Three purple soul rings slowly pulsed with intense radiance, blending with the violent fluctuations of soul power. The black medium-length hair draped over Xu Zihuang's shoulders swayed in the wind.
Without words or actions, at this moment he had already become the center of attention.
In everyone's eyes, Xu Zihuang only needed a single gaze. Of the three facing him, one was already unconscious, bleeding from nose and mouth, another had completely lost the ability to resist.
The last, Xiao Xiao, under Xu Zihuang's oppressive aura, turned deathly pale, all fighting spirit gone.
How could this not shock everyone present?
Xu Zihuang did not stop his steps. He walked past Wang Dong, who was encased in dark-red crystal, and casually raised his jade-like right hand.
His pale, slender fingers closed, and once again dark-red ripples spread before him. A magnificent long spear, also condensed from dark-red crystal, appeared in his right hand out of thin air.
The crystal spear was about three meters long, smooth and perfectly fitted to his grip. With a light sweep, it let out a piercing whistle in midair.
Xu Zihuang controlled the spear, stopping it right before Xiao Xiao's snow-white neck. His indifferent voice rang out:
"Do you still want to continue?"
The extreme sharpness of the spear tip made Xiao Xiao's legs go completely weak. Unable to withstand Xu Zihuang's pressure, she collapsed helplessly to the ground.
Her soul power was only rank twenty-two, while Xu Zihuang's was a full twelve ranks higher. Moreover, Xu Zihuang was an Ultimate attribute soul master, his foundation far deeper than others of his level.
The oppression he gave Xiao Xiao now surpassed even that of many Soul Sects.
Coupled with Xu Zihuang's three soul rings—far beyond conventional understanding, all purple thousand-year rings—together with Huo Yuhao's miserable state and Wang Dong's defeat before her eyes, Xiao Xiao's mind completely collapsed.
The outcome was already clear.
Xu Zihuang glanced at Xiao Xiao faintly, then turned and left under everyone's gaze.
"Crash—"
In his control, both the crystal spear in his hand and the dark-red crystal encasing Wang Dong shattered into fragments, scattering like starlight under the sun.
Regaining consciousness and control of his body, Wang Dong looked dazedly at Xu Zihuang walking right past him.
Filled with doubt, he instinctively turned back.
Seeing Huo Yuhao unconscious on the ground, bleeding from his nose and mouth, Wang Dong cried out in anger:
"Huo Yuhao!"
When his gaze moved to Xiao Xiao, collapsed weakly on the floor, the anger on his face grew even stronger.
"Xiao Xiao, what are you doing?!"
Xiao Xiao stared blankly at the floor before her, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.
"Wang Dong, we lost. We can't possibly win. This isn't an opponent we can deal with."
When Xu Zihuang used his second soul skill, Mirror Shatter, to seal Wang Dong earlier, Wang Dong had lost all consciousness and naturally had no memory. And because Xu Zihuang's second skill only required spiritual lock-on for instant cast, Wang Dong hadn't even seen the three purple soul rings that had appeared.
Now, Xiao Xiao's behavior was incomprehensible to him. Their partner, Huo Yuhao, had clearly been badly injured by that Yu Tianhuang, yet Xiao Xiao didn't even have the will to fight.
Weren't we supposed to fight side by side as companions?
"Xiao Xiao, I really misjudged you!" Wang Dong shouted angrily.
"Can't possibly win? I don't understand! Without the courage to fight, how could you ever win?!"
As the saying goes, those involved are blinded, while bystanders see clearly. Consumed by his anger, Wang Dong lost his usual judgment.
Turning around, he glared coldly at Xu Zihuang's back. Summoning all his soul power, his second purple soul ring lit up instantly.
In an instant, dazzling violet brilliance overwhelmed the original radiance of his Bright Goddess Butterfly martial soul. His transformed wings glowed brilliantly.
On the azure wings, golden patterns lit up like countless small suns, shining intensely.
All of them gathered onto his forewings, aimed directly at Xu Zihuang. At this moment, Wang Dong's entire body was dyed in golden light, the radiant beams from his wings converging into a torrent that instantly engulfed Xu Zihuang.
The invigilating teacher, still stunned by the previous display, did not react immediately. Just as he prepared to intervene, Xu Zihuang's voice rang out from within the golden light.
"Don't understand? Do you understand now?"
As the golden brilliance faded, the first thing to appear was a massive dark-red crystal barrier before Xu Zihuang.
Of the three purple soul rings around him, his second soul ring glowed again.
Wang Dong's second soul skill, Butterfly Goddess Light, was indeed powerful. But no matter how powerful, its ring's age was only just over a thousand years. Xu Zihuang's second soul ring, taken from the Demon Orca, had already exceeded five thousand years after fusing part of the Skydream Iceworm's origin.
Not to mention the enormous gap of more than ten ranks in soul power.
For Wang Dong to break through the defense of Xu Zihuang's Mirror Shatter was nothing but a fantasy.
Wang Dong's pupils contracted violently, as if struck by lightning.
Three purple thousand-year soul rings—this was something far beyond "outstanding talent."
His own cultivation had been supported by countless family resources and pills, and he was even a twin martial soul holder. Yet even so, he had only just managed to absorb a thousand-year soul ring at rank twenty.
Xu Zihuang's words struck him deeply.
Do you understand now?
Wang Dong had known there were several Soul Elders among this year's freshmen, but he had always disdained them.
He believed that with hard work, he could catch up in cultivation. Moreover, with a thousand-year second soul ring, his soul skill's innate strength already gave him an advantage.
But before Xu Zihuang, all that sense of superiority collapsed instantly.
Perhaps it was that collapse, or perhaps his genuine desire to avenge Huo Yuhao. Either way, he still couldn't accept it.
Just then, a cold voice filled with suppressed anger rang out from the stands.
"Enough! Stop disgracing yourselves here!"
Wang Dong looked toward the stands, aggrieved and furious. The speaker was none other than their Class One homeroom teacher, Zhou Yi.
His mood was already foul, and Zhou Yi's words only fueled his rebelliousness.
But Zhou Yi had no time to care for Wang Dong's feelings. Her fists clenched tightly as she looked at Mu Jin, now recovered and smiling mockingly beside her.
Her chest heaved violently. With a cold snort, she flicked her sleeves and strode away from the stands.
Mu Jin, however, pressed her advantage, loudly calling after her:
"Teacher Zhou, don't forget to prepare your soul bone and resignation letter."
After years of pent-up resentment, finally having the chance to release it, she felt unspeakably refreshed.