As Xiao Hongchen stepped onto the competition stage, his mind was still replaying the brief clash between his sister, Meng Hongchen, and Yu Tianhuang.
At the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, Meng Hongchen's talent was only slightly inferior to his own.
A five-ring Soul King and level-five soul engineer before the age of fifteen was a feat achieved by only a handful in the history of the Sun Moon Empire. The two of them were hailed as once-in-a-millennium geniuses of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
Yet, despite this, she had been completely suppressed by Yu Tianhuang, who was merely at the Soul Ancestor level.
While it was true that Meng Hongchen's martial soul abilities were countered by Yu Tianhuang, this did not mean his personal strength was lacking.
The core array of the level-six defensive soul tool in her armor was indeed its weakest point, but breaking through its defenses and destroying the core array from that spot required an attack nearing Soul Emperor-level power.
In other words, the dark red crystal spear formed by Yu Tianhuang's second soul skill, Mirror of Destruction, when thrown with full force and accelerated by his third soul skill, Time Disarray, possessed enough power to threaten the lives of most Soul Kings.
The spear's pinpoint penetration was astonishing, likely only resistible by a defense-type Soul King fully utilizing their defensive soul skills.
Faintly grasping the underlying principle, Xiao Hongchen couldn't help but feel a wave of relief. Fortunately, they had conceded early. Otherwise, if Yu Tianhuang's mountain-like conical crystals had struck, even with other defensive soul tools protecting Meng Hongchen, she would likely have suffered severe injuries.
Xiao Hongchen's gaze grew heavy. Even someone as proud as he had to admit that, at the same age, he was far inferior to Yu Tianhuang.
Yu Tianhuang gave him a strong sense of crisis.
But it was precisely this that ignited his fighting spirit. His gaze toward Yu Tianhuang now held only resolve.
In truth, when Meng Hongchen lost to Yu Tianhuang in the previous match, Xiao Hongchen knew that in this All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy had no chance of defeating Shrek Academy.
No matter how outstanding his personal strength was, he couldn't consecutively defeat Yu Tianhuang, Chen Zifeng, and the even stronger Soul Emperors, Dai Yueheng and Ma Xiaotao, from Shrek Academy.
The remaining members of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy were significantly weaker than they were. In one-on-one battles, soul engineers were generally at a disadvantage, and against top-tier Soul Emperors like Dai Yueheng and Ma Xiaotao from Shrek's inner courtyard, they stood no chance.
Of course, he wanted to represent the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, defeat Shrek Academy, and become a hero of the Sun Moon Empire. But in the face of absolute reality, he was forced to accept the truth.
Unlike Ma Rulong, Xiao Hongchen was participating in this tournament as a reserve team member. Even if he lost to Shrek Academy, there would be another tournament in the future. By then, he and Meng Hongchen would be the undisputed mainstays of the Sun Moon team.
So, he could accept the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy's defeat this time, as Ma Rulong was the team leader.
His burning fighting spirit was entirely due to Yu Tianhuang igniting his competitive nature.
Though Xiao Hongchen had restrained his pride, his core personality remained unchanged.
In other words, he could accept the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy's defeat, but he couldn't accept his own.
At this moment, Xiao Hongchen had no reservations. He only wanted a fair and square showdown with Yu Tianhuang.
"Both sides, step back," Heavenfiend Douluo Huang Jinxu called out sternly. Once both competitors stood at opposite ends of the stage, he lowered his raised right hand.
"Match, begin."
The silver-white glow of the level-five soul power recovery bottle flickered as Xu Zihuang continued to restore his soul power.
In his earlier battle with Meng Hongchen, he had only used his second soul skill twice and his third soul skill once, so his soul power consumption wasn't significant.
With physical conditioning and meridian resilience far surpassing soul masters of the same level, he could maximize the output of the level-five soul power recovery bottle without concern.
After this period of recovery, his soul power had been restored to over ninety percent of its peak.
Xiao Hongchen didn't launch an attack immediately. Instead, he placed his hands behind his back, gazing at Xu Zihuang from afar.
He struck a pose he thought was noble and aloof.
"Since I awakened my martial soul at six years old, it was destined that I would be heaven's chosen, leading the era. Innate full soul power and a mutated top-tier beast martial soul have supported me in achieving what I have today, breaking record after record at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. But I must admit now that my previous views on Shrek Academy were wrong. Shrek is indeed powerful and never lacks geniuses. And you are worthy of being my opponent."
