"How bold!"

Meng Shu's first, second, third, and sixth soul rings flared simultaneously as the true form of his Dragonhead Cane surged forward to strike.

Flender and the other teachers grabbed the nearest people and bolted.

Hell no!

A Spirit Douluo using Martial Soul True Body and four soul skills at once?

Even though Old Li had only used one soul skill, the power behind it wasn't lacking in the slightest.

This was a clash of heavenly thunder and earthly fire!

BOOOOM!!!

A deafening roar erupted as the shockwave swept across a radius of a kilometer, flattening everything in its path—wooden huts, buildings, even the outhouse—all gone!

Only a three-story villa remained standing, protected by a colossal rock wall.

Diyi Hong had reacted quickly, summoning seven rock walls in succession.

Six were shattered in an instant before the last one barely managed to hold.

He was simply limited by his soul power cap—if it were higher, he could have summoned even more.

In the aftermath—

Meng Shu's Martial Soul True Body still stood, but only most of it.

Half his body and a chunk of his True Body had been smashed into the ground.

Li Yusong didn't come out unscathed either. A trace of blood trickled from the corner of his golden lips.

But his eyes gleamed with extraordinary brilliance.

He—

A mere Soul Saint—

Had used just his fifth soul skill to clash head-on with an 89th-rank Spirit Douluo using their Martial Soul True Body… and only came out slightly worse for wear!

A 91,000-year soul skill and the boost from Indestructible Vajra Body—terrifying!

Clatter—

Meng Shu erupted from the pit in a shower of stone, glaring at Li Yusong in fury.

How humiliating!

"If you don't use your Martial Soul True Body now, don't blame me for showing no mercy!" he growled.

Li Yusong didn't act cocky—he graciously accepted the advice.

He activated his seventh soul ring.

A blood-red seventh soul ring!

His Dragon-patterned Staff expanded to over 70 meters, dwarfing the Dragonhead Cane.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!

Among the seven soul rings—five black, two red—Li Yusong's golden projection emerged, gripping the true form of the Dragon-patterned Staff and gazing down at Meng Shu like an adult looking at a child.

The disparity was jarring.

Meng Shu craned his neck upward, his expression grim.

So this is a 100,000-year Martial Soul True Body?

Absurd!

Absolutely absurd!

Especially that golden projection—it was almost certainly an effect of the Indestructible Vajra Body, and its power was unmistakable.

This…

Meng Shu clenched his teeth.

I'm a Spirit Douluo—how can I lose?

"Come, then!"

All seven soul rings blazed as the Dragonhead Cane's true form slashed downward with force.

"Come!"

Li Yusong only lit up his first soul ring, yet every strike from his Dragon-patterned Staff met Meng Shu's full-powered assault evenly.

That made Meng Shu's expression grow even uglier.

He barked, "You're still holding back?!"

In response—Li Yusong raised his staff and brought it down with overwhelming force.

SMASH!

Meng Shu staggered back several steps, his blood churning.

"One last move to settle this!"

Sixth Soul Skill – Clone Technique!

The Dragon-patterned Staff's true form split into seven phantoms. From each staff projection emerged a "Li Yusong," encircling Meng Shu completely.

Soul rings flashed—

Some clones smashed, others stabbed, some stood firm, while others unleashed immobilization techniques!

They swarmed him.

Meng Shu was forced to defend frantically, unable to counterattack. The longer he held out, the more mistakes crept in. One phantom jabbed him square in the waist—

His Martial Soul True Body scattered!

The Dragonhead Cane lost all cohesion.

Li Yusong raised his staff and began raining down blows to finish the fight.

"Dream on!!!"

Eighth Soul Skill – Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Strikes!

The Dragonhead Cane transformed into eighteen phantom images, each unleashing a different move to parry the staff phantoms. In the short term, he managed to hold his own.

But Meng Shu was horrified—

Holding his own?!

This move was supposed to end the fight decisively!

As his soul power drained rapidly, Meng Shu knew he couldn't stall any longer.

He clenched his teeth!

All eighteen phantoms converged into one colossal dragon-shaped cane shadow, sweeping out in an unstoppable arc, blasting through the clones one by one.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! CLANG!

But there stood Li Yusong's true body, wielding the Dragon-patterned Staff's core, blocking the blow.

He held firm—for a moment.

Then—

Meng Shu's soul power ran dry. He watched in defeat as his Martial Soul True Body faded, his eighth soul skill's power snuffed out.

He thought it was over.

Li Yusong also staggered back several steps, his Martial Soul True Body fracturing, his aura wilting—on the verge of collapse.

But Meng Shu knew—Li Yusong still had strength left.

Even if nothing else, that Indestructible Vajra Body would let him get in close and pound him into paste.

But…

This wasn't a life-and-death duel. No need to go so far.

Besides, that grudge from earlier? It had been thoroughly vented during the beatdown.

Leave some face.

Meng Shu gave Li Yusong a complicated look and nodded—his silent way of saying thanks for preserving his dignity.

Then he called over Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran, turned, and left without looking back.

A little humiliating. Time to lay low.

"Damn!" Zhao Wuji cursed. "Old Li, now even I'm not your match anymore. That's just insane!"

"Two 100,000-year soul rings!" Flender said sourly. "Diyi Hong, once I reach Spirit Douluo, how about giving me one too?"

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up, turning hopefully to Diyi Hong.

Diyi Hong just chuckled.

"A God-bestowed Soul Ring costs 5,000 livestream points each, you know…"

[User "Nine-Colored Goddess" has gifted: "God-bestowed Soul Ring" ×10]

["Nine-Colored Goddess": Don't refuse, streamer! I'll cover the rings for all the teachers once they rank up!]

Well, well!

A generous sucker—ahem, sponsor—was footing the bill.

Diyi Hong was happy to play the good guy.

"100,000-year soul rings? No big deal. As long as you all perform well, it's just a small matter."

Double meaning, loud and clear.

Not only must their bodies keep up—their behavior better be on point too.

Everyone there was no fool. They caught the hint instantly.

Zhao Wuji thumped his chest. "Diyi Hong, if you need anything, just say the word!"

"Same here," Flender grinned ear to ear. "Anything you need."

"Tanghulu for life! No stinginess at the cafeteria!" Shao Xin laughed.

"I've got a jar of vintage wine back home—interested?" said Soul Emperor Lu Qibin eagerly.

Who could blame them for being shameless?

100,000-year soul rings!

The top dream of every soul master!

A power even beyond external soul bones!

Who could resist?

Even Ma Hongjun and the other younger students nearby were green with envy, scratching their heads in frustration.

They were born too late… too weak… and missed the soul ring lottery!

Off to the side—

No one knew when he had returned, but Chen Xin watched with a complicated look.

"What a terrifying transformation."

He'd read Shrek's files.

Li Yusong used to be an ordinary six-ring Soul Emperor—his first soul ring was even white.

Just breaking through to seven rings had once seemed like a monumental hurdle.

But after that one lucky birth—

Not only had he reached Soul Saint, he could even challenge Spirit Douluo head-on!

Chen Xin glanced at the instigator, Diyi Hong, and felt… itchy.

Should I… give birth too?

Sure, the process wasn't exactly elegant, but really—it's just closing your eyes and sticking it out.

It was… bearable.

______________________

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