On the other side.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena arrived at a small villa where they met Yan.
"Captain, Heaven Dou Royal Academy just notified me. They've arranged a Soul Duel for me in three days against Dugu Feng from the Dugu Family—the strongest student at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Once I defeat him, all the geniuses of the Heaven Dou Empire will be beneath my feet!"
Yan lounged on the sofa, swirling a glass of red wine as he spoke with satisfaction.
"This time, you'll really steal the spotlight!" Xie Yue chuckled, shaking his head.
"Well, you two are stronger than me. You're the trump cards for the Continental Soul Master Competition two years from now—it'd be a waste to deploy you now, wouldn't it?"
Yan subtly flattered them, his eyes occasionally flickering toward Hu Liena.
Xie Yue sat down beside him and said, "Dugu Feng—we just ran into him. The gap in Soul Power Level between you two is huge. The only thing to worry about is his poison.
"According to Spirit Hall records, Dugu Feng has an extensive history of Soul Duels. In the academy, he's fought the Feng Brothers and Yu Tianheng. On the Soul Duel Arena, he's faced Hei Tian from the Black Tiger Sect and Zhu Zhuqing from the Zhu Family—without a single loss.
"His victory over Yu Tianheng was achieved by surpassing an entire major realm. That battle also revealed his second Spirit Ring is a thousand-year one, which is unbelievable.
"In Spirit Hall's records, this is the first time a second Spirit Ring has been purple. This alone proves his physical strength is top-tier.
"His most frequently used Soul Skill is launching Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom from both hands, fast as a sharp sword.
"Yan, if you can't finish him quickly and let his poison spread across the entire Soul Duel Arena, you might just capsize in a tiny ditch!"
Though Xie Yue had acted dismissive toward Dugu Feng at the academy gates, he was actually intimately familiar with the latter's records—even his signature Soul Skills.
"Brother, you missed one thing," Hu Liena interjected. "All his Soul Duels took place before he became a Great Soul Master. No one knows what his Third Soul Skill is yet."
Yan wore an arrogant expression. "Captain, Nana, I admit you're right. But aren't you overestimating him? His Third Soul Skill hasn't been revealed, but neither has my Fourth Soul Skill.
"The best way to deal with a Poison Spirit Master is to prevent them from using their poison at all. The moment the fight starts, I'll overwhelm him with a storm of attacks and send him flying off the stage!"
As he spoke, Yan stood up. Due to his Martial Soul, his eyes were already red—but now, they burned with unrestrained dominance.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena exchanged a smile but didn't argue.
Their warnings stemmed from the importance of the Pope's grand plan, ensuring Yan didn't grow overconfident.
The Pope had sent Yan to Heaven Dou City to assert dominance and crush the younger generation of the Heaven Dou Empire—to make all Soul Masters recognize that the Spirit Hall was the true sanctuary of the strong.
That was the Pope's goal.
Which meant Yan absolutely could not lose.
Their reminders were only because the stakes were so high.
As for whether they truly feared Dugu Feng? Not really.
With a gap of over ten Soul Power Levels, even if Dugu Feng had a thousand-year second Spirit Ring, the difference was too vast for Yan to possibly lose.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Dugu Feng arrived at the Soul Duel Arena.
Before him stretched an enormous Soul Duel Stage.
"This is way too big!"
Dugu Feng was dumbfounded. No wonder they needed three days—it was to build a new Soul Duel Stage, at least three times the size of the original one.
The open-air stage had a diameter of over a hundred meters.
The three academy deans had truly gone to great lengths!
Dugu Feng could sense the overwhelming malice directed at Yan behind this arrangement.
Yan's Martial Soul was the Flame Lord, a dual attribute of earth and fire—neither of which had anything to do with speed.
A stage this large gave Dugu Feng ample space to deploy his toxins.
Dugu Feng shook his head. This wasn't what he wanted.
But he understood the academy's intentions—wasn't it all for the sake of victory?
After all, he represented the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, the hope of everyone.
To the north of the Soul Duel Stage were tiered spectator stands.
The moment Dugu Feng arrived, he spotted a familiar face.
"Brother Xue, you came too!"
Dugu Feng quickly approached.
A glint flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes as she gave him a profound look. "Brother Feng, this Soul Duel of yours has captured the attention of the entire city.
You're fighting for the Heaven Dou Empire—how could I not come?
There's a twelve-level gap in Soul Power between you and the Spirit Hall's Yan. Just daring to take the stage is already a victory—don't put too much pressure on yourself!"
Her tone was gentle, filled with encouragement.
Dugu Feng gazed at the stage and said, "Don't worry, Brother Xue.
If Soul Duels were decided solely by Soul Power Levels, then there'd be no need to fight—both sides could just announce their levels and call it a day.
As a Soul Master, pursuing victory in every Soul Duel is my goal!"
His voice was firm.
With that, he strode toward the stage first.
Qian Renxue watched his retreating figure, admiration flickering in her eyes. Why couldn't Dugu Feng be a member of the Spirit Hall?
On the opposite side of the stage, Yan stepped forward as well.
Yan's fiery red hair cascaded wildly down his back, exuding an untamed aura.
"Make your move. I'll show you the gap between us!"
Without even waiting for the referee, Yan's attitude was arrogant and domineering.
In this highly anticipated battle, he intended to crush Dugu Feng decisively.
Only then could he uphold the prestige of the Spirit Hall.
A violet light shimmered in Dugu Feng's eyes.
The Dugu Family also needed prestige—he, Dugu Feng, would fight to establish the Dugu Family's reputation as one of the Upper Three Sects.
This battle would mark the beginning of the Dugu Family's rise.
"Let's begin!"
Dugu Feng roared, his entire body radiating an overwhelming aura—one forged through countless victories.
It was the aura of one who disdained all opponents.
This aura instantly shattered Yan's preconceptions about Poison Spirit Masters.
He had assumed that once the battle began, Dugu Feng would swiftly skirt the edges of the stage.
Then, he would unleash his terrifying finger techniques, blanketing the entire stage in toxins.
This was the scene Yan had envisioned for a long time.
But reality was different.
In an instant, Dugu Feng activated his Martial Soul Avatar, three Spirit Rings—yellow, purple, purple—circling around him.
His hands began emitting violet mist.
This was the third stage of the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom—releasing toxins through every pore of his body.
For now, Dugu Feng could only manage his hands.
The violet mist glowed faintly, gradually spreading across his entire body.
Step by step, he advanced toward Yan—not quickly, but with unwavering determination.
"Flame Stone!"
Yan unleashed his Second Soul Skill, his body erupting with scorching dark-red flames.
The clothes on his upper body instantly shattered as his muscles bulged like granite, his frame swelling to over three meters tall.
He bore an uncanny resemblance to a Soul Master from the Elephant Armor Sect.
Just by his stance alone, it was clear his defense was formidable.
Having fortified himself, Yan grinned fiercely. "It's over, Dugu Feng!"
Four Spirit Rings rose around him, the fourth one glowing brightly.
He had no intention of testing the waters—no matter what tricks Dugu Feng had up his sleeve.
He was determined to blast him off the stage with sheer, overwhelming force.
(End of Chapter)