The Qing Army and Ai Xiao Clash, Lin Qing vs. Xiao Hongchen: Brother Xiao Is Super Fierce (4K)

"Dearest brother, hydrate before battle! I specially added honey from a Millennium Queen Bee!"

The Hongchen Family's Ancestral Home.

The beautiful girl with white hair and blue eyes wore a pure, sweet smile as she eagerly offered a cup of honey water to her twin brother, who was combing his long hair before a mirror. She looked every inch the perfect little sister.

Xiao Hongchen accepted the cup, but rather than gulping it down as Meng Hongchen had expected, he brought it to his nose and sniffed carefully. The sweet scent of honey wafted toward him, trying to conceal a trace of a familiar odor.

"Isn't this supposed to be honey water? What possessed you to put Vermilion-Sun Ice Toad poison in it?"

"How did you know?!" Little Meng exclaimed in shock.

"Because every single time you've poisoned me since we were little, you've abruptly switched from disrespectful names like 'stupid brother' and 'idiot Xiao Hongchen' to an obviously rehearsed 'dearest brother'..."

Xiao Hongchen sighed at length, his expression complicated. "Meng, tell your brother the truth. Have you joined some mysterious organization lately?"

"I haven't joined the Qing Army!"

Meng Hongchen raised her fair hands high, tucking her thumbs inward while stretching her other four fingers backward with all her might!

Without her brother having to press her, the girl's actions confessed everything.

The Qing Army was a newly formed fan club at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy. Its slogan was "Follow Brother Qing to the death."

During the Hongchen Class Selection Competition, Lin Qing had smashed through all opposition and reached the finals. The Qing Army had grown like a rolling snowball, becoming the second-largest fan organization after Ai Xiao. Meng Hongchen had contributed enormously and held the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Qing Army.

Looking at his sister's wide-eyed attempt to feign innocence, Xiao Hongchen snorted. Already favored to win, yet still bribing his family to poison him-absolutely shameless!

"Brother, poisoning you was my own bright idea. It has nothing to do with the Qing Army or Lin Qing. If I were you, I'd drink that water now."

Meng Hongchen shook her head and said with the air of an old sage, "That way, you can blame me when you lose. Otherwise, if Lin Qing beats you until you're crawling all over the floor in front of everyone, I'm afraid the blow will be too much and you'll do something drastic.

"Although you aren't very bright, your looks aren't as commanding as Lin Qing's, your understanding of yourself is miles from reality, and all you do is shout that Xiao Hongchen is invincible among his peers, we're still siblings, and blood is thicker than water. I can't bear to see you die."

"...Could you think something good about your brother for once?"

Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen nearly suffered a bout of heart pain.

He had begun preparing for this King-versus-King Shocking Battle three months ago.

The Three-Legged Golden Toad at least possessed an illustrious divine beast bloodline. The dragon crossing the river and the local serpent had yet to clash head-on, so why had everyone decided he couldn't win?

"All right, your grandfather is heading out first. You two remember not to be late."

After listening for quite some time, Jing Hongchen waved helplessly and flew toward the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, his ample belly protruding.

Every family had a scripture that was difficult to recite.

The Hongchen Family had two.

The brother was excessively proud, and the sister had love on the brain.

This family needed a pillar to hold it up.

Test Zone Zero, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

Voices roared, and heads crowded the spectator stands. The enormous venue was packed full. Students who had arrived too late to secure seats could only squeeze shoulder to shoulder into the stands and aisles, standing on tiptoe to peer at the competition stage.

Their studies and daily lives had always been calm and uneventful, with plenty of steadiness but little of the passion that belonged uniquely to the young.

The Hongchen Class Selection Competition was like a pebble breaking the surface of a silent lake, instantly drawing countless eyes.

The blazing attraction of Qing and Xiao competing for the title of their generation's greatest genius had brought over ninety percent of the Sun Moon students to watch. Even Mingde Hall disciples wholly absorbed in soul tools had, for once, left their laboratories and taken seats in the stands to witness the outcome of the final.

