"Oh, right, let me introduce someone!"
"This is Dugu Bo, the eldest son of the Dugu Family in Heaven Dou Royal City. His Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorus Snake King, and his Soul Power is also at level fourteen."
"He's two years older than me!"
At the entrance to the junior Soul Master Academy's cafeteria, Meng Qianqiu personally acted as an intermediary and introduced Dugu Bo to everyone.
"Huh?"
"There's actually a girl in your dorm?"
Dugu Bo looked at Yue Guan, sounding rather surprised.
"I'm a boy, a boy!"
Hearing this, Yue Guan gritted his teeth in anger.
Because of his Martial Soul, Yue Guan had exquisitely sculpted features and an especially feminine air, making him look just like a little girl.
It was no wonder Dugu Bo had mistaken him for a girl, making such a spectacle in public.
"A boy?"
"Sorry, my eyes failed me!"
Dugu Bo hurriedly apologized. Seeing things taking a bad turn, Meng Qianqiu quickly smoothed things over, finally brushing the matter aside.
After lunch, everyone had nothing to do.
"Dugu Bo, you and Meng Qianqiu are both One-Ring Soul Masters, and your Soul Power Levels are about the same. Why don't you have a match and test yourselves?"
"We'd like to see just how big the gap between a One-Ring Soul Master and a Soul Scholar is, too. What do you think? Want to have a round?"
An unabashed social butterfly, Wang Zhan soon became familiar with Dugu Bo.
Speaking of which, every single resident of Meng Qianqiu's dorm was genuinely talented, something extremely rare.
Even Wang Zhan, the weakest of the bunch, possessed the mutated Beast Martial Soul Golden Light War Tiger, and his Innate Soul Power was not low either.
Once he matured, he would at least become a Soul Saint.
The moment Wang Zhan said this, everyone became interested.
"Why don't we have a match, then?"
Dugu Bo was rather eager to try. They were both One-Ring Soul Masters with level-fourteen Soul Power, making them almost evenly matched.
He, too, wanted to pit himself against Meng Qianqiu and settle who was better!
"Just what I wished for, though I dared not ask!"
Hearing this, Meng Qianqiu immediately nodded. He also wanted to spar with Dugu Bo and familiarize himself with battles between Soul Masters.
"Day upon day, year upon year, the short-lived cicada passed; dusk upon dusk, dawn upon dawn, I bade my youth farewell.
Through moon's end and moon's birth, the road-seeking path stretched without end; I strove only for that finger-snap span in which an axe haft rotted away."
"Brother Dugu, accept my greetings!"
Reciting his entrance verse, Meng Qianqiu slowly walked into the training grounds. As it was noon, there were few people there.
"What talent, what grandeur!"
"I'll have to get an entrance verse for myself, too!"
Yue Guan's eyes lit up. He felt that Meng Qianqiu had shown off spectacularly before everyone, almost leaving him stunned.
"You..."
"You're just picking on me for being uneducated!"
Seeing Meng Qianqiu make such an entrance, Dugu Bo looked back and found everyone watching him. His face reddened, and he could not help saying this.
"Hahaha!"
Dugu Bo stiffened his neck, looking utterly embarrassed. The spectators were thoroughly amused, and the atmosphere immediately grew lively.
"Damn it!"
"I, Dugu Bo, offer my greetings as well!"
Imitating Meng Qianqiu, Dugu Bo managed a greeting of his own. Then the two stepped into the grounds and released their Martial Souls.
"Jade Phosphorous Serpent King, possess me!"
Dugu Bo shouted. An emerald-green Jade Phosphorus Snake King appeared behind him and rapidly merged with him.
At the same time, a bright yellow Soul Ring appeared beneath Dugu Bo's feet-his hundred-year first ring.
"So that's the Jade Phosphorus Snake King?"
"The Jade Phosphorus Snake King is a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, and Dugu Bo's First Soul Ring is a Hundred-Year Soul Ring. This won't be an easy fight."
Yue Guan glanced at Dugu Bo. He had to admit that Dugu Bo truly had grounds for pride: not only did he possess a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, but he also had a hundred-year First Soul Ring.
