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The brawny man's head rolled onto the stage.
On his blood-splattered face, a ruthless expression still lingered.
A Level 33 Battle Spirit Master.
Yet, he was still killed in one sword strike.
The air fell into a deathly silence.
Li Dixian sheathed his Azure Lotus Sword and turned to walk towards the backstage passage.
His white footsteps crunched over the bloodstains, making a sticky sound.
It wasn't until his figure disappeared into the shadows of the corridor that a wave of sound, strong enough to rip open the dome of the Soul Arena, erupted from the audience below.
"Jian Jiu! Jian Jiu!"
"Jian Jiu! Jian Jiu!"
Throughout the entire venue.
All the spectators shouted Jian Jiu's name in unison.
There were even fanatical fans, too excited to control themselves, screaming and tearing at their hair.
This scene was truly too spectacular.
On the second-floor VIP box.
The seven members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy team were all silent.
"Two purple spirit rings..."
Dugu Yan's emerald green eyes narrowed, like an agitated poisonous snake.
Her voice was slightly hoarse as she said:
"His first spirit ring is a thousand-year one. How did this Jian Jiu achieve that? Is he a Prodigy cultivated by a major power, or a successor to a Titled Douluo?!"
Everyone on the Douluo Continent knew!
If a spirit ring could be matched with its optimal age, it was essentially the peak!
The first and second spirit rings being thousand-year ones?
It was simply unheard of!
Ye Lingling remained her solitary self.
But in her empty blue eyes, a strange glint quietly flashed.
Yu Feng, who had previously said "Jian Jiu is simple," swallowed hard.
"Such a fast, sharp sword!"
"How can a Spirit Grandmaster be this strong?!"
The Shi Brothers rumbled:
"Even if we could withstand that sword, we would at least be injured."
Their Spirit was the Black Tortoise, a Beast Spirit with top-tier defensive attributes.
At levels 37 and 38, if they combined to form the Black Tortoise Formation, they could withstand attacks from a Battle Spirit Ancestor above Level 40.
However, at this moment.
Seeing Jian Jiu's sword strike.
The two brothers lost confidence in their defensive capabilities.
"Big Brother..."
Ao Si Luo looked at Yu Tianheng with worry, and the other five also pursed their lips, the atmosphere exceptionally heavy.
"This Jian Jiu is indeed terrifyingly strong."
Yu Tianheng's brow was calm as he slowly said:
"If he enters Level 30, I will definitely not be his opponent."
"But he is only in his twenties now, and he has already used both of his spirit ring abilities."
"I have no reason to lose to him."
On the third-floor VIP box.
Porcupinefish and Snake Lance Douluo's shock gradually receded from their faces.
"This child will surely achieve great things in the future!"
"Young Lord, your decision to befriend him was the correct one!"
Even as Titled Douluo.
But they had never seen a Genius whose first and second spirit rings were thousand-year ones.
Even they found it unbelievable.
Xue Qinghe appeared expressionless, but his rising and falling chest revealed his inner turmoil.
After a long silence, he stepped out of the box.
Porcupinefish and Snake Lance were about to follow.
The next second.
"Don't follow me."
Downstairs.
In a private contestant's box.
Li Dixian leaned back in the soft chair, leisurely eating fruit.
He was now a star contestant in the Soul Arena.
His treatment was naturally top-tier.
At this moment.
Bang bang—!
A knock on the door suddenly sounded.
Li Dixian immediately put down his crossed legs, put on his mask, and adopted a cold demeanor.
How to put it, for the identity of Jian Jiu, he had crafted him into the image of a cold swordsman, the kind that just exuded an imposing aura.
After composing himself, Li Dixian was about to speak.
But the door had already been pushed open.
He couldn't help but frown.
Who was so ill-mannered?
He looked up.
Li Dixian saw Xue Qinghe, dressed in white, walking in, fanning himself.
