Upon hearing this, the Shrek members' expressions suddenly hardened.
As a senior member of the academy, with the cultivation and insight of Super Douluo, Cai Mei'er's judgment should not be wrong.
Everyone's eyes instinctively followed Cai Mei'er, fixed on the figure in the center of the arena.
Cai Mei'er narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice carrying a hint of solemnity. "Just now, in the instant his aura was inadvertently released, I sensed his Soul Power fluctuations, which had reached the peak of level sixty-nine. He's probably only one step away from breaking through to the Soul Saint realm."
"What?!"
These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a storm in the hearts of the Shrek members.
Even Xu Sanshi, who had been acting nonchalantly, sat up straight instantly, his face filled with disbelief.
Peak level 69? Just one step away from Soul Saint?
This means that the unknown "newcomer" on the stage has already surpassed all of them in terms of Soul Power cultivation.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy... has it really become this strong?
How could a random member making their debut possess such terrifying strength?
An invisible, heavy pressure instantly enveloped the hearts of every member of the Shrek Team.
The atmosphere on the arena was tense.
The first person to appear from the Earth Dragon Sect side was a well-proportioned young man.
Facing the undisputed favorite to win this competition, he was clearly under immense pressure. His expression betrayed his nervousness and unease, and even his breathing became heavier than usual, with his clenched fists turning slightly white at the knuckles.
On the other hand, Qiangu Fuliu presented a completely different picture.
His upright figure resembled a javelin poised to be fired, his face showing no fear but rather an irrepressible excitement, his bright eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit.
He did not rush to attack, but instead followed the ancient etiquette of Soul Master duels and spoke in a deep voice.
" Qiangu Fuliu, Martial Soul Coiling Dragon Staff, Level 69 Power Attack System Tool Soul Emperor!"
The clear, resonant sound of the Qiangu Fuliu, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples in the audience.
All eyes that looked at him were instantly filled with astonishment and disbelief. Most of the people present did not have Cai Mei'er's sharp eyes. Only now did they realize that this contestant, who was making his debut on stage, possessed such terrifying strength!
Looking at all the matches since the start of the competition, Qiangu Fuliu is the first and only Soul Master to stand on the stage with a peak cultivation level of 69.
This level of cultivation alone is enough to make everyone take notice.
He is currently the strongest performer on stage!
In the VIP section, Xu Tianran leaned back in his luxurious chair, his knuckles lightly tapping the armrest, his expression solemn.
His understanding of this Qiangu Fuliu was extremely limited; he only knew that Kong Xuan had brought him back to the academy half a year ago.
At this moment, looking at the figure on the stage, full of fighting spirit and sharp edge, an indescribable jealousy quietly grew in his heart.
Such a talented Soul Master, who reached the threshold of Soul Saint at such a young age, was easily "recruited" by Kong Xuan. Why can't he find one like that?
On the arena, Qiangu Fuliu's cry of "Level 69 Tool Soul Emperor " struck the heart of the young man from the Dragon Gate opposite him like a heavy hammer.
He froze on the spot, his pupils involuntarily contracting, his mind going completely blank.
He was only level 54. Faced with such an absolute gap in strength, he couldn't even muster a sliver of hope. The fighting spirit he had just mustered dissipated as quickly as a punctured balloon.
Seeing him standing there in a daze, Qiangu Fuliu frowned slightly.
Having grown up in a secluded family that followed ancient customs, he was already accustomed to the ritual of exchanging names before Soul Master duel.
He couldn't help but speak up, reminding him, "Hey, you over there, shouldn't you introduce yourself too?"
This sound startled Xu Shenshu from his reverie.
Despite knowing there was no chance of winning, as a representative of the Earth Dragon Sect, retreating without a fight in front of everyone would be a greater disgrace than defeat.
He bit his tongue hard, using the stinging pain to force himself to calm down, took a deep breath of cool air with a trembling sound, and tried to straighten his spine a little.
" Xu Shenshu." His voice was noticeably lower. " Martial Soul Saber-Toothed Earth Dragon, Level 54 Power Attack System Battle Soul King."
He spoke each word with extraordinary difficulty, as if a candle flickering in the wind, without any confidence whatsoever.
In mid-air, the referee's gaze swept over the two below, and he already knew the outcome of this duel.
He sighed silently, then waved his hand and ordered, "The competition—begins!"
Almost the instant the command was given, Xu Shenshu forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, let out a near-roaring shout, and charged forward like an arrow released from a bow.
During the charge, the Martial Soul Possession was already complete.
His entire skeleton emitted a sickening cracking sound, his body suddenly swelled, and his skin was quickly covered with a layer of dark, hard keratin. A series of thick, sharp-edged, serrated dorsal fins rose from his back.
Two yellow and three purple Soul Ring rose from his feet. Among them, the Third Soul Ring and the most profound Fifth Soul Ring shone brightly at the same time, pushing his aura to the peak!
On the other side, Qiangu Fuliu, facing this fierce impact, instantly transformed the surging fighting spirit in his eyes into a tangible gleam.
He did not retreat, but merely made a fist in the air with his right hand.
A powerful dragon roar seemed to come from ancient times, shaking the surrounding air.
The next moment, he firmly grasped a long staff, over two meters long and entirely dark gold in color.
On the long staff, faint dragon-shaped patterns flowed and coiled. Just by standing there still, an aura as heavy as a mountain and incomparably domineering spread out.
"Haha, well done!"
Qiangu Fuliu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he let out a hearty laugh.
Faced with the aggressive opponent, he neither dodged nor avoided, nor did he use any Soul Skill. He simply lowered his waist and stood on his horse, raising the Coiling Dragon Staff high above his head with both hands.
The next moment!
The dark gold staff in his hand suddenly swelled up, instantly transforming into a giant pillar spanning tens of meters in the air!
The dragon pattern flowing across the staff slammed down on Xu Shenshu in the purest and most domineering way!
Before the blow even reached the body, terrifying wind pressure had already descended.
Xu Shenshu felt as if the sky above him suddenly darkened, as if the entire firmament had collapsed.
The overwhelming pressure made his bones crack, and his forward momentum was abruptly halted.
He tried his best to block, but faced with an absolute difference in strength, all his struggles seemed so pale and powerless.
The referee in mid-air narrowed his eyes and raised his hand without hesitation.
A solid, transparent light barrier descended instantly, completely enveloping Xu Shenshu.
The over fifty-meter-long Coiling Dragon Staff, carrying immense force, slammed down heavily onto the Soul Tool Shield.
"Boom--!!!"
A deafening roar erupted instantly, and the referee in mid-air changed his expression drastically.
He moved like lightning, swooping down and flashing in front of Xu Shenshu at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow.
At the same time, the seemingly solid transparent shield shattered like glass, turning into countless points of light and dissipating!
At the critical moment, he suddenly raised his right arm, and a round shield engraved with complex soul-guiding patterns instantly unfolded and was held high above his head.
"Thump!!!"
Another, even deeper and more piercing sound of metal clashing resounded throughout the arena, like the tolling of an ancient bell, making everyone's eardrums ache!
The referee's shield arm trembled slightly, his mind reeling from the power of Qiangu Fuliu's strike.
Behind him, Xu Shenshu was already pale and stood frozen in place.