In the Sun Moon team's rest area, Ma Rulong's pale face shifted.
In the past, he would have reprimanded Xiao Hongchen for his arrogance and failure to prioritize the honor of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
But now, unable to compete and standing as an observer, he saw things more clearly.
He had been too bound by constraints in the past. Without the fearless confidence of Xiao Hongchen, how could one reach the peak?
Moreover, it was his misjudgment that had led the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy into this dire situation.
As the team leader, he had no right to criticize Xiao Hongchen.
This moment of realization subtly shifted Ma Rulong's mindset, a change that would benefit him for life.
However, the most conflicted feelings in the Sun Moon team belonged to Meng Hongchen.
On one side was her brother, whose talent had overshadowed the younger generation of the Sun Moon Empire since childhood. On the other hand was the Shrek Academy genius, even more talented than her brother, who deeply captivated her.
Everyone from Shrek Academy was focused intently on the two competitors in the arena.
Meng Hongchen's martial soul abilities had fully captured their attention.
If Yu Tianhuang hadn't countered her Vermilion Clear Ice Toad poison with his abilities and possessed such a powerful martial soul and soul skills, it would have been hard to imagine the trouble Meng Hongchen would have caused the Shrek team.
If Meng Hongchen was this formidable, what about her brother, Xiao Hongchen?
They knew that in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament five years from now, Yu Tianhuang, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen would lead their respective academies in competition.
This was destined to be a fateful peak showdown.
Taking advantage of this moment, Xu Zihuang's soul power finally returned to its peak. Releasing the level-five soul power recovery bottle, he gave Xiao Hongchen a gentle smile.
"But I've never considered you my opponent."
Xiao Hongchen's eyes narrowed slightly, the coldness in his dual-colored eyes dissipating, replaced by a hint of inexplicable amusement.
"You and I are indeed the same kind of people," Xiao Hongchen said, his voice laced with excitement.
He had a vague feeling that Yu Tianhuang would be his lifelong rival.
Black and white hair flowed behind the two equally handsome genius youths, standing in stark opposition. The audience's emotions were instantly ignited.
As the cheers erupted, both unleashed their martial souls almost simultaneously.
In Xu Zihuang's deep purple eyes, a brilliant golden light flashed, his pupils turning completely golden. Intricate, mysterious patterns filled them, as if containing the rules of the world's transformations.
Purple, purple, purple, black four soul rings far beyond conventional understanding, still so awe-inspiring.
Like Xu Zihuang, Xiao Hongchen's soul power was also golden, but not the ethereal, brilliant gold. Instead, it had a metallic texture.
With a flash of golden light, an extra leg emerged from behind his hips, entirely golden. At the same time, a dazzling golden membrane covered his body.
His body leaned forward slightly, crouching, a golden protrusion rising from his arched back through his clothes.
Five soul rings rose from his feet, undoubtedly the optimal configuration of two yellow, two purple, and one black.
"Croak—" A strange sound rang out, and a massive golden toad phantom appeared behind Xiao Hongchen. This entirely golden toad bizarrely had three legs.
This was Xiao Hongchen's martial soul, the Three-Legged Golden Toad. Both the Three-Legged Golden Toad and the Vermilion Clear Ice Toad were top-tier beast martial souls, but in quality, Xiao Hongchen's mutated Three-Legged Golden Toad surpassed Meng Hongchen's Vermilion Clear Ice Toad.
His three legs bent like springs, and in the next instant, he became a golden blur, crossing the hundred-meter stage to appear before Xu Zihuang.
Where he had stood, the hard granite floor bore three footprints over ten centimeters deep.
As a toad-type martial soul, Xiao Hongchen's terrifying leaping ability far surpassed Meng Hongchen's.
In midair, his right leg swept through the air with a whistling sound, aiming straight for Xu Zihuang's face.
As a soul engineer, he didn't immediately deploy a soul tool, choosing instead to engage Xu Zihuang in close combat.
Xu Zihuang's gaze sharpened, raising his long right leg to clash heavily with Xiao Hongchen's.
As Xiao Hongchen had said, both were extremely proud individuals. Since Xiao Hongchen chose close combat, how could Xu Zihuang back down?
"Boom—" A muffled sound rang out.
Neither used soul skills, relying purely on physical strength and soul power.
Soul power fluctuations mixed with a violent surge of air, shattering the granite floor beneath them. Rock fragments and dust were swept up, filling the air around them.
