The Top Sixteen Emerge, the Holy Angel and Evil Soul Master A-Qing Show Off Their Acting Skills (4K)

At Competition Area Eight, Ye Guyi folded her snow-white wings and drifted to the ground. Ignoring Tang Gang, who lay sprawled spread-eagled on the floor, she lightly leaped off the battle platform.

Lone Bamboo Pole Vault was a limited-use skill. Having witnessed its bizarre form before, Ye Guyi had been on her guard. Her Aurora Sword perfectly predicted the vaulting trajectory, and its sword energy sliced through his Soul Tool Shield to secure victory.

Tang Gang rubbed his muddled head, lamenting how his Self-Created Soul Skill was gradually falling behind the times. In the days ahead, he ought to try developing an advanced version: Double Pole Vault.

Having easily dispatched her opponent and advanced to the second round of the Winners' Bracket, Ye Guyi raised her eyes toward Battle Platform 24, just in time to witness the Machine Element detonating the Careless Missile.

Immediately afterward, a darkened Meng Hongchen emerged from the thick mist and, like an adorably fierce puppy, opened her mouth and bit Lin Qing. Yet Qing Zai wasn't angry at all. Instead, he studied the tooth marks left on his wrist thoughtfully, as though savoring that peculiar sensation.

"How could this happen..."

Miss Angel felt a little dejected, like a child who diligently fed Copper Soul Coins into a golden piggy bank every day, hoping to exchange an entire jar of pocket money for the big teddy bear on the store's highest shelf.

Then an uninvited guest suddenly barged into the store. This human locomotive bought the entire shop outright and had even begun marking her territory!

What could she do? Rush over and bite Lin Qing's left wrist to make them symmetrical?

Firmly condemning such an unrealistic idea, Ye Guyi took three deep breaths in succession.

The Holy Angel remembered her original purpose. Her ultimate goal in venturing through the Sun Moon Empire was to slay evil and eradicate wickedness, not to fall in love and continue her bloodline. If she could uproot the Evil Soul Masters' organization, she was willing to remain single from birth to death!

From early morning until dusk, the first day of the Hongchen Class Selection Competition concluded successfully.

Some rejoiced, while others despaired. Lin Qing, Ye Guyi, Xiao Hongchen, Lan Xiu... With their combat prowess and favorable draws, the top contenders swept forward like a blade splitting bamboo. Meanwhile, gifted senior students such as Meng Hongchen, Nana, and Ju Zi unfortunately fell into the Losers' Bracket and would have to fight through several more rounds to reach the top sixteen.

After enjoying a lavish dinner in the cafeteria, the Green Garment Duo left the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy beneath the night sky and returned to their own private space: Zhanghua Garden.

In the stillness of late night, freshly washed and lying on the large round bed, his back against a soft, fragrant pillow and his feet tucked beneath the covers, Lin Qing eagerly pulled out the Song of Ice and Snow hidden under his pillow and immersed himself in reading.

Lin Qing truly yearned to improve. As everyone knew, books were the ladder of human progress, so he had cultivated the excellent habit of reading before bed.

This epic masterpiece recounted the unknown secrets between the Ice and Snow Empresses of the Far North. Its prose and illustrations were so vividly lifelike that they truly opened his eyes.

Spending half an hour curled beneath the covers savoring it before beginning his meditation cultivation-only those who had tried it could understand the feeling.

Chapter 34: The Softhearted Snow Empress.

Upon learning of the Ice Empress's feelings, the Snow Empress was initially shocked beyond measure. She used secluded cultivation as an excuse to avoid contact with the Ice Empress, who was left heartbroken, huddled miserably inside an ice cavern.

A month later, the Far North was invaded by the ocean-dwelling Ferocious Beast, the Sea Terror Demon Dragon. The Ice Empress stepped forward and took the Sea Terror Demon Dragon's dying counterattack in the Snow Empress's place.

