Seeing his grandson being brutally beaten, Qiangu Dongfeng could no longer remain seated and immediately stood up.
"Tower Master Qiangu, please remain calm," Ya Li, who was beside him, spoke before he could say anything. Her voice was serene and composed. "Both children know their limits, so there's no need for concern. Besides, I'm here—nothing will go wrong."
Though she spoke the truth, Qiangu Zhangting couldn't shake the feeling that her words carried a subtle mockery.
"Exactly, Tower Master Qiangu, you're being too impatient," Zang Xin chimed in. "With Ya Li, a healing-type Limit Douluo here, as long as he's not completely dead, she can bring him back."
Hearing this, Qiangu Dongfeng's face darkened. What kind of talk was that—"as long as he's not completely dead"? Was that even human speech?
"Zang Xin, must you phrase it like that?" Leng Yaozhu chuckled lightly beside him. "The two are just sparring normally, not fighting to the death. There's no 'completely dead' scenario here—don't exaggerate."
"Oh, right, right. My bad, my bad. I always say the wrong things—Tower Master Qiangu, please don't take it to heart," Zang Xin quickly apologized, though the playful grin on his face made it hard to believe he was sincere.
"I was just overly concerned," Qiangu Dongfeng forced a smile that looked more painful than genuine and sat back down.
His expression turned blank, but inside, he was seething with anger. The way Ya Li and Zang Xin played off each other didn't surprise him—after all, the relationship between Shrek Academy and Tang Sect was no secret. But Leng Yaozhu, the deputy tower master of Spirit Transfer Pagoda, joining them in ganging up on him, the tower master, was something Qiangu Dongfeng couldn't tolerate.
No matter how much she disliked him or Qiangu Zhangting, she was still a member of Spirit Transfer Pagoda. Shouldn't she at least maintain basic solidarity in front of outsiders? Why was she siding with them against her own tower master?
Qiangu Dongfeng was truly heartbroken. He had thought his heart had hardened enough, yet Leng Yaozhu could still stir emotions in him.
Meanwhile, on the arena.
Qiangu Zhangting had completely lost the ability to fight back and could only endure the beating. To his credit, he remained stubborn, refusing to beg for mercy or surrender. He'd rather don his Battle Armor and take the beating than admit defeat.
Since that was the case, Jing Shaoyu saw no reason to hold back—as long as he didn't kill him, there would be no issues.
Besides, he had no intention of letting Qiangu Zhangting off easily. After another strike with his spear, he tossed a green orb at Qiangu Zhangting, which instantly restored his body to its original state.
The scene left everyone stunned, unsure of Jing Shaoyu's intentions.
But the next second, they understood—because the moment Qiangu Zhangting recovered, Jing Shaoyu's spear strikes became even fiercer. In less than three seconds, Qiangu Zhangting was once again reduced to a swollen, bruised mess.
Following that, Jing Shaoyu unleashed another burst of green light, once again healing Qian Gu Zhangting's injuries, only to proceed as before—beating him until his entire body was swollen and covered in bruises.
"This is too much!" Qiangu Dongfeng could no longer tolerate it. With a loud slap on the armrest of his seat, he sprang to his feet. The chair beneath him instantly crumbled into dust, and the ground cracked with a web of fissures.
"Tower Master Qiangu, please calm down!" Ya Li said, though she was barely suppressing her laughter, her expression remained stern. "Shaoyu's actions are indeed excessive, and I assure you, once we return, I will reprimand him severely. However, it seems your grandson has no intention of conceding, so this is still part of the Soul Duel. If you truly cannot bear to see him suffer, perhaps it would be best for him to surrender now and spare himself further pain."
"Indeed, Tower Master Qiangu," Zang Xin quickly added. "Though your grandson is among the finest of the younger generation, he is clearly no match for Jing Shaoyu. It would be wiser to concede gracefully now and consider other matters later."
"Hmph!" Qiangu Dongfeng's expression darkened as he snorted coldly. "No need. The Qiangu family has never lacked resilience and perseverance. Though Jing Shaoyu may hold the upper hand now, the final outcome is far from decided!"
He was furious but not irrational. While Jing Shaoyu's behavior bordered on insulting the Qiangu family, it also inadvertently provided Qian Gu Zhangting with the perfect conditions to comprehend the Unyielding Staff Art. A man of the Qiangu family must endure what others cannot and withstand what others would not—only then can he temper unshakable perseverance and ignite an indomitable will!
Only then can the Unyielding Staff Art reach its pinnacle!
In Qiangu Dongfeng's eyes, Jing Shaoyu was nothing more than a whetstone to sharpen Qian Gu Zhangting.
"Zhangting, endure this trial, and you will truly become the pillar of the Qiangu family," Qiangu Dongfeng silently encouraged, watching his grandson being pummeled on the stage. Though it pained him, he knew this was necessary.