He still didn't speak, maintaining the facade of a cold swordsman.
A pair of emotionless eyes watched Xue Qinghe.
Xue Qinghe stopped, staring calmly at Li Dixian.
The two of them stood there, neither giving way.
The stalemate lasted for quite a while.
Xue Qinghe suddenly said:
"Do you still want tomorrow's Three Immortals Chicken?"
Li Dixian couldn't keep it up.
His carefully crafted image of a cold swordsman crumbled.
"Oh, my Crown Prince has arrived!"
"Quick, sit, sit!"
Hearing the words "my Crown Prince," Xue Qinghe's cheek stiffened slightly.
He covered his mouth and coughed twice, then was ushered by Li Dixian to sit down.
And as soon as he sat down.
Xue Qinghe immediately launched his attack.
"Li Dixian, do you even consider me a brother?"
"You're so formidable, why didn't you tell me?"
Perhaps even Xue Qinghe himself didn't realize... how much his tone at this moment resembled a girl demanding an explanation and being unreasonable.
Li Dixian rolled his eyes and said:
"I told you, few students at the Royal Academy could beat me."
"It's just that you didn't believe me."
"I..."
Xue Qinghe was momentarily speechless, then continued:
"But you also didn't tell me that you were participating in the Soul Arena."
"You are a Crown Prince busy with a myriad of affairs; how could I bother you with such a small matter of mine."
This time, Xue Qinghe had nothing to say.
He pursed his thin lips, ignoring Li Dixian, and quietly watched the two Spirit Masters fighting in the Soul Arena.
"Hey, are you angry?"
Li Dixian nudged Xue Qinghe's shoulder with his own.
Xue Qinghe immediately lifted his backside and moved a little further away.
"You're really petty."
Li Dixian threw an arm around Xue Qinghe's neck, disregarding the latter's stiffening body, and cheerfully said:
"Who doesn't have a few secrets?"
"Hmm, as long as one doesn't do anything that would betray the other, it's all understandable."
Xue Qinghe turned his head, looking at Li Dixian's handsome and spirited features, and slowly nodded.
"Hmm, you're right."
After that topic.
Both of them fell silent.
Li Dixian still had his arm around Xue Qinghe's neck, occasionally popping a piece of fruit into his mouth.
Xue Qinghe's nose was filled with the somewhat bloody yet unusually pleasant scent of the youth.
He tried to calmly ask:
"Li Dixian, your opponent later is Yu Tianheng. Do you have confidence?"
"We'll see then."
"Yu Tianheng, nineteen years old, Spirit Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Level 39 Battle Spirit Elder, spirit ring configuration is yellow, yellow, purple."
"First Spirit Ability, Thunder Dragon Claw, single-target attack. Second Spirit Ability, Thunderous Fury, area-of-effect attack. Third Spirit Ability, Wrath of Thunder, amplification skill."
Li Dixian looked at the calm-faced Xue Qinghe in surprise.
"Are you cheating for me?"
Xue Qinghe said as a matter of course:
"Yu Tianheng saw your Spirit Abilities; now you know his, which makes it fair."
Li Dixian smiled and said:
"Although I might not need it much, I appreciate the sentiment, buddy."
At this moment.
The previous Soul Arena match ended.
The time had already reached nine o'clock.
The host was already on the stage making announcements.
Hearing his name called, Li Dixian stood up.
"I'm going. Remember to cheer for me, buddy."
"Okay."
Xue Qinghe nodded.
As he saw Li Dixian about to leave his sight, he finally couldn't help but shout:
"Li Dixian, I'll be waiting for you!"
Li Dixian waved his hand without looking back.
He walked out of the slightly dim corridor.
His ears were filled with the excited shouts of the audience.
Li Dixian walked to the steps leading up to the stage.
He looked straight ahead.
On the steps on the other side.
A young man in blue battle attire slowly walked onto the stage... Wishing all readers a happy Dragon Boat Festival!