At the very moment of their clash, Jiang Jue planted both feet firmly into the ground. His blood surged, veins bulged, and soul power coursed through his body. A cold ice-blue glow flickered on his right fist.
His body arched like a drawn bow, and his right fist launched forward like an arrow—straight toward Wang Ye's chest.
A sharp whoosh tore through the air.
"Crap!"
Wang Ye's eyes filled with panic. At this close range, he could clearly feel the immense power in Jiang Jue's punch—as deep as an abyss, as towering as a mountain.
"Boom!!"
Wang Ye shot backward like a cannonball. His dark crimson armor shattered layer by layer, and a streak of extreme ice-blue light bloomed across his chest. The fire on his body was snuffed out instantly—like flames encountering their natural nemesis.
His speed flying backward was far faster than when he had charged forward.
Jiang Jue calmly retracted his fist and looked up.
From the beginning of the match, he had spread his powerful spiritual sense across the arena. Every move Wang Ye made was as clear as day to him—as if time itself had slowed.
In fact, before Wang Ye even launched his attack, Jiang Jue had already anticipated his next move and prepared the perfect counter.
Wang Ye's body skidded backward, carving a deep trench into the hard marble floor, only stopping near the edge of the stage.
"Ugh!"
Wang Ye dropped to one knee, hands bracing against the floor. A mouthful of blood burst from his lips—not just blood, but fragments of crushed internal organs and traces of ice shards.
"How is this possible?!"
"You're just a Soul Ancestor—how can you possess such overwhelming power?!"
"And that ice element you just used—how could it completely suppress my Scorching Flame Armor and even invade my body?!"
Wang Ye looked up at Jiang Jue, his eyes filled with disbelief.
When he had gotten close earlier, he had already sensed Jiang Jue's level—just a Soul Ancestor. But that bone-chilling ice aura he released felt like it came straight from the Netherworld's Frozen Abyss, as if it could freeze his very soul.
Of course, the only reason Wang Ye could sense Jiang Jue's soul power was because Jiang Jue allowed it. Otherwise, how could he possibly detect it?
At that moment, several powerful figures in the audience suddenly stood up, shock written all over their faces.
"Extreme attribute… Extreme Ice!"
That exact thought crossed their minds simultaneously.
"Yutao!"
In the stands, Lang Ya shouted, pressing down the shoulder of his excitable younger brother.
Even so, Lang Ya's hand trembled slightly—he was overcome with excitement.
"Now, go back and find the Sect Master immediately. I'll stay here and keep watch."
"Why, second brother? Can't we just snatch this kid up now and be done with it?"
Yutao was confused, not understanding the urgency.
"Are your muscles clogging your brain? This is the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament. There are even Titled Douluos hiding in the shadows. How would you possibly snatch someone away?"
"If I'm right, this kid from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy has the Strongest Body Martial Soul, just like our Sect Master—and his attribute is Extreme Ice. I don't know how he achieved it, but he must be brought into the Body Sect!"
"Yutao, I'm leaving this task to you."
"Got it, Second Brother! Just wait for my good news!"
Yutao responded quickly and left the arena in a hurry.
"The Strongest Body Martial Soul… Extreme Ice… This is the moment for our Body Sect to rise again!"
According to the Body Sect's creed, all body martial soul users belong to them—they are one family and should return to the sect.
At that moment, Jiang Jue spoke.
"Are you going to keep fighting, or will you leave the stage yourself?"
His voice remained calm, emotionless—like a glacier.
"Of course I'll keep fighting! I, Wang Ye, never bow my head!"
Wang Ye roared defiantly. He slapped his own chest, pouring orange-red soul power into it. The spreading ice-blue color across his torso was immediately halted.
"To fight Heaven, to fight man—I, Wang Ye, never yield!"
His ten-thousand-year black soul ring suddenly lit up, and the flaming wolf head on his right shoulder began to transform—shifting from fiery red to deep cyan.
Wind elements gathered in his mouth. His weakened spirit slowly began to surge once again.
Jiang Jue simply stood there, watching quietly, just as he had earlier.