"Old Ma, you guys came too?!"

A scruffy sixth-year student struggling with his graduation assessment recognized seven figures in the front row and clicked his tongue in surprise.

Those seven were none other than the finest students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, veteran Mingde Hall disciples, the reserve squad from the previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, and the main team for the current tournament!

Standing to pat his old classmate on the shoulder in greeting, Ma Rulong said calmly, "Xiao Hongchen is recognized throughout the academy as invincible among his peers. Everyone has seen his talent, yet a newcomer who only just enrolled has overshadowed him.

"We couldn't suppress our curiosity, so we came to see whether an ultimate martial soul really possesses the peerless brilliance of legend."

"This battle means more than that." Main team member Lin Xi chuckled. "The Hongchen Class gathers the most talented students from all six years. Most of Sun Moon's next Reserve Team will probably come from this class.

"Today's battle kills two birds with one arrow. Lin Qing and Xiao Hongchen are also competing to become Reserve Team Captain. The position will go to the capable one, without any dispute."

"True. After the Hongchen Class Selection Competition, the next Reserve Team's lineup is pretty much clear," the sixth-year student agreed with a nod.

Generally speaking, academies had to consider the next Soul Master Tournament when selecting reserve members, so students older than fourteen this year were usually excluded.

Qing and Xiao stood side by side as Sun Moon's twin stars, with Meng Hongchen close behind. All three cultivated as both soul masters and soul engineers, giving them an innate advantage over traditional soul engineers and making them guaranteed core fighters in the Soul Master Tournament.

Next came Nana and Lan Xiu, an outstanding close-combat soul engineer and control-type soul engineer who had shone brilliantly in the Hongchen Class Selection Competition.

The remaining students lagged far behind those five, but the possibility of someone building up strength and surging ahead later could not simply be dismissed.

Still, all of this depended on the Reserve Team selection rules remaining unchanged.

If Jing Hongchen decided to go all out for the championship, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy might very well break its usual age restrictions and send two main teams into battle.

Besides the Sun Moon Team's seven main members, prominent Mingde Hall disciples could be spotted throughout the stands.

"Isn't that girl Senior Jing Ziyan? The guy holding a sword beside her looks pretty cool. I feel like he's a bit more handsome than Brother Xiao..."

"How many times do we have to say it? No putting Brother Xiao down to praise someone else!"

An Ai Xiao fan protested, "That guy's Ji Juechen, Mingde Hall's number one in practical soul tool control. His nickname is Sword Enthusiast, and all he thinks about is practicing swordsmanship and sparring.

"He's probably here to observe his future opponents in advance. Lin Qing and Brother Xiao are certain to enter Mingde Hall, and when they do, Sword Enthusiast will absolutely challenge them..."

"Everyone, stop getting distracted! The final is about to begin. Show our spirit and take on the Qing Army!"

Gazing at the rolling ocean of navy blue on the opposite side, Ai Xiao's Five Spirit Kings braced as though facing a formidable enemy and organized Ai Xiao for a head-on clash. Without prior agreement, both fan clubs had removed their Sun Moon uniforms and donned supporter outfits, the blue and red camps sharply divided.

Ai Xiao worked together to raise soul guidance lamp signs, which joined into four large, flashing red characters.

Brother Xiao is super fierce!

"Devious schemers..."

The Qing Army ground their teeth. They hadn't expected Ai Xiao to have a secret weapon, but fortunately, they had a unique advantage of their own: the two stunning beauties, Meng Hongchen and Ye Guyi, were leading them in supporting Lin Qing!

"Lin Qing will win! Beat Xiao Hongchen until he's hunting for his teeth all over the floor!"

Meng Hongchen shouted with exceptional enthusiasm, utterly unconcerned about her brother's fate.

If her brother suffered a crushing defeat, Little Meng would become a kind little sister and mock him for being absolute trash.

