Demon Subduing Douluo tapped his index finger as though casually. The motion was almost imperceptible, yet Qin Chao and the other three felt the pressure on them surge.
Beneath that immense pressure, the four standing upright in the corner of the training ground suddenly shuddered. Their bones creaked softly, as though that tremendous force were about to crush them.
The incense had only burned down by a third, but fine beads of sweat already covered their foreheads.
Looking around, they saw that everyone was struggling to hold on, yet the others' expressions had barely changed.
At that sight, how could Qin Chao fail to understand? He could not help cursing inwardly.
This old bastard looked so righteous. Who would have thought he played so dirty behind the scenes!
Though furious, Qin Chao had no evidence.
Demon Subduing Douluo pressed his palm down again. Of the four, only Yan, a power attack system Soul Master, could still barely hold on; the other three were already struggling.
Seeing Xie Yue and Hu Liena pale and drenched in sweat, Qin Chao knew they could not last much longer. He gritted his teeth and gave the three a meaningful look.
The understanding built over their days together proved its worth. Catching Qin Chao's signal, the three immediately struggled toward him against the immense pressure.
Above the Heaven and Earth Tower, the purple Soul Ring signifying a thousand-year age flickered. The little tower in his palm suddenly expanded, enclosing all four of them.
Qin Chao had used his second Soul Skill, Trap. The Heaven and Earth Tower Martial Soul's ability to both attack and defend was displayed to its fullest.
The moment they entered the tower, the pressure on them vanished. All four could not help letting out long breaths of relief.
The incense stick continued to burn slowly. The youths who had withdrawn from the assessment early stared in astonishment at the Heaven and Earth Tower standing on the training ground.
"What kind of devastating weapon is that? One tower can protect four people?! If only he were my teammate..." a pale-faced youth murmured, quickly drawing agreement from those beside him.
"Tell me about it! What a shame. Tower-type Martial Souls are rare to begin with. You might not find even one among ten thousand Soul Masters. And its owner seems to be that kid who issued the Life-or-Death Challenge earlier. How old is he, anyway? He's already that strong. Losing to him was no injustice..."
Demon Subduing Douluo was just as surprised as the youths outside the grounds.
That Soul Skill is rather interesting...
Seeing the Heaven and Earth Tower suddenly appear on the grounds, Demon Subduing Douluo could not help marveling inwardly. Even as an opponent, he had to acknowledge Qin Chao's excellence.
What a pity. Such a promising seedling, yet he belongs to the Pope Hall...
A vicious glint flashed in his eyes, and Demon Subduing Douluo pressed his right hand down a little farther...
The air distorted more violently. Faint creaks came from the golden Heaven and Earth Tower, while fine cracks spread across the pillars inside. A Martial Soul was closely linked to its owner, and Qin Chao felt as though that immense pressure were about to grind his body to pieces.
Qin Chao turned deathly pale, while Hu Liena and the others wore grave expressions.
The larger the Heaven and Earth Tower became, the more Soul Power it consumed, and the easier it was for outside forces to break it.
"Chao, let us out of the Heaven and Earth Tower. You won't last long with all of us in here!"
Hu Liena's voice trembled. She had never imagined that one day they would become burdens to Qin Chao.
Qin Chao did not answer. He merely increased his Soul Power output in silence.
He had blocked Demon Subduing Douluo's Soul Power outside the Heaven and Earth Tower. If he released the three now, the sudden pressure would certainly inflict serious injuries on them. He had already thought of that when he used his Soul Skill.
Qin Chao could still tell the difference between one person getting hurt and the entire army being wiped out.
The incense stick had burned down by more than half. Looking at the crack-covered Heaven and Earth Tower on the grounds, a trace of ruthlessness flashed through Demon Subduing Douluo's eyes.
It's time.
This world has many geniuses, but few truly powerful people. Most fall along the road to greatness, and today, that road might gain four more departed souls...
Just as Demon Subduing Douluo was about to tap his index finger again, a strand of purple-black spiritual energy silently crept onto his palm.
Bone-piercing pain suddenly shot through his palm. Demon Subduing Douluo jerked his head up and looked at Bibi Dong beside him.
The noble, beautiful female Pope remained perfectly composed, even wearing a faint smile. Yet that smile did not reach her eyes.
"Your Holiness, what are you..." Demon Subduing Douluo's eyes filled with astonishment, and even his voice began to tremble.
He was a level 96 power attack system Titled Douluo. Even if his control over his strength had not reached the pinnacle, few could rival him. Yet the female Pope beside him had effortlessly seen through and countered him. How could he not be shocked?!
Could her Soul Power have already surpassed mine?!
At that possibility, the panic in Demon Subduing Douluo's heart intensified. Even the arm he held level began to tremble slightly.
"It's only an assessment. That's enough..."
Bibi Dong's words drifted lightly into Demon Subduing Douluo's ears.
Just as Demon Subduing Douluo had guessed, her Soul Power had long since reached level 98. Moreover, she possessed twin Martial Souls. Countering a level 96 Demon Subduing Douluo was hardly difficult.
She had already anticipated that the Elder Hall would try to cheat during the assessment. Had it been mere petty interference, she would not have wanted to reveal her true strength. But Demon Subduing Douluo had actually developed murderous intent.
The four members of the Golden Generation were all pearls in her palm. How could she allow anyone else to lay a finger on them?
The purple-black Soul Power controlled his right hand, pressing it steadily downward. The Soul Power pressure on the training ground intensified again, yet Qin Chao and his companions felt something entirely different from everyone else.
The immense pressure on them suddenly eased considerably. As Qin Chao poured in his Soul Power, even many of the fine cracks on the Heaven and Earth Tower were repaired...
The three youths planted there by the Elder Hall experienced the exact opposite of Qin Chao.
Because Demon Subduing Douluo had gone easy on them, they had endured the lightest Soul Power pressure. Summoning their Martial Souls had merely been a smokescreen. Who could have expected Bibi Dong to intervene suddenly, restoring the Soul Power across the grounds to the even distribution it should have had?
The pressure on them abruptly surged. The three swayed uncontrollably and dropped straight to their knees, even coughing up great mouthfuls of blood.
"An assessment ought to be fair, wouldn't you agree, Seventh... Consecrated... Elder...?"
Bibi Dong spoke slowly and gently, yet the pressure emanating from her Soul Power startled Jiang Mo, despite his also being a Titled Douluo.
This woman's strength is actually this terrifying!
Even more shocked than Demon Subduing Douluo were the youths watching the training ground.
"What happened to those three? Weren't they handling it easily before? Why did they suddenly become unable to withstand the pressure?"
The condition of those three was truly strange, and soon a youth voiced his doubts.
"Maybe Demon Subduing Douluo applied stronger Soul Power this time. After all, he's a Titled Douluo from the Elder Hall. They're all above level 95. It's only natural for their Soul Power to be terrifying..."
Because of their strength, the members of the Spirit Hall viewed the elders of the Elder Hall through an inexplicable rose-tinted lens. Little did they know that the Seventh Consecrated Elder they gazed upon with admiration was enduring pressure more than a hundred times greater than that borne by the youths on the grounds...
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