On the stage, Qian Gu Zhangting was unaware of his grandfather's thoughts. Nor did he intend to use Jing Shaoyu as a means of tempering himself. The sole reason he refused to concede was sheer unwillingness—he could not bring himself to give up on Gu Yue.
Since Qian Gu Zhangting refused to surrender, Jing Shaoyu was more than happy to oblige. Opportunities to openly thrash the young master of the Qiangu family were rare, after all.
Thud!
Qian Gu Zhangting was struck sideways once more, crashing heavily onto the ground. His entire body was battered, his condition at its lowest. His Soul Power was nearly depleted, and even his Three-Word Battle Armor was on the verge of dissipating.
Yet, he still refused to yield.
His heart was filled with shock. How could the gap between him and Jing Shaoyu be so vast, even though they were both Titled Douluo at the same rank? But no matter what, he could not give up. This match was far too important—it concerned not only his love but also his future and the destiny of the Qiangu family!
No matter what, he had to win this duel!
"D-don't think you've already won!" His voice trembled as he spoke. Gripping the Coiling Dragon Staff in his right hand, Qian Gu Zhangting forced himself to stand. His Battle Armor faded away, and a glint of determination and resentment flashed in his eyes.
Despite being brutally beaten by Jing Shaoyu, Qian Gu Zhangting showed no signs of discouragement and instead remained brimming with confidence. This piqued Jing Shaoyu's curiosity, making him wonder what other hidden cards the man might have up his sleeve. He paused his movements, watching Qian Gu Zhangting with keen interest.
Qian Gu Zhangting raised his left hand, palm facing Jing Shaoyu, and something materialized in his grasp.
It was a hexagonal object, dull and gray, resembling an iron plaque. The moment it appeared, the brightly lit arena abruptly darkened, as if day had turned to night in the blink of an eye.
Eerie.
Jing Shaoyu frowned, staring at the object. The "iron plaque" was absorbing light—how intriguing.
The plaque slowly levitated from Qian Gu Zhangting's hand, hovering midair before rapidly expanding. In an instant, it transformed into a massive object ten meters in diameter, silently suspended in the sky, directly facing Jing Shaoyu.
A chilling sensation instantly spread through Jing Shaoyu's entire body. For a brief moment, his limbs stiffened as an indescribable tremor surged through his Sea of Spirit.
On the surface of the plaque, shrouded in a sinister aura, a grotesque snake emerged. Its body twisted unnaturally, exuding a grayish-black glow, while its long, thick forked tongue draped down the center of the plaque.
Just as Jing Shaoyu focused on it, the snake's closed eyes snapped open—locking gazes with him at that exact moment. His blood seemed to freeze, but the next second, the Power of Creation and Power of Destruction within him surged forth, restoring his body to normal.
Thus unburdened, he scrutinized the snake's eyes.
They were a pair of crimson orbs, like two bloody Abysses, drawing in the souls of those who met their gaze. Through those eyes, Jing Shaoyu faintly glimpsed a hundred-meter-tall illusory figure behind the plaque. Her hair was composed of writhing giant snakes, and her eyes glowed with malevolent red light.
She sought to taint Jing Shaoyu's perception, twisting everything around him into a blood-soaked Abyss under her influence.
Jing Shaoyu's brow furrowed, and he instinctively took a step back.
This reaction did not escape Qian Gu Zhangting, whose lips curled into a savage, triumphant smirk. However, his swollen face made the expression look more comical than menacing.
Not that it mattered. Right now, Qian Gu Zhangting's eyes were fixed solely on Jing Shaoyu—all he wanted was the man's death!
This "iron plaque" was called the Soul-Seizing Plate, a genuine divine artifact said to be inherited from a true deity—the God of Sin, Medusa. It was the ultimate treasure of the Qian Gu family. Each activation required countless rare offerings to sacrifice to the sliver of the God of Sin's remnant soul hidden within the plate, fueling its power and sustaining its existence.
This time, to ensure his victory, his grandfather had specially borrowed the Soul-Seizing Plate from the family's ancestral vault. He had warned Qian Gu Zhangting to use it only as a last resort, as the resources consumed for each activation were far too immense.
Before the match began, he had been brimming with confidence, believing his grandfather was being overly cautious. But now, he had completely cast Qiangu Dongfeng's warnings aside—all he wanted was Jing Shaoyu dead!
Once the Soul-Seizing Plate was unleashed, the opponent would inevitably have their soul scattered and perish without a doubt!
In the history of the Qiangu family's use of this divine artifact, there had never been an exception!
In the stands, Qiangu Dongfeng had already begun circulating his Soul Power the moment Qian Gu Zhangting took out that "iron plate." No one understood the power of the Soul-Seizing Plate better than he did. In his eyes, the moment Qian Gu Zhangting activated it, Jing Shaoyu was already dead.