He wanted a kingly victory—a complete and overwhelming display of force. He intended to demonstrate his talent to a certain force. If he ended it too early, it wouldn't be as convincing.
"Wang Ye is using his trump card now."
In Otto Academy's waiting area, their captain narrowed his eyes as he watched Wang Ye grow stronger on stage.
"Interesting… he's added a wind element? But that still won't be enough."
Jiang Jue, sensing the changes through his spiritual power, muttered softly.
He could feel that after Wang Ye activated his fifth soul ring, a wind attribute appeared—originating from his left leg, where a soul bone was embedded.
"Jiang Jue, I admit you're strong. If you can take this next move, I'll concede the match!"
Wang Ye shouted.
His fifth soul ring came from a 12,000-year-old Gale Flame Wolf, a beast with both fire and wind attributes. When he absorbed its ring, it also left behind a left leg soul bone.
Upon fusing it, his martial soul gained a new element: wind.
Wang Ye's hands became clawed once more. He struck the wolf heads on his shoulders—each one transformed into a ball of light: one deep cyan, the other orange-red.
The two claws came together, merging the two light spheres into one. Inside the glowing orb, cyan and orange-red interwove, clashing and fusing. Wang Ye's face turned unnaturally red from the strain.
This combo—his soul bone skill fused with his fifth soul skill—was a lethal attack. Executing it was extremely taxing, especially with the ice still ravaging his body.
"Gale Burst! Scorching Flame Devastation!"
The light on Wang Ye's left leg flared up, transforming into a violent gale. He hurled the massive cyan-red energy sphere into the air, and the wind wrapped around it, propelling it straight toward Jiang Jue.
"Interesting… I really mustn't underestimate the world."
Jiang Jue's eyes gleamed with excitement.
A bright green glow burst from his right arm. A bone-chilling cold spread across the entire arena. Frost bloomed under his feet, forming icy thorn flowers that spread rapidly.
He stomped hard on the ground—his blood roared, cracks formed beneath him, and the green glow on his right arm reached its peak.
Jiang Jue didn't retreat. Instead, he stepped forward. His right hand opened slightly into a claw and reached directly for the incoming energy orb.
"What?! Is he insane?!"
The Otto Academy captain leapt to his feet. He knew just how devastating Wang Ye's final move was. Even he might suffer lasting injury from a direct hit—how could Jiang Jue, just a Soul Ancestor, possibly survive it?!
As Jiang Jue reached for the orb, a majestic scorpion phantom appeared behind him. His right hand became encased in diamond-like ice crystals, sparkling brilliantly under the sunlight.
"Fury of the Ice Emperor!"
He roared.
His icy claw slammed into the energy orb. Steam erupted instantly, forming a thick mist that enveloped the entire arena.
"Ssssss!"
The clash of ice and fire had begun—but the result was completely one-sided.
The violent wind elements couldn't even pierce Jiang Jue's icy crystal defense, and the flames were being rapidly extinguished, like shadows fleeing from light.
As time passed, the mist faded.
The audience could finally see the stage again.
Jiang Jue stood tall, his right hand still holding the orb—but now, the once basketball-sized ball had shrunk to the size of an egg. Its inner fire and wind elements had been almost entirely drained.
"Fizzle—"
A faint pop echoed.
The clash of ice and fire… was over.
Jiang Jue clenched his fist. The terrifying energy orb vanished completely.
Wang Ye collapsed to the ground.
That final strike had drained all his soul power. He no longer had the strength to continue.
And yet, his eyes still shone with clarity.
Because—he had found the goal he would pursue.
"Jiang Jue… this time, I lost."
"But I won't lose heart. I'll keep training—until the day I can defeat you with my own hands!"
Wang Ye's voice was hoarse but defiant.
He was never afraid of failure. That indomitable will was what had carried him this far.
Jiang Jue's eyes shimmered coldly. He replied flatly:
"Those who fall by my hand… I never consider them my opponents. I'll give you time to catch up—until I'm so far ahead… you can't even see my shadow."
His voice was soft, but it echoed throughout the arena.
Like the words of a true king.
And in that instant—
the arena once again fell into complete silence.
(End of Chapter)