With each compression, the dragon core pumped out surging waves of blood essence, forming a mist-like multicolored glow that began to spread around Gu You's body. In an instant, radiant dragon scales shimmered into place, coating him in a brilliant armor of light.
Neither he nor A Ruheng released their battle armor immediately. Instead, they sprinted toward one another head-on, driven purely by raw strength.
The purple-gold Dragon God Halberd pointed forward, and Gu You's left foot slammed against the ground with a loud boom, propelling him forward at terrifying speed. On the other side, A Ruheng mirrored his movement. Neither of them specialized in agility or speed, yet in that moment, both moved faster than most agility-type Soul Masters of their rank. Their speed came not from technique but from the sheer explosive force of their strength.
Their figures collided in the center of the battlefield almost instantaneously.
"Haah!" A Ruheng roared, thrusting his right fist forward. A ball of crimson-gold energy burst forth like a warhead, shaking the entire stadium with the force of its release.
Gu You felt a searing wave rush toward him, not of heat, but of vital blood energy so concentrated and furious that it felt like it might burn him from the inside out.
'This is what happens when blood essence reaches a certain peak... Just pure life force becomes a weapon in itself,' he thought, startled.
His own bloodline power came from the fusion with a divine soul spirit and the inheritance of the Dragon God's essence—it was strong, yes, but not trained through the painstaking physical discipline A Ruheng had endured. The latter's body had been tempered for years using the secret methods of the Body Sect. That level of raw durability and strength was something few could replicate.
Yet Gu You didn't flinch. He didn't swing the halberd—instead, he dismissed it, letting it vanish in a flash of golden light. Behind him, two majestic wings burst open. With a heavy flap, he shot forward, curling his right hand into a clawed fist and punching directly toward A Ruheng's incoming blow.
"BOOM!"
It was like a high-grade soul cannon detonated at point blank. The explosion of red-gold light engulfed them in an instant, expanding into a fifty-meter-wide blast radius. The crowd gasped as the entire battlefield trembled under the pressure.
From within the light, a figure was hurled backward like a missile. It was—unbelievably—A Ruheng.
He was stunned. This was a clash of pure strength, and yet, he had lost.
"Good!" A Ruheng laughed uproariously, clearly thrilled. With a twist, he stabilized himself in midair and rocketed back toward Gu You like a human missile, fists hammering forward in a blinding flurry. "Again!"
Most Soul Masters, even Title Douluos, avoided direct strength contests with him. But Gu You? He met him head-on. The thrill of finally having a worthy rival was intoxicating.
Gu You exhaled slowly, raised both hands, and pushed them out from his chest. A deafening dragon roar burst from within him, vibrating the air itself.
A dragon's head formed from multicolored light, blasting toward A Ruheng.
"BOOM!"
The impact sent A Ruheng flying again, dozens of meters this time. But he wasn't discouraged. He flipped in midair and landed on his feet, chuckling.
Above the battlefield, Gu You flapped his wings and rose into the sky, his entire body radiating a rainbow aura. His dragon core fully activated, projecting the massive image of a multicolored dragon—thirty meters long—into the air behind him.
To the average spectator, it looked as if Gu You had unleashed his Martial Soul True Body, but those who understood knew—this was something more. Something ancient. Something divine.
But A Ruheng wasn't done yet.
From his eight soul rings, the first three lit up simultaneously. His body swelled in size once more, and intricate golden lines glowed all over his muscles. A titanic phantom—identical in appearance to him, but a hundred meters tall—appeared behind him. The air rippled under the crushing weight of his presence.
His right fist grew three meters wide in an instant, transforming into a golden hammer of flesh. He brought it down like a divine punishment toward Gu You.
This was the Body Sect's secret—Innate Body Refinement. Every part of the body was a weapon. This wasn't just a punch. This was the embodiment of centuries of bodily cultivation.
The dragon roared again. Light and fist collided.
"HAHAHA!" A Ruheng laughed even in mid-battle, shrinking his size with a breath until he was only three meters tall—muscles compressed and radiating like golden steel. His body condensed into its most lethal form.
"That was just warmup," he called. "Now comes the real fight!"
Gu You narrowed his eyes. His bloodline surged, colorful dragon scales glowing as the pulse of his essence intensified. He surged forward again.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" The sky lit with a series of collisions so fierce that even the energy barrier around the arena flickered.
The spectators could hardly keep up. This wasn't a fight between Soul Kings or even normal Soul Douluo. This felt like gods had descended to wage war.
Both fighters broke apart in the air again. This time, both were clad in full second-grade battle armor.
A Ruheng's armor was crimson with ornate golden runes. It resembled his muscular body—each plate shaped like an exaggerated muscle, complete with a bestial helm adorned with fangs. His wings, blood-red and massive, spread behind him like a curtain of war.
Gu You's armor was the opposite—sleek and radiant, in gleaming purple-gold. The scales shimmered with iridescent hues. Every plate had sharp edges and defined lines, as though forged from dragon bones themselves. His halberd reappeared, glowing with the light of stars.
Their gazes locked again.
"Heh. Guess it's time I go all out. Careful now," A Ruheng's voice reached him, carrying both amusement and battle lust.
"BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!" The rhythmic thunder of heartbeats echoed across the arena, so loud that it drowned out the cheers.
From A Ruheng's eighth ring, golden patterns emerged, swirling across the black ring like a god awakening.
In a flash, A Ruheng charged again, now a fully condensed weapon of pure bodily might.
Gu You's lips curled slightly.
'Perfect.'
He raised his hand. Eight soul rings rose beneath his feet. The eighth—the rose-gold one—burst into light.
"FATE—DRAGON—ROAR!"
"WUUUURRRRRHHHH—!"
The dragon's roar didn't just echo—it shook the world. It eclipsed the sound of heartbeats, shook the barrier, and forced the entire audience into stunned silence.
A Ruheng's eyes widened.
And the world held its breath.
(End of Chapter)
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