Chapter 194: with translation of chapter title

The first person sent out by the Royal Battle Team was Yu Tianheng; as a successor of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, his strength was undoubtedly formidable, and moreover he was a fifty‑first‑level Soul King powerhouse.

However, the person sent up by the Seven Treasure Team was merely a Soul Ancestor‑level substitute, but before the referee even announced the start of the match, that substitute directly forfeited.

Seeing this, all the Soul Masters present understood Seven Treasure Academy's scheme, since both Seven Treasure Academy and Tiandou Royal Academy hail from the Tiandou Empire.

From the empire's perspective, whichever of these two teams wins, the victory belongs to the Tiandou Empire.

Thus Seven Treasure Academy's direct forfeit of the first match was undoubtedly aimed straight at Spirit Hall Academy.

As for why Seven Treasure Academy didn't simply forfeit, the reason is naturally to drain Spirit Hall Team's strength together with the Royal Battle Team, especially since Spirit Hall now has Qian Renxue taking the field.

Gu Xuan also told everyone about Qian Renxue's strength: when he obtained his fourth Soul Ring, Qian Renxue had already broken through to Soul Saint, and her current power is probably even more terrifying.

With such a person on their side, their chances of winning have dwindled considerably.

After all, Spirit Hall still has three Soul Kings, and the martial soul fusion skill of Hu Liena and Xie Yue can rival a high‑rank Soul Emperor, which is why they act this way.

What's more surprising is that Qian Renxue is still under twenty‑five years old, yet her soul power has already reached the terrifying level of a Soul Saint—is this the power of a top‑tier genius?

Bi Bi Dong watched coldly, but said nothing more, after all this was within the rules.

In the first match, Seven Treasure Team versus Royal Battle Team, the Royal Battle Team won, and Yu Tianheng expended no soul power at all.

The next match is Spirit Hall versus Royal Battle Team, and Spirit Hall's entrant is Yan; facing these little tricks from the Seven Treasure and Royal Battle Teams, they are not worried.

Because they also know Qian Renxue's strength, this is their confidence.

Thus Spirit Hall Team directly sent Yan, a strong‑attack battle Soul King, onto the field, and with his soul power reaching fifty‑second level, defeating Yu Tianheng should be a cinch.

Even though Yu Tianheng's martial soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the number one beast martial soul, Yan does not fear it, for his Flame Overlord martial soul possesses fire‑earth dual attributes, and its quality is no inferior to that of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

Yan took the stage and stood opposite Yu Tianheng.

As soon as he stepped up, Yan began trash‑talking: "Do you two academies only know how to pull petty tricks?"

Yu Tianheng smiled indifferently: "The rules are set by your Spirit Hall; what's wrong, feeling uneasy?"

After spending a long time with Gu Xuan, Yu Tianheng is no longer the mute novice he once was; after all, because he was tongue‑tied, he still hasn't found a wife…

Hearing that, Yan's heart flared: "Arrogant? Watch me beat you into submission!"

At the referee's signal, each released their martial soul.

"Yan, martial soul: Flame Overlord, fifty‑second‑level strong‑attack battle Soul King."

As his martial soul was released, flames blazed across Yan's body, raising the surrounding temperature considerably; his five soul rings—two yellow, two purple, one black—rose and swirled around his body.

Yu Tianheng looked at the fiery Yan, his heart unmoved; he is no longer the Yu Tianheng of three years ago, now training daily with the monstrous Gu Xuan, his strength has long since become incomparable.

As the old saying goes, 'Those near vermilion become red; those near ink become black.' Today's Yu Tianheng is reddened to the point of turning purple.

"Yu Tianheng, martial soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, fifty‑first‑level strong‑attack battle Soul King, please!"

As Yu Tianheng's words fell, a flash of lightning crossed his brow, a lightning mark appeared, lightning crackled around him, and blue dragon scales covered his entire body in overlapping layers, giving him an extraordinary domineering presence.

After both sides had released their martial souls, the referee continued: "Match… begin!"

With the referee's words faded, Yu Tianheng and Yan charged at each other simultaneously; both are strong‑attack Soul Masters, so melee is naturally their first choice.

At this moment neither released any soul skill; the contest was purely a test of physical strength and individual combat technique.

However, the instant they made contact, Yan sensed something amiss, for Yu Tianheng's strength was clearly superior, their combat techniques were nearly equal, yet Yu Tianheng held the advantage in power.

