Blood seeped from Xiao Hongchen's mouth and nose. Most of his once-handsome face had caved in, and his golden Soul Power barrier crumbled inch by inch like shattered glass.
The light of his Three-Legged Golden Toad Martial Soul abruptly dimmed. Its three legs twitched uncontrollably, and four dull, lightless Soul Rings hovered around him as he could no longer maintain his Martial Soul's form.
The entire arena fell deathly silent.
The spectators who had been gasping over Xiao Hongchen's one hundred and twenty-eight Soul Cannons just a second ago now sat with their mouths hanging open, forgetting even to breathe.
Those hundred-plus Grade 4 Soul Cannons, on which so much hope had been pinned, were like fragile toys before Lu Ren, easily sliced in half by invisible slashes. Metal fragments littered the ground, reflecting the dazzling sunlight as though silently mocking something.
"Wh-what Soul Skill was that?" someone whispered through a dry throat.
"He did that to Xiao Hongchen with one punch?"
"What was that black flash just now? A Soul Skill? But he didn't even summon his Soul Rings!"
At the judges' stand, Xuan Ziwen abruptly rose to his feet.
Even his messy hair stood on end, and the dark circles under his eyes seemed to fade a little.
He stared fixedly at Lu Ren's fist, his eyes filled with feverish curiosity, like a starving man suddenly faced with a banquet.
"Never mind the invisible slashes-what was that black flash?"
He muttered to himself, his voice carrying the peculiar excitement of a researcher.
"His speed broke through the limits of Soul Power, and his strength far surpassed that of a Soul Ancestor at the same level. The power of that punch wasn't so simple. Rather, at that instant, it seemed to distort space... What in the world is this thing!"
Now Xuan Ziwen finally understood why the hall master had asked him to observe this youngster up close and see what made him special.
That black light capable of distorting space was undoubtedly not a Soul Skill. It was a technique Lu Ren had produced simply by combining his Soul Power with his fist, resulting in a critical strike.
If this could also be applied to the field of Soul Tools...
On the main platform, the Amplifying Soul Tool in Lin Jiayi's hand nearly fell to the ground.
He looked at Xiao Hongchen, who had been smashed into the spectator stands, his fate unknown, then at Lu Ren, still standing calmly in the arena. His mind went blank.
That was Xiao Hongchen.
The Illustrious Virtue Hall master's own grandson, the greatest genius in the Sun Moon Empire's history, a rank forty-nine Soul Ancestor.
And the result?
He had not even touched the hem of Lu Ren's clothes.
In the stands, Meng Hongchen sprang to her feet.
Her large, aqua-blue eyes were filled with disbelief. Both hands clenched tightly into fists, her knuckles turning white.
She knew her brother's strength better than anyone. With rank forty-nine Soul Power combined with the Three-Legged Golden Toad's Metal Control, even an ordinary Soul King who was a Level 5 Soul Engineer was no match for him.
Yet against Lu Ren, he had not lasted even one move?
"Brother!"
Meng Hongchen cried out involuntarily and was about to rush down into the arena.
"Wait."
A steady voice stopped her.
At some point, Jing Hongchen had come to her side. He stood with his hands behind his back, watching the boy in the arena. Storm-tossed waves surged in his eyes, yet he forcibly maintained his composure.
He could clearly sense that the power contained within Lu Ren's punch belonged neither to Soul Power nor to any known Martial Soul talent.
It was something overbearing and pure, yet possessed destructive power that swept through everything like rotten wood.
"He's fine," Jing Hongchen said evenly. "He merely passed out. No bones are broken; his Soul Power was only shaken. His opponent already held back."
As soon as he finished speaking, medical staff rushed over with a stretcher and carefully carried the unconscious Xiao Hongchen away.
As they passed Lu Ren, the medical staff unconsciously quickened their steps, their eyes full of awe.
"Grandpa," Meng Hongchen ventured quietly, "even Brother ended up like that. I don't have to go up, do I? Brother is stronger than me..."
"Do you know why I insist that you both compete?"
