On the training ground near the Temple of Offerings, Su Cheng stood face to face with Qian Renxue.
Su Cheng glanced around with a smirk. "Quite a crowd today, isn't it?"
Unlike last time, this time there were more than just Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile Douluo secretly observing.
All the other major figures from the Temple of Offerings had also gathered, forming a circle inside the temple, waiting for Qian Daoliu to broadcast live.
Many Titled Douluo in the Elder's Hall didn't even bother hiding; they stood at a distance in the training ground, watching the spectacle, their eyes fixed on the two.
Even Bibi Dong was silently observing from the Pope's Hall, assessing the current strength of these master and disciple.
But among the audience, the majority were here for Qian Renxue.
As a peerless genius with innate soul power at level 20 and now having absorbed the first ten-thousand-year soul ring in the Soul Sage stage, she naturally drew attention.
Of course, these people didn't overlook Su Cheng either.
In the years since he joined the Martial Soul Temple, he had earned everyone's recognition and respect with his knowledge and wisdom.
But this respect was limited to his intellect; when it came to combat prowess, nobody believed he could surpass Qian Renxue.
The difference between the two was just too vast.
In addition, some well-connected students from the Martial Soul Temple were also present under the guidance of their elders to broaden their horizons.
Like Hu Liena, who had just been promoted to a Soul Grandmaster, was now standing beside Bibi Dong, watching the scene her teacher constructed with soul power.
However, there were also those here just for the fun, like Yue Guan.
He gloated at Su Cheng and said to the Ghost Douluo beside him, "Old Ghost, Mr. Su is about to get a good beating from his disciple this time. Every time I see that smug look on his face, I don't know why, but it just irks me a bit. What do you think?"
"I think it's fine," said the Ghost Douluo flatly, his words devoid of mercy. "You're just jealous because he knows more than you do."
Yue Guan's face fell, realizing he had been roasted. "Well, I never!" he muttered, sulking as he turned his attention back to the impending battle.
"..."
As the duel was about to commence, Qian Renxue looked at Su Cheng. "Teacher, you haven't mentioned your wager yet."
"Let's talk about it later. Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. If you feel it's inappropriate, then forget it. I don't need anything from you right now," Su Cheng replied nonchalantly.
Qian Renxue seemed to ponder something, a blush creeping onto her face as she lightly touched her chin, not rejecting his offer.
The onlookers had various thoughts, but Su Cheng knew Bibi Dong must be watching at this moment.
Yet, he paid it no mind.
Qian Renxue was still too green, despite some unexpected surprises, just being a Soul Sage wouldn't trigger Bibi Dong's vigilance.
Qian Renxue had no idea what Su Cheng was thinking at this moment.
Her mind was simple; she just wanted to surpass her teacher in strength.
"Be careful, teacher."
Her six-winged angelic martial soul emerged behind her, four soul rings of two yellow, one purple, and one black shimmering. As golden light bathed them, two pairs of pure white wings spread out from her back, resembling a true angel, as she floated suspended in mid-air.
Then, concentric golden rings emitted a strange and melodious sound as they enveloped Su Cheng directly, imposing a powerful pressure from all directions, restricting his senses.
Domain. Qian Renxue went straight for her angelic domain this time.
Without hesitation, Su Cheng summoned his martial soul, the first soul ring glowing, imbuing his longsword with resilience.
Then, like him, dispersing sword qi emanated from him, forming a rudimentary sword domain around him, barely able to defend against the pressure of the angelic domain and only slightly weakening it.
As for grappling with his opponent, that was simply wishful thinking.
Strategy remained the same for Su Cheng as three years ago: defend and counterattack.
But Qian Renxue was clearly not the same as three years ago.
She didn't directly attack or use her first three soul skills. Instead, she immediately activated her pitch-black fourth soul ring.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Angel's Descent!"
With this soul skill, the shadow of the six-winged angelic martial soul disappeared, merging seamlessly with Qian Renxue.
Radiant golden light shimmered around her, her powerful aura unabashedly radiating in all directions.
This soul skill was evidently different from the usual martial soul fusion; it was a comprehensive enhancement of herself, maximizing her holy attributes while further enhancing the connection between her body and martial soul.
Her speed, physique, and explosive power all skyrocketed in an instant.
With a flash of golden light, a gigantic light-blade sword appeared in Qian Renxue's hand.
Then, she swiftly dashed towards Su Cheng, engaging him in combat.
This time, Qian Renxue didn't rely solely on overpowering strength but instead focused on pure swordsmanship, occasionally retreating without giving Su Cheng a chance to gather momentum.
Qian Daoliu had once told her that Su Cheng's swordsmanship excelled in neutralizing relentless attacks.
If the attacking party failed to understand the concept of conserving energy, the longer the battle dragged on, the stronger Su Cheng would become.
His sword stance was virtually impenetrable when facing opponents of similar strength.
But this defensive swordsmanship also had its flaws.
If the opponent was determined to engage in a war of attrition, Su Cheng would find it difficult.
Currently, Qian Renxue's martial soul intensity and soul power level far surpassed Su Cheng's, making it obvious who would ultimately prevail in a head-on confrontation.
However, at this moment, Su Cheng hadn't planned on resorting to his old tricks.
Blades clashed, swords flashed.
"Clang!"
The two swords collided with each other.
Surprisingly, after several exchanges, neither side gained the upper hand.
Then, the clang of swords continued to echo as they clashed.
This scene caught all the spectators off guard.
There were speculations about the possibility of Su Cheng pulling off a surprise victory, but none of the Titled Douluo present had anticipated such an evenly matched exchange.
"Wait a minute, it seems like Miss Qian isn't going all out with her attacks, is she holding back?" Yue Guan looked at his old buddy, Ghostly.
"Not just that," the Ghost Douluo's expression also showed some surprise. "Didn't you notice Mr. Su's speed of attack is excessively fast?"
"Huh?" Upon hearing Ghostly's remark, Yue Guan finally caught on. "You're right, but why though?"
In a soul master battle, it's never just a showdown of soul power. Factors like strength, speed, perception, prediction, and soul skills are all crucial.
Especially in close combat, often, in the split second when the opponent makes a move, one would anticipate their next move.
As a Soul Emperor, Su Cheng theoretically shouldn't be able to keep up with Qian Renxue, who is a Soul Sage.
That's why Yue Guan hadn't noticed this earlier.
However, the situation in the arena is quite the opposite now. Each of Su Cheng's attacks seems to catch Qian Renxue off guard.
As a result, she misses her chances with every strike, always lagging behind in the rhythm of the attack.