Gai Yin's figure retreated once again.
Only after escaping from Wang Qiu'er's attack range did her slender fingers gently wipe away the blood from the corner of her lips, as if applying lipstick—making her look even more bewitching.
"Integrated offense and defense, immune to both spiritual and sonic attacks... What kind of monster is this woman?"
Gai Yin gasped softly, her beautiful eyes locked on Wang Qiu'er, deeply shaken in her heart.
She might be crazy, but she wasn't stupid.
Wang Qiu'er also wore a serious expression. Even other Soul Emperors at the same level would've been seriously injured—if not dead—after taking so many of her attacks. She was wearing soul tool armor, and with her soul skills activated, few Soul Emperors could withstand her blows.
Currently, even some Soul Sages or Rank 7 Soul Engineers at the Sun Moon Empire's Royal Academy avoided her.
"..."
The two women locked eyes, flames of battle burning in them.
Wang Qiu'er said, "Final strike!"
Gai Yin nodded. "Alright!"
"Sixth soul skill: Golden Dragon Bloodthirst!"
"Fifth soul skill: Golden Dragon Roar!!"
Two pitch-black soul rings slowly rose from beneath their feet. The girl's aura reached its peak.
Golden Dragon Bloodthirst boosts her attack power by 30%. As for Golden Dragon Roar, its base ability was a dragon roar that had previously suppressed Cain's sonic attack. But this time…
A golden dragon was summoned, raising its head and letting out a distant, majestic roar before charging straight at Gai Yin.
"Martial Soul True Form!"
Gai Yin's expression became serious as she transformed into a giant three-headed bat. With her black wings spread, she shouted:
"Sixth Soul Skill: Blood Spike Barrage!!!"
Countless crimson blood spikes condensed around her and then rained down upon the golden dragon, seemingly sharp enough to pierce through space itself.
Spectator stands outside the arena.
Countless students watched the dazzling clash unfold, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
Only now did they truly understand what it meant to be a monster.
Even geniuses come in ranks.
BOOM!!!
A terrifying explosion rocked the arena.
Shockwaves surged and howled, engulfing everything.
Thick mist obscured the battlefield. Fortunately, Jing Hongchen restricted the residual energy within the arena.
"..."
"Your Highness…" Yu Yanlong was about to speak but suddenly realized that Xu Cheng's seat was now empty.
Inside the arena.
As the mist gradually dispersed—
All the students who had stood up in anticipation opened their eyes wide. The two girls were completely unharmed. But in the very center of the battlefield, a new figure had appeared.
"This match ends in a draw."
Xu Cheng's voice was calm and even.
"What just happened?" some students murmured in confusion.
"I think Senior Xu Cheng entered the field and stopped the battle. That terrifying exchange—he was at the center and came out completely unharmed, dissolving both attacks?!"
"As expected of the Sun Moon Empire… full of monsters…"
"These two girls are already insane, but the real monster never even made a move."
"..."
"I refuse to accept this!" Gai Yin stomped her foot angrily, gritting her teeth.
"Return."
Xu Cheng shot her a cold glare.
"If you keep acting up, I will deal with you! Are you here to help or to cause trouble? Was this match even meant for you?" The last line was telepathic, only she could hear it.
"Hmph!" Gai Yin folded her arms, squeezing her ample chest slightly out of shape in the process.
But her bravado faded somewhat. With a soft snort, she opened her palm and retracted the six round spikes from her back. They shrank and returned to her palm, and with a small leap, she returned to the stands.
However, her steps clearly faltered—her legs were shaky.
"And you too!" Xu Cheng scowled at Wang Qiu'er.
But she instantly moved in close, clinging to Xu Cheng's arm and whispering softly into his ear. Whatever she said, it made Xu Cheng's expression soften slightly.
"This is the last time. No more risking your life against your own allies. If it happens again, I'll personally deal with you!"
Xu Cheng's anger wasn't unjustified.
Their battle was incredibly fierce—pure killing moves. Especially the final strike, which had already reached the level of a peak Soul Sage. If help had arrived a moment too late, it could have ended in serious injury or even death.
Countless lives had been lost on the Douluo Continent's battlefields. Human life was fragile.
Seeing this, Gai Yin clenched her fists even tighter.
Beside her, Ade supported her nervously, terrified that his sister might lose it again.
Their father, Cain Du, still wearing a black cloak with his face unreadable, showed neither anger nor joy.
Ade secretly smirked, thinking his sister would get scolded.
But Cain Du just patted her shoulder gently and asked about her injuries in a soft voice.
Ade: "..."
You never treated me this nicely before!
"I'm fine, Father." Gai Yin sat back down, her mood slightly downcast.
Seeing this, Gai Yin gave a small nod, then turned to casually chat with Yu Yanlong and the others.
"Ah de, get lost. Don't bother your sister!" he suddenly barked, pointing at the grinning Ade.
Ah de's smile froze. "..."
Elsewhere—
Being top talents themselves, Yu Tianlong and the others could keenly sense the gap between them and the two girls. The shock was clear on their faces, as was the bitterness.
"Too insane…" Ning Yuan crossed his arms, sighing softly.
"At this rate, we probably won't even qualify for the Sun Moon team in the next tournament four years from now." Nan Qiuqiu said quietly.
"Not necessarily. There's still hope for the reserve team," Ye Wanwan shrugged.
She was in surprisingly good spirits.
Her fair, delicate hand gently rubbed a pale red slip in her palm—clearly, she'd caught Xu Cheng's attention. Before the battle, her grandfather had approached her and handed her this item, reigniting her spirit.
"Reserve team…" Yu Tianlong forced a bitter smile.
Logically, three years from now, they should all reach the Soul King level. Given their talent, fighting above their rank would be expected. Being comparable to peak Soul Kings would be no issue.
At that level, they should easily qualify for the main team in any past year.
But this year…
"No choice. Based on my calculations, among the Sun Moon Empire's Golden Generation, only Ji Juechen is slightly older. The rest are all under twenty. Four years from now… ha, judging by today's display, they might all become Soul Douluos." Ye Wanwan shook her head helplessly.
Going from Soul Emperor to Soul Douluo in four years might seem insane, even impossible—but for these two senior girls, it didn't feel so far-fetched.
After all, they were only about fifteen or sixteen now.
She had looked it up—when the current Limit Douluos Mu En and Long Xiaoyao competed in the Continental Soul Master Tournament, they were both Soul Emperors, but they were already eighteen.
"A monster-filled era… I wonder if we're lucky or cursed," Ning Yuan muttered.
"Maybe lucky," Yu Tianlong's expression softened slightly. "To be born in such an age, to witness such brilliance—how many soul masters could ever dream of this?"
(End of Chapter)