"I'm ready. Go ahead," Qian Ran said, gesturing for Ma Xiaotao to make her move.
Without another word, Ma Xiaotao activated her soul rings, her body erupting with intense golden-red flames. Her wings flared out, propelling her forward as she charged toward Qian Ran.
As she closed in, the golden-red fire surged into a towering column over ten meters high. A faint, piercing phoenix cry echoed through the air, with the silhouette of a fiery phoenix circling the massive blaze.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Now that her martial soul had evolved into Ultimate Fire, Ma Xiaotao had become a true flame-wielding berserker.
"Hmm?"
Ma Xiaotao expected her attack to overwhelm Qian Ran. But to her shock, he remained standing, utterly unscathed. The golden shield around him didn't show a single crack—in fact, it seemed even sturdier than before.
She couldn't believe it.
This was her Martial Soul Avatar form!
Her previous attack was strong enough to seriously challenge even a Soul Douluo.
"Was that it?" Qian Ran's calm demeanor only deepened Ma Xiaotao's frustration. She had thought her power boost would let her flaunt her strength in front of him, but the joke was on her—it was like hitting a wall.
This soul skill of his is way too overpowered!
It was absurd for a Soul King to have a defensive skill capable of completely neutralizing a Soul Douluo-level attack. And Qian Ran wasn't even a defense-type Soul Master!
A strong assault-type martial soul with such a ridiculously powerful defensive skill... was this fair?
"Senior Xiaotao, is this all you've got? Looks like you're destined to be my plushie for the day," Qian Ran teased, his grin full of mischief. Of course, he didn't literally mean turning her into a plushie—it was all part of the playful dynamic between them.
Still, the thought of binding her voluptuous figure and giving her a gentle whip or two... Hehehe.
"You... why didn't you tell me you had such a powerful skill?" Ma Xiaotao's face flushed with frustration and embarrassment.
Last time, when Qian Ran tied her up and teased her with a feather brush on her soles, she was utterly helpless. Now, she dreaded—and secretly wondered—what new tricks he might have up his sleeve.
But no, she wasn't going to look forward to that... absolutely not!
"You're just a Soul King. My soul power is bound to outlast yours," Ma Xiaotao scoffed, her seven soul rings glowing in sequence as she launched a barrage of devastating attacks at Qian Ran.
Golden-red flames engulfed them, creating an awe-inspiring sight that would leave even Titled Douluo speechless.
Ma Xiaotao's ferocious offense was leagues beyond that of an ordinary Soul Saint. Among Soul Douluo, she could comfortably hold her own in the middle tier.
Ultimate Martial Souls were simply in a class of their own. The sheer destructive power of Ma Xiaotao's fire phoenix in her Martial Soul Avatar form was staggering.
From the observation area, Yan Shaozhe watched in stunned silence.
"She's already this strong. Mei'er and Lin'er must be even more terrifying," Yan Shaozhe muttered, feeling a pang of jealousy. Ultimate Martial Souls were leagues above ordinary ones. If it weren't for the massive gaps between ranks in the Super Douluo realm, he might have suspected Cai Mei'er or Xian Lin'er could challenge Elder Xuan himself.
Yan Shaozhe's envy burned bright. Without comparable strength, he felt unworthy even to ask Cai Mei'er for reconciliation.
Men without power are nothing.
Just like Qian Duoduo, who had yet to win Xian Lin'er's affection due to his inferior strength. Was Yan Shaozhe destined to follow the same path?
"You're still not out of soul power?" Ma Xiaotao panted, exhausted from her relentless assault. Meanwhile, Qian Ran stood there, as calm and composed as ever.
This was bad. Really bad.
"I've got a Milk Bottle," Qian Ran replied, shaking his Level 7 Milk Bottle soul tool. "Surely you won't forbid me from using it?"
"Fine," Ma Xiaotao huffed, realizing she couldn't win. Qian Ran's strength was simply unfathomable.
"This feels unfair. Let me fight you properly," Qian Ran said with a smile, deactivating his Angel's Shield. Then, with a quick motion, he summoned his second martial soul.
A massive golden dragon materialized behind Qian Ran, its presence radiating an overwhelming aura.
"What's this?" Ma Xiaotao froze, sensing a familiar yet impossible energy. She detected traces of Ultimate Fire alongside Ultimate Ice emanating from Qian Ran.
His martial soul wasn't just Ultimate Ice? How did he also possess Ultimate Fire?
The coexistence of two opposing Ultimate attributes in one person was unheard of. It defied logic.
Don't ask why—it's the system.
Fortunately, the system balanced the conflicting energies perfectly within him.
In the observation area, the Shrek Academy teachers couldn't sit still. Yan Shaozhe shot to his feet, stunned.
"Not only does he have an Ultimate Martial Soul, but he possesses both Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Fire? That's monstrous!"
The combined power of these attributes was devastating. Qian Ran unleashed an attack directly at Ma Xiaotao, who countered with her most powerful single-target ability, Phoenix Skystrike.
Her fifth soul ring shone as she summoned a five-meter-wide flaming phoenix. The effort visibly drained her, leaving her aura weak. The fire phoenix's combat strength was no less than her own.
Boom!
The two forces collided in a deafening explosion, shattering the battle platform. Waves of searing heat and biting cold swept across the entire Battle Zone.
"I lost," Ma Xiaotao admitted with a sheepish smile, sticking out her tongue. She knew she had been outclassed. From the moment she met Qian Ran, she hadn't been able to suppress him, and now the gap between them had only grown. No matter how fast her strength improved, it seemed impossible to catch up to him.
"Damn it, Qian Ran's terrifying," Huo Yuhao muttered, his heart racing with apprehension.
He had come to observe Qian Ran's strength in secret, and the display left him deeply unsettled.
Master is just too strong.
Meanwhile, in the crowd, Huo Yun'er's eyes sparkled with admiration. She could hardly contain her excitement, wishing she could rush over and offer herself to Qian Ran as a reward. But for now, she had other tasks to attend to.
"Uh-oh," Huo Yuhao thought as he noticed his mother's gaze fixed on Qian Ran. It wasn't right—it was too intense.
"Mom, let's go," he urged.
"Okay," Huo Yun'er replied, though her reluctant glance lingered on Qian Ran for far too long.
Huo Yuhao felt his anxiety deepen.
As he glanced at his mother, her stunning figure clad in a fitted outfit that accentuated her curves, he couldn't shake the sense of foreboding. Compared to the young women around, Huo Yun'er exuded a mature charm that was impossible to resist.
(End of Chapter)