The first to step forward was Xiao Hongchen. After all, he had been the top student in the fifth year.
Just as everyone prayed they wouldn't be picked, a dignified voice suddenly rang out from beyond the arena:
"Since Xiao Hongchen has already reached the Soul King level, we'll adjust his assessment. He'll fight a graduating student instead."
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw that Jing Hongchen had somehow arrived without anyone noticing.
Jing Hongchen's gaze swept across the crowd before settling on his grandson. He spoke calmly:
"Xiao Hongchen, your opponent is... Ma Rulong. You may only use the Soul Tool you just made. The restrictions remain unchanged."
As soon as the words fell, the whole arena drew in a sharp breath.
Ma Rulong!
The acknowledged strongest student in the graduating class, and captain of the next Soul Master Tournament team. He had already reached the Six-Ring Soul Emperor level. Though he wasn't yet a Level 7 Soul Engineer, he wasn't far off.
Many people instinctively looked toward the tall young man standing among the graduating students.
Ma Rulong was sturdily built, with vivid flame-red hair cut short and swept upward in a bold, unruly style. His wine-red eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and his features were clean-cut and firm, with the proud, defiant air of youth.
When he heard his name, he froze for a moment. Then his fighting spirit flared, and he strode into the combat area.
Meng Hongchen: "Do you think you'll win, big brother?"
"I will."
Xiao Hongchen answered with confidence, making a declaration as if victory were already his.
"Then go prove you're not a man who gets by on his looks."
Meng Hongchen gave his shoulder a firm pat.
After exchanging salutes, the two faced off a hundred meters apart.
"Begin!"
The instant the words fell, a fierce black light suddenly blazed over Ma Rulong's head. A menacing black helmet materialized and clamped securely into place.
Six Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—rose from beneath his feet. His head was noticeably almost a full circle larger than before, a change caused by his Martial Soul, the Big-Headed Spirit Ape.
The Big-Headed Spirit Ape Martial Soul enhanced all of Ma Rulong's attributes. Its most precious trait, though, was that it gave him Spiritual Power far beyond that of other Soul Masters at his level—nearly double that of an ordinary Soul Master. This allowed him to control Soul Tools with extraordinary precision and speed.
A round ruby was set in the center of the black helmet's forehead. Now it suddenly shone with an eerie light.
In the next instant, a dark red streak of light shot from the ruby, racing straight toward Xiao Hongchen!
The red beam couldn't pierce the armor on Xiao Hongchen's arm guard, and soon its true form was revealed.
It was a dark red spirit ape no more than a meter and a half tall. Its arms were unnaturally long, and it moved by pounding its knuckles against the ground. Its crystal-clear dark red fur shimmered with an eerie luster beneath the lights, while its eyes blazed gold.
Xiao Hongchen paid the Soul Beast no mind. He swept out his left hand, and a vast metal torrent shoved the ape ten meters away. Then he charged toward Ma Rulong.
A huge blue cannon appeared in Ma Rulong's hands. Blue-violet lightning spat from its barrel, but he didn't fire directly at Xiao Hongchen. Instead, he blasted the ground in the center of the platform.
A barrier of blue-violet electricity immediately stretched across the arena, blocking Xiao Hongchen's way.
Behind it, Ma Rulong began charging his Level 7 Soul Tool, Light of Destruction. Yes, even though he wasn't yet a Level 7 Soul Engineer, he could just barely use a Level 7 Soul Tool. He intended to decide the match in one strike!
As for Xiao Hongchen forcing his way through the Thunder Domain, Ma Rulong wasn't worried. The Thunder Domain's greatest strength was that anything that touched it would stick fast, like a fly caught in a spider's web.
All the lightning would instantly coil back around its target. Even if it couldn't defeat Xiao Hongchen, it would buy Ma Rulong enough time 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 became a trickling stream no thicker than a thumb. His Spiritual Power spread out, sensing the path of every arc of electricity and the position of every gap in the Thunder Domain. Soon, he slipped through one of its openings.
He had crossed through a thousand bolts of lightning without a single spark touching him.
