Chapter 118: Di Ao vs. Royal Moon!
The next day, the competition began as usual. Even more spectators arrived today than for the intense match between Shrek and Star Luo the day before. Everyone was eager to see if Du Qianjue would reveal any more of his hidden strengths against this year's formidable opponent, the Royal Moon Soul Guidance Academy. Du Qianjue, like a never-ending treasure trove, had everyone curious about how much power he still had concealed.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the match time quietly approached. Both teams slowly emerged from the tunnel, their gazes colliding in the air to spark intense flames. Why twelve pairs of eyes? Because Meng Hongchen was throwing seductive glances at Du Qianjue, who responded by looking up at the sky with a speechless expression. Hence, only twelve pairs.
On the tense and smoky stage, only Du Qianjue and Meng Hongchen created an extremely bizarre scene.
Di Ao Academy's lineup included: Soul Sage Du Qianjue, Soul Emperor Wei Feng, Soul King Lin Weiling, Yang Lian, Lin Mo, Ouyang Qian, and Zhao Jian.
Royal Moon Soul Guidance Academy's lineup featured: Level 6 Soul Guidance Master Ma Long, Level 5 Soul Guidance Masters Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, Mi Jia, Xiao Xiaofeng, Chen Fei, and Lin Xi.
It was the usual group of competitors, still the same familiar faces… well, the same familiar stage. Huang Jin Xu quietly appeared.
"The second semifinal match, Di Ao Academy vs. Royal Moon Soul Guidance Academy!"
"Both sides, prepare!"
Ma Long's eyes sharpened, and his team quickly formed their formation with him at the center, the Hongchen siblings at the rear, Mi Jia and Xiao Xiaofeng at the front, and Chen Fei and Lin Xi on the flanks.
Di Ao Academy appeared relaxed. During previous matches against the Spirit Battle and Star Luo teams, Du Qianjue had told his team they could fight on their own, and whatever outcome they achieved would be acceptable. But if they were facing the Royal Moon Soul Guidance Academy, Du Qianjue declared that he would handle it alone and no one else needed to intervene. The rest were happy to relax.
As natives of the Douluo Continent, they had little interest in soul guidance devices and preferred a hard-hitting, man-to-man fight. Fighting soul masters who relied on devices just wasn't appealing, even Wei Feng thought so.
So, they simply followed Du Qianjue's plan; he would take action, and the others would watch.
Ma Long wasn't bothered by the idea that only Du Qianjue would act, viewing it as an underestimation because facing even just Du Qianjue was already tremendously pressuring.
"The match begins!"
Huang Jin Xu instantly vanished from the stage.
The seven from Royal Moon Soul Guidance Academy coordinated their actions, pulling various soul guidance devices from their storage items. Everyone abandoned the use of high-powered devices that required long charging times for the sake of flexibility.
Ma Long had two strategies:
Strategy One: If Du Qianjue did not act, they would use soul guidance beams to break the formation of Di Ao Academy with Ma Long employing a fortress tactic for a full-coverage bombardment.
Strategy Two: If Du Qianjue acted, everyone would use the fortress tactic with all firepower focused on Du Qianjue.
Having seen Du Qianjue withstand a level seven thunder cannon, they knew relying on a single powerful attack was futile; even their most powerful devices likely wouldn't affect him. They decided a mass attack might stand a better chance.
Thus, Du Qianjue, hands in pockets, suddenly found himself facing seven metal fortresses, their cold muzzles glistening in the sunlight as dense soul power swirled around them.
Each fortress was assembled from numerous soul guidance devices, not very agile but capable of stationary attacks. The firepower from these fortresses was terrifying, and combined with numerous support devices, each could perform attacks beyond their level.
Ma Long and his team each bore thirty-two mini soul guidance beams, eight decomposition rays, four piercing cannons, and two thigh-thick level six soul guidance cannons on their shoulders.
Feeling targeted by countless attacks made Du Qianjue slightly uncomfortable. Although he could easily counter Soul Emperor and Sage-level attacks, being aimed at by all these weapons gave him a surreal feeling of being in a live-action shooter game.