Both Xu Zihuang and Xiao Hongchen's pupils contracted.
Xu Zihuang hadn't expected that, even after fusing with the Thunder Hell Vine's right leg bone, he wouldn't gain an overwhelming advantage in strength.
Xiao Hongchen's other two legs sank deeply into the floor; his right leg, covered in a golden membrane, was trembling slightly under the immense force from Xu Zihuang's leg.
His shock was no less than Xu Zihuang's.
He was a soul engineer, but also a soul master. Unlike most soul engineers in the Sun Moon Empire, his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul was exceptionally powerful.
Beyond controlling metal, it granted immense strength, especially in his three legs.
Though the leg he swept with wasn't the golden third leg, its power was still remarkable.
Xu Zihuang's golden eyes flickered, his right leg pressing down, forcing Xiao Hongchen's right leg into the granite floor.
Xiao Hongchen quickly calmed himself, his left leg kicking toward Xu Zihuang with a sonic boom.
Xu Zihuang countered similarly, using his left leg to block Xiao Hongchen's attack.
This time, Xiao Hongchen felt it clearly. Even without a soul bone amplifying Xu Zihuang's left leg, the gap wasn't as large as he'd expected.
Their legs clashed repeatedly, each collision creating a deep pit in the granite floor. Their speed was so fast it dazzled the audience.
Contrary to expectations of intense soul skill and soul tool clashes, the finals stage bizarrely featured close-quarters combat using only their legs.
Atop the imperial city walls, White Tiger Duke Dai Hao solemnly warned Xu Jiawei, "This Xiao Hongchen's talent surpasses even that poison-using girl. Your Majesty, we must take these siblings seriously."
"Xiao Hongchen's mutated Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul is indeed powerful, with the potential to become a top-tier powerhouse even as a soul master," Xu Jiawei nodded in agreement, then sighed. "The Sun Moon Empire is becoming increasingly uncontrollable."
Dai Hao nodded. "Fortunately, the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family is in disarray. Besides the eldest prince, Xu Tianran, several other princes covet the throne, backed by significant forces. Until an heir is decided, the Sun Moon Empire likely won't make any major moves."
"Let's watch the match first," Xu Jiawei said, his attention drawn to Xu Zihuang and Xiao Hongchen's battle.
After another clash, Xiao Hongchen suddenly leaped over twenty meters high. The golden third leg behind his hips glowed brightly, extending like highly malleable metal, stomping toward Xu Zihuang below.
This wasn't a soul skill but an innate ability of his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul.
A deafening roar echoed as the floor where Xu Zihuang stood collapsed under Xiao Hongchen's stomp, sending dust billowing.
Xiao Hongchen, sensing something, frowned and looked up.
"Buzz—" A sound like crystallizing ice rang out as a thin, mirror-like dark red crystal formed in midair. Xu Zihuang's right foot stomped on it, flipping his body in the air, his right heel slashing toward Xiao Hongchen's face.
Xiao Hongchen was startled, seeing Yu Tianhuang use his second soul skill in this way for the first time. Caught off guard, he instinctively crossed his arms to block.
As he did, the golden membrane on his body rippled like water.
While his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul granted immense lower body strength, his arms were far weaker.
His arms bent slightly under Xu Zihuang's heel strike, and with a loud boom, he crashed to the ground.
The floor beneath Xiao Hongchen shattered instantly, forming a pit nearly five meters wide and over half a meter deep. His three legs steadily supported him, the golden membrane continuing to ripple.
This golden membrane was his Three-Legged Golden Toad's toad skin, impervious to ordinary water and fire, highly resilient, and capable of greatly mitigating impact.
Of course, this "impervious to water and fire" applied only to ordinary elements. Against water or fire soul skills, it offered only partial resistance.
This, too, was an innate ability of his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul.
Xu Jiawei's earlier words were not unfounded. Xiao Hongchen's martial soul was indeed formidable.
With the toad skin mitigating the impact, Xiao Hongchen felt his internal energy churn but sustained no injuries.
Grinning, he smiled at Xu Zihuang, who landed gracefully.
"That move packed a punch. Very effective."
No sooner had he spoken than his smile vanished. A soft golden glow emanated from the protrusion on his back.
His first and third soul rings lit up simultaneously, and he scattered hundreds of metal spheres and dense metal powder.
These spheres floated in midair, enveloping him completely.
