The commentator's voice rang out once more. "The first round has officially concluded. Next up is the first match of the second round: contestant number twenty-three, Zhou Mingyu, versus contestant number nine, Lü Jun."
"Before the match begins, let me briefly analyze the difference in strength between today's contestants. Contestant Lü Jun is from Mingdu Academy, where he is an outstanding student. He is a genuine Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, and his Martial Soul is the Earth Berserk Bear."
"As for contestant Zhou Mingyu, according to the records, he is only a two-ring Soul Grandmaster. It seems this match will be very dangerous for him."
"However, anyone who made it this far cannot be underestimated. Will this be an absolute suppression by superior strength, or an upset as a rising star makes his name? Let us wait and see!"
The commentator was clearly an expert at stirring up the atmosphere. Her words instantly ignited the audience's emotions. Thunderous applause and tsunami-like cheers echoed throughout the arena, lingering without end.
Zhou Mingyu stood calmly on the stage. His opponent was an exceptionally tall contestant.
The man stood bare-armed, his bronze skin gleaming under the lights with a healthy, powerful sheen. Every inch of muscle seemed to contain explosive energy.
His arms were as thick as an ordinary person's thighs. His short crimson hair stood upright like sharp steel needles. Merely standing there, he radiated an imposing aura that inspired awe even without anger.
Lü Jun. Martial Soul: Earth Berserk Bear. It was said that when his Martial Soul awakened, he possessed level-nine Innate Soul Power. Sixteen years old, level forty-eight Strong Attack System Soul Ancestor. Even among the many talents of Mingdu Academy, he ranked among the best.
Meanwhile, in a private room within the VIP viewing area, an elegant old man said to the friend beside him, "Old Wang, it looks like your precious disciple got off to a bad start. He ran into a tough opponent right away."
"I'm telling you, quite a few old fellows came this time. Be careful not to embarrass yourself!"
Yet Lei Peng Douluo, who was usually hot-tempered, showed no emotional reaction to the old man's words. He merely said with calm confidence, "Old Zhang, at your age, why are you in such a rush? Just watch."
Just watch carefully and see what a real genius looks like!
"Three, two, one. Match begin!"
With the electronic announcement, the protective barrier rose in an instant, covering the entire stage in a hazy white glow.
Black! Black! Two ten-thousand-year Soul Rings slowly rose beneath Zhou Mingyu's feet.
That extraordinary Soul Ring configuration, far beyond what ordinary Soul Masters could endure, drew bursts of uncontrollable excited cries from the audience.
In the VIP viewing area, the previously calm gazes suddenly sharpened as well. Clearly, they had been drawn in by this unusual Soul Ring configuration.
Just from that configuration alone, the audience immediately felt that this match had promise.
Although Zhou Mingyu was currently only a two-ring Soul Grandmaster, there had been cases in this world of people defeating powerful enemies across two ranks. Yet every such person had been a monstrous talent capable of astounding an era.
At the same time, four Soul Rings rose beneath Lü Jun's feet. Purple, purple, purple, purple!
Although that four-purple configuration proved that his cultivation was far higher than Zhou Mingyu's, in terms of Soul Rings alone, he had already fallen behind Zhou Mingyu.
Lü Jun stared at the opponent before him, a flash of undisguised brilliance passing through his eyes.
To encounter such a monstrous opponent in his very first match—a young prodigy with an extraordinary Soul Ring configuration—made the battle-hungry instincts in his body surge like flames being kindled.
In truth, Lü Jun had not come to participate in the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament for empty honors like the championship. His main goal was the exclusive forging reward from a Saint Craftsman; his second was to temper his actual combat ability through this grand event.
There was no helping it. The path of cultivation required resources at every turn.
Increasing a Spirit Soul's age required vast sums of money. Forging Battle Armor cost even more, while all manner of other cultivation resources were no small expense either.
When Lü Jun heard that a Saint Craftsman would be collaborating with the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament, his heart had immediately surged with excitement.
The allure of exclusive Battle Armor far surpassed that of any other resource.
After all, this was no ordinary opportunity.
Saint Craftsmen also needed to cultivate diligently, so they could not focus on forging at all times. Forging opportunities were rare and difficult to obtain.
Under normal circumstances, even a Title Douluo might not be able to reserve a forging opportunity with a Saint Craftsman.
Especially a young Saint Craftsman like Li Ziming, who was in the golden period of his rise. The Blacksmith Association would never allow him to be burdened by commissions and social obligations, sacrificing his precious cultivation time.
Even the higher-ups of major factions could find no opportunity to establish a connection with him.
Therefore, an opportunity like this—to form a connection with a forging prodigy like Li Ziming, who had hopes of becoming a Divine Craftsman—was all the more precious.
After the news was announced, many young geniuses immediately began rubbing their hands in anticipation. Lü Jun was among the most eager of them all.
He had promptly signed up for the competition in high spirits, determined to secure a forging slot by any means possible.
"I really made the right choice coming to this tournament. As long as I can win the championship, build a connection with a Saint Craftsman, and save up some resources, becoming a Title Douluo will no longer be a dream!"
A blazing light burst from Lü Jun's eyes, and his yearning for the future transformed into surging battle intent.
He moved, charging toward Zhou Mingyu like an arrow released from a bow. In his combat experience, nothing was more important than offense.