This moment, even Du Qianjue, who generally disregarded soul guidance devices, considered getting a couple to play around with.
Seeing Du Qianjue's lack of action, Ma Long and his team showed no mercy. Except for Meng Hongchen, who hesitated a moment during her attack, everyone else's cannons burst into countless flashes of light.
A barrage of terrifying soul guidance beams and piercing rays all targeted Du Qianjue.
Dodge? Impossible!
Seven soul rings activated around Du Qianjue.
The sixth soul ring, given by the Sacrifice Red Dragon, lit up for the first time, unleashing a powerful soul skill.
A phantom of a red dragon covered in scarlet scales appeared behind Du Qianjue, its golden dragon eyes flashing disdain.
After the Red Dragon's sacrifice, her soul did not disperse, so when this soul skill was activated, the Red Dragon's soul would awaken autonomously.
For her, a fierce beast over 200,000 years old, the attacks of the Royal Moon Soul Guidance Academy were previously unworthy of even making her look their way.
Sixth Soul Ring First Skill: Red Dragon's Breath!
The red dragon's mouth opened, pulling fire elements from the environment into strands of fiery energy that gathered in her throat, lighting it up like a small sun.
"Roar—"
The dragon's roar echoed through the arena, and a lava-like breath erupted with overwhelming power, smashing the combined attack of the seven from the Royal Moon Soul Guidance Academy.
The lava breath continued unabated, crushing their attacks and charging towards them with a massive impact.
With the assistance of the yin-yang complementary dual soul cores, the soul power gathered in this attack was immense, and how could they, none of whom were even Soul Sages, withstand it?
Ma Long saw the approaching lava breath, his pupils dilating as he bellowed:
"Activate the invincible shield!!!"
Slapping a radiant golden crystal on his waist, a golden shield enveloped him.
Xiao Hongchen and the others replicated Ma Long's action.
On the stage, seven figures protected by invincible shields faced the cataclysmic lava breath.
"Boom—" "Crack—"
The soul guidance shields broke first, and the breath crashed into the invincible shields, lifting the seven fortresses fixed on the stage and blasting them out of the arena.
Except for Mi Jia and a few others, whose lower cultivation meant their shields broke and they suffered burns, the others were mostly unharmed.
But this was because Du Qianjue had shown restraint.
Du Qianjue also realized he had been a bit too forceful; he had pulled back a bit of power just before the breath hit them.
The power of this move had reached the level of a Titled Douluo; even with their invincible shields, if he hadn't pulled back, a few of them might have died.
Du Qianjue didn't want the hostility towards the Body Sect from the Sun-Moon Empire to be too intense, so he didn't plan on killing the competitors from the Sun-Moon Empire on the stage.
In the future of the second cycle, soul guidance would dominate, and the Douluo Continent would eventually be overrun by the Sun-Moon Empire; even the powerful Body Sect couldn't contend against the entire continent.
Defeating them was enough; there was no need for killing.
Not that Du Qianjue was afraid of the Sun-Moon Empire; after becoming a god, he could easily annihilate the entire Sun-Moon Empire with a wave of his hand and didn't need to care.
But as a sect, the Body Sect couldn't forever isolate itself from the world.
Especially since the inheritance of the Body Soul was difficult and required traveling the continent to find disciples.
Building a good relationship with the future's number one country on the continent was indeed necessary.
"Thank you for showing mercy!" After retrieving his soul guidance devices, Ma Long, still shaken, stood up and solemnly saluted Du Qianjue.
It was clear that Du Qianjue's strike had the potential to kill several of them, but in the end, there were virtually no casualties.
Ma Long naturally didn't think this was because Du Qianjue's attack was weak; it was obvious he had held back.
This was rare and not easy for the people of Douluo Continent, who were hostile to their Sun-Moon Empire.
In the past, when Shrek acted against them, they were ruthlessly aggressive, usually resulting in a few competitors from the Sun-Moon Empire dying on the stage each tournament.
Ma Long had thought he would likely die on the stage, but in the end, he survived.
"After all, it's just a competition, isn't it?" Du Qianjue smiled slightly.
Ma Long paused.
Just a competition?
