Once everyone understood the rules, Elder Sheng smiled and gestured toward the glowing red circle at the center of the arena. "Since there are no objections, you may enter."
Liu Xi smiled lightly and strode inside without hesitation. Cao Ying and Dan Chen followed with calm expressions, while Bai Ying and Qiu Ji looked considerably less composed. Both men knew the truth — from the results of the previous two tests, it was obvious that they weren't even on the same level as Liu Xi, Cao Ying, or Dan Chen.
Reluctantly, they stepped into the circle. The five competitors took up their respective positions and sat cross-legged, each radiating quiet focus. This was a battle of Spiritual Power, not Dou Qi — there would be no physical movement here. At this stage, all of them possessed the ability to project their Spiritual Power externally as a weapon.
Seeing them ready, Elder Sheng stepped back and gave a single commanding wave. "Begin the assessment!"
His voice had barely fallen when five surges of Spiritual Power erupted simultaneously, three strong and two weak, flooding the air with invisible pressure. The vast Spiritual Power filled the hall, its weight so immense that even the spectators felt their souls tremble.
This was not a clash of strength or Dou Qi — this was a confrontation of pure spirit.
For a brief moment, all five maintained a tense equilibrium. Then, without warning, Liu Xi struck first. His Spiritual Power swept forth like a tidal wave, forcing the others to respond instinctively.
Five invisible soul forces burst out like five colossal pythons, streaking from every direction before colliding violently at the circle's center.
Boom!
An invisible shockwave rippled outward, forming gales that tore through the air. Wind howled through the grand hall as the Spiritual collision resonated, shaking the space itself.
But this was only Liu Xi's opening move — a simple probe meant to test the others, and perhaps eliminate a few distractions. His real opponents were only Cao Ying and Dan Chen.
And indeed, when the Spiritual storm faded, Liu Xi, Cao Ying, and Dan Chen remained motionless, untouched by the impact. Bai Ying and Qiu Ji, however, were hurled out of the circle as if struck by a divine hammer. They barely managed to stabilize themselves midair by channeling Dou Qi, landing awkwardly after spinning several times.
When they looked back, the three who remained — still sitting calmly, robes fluttering only slightly — made them realize the enormous gulf that separated them. Meeting each other's eyes, Bai Ying and Qiu Ji shared the same bitter smile. Against these three, they couldn't even last a single exchange.
They bowed respectfully toward Elder Sheng before stepping back to the sidelines in silence. In their clans, they were considered prodigies — yet here, they were utterly insignificant.
Within the red circle, Liu Xi chuckled softly, his gaze shifting between the two women — Cao Ying, composed and proud with her lips pressed together, and Dan Chen, eyes lowered in quiet nervousness. "The warm-up's over," he said mildly. "Now we can get serious. Ladies, don't hold back — or you might get blown away."
Cao Ying brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, a bewitching smile curving her lips. "Then allow me to return those words, Master Liu. I was trained in the most orthodox Soul Techniques of the Pill Tower. You may have stronger Spiritual Power and finer control, but when it comes to Soul Techniques, only my Pill Tower holds the complete inheritance."
Liu Xi's grin deepened, his eyes glinting. 'That might have been true once,' he thought, 'but the Ye Clan's ancestral gift changed everything.' Though his mastery was still new, his sheer Spiritual Power gave him confidence of victory.
"That remains to be seen."
As his words faded, Liu Xi crossed his hands and began forming intricate seals. At his brow, his Spiritual Power surged, flowing along hidden meridians in precise, rapid cycles.
A faint breeze brushed past, and an invisible gale formed around him — a translucent barrier that rippled with Spiritual force. It wrapped around Liu Xi's body, giving him an ethereal, untouchable aura.
The vast Spiritual Power that had been swirling chaotically around him condensed swiftly before him, coalescing into a single majestic shape.
In the blink of an eye, a colossal dragon of pure soul energy took form — scales glistening, claws gleaming, every motion exuding might. The oppressive aura of the true dragon spread through the arena, so strong that even the space itself began to quiver. When one of its claws lazily swept through the air, faint cracks of darkness split across the void like torn fabric.
This was a Soul Technique, a higher-level method of weaponizing the soul. And under Liu Xi's overwhelming Spiritual Power, the spiritual dragon appeared almost alive — its divine presence suffocating.
Cao Ying and Dan Chen stared in shock. Such manifestation of soul control was astonishing, far beyond what most 8th Tier Alchemists could display.
But they didn't falter for long. Both raised their jade-like hands, forming seals faster than the eye could follow. Their Spiritual Power surged outward, condensing into twin shapes before them.
With two sharp cries, phoenixes of Spiritual Power unfurled their wings beside each woman. Their luminous feathers shimmered with radiant flames of the soul, and each beat of their wings distorted space, leaving behind faint black fissures.
Seeing their response, Liu Xi smiled faintly and pointed forward. "Go."
A deep, reverberating dragon roar filled the hall — ancient, majestic, and deafening. Many spectators clutched their heads in pain, as the sound seemed to pierce straight into their souls.
The spiritual dragon's eyes gleamed with feral light. With a single sweep of its tail, it launched forward like lightning, soaring straight at the two women.
He was challenging both of them at once.
Cao Ying and Dan Chen exchanged a quick glance — a silent understanding forming instantly. Though rivals moments ago, they now joined forces against their overwhelming opponent.
"Go!" they cried in unison.
The twin soul phoenixes shrieked, their wings beating with explosive force as they lunged toward the oncoming dragon.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At the center of the circle, dragon and phoenixes collided in a storm of Spiritual might.
The dragon's claws slashed through the air, tearing shimmering feathers from the phoenixes as spectral flames burst and scattered like sparks. The phoenixes, smaller and less forceful, darted in and out, striking from both sides with sharp talons and hooked beaks. But against the dragon's superior Spiritual essence, their attacks left little mark.
The dragon, its energy fiercer and more refined, adapted with frightening intelligence. The light in its draconic eyes flickered with cunning, almost sentient thought.
Despite their combined assault, the phoenixes were driven back again and again — their cries of defiance drowned beneath the dragon's thunderous roars. Within moments, the mighty dragon had pressed them both beneath its claws, its spectral might enveloping them completely.
One dragon, two phoenixes — and the dragon reigned supreme.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on P4 treon, For those who want to read 2 chapters ahead for free, you can find me on P4 treon by searching for my username: Fallen_Archangel_.
Your support helps keep the stories coming! Please remember to leave a 5-star Review and a Power Stone to help the book grow