The instant Xiao Hongchen emerged from the Thunder Domain, the golden stream swelled and condensed back into human form.
Golden light flared from the palm of his arm guard. Five Soul Power shots fired in rapid succession, hurtling straight toward Ma Rulong's face.
Ma Rulong had reached the most crucial stage of charging. He couldn't stop.
Remembering Jing Hongchen's instructions before the match, Ma Rulong gritted his teeth and activated a Level 4 Invincible Barrier. The five Soul Power shots struck it, raising no more than a faint ripple.
Xiao Hongchen, charging toward him, was so furious he almost laughed. He'd been restricted to using only the arm guard he had just made!
Using an Invincible Barrier to ensure he could safely finish charging the Level 7 Soul Tool was certainly the easy way out.
But this was... the thinking of a coward.
Just then, Ma Rulong finally completed his charge.
A terrifying golden-red beam shot straight toward Xiao Hongchen.
The might of a Level 7 Soul Tool—an attack made entirely of energy. Even with a life-saving Soul Skill like Attachment of Gold, Xiao Hongchen didn't want to take it head-on.
Everyone held their breath, waiting to see how Xiao Hongchen would block it.
Yet he stood motionless, as if he'd frozen.
The referee's expression changed, and he was about to rush forward when Jing Hongchen raised a hand to stop him.
His face remained calm as his gaze rested on his grandson. There wasn't a trace of worry. He knew his grandson's strength well.
"Boom—"
With a deafening crash, the golden-red beam pierced straight through "Xiao Hongchen's" body. Yet, strangely, no bloody scene followed. "Xiao Hongchen" silently vanished like a bubble, leaving behind only a few silver motes drifting slowly through the air.
Ma Rulong froze for an instant, but then a fierce sense of danger surged from behind him. A six-level Soul Tool greatsword with an eerie crimson glow appeared in his hand. He raised it behind his back in a defensive stance and blocked Xiao Hongchen's punch.
A surge of force mixed with a Spiritual Power shockwave sent him staggering forward several steps before he managed to steady himself.
There was no time to wonder how Xiao Hongchen had suddenly appeared behind him. Xiao Hongchen's fist was coming for his face again.
Ma Rulong hurriedly activated the skill of his Level 6 Soul Tool greatsword: Burning Sword!
Crimson flames sprang up along the blade.
He slashed at the golden fist.
Fist met blade, and Ma Rulong was driven back another two steps.
How was this possible? This wasn't another surprise attack. He'd been completely prepared, yet he still couldn't match his opponent at all.
Seeing Xiao Hongchen about to close in and keep punching, Ma Rulong's eyes betrayed a panic he could hardly conceal.
"Demon Whisker Monkey!"
Ma Rulong shouted toward the distance. The ruby on his helmet shone with an eerie light.
The dark red spirit ape, blocked by the Thunder Domain and unable to approach, transformed into a red streak of light and charged straight at Xiao Hongchen's left side.
Xiao Hongchen had no choice but to activate the Soul Tool shield on his arm guard again. Clang—the ape slammed into the light barrier with a muffled crash.
He wasn't injured, but the impact made him jolt, interrupting his pursuit of Ma Rulong.
Ma Rulong seized the chance to open some distance and catch his breath.
The dark red monkey had also reached Ma Rulong's side. With a sharp "squeak," its originally small body abruptly swelled, transforming in the blink of an eye into a giant ape over four meters tall.
This was no skill. It was a genuine Soul Beast, and from its aura, its cultivation had to be over ten thousand years! Who could have imagined that Ma Rulong would summon a Soul Beast to help him fight in the middle of a match?
Ma Rulong had no intention of bringing out a ranged Soul Tool, either. At less than ten meters apart, he only had to take his attention off Xiao Hongchen for an instant before Xiao Hongchen could punch him in the face. All he could do was keep both hands on his sword and circle Xiao Hongchen slowly alongside the Demon Whisker Monkey.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hongchen stood motionless, his eyes fixed on Ma Rulong as he searched for the key to breaking the stalemate.
And so the two men and one Soul Beast faced each other, locked in a standoff.
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