Qian Renxue recognized Ye Han at a glance.
She had thought the talented youth praised by the Demon Subduing Douluo would be the sort who radiated sharpness.
But this Ye Han before her seemed far steadier than she had imagined.
That made her look forward to this soul battle even more.
"Attention, audience! Tonight's main event at the Sixth Sub Soul Arena is about to begin!"
The host's voice echoed throughout the arena under the amplification of the Soul-Guidance Megaphone.
"Ye Han, Martial Soul: Sky-Piercing Spear, a four-ring Battle Soul Ancestor. Tonight marks his debut at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena! His opponent, Liu Meng, is also a four-ring Battle Soul Ancestor. With the Black Panther Martial Soul, he has already achieved an impressive five-match winning streak at the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena! Will Ye Han claim his first victory, or will Liu Meng continue his streak? Let us wait and see!"
Cheers and whistles immediately erupted from the stands.
"Liu Meng! Liu Meng!"
"Young newcomer, don't chicken out!"
The atmosphere was ignited at once.
Liu Meng clearly enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention.
He rolled his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds, then flashed Ye Han a grin.
"Kid, reaching the Soul Ancestor realm at such a young age means you've got some skill. But let me give you a piece of advice: surrender now and save yourself some pain."
Ye Han smiled and shook his head.
"Your winning streak ends here, while my undefeated legend is only just beginning. Being the first to lose to me is your honor."
"What?!"
Liu Meng's expression darkened, enraged by Ye Han's arrogance.
"You look completely ordinary, yet you're this arrogant! You brought this on yourself! In a moment, I'll beat you until you piss yourself!"
Liu Meng clearly had yet to realize what level of Tool Martial Soul the Sky-Piercing Spear was. He merely took it for an ordinary spear-type Martial Soul.
Faced with Liu Meng's threat, Ye Han merely smiled and shook his head.
There was no point in arguing. He would speak with his strength.
The audience immediately grew restless.
"Who would've thought? That kid is pretty cocky!"
"Yeah! It's his first time on stage, and he dares provoke an opponent with five straight wins."
"But the kid's got guts. Maybe he really has some ability."
Qian Renxue stared at Ye Han on the arena stage, the corners of her lips curving into a self-mocking smile.
Just moments ago, she had been praising Ye Han's steady temperament in her heart.
Yet in the next moment, Ye Han had said something so arrogant.
That was hardly steady—if anything, it was rather high-profile.
Still, as an unparalleled genius with Twin Martial Souls, being a little arrogant was normal.
Besides, he was only fifteen or sixteen, at the age when young men were full of hot-blooded vigor.
"Prepare for the soul battle! Both contestants may release your Martial Souls and Spirit Rings!"
The instant the host finished speaking, Liu Meng moved.
He clenched both fists, and his bones erupted with a series of sharp pops as Soul Power surged from within him.
The Black Panther Martial Soul instantly possessed him. A layer of jet-black fur covered his arms and back, while his pupils turned into amber vertical slits, radiating the ferocious aura of a wild beast.
Two yellow and two purple Spirit Rings rose from beneath his feet and slowly revolved.
His aura climbed steadily, like a cheetah poised to strike, ready to pounce upon its prey at any moment.
A chorus of applause rang out from the stands.
Liu Meng's five-match winning streak was indeed well deserved. This aura alone was enough to make many Soul Masters of the same rank feel intimidated.
Ye Han, on the other hand, remained utterly unhurried.
He loosely clenched his left hand, gathering Soul Power in his palm as a long spear slowly emerged from the void.
The spear shaft was slender and jade-like, suffused with a gentle milky-white sheen, with faint streams of light flowing within it.
The spear blade was exceptionally long, taking up nearly one-third of the entire weapon. Its surface was smooth as a mirror, its edges thin as cicada wings, its sharpness restrained.
Near the middle of the shaft, the two characters "Sky-Piercing" were seamlessly integrated into the spear itself.
The spectators in the stands had limited knowledge of Martial Souls.
They had never heard the name Sky-Piercing Spear. They merely took it for one kind of spear-type Martial Soul, and though its appearance was unusual, they did not pay it much mind.
Qian Renxue's pupils narrowed slightly.
Having grown up in Spirit Hall before later coming to Heaven Dou Palace, she had seen no shortage of top-tier Tool Martial Souls.
The moment the Sky-Piercing Spear appeared, it caught her attention.
Just as the Demon Subduing Douluo had said, this was a top-tier Tool Martial Soul no weaker than the Coiling Dragon Staff.
She unconsciously sat up straighter, her gaze becoming increasingly focused.
On the arena stage.
When Liu Meng saw that Ye Han had released only his Martial Soul and not his Spirit Rings, he could not help but frown.
"Kid, the soul battle is about to begin. Hurry up and release your Spirit Rings. I don't want to take advantage of you!"
Ye Han held the spear in one hand, its tip angled toward the arena floor, his expression as calm as ever.
"I don't need to release my Spirit Rings. This spear alone is enough to win easily."
The entire arena erupted in shock.
The stands instantly exploded into an uproar.
"What did he say? He won't release his Spirit Rings? Has he gone insane?!"
"Too arrogant! Liu Meng is a ruthless fighter with five straight wins, and he won't even use his Spirit Rings?!"
"Young people don't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. Once he suffers, he'll know regret."
A faint smile appeared on Qian Renxue's face.
She knew Ye Han possessed four Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Rings. Once he revealed them, they would surely cause a sensation throughout the world of Soul Masters.
Knowing when to hold back was the wise choice.
"Since you're asking for a beating, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Liu Meng was thoroughly enraged by Ye Han's words.
"The soul battle begins!"
The instant the host's voice fell, Liu Meng moved.
He kicked hard against the arena floor, transforming into a black afterimage of astonishing speed.
The Black Panther Martial Soul had granted him explosive power and agility far beyond that of ordinary people.
In the blink of an eye, that black shadow closed in on Ye Han. His right claw, wrapped in fierce Soul Power, tore through the air with a piercing shriek.
Yet Ye Han remained perfectly still, holding the spear in one hand with its tip angled toward the ground.
His posture looked relaxed and casual, but his spiritual power had already locked onto his opponent.
Though the Sky-Piercing Spear's tip hung low, the entire weapon exuded a profound, heavy presence.
Its spear intent was as weighty as a mountain—restrained but ready at any moment to erupt with a heaven-shattering strike.
This was the first form of the Nine Qingtian Forms: Spear Questions the Mountains and Rivers!
The Black Panther's claw slashed down with a fierce gale.
At that instant, Ye Han flipped his wrist, and the Sky-Piercing Spear swept upward at an angle, its tip precisely hooking the inside of the Black Panther's clawed wrist.
Immediately afterward, the spear shaft trembled, and a thick surge of Soul Power burst fiercely along it.
With a light flick of the spear blade, he effortlessly lifted the Black Panther into the air.
Then he spun sharply, borrowing the Black Panther's own charging momentum to hurl him away.
Propelled by inertia and overwhelming force, the Black Panther accelerated again and crashed like a cannonball into the railing at the edge of the arena with a thunderous boom.
The entire arena fell silent.
Thousands of eyes in the stands stared fixedly at the arena stage, all of them dumbfounded.
A duel between two four-ring Battle Soul Ancestors had ended in a single exchange?
That was far too fast!
Just one exchange!
Ye Han had used only one spear strike to send the Black Panther Soul Master, who had already won five straight matches, flying out of the arena.
And he had done it without releasing his Spirit Rings.
Liu Meng lay on the ground, clutching his chest with a bewildered expression.
What happened?
The soul battle was already over?
What the hell was going on?!
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