Struck Speechless

In the VIP stands, the teacup slipped from Ning Fengzhi's hand.

The porcelain cup struck the stone tiles and broke into three pieces, splashing tea over half his shoe.

The sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did not look down. His eyes were fixed on the young man standing ramrod straight in the arena.

"Even nine heart begonia couldn't do that."

His voice was quiet, but both Bone Douluo and Sword Douluo behind him heard him.

Sword Douluo said nothing.

He had lived most of his life, met plenty of Titled Douluos, and dealt with healing experts. Yet he had never seen a healing method like this.

Three broken bones realigned, a dislocated joint reset, and external wounds vanished-all within three seconds, without consuming any external materials.

Nine heart begonia was the continent's finest healing martial soul, but curing a gravely wounded patient required an immense amount of soul power.

Yet that man had been gravely wounded, with barely any soul power left. He had healed himself-and completely, at that! He had even returned to peak condition!

This was no ordinary healing anymore. This was a rebirth!

On the pontiff's dais, Bibi Dong rose to her feet.

The hem of her purple-and-gold robe swept over three steps as she walked to the edge of the dais, rested a hand on the railing, and narrowed her eyes at the arena.

The young man in the arena was loosening his neck, moving as casually as if he had just woken from an afternoon nap.

The bloodstains were still there, and his long black robe had several tears, but he was completely unharmed.

Bibi Dong turned toward Chrysanthemum Douluo beside her.

"What is this person's name?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo opened his mouth.

He searched his memory. There had indeed been such a person-in the last batch during the outer academy's assessment, with average results, a support type, and no outstanding performance.

The outer academy's second elder had handled the selection. When the list was submitted, he had barely glanced at it.

"I... do not know."

Bibi Dong asked no further questions.

Her purple-and-gold slit pupils settled on Qin Chuan once more.

The Shrek teachers' seating area.

Yu Xiaogang stroked his beard, mentally leafing through every martial soul text he knew from beginning to end.

Ten core classifications and twenty-six subcategories, encompassing every martial soul recorded on the continent.

None matched.

Not a single one.

Gold coins, the Clown Dwarf, self-healing, directly rewriting outcomes, a second unusual martial soul-combined, these elements belonged to no branch of his system.

Flender reached out and patted his shoulder.

Yu Xiaogang flung his hand away.

Without turning around, he kept muttering to himself.

Suddenly, he stopped, his expression changing sharply.

"Rule-type."

Flender did not understand. "What?"

Yu Xiaogang lowered his voice and spoke rapidly. "I read about it somewhere before, though I can't remember where. In ancient times, there was a class of martial souls that didn't follow the usual path of clashing soul power. They directly altered the rules of combat. They obtained soul rings automatically and could activate against anyone, regardless of the target's rank. Soul Scholar or Titled Douluo, once you entered its game, you had to follow its rules."

Flender's expression changed too. "No rank restrictions? Wouldn't that make it invincible?"

"No."

Yu Xiaogang interrupted him. "The fragmentary text said these martial souls had a fatal flaw. The user was also a player and could lose and suffer punishment. His odds of winning were only somewhat higher than the target's. Victory wasn't guaranteed."

He stared at Qin Chuan in the arena, his gaze complicated.

"That's why the gods sealed them away in ancient times. Not because they were weak-but because they were too outrageous. In theory, a one-ring Soul Scholar had a chance of killing a Titled Douluo with such a martial soul. It violated the entire Soul Master world's laws of rank."

Flender sucked in a cold breath.

"But if the user could lose too... then that round he just used on himself..."

"Exactly."

Yu Xiaogang nodded. "He could have guessed wrong too. If he had, he would have received a terrifying punishment."

Both men looked toward the arena.

Qin Chuan stood at its center.

Just now, he had started a game where winning could defy heaven and rewrite his fate, while losing meant being struck by heavenly lightning.

Did something like this really exist?

In the arena, Tang San stood motionless, gripping the Clear Sky Hammer.

He activated Purple Demon Eye, violet light swirling in his pupils as he tried to analyze the internal structure of Qin Chuan's Clown Dwarf martial soul.

But all he saw was a mass of purple mist.

Tang San increased his mental power output, and the light of Purple Demon Eye brightened another degree.

A slit tore open in the purple mist.

Inside the gap, the Clown Dwarf winked at him.

Then he stuck out his tongue.

Tang San's Purple Demon Eye jolted violently, and his vision briefly went black for half a second.

He took half a step back, his temples throbbing.

This was the first time his Purple Demon Eye had failed to see through a Five-Ring Soul King.

Tang San clenched his fists.

Behind him, Dai Mubai growled, "Tang San, that's just a support skill! Don't be afraid. All seven of us will attack together!"

Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame flared to life in his palm again, while Oscar produced Recovery Sausages and brought them to his teammates' mouths.

From the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's palm, three enhancement halos settled over Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Tang San.

Qin Chuan glanced at the formation opposite him.

The seven had taken their fighting stances again.

"Seven against one? I don't mind. But a game needs rules."

He opened his left hand. The Clown Dwarf's phantom hopped onto his fingertips and tilted his head at the seven facing them.

In the stands, someone on Spirit Hall's side finally cried out.

A spectator slapped the railing and rose to his feet, shouting hoarsely, "Come on!"

After shouting, he froze for a moment.

He did not know this person either, but the sight of that golden light restoring him to full health had released the frustration pent up in his chest throughout the match.

This match had been unbearably stifling for Spirit Hall.

The Golden Generation had fallen one after another. Hu Liena had been beaten to her knees, and the entire section of the stands had been crushed beneath Shrek's cheers, unable to lift its head.

Now, at last, someone had stood up.

A second shout followed, then a third, then a fourth.

The scattered cries joined into a wave, drowning out Shrek's cheering.

"Come on!!"

"Come on!!"

In the arena, Hu Liena knelt on one knee amid the rubble, looking up at Qin Chuan's back.

His long black robe was torn in three places, blood dried into the fabric.

But his back was straight and his steps steady. He looked nothing like the person who had been sprawled on the ground moments earlier.

In the arena, Xiao Wu stood just behind Tang San's flank.

She stared at the Clown Dwarf's phantom in Qin Chuan's hand. A chill crept over the back of her neck, and every fine hair stood on end.

She edged half a step closer to Tang San. Her scorpion braid slipped from her shoulder to her chest, and she instinctively gripped its tip.

"Brother San, that martial soul of his... it's really eerie."

"I know," Tang San cut her off.

Qin Chuan called, "Clown Dwarf, activate Game Domain!"

The instant his words fell.

A translucent membrane of light spread from beneath his feet with astonishing speed, instantly covering the entire arena. With every inch it expanded, it etched another ring of dice and playing-card patterns into the ground.

The membrane glowed a pale violet, enveloping the whole arena. The domain harmed no one; it merely took shape as a battlefield governed by rules.

The Clown Dwarf leaped from Qin Chuan's palm, somersaulted in midair, and shouted to everyone:

"Domain activated! Players, enter the game. Please do not leave your seats!"