The Golden Giant

Lu Chen gazed down at Meiying with calm eyes. "I told you, the outcome of this battle was decided long ago.

But I am curious. With your talent, why do you follow that idiot Luo Du?

You should know better than I do just how worthless he is."

Meiying's expression shifted slightly, as though she had recalled something from the past. She then clenched her teeth and snorted coldly.

"Shut up! What do you know? The Duke's Estate gave me this life. I had no choice!"

Lu Chen's heart stirred. It seemed there was more to the story.

He curled his lip. "There is no such thing as having no choice. Your life is your own.

The reason you have no choice but to obey Luo Du must be something else, right?

Let me guess. Your family is being threatened? Or..."

Before he could finish, Meiying's body trembled.

Lu Chen raised his brows. "So your family is being threatened."

Meiying bit her red lip lightly, a trace of bitterness and despair appearing in her eyes. "It's my younger sister..."

This was the deepest nightmare hidden within her heart.

Lu Chen noticed that Meiying's aura was rapidly weakening.

Her pair of blood-red eyes had also returned to normal.

He said, "Thank you for telling me so much. But it is time to end this."

As soon as he spoke, Lu Chen vanished.

Before Meiying could react, she felt her neck tighten.

Her expression changed drastically, and she instinctively tried to activate Phasing.

Only to discover that the Bloodline Pill's effects had already faded, and her soul power was nearly depleted.

Meiying instantly understood.

Everything he had said earlier had been meant to drain her soul power!

"You... shameless!" Meiying shouted angrily.

Lu Chen's voice remained even. "The greatest taboo in battle is allowing others to influence you.

Your ability is strong, but unfortunately, your fighting spirit is far too weak."

"You!"

Meiying glared at him, struggling without pause.

"Bastard, let me go! I can't die! I haven't seen my sister yet!"

Fear, urgency, and unwillingness surged through her heart, and an eerie red glow appeared around her once more.

Her long black hair gradually turned white.

"Are you planning to burn your life force to forcibly use that move from earlier?"

Lu Chen gripped her neck with one hand. Showing not the slightest tenderness, he suddenly exerted force and slammed her toward the ground.

Bang!

Spiderweb-like cracks spread across one corner of the arena.

Meiying spat out a mouthful of blood. The world spun around her, her vision went dark, and she completely lost consciousness.

"If you do not want to die, then sleep obediently for a while."

Lu Chen released her, calmly rose to his feet, and looked toward the referee, who stood frozen in shock above them.

"You can announce the result now."

Lele snapped back to her senses and hastily shouted, "The winner of this death match is—Lu Chen!"

After three seconds of silence, cheers powerful enough to lift the roof erupted throughout the arena!

"Lu Chen! Lu Chen! Lu Chen!"

"Haha, he won! Little Chen won!"

Tang Ya danced with joy.

Bei Yuxuan tightly gripped his folding fan, his face full of excitement.

Old Chen also let out a long breath. They had finally passed the first hurdle.

"This brat's temperament, talent, and strength are all top-tier! Good, very good!"

Du Bushi threw back his head and laughed wildly, praising him again and again.

Meanwhile, Luo Du's face had darkened until it seemed ready to drip water.

He stared fixedly at Meiying as she was carried away, gritting his teeth as he said,

"Trash... You could not even take down a mere Soul Scholar. What use are you?"

"Young Master, calm down!"

A trusted subordinate hurriedly tried to persuade him. "We have only lost the first match. The next match is a Great Soul Master duel.

That Tang Ya is merely a level 21 plant-type Soul Master.

But Long Ya is a level 29 Great Soul Master, and his Martial Soul is the Flame Tiger. He counters her perfectly."

"That's right!"

Long Ya hurriedly chimed in. "Rest assured, Young Master. I will bring Tang Ya's head back!"

Meiying had spent a long time with them and was also exceptionally beautiful. Neither of them could bear to see her tortured to death by Luo Du.

Hearing their assurances, Luo Du's anger finally subsided slightly.

Yet his gaze remained sinister as he stared at the arena, as if he wanted to devour Lu Chen alive.

On the arena, Lele saw that Lu Chen was still standing where he was and hurried over to remind him,

"Contestant Lu Chen, the match is over. You may return to the waiting room."

Lu Chen shook his head, turned toward the VIP room, and said calmly,

"No need for the trouble. Proceed directly with the next wagered match.

I will fight in Tang Ya's place."

"What?!"

Lele was startled and widened her eyes!

Her words were carried through the microphone to the entire Soul Arena.

The audience fell into dead silence once again, followed by an uproar of disbelief.

A level 10 Soul Scholar wanted to challenge a level 29 peak assault-type Great Soul Master across such a vast gap?

Was this a joke?!

"Bastard! Is that kid looking down on me?!"

Veins bulged across Long Ya's forehead as he roared angrily.

"Long Ya, calm down."

