The soul ring configuration of Qian Daoliu was too shocking, completely shattering the worldview of those who witnessed it.
Even the 80,000-year-old killer whale and its evil kin, though not as intelligent as humans, were stunned.
They understood one thing clearly: the human before them, with nine glowing soul rings under his feet, was a being they could not afford to provoke.
This very killer whale had once witnessed the awe-inspiring power of the High Priest of Sea God Island in a battle with the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. Yet, even that display paled in comparison to the oppressive aura radiating from Qian Daoliu now—an aura nearly equal to that of the Sea God's priest before divine power was invoked.
"No... Extreme Douluo—run!"
The killer whale couldn't speak human language, but its meaning was understood by its race. In a flurry of panic, the group of evil killer whales began retreating.
"Trying to run?"
Qian Daoliu's voice echoed like that of a god, laced with divine pressure and spiritual force. With soul power alone, he effortlessly suppressed the entire pod of killer whales without even using a soul skill.
"Ho!"
The whales roared in panic, terror pulsing in their hearts. No matter how they struggled, they couldn't escape the spiritual pressure.
*"Angel Holy Sword!"*
A sacred, radiant sword appeared in Qian Daoliu's hand. With a single stroke, the golden blade descended, cleaving several ten-thousand-year-old evil killer whales in an instant. The sea itself split apart, leaving a deep, jagged scar on the surface.
The shockwaves alone wiped out a number of lower-level killer whales. And then, Qian Daoliu stopped. He had achieved his objective.
He came for one, but having encountered the pod early, he seized the opportunity to bring back more. They might aid one of his two apprentices in reaching the Titled Douluo rank.
Of course, his disciples might not be able to absorb the ten-thousand-year-old whale glue perfectly—but thousand-year-old ones were more manageable.
His eyes swept across the sea, settling on the floating corpses. With a few precise strikes, he split open their heads and retrieved their whale glue.
In total: five ten-thousand-year-old and ten thousand-year-old whale glues.
Naturally, the most prized was the one from the 80,000-year-old whale.
Looking at the stunned crew below, Qian Daoliu calmly said, "The mission is over. Return immediately."
It was only then that the crew snapped out of their stupor.
"Y-Yes, understood!"
Although Qian Daoliu appeared aloof, he was kind-hearted. To prevent retaliation after his departure, he personally accompanied the ship back to port.
Before leaving, he warned the crew not to venture to sea for the next half year.
"I can't believe it… we met the legendary Pope himself!"
"He's too strong! He killed so many ten-thousand-year-old killer whales with just one sword!"
"Of course, he's a Title Douluo. What do you expect?"
"Heh, we'll be bragging about this for the rest of our lives."
Of course, none of them realized they had just met the previous Pope—now the Supreme Pontiff of the Martial Soul Hall: Qian Daoliu himself.
---
*Martial Soul Hall Academy — Training Grounds*
Gu Han had quickly integrated into the group. Though his soul power was the lowest among the twenty students, the school's culture was welcoming. No one discriminated based on rank.
Still, competition was inevitable.
On the field, everyone took their positions. Gu Han held the Xuanshuang Sword in his hand, two yellow soul rings rhythmically spinning beneath his feet.
Opposite him stood a teenager wielding a fiery spear, soul rings glowing yellow, yellow, and purple.
"Gu Han, Martial Soul: Xuanshuang Sword. Level 23, Strong Attack System Soul Master. Please guide me."
"Wang Bo, Martial Soul: Flame Spear. Level 31, Strong Attack Soul Master. Let's have a good match."
They bowed, introduced themselves, and the match began.
"First Soul Skill: Flame Spike!"
Wang Bo struck first. Flames wrapped around the spear, increasing its power by 10%. He lunged at Gu Han with blazing speed.
"First Soul Skill: Xuanshuang Sword Qi!"
"Second Soul Skill: Ice Spirit Guard!"
Two soul rings lit up. A layer of frost covered Gu Han's sword, and a thick ice shield appeared before him.
The second skill, derived from an 800-year-old Ice Turtle, boosted his defense and all attributes by 10%.
*Clang!*
The flaming spear crashed into the ice shield. Wang Bo's eyes widened as a powerful rebound surged through his weapon. He quickly retreated and repositioned.
"He forced Wang Bo back, despite being 8 levels lower!"
Guibao was surprised. He had heard of Gu Han—hardworking and once the victor of 100 consecutive matches in the Great Soul Arena—but he doubted his strength against high-level martial souls like the Flame Spear.
Yet Gu Han had just proven him wrong.
Transforming the ice shield into body armor, Gu Han dashed forward. The Xuanshuang Sword gleamed coldly.
Wang Bo, alarmed, leapt back and countered with a spear thrust to Gu Han's chest.
Gu Han rotated his blade and sliced at the spear.
This wasn't like his previous battles. His opponent was strong.
But Gu Han didn't allow him any room to breathe. His swift, unpredictable movements left Wang Bo off balance.
Gu Han fought close. His opponent's longer reach was neutralized.
Though the saying goes, "An inch longer, an inch stronger," Gu Han used agility and tactics to reverse the tide.
Soon, Wang Bo struggled to keep up. Seizing the moment, Gu Han disarmed him.
"What…!"
Wang Bo reached out instinctively for his weapon, but the Xuanshuang Sword was already at his throat.
"I concede."
---
*(End of Chapter)*