Chapter 78: The Red Soul Ring Shocks the World
When a 100,000-year soul ring appeared next to Xiao Qiang, the wine that Xuan Lao had just poured into his mouth sprayed out five meters away.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"I, Shrek, don't even have a sixth soul ring at the 100,000-year level, but this kid from the Sun Moon Empire already has one?!"
"That's a 100,000-year soul ring! Even a Soul Douluo can't casually absorb something like that!"
Xuan Lao's exclamation echoed through the entire competition field. His voice wasn't intentionally amplified by soul power — it was simply that the entire square had fallen into dead silence.
The moment Xiao Qiang released that crimson 100,000-year soul ring, the countless spectators in the stands collectively held their breath. In the eerie stillness of the Xingluo Empire's tournament grounds, even the sound of a pin dropping would have been deafening.
Thus, Xuan Lao's shout rang out exceptionally clear.
"No way! Even Shrek doesn't have this kind of soul ring configuration?"
"Aren't they the number one spirit master academy on the continent? How can the Sun Moon Empire's spirit masters surpass them in soul ring quality?"
"I don't know… Is he really from Shrek?"
"But he's sitting in Shrek's viewing area! And the guy next to him looks exactly like the son of the Duke of White Tiger!"
"That's right! That blond hair, those heterochromatic eyes — he's definitely from the White Tiger Duke's bloodline."
"Now that you mention it, I remember seeing him during the Douluo Empire's tournament five years ago. He's changed since then, but he should be Dai Yuheng, the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke."
"So, he really is from Shrek?"
"Seems like it. There's no mistake."
"But if even Shrek doesn't have this kind of soul ring configuration, then how can a Sun Moon Empire soul master have it?"
The audience murmured in shock, their noisy chatter filling the air. However, with his level 98 spirit power, Xuan Lao heard every word clearly.
His face darkened, black as the bottom of a pot. He quickly realized he had misspoken in his earlier outburst.
"Silence!" Xuan Lao bellowed as he flew into the air, releasing an overwhelming pressure of a level 98 Title Douluo. Instantly, the entire arena fell silent once more.
"Hmph! Kid, your soul ring ratio does look impressive — but you can fool others, not me!"
"You must've made extensive preparations, copying the soul ring configuration of Tang San's ancestor from ten thousand years ago. Admirable efforts, but unfortunately, your soul ring still has obvious flaws!"
"Back then, Tang San only reached the 100,000-year level on his sixth soul ring because of the sacrifice of Xiao Wu. Tell me — which soul beast sacrificed itself for your sixth soul ring?"
Xuan Lao's gaze locked onto Xiao Qiang as a strong wave of pressure descended toward him.
But just then, a shield flashed in front of Xiao Qiang, blocking the oppressive force. It was the Unbreakable Douluo, Zheng Zhan, from the Sun and Moon Empire.
"Attempting to suppress the genius of my Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy with brute force — Shrek's true colors are showing!" Zheng Zhan declared righteously.
"Hmph! I was merely questioning a junior. Since when does a mere waste, with a fifth soul ring barely a thousand years old, have the right to interfere with me?!" Xuan Lao sneered at Zheng Zhan, fury flashing across his face.
He was just about to act when suddenly, a cold voice rang out, forcing him to stop.
"Questioning a junior? Then allow me to question the juniors of Shrek as well."
The voice belonged to Unbreakable Douluo in name, but the speaker was actually Jing Hongchen, the Master of Mingde Hall, standing a full thousand meters away.
Xuan Lao's expression twisted into something even uglier.
Within a hundred meters, he could easily crush Jing Hongchen. Within a thousand meters, it would be a close fight — the outcome uncertain.
But from more than a thousand meters away, the advantage clearly shifted to Jing Hongchen. Worse, Unbreakable Douluo's shield wasn't something he could easily break through. Without taking hostages, fighting Jing Hongchen now was suicide.
On the contrary, from a thousand meters away, Jing Hongchen could attack Shrek's students at will. Protecting them all would be impossible.
If he had to abandon some of them, it wouldn't be much of an issue for Dai Yuheng and Dai Huabin — after all, the White Tiger Duke had other sons. At most, Xuan Lao would need to kneel and beg forgiveness, but no serious consequences would follow. Xu Sanshi's side was even less concerning — only one loss would hardly shake Shrek.
The real problem lay with the other three:
Ma Xiaotao, a future Dean of Shrek's Outer Court, and a vice-master level genius of the future Sea God Pavilion;
Beibei, the great-great-grandson of the current Pavilion Master;
Zhang Lexuan, Beibei's fiancée, whose eighth soul ring had already reached the 100,000-year level — she needed just one more to potentially challenge Limit Douluo status.
Losing any of these three would be catastrophic.
Shrek had already lost too many geniuses over the years. They couldn't afford any more unnecessary deaths.
Thinking quickly, an awkward smile crawled across Xuan Lao's face. Ugly though it was, it was still a smile.
"Haha, it's a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. How could I possibly use force against a junior? That pressure was harmless — absolutely harmless!"
However, even as Xuan Lao spoke, Xiao Qiang suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, spraying it three meters ahead.
The young man's body then crumpled to the ground, his complexion turning ghostly pale as he slipped into a near-death state.
With his last strength, Xiao Qiang muttered, his voice weak but clear enough for everyone to hear:
"Teacher… I'm sorry… You went through so much to help me fuse a 100,000-year soul ring for my sixth ring… but now… I'm afraid… I can no longer meet your expectations… I won't be able to be filial to you anymore…"
Xuan Lao: "…"
(If you want to extort me, just say so. Could you at least make your acting a little less fake?)