Chapter 159: Combining Domains, Dual Gods of Light and Darkness

All of Qian Renxue's previous attacks were merely preludes to this final strike.

No, not just the clashes on the field today.

Even before this, ever since she sent that piece of Soul Bone, she had been preparing.

Qian Renxue indeed didn't covet these things and truly intended to hand over the Soul Bone to Su Cheng. However, there was no need to do so the day before the three-way showdown.

The reason for choosing this timing to give it to Su Cheng was simply to see what kind of relationship these two had.

If the Soul Bone didn't end up in Zhu Zhuqing's hands, it would prove that they were merely so-so towards each other. At least for Su Cheng, that girl wouldn't be important.

And Zhu Zhuqing had no life-saving means. As soon as the team's decline became apparent, she would promptly surrender. Even if there were any accidental killings, Qian Renxue wouldn't care.

But if Su Cheng truly handed over the Soul Bone to Zhu Zhuqing, then Zhu Zhuqing would have one more reason to die.

The life-saving skill in the Soul Bone was her lifeline.

When she pinned her hopes of survival on those two Soul Bone skills, she had already stepped halfway into the gate of death.

Qian Renxue didn't know what skills were contained in the Soul Bone dropped by Xiao Wu, but she could guess to some extent.

The Martial Soul Temple had abundant information and research on Spirit Beast transformations.

Their soul skills didn't come from killing Spirit Beasts but were generated independently. So the skills contained in the Soul Bones formed after these transformed Spirit Beasts died would undoubtedly be manifestations of their original soul ring skills.

Even the soul ring skills were likely rooted in their original soul skills.

Because of the plot against this hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast, Qian Renxue had secretly observed Xiao Wu's battles before.

After entering the final stage of the competition, Xiao Wu had also crossed the threshold to Level 40 and advanced to Spirit Ancestor on the way to Martial Soul City.

In the battles in Martial Soul City, her fighting style had long been exposed, with four soul skills: waist bow, allure, instant shift, and invincible golden body.

Both instant shift and invincible golden body were powerful life-saving skills.

However, it was useless for Zhu Zhuqing to acquire any of them.

Because she couldn't use them at all.

And indeed, that was the case.

The black sword edge cut through the air.

As fast as the wind, as fierce as thunder, the speed was extremely fast, and the power was extremely strong.

In an instant, this sword slashed unimpededly onto Zhu Zhuqing's body.

As the sword edge descended,

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flashed with a moment of confusion, as if she hadn't fully recovered.

The layers of faint light surrounding her body, enhanced by her Martial Soul, as well as the slender wings formed by the hurricane, dissipated along with it.

In just a moment, her breath plummeted to the bottom, then completely dissipated.

The flame of life was completely extinguished.

She was dead.

All these changes, long to describe but actually happened in an instant, even the titled Douluos watching couldn't keep up.

Dugu Bo stood stiffly on the spot, not daring to turn around to look at Su Cheng's expression.

Although Qian Renxue's domain binding power was strong, her cultivation was low, and she didn't use her Martial Soul True Body, so it was obviously impossible to trap a peak Douluo for a long time.

But even in this short time, it was enough, preventing him from rushing to the rescue.

Bibi Dong was also stunned, her thoughts momentarily unable to fully comprehend why Qian Renxue was acting like this, directly killing someone here.

Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, heavy gasps escaping from his open mouth, but his throat seemed to be blocked, unable to speak.

Flender and Liu Erlong were also shocked, equally unable to contain themselves.

Although due to their different personalities and Zhu Zhuqing's rebelliousness, their relationship was not particularly deep. But after all, they had been teacher and student for many years, and seeing this scene, they couldn't remain indifferent.

Moreover, with Xiao Wu dead, Tang San gone far away, and Dai Mubai's whereabouts unknown, if Zhu Zhuqing died here as well, then the original Shrek Academy's six students would be almost gone.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

His heart beating forcefully in his chest, Su Cheng's mind went blank for a moment.

Unknowingly, he had already come to the edge of the competition arena.

However, there was still a way to remedy this...

Su Cheng quickly calmed down, without saying much, he immediately prepared to take action, using the True Sight Eye to search for Zhu Zhuqing's soul.

"Hmm?"

