Su Changqing stepped down from the arena, the clamor from the stands seeming to be separated from him by an invisible barrier.
He paid no attention to those fervent gazes and went straight back to the rest area. Finding a seat in a corner, he sat down and closed his eyes to rest.
This Soul Duel belonged to Yu Tianheng, and his opponent was a Soul Ancestor.
Despite the disadvantage in rank, Yu Tianheng still claimed victory through his formidable strength, drawing a wave of cheers from the crowd.
Su Changqing watched the arena, and his expression changed.
"Though you never offended me, to catch Dugu Yan's attention, I can only make you suffer a little." He spoke blandly.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was Su Changqing's turn again.
His opponent was still a Soul Ancestor.
His martial soul was the Iron Armored Rhinoceros, renowned for its defensive power, but before Su Changqing, the outcome was no different.
The instant the bell signaling the start of the battle rang, Su Changqing's figure shot out like a ghost. There was no dazzling spirit skill radiance, only a simple, direct straight punch.
A layer of intensely condensed golden radiance covered his fist.
"Bang!"
His opponent had not even managed to fully unleash his defensive spirit skill. The massive rhinoceros phantom had only just appeared when it was shattered by the terrifying force contained in that punch!
Then his entire body was sent flying backward, and he passed out.
The entire process took less than two seconds.
"Guanghui wins!"
The referee's voice carried a trace of numbness.
After a brief silence, the entire venue erupted into fervent cheers. Though they had grown accustomed to such crushing victories, every time they witnessed one, it was still shocking.
In the VIP seats, the Imperial Fighting Team members wore varied expressions.
Yu Feng smacked his lips. "Tsk, this guy really is violent. But his opponent was too weak. You can't tell what he's really capable of."
Osler crossed his arms and snorted. "His speed is decent, and his strength is passable, but he can only dominate among Soul Elders. Against a true powerhouse, like our captain, those little tricks of his won't be enough."
He looked at Yu Tianheng, his eyes filled with trust.
The Shi Mo brothers nodded honestly.
Ye Lingling sat quietly in the corner, her gaze resting on Su Changqing with a faint, barely perceptible curiosity.
Dugu Yan's emerald eyes stared at Su Changqing on the arena, like a venomous snake assessing its prey.
Her red lips parted slightly, and her voice was tinged with languidness. "He does have some ability. His control over Soul Power is exquisite, and his physical strength far exceeds others of the same rank."
Then her tone abruptly changed.
"But Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is a top-tier martial soul. How could a rabbit compare?"
She turned to Yu Tianheng. "Tianheng, if you faced him, how confident would you be?"
Yu Tianheng clasped his hands over his knees. His gaze was sharp and had never left Su Changqing.
After pondering for a moment, he spoke confidently. "If that is the extent of his strength, then ten out of ten."
His tone was calm, yet it carried the absolute confidence of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
"Of course, he may still be hiding something. But even if he is, we are both Soul Elders, and my rank is higher than his. I would still have at least a seventy percent chance of winning."
His words made the team members nod one after another.
This was the absolute confidence inspired by the number one beast martial soul in the world!
"Next match: Yu Tianheng versus Guanghui!"
At that moment, the broadcast suddenly rang out.
Yu Tianheng rose to his feet, a proud smile curling across his lips. "Perfect timing. Let me test him myself!"
On the arena, Yu Tianheng and Su Changqing stood facing one another.
Yu Tianheng was tall and straight, his presence sharp as an unsheathed sword, yet also like a coiled thunder dragon.
Su Changqing, meanwhile, was still dressed in simple white robes. His aura was restrained, without the slightest hint of sharpness, as though he were only facing an ordinary opponent.
The atmosphere in the venue grew incredibly charged. Everyone wondered whether Guanghui would still crush his opponent when facing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!
"Match begin!"
"Boom!"
Intense blue light burst from Yu Tianheng's body. Amid crackling thunder, his arms were instantly covered in blue-violet dragon scales.
It was Dragon Transformation!
Yu Tianheng made the first move!
Yet faced with pressure enough to make an ordinary Soul Elder suffocate, Su Changqing remained utterly still.
"First Spirit Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
His body shot forward, and a dragon claw wrapped in violent lightning lunged straight for Su Changqing's face!
Just as the dragon claw was about to strike him, Su Changqing moved.
He neither dodged nor blocked. Instead, he threw out an equally simple punch.
There was no spirit skill radiance, only that layer of golden glow condensed to the utmost upon his fist.
"He's actually using his fist to take the captain's Thunder Dragon Claw head-on?"
"Courting death!"
The other Imperial Fighting Team members watching the match were all dumbfounded!
They all thought Su Changqing had gone mad!
After winning against a few nobodies in a row, he actually dared challenge the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!
But in the very next moment, their thoughts were completely overturned!
"BOOM!!!"
On the arena, fist and claw collided. Rather than the energy explosion everyone had imagined, an immensely muffled blast erupted!
A visible shockwave violently spread outward from the two of them!
Then came a scene that everyone would remember for the rest of their lives!
Yu Tianheng's powerful dragon claw, wreathed in violent lightning, met Su Changqing's fist—and in that instant, the dragon scales on his arm shattered inch by inch!
"Crack!"
The clear sound of bones breaking rang out.
"Pfft—!"
Yu Tianheng spat out a mouthful of blood, his whole body flying backward like a kite with its string cut, even faster than when he had charged in.
He crashed down at the edge of the arena. His Dragon Transformation dispersed, his right arm bent at an unnatural angle. His face was as pale as paper. He struggled twice, but ultimately failed to get back up and passed out.
The entire Heaven Dou Grand Soul Dueling Arena fell into dead silence.
Everyone's eyes were wide and their mouths hung open, as though they had witnessed the most unbelievable thing in the world.
The expressions on the Imperial Fighting Team members' faces completely froze.
Osler's sneer stiffened on his face, Yu Feng's contempt became blank shock, Shi Mo and Shi Mo stood with their mouths agape, and Ye Lingling covered her red lips.
Even Dugu Yan, who had always been calm and languid, suddenly stood up, her emerald eyes full of unbelievable shock!
One move?
No, just one punch!
He had not even used his martial soul or spirit rings!
The thirty-seventh-ranked Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Yu Tianheng, captain of the Imperial Fighting Team, had been... instantly defeated?
The referee stood there in a daze for a long while before finally announcing in a trembling voice, filled with utter disbelief.
"Th-the winner... Guanghui!"
Su Changqing slowly withdrew his fist. He glanced at the unconscious Yu Tianheng, his gaze as calm as ever.
"As expected of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. He took one punch from me and still didn't fly out of the arena."
He said it lightly, then turned around and slowly walked off the arena as though he had merely completed some trivial task.
Only after his back disappeared into the passageway did the deathly silent Soul Dueling Arena explode like a boiling cauldron, erupting in an unprecedented wave of frenzied cheers!
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