Jiang Jue looked at Chen Xiaojie, who had fallen off the stage, then gave a slight nod to the few behind him.
Xiao Xiafeng patted his chest, signaling:
"Don't worry, we're here!"
Now, only Xu Jiujie and the Griffin Soul Master remained on the stage.
"Don't worry, Princess Jiujie, I'll stop him!"
A trace of ruthless determination flashed in the Griffin Soul Master's eyes. The feathers on his body flared up as he charged toward Jiang Jue, who was sprinting at him.
Behind him, Xu Jiujie did not try to stop him—her gaze only flickered endlessly.
In her eyes now, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's greatest hidden threat was not Ma Rulong, nor those Soul Kings, but this seemingly low-ranked Jiang Jue.
Breaking the Absolute Defense Soul Tool… instantly defeating the Wind-Fire Duo… by now, she no longer knew how to put her inner shock into words.
"Griffin Cloud-Slaying Strike!"
Right from the start, the Griffin Soul Master unleashed his most powerful ten-thousand-year soul skill. His feathers fell away in droves, arranging themselves in the air in a strange formation, condensing into a massive sword of feathers.
His wings stirred up violent gales as he brought the feather blade down toward the onrushing Jiang Jue.
"Yes! I hit him!"
Hovering in the sky, the Griffin Soul Master stared at the smoke and debris where his strike had landed. His eyes fixed firmly, confidence swelling.
By his estimation, although Jiang Jue had shattered the Absolute Defense Soul Tool, the soul power consumption must have been enormous.
At this moment, with their side already at a disadvantage, he might as well take the chance to perform before Xu Jiujie, boosting her favor toward him by showcasing his courage and strength.
Even if they lost, he wouldn't be ridiculed—after all, he had given his best. And if he could drag down the surging Jiang Jue, it would be a victory no matter what.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly. He had the advantage!
But as the smoke dispersed, he stared unblinkingly—
—and suddenly, his pupils shrank, as if witnessing something that shattered his very understanding.
"BOOM!"
From within the smoke, a flash of dazzling crimson light erupted. A terrifying, primal aura surged across the entire arena.
"How… how is this possible?!"
The Griffin Soul Master's eyes bulged in shock. A streak of jade-green light shot skyward, coming straight at him.
In an instant, the figure appeared right before him. A chilling voice rang out, and with it, a murderous flash of icy light pierced the heart.
"Claw of the Ice Emperor!"
A massive pincer, emanating ancient, eternal frost, swung into his abdomen.
Before the Griffin Soul Master could even feel pain, the claw had already pierced into his body. A raging torrent of cold surged into him.
"You—!"
He couldn't finish his words. Frost spread across him in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he became an ice statue, plummeting from the sky.
"Crack!"
A crisp snap of fingers echoed.
The frozen Griffin Soul Master shattered midair, bursting into shards of frost that scattered like snow, drifting gently to the ground.
Jiang Jue's robes fluttered as he slowly descended from the sky.
The entire process lasted only a few seconds. The Griffin Soul Master's life disappeared just like the falling frost—melting away under the sun, gone forever.
Jiang Jue's gaze remained calm as he looked at the only one left on stage—Xu Jiujie. In his hands, ice-blue soul power condensed once more.
Xu Jiujie stood frozen, watching the snow-like frost fall around her. Though she had seen death on the battlefield before, she never imagined she would witness it so vividly before her eyes in this arena.
"Senior Huang, we surrender!"
Looking around the battlefield, seeing herself left utterly alone, Xu Jiujie's lips curled bitterly.
She had lost. The tactics she had laid out crumbled the instant they met Jiang Jue, like darkness vanishing before the light.
"I lost… but not to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. I lost to you, Jiang Jue!"
She spoke each word clearly. In her heart, Jiang Jue now intrigued her even more.
Jiang Jue turned away, not sparing her even a glance.
"You!"
Xu Jiujie nearly fumed with frustration.
"Referee, announce the results."
Jiang Jue's voice was calm, not loud, but every person present heard it clearly.
Skyfiend Douluo Huang Jinxu appeared above the stage. He gave Jiang Jue a deep look before declaring in a solemn voice:
"First match of the semifinals, Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy versus Star Luo Academy—the winner is Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy!"
The next moment, the previously silent stands erupted into a storm of noise. Some sighed, some cheered. The uproar rolled like waves, refusing to settle.
"Wait. On behalf of Star Luo Academy, I forfeit the remaining matches."
Xu Jiujie suddenly spoke calmly, then walked straight off the stage.
She had just received a voice transmission from her imperial brother: forfeit the rest. With so many of their members injured, Huang Heyun crippled by backlash, and the Griffin Soul Master dead, they no longer had the strength to continue.
Her words sparked an uproar among the Star Luo spectators. To them, Star Luo Academy's retreat was cowardice—it was a disgrace to the empire.
The blood and sacrifice Star Luo Academy had just shown were quickly forgotten by many. Such was human nature.
On the palace wall, an elder with childlike face and crane-white hair flushed red with grief and anger. He stood before Xu Jiawei, sobbing bitterly.
"Your Majesty! My grandson cannot just die like this! That brat must pay with blood!"
"He had the makings of a future Title Douluo!"
"He was the hope of our family's future!"
This elder was none other than the grandfather of the Griffin Soul Master who had just been slain.
Xu Jiawei sighed and shook his head. Making Jiang Jue pay was impossible. Just yesterday, two guests had arrived at his palace and made it clear: behind Jiang Jue stood an Ultimate Douluo.
Ultimate Douluo—forget whether killing Jiang Jue was even possible. Even if they succeeded, could Xu Jiawei's throne remain secure afterward?
"One-tenth. From now on, your family's trade guild will pay ten percent less in taxes."
The elder froze at his words.
"Your Majesty, but that was my own grandson—the very pillar of Star Luo Empire's future!"
"Agree, and nod. Refuse, and get nothing."
Xu Jiawei's voice was cold and commanding.
"Ah! Your Majesty, wise as ever!"
"I'm sure my grandson, watching from the afterlife, would be comforted."
With that, the elder withdrew. As he turned away, a smile tugged at his lips.
The moment his grandson died, he had already considered what benefits the family could extract from it. Even in death, those raised by great clans must still bring profit to their family.
Such was the way of noble houses.
"Ah… If only such a genius were a student of our Shrek Academy. That light-attribute power… that ultimate ice attribute."
In the shadows, an old man in a wheelchair gazed at the arena with deep emotion.
It was Mu En. He had clearly seen the method Jiang Jue used to break the Absolute Defense Soul Tool. That burst of light power even made his own heart tremble.
"If I could guide him… in the future, he would surely become one of Shrek Academy's greatest foundations."
"Perhaps even the future Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion—why not?"
Mu En shook his head with a long sigh.
Thinking of Yan Shaozhe and the still-comatose Xuanzi, Mu En let out another heavy sigh.
Such misfortune…
(End of Chapter)