Jing Hongchen looked at Lu Ren on the stage, a slight smile curling his lips.
This result was even better than he had expected.
"Things have gone too smoothly for you and your brother ever since you were little. That's why he's become so arrogant, looking down on everyone."
"Now that he's finally encountered an obstacle and suffered a little, it will do him a great deal of good."
He paused, then continued:
"The Continental Soul Master Tournament is about to begin. I hope that, when you face Shrek, you can draw on what you've seen from him-how a powerful Soul Master fights and defeats an opponent."
The corner of Meng Hongchen's mouth twitched.
"Me, fight Lu Ren? Are you serious?"
She looked at the boy in the arena, who had not even summoned his Martial Soul from beginning to end, then at her brother being carried away. A hint of despair entered her voice.
"The gap is just too big. There's no way I can beat him!"
"How to beat him is for you to figure out, not me."
Jing Hongchen smiled and reached up to pat his granddaughter's head, his eyes filled with affection.
"Just do your best."
Meng Hongchen took a deep breath. Looking into her grandfather's encouraging eyes, she slowly nodded.
"Yes, Grandpa."
On the stage.
Lu Ren withdrew his fist, and the black light at his fingertips quietly dissipated.
He glanced at Xiao Hongchen being carried away, his expression barely changing.
Then he raised his head, sweeping his gaze across the spectators still reeling in shock before finally resting it on the figure walking toward him.
Meng Hongchen slowly stepped onto the competition stage.
Her long, straight silver hair was gathered entirely to the right in a ponytail, and her large, aqua-blue eyes stared straight at Lu Ren. Even her loose academy uniform could hardly conceal her already shapely figure.
Meng Hongchen could be called extraordinarily beautiful, but at that moment, nervousness covered her pretty little face.
She stopped opposite Lu Ren and took a deep breath.
"My name is Meng Hongchen. Please give me your guidance."
"Lu Ren."
Even faced with a beautiful girl, Lu Ren kept his introduction extremely brief.
"Both sides, move back to your waiting areas." Xuan Ziwen's voice came from the judges' stand, carrying a trace of impatience. "Begin!"
The instant the match began, Meng Hongchen raised both palms.
In the next moment, all her exposed skin, including her face and palms, turned snow-white.
It was as white as jade, crystal clear and translucent. Only her eyes abruptly turned blood-red, giving her a horrifying, uncanny appearance.
A faint, pale blue-green light flickered in the centers of her palms.
Only then did the glow of Soul Rings appear around her.
Two yellow, two purple-the standard optimal Soul Ring configuration.
At the same time, a figure of light slowly emerged behind her.
It was a toad as white as jade, its eyes blood-red just like hers at that moment.
This was Meng Hongchen's Martial Soul, the Vermilion Clear Ice Toad. Possessing both ice and fire attributes as well as potent poisonous abilities, it was extremely unusual.
Cold Poison also existed within her body, and this Cold Poison could even turn against its owner.
One misstep, and the Cold Poison would attack the Soul Master's heart and kill them. Thus, those with this type of Martial Soul rarely cultivated to become powerhouses.
Facing Lu Ren, Meng Hongchen immediately thrust out a palm.
A white current of air a foot in diameter surged from her palm straight toward Lu Ren, and her first Soul Ring lit up along with it.
The current was not fast. Tinged faintly with blue-green within its white, it drifted slowly toward Lu Ren like a cloud of mist.
Yet Lu Ren stood where he was, not moving at all.
What a joke. It would be a miracle if he could get poisoned.
After all, the system had given him Yuji Itadori's template. His physique also possessed the abilities of the Death Painting Wombs, and his blood even contained a potent toxin.
Thus, he could be said to counter Meng Hongchen completely.
The poisonous mist enveloped Lu Ren's body.
One second.
Two seconds.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
The white mist dispersed. Lu Ren was still the same Lu Ren. His expression had not changed, his breathing had not changed, and even his stance had not changed.
Meng Hongchen's pupils contracted slightly.
Her poison had absolutely no effect on him?
Before you continue