Chapter 98: Instant Crush! The Heavenly Soul Academy's Triumph
The atmosphere over the tournament stage thickened, heavy with the metallic scent of ozone and impending violence. Although Liu Yuan had just crippled one of their comrades in a single, blinding instant, the remaining members of the Star Luo Imperial Academy team were no ordinary combatants. They were imperial elites, forged through brutal layers of selection. Their mental fortitude, tempered by countless battles, finally showed its resilience.
"Do not panic! He only succeeded because of a sneak attack and bizarre Soul Skills!" an assault-type Soul King from the Star Luo team barked. His voice cracked slightly, betraying the fact that his shout was as much to steady his own racing heart as it was to rally his teammates.
"There are still four of us left, all at the Soul King level!" he continued, his eyes darting toward the unmoving figure of their fallen comrade before locking onto Liu Yuan. "He is merely a Soul Ancestor! And look at the trash behind him—Soul Elders and Soul Grandmasters! What could they possibly use to stand against us?"
"As long as we maintain our formation and avoid direct eye contact, he has no chance of turning this around!"
"He is right. Cover each other's blind spots! Activate your defensive Soul Skills and we press forward as one!" an agility-type Soul King echoed, his hands already blurring as he summoned his martial soul.
The four Soul Kings exchanged rapid, tense glances. Their previously scattered formation tightened into an impenetrable vanguard. The Soul Rings beneath their feet flared to life in a dazzling display of yellow and purple light. Thick, suffocating curtains of soul power erupted around them, merging into a unified wall of pressure. Their strategy was clear: abandon individual heroics and forcibly crush Liu Yuan through absolute, overwhelming cultivation suppression.
Meanwhile, in the Shrek Academy preparation area, Elder Xuan let out a long, ragged breath. He had been shifting restlessly in his seat, his knuckles white, but seeing the Star Luo team quickly recalibrate their formation allowed his suspended heart to drop back into his chest. He raised his greasy gourd, took a deep, greedy gulp of wine, and let out a harsh sneer.
"Exactly," the old man muttered, wiping his mouth with a stained sleeve. "No matter how much of a monstrous prodigy that little brat claims to be, the absolute chasm in soul power rank cannot be bridged by parlor tricks. One against four, and every single opponent is a Soul King. What can he possibly use to block a combined assault? Now that these Star Luo brats are taking it seriously, Liu Yuan is about to learn a very painful lesson about being outnumbered."
A familiar look of arrogant complacency settled back onto Elder Xuan's wrinkled face. In his mind's eye, he had already mapped out the inevitable conclusion: Liu Yuan, battered, bruised, and utterly drained of soul power, collapsing under the relentless siege of four superior combatants.
However, reality had no interest in indulging the delusions of a foolish old man. In the very next second, the situation on the stage shattered the expectations of Elder Xuan and the tens of thousands of spectators watching.
Facing the coordinated, suffocating advance of four Soul Kings, Liu Yuan did not retreat. He did not raise his guard. Instead, he casually dropped his defensive stance, letting his arms hang loosely at his sides. His posture was entirely relaxed, yet his gaze sharpened into something terrifyingly absolute. Within his Double Pupils, the violent, dazzling crimson light suddenly shifted. The bloody hue dissolved, replaced by a deep, pristine radiance that pulsed with an ancient, sacred authority.
"Qilin Precious Technique." Liu Yuan murmured. The words were soft, yet they seemed to echo directly into the minds of everyone present.
At that exact instant, a primordial, violent aura detonated from his very bones. Tendrils of freezing blue mist coiled around his limbs, dropping the temperature of the entire arena below freezing. The stone tiles beneath his feet cracked under the sudden, immense gravitational pressure. Then, he vanished. His speed broke the sound barrier, accelerating to a terrifying extreme that the naked eye simply could not track.
"Too slow."
The calm, indifferent voice whispered directly into the ear of the lead assault-type Soul King. Before the man's brain could even process the sound, Liu Yuan materialized out of thin air directly in front of him, entirely bypassing the unified wall of soul power.
"Wh—!" The Soul King only managed half a gasp. Pure survival instinct took over, his arms crossing over his chest in a desperate, frantic attempt to block the incoming strike.
