Dragon's Cry of Destiny

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament was the grandest event on Douluo Continent, held once every five years and gathering all the continent's most gifted Soul Masters.

Now, only a few months remained before the tournament began.

As one of the organizers, Spirit Hall had always been allowed to send one team directly into the finals. This team would be chosen between the Hall of Enshrined and the Papal Hall, with the winner of their internal selection representing Spirit Hall.

Today was the day of the selection.

On the largest martial arena at the center of Spirit Hall, two teams stood facing each other.

Sunlight poured down from the heavens, carrying the blessings of angels and illuminating everything brightly. The stands were packed—Enshrined, elders, deacons, and countless Spirit Hall members who had rushed over after hearing the news.

Even Qian Daoliu had come. Seated at the highest point, his hands tucked into his sleeves, he calmly watched the scene below.

Pope Bibi Dong had come as well. She sat on a raised platform on the other side, her brilliant golden gown gleaming under the sunlight. The gems on her Nine-Curve Purple-Gold Crown refracted seven-colored halos. Several white-robed elders stood behind her, each radiating an unfathomable aura.

Huo Yuhao stood among the Hall of Enshrined team, his gaze sweeping over the people from the Papal Hall opposite them.

Seven people. Three women and four men. The young man at the front was tall and handsome, with narrow, sharp eyes. Beside him stood a girl with long fiery-red hair and a seductive figure, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. Another young man was broad and muscular, his red hair like blazing flames, his whole body emanating scorching heat.

Xie Yue. Hu Liena. Yan.

Huo Yuhao silently repeated the three names to himself. He had been in Spirit Hall for seven years, and he had heard many rumors about the Papal Hall. This generation had supposedly produced several extraordinary geniuses. Xie Yue was their captain, a fifty-second-rank Soul King at just twenty-two. Hu Liena was his younger sister, twenty-one years old and rank fifty-one, even more talented than Xie Yue. She was the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall's Papal Hall. Compared to the siblings, Yan was somewhat inferior: twenty-four years old and a fifty-second-rank Soul King.

Three people, three Soul Kings.

On the Hall of Enshrined side: Qian Ren Duo was nineteen and a fifty-third-rank Soul King, the only Soul King and the highest-ranked person present. Qian Ren Jun was eighteen and a forty-eighth-rank Soul Ancestor, Huo Yuhao was thirteen and a forty-second-rank Soul Ancestor, Wang Qiu'er was thirteen and a forty-eighth-rank Soul Ancestor, while the other three were also Soul Ancestors.

Huo Yuhao's gaze settled on Wang Qiu'er.

She stood at the edge of the team, her long golden hair dazzling beneath the sun. Her red eyes calmly regarded the opponents across from her, revealing no expression. A year had passed. She had grown a little taller, and her figure remained slender, but as she stood there, she carried an impossible-to-ignore presence, like a giant dragon with its eyes closed.

That golden Destiny Line still connected their foreheads.

Over the past year, they had exchanged fewer than ten sentences.

Wang Qiu'er was cold toward him—or rather, cold toward everyone. Her entire being was like the eternal ice and snow of the Far North.

It was not that Huo Yuhao did not want to speak. Every time he tried to open his mouth, the moment he saw those red eyes, he no longer knew what to say. Those eyes always looked at him that way—like she was trying desperately to remember something, yet also as though she were confirming something. It made him uncomfortable all over.

But she had never come to find him on her own.

"Both sides, take your positions." The referee's voice rang out. "The rules are as follows: a seven-versus-seven team battle. The match ends when one side loses all combat capability or surrenders. Deliberate killing and illegal methods are forbidden. Begin!"

The moment he finished speaking, Soul Rings lit up on both sides at once.

On the Papal Hall's side, five Soul Rings rose beneath Xie Yue's feet—two yellow, two purple, and one black. Hu Liena had two yellow, two purple, and one black as well, as did Yan. The other four each revealed four rings, all Soul Ancestors.

On the Hall of Enshrined side, Qian Ren Duo revealed five rings, while Qian Ren Jun revealed four. Massive Sacred Angels appeared behind them, pure white wings spreading from their backs.

A high, impassioned dragon roar rang out. Golden scales burst from beneath Wang Qiu'er's skin, and a savage, majestic phantom of a golden dragon opened its sharp-fanged maw behind her and roared toward the sky. Two yellow and two purple Soul Rings rose around her.

Huo Yuhao still revealed only his Spirit Eyes martial soul.

Four Soul Rings rose beneath his feet.

White, purple, black, black. That utterly unbelievable Soul Ring configuration appeared on him once more.

Spiritual Detection activated.

"Spiritual Sharing."

His voice was soft, yet an invisible spiritual wave instantly enveloped the entire Hall of Enshrined team. Qian Ren Duo froze for a moment, then delight appeared on his face—he could "see" the whole battlefield. Every person's location, every movement, every direction in which soul power flowed, all of it appeared in his mind with incomparable clarity.

