Fifty-Fifth-Level Soul Power! Yu Xiaogang?

"Level 39!"

This Soul Power Level was already on par with Dugu Yan's.

Dugu Yan let out a muffled groan. Her body alone could no longer endure it, so she had no choice but to summon her Martial Soul and resist by force.

She turned to glance at Bing Jiu, but the other girl was still standing there, even fanning herself because she found it too hot.

No, they were both Soul Elders—how could she be this relaxed?!

Dugu Yan immediately came to a conclusion. "Grandpa, she's cheating! That old lady is helping her! Hurry up and check for me!"

"What did you call me, old lady? You little brat!"

"Yanyan, don't spout nonsense."

Dugu Bo hurriedly wiped away his sweat. "I've been watching right here, Yanyan. There's no mistake. How about you..."

"No!"

Dugu Yan's eyes were bloodshot. "I absolutely will not... admit defeat!"

"Good!"

Ling Yuan Douluo was intrigued as well. "Soul Power pressure! Level 45!"

A six-level increase all at once!

"Urgh!"

Caught off guard, Dugu Yan was pressed straight to the ground, her face twisted in pain.

"Well?"

Bing Jiu fanned herself as she lightly tilted Dugu Yan's chin up. "Do you still want to continue?"

"Continue!"

Dugu Yan forced herself back to her feet and gave Bing Jiu a thumbs-down. "I will never—"

"Get lost!"

Bing Jiu kicked her straight out of the pressure's range.

Dugu Yan spat out a mouthful of blood. "You dared to kick me?!"

"Yanyan!"

Dugu Bo hurried forward to check her injuries, softly reminding her, "The Saintess was saving you. Otherwise, under pressure so far beyond your own strength, all your internal organs would have burst!"

"But..."

"No buts!"

Dugu Bo roared forcefully and gestured for Dugu Yan to look up.

Bing Jiu's pressure was rising at an astonishing speed!

Level 46! Level 48! Level 50!

Only when the pressure reached Level 50 did a black sharp claw appear on Bing Jiu's right hand. Its sharp, chilling aura made everyone present shudder in fear!

Even Dugu Bo was no exception. Even when probing it with his spiritual power, that black claw felt like a bottomless abyss!

Impossible to fathom!

At last, the pressure stabilized at Level 55!

Yet that was only enough to make Bing Jiu bend over. Dugu Bo estimated that it would take at least another five levels of pressure to truly crush her!

Ling Yuan Douluo shrugged disdainfully. Of everyone present, only she knew that Bing Jiu had merely used a tiny fragment of her Martial Soul just now...

The Saintess had not even truly used her Martial Soul at all!

"This..."

Dugu Yan was completely dumbfounded. "Y-you, what level are you really at now?!"

"Hmph!"

As she spoke, Bing Jiu raised her hand, and a cold, murderous aura instantly spread through the surroundings.

Then, beneath her feet, one purple and two black Soul Rings slowly rose!

This... was far beyond the scope of top-tier Soul Rings!

Yu Xiaogang, standing at the very back of Shrek Academy, nearly failed to catch his breath.

He flipped through the Martial Soul core theory he had spent so long compiling, stared blankly for a long while, then dropped the book to the floor with a slap.

How... was this possible?!

Since ancient times, no one had been capable of absorbing ten-thousand-year Soul Rings among their first few Soul Rings! Could it be...

Was his theory wrong?

Bing Jiu said blandly, "Currently Level 38. Oh, right, that seems to be one level lower than you."

"What?!"

Dugu Yan's vision went black, and she fainted on the spot.

Dugu Bo immediately picked her up and turned to leave.

"Dugu Bo."

Bing Jiu stopped him, nodding slightly as a voice rose in Dugu Bo's mind.

Tomorrow at noon, the gates of the Crown Prince Palace will be open to you for half an hour. Come or don't come—consider it carefully, and consider the price even more carefully!

"..."

Dugu Bo looked back deeply at Bing Jiu and sighed.

After he left, Bing Jiu arranged everything for Shrek Academy in her capacity as the Crown Princess of the Heaven Dou Empire, giving them the best teaching area in the academy.

Everyone from Shrek Academy was overjoyed, especially Tang San. The way he looked at her was practically dripping with affection.

She truly had no idea where he got the nerve.

Bing Jiu resisted the urge to punch him to death. "Little San, where did you get that Soul Tool around your waist?"

"Soul Tool? You mean this?"

Tang San generously removed Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges from his waist and handed it to Bing Jiu, even tossing her a flirtatious glance in passing.

"Here. My teacher, the Master, gave it to me. Look, he's over there."

"The Master?"

Bing Jiu looked over. There stood a somewhat hunched middle-aged man with his head lowered, looking rather dejected.

"What is his real name?"

"My teacher is called... Yu Xiaogang!"

Yu... Xiao... gang? Hehe.

If she was not mistaken, this guy was the third party mentioned in her mother's diary!

Bing Jiu could not help waving her hand in disdain.

How had her mother ever fallen for something like him?

Tang San kept yammering on about the founder of the Ten Core Martial Soul Theories, about how impressive he was here and there.

Bing Jiu did not hear a single word of it...

Theory? A mere Soul Master not even Level 30, discussing conjectures and knowledge at the Titled Douluo level—did he really think he had the ability?

After settling them in, Ning Rongrong came over again.

She edged closer to Bing Jiu somewhat bashfully. "Hehe, Sister Bing Jiu?"

Bing Jiu smiled and patted her head, her expression extremely calm. "What is it, little Rongrong?"

"Well, um... I-I'm out of money. Can you give me some?"

"Money? Little Rongrong, don't tell me the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is short on money. That joke isn't funny."

"I am!"

Ning Rongrong put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot, looking sulky.

"Hmph! Dad is the worst! He only gives me one million Gold Soul Coins a month for living expenses! It's completely not enough!"

One million?

Hearing that number, Bing Jiu could not help freezing.

Some unpleasant memories surfaced.

When she was five, she had once fallen ill and needed fifty Gold Soul Coins for treatment. Ning Fengzhi had been too stingy to take it out, and Grandpa Sword had ultimately stepped in to resolve it.

But Ning Rongrong received one million Gold Soul Coins as monthly living expenses?

Even ten thousand Gold Soul Coins was an amount an ordinary family could struggle their entire lives without ever earning!

"Sister Bing Jiu."

Ning Rongrong shook Bing Jiu's arm coquettishly, looking utterly pitiful.

Bing Jiu smiled and took out a black card. "This is Spirit Hall's special-use card. There are five million Gold Soul Coins in it. But let's be clear—I'm putting this money on Xue Qinghe's tab."

"Wow! Thank you, Sister Bing Jiu! I'm off!"

"Wait."

Seeing Ning Rongrong about to run off, Bing Jiu immediately stopped her. "Hold out your hand."

"My hand? Sister Bing Jiu, what are you going to do?"

Though puzzled, Ning Rongrong still held out her hand.

Bing Jiu raised her hand and lightly tapped Ning Rongrong's palm.