Replaying the Match

Both sides took the stage without concealing their faces, allowing everyone to see what the other looked like. Gu Zhi and Meng Yiran went without saying—one handsome man and one beauty, and they received thunderous applause the moment they stepped onstage.

Dugu Yan was strikingly beautiful. Despite possessing the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, she did not give off a sinister feeling. Instead, her upbringing made her seem especially poised and dignified.

Ye Lingling had a gentle appearance, like a wealthy young lady from a distinguished family. Every smile and frown carried grace, like a blooming lotus, perfectly fitting the saying: "To be admired from afar, but not profaned."

"Those are Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, right? They're seriously gorgeous!"

"North of Douluo! Yanyan is the prettiest! My Yanyan has the beauty of a goddess!"

"I swear! If I can't marry a wife like Ye Lingling, I won't die!"

"Damn it! Why are you brain-dead fans everywhere? I just want to watch the plot properly, you bastards!"

"Is there no clean mode? I'm only here to watch the match!"

The personified bullet comments suddenly went crazy over Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, seriously disrupting everyone else who wanted to watch the match in peace.

Meng Yiran met Dugu Yan's eyes and secretly rolled her eyes. Why had the personified bullet comments never praised her looks?

The battle began!

Gu Zhi still did not make the first move, merely watching Meng Yiran perform. Honestly, like the bullet comments, he quite enjoyed watching beautiful women fight...

Dugu Yan knew the gap in strength between the two sides was huge, and she could not give Meng Yiran room to go all out. The moment the match officially began, she immediately used Martial Soul Possession and went all out.

The effect of Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia descended at the same time. This Martial Soul, known as the strongest healing-type Martial Soul in the world, only possessed healing—but that alone proved just how powerful its effect was.

"First Soul Skill! Second Soul Skill! Third Soul Skill!"

Under normal circumstances, Dugu Yan fought as a field controller, but her close-combat ability was not weak either. After applying all the Soul Skill enhancements to herself, Dugu Yan erupted with astonishing combat power.

"Two against one? Then don't blame me for bullying you!"

Meng Yiran's lips curled slightly as she summoned the Serpent Cane, which had changed dramatically in appearance. With a sweep of her hand, Soul Power poured out and spilled a swath of shadow across the ground. One skeletal Soul Beast after another, glowing green, sprang out from within. Six was not Meng Yiran's limit—it was the limit of the arena!

"So this is Meng Yiran's summoning ability! Every single bone beast has the cultivation of a three-ring Soul Master!"

Aside from the bullet comments that had known the inside story all along, the other three people on the field were stunned by Meng Yiran's move. Gu Zhi's reaction was even greater than Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's. Wasn't Meng Yiran way too different from the original story?

With this ability, could Tang San have stolen two Soul Beasts from her in a row? With this ability, could she still have lost to Tang San?

"What? Too scared to move?"

Meng Yiran was showing off now. This was far more useful than Soul Skills!

Dugu Yan's gaze sharpened. The six bone beasts were exceptionally well arranged: defense, offense, harassment, and ranged attacks had all formed into a proper formation. They could rival a professional Soul Master squad, yet this was merely something Meng Yiran had done with a casual gesture!

But!

Dugu Yan still decided to give it a try!

She focused her breath and charged fiercely toward the bone beasts. She used her body to withstand several ranged attacks from the skeletal bird beast in midair. Whenever she was injured, Ye Lingling's healing instantly restored her to full condition.

Very quickly, Dugu Yan broke through the barrage of long-range attacks and collided head-on with the skeletal wolf beast ahead. Her fist shot straight at its face, knocking it half an inch off course. She also took a hit from the skeletal wolf beast herself, staggering back three steps before stopping.

The Nine Heart Begonia's effect truly was powerful. The pain was almost gone in an instant, and in the next moment, Dugu Yan charged forward again.

But in truth, battle was not a turn-based game. Meng Yiran had also joined the bone beasts' counterattack. The instant Dugu Yan was knocked back, Meng Yiran directed the bone beasts to surround her. Even if they simply piled their bodies onto her, they could still batter Dugu Yan until she was dazed.

Yet the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul gave Dugu Yan considerable speed, along with an extraordinarily flexible body. She actually pulled off a series of difficult evasive movements and forcibly escaped the bone beasts' combined assault!

"Now this is a battle! What kind of miserable days had I been living before? Isn't this more exciting than a superhero blockbuster?"

"This is what you call spectacle! Now I know why everyone loves watching matches! This kind of fight is so thrilling!"

"Now I know what it means to feel like you're really there! Put yourself in Dugu Yan's shoes when those bone beasts attacked together just now! I broke out in a cold sweat from fear!"

"Damn! Even my Ultraman wouldn't dare bend like that! Dugu Yan's flexibility is absurd! She actually dodged it all!"

"Stop yammering! Can't you just watch the match quietly?"

The bullet comments had practically voiced the thoughts of every viewer. Every second on the stage was a top-tier viewing experience, enough to make anyone break out in a sweat!

"As expected of the vice-captain of the Imperial Fighting Team! She really does have some skill!"

Even Meng Yiran, her opponent, sighed inwardly. Dugu Yan was definitely among the very best of her generation.

But Dugu Yan's steps had not stopped. Now that she no longer needed to worry about injury, all that remained in her eyes was an intense desire to charge forward. Breaking through the bone beasts' encirclement, Dugu Yan continued charging at Meng Yiran herself while they adjusted their positions.

Meng Yiran remained perfectly calm. While controlling the bone beasts to fall back and defend, she also assumed a stance, ready to exchange a few moves with Dugu Yan!

She was not some delicate young miss! Ever since her trip to the Star Dou Great Forest, she had plenty of strength and tricks now!

Dugu Yan had already drawn the bowstring and could only force herself to rush before Meng Yiran. She unleashed a smooth combo, but Meng Yiran evaded it all with only slight movements of her feet.

"This is impossible! How are we supposed to play this? The other side barely even got her clothes dirty!"

"Baby Yanyan, let's just surrender! The other side has hacks, and she won't even get banned!"

"I'm already hopeless! What can you do if you can't hit her? Just forfeit!"

"Meng Yiran learned this from Gu Zhi, didn't she? This is way too demoralizing!"

"Damn! Forget not being able to hit her! Baby Yanyan, how can you not even withstand a single move from Meng Yiran?"

That final bullet comment already made the absolute gap between the two sides clear. Meng Yiran did not merely possess summoning abilities—her close-combat prowess also far surpassed Dugu Yan's at the moment.

The root of it all was that Meng Yiran had benefited from the Gold Chest's reward. The system rewards were simply far too generous when it came to raw stats!

And there was something even more despairing: not only had Meng Yiran not gone all out, she had not even revealed her power of laws yet!

"I refuse to believe it!"

After being knocked back by a palm strike, Dugu Yan became stubborn as well. Half a month ago, Meng Yiran had not even been qualified to make her go all out. She had merely gone to the Star Dou Great Forest once, yet after returning, she had changed so dramatically!

Bearing the Imperial Fighting Team's reputation, Dugu Yan would never surrender easily!