Chu Qing gradually calmed himself.
"Things are looking a little bad!"
He sighed ruefully and lay down on the bed.
The following evening, he went to Xu Jiujiu's auction. She wore a luxurious long black dress and was dazzlingly beautiful. Young as she was, she was already experienced and kept control of the proceedings from start to finish.
Chu Qing looked over the auction items, but none caught his fancy. He hadn't brought much money with him either, so he decided not to bid.
Afterward, they shared a late-night meal, and Xu Jiujiu looked at him a little differently.
"You really won't part with a single coin. You win!"
Chu Qing said shamelessly:
"I've always been rather frugal."
Xu Jiujiu gave a soft snort and said:
"I still have some matters to attend to at the academy. I'll come find you in Dou Ling after a while."
"What good food is there in Dou Ling? Tell me."
Chu Qing thought hard, then said:
"I'm not too sure myself, but you're welcome to come and explore."
"I shouldn't have bothered asking."
Xu Jiujiu sighed.
After saying their goodbyes the next day, Chu Qing set off for Dou Ling. He had been away for so long; it was time to go back.
When he returned to the Soul Fighting Society, he saw a familiar figure as soon as he entered-Tang Wutong.
"Junior senior sister."
His pupils quivered, and his heart sank. Sure enough, Tang San in the Divine Realm wouldn't let him off easily.
Tang Wutong, however, looked angry as she said:
"Why haven't you come to the Clear Sky Sect to see Big Daddy all this time?"
Chu Qing searched for an excuse.
"I don't even know where the Clear Sky Sect is."
"Besides, if I don't bring our enemy's head with me, I'd be too ashamed to pay my respects to our late master."
"A teacher for a day is a father for life. That's not something to put on a show about. I'll prove it through my actions."
Tang Wutong snorted softly and said:
"I'll forgive you for now."
She sized Chu Qing up.
"Your senior sister has been away for a while. Let me see whether you've improved. Have you been cultivating properly?"
The moment she said that, Chu Qing couldn't help laughing.
His laughter made Tang Wutong flush with anger. Knowing he was mocking her for previously having only one ring, she pointed at him and said:
"You dare laugh at me!"
"You're dead!"
A pair of blue butterfly wings instantly unfurled from her back. Their surfaces resembled a blue sky inlaid with a string of brilliant halos. Their colors and patterns were spectacular, shifting constantly between violet and blue, now dark blue, now azure, now pale blue.
Their shape and color were incomparably, flawlessly beautiful, and they radiated a rich presence of light.
Three Soul Rings, one yellow and two purple, rose up around her.
Her wings beat with a swish, and she punched at Chu Qing, cutting through the air.
"Oh! You have three rings now?"
Chu Qing was somewhat surprised. He met her punch with one of his own.
"I told you, as long as I put in a little effort, none of you will be a match for me."
"Take this! First Soul Skill: Flank Guillotine!"
As her First Soul Ring lit up, Soul Power immediately surged along the edges of her butterfly wings, forming sharp golden borders. Her wings folded forward and slashed at Chu Qing.
Chu Qing gathered Soul Power in both hands and thrust them outward to meet the attack.
The instant the Butterfly Wing Guillotine struck his hands, a metallic clang rang out, and the wings rebounded.
Surprise still lingered in Tang Wutong's eyes when Chu Qing suddenly sent her flying with a headbutt.
Chu Qing glanced at his right hand. A bloody cut had been left on it, but the blood clotted in the blink of an eye, and the wound rapidly began to heal.
His left arm, however, was unharmed.
Tang Wutong, who had been knocked flying, touched her slightly swollen, reddened forehead. Anger flashed in her eyes as she gritted her teeth and said:
"You actually dared hit me?"
"Hurry up and release your Martial Soul and Soul Rings. Today I'll show you how formidable your senior sister is."
With that, she closed her eyes, and her three Soul Rings, one yellow and two purple, lit up at once.
Rings of golden light began to rise from the magnificent wings on her back, radiating a presence of light.
The amusement vanished from Chu Qing's eyes. He realized she did have some ability.
Only then did he use Martial Soul Possession. His hair instantly grew wildly, and a pair of large, imposing curved horns emerged.
Two purple, two black, and one red: five Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, pulsing with a terrifying pressure.
Tang Wutong's eyes flew open in shock. Her buildup was interrupted at once, and the golden halos gathered on her wings vanished completely.
"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!"
"How is that possible?"
The others nearby were shaken by the sight as well.
"Wouldn't most people have to wait until their ninth Soul Skill to get a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring?" Xue Shiqi said in disbelief.
"And not every Titled Douluo can have a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring," Li Zhongyuan added. Then he said in puzzlement, "Where did Chu Qing's Azure Soul Ring go?"
Princess Xue Li's eyes sparkled.
"Why wouldn't it be possible?"
Chu Qing said with a humblebrag.
Tang Wutong pouted angrily at the sight. She was a God King's daughter, yet even her configuration wasn't this good.
"What's so great about a Soul Ring that's over a hundred thousand years old?"
"Give me a moment to prepare. I'll beat you all the same."
"I'll show you what it means to defeat the strong as the weak, and what extraordinary talent is."
With that, she closed her eyes again and raised both arms, pressing them against her forewings.
All three Soul Rings lit up at once, and circles of light rose from her wings again.
Her Light Goddess Butterfly turned a brilliant gold, and a beam of golden light rose from her body.
Bathed in golden light, she was as dazzling as a butterfly in flames. Her bearing changed completely, and she radiated an utterly pure presence of light, with even a faint hint of something approaching Ultimate Light.
The golden light rising from her also began to curve. In the blink of an eye, it had formed an enormous crescent-shaped blade of light.
The crescent blade radiated terrifying fluctuations of Soul Power. The strike seemed to have drained all of Tang Wutong's Soul Power, and to have sublimated it as well.
An indescribably powerful presence instantly filled the entire courtyard.
It was hard to believe that such a terrifying attack could have been unleashed by a Soul Elder.
Having sublimated to its peak, Tang Wutong opened her eyes and shouted at Chu Qing:
"Junior brother, take this!"
"Light Butterfly God Slash!"
The crescent blade moved with extreme speed, slashing toward Chu Qing in an instant. It cut through space, making it reverberate.
Facing the oncoming Light Butterfly God Slash, Chu Qing made no move whatsoever.
Tang Wutong saw that something was wrong. Chu Qing might have two more rings than her, but this was her all-out strike. It was no joke.
"Junior..."
Before she could finish, the Light Butterfly God Slash had already struck Chu Qing.
Chu Qing's body didn't explode in a spray of flesh and blood. Instead, it strangely dissolved into Soul Power and scattered.
Bricks and stones flew from the spot, where an enormous crater had been blasted into the ground.
Huh?
What happened?
That was the question in Tang Wutong's mind.
She had had her eyes closed, but the others understood. They were already wiping their mouths and smiling.
Chu Qing also came out of hiding and appeared behind Tang Wutong. He showed no trace of tenderheartedness toward her as he aimed at her head; there was even a faint suggestion that he was venting his anger on her.
His fist, as big as a sandbag, came down hard on her head in a knuckle blow.
He didn't forget to clear his own name, saying:
"You hit pretty hard yourself!"
Her Soul Power already nearly exhausted, Tang Wutong was knocked straight forward by the blow.
Just as she was about to fall flat on her face, Chu Qing grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her back.
Tang Wutong clutched her aching head with both hands, tears welling in her eyes.
"Chu Qing, you actually dared hit your senior sister! You've got some nerve!"
"Just you wait. A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years. I'll definitely pay you back."