This is naturally because Yu Tianheng, after taking whale glue and continually tempering his body, plus the fact that his fourth and fifth Soul Rings were absorbed beyond their level, has fundamentally surpassed Yan.

After dozens of close‑quarters exchanges, Yan was completely suppressed by Yu Tianheng; seeing this, Yan felt shocked and frustrated inwardly, yet he did not fear Yu Tianheng.

The two yellow soul rings on Yan's body flared, covering him in a granite‑like armor, and from his palm he spat a bolt of crimson flame toward Yu Tianheng's face.

"Second soul skill: Granite Rock."

"First soul skill: Flame Blast!"

Yu Tianheng snorted coldly inside, his first and third soul rings lighting up simultaneously.

"Third soul skill: Thunder's Wrath!"

"First soul skill: Thunder Dragon Claw!"

Yu Tianheng's bodily lightning grew more violent; amplified by his third soul skill, his right arm transformed into a Thunder Dragon Claw that seized Yan's flame attack.

"Boom——!"

The erupting inferno was directly seized and exploded by Yu Tianheng, producing an even more violent flame; however, as the flame licked his body, it was completely blocked by the lightning coiling around him.

Having blocked the strike, Yu Tianheng swiftly counterattacked, his second yellow soul ring lighting up.

"Second soul skill: Thunderbolt Strike."

A terrifying thunderstorm poured from his palm, rumbling as it engulfed Yan.

Even though Yan's second soul skill greatly boosted his defense, at this moment he dared not claim he could hard‑resist Yu Tianheng's second soul ring.

His third soul ring lit up, a thick surge of magma burst from his palm, directly colliding with Yu Tianheng's second soul skill; the lightning force and the scorching hot magma canceled each other out.

"Third soul skill: Infernal Magma Surge."

Endless lightning and scorching magma stalemated for a moment, after which the two resumed close‑quarters combat.

Lightning and magma flew between their fists and feet; seeing Yan still dare to engage him in melee, Yu Tianheng also unleashed his trump card.

"Dragon Transformation!"

As the Dragon Transformation skill was unleashed, Yu Tianheng's both arms and right leg seemed to turn into a true dragon's torso, and his arms and right leg grew more than double in size, boosting his attack, strength, and so forth to varying degrees.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is called the strongest among beast martial souls precisely because of its unique Dragon Transformation skill.

Any Soul Master possessing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul can acquire this special Dragon Transformation skill starting at rank forty.

And as a heaven‑chosen prodigy of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, Yu Tianheng could already Dragon Transform at rank thirty; now at fifty‑first level he can Dragon Transform three parts of his body.

After Dragon Transformation, Yu Tianheng's strength doubled again; Yan, who had barely managed to hold his own with soul skills, instantly fell into a disadvantage.

Yu Tianheng seized the moment and punched Yan's right shoulder; Yan's body was blown back several meters, the stone armor formed by his second soul skill shattering outright, leaving a slight depression in his right shoulder.

Obviously, Yu Tianheng's full‑force strike after Dragon Transformation directly shattered Yan's scapula.

Given that the scapula is one of the hardest parts of the human body, one can see how terrifying Yu Tianheng's strength has become.

However, Yan's reaction speed was indeed quite swift; only seeing Yan, after retreating several meters, his fourth soul skill on his body surface instantly lit up, countless magma fire pillars shot up into the sky, and the area with a radius of thirty meters around him actually began to seethe with scorching magma.

Fourth soul skill: Magma Surge!

The sky‑shooting fire pillars blocked Yu Tianheng's offensive; Yan's fourth soul skill actually possessed the ability to alter the terrain, showing just how powerful and terrifying this soul skill is.

However, Yu Tianheng did not cease his attack because of this; having just seized the advantage, he naturally would press on.

Only see Yu Tianheng's right leg burst with force, his whole body leaping high, the purple fourth soul ring on his body surface likewise lighting up.

Fourth soul skill: Azure Lightning Divine Dragon Swift!

As the soul skill was released, endless lightning condensed on Yu Tianheng's body surface, and above his head there suddenly appeared a blue‑electric overlord dragon ten meters long, entirely formed from condensed lightning power.

Go!

Yu Tianheng let out a loud shout; the blue‑electric overlord dragon, bearing endless lightning, roared as it charged toward Yan below.

At this moment, Yan, standing at the center of the magma region, wore a grave expression; he never imagined that Yu Tianheng, whose soul power was one rank lower than his, could be this terrifyingly strong.

