The Heavenly Screen Ends for the Second Time

[A single, simple sentence instantly silenced the noisy crowd.

Countless eyes snapped toward the two of them. Everyone waited to see how this Heavenly Dragon Gate genius would respond.

Yu Tianlong's face flushed crimson, his ears burning with shame. He clenched his fists so tightly that he wished the ground would swallow him whole.

He had been so confident, so defiant, certain he could surpass Li Qingyang. He had even issued the challenge in public.

But the crushing gap in their talents had shattered his confidence. He no longer had the nerve to face him.

At last, Yu Tianlong gritted his teeth and forced out a few words, his face still red.

"We... we're still going to fight, of course."

After a pause, he raised his head. Stubborn defiance flickered in his eyes as he proposed a condition through gritted teeth.

"But! When we fight, if you use only your first Soul Skill, I'll face you in a fair match!"

Everyone immediately understood.

Yu Tianlong knew that once Li Qingyang obtained a soul ring, he would become a Soul Grandmaster. Yu Tianlong stood no chance unless he restricted Li Qingyang's Soul Skills.

Li Qingyang showed no trace of mockery. He merely nodded, calm as ever.

"All right. I agree."

He spoke as though agreeing to something trivial, without a hint of arrogance. His composure left the onlookers quietly amazed.

Yu Tianlong's rigid back relaxed slightly at the answer, and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes. Then embarrassment washed over him all over again.

He knew that beating Li Qingyang would still be difficult even if Li Qingyang used only his first Soul Skill. But this was the only way he could think of to turn things around.

A low murmur spread through the crowd. Everyone knew this restricted match was Yu Tianlong's last desperate stand.

Just then, Tang Wutong gathered her light skirts and slipped through the crowd like a nimble little sprite. Bright-eyed and smiling, she ran straight to Li Qingyang.

She slipped both arms around his, nuzzled his sleeve, and beamed at him.

"Qingyang, don't stay here any longer! Mom, Dad, Uncle, and Auntie are still waiting for us. Let's go!"

Her embrace was soft and warm, her affection easy and sweet. She paid the surrounding crowd no mind.

Most of the tense, awkward atmosphere melted away.

Li Qingyang looked at the girl clinging to his side. The indifference in his eyes vanished, replaced by a gentle smile. He glanced at Yu Tianlong's mottled face and said softly,

"The match is settled. We'll fight another day. I'm leaving."

With Tang Wutong still holding his arm, he turned and walked away beside her.]

The image abruptly froze. Its light slowly dimmed, and the screen suspended high in the sky vanished completely. Peace returned to the world.

Though the Heavenly Screen's projection had ended, the crowd remained absorbed in the confrontation, reluctant for it to be over. Many made plans to find a good vantage point early on the same day next month and wait for the next Heavenly Screen illusion.

Before the Heavenly Screen disappeared, dense streams of comments still raced across it without pause.

[My god, Li Qingyang carries himself so well! At his age, he already has Asura God Li Xun's ruthless air and Angel God Qian Renxue's calm, noble bearing. He'll definitely become one of the continent's strongest!]

[Yu Tianlong surprised me. He was scared and knew how wide the talent gap was, but he didn't surrender or run. He gritted his teeth and accepted the match. He's got grit.]

[Tang Wutong is so attached to her Qingyang! That childhood-sweetheart chemistry is off the charts. They're so sweet together!]

[The contrast is striking. Li Qingyang is completely at ease, while Yu Tianlong is frustrated and unwilling to give in. At least Yu Tianlong didn't back down. He's got some spirit.]

[Asura God and Angel God's qualities in one boy? His talent is already incredible. I can't imagine how strong he'll become.]

[There's nothing like a bond formed growing up together. The moment Wutong arrived, the tension eased. Who doesn't love childhood sweethearts who adore each other?]

[Yu Tianlong lost in talent, not courage. If he works on himself, he might yet catch up.]

[No wonder the Heavenly Screen focused on this boy. His character and bearing perfectly reflect both gods.]

[The match hasn't even begun, but this standoff already shows how different they are: one composed and generous, the other stubborn and fiercely competitive.]

Comments of every kind kept appearing. The viewers relived the confrontation and marveled at the bond between Li Qingyang and Tang Wutong until the screen dimmed and faded away.

The instant the Heavenly Screen vanished, forces lying low across the continent sprang into action again.

Spirit Hall, the great reclusive sects, and the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire all reassembled their search parties and resumed the hunt.

Across the sea, the Sun Moon Empire hurriedly summoned its finest Soul Engineers and ordered them to build large soul-powered ships for a voyage east to Douluo Continent.

Secret reports passed swiftly between agility-type Soul Masters. Vast numbers of people were sent into the mountains, forests, perilous peaks, and hidden places of Douluo Continent to search for Asura God Li Xun.

Everyone understood what the Heavenly Screen had revealed. By exposing the source of Li Qingyang's talent, it had effectively confirmed that whoever found Li Xun could obtain a complete god-level martial soul inheritance. Such a foundation could sustain a power for ten thousand years.

With so much at stake, undercurrents surged across Douluo Continent once more. The hunt for Li Xun grew far more frenzied and widespread than before.

Heaven Dou Ancient Residence.

The Heavenly Screen had vanished completely, leaving the sky clear again. Tang San gazed at the empty heavens and murmured, "So the Heavenly Screen appears once a month? I wonder if it'll return next month."

"I think it will," Xiao Wu said. She turned to Li Xun beside her, curious. "What do you think, Xun?"

Before she had finished speaking, Li Xun suddenly raised a hand to his head. His brow furrowed, and pain showed on his face.

"Xun, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Xiao Wu hurried to him, worry written across her face.

Li Xun deliberately made himself look distressed. "My head hurts a little. It feels like unfamiliar fragments of memory are forcing their way into my mind."

Tang San and Tang Hao's eyes sharpened. They immediately realized that the Heavenly Screen was once again granting Li Xun information and an opportunity meant for him alone. Their expressions turned grave as they stood guard, keeping others from disturbing him.