Demonic Dragon vs. Red Dragon

She bore a seventy-percent resemblance to her romantic rival, Bibi Dong.

Although Qian Ren Shuang was now with her beloved Xiaogang, and she should not have treated him poorly by rights, that face alone was enough to stir a wave of irritation in Liu Erlong's heart. She spoke coldly, "Level fifty-two? As a student, you would have graduated long ago. But if you want to be a teacher—anyone below level sixty must undergo a practical combat assessment."

"Oh?" Qian Ren Shuang had a fiery temper himself. He heard the hostility in Liu Erlong's words loud and clear and immediately shot back, "A combat assessment? Who do you want me to beat up?"

"Calm down, both of you, calm down!" Flender hurriedly stepped between them, spreading his arms to separate Qian Ren Shuang and Liu Erlong. "Xiaogang, help talk them down too!"

How could Yu Xiaogang possibly stop them? He was dying to see Qian Ren Shuang suffer, preferably get beaten black and blue, so he could avenge the thigh pinch from last time. He cleared his throat and fanned the flames from the side in an indifferent tone. "Erlong, Qian Ren Shuang is one of us from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan... go easy on him."

It would have been better if he had not mentioned it. The moment he said "Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan," Liu Erlong's expression turned even colder. Back then, it had been those people from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan who had desperately tried to stop her from being with Xiaogang. And now a branch member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan stood before her, wanting to join her academy?

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?" Liu Erlong sneered, sizing Qian Ren Shuang up and down. "Fine! Since you're only a Soul King, I'll give you some leeway. If you can last one incense stick's worth of time against me, I'll let you join!"

"Guilmon, how are you holding up?" Before the fight, Qian Ren Shuang lowered his head and asked as usual.

Guilmon raised both front claws and made an OK gesture, replying energetically, "Just one incense stick? No problem!"

"Oh? A detached martial soul?" Liu Erlong noticed Guilmon's form, and her gaze flickered slightly as her expression softened somewhat. She decided not to beat Qian Ren Shuang too badly—at least she would show a detached martial soul some respect.

"Let's go somewhere open," Qian Ren Shuang said. "If we fight here, the guard booth won't survive being torn down."

But Liu Erlong thought he was scared. She scoffed and mocked him, "What? Afraid? If you are, get out of here right now! I, Liu Erlong, despise cowardly men most of all!"

Flender was speechless when he heard that, grumbling inwardly: Yu Xiaogang was as cowardly as he was fond of showing off, yet you still loved him to death.

If Liu Erlong had known what Flender was thinking, she would definitely have retorted with perfect conviction: Xiaogang had only level twenty-nine soul power, yet the Pope of Spirit Hall personally bestowed upon him the title of "Foremost Authority on Martial Soul Theory." How incredible was that? In my heart, he is not a man. He is a god!

"Erlong," Yu Xiaogang finally spoke up. He did not want Liu Erlong and Qian Ren Shuang to start fighting right outside the guard booth. He was afraid too—if either of them sent a stray shockwave his way, this Soul Grandmaster would be sent straight to heaven. "He really does have a soul skill that can evolve and enlarge him. You should go somewhere open. Otherwise, if too much gets damaged, cleaning it up afterward will be troublesome."

"Good. My Xiaogang is always so thoughtful." When Liu Erlong turned toward Yu Xiaogang, the expression on her face instantly shifted into radiant sunshine. Her voice became soft enough to melt water, and even the lines at the corners of her eyes crinkled with her smile.

When she turned back, her tone became cold and hard again. "Hey! If you want an open space, follow me!"

Qian Ren Shuang raised a brow and followed her.

Zhao Wuji called out from behind, "Qian Ren Shuang, she's a woman, after all. Go easy on her."

On Earth, given the physiological differences between men and women, there was nothing wrong with saying that. But in the Douluo World, soul masters relied on martial souls and soul power. Who cared whether someone was male or female? Saying something like that here was simply foolish.

"What, you big stupid bear, are you looking down on me?" Liu Erlong had sharp ears. She immediately stopped, turned around, and fixed Zhao Wuji with a piercing stare. "Let me tell you, I'm a level seventy-eight assault-type battle Soul Sage, and my martial soul is the Red Dragon with dual lightning and fire attributes! How about you and I have a little match first?"

The moment Zhao Wuji heard that Liu Erlong was two levels higher than him, he instantly wilted and waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no. You carry on."

Liu Erlong snorted coldly and led Qian Ren Shuang past several teaching buildings to a relatively open field. The ground was hard-packed yellow earth, with few buildings around it. It was indeed a suitable place to fight.

She stopped with her back to Qian Ren Shuang, about to say something—

Qian Ren Shuang had no intention of letting her finish.

"Soul Skill Switch—High-Speed Component B! Guilmon, get her!"

His second soul ring lit up, and a streak of light flew from Qian Ren Shuang's fingertip, accurately sinking into Guilmon's body. Guilmon's speed surged explosively—an ambush never needed a warning.

Guilmon burst forward in an instant, its body becoming a yellow bolt of lightning as it lunged for Liu Erlong's back. Its right claw rose high, its first innate ability—Rock-Breaking Claw—its glinting talons striking directly at Liu Erlong's lower abdomen.

Liu Erlong had been speaking when she suddenly sensed a violent burst of soul power behind her. Her combat instincts were extraordinarily sharp. Almost at the exact moment Guilmon's claw came down, her body had already reacted—

Red Dragon martial soul, possess!

Flames and lightning erupted from her body simultaneously, dragon scales covering her arms and shoulders. She twisted sharply to the side, trying to evade the blow.

But Guilmon was too fast. With the advantage of the ambush and the acceleration from the High-Speed Component, that claw came down fast and viciously. Though Liu Erlong did everything she could to dodge, she was still a fraction too slow—

"Riiip—"

The sound of cloth tearing was crisp and harsh. Guilmon's claw slashed across the right side of her waist. What had been a strike meant to pierce her lower abdomen instead became a puncturing wound to her right waist.

A gash opened in the clothing at Liu Erlong's waist, exposing flesh that immediately began to bleed. This attack showed absolutely no mercy; the wound was deep enough to nearly cripple her entire right side. Blood was already trailing down her waistline, staining the dark red hem of her dress.

"Qian Ren Shuang! Wasn't that a little too heavy?!" Seeing the woman he loved ambushed and injured, Flender rushed over in a fury, red in the face and thick in the neck. "Can't you show even a little gentlemanly restraint?!"

"No." Qian Ren Shuang answered coldly, not even sparing Flender a proper glance. "If you're afraid of getting hurt, hurry home and drink milk. Why become a soul master?"

When facing an opponent with a higher Soul Power Level, anyone who still reminded the other side to prepare was simply out of their mind. In a fight to the death, who cared about rules?