!
As the morning light pierced the clouds, Qian Fan sat cross-legged beneath the carved window lattice in Qian Renxue's bedchamber.
He formed seals with both hands, the dark purple soul power surrounding him flowing slowly like liquid metal. As the last wisp settled into place, a dazzling purple light burst from his palms.
"Level 74... finally stabilized." He murmured, tracing the gilded patterns on the windowsill with his fingertips. Fine spikes of ice instantly formed across the metal surface.
His specially made dark gold team uniform gleamed coldly, the Six-Winged Angel emblem on its hem appearing and disappearing with his steps.
When he pushed open the lounge's carved wooden door, a strong smell of medicinal herbs hit him-Yan was wrapped in layer upon layer of bandages, with only a pair of bloodshot eyes exposed. He looked just like an enraged, wounded beast.
"Pfft-" Hu Liena hastily covered her mouth, but her shoulders would not stop shaking.
Xie Yue turned his face away, his Adam's apple bobbing as he managed to squeeze out, "Brother Qian, please go ahead." All three promptly cleared a path, their eyes filled with awe and fear.
Yan struggled to stand, his bandages rustling against one another, but under Qian Fan's indifferent gaze, he finally slumped back down and muttered, "Don't get cocky..."
The instant Qian Fan stepped into the arena, cheers like roaring mountains and surging seas engulfed him.
But when the spectators saw Yan's condition, the entire Spirit City Arena fell into an eerie silence, followed by a deafening eruption of laughter.
Qian Fan turned toward Yan, a teasing smile curling his lips. "Need me to call you a physician?"
Those words broke Yan completely. He staggered away and crashed through the lounge doors, his bandages fluttering in the wind like a white flag of surrender.
When the referee's voice rang out, Qian Fan was leisurely straightening his cuffs.
The Evil-Eyed White Tiger Dai Mubai summoned looked imposing, but when the six wings behind Qian Fan spread, a dark purple Fallen Angel phantom tore through the air, and the radiance of seven soul rings instantly painted the entire arena blood-red.
"Level 74 Assault Battle Soul Saint-Qian Fan." His voice struck like a heavy hammer, pounding the spectator stands into utter silence.
The teacup in Yu Xiaogang's hand fell to the ground with a clatter. Bibi Dong sprang to her feet, her chair scraping harshly across the floor.
The Shrek team's faces were deathly pale beneath the intense light. Tang San's hand trembled slightly around the Clear Sky Hammer. He had never seen such a terrifying soul ring configuration-five Ten-Thousand-Year Black Rings and two Hundred-Thousand-Year Red Rings. Such a being had no place in this era!
"Seven-in-One Fusion Skill!" Tang San's roar shattered the deathly silence.
The instant the Shrek Seven Devils took formation, Yan eagerly charged toward them, only for Qian Fan to send him flying with a backhanded slap.
"I told you," Qian Fan said, hovering in the air, his black robes snapping in the wind, "no one is allowed to interrupt my performance." His voice carried a pressure that made people shudder. Even the other Spirit Hall team members instinctively retreated half a step.
The Clear Sky Hammer, empowered by the fusion, bore down like a mountain, yet Qian Fan smiled.
The instant his Fallen Angel True Form manifested, the temperature throughout the arena plummeted. The Shadow Battle Axe in the Angel Phantom's hands cleaved through the void, and the moment it collided with the Clear Sky Hammer, the resulting energy storm ripped away the awnings over the front rows.
Tang San was hurled away by the shock wave, leaving a long bloody trail across the ground, while Qian Fan merely retreated three steps, lingering lightning still coiling around his fingertips. "Interesting." Qian Fan licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, a crazed gleam flashing in his eyes. "But it's still not enough!"
The instant the Zeus Martial Soul manifested, dark clouds filled the sky, and the Thunder Battle Hammer smashed toward the Shrek team with world-destroying might.
Yet Qian Fan did not stop there.
He slowly raised his head, his aura surging once more. Dark purple soul power churned and roared over his body like boiling magma, while the elements in the air rushed madly toward him.
"It's not over yet." A cold smile curled Qian Fan's lips, and a chilling light flashed in his eyes.
He slowly raised his right hand, palm upward. The Fallen Angel Martial Soul and the Zeus Martial Soul blazed with dazzling light at the same time, their two vastly different, formidable powers beginning to merge wildly in his palm.
