decided. It was not merely the strength of one's Martial Soul and soul skills that allowed one to fight above one's rank; Soul Bones, attributes... all of them could become decisive factors.

Mu Baobao knew that the boy could have used his Battle Armor to enhance his strength and defeat Qiangu Liren. But his Soul Power was already two levels higher than hers... if he used it too, it would truly be an unfair victory.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Phoenix Meteor Shower!"

Countless fireballs descended from the sky, yet they were not aimed at Qiangu Liren. Instead, they spread around him and restricted his range of movement as Ma Xiaotao charged straight at him.

Ten-thousand-year soul skills were all quite powerful, and many soul masters reserved them for crucial moments to strike their enemies.

Yet she was using hers to prevent him from escaping. No one had expected that. Since Qiangu Liren still had some strength left, Ma Xiaotao did not believe a direct attack would work.

"Got you. Your Martial Soul can't turn intangible, can it?" Ma Xiaotao said with a smile.

She had clearly been observing his every detail as well. After confirming it repeatedly, she spared no expense in using a ten-thousand-year soul skill to restrict him, then seized the opportunity as her Soul Power surged and condensed.

"Sixth..." This girl was ruthless indeed. She would injure herself eight hundred just to harm her enemy a thousand, practically seeking mutual destruction.

She was even more insane than Yu Longyue when it came to trading injuries for kills. After using several ten-thousand-year soul skills, she had likely long since run out of strength. Qiangu Liren revealed a helpless smile.

"You win!" With his Martial Soul caught, even if others could not use it, it still restricted him.

The following battles would undoubtedly be difficult. The two withdrew their Martial Souls, and Ma Xiaotao sat in her original seat. Beside her, Qiangu Zuiren's gaze was unfriendly.

"What are you looking at? You're up next."

Ma Xiaotao glared back. Qiangu Zuiren immediately felt something was off. Mu Baobao's strength had already been displayed. That armor and Martial Soul Fusion Skill gave him the combat power of a Soul Douluo. There was no way Qiangu Zuiren could win.

"My sister didn't use her last three soul skills. She only conceded because she believed mutual destruction was meaningless, and it would even interfere with Dragon Power Body Tempering."

"You make it sound like I've used up all my soul skills. At the very least, I can raise my speed by another level. Do you think she could still dodge then... and do you think I don't have the Battle Armor that guy used?"

She shot back at Qiangu Zuiren and took out a red soul coin engraved with an Evil Fire Phoenix.

Only then did Qiangu Zuiren withdraw his gaze. Mu Baobao had also summoned an iron box from such a soul coin before, followed by that suit of armor. She possessed one as well.

Even without it, as she had said, she still had soul skills that could boost her speed and strength. At that point, Qiangu Liren truly would have found dodging difficult. No matter how ethereal his steps were, they could not match absolute crushing power. In the later stages, such tricks became even more useless; it was nearly always a clash of absolute strength.

"The person I wish to challenge is..."

In the end, only one person remained. They were all growing nervous. The Martial Soul Fusion Skill had a cooldown and could not be used, but that armor could be used at any time.

A Soul Saint—who could possibly defeat him? Amid their cold sweats, Mu Baobao spoke his name.

"Qiangu Zuiren!"

"You must be thinking that although I can't use my Martial Soul Fusion Skill for now, that armor alone can raise my strength to the level of a Soul Saint. How could you fight that?"

"So... I won't use it. And you and I will each use only one move. If you remain standing, I lose."

"Holy shit!" Cries erupted everywhere, and everyone exploded into uproar. Qiangu Liren slowly said, "Aren't you being too arrogant? My brother ranks first among the younger generation of both clans. How can you take him down in one move? Don't let your boasting come back to bite you."

The girl snorted. Even someone as gentle and quiet as her could not stand it anymore. Ma Xiaotao also believed he had gone mad.

"Xiaotao, this man of yours... Baobao isn't reliable," Yu Longyue said. She and Yu Longxing both laughed. "Qiangu Zuiren is extremely talented. He has comprehended the seventh form of the Unyielding Staff Technique. It is terrifying."