At this moment, Su Cheng's eyes suddenly flickered, looking in another direction.

He felt a new breath.

In front of Qian Renxue, the body that was struck by the sword, life force dissipating, gradually turned into black mist and dispersed.

Then, a slender figure appeared about twenty meters away from where the two had fought.

Zhu Zhuqing, pale-faced, was breathing lightly.

At this moment, it was evident that her condition was extremely poor, her soul power depleted, and even her body trembled slightly due to exhaustion.

But she didn't die in the end.

Glancing at Su Cheng, who was pale not far away, she gently opened her mouth and softly said, "I surrender."

Fifth Soul Skill: Shadow Substitute.

This was the fifth soul ring's additional skill she absorbed when advancing to Spirit King.

After using this skill, it was somewhat similar to her fourth soul skill, Shadow Body, in normal circumstances, providing herself with various attribute enhancements, offering a decent boost while consuming little soul power.

But besides that, when she suffered a fatal injury, this layer of enhancement would turn into a substitute, blocking one fatal attack that didn't exceed her own limit.

If the substitute took effect, her fifth soul skill would need a month to cool down before it could be used again.

Qian Renxue ultimately underestimated Zhu Zhuqing.

Everything she did before wasn't actually aimed at Zhu Zhuqing herself, but at Su Cheng behind her, and almost all of her thoughts were focused on Su Cheng.

Qian Renxue knew Su Cheng extremely well, but Su Cheng's knowledge of her as this new second personality was shallow.

So everything she did before wasn't to lower Zhu Zhuqing's guard but to lower Su Cheng's.

Killing Zhu Zhuqing was just because of her relationship with Su Cheng.

But in reality, Qian Renxue had never truly regarded this girl seriously.

In terms of talent, strength, and status, the two weren't on the same level.

In Qian Renxue's eyes, Zhu Zhuqing was just fourteen or fifteen years old, with little combat experience.

Even if she had an extremely strong Martial Soul and a level of cultivation far beyond her peers, what could she do?

The arena competition was entirely different from a life-and-death battle.

But she didn't know that Zhu Zhuqing was equally experienced.

This experience didn't just refer to combat but was also reflected in her style of doing things.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't fear crises, but she wasn't blindly confident either. Despite appearing aloof on the surface, she was actually quite shrewd.

Without a life-saving ability, she wouldn't place herself in danger.

The Soul Bone Su Cheng gave her was merely a pleasant surprise; she never relied on it to save her life.

Her true life-saving measure in this final was her fifth soul skill.

However powerful this skill seemed, it was within the realm of normalcy. Its greatest advantage lay in preventing sneak attacks.

Because it is a state-type skill, once activated to enhance oneself, the Soul Master does not need to actively use it.

In terms of direct combat effectiveness, it is actually inferior to Xiao Wu's two soul bone skills.

Because if one is killed in a head-on confrontation and the soul skill substitutes for death once, the opponent would simply need to strike again.

But for Zhu Zhuqing at this moment, this skill obviously played a significant role.

Qian Renxue looked at Zhu Zhuqing across from her, who reappeared unscathed except for slightly diminished aura, her expression darkened for a moment.

Then she calmed down and had no intention of continuing to attack.

She knew that there was no longer any chance. With Poison Douluo watching nearby, attempting to kill the opponent again in front of everyone was simply impossible.

With Zhu Zhuqing's concession, the match came to an end.

Even though she had just experienced a close call, her expression didn't change much.

In fact, she never expected to win this battle today.

She simply wanted to personally confront the woman in front of her and see just how strong she truly was.

Qian Renxue didn't pay any more attention to Zhu Zhuqing, turning to Dugu Bo beside her coldly, "Senior Poison Douluo, do you have any advice?"

Dugu Bo, standing proudly in the air, remained calm with deep eyes.

In a deep voice, he said, "I came because I saw that you are both extraordinary talents and was worried that you might get carried away and cause accidents. Since everything is fine, I'll take my leave."

His words were calm and composed, exuding the aura of a peak Douluo.

In reality, he felt quite embarrassed at the moment.

On the other side, Yu Xiaogang, seeing Zhu Zhuqing unharmed, shouted angrily, "I appeal against the members of the Martial Soul Academy team for violating the rules, using excessive force during the battle, with the intent to kill!"