He was prepared to act the instant Jing Shaoyu died, immediately retrieving Qian Gu Zhangting and retreating to the headquarters of the Spirit Transfer Pagoda. By then, even if Jing Shaoyu truly perished, the Qiangu family would have ample time to arrange countermeasures.
Qiangu Dongfeng already knew Yun Ming was in deep seclusion and wouldn't emerge anytime soon. As for Ya Li and Zang Xin, they alone couldn't pose any real threat to him.
As for what to do after Yun Ming emerged from seclusion—that could be dealt with later. At worst, they could follow the example of their Qiangu ancestors and retreat to some desolate place, only re-emerging thousands of years later.
Of course, that was the absolute worst-case scenario.
From start to finish, Qiangu Dongfeng had never considered stopping Qian Gu Zhangting. He, too, wished for Jing Shaoyu's death. If such a genius couldn't be used by them, then he might as well die.
Ya Li, Leng Yaozhu, Gu Yue, and Zang Xin all sensed the unusual fluctuations in Qiangu Dongfeng's Soul Power. Just as they grew suspicious, they noticed the Soul-Seizing Plate hovering above the arena and immediately realized something was wrong.
Ya Li, Leng Yaozhu, and Zang Xin were unaware of the Soul-Seizing Plate's existence, but as Limit Douluos, they could all sense the God Power emanating from it. Frowning, they turned their worried gazes toward Jing Shaoyu, their own Soul Power surging in preparation to intervene at the slightest sign of danger.
Gu Yue, as the Silver Dragon King, recognized the Soul-Seizing Plate at a glance. Her pupils contracted sharply for an instant before returning to normal, her expression as cold and indifferent as ever.
She didn't believe a mere third-rank deity could pose any threat to Jing Shaoyu.
By now, Jing Shaoyu had also recognized the Soul-Seizing Plate and the God of Sin behind it. Though he had never met the God of Sin in person, the divine energy radiating from the plate and the unusually active laws of sin in the surrounding space—manifested by the deity's residual shadow—made everything clear.
The God of Sin, a third-rank deity and one of the Evil God King's subordinates, had perished long ago during the Dragon God's calamity. What the Soul-Seizing Plate had summoned was nothing more than a wisp of its lingering soul. To think this feeble remnant could subdue him was nothing short of delusional.
Despite feeling his soul gradually stiffen under the God of Sin's divine power, his Sea of Spirit drying up and withering, and even his Soul Power giving the illusion of petrification, Jing Shaoyu remained utterly composed. Calmly, he raised the Doomsday Divine Spear.
A glint of golden light flashed in his eyes. The next moment, the spear erupted with a dense violet radiance, shooting from his grasp and—under Qian Gu Zhangting's triumphant gaze—piercing straight through the gray serpent's tongue at the center of the Soul-Seizing Plate.
"It's useless, this is nothing but futile effort!" In Qian Gu Zhangting's eyes, Jing Shaoyu's act of hurling his Martial Soul was merely a desperate struggle. He clearly saw Shaoyu's body gradually turning ashen-gray under the illumination of the Soul-Seizing Plate, his life force rapidly draining away.
According to family records, those illuminated by the Soul-Seizing Plate would completely petrify within moments, all vitality utterly stripped away before turning to dust and vanishing without a trace!
Die! Daring to compete with me, Qian Gu Zhangting, for a woman—then go die! Qian Gu Zhangting roared inwardly with immense satisfaction.
Yet at this moment, the golden light in Jing Shaoyu's eyes transformed into a dense emerald glow, enveloping his body. All abnormalities on him dissipated instantly, and faintly, a terrified, shrill scream could be heard.
What truly drove Qian Gu Zhangting to madness was that after Shaoyu's Martial Soul struck the Soul-Seizing Plate, the expected shattering of the Martial Soul did not occur. Instead, that spear radiating violet light actually pierced into the Soul-Seizing Plate. Then he saw—the violet light erupted, unleashing an overwhelming force that instantly engulfed the entire plate.
"Defying the God King is unforgivable!"
In a daze, Qian Gu Zhangting heard these words. Then, under his disbelieving gaze, Jing Shaoyu's Doomsday Divine Spear penetrated the Soul-Seizing Plate, which immediately burst into violet flames. The colossal gray serpent writhed and struggled under the scorching flames, vanishing into nothingness in the blink of an eye.
Along with it, the treasured heirloom of their Qian Gu family turned to ashes!
"No—!" Qian Gu Zhangting and Qiangu Dongfeng shouted almost simultaneously, but it was already too late.
Jing Shaoyu coldly regarded the grandfather and grandson pair, feeling immense satisfaction. You fools, daring to wield a divine artifact before him—did they not know he had two God Kings standing behind him?
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