A bizarre scene unfolded: with the metal spheres as cores, metal cannon barrels grew out, transforming him into a hedgehog-like figure in mere moments.
His first and third soul skills were Metal Control and Golden Coagulation. The metal spheres he threw were the core arrays of soul cannons, while the barrels were formed through his control over metal elements.
This was the power of his Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul, capable of controlling any type of metal and even absorbing energy from rare metals to aid his cultivation.
Without this, how could he have reached the Soul King level at his age?
His first and third soul rings were replaced by his second and fourth soul rings, glowing.
His second soul skill, Golden Surge, greatly enhanced the activity of his Three-Legged Golden Toad's metallic soul power, doubling his metal control in a short time and allowing him to absorb large amounts of metal elements from the air.
His fourth soul skill, Golden Sacrifice, burned the gathered metal elements to generate immense energy to power the soul cannons.
In other words, he no longer needed to expend his own soul power to use the soul cannons.
Countless golden specks appeared in the air, surging toward Xiao Hongchen like rivers to the sea. Each speck shimmered with a faint golden glow, as if burning.
The metallic aura instantly surged.
As these golden specks merged with him, the 128 level-five soul cannon barrels on his body began to glow brilliantly. With a series of clanging sounds, the barrels automatically adjusted, all aiming at Xu Zihuang.
A terrifying soul power storm swept through, and in this All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, Xiao Hongchen finally revealed his true strength.
In close combat, he couldn't gain an advantage over Yu Tianhuang, a fact he had to acknowledge after their earlier exchange.
But as a soul engineer, his strength lay in soul tools.
Xiao Hongchen flashed a confident smile.
High-explosive rounds, incendiary rounds, shock rounds, burst rounds, and various level-five soul cannon shells, along with disintegration rays, paralysis rays, and freezing rays, erupted simultaneously, blanketing half the stage where Xu Zihuang stood. Many of these shells and rays had target-locking capabilities.
He didn't expect a single strike to win, knowing that Yu Tianhuang's fourth soul skill could replicate others' soul skills. Jiang Nannan's Invincible Golden Body skill, seen at Shrek Academy, was highly effective against soul engineers.
He believed Yu Tianhuang likely replicated such a skill.
His goal was to force Yu Tianhuang to use it. With Metal Sacrifice, using these level-five soul cannons cost him no soul power. Maintaining the state was enough.
As Xiao Hongchen predicted, Xu Zihuang's deep black fourth soul ring glowed, and intense golden light rose from his body, forming a shield enveloping him.
Invincible Golden Body!
No soul cannon shells or rays, whether striking him or his surroundings, could affect him.
When Xiao Hongchen unleashed his attack, Xu Zihuang had used his second soul skill, Mirror of Destruction, to try to control him early, but the immense energy from Xiao Hongchen's Metal Sacrifice state shattered the dark red crystal before it could form.
With such formidable strength, Xiao Hongchen truly lived up to being the Sun Moon Empire's top genius.
Invincible Golden Body lasted only three seconds, a fact Xiao Hongchen knew well. Carrying so many soul cannons made him too bulky to let Yu Tianhuang close in easily.
To maximize his advantage, his three legs tapped rapidly, and despite carrying thousands of pounds of metal cannons, he retreated swiftly.
What started as close combat had transformed into this all-out assault, catching the audience off guard.
But this didn't stop them from cheering. In this final, aside from the initial team battle, this match was the most spectacular.
Bathed in a barrage of soul rays and cannon shells, Xu Zihuang, seemingly cornered, remained remarkably calm, standing still. His golden eyes gleamed, his body enveloped in intense golden light.
A brilliant golden illusory vertical eye appeared behind him. When it emerged, the gloomy weather began to change.
The drizzle stopped, the dark clouds parted, and a ray of golden sunlight fell on Xu Zihuang, giving him an aura of regal dominance.
Xiao Hongchen's mind wavered briefly, and upon regaining focus, he felt an intense, indescribable sense of dread.
In shock, he increased his firepower, the cannon barrels melting from overheating, but he quickly formed new ones with his soul skills.
The booming continued as the three seconds of Invincible Golden Body neared its end.
In a corner of Star Luo Square, Lang Ya and Yu Tao's faces paled, with Yu Tao exclaiming, "Second Brother, we were right, it really is."
Before he could finish, the brilliant golden illusory vertical eye behind Xu Zihuang solidified, shifting from golden to black iron, then bronze, silver, and finally an incomparably radiant gold.