While helping the Ice Empress heal, the Snow Empress pretended not to notice the emerald scorpion tail furtively curling around her waist, allowing the Ice Empress's audacious advances. In the end, they rang in the new year together...

The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion opened her pincers. One pincer was shaped like a pair of scissors, and could actually invade two inner territories at once...

"It's so hot. There must have been whale rubber in dinner."

Lin Qing snapped shut this book that deserved a thorough critique. Ice Empress fanatics were terrifying-they would churn out absolutely any kind of fan content!

The next second, Lin Qing suddenly sensed something amiss and whipped his head to the side. At some unknown point, Ye Guyi had brought over a chair and sat down beside his bed!

Tonight, Miss Angel wasn't sitting primly as usual. Instead, she had turned the chair toward herself and straddled it backward, her bare, fair arms folded across the backrest to support her sacred, flawless golden head.

She wore bright yellow pajamas. With her lovely, shapely figure, Lin Qing could see a striking glimpse of her slender, snow-white waist beneath the hem of her top. Her sitting position forced her thighs apart, outlining a curve of pert buttocks like a sweet peach.

With a hint of curiosity in her eyes, Ye Guyi tilted her head and asked, "What book are you reading so intently? You didn't even notice me come in."

"Advanced soul tool theory by Kong Deming, the father of modern soul tools in the Sun Moon Empire. His fame is well deserved. His profound knowledge is utterly engrossing."

"Oh, I'll borrow a copy to read sometime, too."

Inwardly denouncing the dazzling world's power to beguile the eyes, Lin Qing felt fortunate that the Holy Angel was purehearted and hadn't realized just how private it was for a boy to read beneath his covers in the middle of the night.

Discreetly raising one leg to ensure his lofty image wouldn't collapse into a heap of rubble, Lin Qing asked in his usual tone, "It's not the weekend today. What made you decide to come back to Zhanghua Garden?"

The mention of business instantly gathered all of Ye Guyi's attention, and her brilliant golden eyes shone with searing light:

"I've caught those stinking sewer rats by their little tails!"

As she spoke, Ye Guyi made a tugging gesture, as though everything were firmly in her grasp, and continued, "During this morning's Hongchen Class Selection Competition, my opponent was Nana from Year Five, Class Two. When we greeted each other before the match, I noticed something wrong. She had a very distinct Evil Soul Master aura about her!"

"Although Ghost is a dark-attribute martial soul, it's fundamentally different from an evil martial soul. Nana also showed no signs of cultivating by devouring lives. That means she's an ordinary Soul Master who cultivates through normal meditation."

Understanding dawned on Lin Qing. No wonder Ye Guyi had said she'd hooked a big fish. Her keen senses had picked up the Evil Soul Master scent clinging to Nana and her Ghost martial soul.

"I've been thinking it over all evening. An ordinary Soul Master who's had contact with Evil Soul Masters is definitely an unstable factor," Ye Guyi said gravely. "She might know the secrets of their forces.

"I'll capture her and torture her for information about those evil forces... Hmm, torture probably won't do. We still can't rule out the possibility that she's a poor girl being coerced by Evil Soul Masters. I'll come up with a way to test where she stands."

"Suppose Nana is a lackey serving the Evil Soul Masters. What will you do?" Lin Qing asked teasingly.

"Kill her!"

Ye Guyi drew a hand across her long, swanlike neck, murderous intent spilling from her.

Her answer fit the Holy Angel's character perfectly. Lin Qing nodded and pressed on, "What if she has no choice?

"Her martial soul is Ghost. Maybe a sliver of her soul origin is bound by some evil secret art, leaving her life and death beyond her control. Or perhaps her closest family members are in the Evil Soul Masters' hands, leaving her no choice but to obey."

"I'll save her."

Without even half a second of thought, Ye Guyi's answer was equally resolute.

"Saving the world and delivering its people is the responsibility borne on the Holy Angel's shoulders. Those the gods won't save, angels will!"