Qian Renxue glanced sideways at the sound, coldly asking, "Is she dead?"

As her voice fell, Yu Xiaogang found himself speechless for a moment.

It wasn't because he was in the wrong, but because at this moment, although the opponent's face was calm, her eyes were truly terrifying.

There was no emotion in her pitch-black eyes, just absolute stillness.

Clearly, her mood wasn't as calm as it seemed on the surface.

"Qian Renxue, come down."

At this moment, Bibi Dong's calm voice sounded, easing the awkward atmosphere.

Qian Renxue snorted at the words and no longer paid attention to anyone else, casting a glance at Su Cheng expressionlessly before returning to her team.

Xie Yue and the others remained silent, not daring to speak.

Just now, Qian Renxue's attack had not only shocked the members of the Shrek Academy team, but even they were intimidated.

Although Qian Renxue's question had shut down Yu Xiaogang's inquiry with a single sentence, everyone present was not foolish; they could all see that Qian Renxue's intent was clearly to kill.

On the Tian Dou Imperial Academy's side, the team members were all serious.

Feng Qingyu's face turned even paler as he whispered to Su Cheng, "Teacher, maybe we shouldn't fight tomorrow. That sister is really capable of killing."

"Don't worry, with me here, you won't die."

Su Cheng sighed, not in the mood to deal with this cheap disciple now.

As the match ended, the people in the square soon dispersed.

Although there were some unexpected incidents, the overall progress was not much different from what most people had anticipated. Now, everyone looked forward to the final showdown tomorrow.

For the last match, no one could predict who would ultimately emerge victorious.

Certainly, Qian Renxue was extremely powerful, with not only Saint-level cultivation but also a hundred-thousand-year seventh soul ring.

But everyone still vividly remembered Su Cheng's sword breaking Tang Hao's powerful force field attack, so no one dared to underestimate him because of his cultivation realm.

After returning to the hotel, the members of Shrek Academy wore slightly heavy expressions.

Although this result was expected, it was still somewhat disappointing when it came to it.

Yu Xiaogang's expression was particularly grim. "The Martial Soul Academy team clearly violated the rules. Their qualifications should be revoked. It's despicable."

Flender and Liu Erlong exchanged a helpless glance upon hearing this.

They knew that Yu Xiaogang was persistent, but saying these things now was obviously futile.

Liu Erlong took the initiative to reach out and hold his arm, softly comforting, "Xiaogang, the Martial Soul Temple itself didn't play by the rules. We all know it in our hearts. They've done similar things more than once or twice. Don't worry, everything will be judged fairly in the future."

"Yeah, Xiaogang, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Our performance is already very good." Flender also spoke up at this time.

"This is just a competition after all, and there are still many days ahead. Those members of the Martial Soul Academy team only have a higher cultivation level because they've aged a few more years. Don't forget, our students are still quite young."

"That's right." Yu Xiaogang's expression eased slightly at Flender's words, nodding gently.

He wore a pensive look on his face, "And there's also Xiao San under Haotian Douluo's guidance. With such a solid foundation, his future achievements may not be inferior to those few people."

"And there's Zhuqing." Flender added.

He looked at the silent girl, thinking she was still upset about today's failure.

"Zhu Qing, you're not even fifteen years old yet, nearly ten years younger than Qian Renxue. Your talent is no less than hers. You must know that it becomes increasingly difficult to advance as a Soul Master. It's not impossible to catch up with her in the future."

Zhu Zhuqing looked up at him, nodding silently.

The other students listened to their dean and teacher's discussion, their faces relaxing.

But in fact, they weren't too disappointed to begin with.

Contrary to Yu Xiaogang and the others, they knew their own strengths and weaknesses. Even in the previous rounds of the final competition, luck played a significant role in their victories, facing relatively weaker opponents.

If Zhu Zhuqing hadn't been in the team at the time, they might have been eliminated long ago if they hadn't faced some weak opponents.

To come this far was already satisfying for them.

Jing Ling and Huang Yuan were originally substitutes, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Jing Ling had no grand ambitions, Tai Long had lost his ambition after Xiao Wu's death and Tang San's departure, so they no longer had the desire to win the championship.

