Raging at Yu Xiaogang! Blue Silver Commands Life and Death! Tang the Buddha's Double Standards!

On the battlefield, vines like azure dragons lifted Ye Qingqiu into the air. She tilted up her little face, feeling thoroughly satisfied.

She simply couldn't stand seeing anyone else steal the spotlight.

Her third brother had made such a splash earlier that it had nearly driven her frantic.

She stole a glance at the battlefield and the sky screen from the corner of her eye. Ah, that felt good!

On the sky screen, Yu Xiaogang was still doing his utmost to promote himself. As for Wang Sheng's words, he pretended he hadn't seen them.

[Douluo Continent · Theory Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang]:

"Because my Ten Core Competencies theory of Martial Souls is too far ahead of its time, some ignorant fools envy and slander me. But I don't care.

Because I know my theory is invincible!

My personal disciple Tang San has Blue Silver Grass as his Martial Soul. Under my guidance, he has now led his team to victory in the Heaven Dou Empire's Soul Fighting Tournament.

My theoretical system covers Martial Soul counters, Soul Ring combinations, and attribute development!

With a talent as peerless as yours, what you lack is guidance from a true master. Become my disciple, and I guarantee you'll break through to Titled Douluo and reach the pinnacle of the continent!"

[Sun Moon Continent · King of Nitpicking Liu Xiaosan]:

"Oh? Seems she could reach Titled Douluo on her own without becoming your disciple.

Besides, what exactly are these Ten Core Competencies of yours? How come I've never heard of them?"

[Douluo Continent · Theory Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang]:

"Hmph, natives. Today I'll tell you Sun Moon Continent natives my Ten Core Competencies for free. They are:

The higher a Martial Soul's quality, the higher its Innate Soul Power;

Plant Martial Souls can absorb animal Soul Rings, and Beast Martial Souls can absorb Soul Rings from plant Soul Beasts;

..."

[Blue Silver Continent · elementary school teacher Zhang Xuefeng]:

"Forgive me for interrupting, but why does this so-called core theory of Martial Souls sound like nothing more than the most basic common knowledge of the Soul Master World cobbled together?

Some of it isn't even correct. Do you... have a theory of your own?"

[Douluo Continent · Theory Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang]:

"You ignorant junior! How dare you pass judgment on my life's work?

My theoretical system overturned tradition and blazed a new trail. It is a guide to cultivation for countless high-ranking Soul Masters!

What the hell would an elementary school teacher know about Martial Souls?"

[Blue Silver Continent · elementary school teacher Zhang Xuefeng]:

"If I remember correctly, every one of your core competencies appears in the first lesson of the continent's Soul Master General Knowledge Textbook. Any child who's attended a Soul Master Academy knows them."

"And your theory that 'there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters' leads children astray."

"I see it now. Your so-called core competencies are just bits of basic continental knowledge copied, organized, and stitched together. There's no original theory or discovery of yours in any of it.

To put it bluntly, you're just a porter hauling around common knowledge.

On our Blue Silver Continent, seven-year-olds in their first year of elementary school can explain all this chapter and verse."

[Douluo Continent · Theory Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang]:

"You... you... you're talking... talking utter nonsense! You're blatantly jealous!"

[Sun Moon Continent · Academy Student Liu San]:

"No wonder something always felt off about his theory. Our empire may not have a General Knowledge Textbook, but this really is all common knowledge—and some of it is even wrong and misleading!

Heh, that backwater Douluo Continent actually trotted out an 'expert' like him. What an embarrassment before the whole world."

[Douluo Continent · Theory Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang]:

"Hmph, I won't argue with you!

Kong Lin's Martial Soul is the Xuanming Turtle, and he's a defense-type Soul Master.

I predict your Blue Silver Grass won't break through his defenses, while your control skills will trap him. In the end, the match can only finish in a draw.

If an opportunity arises, he might even turn the tables and win!

Just wait and see."

Those few comments cut straight to the heart. Yu Xiaogang's face flushed red, and he panted like an ox. After tossing out one confident prediction, he fled.

Nobody paid attention to Yu Xiaogang's humiliating retreat. All eyes returned to the arena.

After the sky screen's explanation, everyone finally understood how Ye Qingqiu could have such a terrifying Soul Ring configuration.

It was a Divine Trial!

Looking at the pretty, innocent-looking Ye Qingqiu before him, Kong Lin drew a deep breath.

