Fierce Battle... Ma Rulong

The first to step onto the stage was Xiao Hongchen, as he had consistently been the top student of the fifth grade.

Just as everyone prayed not to be drawn against them, a majestic voice suddenly echoed from outside the arena:

"Given that Xiao Hongchen has already reached the Soul King level, his assessment is hereby adjusted to a duel against a student from the graduating class."

The crowd followed the sound, only to see Jing Hongchen had arrived at the scene at some point.

Jing Hongchen swept his gaze across the arena before finally settling on his grandson, speaking indifferently:

"Xiao Hongchen, your opponent is... Ma Rulong. You may only use the Soul Tool you just crafted, and the restrictions remain unchanged."

As his words fell, the entire arena gasped in unison.

Ma Rulong!

He was the recognized strongest student of the graduating class and the captain for the next Soul Master tournament. He was already a six-ring Soul Emperor; although he was not yet a Level 7 Soul Engineer, he was not far off.

Many people subconsciously looked toward the tall young man standing among the graduating students.

Ma Rulong had a burly physique, with sharp, flamboyant flame-red hair that spiked upward. His wine-red eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and his facial features were clean and rugged, carrying the arrogance of youth.

Upon hearing his name, he was slightly stunned for a moment, but immediately filled with fighting spirit, striding into the combat zone.

Meng Hongchen: "Will you win, brother?"

"I will win."

Xiao Hongchen wore a confident expression, uttering a declaration that sounded like victory itself.

"Then go prove that you aren't a man who relies on his looks."

Meng Hongchen patted his shoulder firmly.

After the two exchanged bows, they stood in confrontation one hundred meters apart.

"The match begins."

The moment the words fell, a strong black light suddenly ignited on Ma Rulong's head, and a ferocious-looking black helmet instantly manifested, locking firmly onto his head.

Two yellow, two purple, and two black soul rings rose from beneath his feet. His head was visibly a size larger than before; this was the effect of his own Martial Soul—the Big-Headed Spirit Ape.

The Big-Headed Spirit Ape Martial Soul provided a boost to all soul power attributes, but its most precious quality was that it allowed Ma Rulong's spiritual power to far exceed that of Soul Masters at the same level, reaching nearly double that of an ordinary Soul Master. This granted him precision and speed far beyond the norm when operating Soul Tools.

A circular ruby was embedded in the center of the black helmet's forehead, and at this moment, the ruby suddenly lit up with an eerie glow.

Immediately following, a dark red beam of light shot out from the ruby like a lightning bolt, heading straight for Xiao Hongchen!

The red light failed to pierce the armor of Xiao Hongchen's bracers, and soon revealed its true form.

It was a dark red spirit ape, standing no more than 1.5 meters tall. Its arms were exceptionally long, dragging on the ground as it moved. Its crystalline, dark red fur shimmered with an eerie luster under the lights, while its eyes were a piercing gold.

Xiao Hongchen ignored the soul beast. With a wave of his left hand, a massive torrent of metal forcibly pushed the spirit ape ten meters away, while he himself charged toward Ma Rulong.

A massive blue cannon appeared in Ma Rulong's hands. The blue-purple lightning spewing from the barrel did not blast directly at Xiao Hongchen, but instead struck the ground in the center of the arena.

Instantly, a barrier formed of blue-purple electricity stood there, blocking Xiao Hongchen's path.

Ma Rulong began charging his Level 7 Soul Tool—the Light of Destruction—behind it. Yes, although he was not yet a Level 7 Soul Engineer, he could barely manage to use a Level 7 Soul Tool. He intended to decide the outcome in a single strike!

As for Xiao Hongchen forcing his way through the Thunder Domain, he was not worried. The most formidable aspect of this Thunder Domain was that once touched, one would be stuck like a fly on a spiderweb.

All the electrical energy would instantly recoil; even if it weren't enough to defeat Xiao Hongchen, it would buy enough time for him to finish charging.

But reality disappointed him. Xiao Hongchen's fifth soul ring lit up: Attachment of Gold!

Xiao Hongchen's entire body turned into a pool of golden liquid.

He transformed into a trickle of liquid no thicker than a thumb. With his spiritual power spread out, he perceived the trajectory of every arc of electricity and the location of every gap within the Thunder Domain, quickly weaving through the openings.