Ye Guyi's voice was unwavering. On the very first day she awakened her martial soul at six years old, her father had earnestly told her to remember the Angel Clan's sacred truth.

Angels received Soul Power feedback from slaying evil, but increasing their Soul Power was always secondary. By punishing wickedness and promoting goodness, angels brought light and salvation into the world.

"Anyone has the right to slay evil demons and heretics. I'll go with you."

Sitting on the bed, Lin Qing slowly turned his head, his face bathed in the holy glow of someone ready to die nobly for the cause, and gazed straight at Ye Guyi.

Angel, you don't have to shoulder everything alone anymore!

Surely any intelligent creature would be moved to tears by such a heartfelt declaration.

Under his intensely expectant gaze, Miss Angel leaned back slightly, parted her cherry-red lips, and cautiously asked:

"Copycat?"

"...We're splitting up."

"Hey, hey, hey, I was joking! Thank you for supporting me. I've always believed that Ultimate Metal, a talent seen only once in a thousand years, carries the dawn's light of righteousness across the continent!"

Miss Angel had finally paid him back for the crushing blow she'd suffered three months ago, but it took another extravagant shower of flattery to soothe Lin Qing after she'd shattered his composure.

"That's more like it," Lin Qing said, narrowing his eyes. "I'm going to cultivate. You should get some rest, too. We've still got the Hongchen Class Selection Competition tomorrow."

"After watching today's two rounds, I'm not worried about the battles anymore. As long as I don't run into you or Xiao Hongchen, I'll be fine..."

After fidgeting for two and a half seconds, Miss Angel took a notebook from her Storage Soul Tool and placed it beside Lin Qing's bed. Pressing her slender, fair hands together in supplication, she looked at him pleadingly:

"Teacher Qing, the other two exams are coming up soon. Let me cling to your feet at the last minute and soak up some top-student luck. Could you tutor me for an hour?"

"...All right."

Three days later.

Test Zone Zero, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

"Zhang Xiaowei is eliminated! The winner of the eighth Losers' Bracket finals match is Nana from Year Five, Class Two!"

With the referee's announcement, the final spot in the top sixteen was settled.

The Hongchen Class Selection Competition used a double-elimination format, and all Winners' Bracket matches had finished yesterday. Lin Qing, Ye Guyi, Xiao Hongchen, Keke, Lan Xiu, and the others had successfully qualified.

Possessing both talent and immediate combat strength, the fifth-year students claimed more than half the Winners' Bracket spots.

According to the law of conservation of luck, after fighting fifth-year students Ju Zi and Meng Hongchen in his first two matches, Lin Qing faced opponents of relatively modest strength in his remaining Winners' Bracket matches. Like an Emperor Crab stuffed with roe, he swaggered sideways through the competition and stormed into the top sixteen.

Bearing the hopes of every Xiao fan, Xiao Hongchen put on a particularly eye-catching battlefield performance. With a cold expression throughout, he carpet-bombed the arena with his Three-Legged Golden Toad's cannons, blasting his opponents into misery.

By now, public opinion at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy had reached a consensus: this selection tournament was a contest between Qing and Xiao!

Ultimate Metal versus Divine Beast Bloodline! With dignity and glory on the line, one battle would decide supremacy, and the winner would become the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's one and only big brother!

Ye Guyi quietly reaped the rewards. She exploited her tremendous aerial advantage in battle, leaving opponents with only two choices: activate their Flying Soul Tools and fight a grueling battle in the sky, or stay on the ground and endure the Aurora Sword energy raining down from above.

Reaching the top sixteen was almost the same as having one foot through the Hongchen Class's door.

The Holy Angel finally breathed a sigh of relief. With solid combat assessment results and Teacher Qing's late-night tutoring, she could stride into the Hongchen Class with her head high and chest out!

In the Losers' Bracket finals that concluded today, the two seeded contenders, Meng Hongchen and Nana, qualified without any surprises. Even Ju Zi, a research-oriented Soul Engineer, made it into the Losers' Bracket finals.