Not only had he been suppressing Yan from the start, but up to now it was basically Yan taking the blows; could this be the might of the Azure Lightning Overlord Dragon martial soul?

However, Yan naturally would not sit and wait for death; only see his body surface ignite with even more intense flames, the surrounding magma region rapidly contracting at great speed, accompanied by the re‑release of his third soul skill, a heaven‑shaking fire pillar shot up into the sky.

The fire pillar and the azure lightning overlord dragon collided, and their strike actually neutralized each other directly in mid‑air.

Seeing this, Yu Tianheng's heart was actually quite astonished, for his fourth soul skill was an over‑level absorption; with his dragon transformation plus the boosts from his first and third soul skills, its power was absolutely not inferior to that of a typical Soul King's fifth soul skill.

But he never expected that Yan could block his fourth soul skill without even using his fifth soul skill.

It must be said, as one hailed as the golden generation of the Spirit Hall, Yan's strength is indeed not to be underestimated.

However, Yan's soul power consumption is now far greater than Yu Tianheng's; even if Yan is currently blocking Yu Tianheng's attacks, if this continues he will surely lose.

Moreover, because he blocked Yu Tianheng's fourth soul skill, the magma region that had just formed vanished, and Yu Tianheng immediately rushed toward Yan again at high speed.

Seeing Yu Tianheng once again trying to get close, Yan felt quite annoyed, for after Yu Tianheng's dragon transformation, in close combat he was completely no match.

Yu Tianheng's violent assault could easily pierce his defenses, while his own magma was nullified by lightning; one could say this is the first time Yan has felt so stifled in a battle against an opponent of the same rank.

Seeing Yu Tianheng closing in, Yan no longer held back his soul power, for in this close‑quarters fight against Yu Tianheng he had absolutely no chance to win.

Fifth soul skill: Flying Sand Blazing Flame!

The black fifth soul ring lit up; fire entwined with magma and rock formed a terrifying flame tornado that attacked the oncoming Yu Tianheng.

Yu Tianheng's mouth curled into a wicked smile, and his fifth soul ring on his body surface also lit up.

In a clash of strong attacks, Yu Tianheng had no fear of Yan at this moment; likewise his black fifth soul ring lit up, his right arm coiled endless lightning, forming a terrifying lightning dragon head that directly slammed into the flame tornado.

Fifth soul skill: Lightning Heaven‑Shattering Annihilation!

Both are fifth soul skills, both enhanced by the soul skill; logically their attacks should be roughly equal.

However, Yu Tianheng still had the boost from his dragon transformation skill; his fifth soul skill's power actually surpassed Yan's, and after swallowing the flame tornado it surged straight toward Yan's face.

Yan was greatly startled; he never imagined his fifth soul skill would be inferior to Yu Tianheng's fifth soul skill. At this moment he mobilized his remaining soul power to condense a heavy lava armor over his body, attempting to defend against this attack.

However, faced with Yu Tianheng's all‑out firepower, he ultimately had no further defensive capability.

The endless lightning dragon head engulfed Yan; the next second his whole body turned pitch‑black as he was flung backward, crashing hard onto the ground beneath the competition platform.

Yu Tianheng lightly withdrew his fist, lightning surging across his body surface, a blue‑electric overlord dragon coiling around him, displaying full majesty, he said indifferently: 'Wild? That requires capital.'

After Yan was eliminated, without waiting for the referee to speak, Li Li of the Seven Treasure Team walked onto the competition platform and said, 'I forfeit!'

Again? This is clearly targeting the Spirit Hall Academy!

Upon hearing this, the captain of the Spirit Hall Academy, Xie Yue, his eyes turned cold, he stepped directly onto the competition platform, paying no heed to Yan's life or death.

To be schemed against and targeted so openly, anyone would feel terrible inside.

Fortunately, the moment Xie Yue stepped onto the competition platform, Yan was pulled away by the Spirit Hall Academy's auxiliary system soul master for treatment.

If Yan is not healed now, it will definitely affect the later battles, since they may not have time to rest.

Xie Yue coldly stared at Yu Tianheng, his icy tone ringing out: 'You will pay the price for your arrogance.'

Yu Tianheng scoffed, saying lightly: 'Come on, I told you plainly—I will unleash my final strike with all my soul power; if you can withstand it, I will forfeit directly.'

Hearing those words, Xie Yue's icy gaze fixed on Yu Tianheng, he said: 'That's what you yourself said.'