"Your Highness, Ninth Princess, have you truly accepted a Deity's trial of inheritance?"

He still couldn't let it go. He needed a clear answer.

Ye Qingqiu's voice was cool, but her words made every heart tremble.

"A Divine Trial? No. I accepted the Bloodline Trial of my ancestor, the Azure Emperor, not a Divine Trial.

But my ancestor the Azure Emperor really is a god, so calling it a Divine Trial isn't wrong either."

The ancestor of the Blue Silver Continent was a god?!

Meanwhile, Tang San had been stunned ever since Ye Qingqiu revealed her Martial Soul.

He involuntarily summoned his own Blue Silver Grass. He looked down at the thing that resembled a little twig, then at the dragonlike vines on the sky screen. He was bewildered.

Was that really Blue Silver Grass?!

Once he had his answer, Kong Lin nodded and activated Martial Soul Possession.

Heaven Dragon Douluo announced the start of the match, and the arena erupted into action almost instantly.

Several Soul Rings beneath Kong Lin lit up at once!

"Seventh Soul Skill—Xuanming Avatar!"

"Sixth Soul Skill—Wave-Treading Xuanming Charge!"

"Fifth Soul Skill—Dark Water Vortex!"

With a thunderous boom, he transformed into the true form of the Xuanming Turtle. Layers of heavy shell stacked upon one another, instantly doubling his defense. A barrier of dark water swirled around him—an iron wall that seemed impervious to every art!

He took great strides forward, dark water flowing beneath him to speed him up as he charged straight at Ye Qingqiu.

A huge whirlpool appeared beneath Ye Qingqiu, tugging at her and preventing her from escaping easily.

That was his method of attack. Simple, but effective.

His enormous body was an indestructible defense, but once it gained speed, it became a battering ram of unmatched power!

It was precisely because his defense was nearly impossible to overcome among those of his rank that Heaven Dragon Douluo had sent him into the arena with such confidence.

Even if he couldn't hit his opponent, at least he wouldn't lose.

The ground trembled faintly. Ancient, arcane patterns marked his dark shell, and black light coursed through the dark water. The giant turtle charged!

Ye Qingqiu, however, paid it no mind. She merely gave her jade-white wrist a gentle flick.

Hummm—!

A sheet of purest Azure-Green Radiance rose from beneath her!

The radiance surged skyward. An overwhelming aura of life swept across the entire coast, its warm, vast, pure vitality nearly gathering into an ocean.

The next moment, countless vine-dragons burst from the earth, their patterns dazzling and every branch and leaf flowing with emerald light.

Some of the vine-dragons even knocked Kong Lin into the air. In almost an instant, a Blue Silver Forest had appeared where he stood, and Kong Lin was completely surrounded by woodland that blotted out the sky.

"Useless!"

Black light flared around Kong Lin's shell as he tried to shatter the vines and charge out.

But a soft voice reached his ears through the dense vines.

"Fourth Soul Skill: Vitality—Deprivation!"

The dragonlike vines filling the space around him had been radiating rich vitality. Now they withered and fell in an instant.

And as those vines withered, Kong Lin sensed that the life force inside his own body was fading with them!

Kong Lin's face changed drastically!

His defenses could withstand lightning, fire, explosions, and every manner of conventional physical Soul Skill attack. But this strange draining of life force was something he couldn't block at all!

No matter how invincible his physical defenses were, they couldn't stop his life's very source from being taken!

The tips of his hair had begun to turn white, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened.

His Martial Soul Avatar could not withstand the erosion of time.

His shell aged, the flow of his dark-water barrier began to break, and even the phantom of his Martial Soul grew indistinct.

Throughout it all, Ye Qingqiu stood atop that enormous vine, gently waving her little hand.

The Blue Silver Emperor held dominion over life and death in this world. She could grant life to all beings—or steal away their years!

I can grant you life, and I can bestow death upon you.

The battle looked set to end almost as soon as it had begun.

Just then, a message full of "righteous indignation" flashed across the sky screen.

[Douluo Continent · Thousand-Hand Buddha Tang San]:

"Draining life force? What an evil method!

How could a Soul Master use such wicked means? I am ashamed to be counted among your kind!"

[Blue Silver Continent · Gu Tian, Who Won't Eat Beef]:

"Tsk, tsk. Another one who's Pure and Spotless!"