It was utterly futile. Liu Yuan's speed and physical strength had achieved a monstrous, perfect equilibrium. He did not summon any flashy Soul Skills. He did not conjure any elemental beasts. He simply drew back his arm and delivered a plain, unremarkable punch. Yet, contained within that simple motion was the mountain-shattering, ocean-parting force unique to the Qilin Precious Technique. The fist connected with the Soul King's crossed forearms.
A sickening crunch of shattering bone echoed across the silent plaza. The kinetic force bypassed the man's flesh entirely, rippling straight through his internal organs. The assault-type Soul King was launched backward like a fired cannonball, his feet leaving the ground instantly. He tore through the air, completely unconscious before he even crossed the boundary line, and crashed heavily into the spectator stands amidst a chorus of horrified gasps.
"Third Brother!" The remaining three Soul Kings screamed, their eyes bloodshot with sudden, overwhelming rage. The shock finally broke, replaced by the desperate frenzy of cornered beasts. Roaring in unison, their highest-level Soul Rings flared with blinding intensity. They unleashed their ultimate Soul Skills, converging on Liu Yuan from three separate blind spots simultaneously.
A violent, chaotic torrent of elemental soul power tore up the arena floor, sealing off every conceivable avenue of retreat. The air itself screamed under the pressure of the combined assault. Yet, Liu Yuan stood perfectly still. He had absolutely no intention of dodging.
His combat style, usually so precise and calculated, shifted into something wildly domineering and utterly barbaric. He completely abandoned any semblance of defense, fully embracing the brutal philosophy of trading blood for blood.
"Laser!"
Liu Yuan's Double Pupils narrowed to razor-thin slits. A terrifying concentration of destructive energy gathered in his eyes. A hyper-condensed crimson beam erupted forward, instantly crossing the distance to strike the agility-type Soul King on his left.
The agility master's high-speed afterimages vanished as his momentum violently stalled. The crimson light pierced cleanly through his right shoulder, cauterizing the wound instantly. The sheer kinetic inertia of his own sprint betrayed him, sending his body tumbling wildly across the rough stone tiles until he crashed into the arena wall, completely incapacitated.
In that exact fraction of a second, the devastating attacks of the final two Soul Kings slammed squarely into Liu Yuan's exposed back and left flank.
"Got him!" the Soul King on the right roared, a savage grin of triumph splitting his face.
But before the echo of his shout could fade, his smile froze into a mask of pure horror.
Liu Yuan had just taken two full-powered strikes capable of splitting boulders and tearing through steel armor. Yet, his body merely swayed an inch forward. The physical enhancement granted by the Qilin Precious Technique had elevated his flesh and bone to a realm far beyond human limits. He had not even bothered to activate a supreme trump card like the Undying Body. He simply absorbed the kinetic impact with his bare skin.
Without looking back, Liu Yuan pivoted on his heel and delivered a brutal backhand uppercut. The strike carried the absolute, crushing weight of the Qilin's divine might. His fist buried itself deep into the chest cavity of the Soul King on his right. A sickening, hollow thud of caving ribs rang out. The man's eyes rolled back into his skull as he spat out a massive spray of blood, his body collapsing to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
In the span of a few ragged breaths, the grand, imposing vanguard of the Star Luo Imperial Academy had been reduced to a pile of broken bodies. Of the five elite combatants sent to crush him, only a single Soul King remained standing.
The lone survivor stared at the groaning, bleeding forms of his comrades scattered across the ruined stage. The short sword in his grip began to shake uncontrollably, rattling against his armor. His mind was fracturing under the weight of sheer impossibility. How could a mere Soul Ancestor take a direct, unguarded hit from a Soul King and not shed a single drop of blood? How could every single casual strike from this monster bypass their defensive skills entirely, shattering their bones as easily as dry twigs?
"Your turn." Liu Yuan slowly turned his head. Those terrifying, ancient Double Pupils locked onto the trembling man, pinning him in place like an insect under glass.
"No... Damn you!" Driven mad by absolute terror, the final Soul King swung his martial soul wildly, pouring every last drop of his soul power into a desperate, suicidal charge.
Liu Yuan did not even raise his hands. He merely offered the charging man a look of supreme, chilling indifference. The crimson light flared within his eyes once more. Another hyper-focused beam of destructive energy cut through the air.