They reminded him intentionally or otherwise. They truly were grateful to Mu Baobao for driving back the soul beast horde and holding off the Thunder Prison Vine. This year, not a single person had been eliminated.

The Qiangu Clan had indeed exploited their vulnerability, regardless of the reasons. Seeing that Qiangu Zuiren still had not agreed, Mu Baobao provoked him further. "How about adding a wager? If you win, I'll give you my armor, and I'll directly move to the white seat."

"Are you fucking insane? Your rank is lower, yet you're talking so big!" Ma Xiaotao roared.

If Qiangu Zuiren lost, the platform he surrendered would still be within the designated range. He would suffer no loss at all. Mu Baobao glanced at her and muttered,

"If I one-shot him with a punch, wouldn't that be embarrassing? How much fun would that be?"

Such provocation made even the elders feel that he was excessively arrogant. Still, he truly had the capital to be arrogant. But if he would not use any of it, then what was the point of fighting?

"Fine! I want to see exactly how you'll defeat me!"

Qiangu Zuiren rose to his feet. With matters already said to this extent, refusing the challenge would sound even worse than losing.

No one could resist being tempted by armor that enhanced one's strength. What made him hesitate was that nine out of ten gambles ended in loss... yet sometimes one had to gamble when pushed to the limit.

That was why wagers were proposed. Most people did not fight battles they were not confident in. Qian Renxue had thought Tang Buddha Ancestor was certain to lose, accepted a completely unnecessary challenge, and even said he could do whatever he wanted with her if she lost.

Wasn't that simply the truth? What an idiot!

Qiangu Zuiren leaped into the air above the already devastated plaza. His golden, iron-colored Coiling Dragon Staff pointed downward, and six optimal Soul Rings emerged one after another.

"Rank sixty-nine, assault-type battle Soul Emperor."

His imposing aura surged forth. Mu Baobao nodded slightly and spoke words that sent everyone's blood pressure soaring. "Not bad. You probably won't be seriously injured later."

"Damn it!" Everyone nearly could not resist rushing down to slap him a few times. Would he die if he stopped showing off?

Yet inwardly, they still had to praise Qiangu Zuiren. He was likely nineteen, only one year older than Mu Baobao, and already close to becoming a Soul Saint. He was even stronger than the Shrek Seven Devils, who had only achieved their strength after consuming immortal herbs.

Without them, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing would absolutely have been crushed by his brother and sister. Ning Rongrong would never have broken through rank eighty in her lifetime, Ma Hongjun would spend every day visiting brothels to vent his Evil Fire, and Oscar was the only one who might have amounted to something. But Dugu Bo was the angriest of all!

Before he even knew what was happening, he had been thoroughly exploited. They gave him the most useless detoxification method: the Blood Swan Kiss would stimulate the poison, while the Fragrant Silk Luo would neutralize it.

Both were immortal herbs born from the Dragon King's Bone Burial Ground. If Dugu Bo consumed them together, his Martial Soul might have directly evolved into a Poison Dragon. Ning Rongrong had evolved her Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda into the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda with just one immortal herb, so it was clearly possible.

He also had a grudge against Chrysanthemum Douluo. Otherwise, Xiao Yueyue would likely have been ecstatic enough to go mad. Had Dugu Bo successfully joined Spirit Hall... his accomplishments would have been extraordinary as well.

His eventual death had been truly tragic. Mu Baobao became lost in these memories, and Qiangu Zuiren frowned.

"Sorry, I got distracted!"

Mu Baobao smiled. Those words undoubtedly showed that he did not take Qiangu Zuiren seriously at all. Six Soul Rings emerged from him as well. "Rank sixty-four, assault-type battle Soul Emperor."

His Soul Power was four ranks lower than Ma Xiaotao's. Absorbing the Thunder Prison Vine had narrowed the gap by one rank. His words drew ridicule from the crowd. "Twin Martial Souls, each possessing two ultimate attributes, yet his cultivation is this pathetic."