The Shrek team's expressions changed drastically. Dai Mubai, who had only just climbed to his feet, stared wide-eyed, his voice filled with terror. "What... what else is he going to do?"
Xiao Wu clenched her fists tightly, her body trembling slightly. The terrifying opponent before them had already gone completely beyond their understanding.
Qian Daoliu stood in the VIP stands, a trace of tension appearing on his previously calm face. He murmured, "Is this child going to reveal his full strength now?"
Bibi Dong stared fixedly at Qian Fan, her eyes holding both wariness and a barely perceptible hint of anticipation.
Around Qian Fan, space began to warp and twist, black fissures spreading like a spiderweb.
He drew a deep breath, and his low, commanding voice echoed throughout the arena. "Let me show you what true power is!"
In an instant, the powers of the two martial souls fused completely, becoming an immense dark purple pillar of light that shot into the heavens. Within it, a gigantic figure slowly took shape-a terrifying being possessing both the Fallen Angel's six wings and Zeus's power of thunder.
It held a massive battle axe that radiated an aura of destruction, and its every movement seemed capable of tearing space apart.
"What... what kind of monster is that?!" Oscar's face was pale, and even his voice had changed pitch. Ma Hongjun stared wide-eyed, his body retreating uncontrollably.
Qian Fan controlled the terrifying fusion entity, slowly advancing toward the Shrek team. With every step, the ground shook violently, and the entire arena seemed to groan in pain.
Tang San gritted his teeth and mustered every ounce of strength to raise the Clear Sky Hammer again, hoping to make one final stand, but his body trembled involuntarily beneath that terrifying pressure.
"Shatter!" Qian Fan roared. The battle axe in the fusion entity's hands cleaved down toward the Shrek team with the force to destroy heaven and earth.
That terrifying power formed an enormous energy blade. Wherever it passed, the air was torn apart, releasing a piercing shriek.
Tang Hao's and Chen Xin's expressions changed drastically. They knew full well that this attack was powerful enough to annihilate the entire Shrek team.
They exchanged a glance, then unleashed their full strength at the same time and charged toward the energy blade.
Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer blazed with dazzling golden light, while Chen Xin's Seven Kill Sword flashed with a sharp, cold gleam.
Boom!!! Three mighty forces collided, producing an explosion like a nuclear detonation. Intense light engulfed the entire arena.
A tremendous blast swept across the arena. Spectators screamed in terror and scrambled for cover.
As the light gradually faded, everyone was shocked to discover that although Tang Hao and Chen Xin had barely blocked the attack, both were severely injured. Blood seeped from the corners of their mouths, and their auras had grown extremely weak.
The Shrek team, meanwhile, had long since been thrown away by that immense power and lay unconscious at the edge of the arena.
Qian Fan withdrew the fusion entity. His body swayed, and his face turned deathly pale.
That attack had drained almost all his strength. Yet he forced himself to remain upright, his head held high and chest out, his eyes filled with contempt and pride. "With that pathetic strength, you dare oppose my Spirit Hall?"
Although Qian Fan's voice was somewhat weak, it remained intimidating.
He swept his gaze across the arena before finally resting it on Tang San. "Tang San, you do have some ability, but before absolute power, everything is futile."
At that moment, the entire arena fell into deathly silence.
Everyone was utterly shaken by the terrifying strength Qian Fan had displayed. Spirit Hall's supporters stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief and wild joy;
those from the other factions, however, wore grim expressions, their hearts full of wariness and unease.
"Is... is he even human?" a soul master murmured, his voice filled with fear and awe. "With a genius like this in Spirit Hall, I'm afraid no one will be able to stand against them in the future."
Another elder sighed. Qian Fan slowly walked out of the arena, each step utterly resolute. He knew that this match was not merely the battle that would make his name, but the beginning of his declaration of existence to the entire Douluo Continent.
When the referee announced the result, Qian Fan felt as though his legs had been filled with lead.
He forced himself to stand straight and looked at the cheering crowd as a system notification sounded in his mind. The instant he opened the Exchange Shop, a sudden chill gripped his entire body-that terrifying pressure, at once familiar and unfamiliar, was exactly like what he had felt when he awakened the Zeus Martial Soul.
Qian Fan looked up at the sky. Deep within the clouds, a pair of eyes seemed to be staring at him.
"You've got to be kidding."
Before you continue