Luo Du's gaze was sinister, but a cold, sinister smile suddenly curled across his lips. "Isn't this even better?

Since he is seeking death himself, we will grant his wish.

Even if the Body Sect learns of it afterward, they will not be able to find fault with us."

"Yes! I will definitely twist off that brat's head!"

A cruel smile appeared on Long Ya's face as he turned and strode away.

Elsewhere, Vina looked at Lu Chen on the stage, then turned to Du Bushi with a worried expression.

"Sect Master, should we send someone to stop this match?

There is absolutely no way a Soul Scholar can defeat an expert on the verge of breaking through to Soul Elder."

"That is right, Sect Master. Lu Chen's talent is extraordinary. We cannot let him perish like this!"

Jiang Yixi also echoed the plea from the side.

Du Bushi's bull-like eyes remained fixed on the confident figure standing on the stage. He said lightly,

"There is no need. This brat has not fully revealed his true strength yet."

Others could not see through Lu Chen's true nature, but as a level 98 Super Douluo, Du Bushi had long since taken in his condition at a glance.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Such terrifying recovery, and such vigorous vitality... this brat's Martial Soul is certainly no ordinary one.

There was a five-minute rest period between wagered battles, deliberately reserved by the Soul Arena for guests to place their bets.

This time, Lu Chen, a level 10 Soul Scholar, was facing a level 29 Great Soul Master, and the odds soared directly to one-to-ten.

The gap between them was simply too great. Even though Lu Chen had performed brilliantly in the previous match, the gamblers still did not believe he could create a miracle.

"All in!"

Inside the VIP room, Tang Ya threw all 950 gold soul coins in her hand into the betting machine, muttering to herself,

"Little Chen, you have to win! Our happy lives for the rest of our days are all riding on this!"

Bei Yuxuan watched Lu Chen return to the stage and clenched his folding fan tightly, silently praying,

"Brother Lu, success or failure depends on this one move!"

The five minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and Lu Chen and Long Ya stepped onto the arena together.

At the referee's command, two yellow Soul Rings abruptly rose and revolved beneath Long Ya's feet.

The dense fire-attributed soul power distorted the surrounding air with scorching heat.

His right hand transformed into a massive flaming tiger claw.

He looked at Lu Chen as though he were already dead.

"Brat, you are arrogant. But I will show you that before absolute suppression of levels, so-called battle techniques are nothing more than a clown's tricks."

Long Ya's eyes turned bloodshot as his first Soul Ring suddenly lit up.

Flame Ray!

Boom!

A tiger's roar that shook the entire arena rang out.

Long Ya opened his mouth wide, and a mass of blazing flame abruptly burst forth.

It formed a scorching line of fire that shot toward Lu Chen in an instant.

Its coverage spanned a full five meters.

He knew Lu Chen was formidable in close combat, so he intended to take him down in one stroke from afar.

"Under my Flame Ray, you will have nowhere to escape!"

Long Ya sneered as the Flame Ray pierced through Lu Chen's body and completely swallowed him.

The entire arena instantly fell silent!

"How is that possible? Lu Chen was killed just like that?!"

"Th-that... what is that?!"

At that moment, a spectator suddenly cried out in alarm.

Everyone followed the voice and saw a golden giant abruptly emerge from within the flames.

Long Ya's expression changed in shock. He then gritted his teeth and increased his soul power output.

"I do not care what you are—you will turn to ashes beneath my flames!"

The instant Du Bushi saw the golden giant, he abruptly rose from his seat, his pupils shrinking sharply.

"This is... the true body!"

The golden giant cast Long Ya a calm glance.

The next moment, it vanished.

When it appeared again, it had already arrived behind Long Ya.

A terrifying pressure suddenly descended.

Long Ya's entire body stiffened, as though some primordial beast had locked onto him.

Before he could make any response, a soft squelch sounded.

Long Ya's body trembled, and he instinctively lowered his head.

A still-beating heart was hanging before his eyes.

"H-how is this possible?!"

Long Ya spat out a large mouthful of blood, his body collapsing limply to the ground. He died with his eyes still open!

The entire arena fell into deathly silence again, before deafening cries of shock erupted!

"Long Ya... is dead!"

"A dignified level 29 Great Soul Master was actually instant-killed in one move by a Soul Scholar!"

Lu Chen pulled out his bloodstained arm, his eyes as calm as ever.

"With my Martial Soul possessing me, my strength increased severalfold in an instant.

Even a level 29 Great Soul Master can be killed instantly if he lets his guard down."

His current display should be enough to draw the Body Sect's attention.

Even if there were no members of the Body Sect present, news of these two battles would surely spread throughout Heavenly Spirit City by tomorrow morning.

"Trash! They are all trash!"

Luo Du violently hurled the wineglass in his hand at the glass window.

His eyes burned with fury.

"Old Wang, go kill him! I want him dead!"