"Qian Ran is truly a monstrous talent."
Qian Duoduo couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at Qian Ran.
Qian Ran's talent was overwhelmingly powerful!
Qian Duoduo felt that it would only take one or two years before Qian Ran's strength surpassed his own.
Currently, Qian Duoduo was merely an eighth-level Soul Engineer, and his eighth-level soul tools provided only limited enhancements to his combat power. In contrast, the Soul Engineers of the Sun and Moon Empire at the Titled Douluo level could wield power equivalent to that of Super Douluos. It was only because the Soul Engineering Department of Shrek Academy was relatively weak that Qian Duoduo managed to secure a position as vice dean.
"You're just too weak," Xian Lin'er glanced at Qian Duoduo.
Luckily, she had chosen Qian Ran back then.
At such a young age, Qian Ran already possessed such formidable combat power. In a few more years, his strength would likely rival that of a Super Douluo.
Neither Yan Shaozhe nor Qian Duoduo could compare.
Now, when Xian Lin'er thought of her past entanglement with Yan Shaozhe, she couldn't even muster any feelings about it.
Qian Ran was younger, stronger, and more versatile than both Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo. Each time, he left her utterly captivated and intoxicated.
Which woman, under such circumstances, would still choose Yan Shaozhe or Qian Duoduo?
Wouldn't it be better to have Qian Ran's children?
Xian Lin'er had poured all her emotions into Qian Ran. Ever since he first bullied her, she had already succumbed. Now, she was deeply in love with him. She feared that if Qian Ran ever asked her to commit evil deeds, she wouldn't hesitate to comply.
"I…" Qian Duoduo felt a little aggrieved.
His martial soul wasn't particularly outstanding, which was why he had turned to researching soul tools.
Now, his cultivation level was average, and his contributions to the field of soul tools were similarly middling. As an eighth-level Soul Engineer, he had only made a modest contribution to Shrek Academy's Soul Engineering Department. Paired with a Titled Douluo, his soul tools couldn't significantly enhance the Titled Douluo's combat power.
In fact, Qian Duoduo might even have overestimated himself. If he really fought Qian Ran, he might not even stand a chance.
"Ugh."
Yan Shaozhe rubbed his aching fist.
He hadn't expected Qian Ran's fists to be this tough.
"Dean Yan Shaozhe, I'm about to get serious." As Qian Ran spoke, two hundred-thousand-year soul rings on his body instantly lit up. These rings, from the Ice Emperor and Snow Emperor, gleamed brightly.
The surrounding temperature began to plummet dramatically!
The Ice Emperor and Snow Emperor's mastery over the ultimate ice always remained Qian Ran's most powerful domain soul skill. Especially after the Snow Emperor reached the half-god level, the power of her soul skills surged even further.
The soul rings on Qian Ran, granted by the Ice Emperor and Snow Emperor, were capable of growth. As their cultivation advanced, the soul rings would exhibit changes.
If Yan Shaozhe and the others observed carefully, they would notice that Qian Ran's second soul ring bore a faint golden hue. This signified that the Snow Emperor was progressing on her path to godhood. However, the golden tint wasn't strong enough yet to be easily noticeable without close inspection.
"Since Qian Ran's cultivation has improved, this domain skill has become significantly stronger. This temperature… even I'm struggling with it." Yan Shaozhe murmured, feeling a headache coming on. If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have suppressed his cultivation.
Suppressing his power could very likely backfire.
Now, in Cai Meier's presence, he couldn't afford to lift his suppression from Soul Sage back to Soul Douluo level—it would be too embarrassing.
Before long, the entire area turned into a snowy wasteland. Icy snow covered everything, leaving the four powerhouses dumbfounded.
Was this Qian Ran's domain soul skill?
Could a mere Soul King, not yet a Soul Emperor, actually unleash something of this caliber?
Even a Titled Douluo's strength would be greatly restricted in such a domain. Most ordinary soul masters would find it difficult to maintain combat effectiveness in this extreme cold.
Fortunately, Yan Shaozhe's martial soul was the Radiant Phoenix, and its phoenix flames surrounded him. However, both Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier, familiar with Yan Shaozhe, could tell that he wasn't in good shape.
Under the influence of the extreme cold domain, Yan Shaozhe's phoenix flames flickered, as if on the verge of being extinguished.
"This won't do. I can't keep holding back."
"Seventh Soul Skill! Phoenix True Body!"
Forced into a corner, Yan Shaozhe unleashed his martial soul avatar. His entire being transformed into a massive Radiant Phoenix with a wingspan of dozens of meters.
After assuming the phoenix form, Yan Shaozhe finally felt some relief.
Seeing the massive Radiant Phoenix before him, Qian Ran became more serious. His Golden Dragon bloodline surged within him, radiating the unparalleled, domineering aura of the Golden Dragon.
The two clashed fiercely once again, but Yan Shaozhe was visibly losing ground.
If he had known that Qian Ran's strength had grown to this extent, he would never have attempted to test him.
Even if he managed to win in the end, the shame would be unbearable.
After all, using his martial soul avatar to spar with a junior like Qian Ran was hardly something to be proud of. Worse still, even with his avatar, Yan Shaozhe couldn't dominate the battle.
"Dean Yan Shaozhe, you've won."
"I'm still a little lacking."
After an intense battle, Qian Ran stopped.
Although Yan Shaozhe had suppressed his cultivation level, his soul power reserves remained unchanged. While Qian Ran's soul power was far denser than that of peers at his level, it still paled in comparison to Yan Shaozhe's.
Qian Ran's soul skills were all immensely powerful, but they consumed a lot of energy. As long as Yan Shaozhe could hold out, it was hard for Qian Ran to achieve a decisive victory.
Qian Ran was better suited for short, high-intensity battles lasting less than five minutes. During this window, he could unleash his most powerful soul skills to quickly resolve a fight.
No matter how talented he was, Qian Ran couldn't defy the laws of reality. Compared to true Titled Douluos, his endurance was still lacking.
Still, after his bout with Yan Shaozhe, Qian Ran had gained a clearer understanding of his capabilities.
His maximum combat power was roughly equivalent to that of a Level 91 or 92 Titled Douluo. Of course, if he resorted to underhanded tactics, his youthful appearance and deceptive cultivation level might allow him to kill even stronger opponents.
"Mm." At this point, Yan Shaozhe was already too disheartened to speak.
Victory? He was how many years older than Qian Ran? How could this even count as a victory?
This time, in front of Cai Meier and the others, he had completely lost face.
Had he known earlier how much Qian Ran had grown, he wouldn't have come to test him no matter what.
At Shrek Academy, he had heard about how Qian Ran defeated over a hundred geniuses at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy in just one day. That was why Yan Shaozhe couldn't resist probing Qian Ran's strength.
Now he understood. Those Sun Moon geniuses hadn't been shamed in losing to Qian Ran.
Was Qian Ran even human?
Thankfully, the mentors of the Mingde Hall hadn't challenged Qian Ran back then. Otherwise, they might have embarrassed themselves in front of the entire academy.
(End of Chapter)