Her cultivation as a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor spoke for itself, and all the Soul Tools she manufactured were high-explosive types. The power of Ju Zi's opening bombardment was considerable, but she narrowly lost to a Level 4 Soul Engineer who specialized in defense.

Ju Zi was satisfied with this outcome. Her comfort zone lay in Soul Tool manufacturing and comprehensive theory-the research faction's true strengths. She had an excellent chance of securing a place in the Hongchen Class.

In the roadside bushes outside the academy, two figures, one silver-gray and one brilliant gold, crouched furtively with their eyes fixed on the imposing, lavish metal gates.

"Guyi, we've been staking out the roadside for days. Don't we look like creepy Evil Soul Masters casing the place..." Lin Qing mused.

"Don't insult yourself. Think of this ambush as a necessary step in carrying out justice."

Ye Guyi gently reassured him. "There are too many people and prying eyes at the academy for us to act. We can only choose somewhere far away from it. Help me put on a show and test Nana's instinctive response in that split second.

"If she rushes over to help you or immediately runs off to fetch reinforcements, we'll throw a sack over her and toss her into Zhanghua Garden's underground chamber for questioning. Only if she helps me can she prove that her conscience is still alive-that although she belongs to an evil organization, her heart yearns for the light."

"Mm-hmm. The Losers' Bracket finals are over. Nana's coming out!"

Nana's tall, athletic figure appeared at the gates. Making the top sixteen hadn't brought a smile to her face. Expressionless, she headed toward the Holy Spirit Branch, wanting to visit her parents' souls.

The Holy Spirit Branch was located in a sparsely populated, desolate area. As Nana threaded through streets and alleys, the pedestrians around her grew fewer and fewer, until at last she walked alone.

Just then, holy light blazed!

Nana hurriedly looked over and saw two figures locked in combat, one shrouded entirely in black robes and the other wearing a golden mask. They fought from the sky down to the ground, landing in an open space a hundred meters away from her!

"Evil Soul Master A-Qing, your~life~is~mine!"

"Holy Angel, I'm~gonna~kill~you!!!"

Nana's body trembled. What did I just hear? A Holy Angel!?

It was the Holy Angel spoken of in legends, the bane of all evil, whose very name frightened Evil Soul Master children into silence at night!

Holiness and evil had been irreconcilable since ancient times. Evil Soul Masters and Holy Angels hunted each other. In this age, holiness had vanished while evil ran rampant. Even if the Holy Spirit Cult had to pay ten or a hundred times the price, it would still slaughter the angels' descendants to clear the way for Evil Soul Masters to operate freely!

Holy Angels who inherited the orthodox bloodline had always been few in number. Under the Holy Spirit Cult's relentless, cost-be-damned hunts, the angels gradually dwindled. The few precious seeds remaining grew wiser and stopped openly slaying Evil Soul Masters as they had in the past.

In close proximity to the Holy Angel's sacred radiance, Nana's sinister, dark-attribute Ghost martial soul trembled in fear. Tears instantly spilled from her eyes. Nana had no taste for suffering; rather, she had fallen into a state of excitement and fervor!

The Holy Angel had braved wind and rain to travel all the way to the Sun Moon Empire and confront Evil Soul Masters. Such fearless, sacred spirit deserved everyone's praise!

Nana hated the Evil Soul Masters for destroying her happy, loving family and forcing her into the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy so she could serve them like a beast of burden in the future.

Now that she had encountered the person who countered Evil Soul Masters more completely than anyone else in the world, Nana made her decision at once. She would turn against the dark, damp Holy Spirit Cult and throw herself into the Holy Angel's warm, blazing embrace, saving her parents' souls from the Evil Soul Masters' control!

Having made her choice without a moment's hesitation, Nana gripped her fully repaired Wind-Fire Twin Blades and charged into the fray:

"You Evil Soul Master beast!

"Don't you dare touch a single hair on Lady Angel's head!"