Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Bone?! (Thanks to Zhang Zhijie for the recommendation vote~)

After releasing his martial soul, Taishi Ci introduced himself as well:

"Taishi Ci, martial soul Wild Song Halberd, level 40 Battle Soul Elder. Please enlighten me!"

"Level 40?"

This level was clearly beyond Ye Rui's expectations.

Under normal circumstances, once someone reached the level where they could break through, they would immediately obtain a soul ring and advance to the next stage.

Though there was only one level between 40 and 41, the gap was enormous!

Ten level-40 Soul Elders might not even be able to defeat a single level-41 Soul Ancestor.

But considering how absurdly old the soul rings this monster had obtained were—

When he acquired his fourth soul ring, he would surely seek out a ten-thousand-year soul ring suited to him.

Ye Rui took a deep breath and did her best to suppress the unease in her heart.

Even if he was already level 40, he was still only a Soul Elder.

Meanwhile, she was a full major realm and nine levels above him.

As long as she was careful, there was no way she could lose this match!

"Before we begin, let's settle your wager. Fifty gold soul coins, or serving as my servant for one year?"

Taishi Ci replied casually, "Either is fine. Once you beat me, you can decide."

Ye Rui frowned, thoroughly displeased by his indifferent attitude.

But she did not make the first move.

Before she understood his strength, she would not put herself at a disadvantage.

Seeing that she had not attacked, Taishi Ci's lips curved faintly.

With the blade of his halberd angled toward the ground, he strolled toward her as leisurely as if he were wandering through a market.

He still did not attack, simply walking straight at her.

Yet with every step he took closer, the pressure in Ye Rui's heart increased!

When he came within four meters of her, she finally could not hold back any longer. A dark blue glow bloomed in her palm, and her third soul ring suddenly lit up!

"Third Soul Skill—Cold Bud Cage!"

Countless ice flowers burst from around Taishi Ci's feet.

Icy mist intertwined into a cage, trapping Taishi Ci within a prison of ice walls just as it had trapped Dai Mubai before!

Seeing this familiar scene, many people in the stands cheered!

Knowing her opponent would be difficult to handle, she had decisively used her third soul skill.

That Soul Elder had failed to react in time. He would likely end up like that White Tiger youth earlier—his soul power slowed, then thrown out of the arena!

Yet Taishi Ci, standing within the icy walls, looked completely calm. There was even a faint smile at the corners of his lips.

He had indeed felt his soul power slow somewhat.

But if that young Soul Elder's soul power had been like a stream—

Once frozen by this icy mist, its flow would naturally slow significantly.

Taishi Ci's soul power, however, was like a vast ocean. Even if part of it was slowed, he still had an ocean's worth of soul power at his command.

He even tapped the ice wall in front of him with the tip of his halberd, producing a series of crisp clangs.

Then Taishi Ci could not help but sneer.

"Miss, your cage isn't sturdy enough."

With that, under Ye Rui's astonished gaze, he grabbed a Wild Song Short Halberd and thrust it straight into the ice wall before him!

As though piercing a fragile membrane, the Cold Bud Cage shattered at once!

Taishi Ci stepped out of the ice prison without even a speck of frost touching the hem of his clothes.

His figure flashed, and he was already pressing close to Ye Rui. The halberd blade swept upward!

But he deliberately shifted it slightly midway, letting it skim past the ends of Ye Rui's hair and slice off several strands of her dark green locks.

Ye Rui was horrified, a powerful sense of danger surging through her heart!

She quickly gritted her teeth and flipped backward into the air. Raising the Ice Crystal Begonia high in her hand, she lit up her second soul ring:

"Second Soul Skill—Ice Shield Thousand Edges!"

Countless tiny shields formed of ice crystals spun around Ye Rui.

They could defend her body, while the spinning ice crystals could also attack her enemy!

Taishi Ci paused, his movements noticeably slowing.

Yet Ye Rui mistook this for an opening, and her fourth soul ring abruptly lit up!

"Fourth Soul Skill—Frost Blossom Pierces Bone!"

For some reason, she felt she could not drag this out any longer.

Otherwise, her situation would only grow worse!

As she unleashed her fourth soul skill, icy-blue patterns immediately spread across the ground in all directions!

Wherever they passed, even the air froze solid.

Naturally, that included Taishi Ci, who stood close to her.

Frost crept up from the soles of Taishi Ci's shoes and rapidly spread up his trousers!

Everything it touched froze into solid blocks of ice, making Taishi Ci let out a soft sound of surprise.

Her fourth soul skill was rather interesting.

It could actually ignore the protective soul power of a Title Douluo and freeze his physical body directly!

But that was all.

Even if this soul skill could ignore his soul power and apply bone-piercing frost directly to the surface of his body—

How could his Title Douluo-level physique truly be affected?

"Is this your strongest attack? Then let's end this."

Taishi Ci was clearly losing interest. He slammed both Wild Song Halberds violently into the ground!

Ye Rui felt as though the entire spirit fighting platform sank for an instant.

The frigid air suddenly became warm and viscous, while invisible pressure squeezed in on her from all sides.

Ye Rui watched Taishi Ci's figure rapidly enlarge in her vision, the halberd blade thrusting toward her chest with unstoppable momentum!

It was clearly nothing more than a plain, direct thrust, yet it sealed off every possible route of escape!

This strike was impossible to evade!

Ye Rui's face went pale. Then she closed her eyes, seemingly giving up resistance.

Seeing this, Taishi Ci also prepared to hold back.

After all, he had no intention of killing her.

But at the very instant that thought arose, Ye Rui's eyes snapped open!

In that moment, a brilliant blue pillar of light shot into the sky from her body!

More precisely, it burst from her left arm!

A crystalline ice armguard had appeared over her left arm!

A great amount of cold air surged forth, actually conjuring a blizzard through the air!

Zhuge Ming, standing below the platform, saw the translucent bone fragment on Ye Rui's arm, and his eyes suddenly lit up!

A legendary soul bone?!

No wonder this woman had dared to set up an arena so openly. She had a trump card like this!

Ye Rui's soul bone was a ten-thousand-year soul bone!

It came from a soul beast known as the Ice Crystal Phoenix.

Her Ice Crystal Begonia martial soul swelled dramatically under the soul bone's amplification.

Countless ice flowers bloomed within it, every petal transforming into a razor-sharp blade of ice.

Together with the goose-feather snowstorm, they shot toward Taishi Ci from every direction!

If this attack landed, let alone a mere Soul Elder, even a Soul Ancestor might die on the spot!

Yet Ye Rui had no intention of holding back. Instead, she stared at her opponent with extreme tension.

She knew very well that he had not used a single soul skill so far!

If this attack could not inflict meaningful damage on him, there was no point in continuing the fight...

Faced with this terrifying attack, a trace of disdain appeared in Taishi Ci's eyes.

The attack looked impressive, but its force was actually scattered everywhere.

If it had been concentrated at one point, it might truly have caused a little damage to his skin.

But against such dispersed attacks, he could simply take them head-on.

But at that moment, his lord's voice suddenly rang out in his mind...