If Lin Qing suffered an unfortunate loss, Little Meng would become a considerate older sister, comfort him by saying he had done his best, and take the opportunity to draw closer to him.

Whatever happened in this final, Meng would profit without losing a thing!

Meanwhile, the spectators included no shortage of oddballs.

One diehard Xiao Hongchen supporter looked at the fellow beside him and frowned. "Hey, are you an Ai Xiao fan?"

"Of course. I'm wearing red, aren't I?" the other fellow nodded vigorously.

"But I saw the Qing Army uniform hidden under your red clothes."

"...Fine, cards on the table. I'm playing both sides!"

The fellow grinned crookedly and revealed his Qing-and-Xiao Twin Martial Souls supporter outfit, proudly declaring without a trace of shame, "If Brother Xiao wins, I'll still be a loyal Ai Xiao fan, shouting that ultimate martial souls are all show and divine beast bloodlines shall flourish for ten thousand generations!

"If Brother Qing wins, I'll be the king of soldiers raised by the Qing Army, proclaiming that the divine beast is dead and a new emperor must rise! Ultimate metal shakes heaven and earth! All hail the Azure Heavenly Emperor!"

The stands bustled with excitement, the uproar surging into the clouds. Dozens of teachers seated on the dais smiled, marveling at the boundless energy of youth. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy hadn't burned with such excitement in a long time.

Starry Sky Douluo Ye Yulin teased, "Old toad, the final is about to start. On your left is your beloved grandson who inherited a divine beast bloodline, and on your right are ultimate metal and your precious granddaughter, whom you're afraid will melt if you hold her in your palm. Which side are you taking?"

Jing Hongchen glared at Ye Yulin. "You old bald donkey, stop trying to sow discord right in front of me. Xiao and Lin Qing get along well in private. In fact, they're each other's closest male friend.

"According to the supervisor of the Mimicry Training Grounds, those two youngsters have frequently gone to Metal World together at night to absorb metal energy over the past three months. Their opposition in this final shows that they share a healthy relationship of cooperation and competition!"

"Fine, fine, fine. You're right."

Ye Yulin wasn't annoyed in the slightest. Smiling, he said, "Once the Hongchen Class Selection Competition ends, I'll have to make my move too.

"Ye Guyi's exquisite aerial combat techniques suit me perfectly. The sight of her using the Sun Moon Divine Needle to strike from high altitude would be beautiful beyond compare. A Bright Swan who doesn't take enhancement drugs-I'm confident I can raise her into a Super Douluo!

"There are too many wolves and too little meat. Your earlier lesson is still vivid in my mind, so I must keep a close watch lest those old fossils get there first... Master Kong, please understand, I meant Zheng Zhan, Mad Bull, and the others..."

Wiping away the cold sweat that had suddenly appeared on his forehead, Ye Yulin concealed the guilty look in his eyes and slowly floated upward.

As chief referee of the Hongchen Class Selection Competition, he would personally oversee the final and ensure Qing and Xiao's lives were never in danger.

Hovering in midair, Starry Sky Douluo clasped his hands behind his back and surveyed the surroundings. The pressure of a Level 9 Soul Engineer swept across the venue as he declared with imposing dignity:

"The final of the combat assessment begins! Both contestants, enter the arena!"

"Whooo-!"

The show had begun. A surging roar suddenly erupted from the stands, nearly lifting the roof off the Zero Soul Fighting Arena. The less powerful Sun Moon students briefly lost their hearing and could not help clamping their hands over their ears, though they still shouted the names of the two stars.

Two tall, straight figures slowly emerged from the contestants' entrance passages.

Snow-white hair flowed behind him, and his mismatched blue and green eyes captivated the soul. With his back perfectly straight, Xiao Hongchen strode onto the competition field.

After three months of dedicated cultivation, Xiao Hongchen's bearing had changed dramatically. The domineering air he had never restrained before seemed to have suddenly vanished, replaced by a mindset his peers could not understand and a maturity that suggested he had weathered countless vicissitudes.