Flender suddenly sighed, his voice filled with emotion.

"With the end of the competition, you all have officially graduated. The academy has clearly offended the Spirit Palace, and the days ahead may not be easy."

Hearing this, the group exchanged looks.

Indeed, with Tang San's identity exposed, coupled with their high-profile behavior during the competition, it was hard to say whether they would be targeted by the continent's top power.

"But you don't need to worry too much. As long as Shrek Academy keeps a low profile in the future. By the way, what are your plans for the future?"

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze lowered, whispering softly, "I plan to travel around the continent for a while and then make a trip back to the Star Luo Empire."

Now that she had two extremely powerful soul bone skills, and they were yet to be revealed, coupled with her current strength, even if she encountered an ordinary Soul Saint, she would have a chance to contend with them.

On the continent, except for a small part of the Star Luo Empire, other powerhouses had no reason to take action against her.

And with the background of the Star Luo Empire's Soul Master, it was almost impossible for them to send a large number of powerhouses to deal with her in the Tian Dou Empire.

Moreover, the attitude of the senior echelons of the Star Luo Empire towards Zhu Zhuqing was still uncertain, and there would probably be great differences of opinion.

In the power struggles of the Star Luo Empire, which were bloody and cruel, it was always the survival of the fittest. Loyalty was never a factor. Zhu Zhuqing's appearance might be an opportunity and hope for many people.

On the other hand, Oscar said indifferently, "I'm a food system Soul Master. I have nowhere special to go, so I'll stay at the academy."

Ma Hongjun chuckled, "I prefer freedom. Now that I've graduated, I want to travel around the continent and broaden my horizons."

"I plan to return to my family's clan to cultivate for some time..."

As everyone finished discussing their future plans, the previous heavy atmosphere gradually dissipated.

Flender looked at his students, smiling and saying, "Remember to come back to the academy in a few years. By then, let's compete for the championship in the next competition."

"Knock, knock, knock."

At night, someone knocked on Su Cheng's door.

He got up and opened the door, revealing Zhu Zhuqing standing outside.

"I'm leaving."

Su Cheng sighed inwardly, making way for her, "Come in and talk."

Zhu Zhuqing silently gazed at him for a moment before stepping into the room.

Standing by the window with her back to him, she spoke softly, "Su Cheng, what would you do if I were killed by her today?"

After obtaining the soul bone from Xiao Wu yesterday, she had realized that the decision to kill Xiao Wu was not solely Su Cheng's plan, but a joint idea between him and Qian Renxue.

"You won't die." Su Cheng said in a deep voice, "I have a way to preserve your soul, and then find a way to resurrect you."

Zhu Zhuqing fell silent at his words.

What she wanted to hear was not this.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Su Cheng took the initiative to ask, "What are your plans for the future?"

"...I haven't decided yet."

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, her black hair gently swaying in the breeze outside the window.

With the exposure of her Hell White Tiger martial soul, she no longer needed to care about the thoughts of her family or the selection of the heir to the Star Luo Empire's royal family.

Right now, she only wanted to cultivate and become stronger, but she didn't have many concrete ideas about anything else for the time being.

"I do have a suggestion."

Zhu Zhuqing's mood had gradually calmed down by now, and she turned to Su Cheng, waiting for him to continue.

"You should stay in Spirit City for a few days. I'll inform you when I have news, and it will definitely be much more effective than blindly cultivating on your own. Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long."

The next morning, Su Cheng and the members of the Tian Dou Imperial Academy team appeared early at the hotel entrance.

After glancing at his team members, he nodded lightly and said, "Let's go. Today, I don't have many demands on you. Just do your best. Regardless of the outcome, at least show your style."

Su Cheng didn't mention himself.

His strength was evident to everyone.

But for these young teammates, today was a huge stage.

The highest cultivation among them was only level forty-four, and facing Soul King-level powerhouses was an extremely challenging task for them, but also an excellent opportunity for them to gain experience.

In the upcoming battles, Su Cheng would find it difficult to pay attention to these teammates; he would have to focus on dealing with Qian Renxue.

The formidable aura displayed by the domain she revealed yesterday already posed a challenge.

If she were to use it in her Martial Soul Avatar state, it would undoubtedly exert even greater pressure.