A heavy thud echoed across the stage. The final Soul King collapsed to his knees, his momentum entirely broken. A perfectly cauterized hole smoked through his right thigh, completely severing his ability to stand. His weapon clattered uselessly against the stone, officially declaring his elimination.
One against five. Total, instantaneous annihilation.
The sprawling expanse of Star Luo Plaza plunged into a suffocating, deathly silence. Tens of thousands of spectators, nobles, and seasoned veterans alike sat entirely paralyzed. Their wide, unblinking eyes were fixed on the lone youth standing amidst the wreckage, his hands casually clasped behind his back, his breathing perfectly even.
To cross an entire major world of cultivation, to face a coordinated numerical advantage, and to achieve an absolute, crushing victory using nothing but raw, unadulterated physical power—it completely shattered the established laws of the soul master world. It was a scene that simply exceeded the boundaries of human cognition.
Back in the Shrek Academy preparation area, the greasy wine gourd slipped from Elder Xuan's limp fingers. It shattered against the floorboards with a sharp crack, sending cheap liquor splashing across his boots. He did not even flinch. The arrogant sneer had been wiped clean from his face, replaced by a sickly, ashen gray pallor. He stared fixedly at the stage, his jaw working soundlessly. His lips trembled, but his throat was entirely paralyzed, unable to force out a single syllable.
'This... this is impossible...'Elder Xuan's mind screamed in denial.'He is only a Soul Ancestor... How is this possible?'Behind the paralyzed elder, Huo Yuhao, Bei Bei, and the rest of the Shrek Academy team sat frozen in absolute disbelief. They had previously believed that Huo Yuhao's million-year soul skill,'Simulation', was the pinnacle of impressive talent. But now, witnessing the suffocating, overwhelming reality of Liu Yuan's true combat power, the bitter truth finally sank in. They finally understood what a true, heaven-defying monster looked like.
While the entire stadium remained trapped in a state of collective shock, the fierce clash on the opposite end of the stage was rapidly drawing to its own brutal conclusion. Seeing that Liu Yuan had effortlessly dismantled the vanguard and secured their rear, Long Aotian let out a breath. The final lingering trace of restraint vanished from his posture.
Throwing his head back, Long Aotian unleashed a wildly arrogant laugh that shook the very air. The dark golden light radiating from his skin surged into a blinding pillar of energy. The absolute origin power of his Body Martial Soul's Silver-level Secondary Awakening erupted without holding anything back.
"Huang Heyun, get off the stage!" Long Aotian roared, driving his palm forward. The strike tore through the air, carrying the crushing, unstoppable weight of a falling meteor.
Huang Heyun, who had been desperately burning his soul power just to maintain his footing, finally broke. He could not withstand the continuous, tidal-wave pressure of that palm strike. The massive, imposing phantom of his Dark Demon Tiger martial soul flickered and shattered, its soul power violently dispersed. Coughing up blood, Huang Heyun was sent tumbling wildly across the stone tiles, rolling off the edge of the arena in a thoroughly wretched state.
The dust slowly settled. Across the vast expanse of the tournament stage, only a single figure remained standing for the Star Luo Imperial Academy.
Princess Xu Jiujiu stood frozen in place.
The royal princess slowly turned her head, her gaze sweeping over the groaning, broken bodies of her elite vanguard scattered across the floor. She looked at the towering, dark-golden figure of Long Aotian slowly advancing toward her, and then at the terrifyingly calm, indifferent youth standing with his hands behind his back. A deep, suffocating wave of bitterness and absolute helplessness flooded her eyes. She was a supreme support-type Soul Master, but without the protective wall of her teammates, she was entirely defenseless. Against these two merciless killing gods, there was no strategy left to play.
"We... concede." Princess Xu Jiujiu whispered. Her voice carried through the silent arena. She slowly lowered her hands, allowing the brilliant, starlight radiance of her Star Crown martial soul to fade into nothingness. Her tone was heavy with the bitter ashes of total defeat.
For a long, agonizing moment, the entire Star Luo Plaza remained trapped in a stunned silence. Then, like a dam bursting, the crowd erupted. A deafening roar of disbelief, awe, and sheer hysteria tore through the stadium, loud enough to shake the very clouds above.
Amidst the devastating clamor, the verdict was finalized. The Heavenly Soul Imperial Academy had officially advanced to the top sixteen, securing their absolute dominance as the undisputed champions of Group F.
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