Clash of Love Rivals

A Two-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast? Xu De was startled. That was impossible. Mingdu's surveillance Soul Tools had long since been installed in every corner of the city, and Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy had two eighth-rank Soul Engineers and Dugu Bo holding the fort. How could a Soul Beast have slipped in? Even if it had taken human form, surely it wouldn't have escaped detection.

That was right. Dugu Bo and Meng Shu had already joined the academy as guest elders and had been granted noble titles by the Sun Moon Emperor. Someone from Moon Valley had also personally removed the poison from Dugu Yan.

The main reason the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the various academies dared send people to the school was the Sun Moon Empire's generous, friendly attitude. After all, people naturally sought benefit and avoided harm.

Xu De set his doubts aside for the moment and possessed himself with the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon. Purple-black dragon scales burst outward from his spine, soon covering his entire body. The spectral image of a dragon lit up behind him, its head lowered and two vertical streaks of purple light gleaming in its eyes.

When the Martial Soul appeared, the Beast Martial Soul Masters nearby all felt a wave of pressure. As the ancestor of sub-dragons, the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon possessed an innate bloodline suppression over almost all beast-type Martial Souls and Soul Beasts.

Qian Hao wanted to die. Why had he asked for trouble? He wasn't being unduly hard on himself; the gap between their Martial Souls was obvious at a glance. Now he was stuck. In a fight between Soul Masters, unless the difference in Soul Power was enormous, voluntarily surrendering was practically impossible.

They were nobles' children, after all, and had to consider their families' honor. Qian Hao's father in particular served in the Dongyang Legion. If Qian Hao really surrendered, how could his father continue serving in the army?

Even so, Qian Hao reacted quickly. His fourth-rank defensive Soul Tool had already lit up, forming a ring of light around him. His Martial Soul was a battle-axe. Though it wasn't top-tier, it wasn't bad either, or he wouldn't have cultivated to his current level.

Look at Tang Wulin. He had spent his life proving that Blue Silver Grass was a Trash Martial Soul. Only Tang San and Gangzi went around saying every day that there were no Trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters. Leaving aside the fact that Tang San's Martial Soul was actually the Blue Silver Emperor, his Clear Sky Hammer alone surpassed the Martial Souls of ninety-nine percent of the continent's people. There were only a handful of Martial Souls whose owners could cultivate to become Titled Douluo.

Gangzi was even worse. He had broken through to level thirty at fifty years old. Xu De really didn't know how he had the nerve to say those things.

Xu De wasn't in a hurry to attack. He simply watched silently as Qian Hao put up his defenses. With his current strength, an ordinary Soul King was no match for him, and with his Soul Tools, he could even fight a Soul Emperor. This was only Qian Hao he was dealing with. If he waited until Qian Hao had made every preparation, then defeated him with ease, it would leave a stronger impression on everyone present.

"Ready?"

Xu De spoke with a hint of laziness, looking as though he didn't take Qian Hao seriously at all. Seeing him like that, Zhu Zhuqing gave a cold snort and silently called him frivolous. Ning Rongrong and Shui Yue'er, on the other hand, watched with shining eyes.

Covered in dragon scales, Xu De looked tall and mighty, with a touch of wicked handsomeness. Qian Hao was no longer so afraid. Perhaps his Soul Tool had given him confidence. He didn't answer, instead looking at Xu De with fighting spirit.

"First Soul Skill, Accumulating Momentum! Third Soul Skill, Armor-Shattering Heavy Strike!" Qian Hao clearly hadn't wasted the time Xu De had given him. His first Soul Skill, Accumulating Momentum, gave him an attack boost of as much as thirty percent, while his third Soul Skill was plainly aimed at the protective dragon scales covering Xu De.

This kid's combat experience isn't bad. Xu De was somewhat surprised. He had thought Qian Hao was a wine sack and rice bag, but it seemed he wasn't entirely useless.

"First Soul Skill-Dark Demon Evil God Blade."

Xu De didn't even move his feet. The dragon scales on his arm transformed into flying black-and-red blades of light, thin as razor blades and wreathed in wisps of black Qi. Qian Hao had intended to use his Soul Tool to withstand the attack head-on, but the instincts he had honed in the legion prompted him to change the direction of his attack and meet the blow with his battle-axe.

