Third Soul Skill, Ghost Possession.
Nana's Martial Soul was a ghost to begin with. The instant she released this Soul Skill, her body abruptly turned transparent.
Immune to physical attacks for one second.
That one second saved her.
Yes, Xu Qing hadn't used his full strength with that move. He'd only shown a tiny fraction of his power, giving Nana time to react.
That let her turn intangible.
The shockwave sent her flying backward, and her back slammed into the protective barrier. The pale golden curtain of light shook violently, ripples overlapping one after another before finally settling down.
"Cough, cough, cough..." Nana slid off the barrier and fell to the ground.
"What the hell... You... don't tell me you're playing that same old 'pretend to be weak, then reveal your strength' trick?"
She spat out a mouthful of blood.
Nana's head was spinning, her vision swimming. She felt like a sock tossed into a washing machine.
Xu Qing didn't say a word. He simply stamped down where he stood.
The arena floor cracked beneath his feet. The air let out a brief, shrill wail, and his figure vanished. When he appeared again, he was already right beside Nana.
Another punch!
"Clang—!!!"
The sharp clang of metal colliding burst through the air.
At some point, Nana had drawn two short blades, one red and one blue. She crossed them in front of herself, barely managing to block the blow.
Fist met blade, sparks flying.
The web between her thumb and forefinger split open at once. Blood ran down the hilts, her arms went numb, and even her bones groaned.
She couldn't block it.
She gritted her teeth, and a pair of silver metal wings unfurled behind her with a whoosh—a level-four Flying Soul Tool.
"Whoosh—"
Her wings beat, sending her skimming backward just above the ground as she opened up some distance. At the same time, her First Soul Ring lit up: Ghost Speed.
Her figure drew a black streak through the air, fast as a shadow darting past.
If she could just put some distance between them and wear him down with her speed and Soul Tool, maybe she'd still have a chance!
"Boom—"
Xu Qing shot into the sky. The sonic boom came a split second later. It all happened in the blink of an eye!
He appeared before Nana, fixed his gaze on her lovely face full of disbelief, and reached out to grab her.
Then he swung his arm while they were both still in the air, giving her a light toss downward.
"Boom!!!"
Her delicate body, wrapped in blue Soul Power, bounced off the ground and landed again. In the end, she lost consciousness.
Nana hadn't even had a chance to use all her methods before Xu Qing, fast, precise, and ruthless, knocked her out with a single punch.
The two short blades fell from the air. They clattered twice and stuck into the ground beside her.
The entire arena fell silent.
"...That was way too fast."
"Who is that? I've never seen him before."
"Nana's been upset! No—are you kidding me?! My Gold Soul Coins!!"
The stands erupted into a tumult.
Meanwhile.
On the main platform, Jing Hongchen was talking with an elderly man.
"Xu Qing's constitution is naturally different from ordinary people's. His strength is bound to be a little greater than others at the same level. What's more, his Soul Power fluctuations have already reached..."
Since when was he level forty-eight!? Last time I saw him, he was only level forty-four!!
Did he cultivate while flying? You're no Xiao Meng. You're a Soul Master with an Ultimate Attribute!
Jing Hongchen nearly lost control of his expression.
Fortunately, there was no one else here besides the two of them. The imperial family was on the main platform on the other side. This side belonged to Mingde Hall alone.
The old man stroked his beard, a glint passing through his eyes.
"Not bad, not bad." Kong Deming spoke unhurriedly. "Sun Moon needs young people with talent like his."
"He's in fifth year, right? At fourteen or fifteen, he's already reached this level. He can certainly be called one of the best."
"He should have a place on the selection team. I wonder how talented the boy is as a Soul Engineer..."
He glanced at Meng Hongchen, who was waiting below for Xu Qing, then shifted his gaze to Jing Hongchen and teased him:
"Xiao Meng is in Class One, Fifth Year too, isn't she? Hongchen, you haven't been entirely honest with me."
"Master Kong, how can you put it like that? Oh, well, here's what happened..."
Both men had their own agendas, and every word they spoke carried a hidden meaning.
