Before their eyes, the Soul Rings that had been shining brightly turned an eerie gray in an instant!
There wasn't the slightest trace of energy left.
It was as if some overwhelmingly domineering force had forcibly drained them of all their power!
What the hell was this?
Was there really a Soul Skill like this in the world?
As their Soul Rings turned ashen, Lightning Gale Strike, which Lei Bao had only half-completed, and Li Gang's Mad Wolf Sky-Rending Claw both lost their effects instantly, less than three meters from Su Ming!
"What?! My Soul Skill disappeared! That's impossible!!" Lei Bao roared.
"I can't move! My Soul Skill's been locked down too! What the hell is this?!" Li Gang cried out in equal terror!
And that wasn't all.
With their Soul Skills gone, Li Gang's previously unstoppable charge instantly lost its core defense, leaving him completely exposed before Su Ming.
In a life-or-death battle between Soul Kings, what did three seconds without Soul Skills mean?
It meant certain death.
Su Ming didn't hesitate.
The third Soul Ring beneath his feet flared brilliantly.
"Third Soul Skill, Evil Phoenix God-Slaying Slash!"
Whoosh!
A two-meter-long black slash of light shot from his hand.
"Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch!"
There was no suspense, no clash of sparks.
Without their Soul Skills to support their defenses, Lei Bao and Li Gang could rely only on their physical strength for one last stand. They were as fragile as paper.
The slash of light instantly shredded the Soul Power shielding them.
Boom!
Then their Soul Power exploded.
"Ahhh!!"
Two agonized screams rang out.
Then—
Thud! Thud!
With two heavy thumps, the two level-51 Soul Kings crashed into the edge of the arena, then slid to the ground like dead dogs.
Their eyes rolled back, and they passed out completely.
From the start of the match, to Lei Bao and Li Gang's charge, to Su Ming unleashing his fourth Soul Skill and nullifying theirs, to his instant victory—the entire exchange lasted less than three seconds.
Even Hu Liena, standing behind Su Ming, hadn't had time to act before the battle was over.
One move. Two opponents defeated despite their higher ranks!
"This... this..."
The referee at the center of the arena was so shocked he might as well have been sculpted from clay.
In the stands, the spectators and gamblers who'd come for a show now felt as if an invisible hammer had smashed into their heads.
Everyone stared with their mouths agape, unable to make a sound!
A deathly silence fell.
A little Soul Ancestor at level 40 had taken down two seasoned level-51 Soul Kings in one move?
That made no sense according to the rules of the Soul Master World!
Behind Su Ming, Hu Liena stared at the pulsing black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring beneath his feet, her mind buzzing.
He could forcibly seal his opponent's first four Soul Rings, making their Soul Skills fail and disappear...
Hu Liena felt her throat go dry.
Her junior, who was several years younger than her, now possessed methods so eerie and terrifying that even she felt a chill run through her.
If I faced Su Ming, would I be able to beat him?
Over the next few days, the Eighth Sub-Arena at Spirit City's Great Soul Arena became a nightmare for seasoned Soul Kings in their fifties.
Su Ming and Hu Liena's Su-Na Duo showed up at the doubles registration window like clockwork every day.
After their clean, decisive victory over the Thunder-Fierce Duo in their first match, the Su-Na Duo's combat strength had been rated exceptionally high. As a result, over the following days, they were matched exclusively against seasoned duos above level 55, all with vicious fighting styles.
One pair was made up of brothers who excelled at joint defense and could even use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Another was a troublesome team with underhanded tactics, using poison-based control in tandem with powerful attacks to wear down countless opponents.
Yet before Su Ming's almost-cheating fourth Soul Skill, the Soul Skills and teamwork these Soul Kings had spent years honing became nothing but a meaningless joke.
In their final match, they faced a pair of level-59 twin Soul Kings from the Power Attack System.
Their opponents opened by trying to overwhelm them with their superior Soul Power.
But when the black Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring—the fourth one beneath Su Ming's feet—lit up, a piercing phoenix cry instantly tore through the air.
The Evil Phoenix opened its venomous eyes, and black waves of energy swept across the arena.
In that instant, all five Soul Rings beneath the two Soul Kings' feet turned ashen. The Soul Skills they were gathering went out like flames snuffed between two fingers, vanishing in a flash.
Then the battle was over.
"Match ten: the Su-Na Duo wins! That makes ten consecutive victories against higher-ranked opponents in the doubles event!"
The referee's trembling voice announced the result!
As they left the Great Soul Arena, Hu Liena looked at the twelve-year-old boy in black beside her. Her lips moved slightly, and deep inside, frustration and shock became utterly intertwined.
She finally had to admit that in terms of combat strength, she—a senior sister who had just advanced to the fifth ring—had been left far behind by her monstrous junior.
With both ten-win streak requirements complete, there was no doubt that the two of them had earned the highest possible evaluation in their academy assessment.
The next day.
Spirit Hall Academy.
The steady, crisp click of high heels sounded as Liu Ru entered the classroom.
She looked over the four people below her and got straight to the point. "I have an announcement. The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is about to begin."
At the mention of the Elite Tournament, everyone's gaze tightened slightly except Su Ming's. Xie Yue, Yan, and Hu Liena all reacted.
It was the most prestigious and highest-level Soul Master event on the entire Douluo Continent.
The top talents from the two great empires and more than a hundred advanced academies would gather in one place.
And as a seeded team that had been guaranteed a place in every previous tournament, the Spirit Hall Team represented the supreme authority of Spirit Hall, which held the two great empires in check.
Liu Ru braced both hands on the desk, her gaze as sharp as a blade. "In three days, the Academy Martial Arts Arena will hold an internal match to determine the team roster."
"Everyone will fight in unrestricted combat. The winners will make the team. Understood?"
"Understood!" they all answered in unison.
"Good. I'll see you at the arena in three days." Liu Ru waved her hand, then left the classroom.
The students dispersed, and the others left as well.
Yan watched Su Ming's retreating figure, a cold curve tugging at his lips.
"You're thinking of putting him in his place at the internal trial?" Xie Yue asked calmly beside him, as if he'd seen right through Yan's thoughts.
Yan sneered. "Why not? It's a perfectly legitimate opportunity."
Xie Yue said, "Don't say I didn't warn you. You've been in seclusion these past few days, trying to break through to level 44, while Su Ming's been making a name for himself at the Soul Fighting Arena. Even level-59 Soul Kings couldn't beat him."
"What?" Yan stared at him in shock. "Even level 59 opponents couldn't beat him?"