"You're right, it's just a competition. Although I'm grateful for your mercy, we will still give our all," Ma Long took a deep breath, his eyes hardening.
"This is why we participate in the tournament and why we stand on this stage."
Is Du Qianjue strong?
Very.
So strong that Ma Long and his team had no hope of winning.
But what of it? Even in a battle they fundamentally couldn't win, Ma Long would do as he said and give his all.
"Are you sure? If I don't hold back next time, you might need to collect bodies," Du Qianjue was a bit surprised.
The Spirit Battle team had been broken by him, but Ma Long, similarly crushed in one strike, still had such high morale?
"We won't blame you, even if we really die on the stage. To die at the hands of such a powerful individual would also be an honor," Mi Jia, who was silently suffering from burns, managed a smile.
"I will also prove to you that my talent is not inferior to yours!" Xiao Hongchen's eyes were also full of fighting spirit.
"Alright, then I'll wait for each of you to challenge me in the individual battles," Du Qianjue laughed and walked off the stage with Wei Feng and the others.
Huang Jin Xu, who had been silent, looked on with complex emotions.
"Why can't such a genius be one of my Star Luo Empire's people?" he sighed inwardly, then announced loudly:
"Semifinal, Di Ao Academy vs. Royal Moon Soul Guidance Academy, the first match, team battle."
"Di Ao Academy wins!"
"Next up: individual battles, starting in one hour. Please prepare, both teams!"
As they returned to the waiting area, even though the members of Di Ao Academy had grown accustomed to Du Qianjue's endless array of techniques, they were still shocked when that red dragon appeared behind him.
They were right under the Red Dragon!
A 200,000-year-old fierce dragon; its dragon might nearly crushed them.
"Junior, could you warn us before you release such soul skills in the future? We'd like to keep our distance," Yang Lian complained, still shaken.
"I was almost scared to death."
As a falcon-type soul beast, dragon might was particularly oppressive for him.
"Is it really that exaggerated?" Du Qianjue was puzzled.
A bit of dragon might is unbearable?
Really?
In fact, Du Qianjue was mistaken in his thinking; at his level, even a casual display of the Red Dragon's Breath released dragon might not inferior to the Red Dragon's own during her life.
A group of Soul Kings and Emperors facing the might of a 200,000-year-old dragon beast would naturally struggle.
The only reason they weren't completely incapacitated was that Du Qianjue didn't target them or deliberately spread the dragon might.
Otherwise, they would have been in even worse shape.
The others all nodded, agreeing with Yang Lian that it wasn't an exaggeration, Wei Feng included.
Du Qianjue reluctantly agreed.
"Alright, from now on, when I release such soul skills that come with inherent pressure, I'll let you know in advance."
Wei Feng and the others finally relaxed.
God knows how awkward they had felt.
To be intimidated not by an opponent but by a teammate's soul skill during a match? How embarrassing and awkward.
The hour passed quickly.
The time for the one-on-one battles was nearly upon them.
As Huang Jin Xu called for the competitors to approach the stage, Du Qianjue stood and headed towards the arena.
The first to enter the individual battles from the Royal Moon Soul Guidance Academy was Meng Hongchen.
Ma Long had calculated well; he wanted Meng Hongchen to go first because of her Zhuqing Ice Toad soul's natural ice and fire poison.
Meng Hongchen's poison abilities, which hadn't been used since the tournament began, had been kept hidden, and now was the perfect time to utilize them.
First, let Meng Hongchen take the stage, releasing her ice and fire poison to try and prolong Du Qianjue's exposure to the toxin.
Even if Meng Hongchen was eliminated, as long as Du Qianjue was successfully poisoned, Ma Long's tactics would have worked. The remaining six just needed to outlast Du Qianjue until the severe poison incapacitated him.
How to endure, however, was up to Meng Hongchen.
As Huang Jin Xu saw both Du Qianjue and Meng Hongchen ascend the stage, he nodded.
"The first individual battle begins!"
Meng Hongchen gazed across the stage at the man who haunted her dreams, her eyes misty and her face flushing with an unhealthy red, which also tinged her normally ice-blue eyes.
(End of Chapter)