395. Everyone, Come!

Boom!
In the blink of an eye.

On the plaza before the Pope's Hall, nearly thirty soul masters—whether standing on the ground or flying in the air—were all fainted.

None were spared.

They lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

The surroundings fell into complete silence.

The only sounds were the heavy breathing and pounding hearts of the remaining teams.

Qian Renjue stood there like a towering mountain, crushing them under an unbearable pressure.

Whoosh—

A gentle breeze blew past.

But everyone in the remaining team formations felt an icy chill down their spines.

“Clean this up and continue the competition.”

Qian Renjue resumed his position in the center of the plaza, casually instructing the nearby red-clad cardinal serving as referee.

“Yes, yes! I will immediately have them cleaned up,” the cardinal replied, trembling with both fear and admiration, his eyes burning with fanaticism.

The Holy Son is so powerful!

Even as a Soul Sage, the cardinal couldn’t capture a trace of the Holy Son’s movements.

Without delay, he ordered the teachers to drag their students back.

During the cleanup, murmurs spread through the remaining team formations, which had divided into two factions based on their empires.

They still found it hard to believe.

How could someone under twenty years old surpass the level of a Soul Sage?

Some began to regret holding back earlier, wasting valuable combat strength.

Qian Renjue stood quietly, observing them—or more accurately, observing Liu Erlong.

His eyes showed a hint of concern.

“Is Ah Jue looking at me?”

Liu Erlong bit her lip, her cheeks flushed red, her eyes brimming with joy.

She completely missed the worry in his gaze.

On the throne in front of the Pope’s Hall, Bibi Dong’s expression darkened.

Liu Erlong’s lovestruck demeanor disgusted her to no end.

At this moment, Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Poison Douluo, who sat nearby, all noticed the chilling coldness emanating from her.

Sword Douluo’s expression grew solemn; Bibi Dong’s aura was suffocating.

As expected of a twin martial spirit wielder.

So young, yet already surpassing his century of cultivation.

Even Ning Rongrong couldn’t help but shiver.

Moments later, the fainted soul masters were all cleared away.

Once one academy took the lead in forming a team, others quickly followed suit.

The process became simpler as the competition progressed.

The representative of Heaven Dou Royal Academy had just taken a step forward to request a match when the representative of Star Luo Royal Academy moved ahead, striding forward confidently and calling out:

“Respected Holy Son, our entire Star Luo team humbly seeks your guidance!”

To this, Qian Renjue naturally saw no reason to refuse.

With a calm smile, he said, “No problem. You can step onto the field anytime.”

Hearing this, the Heaven Dou representative, realizing they had missed their chance, flew into a rage, angrily shouting at the Star Luo faction.

“You—you all are shameless! Bullying with numbers!”

“Tch!”

A member of the Star Luo faction spat toward the Heaven Dou side and pointed, loudly mocking:

“Pretending to be virtuous? Weren’t the ones just dragged off also from Star Luo?!”

“You... you!”

The Heaven Dou representative stammered, unable to form a retort.

The urgency of both empires stemmed from their growing awareness of the threat posed by hidden weapons.

Victory was now a pressing priority.


This Soul Master Competition is no longer just a contest between young soul masters.

It now holds the potential to shape the future strength and position of the empires.

For the two great empires, victory means obtaining those hidden weapons.

This would grant a strategic advantage, allowing the victor to study and replicate the unique soul tools first.

As for the losing side, it would mean falling behind in the future struggle for dominance—and possibly being the first to be eliminated in the three empire balance!

Qian Renjue silently observed the spectacle before him.

Did they think he was all show and no substance? Ha!

The Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe, frowned and stopped the official in charge.

“Calm down. What they’re doing...

...might just be laying the groundwork for our Heaven Dou Empire’s ultimate victory.”

Hearing Xue Qinghe’s words, the Star Luo Empire official sneered.

“If our remaining teams can’t handle it, then your teams will fare even worse!”

“...”

Xue Qinghe frowned, glancing at the nine remaining teams behind him. He remained silent.

The other side had a point.

“All of Star Luo’s forces, your Highness, please instruct us!”

The Star Luo official raised his arm, riling up the crowd to a frenzy.

His eyes gleamed with excitement and madness.

If he could bring back these unique soul tools, his contributions would surpass that of conquering new territories!

At his call, the remaining twelve teams of the Star Luo Empire surged forward, surrounding Qian Renjue.

Seeing this, the Heaven Dou Academy official beat his chest in frustration.

Even the palace knights around the plaza couldn’t help but feel concerned under the heavy encirclement.

Could their Holy Son really win?

After all, he was facing more than eighty soul masters, each above rank 36, not to mention several Soul Ancestors!

As the one in the middle of it all, Qian Renjue didn’t feel the least bit oppressed.

On the contrary, he wanted to escalate the situation even further.

How else could he make a name for himself and intimidate those who dared compare themselves to him?

Meanwhile, the Holy Cardinals and Red-Clad Bishops watched indifferently from the sidelines, unconcerned about Qian Renjue’s potential defeat.

Without hesitation, one of the Red-robed Bishops prepared to announce the start of the match.

“Wait.”

Qian Renjue’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to command everyone’s attention.

The Heaven Dou Empire contingent looked distressed.

The Star Luo Empire side, however, was secretly delighted.

As expected, throwing everything at him would overwhelm this enigmatic Holy Son!

But Qian Renjue’s next words shocked everyone and left them dumbfounded.

“All Heaven Dou Empire teams—step up as well.”

“What?!”

Qian Renjue’s statement was like a bolt of lightning, stunning everyone into a daze.

Even Bibi Dong’s icy demeanor softened at his words, a proud smile tugging at her lips.

The Bishops couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.

If the Holy Son insisted on this approach, this Soul Master Competition would surely go down in history.

“This is wonderful!”

Many in the Heaven Dou camp were overjoyed.

With everyone participating, even if they didn’t gain the upper hand, they wouldn’t fall behind.

On the other hand, the Star Luo official’s face darkened.

Was Qian Renjue afraid of losing and trying to disrupt the peaceful status quo of the Soul Master world?

How cunning!

The Star Luo official immediately protested.

“Holy Son, we do not agree!

Even if Star Luo loses, we won’t drag Heaven Dou into it!”

“Heh.”

Qian Renjue couldn’t help but admire the Star Luo official’s eloquence.

It was clear he was insinuating Qian Renjue’s defeat, yet his words were flawless.

The Bishops ignored the Star Luo side, simply looking to Qian Renjue for instructions.

Qian Renjue, however, was unfazed.

Under the bewildered gazes of the crowd, he closed his purple eyes, raised his fingers as a sword, and placed them between his brows, muttering softly.

“Sixty-three opponents... a bit of a challenge.”

“But with my first soul skill, it should still be manageable.”