He made no sound at all as he moved, but wherever he passed, the surrounding light seemed to be devoured by the darkness surrounding him.
He was only about thirty meters away from Gu You.
Gu You's arm was already covered in dragon scales, his eyes focused sharply. Then—bang! At the very same moment, the Winged Tiger soul master was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the ground before dissipating into a burst of light.
Once the Winged Tiger soul master had been defeated, the figure cloaked in darkness finally revealed his appearance.
It was a pale-faced young man, nothing particularly remarkable about his features—except for his ash-gray hair, which caught the eye. His eyes were the same gray as his hair, and his entire presence gave off the feeling that he was from another world.
In his right hand, he held a massive scythe. The handle alone was three meters long, and the blade spanned over one and a half meters. Dark purple runes decorated the curved blade, and simply looking at it gave one the illusion of their soul being drawn into it.
The gray-haired youth raised his scythe and pointed it directly at Gu You.
A fierce dragon roar burst from Gu You's body. The majesty of the Dragon Clan could not be insulted. Even if Gu You wasn't angry, his bloodline would never stay quiet in the face of such a threat.
The roar was thunderous, shaking the heavens. The gray-haired youth and his two companions immediately began bleeding from their eyes, nose, and mouth under the overwhelming pressure before vanishing in flashes of white light.
"I didn't expect to see a martial soul like that," Xu Xiaoyan said, wide-eyed. She had seen the whole fight unfold and couldn't help but be amazed.
"What? That martial soul? Isn't it just a scythe?" Xie Xie scratched his nose. From his perspective, Gu You had instantly taken care of the guy. What was there to be impressed by?
Xu Xiaoyan glared. "You really don't get it. Do you even know who that was? His name is Xu Yucheng—not a fancy name, I know—but in Mingdu, he's famous. He's a student from the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy and has a terrifying nickname there: Undying Xu Yucheng. His martial soul is the Dark Demon Scythe, also known as the Scythe of Death. You noticed how it looked, right?"
"So?" Xie Xie still didn't see the big deal.
"You!" Xu Xiaoyan huffed. "You've been spoiled by the boss. The Dark Demon Scythe is actually a super martial soul—technically speaking, it should be considered a god-level martial soul. But the reason it isn't classified as one is because it's too strong. The backlash it causes to its wielder is enormous. Even with a four-ring cultivation, soul masters with that martial soul don't dare absorb thousand-year soul rings. Even with hundred-year soul rings, he was incredibly powerful. Xu Yucheng was unmatched among his peers at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy—number one under fifteen, maybe even under eighteen. I didn't realize he'd gotten into our class too."
Xie Xie nodded slowly. So even someone like that had been crushed? Were there any classmates weaker than him?
The forest was still filled with the sounds of battle—shouts, crashes, and roars echoed everywhere. It was more like a battlefield than a training simulation.
Gu You moved through the forest, taking down any soul master who appeared in front of him with instant, overwhelming force. No one even had time to react.
Until a bright yellow light flared up ahead, and Gu You finally stopped.
A group emerged from the trees—not one or two, but seven students, clearly a coordinated team.
But Gu You didn't attack. His eyes widened slightly in disbelief.
The one walking at the front was a tall boy, his body bulked up to twice its normal size. His arms were covered in dragon scales, and four soul rings rose around his feet—all of them purple.
Behind him walked another boy, strikingly handsome and the most eye-catching among the group. Long blue hair trailed behind him, and his presence carried an ethereal grace. Although Wu Zhangkong also had blue hair, their temperaments were completely different—Wu Zhangkong was cold and aloof, but this youth wore a gentle smile, giving off the sense that everything was under control.
"Yuetian, I have to admit, even I admire you. You're incredible," the blue-haired youth said with a smile.
"No need to flatter me," Yuetian replied calmly.
Yuetian. Yuetian?
Gu You was struck by the name. He remembered the weak, clumsy kid from the orphanage... He never expected to see him here, in this kind of place. Thoughts of Shen Yue and the others rushed into his mind. Gu You clenched his fists tightly.
'Very soon… It won't be long now.'
But this was still a competition, and the fight had to continue. Gu You stepped forward silently, one step at a time.
"Who's there?" the blue-haired youth immediately became alert.
"Seeing some familiar faces, I'll let you go—for now. Withdraw on your own," Gu You said, looking at them calmly.
Withdraw? Not in this lifetime.
Luo Guixing stepped forward with a cold expression. "I don't care who you are or what background you have. You can beat me fairly in combat, but don't insult me by asking me to quit without a fight." He was ranked sixth on the Douluo Continent Youth Power Rankings. Even so, he had to admit that Gu You was ridiculously powerful. Just that 100,000-year soul ring alone made him nearly unbeatable.
"Then let me grant your wish," Gu You said as he clasped his hands together. "Don't worry—I won't make it hurt. But as someone with a soul skill titled 'Imprisonment', try not to trap yourself."
Rise!
The entire ground surged upward, as if two massive arms had lifted the terrain, then started closing in like a giant vice.
"Retreat! Quick, get out!" Luo Guixing shouted.
If they didn't move, they might literally be flattened. And this wasn't some pain-free simulation—if they suffered mental trauma in the virtual world, they might pass out in real life.
The rest of the team quickly withdrew. Just before time ran out, Yuetian looked back at Gu You once more—then left.
"Douluo Continent Power Rankings… I, Gu You, am coming for you next."
The Douluo Continent Youth Power Rankings was a list created by the Spirit Pagoda, specifically for soul masters. Its purpose was to encourage growth and improvement across the soul master world. The rankings were divided into multiple categories, and the main one was called the Douluo Continent Power Rankings. It listed the top 100 battle armor masters.
But Gu You wasn't aiming for that one.
He was after the Strongest Combat Power List!
Tang Wulin had heard Xie Xie talk about the rankings before and couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. He didn't like this feeling. Gu Yue, who used to chat with him occasionally, now wouldn't even spare him a glance.
Gu You steadied his breath, calming his emotions.
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from the sky.
"Remaining participants: thirty-two. Battlefield area will now shrink by fifty percent."
The voice sounded like Shen Yi's, amplified many times over.
As her words faded, the landscape around them began to distort. In the blink of an eye, everything became clear again—but Gu You found himself in a new area.
Battlefield shrinking?
Looks like the final stage had arrived.
Gu You murmured to himself. 'Xie Xie… I wonder where you are now.'
(End of Chapter)
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