"I heard he also cultivates as a blacksmith?"

Someone explained, prompting another wave of laughter. "That thing? A Soul Engineer might still be somewhat useful."

Mu Baobao could not be bothered with them. They would soon learn just how impressive blacksmiths were. At that moment, one stood on the ground and the other in the sky, staring at each other, yet it gave everyone an illusion that the one below was looking down upon the heavens.

"All living beings suffer; I shall deliver them. Deliver All Living Beings."

Qiangu Zuiren held his Coiling Dragon Staff upright in midair. His hands formed seals without touching, yet anyone perceptive could see Soul Power continuously pouring into it, along with a feeling familiar to Mu Baobao... emotion.

His spiritual power had not formed a system, yet through traveling the outside world, he had comprehended the seventh form. This seemed to be Jiang Mo Douluo's ninth soul skill. After all, among the Nine Styles of the Great Dragon and the Nine Styles of the Unyielding, the first nine forms could only be considered—

Like the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls, they were summarized soul skills. The final three forms were the most important.

Different people comprehended different three forms.

Reign Over the World, Dragon Emperor Evil-Breaking Crack, Dragon Emperor Domain-Shaking Realm... these could be considered the final three forms comprehended by Mu En based on the Radiant Sacred Dragon. Huo Yuhao had only learned Reign Over the World, and he could not learn the latter two, but he had developed the Haodong Three Styles.

That thread of emotion, pitying the ignorance of all living beings, merged with his Soul Power and flowed into the Coiling Dragon Staff. It visibly swelled to dozens of meters, as if it could shake heaven and earth.

"Arrogant. Conceited. You should be delivered."

Qiangu Zuiren swung his right hand downward. The hundred-meter giant staff fell as though the heavens were collapsing, an oppressive suffocating force rushing at them as robes whipped violently in the wind.

"Deliver them? If all living beings are ignorant, what use is delivering them? If I had the ability—"

"I would have personally shattered this fate long ago."

Mu Baobao clenched his right fist. Delivering the ignorant was useless, and those who were not ignorant did not need anyone to deliver them. Yet there were also people who were not ignorant but lacked the power to resist. They longed for someone to deliver them... but no one came.

Qiangu Zuiren truly was a genius. Perhaps it was the enormous gap between a reclusive clan and the outside world that made him feel as if he lived in another age, allowing him to comprehend this form.

This punch contained more than Soul Power. It held Mu Baobao's angry emotions, as well as immense vitality and spiritual power. Could Qiangu Zuiren's understanding compare to someone who had died once? The outcome had already been decided!

A massive vortex formed, centered on his fist, as if it possessed the force to devour everything.

Bang! His fist collided with the base of the staff.

His figure was far too tiny to be seen at all, yet the enormous Coiling Dragon Staff still halted, then began shattering inch by inch.

Everyone was stunned. Qiangu Zuiren had comprehended the seventh form of the Unyielding Staff Technique and could naturally fight above his rank. He was already a candidate to become the clan's next heir.

It was said that the ninth form could shake gods, yet no one had ever comprehended it. The eighth form was already the utmost limit, yet now it had shattered.

A heaven-shaking boom resounded through the summit of Sacred Mountain, and a ring of light spread in all directions.

Seeing this, the disciples hurriedly raised Soul Power barriers to protect themselves and the Dragon Bones behind them from being affected, yet the recoil still made them tremble.

On the other side, a semicircular shockwave spread outward, visibly covering several hundred meters. The collapse of the Coiling Dragon Staff sent Qiangu Zuiren flying back. Unyielding Douluo released a thread of Soul Power and pulled him onto a platform.

Though it was not the Martial Soul's true body, Qiangu Zuiren spat out blood, while Mu Baobao remained standing.

"He really did it. He said one punch, and it was one punch!" The disciples stood frozen. Thunder Douluo and Battle Heaven Douluo smiled. Though Mu Baobao's Martial Soul had mutated, he was still from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Unyielding Douluo, Universe Douluo, and the Qiangu Clan all looked miserable. Naturally, they felt uneasy when their enemy was so powerful.

