With that single move, Qi Ling had already secured his victory, but he had no intention of ending the match just like that! There was no other reason-letting it end here would be letting Zhang Lei off far too lightly.
Although he did not know whether it was because of Zhu Zhuqing's frail constitution, she had suffered terribly yesterday. Even now, she probably had not fully recovered.
So Qi Ling had to make Zhang Lei pay a price as well. More importantly, he still wanted Zhang Lei to fight Zhu Zhuqing afterward, so he had to make sure Zhang Lei would not run away first.
Thus, once Zhang Lei shakily climbed to his feet again, Qi Ling smiled and said, "You struck me with five palm blows just now. As the saying goes, it is discourteous not to return a courtesy, so I'll give you a palm strike in return."
As he spoke, Qi Ling extended his right hand, gathering Soul Power over it. His palm seemed to have lost its bones, writhing like a snake and giving off waves of an uncanny presence.
"Martial technique: Bone-Dissolving Soft Palm!"
The palm strike hit Zhang Lei from a distance, nearly scaring him to death. He let out a strange cry and stumbled back several steps, only to discover that he felt no pain anywhere on his body-not even the sensation of being struck.
But after his earlier experience, Zhang Lei knew that the more harmless an attack like this appeared, the more deadly it actually was!
Sure enough, a moment later, Zhang Lei realized that he could no longer mobilize his Soul Power! All his strength seemed to have been sealed inside his body. He could not even summon his Martial Soul!
"You... what did you do to me?!" Zhang Lei said in terror. For a Soul Master, losing his Martial Soul was even more unacceptable than death!
"Nothing much. I just temporarily sealed your Martial Soul! And take a look at your arm. Is there a red line on it?" Qi Ling said.
Zhang Lei checked his arms and, sure enough, found a red line on his right arm.
"Ten days from now, when that red line reaches your shoulder, you'll die a very miserable death," Qi Ling said. "If you don't believe me, you're welcome to try it."
"If you still want to live, fight someone I designate ten days from now! If you win, I'll undo it. If you lose... blame your own bad luck!"
To everyone's surprise, after hearing Qi Ling's words, Zhang Lei actually fainted from fright!
He was every bit as cowardly when his own life was threatened as he was arrogant when threatening the lives of others! Such was the ugliness of human nature.
No one had expected Zhang Lei, the undefeated demon of the Great Soul Arena, to lose so miserably, almost completely unable to fight back!
"Th-this... isn't Boss Qi way too strong? This was a complete stomp!" Oscar said in shock from his seat below the stage.
"That was only natural. Qi Ling's Martial Soul completely suppressed Zhang Lei's, leaving him no room to use it at all," Flender said.
"But it's also a fact that he's very strong! His strength transcends his level. Among those at the same level, there simply couldn't be anyone who could match him."
"Dean, you knew this would happen, so that's why you bet everything on Boss Qi, right?" Oscar said with a grin.
Flender stroked his beard and said smugly, "Naturally! Who would turn down a deal guaranteed to make money without any risk of loss?"
After Qi Ling stepped down from the ring, Xiao Wu gave him an enthusiastic hug as usual. What surprised everyone was that Zhu Zhuqing, who never showed anyone a friendly face, actually spoke up for once.
"Congratulations, and... thank you." Zhu Zhuqing's face reddened slightly before instantly returning to normal.
Everyone thought Zhu Zhuqing was thanking Qi Ling for avenging her, but Qi Ling himself knew that she was thanking him for leaving Zhang Lei to her, giving her a chance to take revenge herself.
"All right, since Qi Ling has finished his match, let's head over to the two-on-two arena first," Flender said.
"That way, I can also show you what a real Soul Master match looks like."
Once they arrived at the two-on-two section, they discovered that not only was the arena larger, but there were also more spectators present.
"Two-on-two matches are more entertaining to watch, so more spectators buy tickets," Flender said.
"When Soul Masters work together with mutual understanding, they can often achieve a result where one plus one is greater than two!"
"Huh? Then does that mean I have a chance to compete too?" Oscar suddenly said excitedly.
"No. Because of the nature of two-on-two matches, Soul Masters from the Support System still have few opportunities to compete," Flender said. "After all, no matter how strong a Soul Master from the Support System is, having another combatant makes the team stronger."
"The stage for Soul Masters from the Support System is still team battles. That's where their value truly shows."
Hearing Flender's words, Oscar instantly looked dejected, but what Flender said next lifted his spirits again.
"Of course, it's not as though Soul Masters from the Support System can never compete in two-on-two matches," Flender said with a smile. "You just need to find a teammate strong enough to take on two opponents alone!"
For some reason, upon hearing those words, everyone's gaze involuntarily turned toward Qi Ling.
Taking on two opponents alone was hardly difficult for Qi Ling. Everyone even felt that he ought to be taking on ten by himself.
"Boss Qi!" Oscar suddenly lunged forward, clinging tightly to Qi Ling's thigh. "For the sake of your loyal, honest little brother, carry me just this once!"
[Ding! Detected that the host is facing Oscar's request. Please choose from the following options.] Option 1: Form a two-on-two team with Oscar and win at least one match. Rewards: Soul Power recovery potion (small), Oscar's favorability +10%. Option 2: Form a two-on-two team with someone else present and win at least one match. Rewards: one Soul Tool (level 3), favorability +10%. Option 3: Form a two-on-two team with Ning Rongrong and win at least one match. Rewards: Ning Rongrong's favorability +10%, Martial Soul Affinity +5%, True Dragon Martial Skill: Giant Dragon Breath.
Of the three choices, the third undoubtedly offered the best rewards. Although a Soul Tool was also a good reward, a level 3 Soul Tool had limited uses and would not mean much to Qi Ling.
Meanwhile, the third option's reward, the True Dragon Martial Skill: Giant Dragon Breath, was precisely a method of applying the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art. It required Nine Dragons True Qi as its foundation to activate and use, so its importance went without saying.
Besides, even without this option, Qi Ling had already made an agreement with Ning Rongrong. He had come here today specifically to team up with her.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for selecting option 3: team up with Ning Rongrong. Rewards obtained: Ning Rongrong's favorability +10%, Martial Soul Affinity +5%, True Dragon Martial Skill: Giant Dragon Breath.]
"Uh, Oscar, it's not that I don't want to help you show off and carry you. It's just that I've already agreed to partner with someone for the two-on-two matches," Qi Ling said helplessly.
"Huh? You've already agreed to partner with someone? Who? Fatty, Xiao Wu, or Xiao San?" Oscar said. "They're all so strong! They don't need you to carry them!"
"Boss, you're the only one who can carry a Soul Master from the Support System. With great power comes great responsibility. You have to take responsibility!"
"Unfortunately, Oscar, the person I'm going to carry is also a Soul Master from the Support System," Qi Ling said with a smile.
"Huh? A Soul Master from the Support System?" Oscar said in confusion. "Besides me, what other Soul Master from the Support System is here?"
"Look, she's already here!" Qi Ling said, pointing behind them.