Offense was the best defense, and the key to victory. A closer look revealed that his skin had turned pale yellow. Claws extended from both hands, and he resembled a maddened violent bear, radiating a savage aura from head to toe.
So fast!
That was the first reaction of everyone present.
Lü Jun's charge was like a Soul-guided cannonball just fired from its barrel. From the instant he moved, he continued accelerating. The closer he drew to Zhou Mingyu, the denser the aura around his hands became, and the more powerful his presence grew, as though he would set the air itself ablaze.
What terrifying pressure! Could this clash be decided in a single move?
Zhou Mingyu merely raised his sword calmly and remained where he was, showing no sign of moving at all. The audience could not help but tense up.
Had he been frightened stupid? So passive—perhaps even the referee would not have time to save him! The spectators stared fixedly at the stage, their eyes locked on that completely motionless figure, filled with confusion.
A trace of surprise also flashed through Lü Jun's heart, but his full-speed charge did not slow. He merely held back a little of his strength in secret.
Based on his experience, there were only two possibilities for his opponent's calmness: either he specialized in extreme speed and was absolutely confident he could evade the attack, or he had some unknown trump card hidden away.
But a cold smile quickly formed on his lips. Speed? Could he possibly be inferior in that regard?
The distance continued to shrink. Lü Jun was already calculating when his opponent would dodge.
Ten meters... five meters... three meters...
Why was he still not dodging? Did he really think he could calmly escape at this point? He was underestimating me far too much!
A fierce glint flashed through Lü Jun's eyes. His second Soul Ring suddenly erupted with dazzling purple light, and his aura rose sharply once more.
That sudden burst of power doubled his speed in an instant. The remaining three meters were crossed in the blink of an eye.
Boom!
Lü Jun was not the only one certain his opponent would dodge; the spectators around the stage shared the same expectation. Yet even under Lü Jun's extreme acceleration, Zhou Mingyu remained standing in place without making the slightest evasive movement. He simply swung his sword.
In the next instant, the blue blade beneath his wrist suddenly trembled. A streak of cold radiance burst from the tip of the Mysterious Ice Sword—a sword light infused with frigid attributes. Before the sword qi even arrived, the biting frost wind had already sharply divided the temperature inside and outside the arena, while flying snow along its path condensed into a trail of ice crystals.
Lü Jun had no time to retreat. The instant the cold wind coiled around him, the extreme chill penetrated to his bones—dark blue ice spread from his palms to his waist and abdomen in an instant. The crackling sound of his freezing joints pierced through the wind and snow. Even the white mist from his breath condensed into ice fragments hanging in midair.
When the wind and snow dispersed, Lü Jun, whose momentum had been so overwhelming moments earlier, had become a pale ice sculpture standing in the middle of the arena.
Ultimate Ice!
This was Zhou Mingyu's thousand-year Spirit Soul—the Frostsnow Ice Coral from the Far North. When it advanced into a ten-thousand-year Spirit Soul, it underwent a transformation. The pure ice-attribute energy it brought, under Liu Tianran's deliberate guidance, had driven the Mysterious Ice Sword's own ice attribute, which had already been extremely close to the ultimate, to ascend together into Ultimate Ice!
Although the temperature in the arena had plummeted, the impact of that extreme cold beauty sent every audience member's adrenaline soaring, their hearts involuntarily accelerating.
Cold radiance shot into the sky. It truly had been a one-strike victory! Yet the winner was not the one everyone had expected!
In the audience, some shouted excitedly over the clean and decisive clash, while others regretted the match's abrupt end—they had hoped for a close, hard-fought battle of offense against offense, not such an instantaneous defeat.
An instant kill was satisfying, but it lacked the thrill of a prolonged, exhilarating fight.
Yet unlike the amateur spectators in the arena, who only wanted a spectacle, every guest in the VIP viewing area was astonished.
"That bone-piercing icy aura just now! Could it be?"
"That's right, Ultimate Ice! It really is Ultimate Ice!"
"Not only that, but that sword strike just now was also mixed with exceptionally pure sword intent!"
"Whose child is this? I want to take him as my disciple!"
"Keep dreaming. He's Old Wang's disciple. Be careful, or he'll fight you to the death!"
"What?! What a waste! What a terrible waste! He's a beast Martial Soul Master with lightning attributes—can he possibly teach him properly?! This child should be studying swordsmanship under me!"
"Where is Wang Yupeng? I want to challenge him to a duel!"
At this moment, Lei Peng Douluo, whom everyone was looking for, stood at the exit together with his earlier friend. While waiting for Zhou Mingyu, he secretly kept watch on the situation over there with his spiritual power.
"Hahahaha! Those old fellows are already so old—how do they have so little composure?" His face was brimming with pride, though he spoke with feigned calmness.
"Enough, Old Wang. Restrain yourself. If you keep acting like this, even I'll want to hit you." The old man surnamed Zhang spoke helplessly from the side, though he could not conceal the envy in his eyes as he watched the heroic Zhou Mingyu on the stage.
It was no wonder those powerful figures, who normally cared so much about their image, had lost their composure. Ultimate Ice and pure Sword Heart—either one alone could create an unparalleled powerhouse.
Yet both had gathered in one person. It could be said that as long as Zhou Mingyu grew smoothly, even a Limit Douluo would not be able to stop him. He might even have hope of becoming a Demigod or a Quasi-God.
At that moment, a thought could not help but rise in their hearts.
Could this be another Yun Ming?!
Before you continue