Meanwhile.
After absorbing his fourth Soul Ring, Su Ming's Soul Power Level had reached level forty-two.
After a brief rest, the two returned to Spirit Hall.
After returning to Spirit Hall, they rested for the night.
The next day, after getting up, Su Ming decided to head to Spirit City's Great Soul Arena again.
When he reached the entrance to the Great Soul Arena, he saw Hu Liena in neat, casual clothes.
She had clearly been waiting there for quite some time.
When she saw Su Ming approaching, her beautiful eyes lit up, and she hurried over to meet him.
"Junior Brother Su Ming, you're finally here. Elder Chrysanthemum reported to our teacher as soon as he got back yesterday. I heard that you not only broke through to level forty, but also obtained an exceptionally powerful fourth Soul Skill."
"Great, now we've both met our singles-match requirements. We can team up and compete in the doubles matches."
Su Ming looked at her and uttered a single word: "Let's go."
The two walked side by side into the hall and made straight for the doubles registration window.
The staff member took their Soul Master badges and scanned them in the Soul Tool system for verification.
When he saw their records, the staff member's hand trembled slightly, and he nearly dropped the badges.
"Hu... Hu Liena, level fifty-two Soul King. Su Ming, level forty-two Soul Ancestor."
They were so young, yet one was a Soul King and the other a Soul Ancestor?
He took a deep breath, forcing down his shock, and said, "According to the Great Soul Arena's rules, doubles matches must be matched based on the highest Soul Power Level among the team members."
"Since Miss Hu Liena has advanced to the Five-Ring Soul King level, your Su-Na Duo will be placed directly into the level-fifty-to-fifty-nine Soul King division for matching."
"Are you sure you want to begin now?"
A Soul Ancestor teaming up with a Soul King and challenging a pair of Five-Ring Soul Kings was an exceedingly rare occurrence in the Great Soul Arena's history.
Hu Liena looked at Su Ming and asked with a smile, "Junior Brother Su Ming, are you ready?"
Su Ming said to the staff member, "Yes. Please match us right away."
"Very well. Please wait in the hall for your notification."
The staff member completed their registration at once.
Five minutes later, at the Eighth Sub-Arena.
"Up next is a Soul King doubles match! The veteran Thunder-Fierce Duo, who have already won three matches in a row, will face the newly registered challengers, the Su-Na Duo, who are competing above their level!"
"Both teams, please take the stage!"
At the referee's ringing announcement, Su Ming and Hu Liena walked onto the platform side by side.
Across from them, two tall, sinister-looking young men also strode onto the stage.
The two opponents were cousins who worked together with exceptional coordination.
The older one was named Lei Bao, a level-fifty-one Agility Attack System Soul King whose Martial Soul was a Lightning Leopard!
The younger one was named Li Gang, a level-fifty-one Power Attack System Soul King whose Martial Soul was a Bloodthirsty Mad Wolf!
The moment Lei Bao and Li Gang stepped onto the arena, their scrutinizing gazes locked onto the pair.
When their eyes fell on Su Ming's still-youthful face, their lips curled into cruel sneers.
"Has the Great Soul Arena run out of people today? A level-fifty-two girl bringing along a little brat who hasn't even grown his first whiskers, and they dare come to the Soul King division to die?" Li Gang twisted his neck, his bones cracking sharply.
Lei Bao leaned close to Li Gang and sneered under his breath. "The girl's level fifty-two. She won't be easy to deal with."
"But that brat hasn't even grown his first whiskers, and his Soul Power is only level forty-two. As soon as the referee calls the start, we'll ignore the girl and focus all our firepower on that kid. We'll cripple him in an instant!"
"Once he's out of the match, that girl won't be able to turn the tide on her own."
"No problem. I'll finish him in one move!" Li Gang licked his lips bloodthirstily.
The two made no effort to keep their voices down. The audience below shook their heads, convinced that the Su-Na Duo was practically asking for death.
The referee stood in the center of the platform and brought his raised right hand down sharply. "The match begins!"
"Roar!"
"Whoosh!"
At the signal, the level-fifty-one Soul Power within Lei Bao and Li Gang erupted.
Two yellow, two purple, and one black—ten standard Soul Rings spun wildly beneath the two of them.
Blue arcs of electricity instantly covered Lei Bao's body, and his hands transformed into sharp leopard claws.
Li Gang's body swelled, his eyes turned scarlet, and sharp wolf fangs sprouted from his mouth.
Without any probing attacks, their brilliant third Soul Rings lit up at the same time.
"Third Soul Skill, Lightning Gale Strike!"
"Third Soul Skill, Mad Wolf Sky-Rending Claw!"
Lei Bao turned into a blue bolt of lightning, too fast for the naked eye to follow, while Li Gang was shrouded in the blood-red shadow of a savage wolf.
The two attacked from opposite sides, pushing their speed and power to the limit. With a terrifying pressure of Soul Power, they charged at Su Ming, who stood motionless, in a combined attack!
When Soul Kings above level fifty unleashed their full power, the hard ground along their path was carved with deep trenches by the Soul Power spilling from their attacks.
"Su Ming, watch out!"
Hu Liena's expression changed. Her Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Martial Soul possessed her in an instant, and she was just about to step in and block one of them for Su Ming.
Yet Su Ming stood there beneath their terrifying pincer attack, not even bothering to move.
Boom!
Just as the two were about to reach him,
a phantom Evil Phoenix radiating an aura of Nirvana suddenly spread its wings behind Su Ming.
In an instant, yellow, yellow, deep purple, and pure black!
Four Soul Rings rose from beneath Su Ming's feet.
The moment the black Soul Ring representing a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring appeared, Lei Bao and Li Gang, charging at full speed, twitched violently at the corners of their eyes. Their gazes filled with utter disbelief and shock!
A ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring?!
Was this kid putting on an act?
The surrounding spectators also drew in sharp breaths. A ten-thousand-year fourth Soul Ring?
What kind of monster was this guy?
Lei Bao and Li Gang exchanged a glance. They were shaken, but neither backed down!
Besides, their charge was already underway. They couldn't stop their attacks now.
Su Ming snorted coldly. The fourth black ten-thousand-year Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly blazed with brilliant light.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Nine-Nether Resentful Phoenix Cry!"
"Screee—!!"
A resentful phoenix cry, as if coming from the deepest depths of the Nine Netherworlds, instantly tore through the silence of the entire Eighth Sub-Arena.
The phantom Evil Phoenix behind Su Ming abruptly opened its pitch-black eyes and stared coldly at the two Soul Kings charging toward it.
Rumble!
An indescribably eerie power descended upon Lei Bao and Li Gang in an instant.
The moment that pair of phoenix eyes fixed on them, the fierce Martial Souls of the Lightning Leopard and Bloodthirsty Mad Wolf seemed to have encountered the supreme god of the bloodline realm. An instinctive, overwhelming terror rose within them.
The Five Decays of Heaven and Man effect triggered instantly!
And then, a scene that left Lei Bao and Li Gang utterly stunned unfolded!!!