It wasn't just Xu Tianhao who was developing an increasingly intense interest in investigating Qiu Hetian.
Standing opposite him, Qiu Hetian was also filled with an irrepressible curiosity about this Sixth Prince of the Sun Moon Empire.
This emotion quietly grew in both of their hearts.
In Qiu Hetian's eyes, he only possessed his current strength because of the help of his two teachers and the full support of the Holy Cult.
His strength was forged through Opportunity, his Sect, and external resources, combined with his own ruthlessness and persistence.
But looking at Xu Tianhao, Qiu Hetian was somewhat surprised.
Although Xu Tianhao bore the noble status of the Sun Moon Empire's Sixth Prince and was born at the top of the pyramid, possessing the Empire's finest cultivation resources...
spirit rings, spirit tools, and Medicinal Pills were all at his disposal; he never needed to struggle with all his might for a scrap of resources like low-level Spirit Masters.
But the path of cultivation was never something one could reach the Peak of through resources alone.
A person's Innate talent was the fundamental factor that determined their upper limit.
If one's talent was mediocre and their Comprehension Ability was lacking, no matter how many resources were poured into them, they would ultimately fail to achieve greatness.
At most, they would be a waste of space who merely possessed resources.
But what about Xu Tianhao?
Even though he was acting, the strength, combat awareness, Domain control, and adaptability he displayed in this duel...
All of these proved that Xu Tianhao was by no means a showy weakling built solely on status and resources.
This answer made Qiu Hetian acknowledge Xu Tianhao's strength in his heart.
Even if Xu Tianhao was a top-tier aristocrat whom he loathed and despised from the bottom of his heart.
A member of the privileged class standing in opposition to commoner Spirit Masters.
He still had to reluctantly admit that Xu Tianhao was truly gifted, a one-in-a-million genius.
This strength made him worthy of standing on the same stage.
On the Soul Fighting Platform, the two seemed to be fighting intensely, every move lethal, with the roar of colliding Spirit Abilities never ceasing.
The spirit power fluctuations around them were surging and turbulent, making it look like a fight to the death.
In reality, they were precisely controlling their power throughout the entire match, showing perfect chemistry while throwing the fight.
Every clash of Spirit Abilities and every exchange of blows was a deliberate attempt to control the damage.
This ensured the fake match wouldn't be exposed without actually causing any fundamental harm to each other.
Beneath this superficial, fierce slaughter, both were silently labeling each other in their hearts.
Measuring the other's strength, Heart-Nature, and potential value.
This silent psychological game was far more intense than the fight on the platform.
Seeing that the duel had gone on long enough, continuing the stalemate would inevitably arouse the suspicion of the Titled Douluo experts below.
Xu Tianhao's gaze darkened slightly, and during a gap between Spirit Ability collisions, he sent a voice transmission:
"Our spirit power consumption is about right. Make our injuries look realistic; don't leave any flaws."
Hearing this, Qiu Hetian's brow furrowed imperceptibly.
He immediately replied coldly, his tone tinged with impatience: "I don't need you to tell me; I know what I'm doing."
After the transmission, their eyes met, and they instantly reached a silent understanding.
Originally, in this seemingly fierce duel, the members of both teams had only suffered minor external injuries; aside from the massive spirit power consumption, they weren't truly wounded.
Upon receiving the command, the fourteen Spirit Masters on the field understood perfectly. They all secretly circulated their spirit power, deliberately causing their blood and Qi to surge.
Combined with the appearance of wounds created by the aftershocks of Spirit Abilities, they forced themselves into the guise of being heavily injured.
The members of the Mingluo Sect and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy began to bleed from the corners of their mouths; several from the Mingluo Sect even had their clothes torn to shreds by Spirit Abilities.
The spirit power fluctuations around everyone became extremely chaotic, their faces as pale as paper, and their bodies swayed unsteadily.
Some even clutched their chests and collapsed to their knees, looking so severely injured that they seemed on the verge of death.
But in reality, these were all just illusions they had deliberately created.
What looked like shocking, heavy injuries were merely external wounds and chaotic blood and Qi; no fundamental damage had been done.
As long as they found a competent healing-type Spirit Master to cast a few healing Spirit Abilities, they would immediately return to a lively and vigorous state.
Once all the disguises were flawless, Xu Tianhao and Qiu Hetian exchanged a look.
Both of their spirit power surged simultaneously, and the power of their respective Domains instantly went wild. They no longer held back, erupting with full force.
Xu Tianhao's Domain, Sun Moon Radiance, erupted with extraordinary dominance.
Qiu Hetian's Domain was filled with a strange, malevolent aura, fierce and ruthless.
The two completely opposite and conflicting forces collided violently in the center of the Soul Fighting Platform.
"Rumble—!"
A deafening explosion suddenly resounded throughout the soul fighting arena, as a violent shockwave of energy spread frantically from the two of them.
The granite slabs of the Soul Fighting Platform, which had been modified and reinforced, were instantly shattered into countless cracks, with stone fragments flying everywhere.
This sudden, thunderous noise caused all the spectators below to shudder.
The originally noisy scene instantly fell silent; everyone held their breath, staring wide-eyed at the Soul Fighting Platform.
The spectators were all focused intensely, for fear of missing any key detail, wanting to see the final outcome of this Peak duel.
But at this moment, the Soul Fighting Platform was already completely shrouded by the special effects of the Spirit Abilities generated by the collision of their Domains.
Colorful halos of Spirit Abilities intertwined, and combined with the sky-filling dust kicked up by the explosion, vision was completely blocked.
Even with their best efforts, the crowd below couldn't see the specific situation on the platform and could only wait for the result with anxious hearts.
Just as all eyes were focused, the chief judge Huang Jinxu put on an unfathomable expression, and nine spirit rings slowly rose around his body.
Two yellow, two purple, and five black—the nine spirit rings pulsed in an orderly fashion, showcasing his formidable strength as a Titled Douluo.
His figure blurred as he slowly rose into the air and then landed steadily on the Soul Fighting Platform, his steps calm and unhurried, fully displaying the demeanor of a powerhouse.
After landing, Huang Jinxu's expression was calm as he gave a light wave of his hand.
Dark purple starlight gushed from his palm, turning into a gentle yet powerful force that instantly swept across the entire Soul Fighting Platform.
The sky-filling dust quickly dissipated under this starlight power, and the intertwined halos of the Spirit Abilities gradually faded away.
The true appearance of the Soul Fighting Platform was finally clearly revealed before everyone's eyes.
At this moment, the Soul Fighting Platform was a mess, with rubble everywhere and residual spirit power fluctuations still chaotic.
As for the fourteen Spirit Masters from both sides, except for Xu Tianhao who was barely standing, the other thirteen had all collapsed.
Some curled up on the ground groaning in pain, others had their eyes shut tight in unconsciousness; the scene looked extremely tragic.
Qiu Hetian was even half-kneeling on the ground, supporting himself with one hand, with a glaring trail of blood at the corner of his mouth.
He stared fixedly at Xu Tianhao with a face full of unwillingness, rage boiling in his eyes, his crimson gaze seemingly wanting to tear the other man apart.
Qiu Hetian's eyes were filled with the humiliation and resentment of defeat, portraying the image of a loser to perfection.