"Ah, so domineering! So handsome!"

"I want to have your babies!"

Some female disciples screamed outright. Mu Baobao refused in fright. These people were over a dozen generations removed from him by blood; they truly could not produce mutants.

In a fantasy world, mutations meant genius. Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, cousins, had already proven it.

"Ah, how boring."

He came to Ma Xiaotao's side, taking the seat Qiangu Zuiren had occupied, and did not forget to voice his thoughts.

"Just keep pretending. That attack must have consumed a great deal of Soul Power, spiritual power, and physical strength."

That was indeed the truth. Fatigue washed over his body, and every kind of power he possessed had only a trace remaining. Still, it should not interfere with what came next.

"The Sacred Mountain Grand Competition is nearly at its end. Next comes the final step: Dragon Power Body Tempering and an explanation of the method for Ring Transformation." Thunder Douluo lightly tapped the cane in his hand.

Yet it seemed to strike within everyone's hearts. The disciples looked toward this ancestor. "As everyone knows, our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was originally the Radiant Sacred Dragon Clan, but after more than a hundred thousand years, we have degenerated."

"These Radiant Sacred Dragon Remains are also the foundation upon which our sect was established, completely fused with the mountain itself. A hundred years ago, Ancestor Mu En obtained a Dragon Core from them, bringing about a revival for the clan."

Qiangu Zuiren, Qiangu Liren, Qiangu Luan, Qiangu Bai... these people had also been unfortunate.

In Tian Ji's horse racing strategy, they had been forced toward the back, though they had still shifted positions in the top ten... the seventh-ranked person had been so frightened that he was fortunate not to be challenged.

While the ancestors continued recounting history, Mu Baobao's head ached from listening. They were simply glorifying the Golden Iron Triangle and the Shrek Seven Devils in every possible way, so he directly began meditating to block out their voices... out of sight, out of mind.

The sound of the cane came again, and everyone witnessed a breathtaking sight as the four ancestors activated their Soul Power simultaneously.

Around the Radiant Sacred Dragon Remains, four great formations lit up. The Break Evil Dragon and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon each occupied two, their majesty completely beyond what the disciples could compare to.

Stimulated by this, the remains immediately erupted with golden light. "The Radiant Sacred Dragon Remains have little Dragon Power left, so each person can only bathe in it once. How much you can absorb depends entirely on your own ability."

"Transform rings, fuse rings. Transform first, then fuse!"

The logic was obvious. Though Ring Detonation was stronger than both, Mu Baobao had no intention of learning it.

Not only because he had Soul Rings with long durations that could not be used during that period; beginning with the Peerless Tang Sect era, Soul Spirits could provide Soul Rings, and they possessed varying degrees of intelligence.

So could that thing really be detonated whenever one pleased?

In any case, the latter three protagonists had not learned it either, and there was a reason for that. Dragon Power spread outward... and everyone's eyes changed, like vicious dogs.

In Ultimate Douluo, the Dragon Tomb had been swept into the Longma Galaxy and altered the bloodlines of the lifeforms on two planets.

It showed why dragons were worthy of being the foremost of all creatures. Lan Xuanyu even led an entire class to continuously hunt dragons for Dragon Power Body Tempering. That was simply insane.

In the end, he even blew up their resource planet. The Tang family had certainly confirmed it. Even Ma Xiaotao's eyes burned with desire.

Everyone began absorbing the Dragon Power radiating from the remains. Their auras gradually strengthened... and every aspect of them improved. Seeing this, he did not dare be negligent.

His spiritual power guided his Soul Power, but when he truly began, he was stunned. A massive vortex directly formed.

The Dragon Power was drawn toward him and rushed into his body. Kyurem truly was worthy of being the Strongest Dragon. Damn it, even if he sat in the white seat, there would not be much difference, would there?

Everyone glared at him viciously. Left with no choice, he dispersed more than half of it, though he still absorbed quite a lot.

"Ah, sorry!"