Wang Qiu'er received it as well.

She slightly turned her head and glanced at Huo Yuhao.

An indescribable emotion flickered through those red eyes.

Then she withdrew her gaze and looked toward Yan.

The battle began.

Xie Yue and Hu Liena charged Qian Ren Duo at the same time. Their coordination was so seamless it was as if they had rehearsed it thousands of times. Xie Yue launched a frontal assault while Hu Liena harassed him from the side. Two yellow, two purple, and one black Soul Rings flashed around Xie Yue as his Moon Blade martial soul transformed into two crescent-shaped streaks of light that slashed toward Qian Ren Duo from different directions.

Qian Ren Duo merged with his Sacred Angel martial soul. Golden wings of light spread behind him, and three swords of light condensed around him before charging to meet the two. He was a fifty-third-rank Soul King, higher-ranked than Xie Yue, yet Xie Yue and Hu Liena's combined attack still forced him into a disadvantage for the moment.

Elsewhere, Yan faced Wang Qiu'er.

Scorching flames burned over his body, his red hair like a blazing inferno. His Flame Lord martial soul emerged behind him, a massive figure formed from fire, wielding a flaming greatsword and radiating astonishing heat.

"Little girl, just surrender." Yan grinned. "That tiny body of yours can't withstand my flames."

Wang Qiu'er said nothing.

She merely raised a hand. Golden light erupted from her body, scales flipping outward as that hand transformed into a dragon claw.

She charged Yan.

Then she threw a punch.

Yan's expression changed.

He had not expected such terrifying power from a girl who looked so slender. His flaming greatsword met the blow, only to be sent flying backward by the punch. He staggered back seven or eight steps before managing to steady himself.

"You—"

Wang Qiu'er gave him no chance to speak.

A second punch, a third, a fourth.

Her attacks poured down like a storm. Every punch carried a dragon-like howl through the air, and every punch forced Yan to defend with all his strength. His Flame Lord roared and burned, yet before those golden fists, it was driven back again and again.

Someone in the stands sucked in a sharp breath.

"Golden Dragon... so this is the Golden Dragon..."

"That's terrifying. She's only thirteen, isn't she?"

"A forty-eighth-rank Soul Ancestor suppressing a fifty-second-rank Soul King..."

The battle continued.

Yan finally could not hold on any longer. Wang Qiu'er's final punch slammed into his Flame Lord, and the enormous fiery figure shattered with a crash, turning into sparks that filled the sky. Yan himself was sent flying and crashed heavily onto the ground, unable to rise for a long time.

Wang Qiu'er withdrew her fist. Without even looking at him, she turned toward the rest of the battlefield.

The Papal Hall's other four members had already been defeated by the Hall of Enshrined's three Soul Ancestors. Qian Ren Jun stood nearby, panting, several wounds on his body but a smug smile on his face.

But something was wrong on Qian Ren Duo's side.

Xie Yue and Hu Liena exchanged a glance.

They extended their hands at the same time and clasped them together.

Red light erupted from their bodies and instantly covered the entire martial arena. The light was thick as blood, carrying a strange, suffocating aura. Everywhere the light passed became blurred, as though covered by a layer of red mist.

Red armor and Moon Blades flashed in and out of the crimson fog.

Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Demon Charm.

Qian Ren Duo's golden wings of light dimmed within that red radiance. His movements slowed, his senses dulled, and his soul power rapidly drained away. Demon Charm's figure flickered in and out of sight within the red light like a ghost, attacking him from different directions.

Ten breaths later, Qian Ren Duo fell.

More than a dozen wounds had appeared on his body. Though none were fatal, he had lost his ability to fight. He fell unconscious and was carried out of the arena on a stretcher.

"Brother!" Qian Ren Jun shouted, trying to rush forward, only to be pulled back by a teammate beside him.

The red light emitted by Demon Charm continued spreading, soon enveloping the entire martial arena.

Blade light flashed from time to time. Several minutes later, only two people remained on the field.

Huo Yuhao. Wang Qiu'er.

They stood back to back, watching that impenetrably dense red light. Demon Charm's silhouette flickered within it, like a shark lurking in the deep sea with its jaws open, ready to launch a fatal strike at any moment.

"Can you see them?" Wang Qiu'er asked as a golden spear appeared in her hand.

"Barely," Huo Yuhao said.

Spiritual Detection was severely suppressed within Demon Charm, but he could still barely catch that moving shadow. He shared it with Wang Qiu'er, allowing her to "see" as well.

"Three steps left."

Wang Qiu'er took three steps to the left. A Moon Blade skimmed past her shoulder and cut through empty air.

"Front right. Attack."

Wang Qiu'er swept her spear out like a whip. The golden spear shadow shattered the red light, forcing Demon Charm to reveal itself and retreat to evade.