Furthermore, the gap in strength between him and these teammates was too significant. It would be pointless to incorporate himself into the team's tactical system, and it would only increase Shui Beng'er's difficulty in command.

For Su Cheng, it was enough for these teammates to restrain the few Soul Kings on the opposing side and not let those people affect his performance.

Soon, the Pope's Hall came into view.

Pope Bibi Dong, along with Moon Phoenix Douluo, Ghost Douluo, Sword Douluo, Poison Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi, who had watched the battle yesterday, were already seated.

The three soul bones, which served as rewards, lay quietly on a nearby red embroidered tray, emitting a faint halo, silently attracting everyone's attention.

The members of the Martial Soul Temple Academy team had already taken their positions on the square, silently waiting.

As Su Cheng and the others arrived, the air around them seemed to become somewhat stagnant.

The confrontation between the two teams had begun.

"The final round of the Elite Soul Master Academy Tournament is about to begin. Team members, prepare yourselves. The match will start in fifteen minutes."

With the referee's command, the members of both teams quickly arranged themselves and returned to their positions.

Qian Renxue's gaze swept over the seven figures across from her, no longer showing her previous laziness and casualness.

"Leave Su Cheng to me. The rest of you go deal with the others. The highest cultivation among those people is only Soul Ancestor level. If you lose, you know the consequences."

She and Su Cheng unexpectedly chose the same tactic without prior agreement.

"Match preparation. Both sides may release their martial souls."

After exchanging glances, the powerful soul force fluctuations erupted from their bodies.

On the side of the Martial Soul Temple, Qian Renxue stood at the forefront, with the same configuration of two yellow, two purple, two black, and one red seven soul rings suspended quietly, just like yesterday.

However, she was different from yesterday. After activating her martial soul, the two pairs of wings behind her were no longer pitch-black but pure white, just like snow.

The golden light shining in her eyes was also the same.

Behind her, the three Soul Kings led by Xei Yue also had the optimal soul ring configuration, emitting dazzling brilliance from their five soul rings.

At the same time they released their martial souls, Su Cheng's team also revealed their martial souls.

But at this moment, everyone's attention was drawn to Su Cheng.

Everyone was already very familiar with the Eternal Sword in his right hand, but hovering above his left hand was another martial soul.

It was a profound and mysterious energy diagram.

Just from the quality alone, it was no weaker than the Eternal Sword in his right hand.

Dual martial souls!

Everyone only now realized that not only Tang San but Su Cheng also possessed dual martial souls! And they were two top-tier dual martial souls!

Moreover, judging from his current appearance, it seemed that he could use both martial souls simultaneously!

No, he had already used them simultaneously before.

During the battle between Tang Hao and Bibi Dong, Su Cheng's second martial soul had appeared once.

But at that time, his sudden attack was too swift, and his speed was too fast. He had only made one move, and there were no follow-ups.

No one had noticed that he had used two martial souls at that time.

Or perhaps no one had thought in that direction.

Although they didn't understand how Su Cheng had achieved it, they all were shocked by his feat.

The scene of the final match was not as lively as the previous matches, and the number of spectators was not very high.

But everyone who could watch here was either powerful or of high status.

Even with their experience, they found it difficult to imagine such a scene.

Even Pope Bibi Dong furrowed her brows tightly.

The match, which she had been confident about, now had much more suspense.

"The match begins!"

After being stunned for a moment, the referee, the Pope's Hall's Archbishop, was the first to react. He immediately announced the start of the match and swiftly retreated, giving way to the arena.

At the same time, Qian Renxue's scarlet seventh soul ring instantly shone.

Seventh soul skill: Martial Soul Avatar!

Unlike yesterday, today Qian Renxue showed no signs of negligence. She directly activated her Martial Soul Avatar, enhanced by her hundred-thousand-year soul ring.

She also didn't show any surprise at Su Cheng's dual martial souls and didn't appear distracted by it.

Unlike others, she never underestimated her teacher.

Accompanied by the dazzling golden light, a layer of profound shadow quietly emerged beneath the brilliant golden light.

Like shadows under the sunlight, clearly distinct yet harmonious.

Beside her, another figure appeared.

Three pairs of pitch-black wings fluttered wildly, with deep, cold eyes.

Two Qian Renxues!