Upon closer inspection, this solid golden vertical eye was an enlarged version of Xu Zihuang's Golden Eyes.
As golden light shone, Xu Zihuang's four soul rings vanished. His body slowly floated, hovering in midair.
The members of Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy widened their eyes. Even through the soul tool barrier, they could feel Xu Zihuang's aura surging wildly.
Even Elder Xuan, with his vast experience, looked incredulous.
"How is this possible? A golden-level body martial soul second awakening?!"
Amid his shock, he felt a headache coming on.
Yu Tianhuang's innate golden-level body martial soul second awakening was enough to drive the old monster from the Body Sect insane.
Even if it meant going to war with Shrek Academy, they would stop at nothing.
A massive golden vertical eye floated before Xu Zihuang, enveloping his body. Golden light flickered, and a wave of distorted golden radiance spread outward from him.
Xiao Hongchen's barrage of soul cannon shells and rays disintegrated in the distorted golden light.
In the next instant, Xiao Hongchen's pupils dilated, his 128 metal cannon barrels reverted to metal powder, and he fell to his knees, as if his soul had been stripped away.
It all happened in a flash.
Even Heavenfiend Douluo Huang Jinxu, after a brief moment of shock, arrived at Xiao Hongchen's side a fraction too late.
He quickly placed his right hand on Xiao Hongchen's shoulder to check his condition, nine soul rings, two yellow, two purple, five black, rising from his feet.
Xiao Hongchen had no physical injuries, but an odd mental energy lingered in his soul power, which even Huang Jinxu's Titled Douluo-level strength couldn't dispel.
Xu Zihuang landed back in the center of the stage as the gloomy sky cleared, warm sunlight spreading across the arena.
The overexertion of mental strength, soul power, and vitality left him profoundly fatigued, but the power of his golden-level body martial soul second awakening was vividly etched in his mind.
"Golden-level second awakening."
He hadn't expected to wield the power of a golden-level body martial soul second awakening.
Elder Ma, Meng Hongchen, and other Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy members rushed onto the stage to check on Xiao Hongchen. Xu Zihuang glanced over, exhaustion evident, and said, "He's not in mortal danger. He'll recover with some rest."
"I hope after the match, you can detoxify Senior Brother Xu and the others," he added, addressing Meng Hongchen.
After speaking, Xu Zihuang's consciousness began to blur. Pain, fatigue, and exhaustion surged within him.
Before he could collapse, a robust surge of soul power supported his body. Just before losing consciousness, he vaguely felt himself falling into a warm, soft embrace.
Elder Ma, holding Xiao Hongchen, glared at Shrek Academy's members.
Elder Xuan, who had just supported Xu Zihuang with his soul power, raised an eyebrow.
"What, planning a rebellion? My disciple said your student will be fine, so he'll be fine. To put it bluntly, if someone dies, you should blame the referee. Per the tournament rules, competitors must go all out to showcase their true strength. The referee controls the match, and if someone dies, it's the referee's fault."
"Oh, and one more thing. Detoxify my disciples immediately after the match. If they suffer any harm, it's on you, and you won't be returning to the Sun Moon Empire."
Elder Xuan's words carried no emotional fluctuation but struck the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy members like a hammer.
Elder Ma took a deep breath, veins bulging on his forehead, but in the face of Elder Xuan, a super powerhouse, he didn't dare act out.
He could only slink back to the waiting area with Xiao Hongchen.
Heavenfiend Douluo's forehead was lined with frustration, inwardly cursing the old man for still being alive, though he dared not show it.
"The match continues. Both sides, send out your next competitor."
The tournament continued, but neither the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy members nor the audience showed much enthusiasm.
The Sun Moon team had lost all will to compete.
With Xiao Hongchen's survival uncertain, the remaining members stood no chance against Shrek's Chen Zifeng, Dai Yueheng, and Ma Xiaotao, the two Soul Emperors.
The audience's lack of excitement stemmed from Xu Zihuang's earlier display being too shocking, rendering the subsequent one-sided matches lackluster.
Chen Zifeng defeated four Sun Moon members consecutively, and when his soul power was nearly depleted, facing the last opponent, he stepped aside, allowing Dai Yueheng to secure the final victory that officially decided Shrek Academy's win.
Thus, this All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament concluded perfectly. The champion, as expected, was the continent's number one, Shrek Academy.
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