It could be said that he passed through ten thousand bolts of lightning without a single spark touching him.

The moment Xiao Hongchen emerged from the gaps in the Thunder Domain, the golden stream suddenly expanded, reforming into a human shape.

Golden light shone from the palms of his bracers, and he fired five consecutive soul power energy blasts straight at Ma Rulong's face.

Ma Rulong was at the most critical moment of his energy accumulation; he absolutely could not stop.

Thinking of the instructions Jing Hongchen had given him before the fight, Ma Rulong gritted his teeth and activated a Level 4 Invincible Barrier. The five soul power blasts could only stir up a ripple upon it.

At this moment, Xiao Hongchen, who was charging toward Ma Rulong, was so angry he laughed. He had been restricted to using only the bracers he had just crafted!

Using an Invincible Barrier to ensure the successful charging of a Level 7 Soul Tool was certainly comfortable.

But this was... the thinking of a loser.

It was at this moment that Ma Rulong finally finished charging.

A terrifying golden-red beam of light shot straight toward Xiao Hongchen.

The might of a Level 7 Soul Tool, and a pure energy attack at that—even with a life-saving soul skill like Attachment of Gold, he did not want to take it head-on.

The crowd held their breath, waiting to see how Xiao Hongchen would defend.

Yet, he stood in place, motionless, as if stunned.

The referee's expression changed, and he was about to rush forward, but was stopped by Jing Hongchen raising a hand.

He looked calm, his gaze fixed on his grandson without a hint of worry; he naturally knew the extent of his grandson's strength.

"Boom--"

With a deafening roar, a golden-red beam of light pierced through Xiao Hongchen's body. Strangely, there was no bloody scene; Xiao Hongchen dissipated silently like bubbles, leaving behind only a few specks of silver light that drifted slowly through the air.

Ma Rulong was stunned for a moment, but a sense of intense crisis surged from behind him. A six-level Soul Tool greatsword with an enchanting red hue instantly appeared in his hand. He held the sword vertically behind his back, using a back-blocking stance to parry Xiao Hongchen's punch.

A massive force combined with a mental shockwave sent him stumbling forward, and he could only steady himself after several steps.

There was no time to ponder why Xiao Hongchen had suddenly appeared behind him, as Xiao Hongchen's fist was already closing in on his face again.

Ma Rulong hurriedly activated the skill of the six-level Soul Tool greatsword: Burning Sword.

Crimson flames instantly erupted along the blade of the greatsword.

He slashed the sword toward the golden fist.

Fist and sword collided, and Ma Rulong was forced back another two steps.

How is this possible? This isn't a sneak attack like before; I was fully prepared, yet I'm still completely outmatched.

Seeing Xiao Hongchen closing in to strike again, an undisguised panic flickered in Ma Rulong's eyes.

"Demon Whisker Monkey!"

Ma Rulong shouted toward the distance, and the ruby on his helmet emitted an eerie glow.

The dark red spirit ape, which had been unable to cross the Thunder Domain, transformed into a streak of red light and charged directly at Xiao Hongchen's left flank.

Xiao Hongchen had no choice but to release the Soul Tool shield from his bracer. Clang--, the spirit ape slammed into the light shield, producing a dull, resonant thud.

He was not injured, but the impact caused his figure to shudder slightly, halting his pursuit of Ma Rulong.

Ma Rulong seized the opportunity to create distance and catch his breath.

The dark red monkey had also reached Ma Rulong's side. With a "squeak," its originally lean body swelled violently, transforming in the blink of an eye into a giant ape over four meters tall.

This was by no means a skill, but a genuine soul beast. Judging by its aura, its cultivation must have exceeded ten thousand years! Who could have imagined that Ma Rulong would be able to summon a soul beast to assist him in battle during the competition?

Ma Rulong had no intention of pulling out a long-range Soul Tool; at a distance of less than ten meters, if his attention wavered from Xiao Hongchen for even a second, Xiao Hongchen would smash his face in. He could only continue to hold his sword with both hands, slowly circling Xiao Hongchen alongside the Demon Whisker Monkey.

On the other side, Xiao Hongchen stood his ground, his eyes locked onto Ma Rulong as he contemplated the key to breaking the deadlock.

And so, the two of them and the soul beast stood in a tense standoff.