Seeing Xie Yue utter no extra words, Yu Tianheng also gave a wicked smile; his own soul power originally remained under thirty percent, and he basically could not defeat Xie Yue in a fight, so he said that merely to drain Xie Yue a bit.

Without waiting for the referee to continue speaking, Xie Yue had already released his martial soul—the Moon Blade.

Xie Yue gripped the midsections of his two Moon Blades; five soul rings—two yellow, two purple, one black—rose on his body surface, and he said coldly: 'Xie Yue, martial soul: Moon Blade, a fifty‑second‑rank agile‑attack battle Soul King.'

Yu Tianheng had no more nonsense; only see the lightning on his body surface suddenly retract inward, his soul power at this moment fully gathering inward, he intended to concentrate all his soul power for a final burst, perhaps even eliminating Xie Yue thereby.

Of course, the premise is that the opponent does not dodge.

Fifth soul skill: Lightning Heaven‑Shattering Annihilation!

The black fifth soul ring lit up again; Yu Tianheng, bearing endless lightning, went to meet Xie Yue, but Xie Yue was not as honest as his words suggested; seeing Yu Tianheng gather all his remaining soul power for that ultimate strike, he naturally would not foolishly take it head‑on.

On Xie Yue's body surface, one yellow and one purple soul ring lit up, his speed surging dramatically as he began to run around the competition platform.

Yu Tianheng shouted loudly: 'Hey hey, what are you running for?'

Xie Yue said lightly: 'Only a fool would clash head‑on with you; once your soul power is exhausted, you'll collapse on your own.'

Speaking, Xie Yue's speed increased a bit more, leaving Yu Tianheng no chance to compress his escape space, after all the competition platform's diameter is a full hundred meters.

Yu Tianheng gave a cold chuckle: 'I already knew you kid wouldn't be that honest.'

Afterward, only see Yu Tianheng's right leg exert force, his whole body leaping high, his right arm actually swinging straight down to strike the competition platform below, without locking onto Xie Yue.

An endless lightning dragon head burst forth, actually spreading outward from the center of the competition platform the instant he struck.

Xie Yue was not merely skirting the outermost edge; seeing this scene, he felt somewhat helpless, yet his speed was not slow, so he directly chose the nearest direction to head toward the outermost edge.

However, although his speed was not slow, it could not withstand the excessive speed of Yu Tianheng's attack; in the end a thunderstorm still fell upon his head, and helplessly he released a second yellow soul ring again.

With the release of the soul skill, the radiance of Xie Yue's Moon Blade in his hand shone brightly, directly shattering each thunderbolt into pieces.

After Yu Tianheng unleashed his final strike, he then jumped straight down from the competition platform, simultaneously turning back to say: 'I said it—if you can withstand my strike I will forfeit; although you played tricks, I am not like you, for as a disciple of the Azure Lightning Sect I value honor above all.'

Damn it!

Xieyue felt disgusted inside; that brat, even after admitting defeat, still had to say something disgusting to himself, and these words are undoubtedly a veiled criticism, while also boosting the reputation of his Blue Lightning Sect members.

At this moment, the senior officials of the Spirit Hall watching the match also turned cold-faced, their gazes at Yu Tianheng filled with anger, and they also despised Xieyue's behavior.

After all, this is a match, not a battlefield.

The next match again featured the Seven Treasure Academy team, this time Yang Pojun took the stage; he did not admit defeat, but instead wanted to settle the outcome with Xieyue.

Sigh, it's just for fun, just to target the Spirit Hall; never mind whether this approach looks good or not, as long as we're happy.

Moreover, your Spirit Hall's captain is always so despicable, disgusting Yu Tianheng; we anticipated your disgust in advance, we preemptively disgusted you—what's wrong with that?

Meanwhile, Qian Renxue in the Spirit Hall's preparation area now had a very strange gaze, because this is just like the style of that brat Gu Xuan.

But it doesn't matter; no matter what monsters and ghosts you bring out, in the end I will still make a move.

A Soul Saint versus a Soul Ancestor, or even a Soul King, is already a dimensional crushing; moreover, Qian Renxue is no ordinary Soul Saint.

She, who possesses the divine-level martial soul Six-Winged Angel, if she goes all out, could even fight a Soul Douluo powerhouse, let alone this kind of petty squabble among youngsters.

Her purpose in participating in the match is merely to see just how much strength that brat Gu Xuan is hiding.

ps: First correct the typos, then revise.

ps: First correct the typos, then revise.

(End of chapter)