Among Titled Douluo of the same rank, if there was a gap in strength, it usually came down to one of two things—either the difference in spirit ring years, or defects in their martial soul itself.
A massive dragon claw descended, enveloping the entire arena. An ancient, primordial aura surged forth, its oppressive might covering the stage like a storm.
Eighth Soul Skill: Stardust Detonation!
Li Zhilong roared. The entire Stargazing Platform erupted in dazzling golden light as endless astral force poured into his body.
Boom!
The planet of stardust shattered in an instant.
Gu You's lips curved into a crooked smile. He had been waiting for this exact moment.
Purple-Gold Radiance—Invincible for Three Seconds!
His fourth bloodline soul ring flared brightly.
The shockwave from the exploding stardust planet sent the entire arena trembling violently.
Li Zhilong rose into the air, his expression unnervingly calm.
Had he truly lost?
Suddenly, a wave of purple-golden brilliance burst across the field.
As expected!
Gu You stood motionless, his eyes fixed on Li Zhilong.
"Fight!"
Both shot forward at once—Li Zhilong wielding a sword condensed of stardust, Gu You's dragon claw swelling, thicker and heavier than before.
Bang! Bang!
Clashes rang out in rapid succession as sword and claw collided.
"Break!"
Gu You barked, his claw closing into a fist, unleashing his full strength in a devastating punch toward Li Zhilong.
The explosion of force distorted the very air around them.
Not good!
Li Zhilong slashed with stardust to block, but the punch was too strong. His stardust shield shattered instantly under the impact.
Forced into a corner, a burst of starlight flashed across his chest, quickly spreading until it covered his entire body.
Battle Armor! Li Zhilong had released his soul-forged armor.
But it wasn't enough. The next strike sent him flying, slamming into the golden soul-power barrier that Xuan Shi had erected.
Gu You tightened his fist.
"Cough!"
"No more, no more… Today's young people are far too ferocious. This old body can't keep up." Li Zhilong coughed blood, his third-rank chestplate, forged from soul-forged metal, now marked with a clear fist imprint.
Gu You withdrew his soul rings, his aura rapidly receding.
He glanced briefly at Xuan Shi in the sky, said nothing, and left silently.
"What's happening with Xiao Yan?" Xie Xie asked, turning to the others.
Everyone shook their heads.
Xu Xiaoyan's entire body was surrounded in starlight, as if a goddess had descended. Countless golden motes shimmered around her, weaving dazzling brilliance. On her forehead, a mark had appeared at some point—identical to the starwheel atop her Starwheel Ice Staff.
The entire stargazing formation activated, gathering astral force into a single point.
Xu Xiaoyan floated lightly into the air, the converging star power pouring into her body.
The runes of the Stargazing Platform all lit up, the stars above flaring brightly once more. Thousands of starlights descended madly, rushing into her.
Even Xuan Shi, watching from the sky, was taken aback. It looked as if her martial soul was undergoing mutation.
Gu You paid it no mind, sitting cross-legged to recover his soul power. His body inadvertently absorbed some of the surrounding star energy as well.
"I've never seen a soul master so perfectly attuned to starlight. This little girl… interesting." Xuan Shi murmured.
Xu Xiaoyan's absorption continued for over an hour before her body slowly drifted back down. Dazzling light points emerged across her skin.
Counting carefully, there were exactly three hundred sixty-five.
She sat cross-legged on the ground, the three hundred sixty-five golden lights faintly flickering on her body. Beside her stood her Starwheel Ice Staff, now entirely golden. At its top, the starwheel seemed almost ethereal, as though the entire starry sky had been engraved within it. Staring into it gave one the sensation of gazing upon the heavens themselves.
Though Xu Xiaoyan's soul power fluctuations hadn't grown much stronger, her presence had transformed—purified. She seemed translucent, touched by an indescribable, otherworldly aura.
The stars above gradually returned to normal, the glow of the Stargazing Platform fading. The starlight on Xu Xiaoyan's body quietly receded, sinking into her flesh.
Her already-beautiful face now carried a soft, radiant sheen, faint divine brilliance flickering across her skin.
At that moment, Gu You finally opened his eyes…
Through nine days of travel, everything had gone smoothly. They had completed two exchanges each day, challenging well-known academies across the land.
Gu You's battles remained difficult. Even in secondary cities, encountering a Soul Sage was rare. But the assessment was nearly complete—only one final trial remained.
The last stop: Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
"Why don't we have any senior graduates from our Academy there? Isn't Sun Moon Royal considered one of the top universities on the continent? Why?" Xu Xiaoyan asked curiously from inside the car. Along their journey, they had discovered that many prestigious academies had Shrek graduates serving as teachers.
Xie Xie explained, "I heard from a senior at one of the last academies—Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was once destroyed, and that destruction was directly tied to our Academy. Ever since, they've been openly hostile to Shrek. It's the only academy that absolutely refuses to hire Shrek alumni as teachers. Of course, our seniors wouldn't want to teach there either. Though they aren't quite on our level, their hostility toward us has never faded."
Xu Lizhi frowned. "Then why are we choosing them? I've heard of the Sun Moon Royal Academy too. The elites they produce are incredibly strong. Many of the Federation's high-ranking officials graduated from there. Shouldn't we pick another academy instead?"
Gu You's gaze swept across the group. "Since they're our old rivals, then we fight. Retreat is not an option."
"If you win, you'll get bonus points."
A cold, sudden voice echoed inside the car.
"Teacher Wu?" someone blurted out in surprise. Outside the window, Wu Zhangkong floated effortlessly, as though walking on air, keeping pace with their speeding soul car. The voice had indeed come from him.
Gu You asked cautiously, "How many points can we earn?"
Wu Zhangkong said flatly, "If you win, all six of them receive full marks—plus ten extra. Which means, each of the remaining six can give you an additional fifty points."
"Perfect!" Gu You agreed without hesitation, slamming his foot on the accelerator. The soul car shot forward at high speed.
It's secured, secured!
Mingdu.
The most modern city on the entire Douluo Continent, Mingdu sat in the western region, its core shining with advanced civilization.
The moment they entered its boundaries, Gu You witnessed a scene rarely seen in other cities.
"Are those flying cars? In the sky?" Xu Xiaoyan pointed upward at the soaring vehicles, gasping in excitement.
Xie Xie nodded. "Looks like it. Aerial cars are still experimental, but Mingdu is the technological heart of the Federation. Looks like the tests are already very successful."
Traffic ahead gradually slowed. In the distance, at the highway exit, dozens of mechas patrolled the air in tight formation.
(End of Chapter)