The two continued like that, back to back, struggling to endure within Demon Charm.

Time passed second by second.

Sweat began to form on Huo Yuhao's forehead. The drain from maintaining Spiritual Detection under such suppression was too great, and his soul power was rapidly depleting. At this rate, they would not last much longer.

Just then, he sensed something strange.

It came from behind him.

Wang Qiu'er's soul power.

Her soul power was circulating and flowing, producing some wondrous resonance with his own. That resonance became stronger and clearer, like two tuning forks at the same frequency calling to one another.

Huo Yuhao froze.

He instinctively turned around and looked at Wang Qiu'er.

She turned to look at him as well.

Golden light now flickered in those red eyes.

"You felt it too?" she asked.

Huo Yuhao nodded.

They closed their eyes at the same time and clasped each other's hands.

Soul power flowed between them, forming a wondrous cycle. The cycle became faster and stronger until finally—boom!

Golden light exploded.

The entire martial arena was swallowed by that golden radiance.

Demon Charm's red light seemed to have encountered its natural enemy and was instantly dispersed without a trace. Demon Charm was blasted backward by the golden light and crashed heavily against the edge of the stands.

Within the golden light, a figure slowly rose.

It was Wang Qiu'er.

But she was no longer the Wang Qiu'er from before.

Golden armor covered her entire body. Its design was gorgeous and majestic, every plate engraved with exquisite patterns. Upon the armor covering her chest, brilliant ice-flower patterns extended outward from the center, like ice blossoms blooming in winter, or some ancient rune.

A vertical eye appeared on her forehead.

An Eye of Destiny that radiated the same rose-gold light as Huo Yuhao's Eye of Eternity.

Nine illusory golden dragon-shaped figures began circling around her. They roared soundlessly, each one releasing a pressure powerful enough to change the color of heaven and earth. That pressure was so immense that even the Titled Douluo in the stands frowned.

A jade-green pattern emerged on the armor on Wang Qiu'er's back.

It was a scorpion.

The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.

Noble, savage, majestic. The entire pattern fused perfectly with the golden armor on her body, as though it had always belonged there. It was exactly identical to the tattoo on Huo Yuhao's back, without the slightest difference.

Wang Qiu'er slowly opened her eyes. She tightened her grip on the spear shaft and looked toward Demon Charm. The red-armored figure climbed up from the ground, the Moon Blades in its hands somewhat dimmed. Hu Liena and Xie Yue within Demon Charm wore horrified expressions, as though they had witnessed something utterly inconceivable.

Wang Qiu'er gave them no time to react.

She moved.

She merely threw her spear.

Golden light tore through the sky, and the dragon roar was deafening. The spear transformed into a bolt of golden lightning, crossing the entire martial arena in an instant as it shot toward Demon Charm.

Demon Charm raised its Moon Blades, trying to block it, but the power was too great. So great that they could not resist it at all. The golden spear light sent them flying, smashing them into the stands once again. The Moon Blades in their hands shattered, and the red armor on their bodies caved in.

The Golden Dragon Spear transformed into a streak of light and returned to Wang Qiu'er's hand.

A flash of red light appeared, and two figures emerged simultaneously, both unconscious.

The martial arena fell deathly silent.

Everyone stared blankly at the figure standing at the center of the field.

Golden armor, ice-flower patterns, the vertical eye on her forehead, nine circling golden dragons.

And that pressure which made people want to kneel in submission.

That was a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

But what kind of Martial Soul Fusion Skill was that?

"Dragon's Cry of Destiny..." As though hearing the question in everyone's hearts, the Golden Valkyrie on the arena platform slowly spoke.

No one knew what it was.

But everyone remembered that name.

The golden light slowly faded.

The armor on Wang Qiu'er's body gradually dimmed before finally dissolving into particles of light. She stood where she was, gasping for breath. That strike had nearly exhausted all her soul power. She could barely remain standing now.

A hand reached out from beside her and supported her.

She turned her head and saw Huo Yuhao standing at her side.

His face was pale as well, his forehead covered in sweat, but his eyes were bright.

Those black eyes were looking at her now.

"Thank you," he said.

Wang Qiu'er froze for a moment.

"For what?"

"Thank you," Huo Yuhao said. "Without you, we couldn't have won."

Wang Qiu'er looked at him for a long time.

Then she suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, so faint it was almost impossible to notice, but Huo Yuhao saw it.

"You're not bad either," she said.

On the raised platform, Qian Daoliu rose to his feet.

He looked at the two figures leaning against each other in the arena, a faint smile appearing on his aged face.

"Interesting," he said, then turned and left.

On the other side, Bibi Dong rose as well.

Her face was expressionless. Only deep in her eyes did a faint, nearly imperceptible complexity flash through.

She said nothing and turned to leave the stands.

At last, cheers erupted from the martial arena.