He resembled a sage from a street-corner storyteller's tales, one who had watched a thousand sails pass and grasped the meaning of life. Though some of his innate confidence remained on his face, his gaze was extraordinarily profound, as though he could easily see through the essential laws of all things.

An Ai Xiao fan beside the passage asked excitedly, "Brother Xiao, can you win the final against ultimate metal?"

"After all these years, when has Brother Xiao ever let you down?"

Xiao Hongchen raised an eyebrow and pointed his index finger high toward the sky, as though he meant to screw the boundless heavens themselves!

"Trust me. I'll win."

At those words, the Ai Xiao fans instantly clutched their hearts. Their heartbeats broke all limits, and intense happiness flooded their minds. This was the idol they would follow for their entire lives!

The Qing Army on the other side was no less enthusiastic. The new fan club's cheers were every bit as loud as Ai Xiao's as Lin Qing raised both arms and high-fived the delicate hands Ye Guyi and Meng Hongchen extended toward him.

"Lin Qing, since that idiot Xiao Hongchen is too stubborn to appreciate my kindness, don't hold back! Blast him away with your most powerful soul cannon!"

Meng Hongchen imitated a boxer with cries of "Hah! Hah!", throwing an uppercut followed by a vicious rising knee. Anyone who heard her would almost certainly have assumed Xiao Hongchen was her enemy.

"The ultimate shall not be insulted."

Those softly spoken words drifted through the air as Lin Qing slowly stepped onto the competition field.

Now that the final had arrived, the previously divided metal platforms had been joined into one again, giving the two a vast battlefield where they could fight to their hearts' content and provide the spectators with a satisfying show.

"Both contestants, exchange friendly greetings!"

Ye Yulin was an old hand at enjoying a good spectacle. He deliberately emphasized the word "friendly" and gave the two plenty of time to talk before the match!

Qing and Xiao walked toward the center of the competition field. Their eyes met, and they cupped their fists in salute.

Xiao Hongchen said solemnly, "Xiao Hongchen, Class 1, Year 5. Rank forty-nine Battle Soul Ancestor. Martial soul: Three-Legged Golden Toad. Level 5 Soul Engineer!"

Voluntarily announcing one's soul power level and martial soul was the Great Soul Arena's oldest pre-battle ritual. Clearly, Xiao Hongchen attached great importance to this fight.

His classmates' faith had faded, his sister had defected to the enemy before battle, and even his grandfather had vaguely suggested that the Three-Legged Golden Toad was no match for ultimate metal. A fire smoldered inside Xiao Hongchen.

None of them believe in me, but I'll prove myself more than anyone. Xiao Hongchen refused to accept attribute suppression. He believed in the tenacity flowing through the Three-Legged Golden Toad's veins. Only a fight would reveal who was stronger!

"Lin Qing, student of Class 1, Year 5. Rank forty-four Battle Soul Ancestor. Martial soul: Machine Element. Level 5 Soul Engineer."

Lin Qing returned his respect, and the two backed away to put distance between them.

"Lin Qing, I've prepared for today's battle for three months and studied every fight you've had since enrolling. I'll prove through action that a divine beast bloodline is no worse than an ultimate attribute, and that the Three-Legged Golden Toad is no less than ultimate metal!"

"Xiao, recognize the gap."

Xiao Hongchen rattled off a whole speech, rousing his own blood to a boil. Without even turning his head, Lin Qing delivered a single cool, detached sentence.

The ultimate and the non-ultimate were worlds apart. A mere five-rank advantage in soul power was nowhere near enough to help Xiao Hongchen cross that heavenly chasm!

Listening to the two trade sharp words like flashing blades, Ye Yulin chuckled.

Youthful spirit was something that could never be replenished. At his age, he would no longer fight desperately over a little empty fame. The old man simply enjoyed seeing this daring energy in the young.

"You two gifted students, with me here, fight without restraint and leave no regrets!

"I declare the match begun!"