Ultimate Defense

Huo Yuhao dodged the Earth Bear's swipe, only for the Flame Demon Tiger to force him back again.

Behind him, Gu Mingyuan was closing in.

They couldn't drag this out any longer.

"Wang Dong!"

Wang Dong heard his call from midair and didn't hesitate. She snapped her wings shut and dove as a streak of blue-gold light.

Zhou Sichen immediately ordered both Summoned Beasts back to defend.

A light flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes as his mental interference took effect. The Earth Bear froze for an instant, giving Wang Dong the chance to skim over its head and land before him.

Their eyes met, and both spread their arms.

Gu Mingyuan's pupils contracted.

"Lao Zhou, move left!"

Zhou Sichen had grown so used to obeying his orders that he immediately threw himself left.

But the two Summoned Beasts didn't retreat. Roaring, they charged Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong one after the other.

The next moment, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong embraced.

A huge vertical golden eye appeared behind Huo Yuhao. Behind Wang Dong, the Light Goddess Butterfly spread its wings and slowly overlapped with the Spirit Eyes.

Brilliant golden light surged upward.

On the viewing platform, Zhou Yi's lips curved slightly. This was why she had dared to wager a Soul Bone!

In the arena, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong spoke together.

"Splendor in Decay—"

"Golden Road!"

An almost transparent golden beam shot across the arena.

The Earth Bear took the full brunt of it. The instant the light touched its massive body, it froze completely. Fur, claws, even eyes—all turned brilliant gold.

The Flame Demon Tiger behind it lasted less than a heartbeat.

The two Summoned Beasts became golden statues, then scattered into countless motes of light and returned to the Grimoire in Zhou Sichen's hand.

But they had bought Gu Mingyuan that one precious instant.

His first and second Soul Rings lit up together.

Golden Jade Barrier!

Jade-Shaking Force!

The golden markings across Gu Mingyuan's body tightened, and Golden Jade Hand enveloped both hands. He crossed his arms and met the oncoming Golden Road head-on.

Boom—

Golden light swallowed him whole.

Golden Jade Barrier did not stop the Golden Road.

The light and mental power within it forcibly severed Gu Mingyuan's connection to his Martial Soul. His first and second Soul Rings went dark in succession, and the flow of Soul Power through his body stopped.

In the blink of an eye, his skin, clothes, and even hair turned brilliant gold.

He stood rigid, like a lifelike golden statue.

"It worked!"

Wang Yan stared at the two extinguished Soul Rings around Gu Mingyuan.

Qian Duoduo said slowly:

"His movement, Soul Rings, and Soul Skills are all sealed. Unless he breaks free before Golden Road wears off, this match is already half over."

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong separated. Both were deathly pale, their Soul Power and physical strength nearly exhausted.

Still, they didn't let down their guard. They immediately looked toward the only opponent left: Zhou Sichen.

If they eliminated him too, the championship was theirs.

The referee approached Gu Mingyuan and raised a hand, hesitating over whether to remove the motionless student from the arena.

Mu Jin watched the golden statue in the arena, her lips pressed tight.

Zhou Yi did not look at him. She only murmured:

"It's over."

Mu Jin kept his eyes on the arena but did not argue.

Beneath the golden shell, however, Gu Mingyuan remained conscious.

Golden Road had sealed his Soul Power and cut off his connection to both Soul Rings. He had not absorbed a trace of the light and mental seal.

But the instant Golden Road struck, Jade-Shaking Force had locked its physical impact—and the pressure of the golden shell contracting inward—deep into his muscles and bones before the Soul Skill went out.

He could no longer activate the Soul Skill.

Yet the power stored in his body had not simply vanished.

A Body Martial Soul was power trained inch by inch into one's bones, tendons, and flesh.

Thump!

A muffled heartbeat sounded from within the golden statue.

The referee's descending hand stopped in midair.

Across Gu Mingyuan's body, the dim golden markings began to glow.

No Soul Rings.

No fluctuation of Soul Power.

Crack—

A hairline fracture appeared on the back of his golden hand.

"Wait!"

Wang Yan lurched forward.

Disbelief flashed in Fan Yu's eyes.

"That isn't Soul Power."

Qian Duoduo rose to his feet as well.

"He's breaking free of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill's seal with sheer physical strength?"

In the arena, Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection picked up the change.

"Wang Dong, get back!"

A second crack rang out.

The golden markings across Gu Mingyuan's body blazed. In an instant, fractures spread over the entire golden shell.

The next moment—

Boom!

The golden shell exploded!

Amid a shower of golden light, Gu Mingyuan slowly rolled his still-stiff neck. Both Soul Rings remained dark, and he could barely sense any Soul Power within him. Yet the golden markings on his jade-colored skin shone brighter than ever.

The referee watched Gu Mingyuan straighten up again. After a brief pause, he announced loudly:

"Gu Mingyuan is conscious and has received no outside assistance."

"The match continues!"

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, meanwhile, were in even worse shape.

Wang Dong barely managed to spread one butterfly wing. The moment she tried to move, her legs buckled. Huo Yuhao reached out to steady her, but he was gasping too, and his Spiritual Detection had shrunk to a few meters around them.

Gu Mingyuan stopped ten paces away.

"Surrender."

He slowly raised his right fist. "Or face my next punch."

Huo Yuhao clenched his teeth.

They had been so close.

Golden Road had struck its target. The championship had been just one step away. He couldn't bear to give up now.

Wang Dong said nothing either. She forced herself upright and stood in front of Huo Yuhao.

The mental light in Huo Yuhao's eyes flared again. Faint as it was, his choice was clear.

Gu Mingyuan nodded.

"Then you've made your choice."

Before the words had faded, he surged forward. Ten paces vanished in an instant.

Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection could still track Gu Mingyuan's movements, but his body could no longer keep up. He could only watch as the gold-marked fist rapidly filled his vision.

Before the punch even landed, its force stole his breath.

At that moment, the referee stepped between the three of them and met Gu Mingyuan's fist with his right palm.

Fist met palm.

Bang!

A deep boom shook the arena.

The referee had intended to use only a fraction of his strength, but his expression changed sharply. He hastily released more Soul Power, yet he still stumbled back a step, his shoe scraping a clear mark across the ground.

Gu Mingyuan was knocked back several steps as well. The golden markings on his right arm rapidly dimmed, and the entire arm fell limp at his side.

He had no strength left for a second punch.

But he didn't need one.

The referee glanced behind him at Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, who could barely stand, then toward Zhou Sichen, who remained conscious. At last, he raised his right hand.

"Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong are unable to continue fighting!"

"The winners of this year's Freshman Assessment Finals are—"

"Gu Mingyuan's team!"

Zhou Sichen froze for half a heartbeat, then dropped onto his backside and thrust both hands into the air.

"Champions!"

On the main viewing platform, Mu Jin finally relaxed. Zhou Yi said nothing. She watched the pale-faced Huo Yuhao in the arena and slowly tightened her grip on the railing.

Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo, meanwhile, had eyes only for Gu Mingyuan.

On the raised platform behind them,

Xuan Zi finally stopped the chicken drumstick on its way to his mouth.

He stared at Gu Mingyuan below and slowly lowered his wine gourd.

"Golden Road sealed his movements, his Soul Skills, even his Soul Rings."

Xuan Zi narrowed his eyes.

"But his Martial Soul is his own body."

"That's... Ultimate Defense!"