After all, many commoner Soul Masters lacked such abundant cultivation resources, let alone the means to assemble the optimal Soul Ring Configuration.
"A Hundred-Year Soul Ring!"
Gui Mei, standing nearby, was also deeply envious. For a commoner like him, hunting a Hundred-Year Soul Beast alone would simply be seeking death.
Sometimes, society was just that unfair!
A Hundred-Year Soul Ring was within easy reach for the scions of great families, but for ordinary Soul Masters, it was undoubtedly an extravagant hope.
"Hey, Meng Qianqiu!"
"Why aren't you showing your Martial Soul?"
Watching from the side, Wang Zhan immediately asked.
"My Martial Soul has actually been here all along. You just haven't noticed it. You lack a pair of eyes that can spot danger!"
"Go, little froggy!"
Meng Qianqiu teased the vermilion toad perched on his shoulder. Barely two inches long, it was tiny and delicate, looking just like a pet.
Wang Zhan had paid the little thing no heed at all. He had thought it was a small pet Meng Qianqiu kept.
"That's your Martial Soul?"
"Wait, could this be an External Martial Soul?"
Wang Zhan suddenly recalled that Meng Qianqiu's Martial Soul was an exceedingly rare External Martial Soul. But wasn't this little thing far too tiny?
The Manggu Vermilion Toad seemed to have no destructive power whatsoever. Small, delicate, and miniature, it looked utterly useless.
"That's right. This is my Martial Soul!"
"An External Martial Soul can exist independently of its Soul Master. Of course, it and its Soul Master depend on one another and are difficult to separate!"
"However, an External Martial Soul can't perform Martial Soul Possession!"
Meng Qianqiu did not explain everything. Although an External Martial Soul had drawbacks, its advantages were also quite apparent.
The advantage of an External Martial Soul was that Soul Skills could be shared.
In other words, a Soul Skill produced by a Soul Ring could enhance not only the Martial Soul, but also the Soul Master himself.
All told, it was equivalent to getting an extra fighting force for free, making it easy to outnumber an opponent in battle!
"Look!"
At that moment, the situation on the grounds abruptly changed.
A bright yellow Soul Ring appeared simultaneously beneath Meng Qianqiu and the Manggu Vermilion Toad, empowering both man and beast!
"First Soul Skill: Jade Phosphorous Poison Fire!"
The battle erupted at once!
Seizing the initiative, Dugu Bo immediately unleashed his First Soul Skill. A mass of vivid green poison fire appeared in his palm.
Dark green poisonous smoke rapidly spread in every direction!
"Poison fire? What a coincidence!"
"I happen to know that trick, too!"
"First Soul Skill: Fire Roar!"
The yellow Soul Ring beneath Meng Qianqiu blazed with light. Flames rose from beneath his feet and enveloped him entirely.
A pulse of Soul Power rapidly spread outward.
Carrying Soul Power, the shock wave swiftly engulfed the dark green poisonous smoke and swept the entire battlefield clear.
"Take my fist!"
With fire blazing from both hands, Dugu Bo struck straight at Meng Qianqiu.
"When it comes to poison, I'm a professional!"
Meng Qianqiu's First Soul Skill could empower him, strengthening his strength and agility to twice their normal levels!
"Douluo version: Kaio-ken!"
"Activate!"
Flames burst from Meng Qianqiu's entire body. Abandoning defense, he went straight into hand-to-hand combat with Dugu Bo, keeping things thoroughly straightforward.
"Ow, ow!"
"I'm done, I'm done!"
"Go easy! Not the face! I surrender!"
Dugu Bo's advantage lay in having Jade Phosphorus Poison Fire empower him in close combat, allowing him to poison his enemy while beating them up.
But this trick had little effect on Meng Qianqiu. Already immune to all poisons, Meng Qianqiu had no fear of Jade Phosphorus Poison Fire.
Moreover, Meng Qianqiu's stats far surpassed Dugu Bo's. Whether at close range or long range, he could firmly overpower Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo's wild flailing barely inflicted any damage at all!
Meng Qianqiu's fists, by contrast, struck with tremendous force. When they landed on Dugu Bo, the sensation was truly something else-every blow left him unable to make a peep.
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