The Senior Soul Master Academy possessed a grand dueling arena, a circular coliseum of white stone. Normally, it was a place for students to spar and test their growth, but today it thrummed with excitement and tension.
Hundreds of students filled the viewing stands, their uniforms fluttering in the spring breeze, voices buzzing like a rising tide. Teachers and instructors stood in rows along the periphery, some whispering, others watching with grave eyes. Even if an unknown person came here they would feel that today's duel was different.
At the highest viewing platform sat Shen Luo, the principal of the Academy. His long white beard swayed slightly in the wind, and his deep eyes glimmered like still water hiding unseen depths. A Level 85 Soul Douluo, he had seen countless geniuses rise and fall through the years—yet his expression now was relaxed.
"Principal," a teacher beside him asked quietly, "who do you think will win this duel?"
Shen Luo stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Lin Yuan is… the most talented soul master I've seen since her."
The teacher blinked, realizing instantly whom he meant. There was only one woman who could evoke such reverence from the old principal.
'Bibi Dong, the present pope of the Spirit Hall. It seemed that the principal must have personally taught her years ago.'
The mere memory of her brilliance brought a faint sigh to Shen Luo's heart. 'That girl was destined for greatness.'
His eyes turned back to the arena. "But," he murmured, "I do not know how far that little monster Jiang Mo has come. I have not seen his true strength since the day he challenged one of the instructors and won."
The teacher frowned. "Jiang Mo is a year younger than Lin Yuan, Principal. Isn't that a disadvantage?"
Shen Luo didn't answer immediately. His gaze sharpened. "Age doesn't matter when you're dealing with monsters."
The murmurs of the crowd began to fade as two figures stepped into the arena.
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On one side stood Lin Yuan—tall, proud, his aura cold and composed. His silver-grey robes, lined with black threads, fluttered around him like the mantle of a war god. His eyes, sharp and deep, reflected confidence that bordered on arrogance. Unlike when he had met Qian Renxue for the first time , he looked imposing.
Across from him stood Jiang Mo, his posture calm, his expression unreadable. His presence was quiet, Yet that very stillness gave birth to a sense of pressure that unsettled the heart, like a calm sea before a storm.
A faint spiritual wind rippled across the arena.
Then, the referee's said. " Release your martial soul"
Lin Yuan was the first to release his martial soul
"Abyss Spider Emperor, possess!" Lin Yuan's cold voice echoed.
A massive black phantom unfurled behind him, a spider unlike any seen before. Eight obsidian legs gleamed with a metallic sheen, each razor-edged like a forged blade. Its enormous body was wreathed in shadowy mist that distorted the light around it, and its six glowing red eyes gleamed like blood-soaked rubies, brimming with malice and hunger.
As the phantom fused into Lin Yuan, his body transformed.
Black, armor-like carapace enveloped his frame from head to toe. His arms twisted into clawed gauntlets, each movement exuding killing intent. Jagged spikes jutted from his shoulders, and from his back, eight segmented, bone-like limbs extended—flexing with eerie precision.
The transformation was both awe-inspiring and unnerving.
Four soul rings floated beneath his feet—one yellow, one faint purple, and two deep purple rings that pulsed rhythmically with power.
A murmur ran through the crowd.
"Four rings already… he's a Soul Ancestor?"
Another student, squinting at the faint hue of the second ring, exclaimed, "Look! His second ring—it's light purple! That means it's a thousand-year ring!"
The students nearby gawked.
"Impossible! A soul master body at that level should not be able to withstand it!"
Someone else whispered, "They say he found a soul beast right after of evolving into a thousand-year rank… that's how he survived it."
Principal Shen Luo smiled. "To take that risk at when he was young… hmph, reckless, but it worked."
Lin Yuan stood tall in the center of the arena, the obsidian sheen of his armor reflecting the light like liquid darkness. His expression remained calm, but his aura spread like rippling tar, suffocating and absolute.
Shen Luo's lips then curled into a faint, knowing smile."These people are shocked by Lin Yuan's soul ring configuration," he said quietly,. "They don't yet understand… what kind of monster Jiang Mo truly is."
As if responding to his words, a sudden surge of spiritual energy burst forth from the opposite side of the arena. The wind seemed to still.
Jiang Mo lifted his right hand, and with calm precision said—"Heavenly Evil Breaking Cudgel, possess."
A deep, metallic hum reverberated through the entire coliseum.
Light—black, gold, and crimson—intertwined as a weapon appeared in his grasp.It was a black-gold cudgel, massive yet refined, its surface etched with ancient, shifting runes that pulsed with restrained might. Faint golden light traced its carvings, while streaks of scarlet and azure coiled around its core like twin serpents. It even had a faint sheen of red and blue as if fire and ice were intertwining.
(Author: Spoiler..... red and blue)
Then, behind him—four soul rings rose in sequence.
Yellow. Purple. Purple. Black.
The audience fell utterly silent.