The Dongyang Legion had learned a lesson in blood: never underestimate an enemy's attack. Even if it meant giving up an attack of one's own, staying alive came first. Countless Soul Masters had paid with their lives for that lesson.

It proved to be the right choice. The instant the ring of light from the Soul Tool touched the flying blades, wisps of black Qi rose from it. The blades came from a three-thousand-year-old Dark Demon Evil God Tiger and carried both wind and evil attributes. They possessed tremendous cutting power and were corrosive as well.

Just before the ring of light dissipated, Qian Hao's battle-axe erupted with an earthy-yellow glow and smashed the flying blades apart. But the instant they broke up, they turned into a swarm of specks of light. Although Qian Hao dodged most of them, one still landed on his arm.

In just a few seconds, a faint scar appeared on his arm, accompanied by searing pain. Qian Hao gritted his teeth and got to his feet, but Xu De's second Soul Skill was already upon him.

A purple-and-yellow ring of lightning lit up beneath his feet, just large enough to enclose him completely. Currents of electricity surged toward him, and for the first time, Qian Hao felt the threat of death.

This was Xu De's second Soul Skill, Thunderstorm Dragon Ring, obtained from a seven-thousand-year-old Thunderstorm Sub-Dragon. Its range could be made larger or smaller. It was the same move he had used to help Huo Wu earlier, though its range had been so small then that the others hadn't even been able to see it clearly.

Just as Qian Hao closed his eyes and prepared to meet his death, the lightning ring beneath his feet slowly dissipated. It became a whip of lightning and lashed him hard across the back.

"For the battle merits earned by the Dongyang Prince and your father, I'll spare you this once. If you do it again, I won't show mercy."

Qian Hao lay on the ground, gasping for breath like a man who had just escaped death. Although Xu De hadn't introduced himself, the noble Soul Masters present who had any standing had already made a rough guess. His surname was Xu, and he had a top-tier dragon Martial Soul. He could only be a prodigy of the imperial family.

Since Xu De hadn't said so, however, they naturally weren't foolish enough to expose him. The people from the Douluo Continent couldn't guess at all. Their family elders had told them that the Sun Moon Imperial Family's Martial Soul was the Sun; how could they have had access to any deeper information?

"All right, you can go back to lining up." Having dealt with Qian Hao, Xu De didn't linger. He walked over to Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er and gave them a gentlemanly bow.

When Shui Yue'er saw Xu De walking toward her, she suddenly shrank behind her sister, a little shy. "Um, thank you, Brother Wushuang. You're a really good person."

What did she mean? Had he just been handed a nice-guy card?

Xu De quickly looked Shui Bing'er over. She had long, water-blue hair and a well-proportioned figure, neither full-figured nor skinny. Though her features were a little less beautiful than Xiao Wu's, she had a hazy sort of beauty, especially with the added appeal of her bond with Shui Yue'er as a pair of beautiful sisters.

Ahem, he was getting a little carried away. He didn't chat any longer, because Xiao Wu and Huo Wu were walking quickly to his side. They each took one of his arms, as if staking their claims.

Xu De was a little bewildered. Xiao Wu was one thing, but what was Huo Wu doing? Huo Wu's cheeks were red as fire. Although Xiao Wu was staring at her with obvious displeasure, she still didn't let go. You had to fight for what you liked! Xu De hadn't rejected her, which meant she still had a chance!

"Little Dezi, I've sensed it! The one carrying a Soul Beast's scent is by the main gate behind you!"

Although Tian Meng had been thoroughly enjoying the clash of love rivals from inside the sea of consciousness, it hadn't forgotten the important matter. With its powerful spiritual power, it soon found the exact location.

Xu De ignored the three girls' clashing gazes and turned to look, only to freeze for a moment. There were two utterly ordinary women there. He was no stranger to the one wearing a short, dark-blue palace dress; in fact, he knew her very well. She was Xu De's nominal fiancée, Moon Valley's little princess, Xu Yueyi.

Xu De scratched his head. Well, this situation I'm in now is what they call a clash of love rivals, isn't it?