"Buzz——"
Black halos rippled out in waves.
Chen Junting felt as if he had stepped into a swamp, his body rooted in place. Soul power bled from him rapidly as the black ripples invaded, draining his strength.
But the cost was clear.
Xiao Xiao's Nine Phoenixes Arriving Flute had fallen silent. Under the brutal strain of channeling her power, her face grew paler by the second. She was running out of time.
"Hah!"
With a sharp cry, Xiao Xiao thrust her hand forward.
The giant tripod, towering and heavy as a mountain, hurtled toward Chen Junting with unstoppable force.
Chen Junting remained steady. A flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes as he gripped the Seven Killing Sword tighter. The blade gleamed in the sunlight as the second soul ring lit up, murderous energy surging along its length.
He swung.
The air itself seemed to rip apart. Waves of terrifying soul power erupted across the arena.
The sword energy, dense enough to feel solid, screamed through the air and struck the heart of the giant tripod.
"Boom—!"
For a moment, the entire arena fell silent.
Only the roaring sword energy and the howl of the cauldron cutting through the sky filled the space. The shockwave hit like a hurricane, strong enough to unbalance even the strongest onlookers.
The referee acted instantly.
Six soul rings flared to life around him, his Soul Emperor-level power bursting out as he raised a protective shield around the entire arena.
Even so, tension coiled in his chest.
Inside the barrier, Chen Junting held his ground. Sword light clashed against the tripod — and cut it clean in half.
Xiao Xiao's face drained of all color.
She had nothing left.
The referee wasted no time. He flashed into the arena, but the sword energy was already flying toward Xiao Xiao. Even with his cultivation, the sharp force felt like it could cleave him apart.
Martial spirit possession?
No time.
Just as he braced himself to intercept, the killing intent in the sword aura suddenly dissolved — like spring wind scattering dandelions. The threat vanished in an instant.
Only the bewildered referee, the unconscious Xiao Xiao, and the calm Chen Junting remained.
"Incredible talent," Chen Junting said quietly.
Without another glance, he turned to his teammates, who still stood frozen in awe. They had witnessed a fight far beyond their expectations.
"Let's go."
He patted their shoulders and walked away.
The result was already decided.
—
Up on the viewing platform, the reaction was immediate.
"This boy from the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect is remarkable," Du Weilun murmured, watching Chen Junting's back.
None of the other teachers responded. But as a Soul Douluo, Du Weilun had clearly seen it — Chen Junting hadn't just unleashed power; he had mastered control. His restraint at the end spoke volumes.
Meanwhile, tension flared between the teachers.
"Mu Jin, what is that look supposed to mean?" Zhou Yi's voice was tight with anger, catching Mu Jin's smirk.
"What look?" Mu Jin shrugged, feigning innocence.
Zhou Yi's eyes flicked to the unconscious Xiao Xiao, now being carried away by a group of students. Fury boiled over. She shot Mu Jin a cold glare and stormed off, ignoring the congratulatory voices behind her.
Mu Jin, watching her go, felt a chill of satisfaction. As refreshing as ice water in midsummer.
—
Later, at lunch.
Wu Feng picked at her plate absentmindedly, barely tasting the meat from the thousand-year-old Scaled Demon Crocodile.
"Huo Yuhao," she said, leaning close, "looks like we've found a new teammate."
Huo Yuhao paused mid-bite, caught off guard.
"Teammate?"
"You're hopeless." Wu Feng clicked her tongue in frustration. Dropping her voice, she continued, "I mean Xiao Xiao!"
She tilted her head toward a nearby table.
Ning Tian and Chen Junting sat together, their plates untouched as they discussed something intently.
If you listened closely, one name kept coming up: Xiao Xiao.
"You like that little girl," Ning Tian teased, nudging Chen Junting.
Chen Junting's expression soured. "What do you think?"
His tone shifted to serious. "The investigation results came in."
Ning Tian straightened, all teasing gone.
"The major noble families were removed from the recruitment list," she confirmed. "But Xiao Xiao comes from a minor house — the Xiao family. Their Soul-Suppressing Cauldron has been passed down for generations. It's decent, but Xiao Xiao's martial spirit is a mutation. A top-tier one. Her second martial spirit, the Nine Phoenixes Arriving Flute, is also a rare mutation, inherited from her mother."
Chen Junting nodded. "We should reach out."
He picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and offered it to Ning Tian, who accepted with a grin.
"You're better suited for this than I am," he added. "Both of you are girls. You'll make the approach smoother."
"Leave it to me," Ning Tian replied confidently. "As long as Shrek doesn't step in, no one turns down an invitation from the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect. Not even you, right?"
She laughed.
—
That afternoon, the tournament continued, narrowing the field from thirty-two teams to sixteen.
Fate, it seemed, had a sense of humor. Chen Junting's next opponents were from Class One again — the final team that had survived the elimination round.
When Chen Junting heard who they were, one thought flashed through his mind:
Has Zhou Yi lost her mind!?
—
(End of Chapter)
—
Man, Stones me as always ~