The highest authority in the Royal Offering Hall, and the head of the empire's Mingde Hall.
One stood with the imperial family, the other with the empire.
Xu Qing's true identity as the Body Sect's young master, along with the potions that had emerged from the academy in recent years.
Kong represented the imperial family, while the higher-ups of the empire stood with Hongchen. Both sides knew the truth.
But they tacitly kept quiet, neither willing to lay their cards on the table.
First, keeping it under wraps was best for everyone. You were happy, I was happy, everyone was happy.
Second, there was the deterrent posed by the Body Sect's leader, Du Busi, a Limit Douluo.
Strength was truth. The bigger your fist, the more say you had.
Back then, with a few suggestions and predictions from Xu Qing, Du Busi had gained a little good fortune and stabilized his Soul Core, allowing him to break through to level ninety-nine without a hitch.
As soon as he broke through, he went to Shrek City and lay in wait for Xuan Zi.
After all, Du Busi was wary of the divine methods left behind in Shrek, so he decided to settle a score first with the old man who'd always been at odds with him.
That fight had nearly knocked Xuan Zi's history out of him.
In the end, Mu En had to step in as a peacemaker. Du Busi only agreed to leave after the Body Sect was compensated with a fifty-thousand-year-old Soul Bone.
In the stands, Ye Guyi shifted aside to let Xu Qing in.
"Well? You see it now, don't you?"
Xu Qing handed her an iced drink. Xiao Meng had gotten it for him just moments ago, but unfortunately, before they'd had a chance to enjoy it together, it was her turn to compete.
Ye Guyi took it, her cherry-pink lips closing around the straw. She gave it a few absentminded nibbles, then looked at Xu Qing.
"There was no evil aura on her... and she hadn't harmed any innocent lives..."
"And her Martial Soul is a ghost..." She frowned.
"I see. She was probably controlled by the Holy Spirit Cult before. After its branch was destroyed, there was no new source of evil to replenish it, so the aura on her naturally faded away."
"So that's all it was..."
It somehow sounded like a pity.
"...What are you feeling sorry about?"
Xu Qing added a few ice cubes to his drink and watched Xiao Meng compete against a sixth-year senior below.
There was no suspense at all. It was nothing short of a one-sided beatdown.
With the lightest wave of her hand, a vast cloud of icy mist covered the arena. The unfortunate senior had even put on a mask specially designed to counter Meng Hongchen.
But the patches of exposed skin proved to be his undoing.
In an instant, he was poisoned unconscious, foaming at the mouth and convulsing all over.
Xu Qing turned to the other side. There, on Arena One, was Xiao Hongchen's match.
That was a one-sided beatdown too. His opponent controlled several Soul Tool Turrets, but before the Three-Legged Golden Toad, they were like brides waiting to be taken.
In the blink of an eye, the stronger metal attribute seized control of them.
Control your opponent's Soul Tools and make them attack their own master—and use them better than he could. That was next-level cuckolding.
"Mm, are you sorry there aren't any Evil Soul Masters around whose deaths would let you increase your Soul Power at lightning speed?"
"Fine... Actually, it's because this agent of justice can't find anywhere to punish evil and uphold righteousness."
Ye Guyi puffed out her cheeks slightly.
"I came to Sun Moon to fight the Holy Spirit Cult. I caught an Evil Soul Master over in Heaven Soul, and under interrogation, he revealed that they had a branch here."
"It turned out I was right, but there are still Holy Spirit Cult branches elsewhere that haven't been wiped out."
Ye Guyi hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively:
"Xu Qing, would you be willing to go with me to other places and exterminate Evil Soul Masters?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized something was off.
Something about it felt strange, though she couldn't put her finger on what. The angel's little mind couldn't figure it out.
Xu Qing let out a long breath and looked at Ye Guyi strangely, as if inspecting some rare animal.
"Slurp—"
Ye Guyi took a sip of her iced drink and looked at Xu Qing expectantly.
"I refuse."
"...Oh, okay."
"Setting aside your own strength and whether you're capable of taking on the Holy Spirit Cult, let's talk about you right now."
Before you continue