"Buzz—"
The entire sky seemed to darken for a moment.
Immediately, white mist surged as ice spread rapidly from beneath Su Wen's feet, covering half the mountain in a thick layer of frost.
Countless disciples stared blankly at the frost creeping underfoot and the slowly rising mist.
It was supposed to be a contest between disciples—so why was the Dean the first to strike?!
"Don't!" Chrysanthemum Douluo yelled in terror.
From his perspective, a massive pale blue ripple exploded behind Old Ghost, as if Su Wen's seemingly gentle palm had unleashed a mountain-shaking blow.
Behind Su Wen, the shadow of a stunningly beautiful woman stood, mirroring his motion.
The difference of ten thousand years was more than just the age limit for tournaments (now set under twenty-five); it also meant a huge gap in strength between those of the same rank. If a titled Douluo from now and one from ten thousand years ago truly fought to the death, the one from now would almost certainly win.
After all, the appearance of the soul core was a huge boost for a Titled Douluo.
So, a Level 95 Ghost Douluo, by the standards of ten thousand years later, might only be Level 92 or 93 in strength. If he were an evil soul master, perhaps only Level 91.
To Su Wen—
That was far too weak...
Not to mention, this was a blow using the final form of the Snow Empress.
He had truly held back, afraid of killing his opponent and spoiling the fun.
"Old Ghost! Old Ghost, are you alright?!" Chrysanthemum Douluo panicked, not caring for his usual elegant mannerisms, and hurriedly checked the now-frozen statue of Ghost Douluo.
The sudden turn of events shocked everyone.
Yue Guan never expected Su Wen to take action so directly. That decisive strike revealed just a hint of his true strength. With uncertainty and awe, he looked at Su Wen, realizing that this "old acquaintance" might truly be Level 98, perhaps even Level 99—the very peak of the continent!
He and Old Ghost had truly misjudged.
The Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall were dumbfounded. Naturally, they knew the power of Ghost Douluo; after all, he was in charge of enforcement, the Pope's right-hand man—no weakling.
But this man had just one-shotted Elder Ghost Douluo...
Just who was this top-tier powerhouse?
Even Yan, who had just sneered at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, now lowered his head obediently, for fear of angering Su Wen and ending up as another ice sculpture.
"I've frozen the blood vessels in all four limbs; the ice will dissolve after three hours, but he'll have to rest in bed for a while," Su Wen said with a light laugh. He then walked past Chrysanthemum Douluo and sat down in an empty chair.
Yan, Hu Liena, and Xie Yue all immediately dropped their previously arrogant attitudes, standing before Su Wen like obedient children—not daring to move an inch.
"What's this? Still standing? Do you have some complaint against me?" Su Wen tapped the armrest quietly, his smile fading, as he looked at Yue Guan. "Or are you planning to use your Martial Soul Fusion Technique against me?"
"You misunderstand, I wouldn't dare..." Yue Guan forced a smile, uglier than crying.
"You followed Qian Xunji, didn't you?" Su Wen looked at Yue Guan with interest.
"Yes," Yue Guan nodded timidly.
"Have you met me before?"
"When I was still just a Spirit Douluo, I think I saw you from a distance once," Yue Guan shivered all over. In order to survive, he needed to prove he'd served Qian Xunji, so he wracked his brain to fill in some plausible "evidence" and make his story more convincing.
"..." Su Wen just shook his head and smiled.
Even if Qian Xunji jumped out of his coffin to clarify their lack of acquaintance, everyone would first suspect Qian Xunji.
Yue Guan's heart fell. What did that head shake mean?
Did he realize I was lying?
"Go back and tell Bibi Dong," Su Wen sipped the tea that had long been served but was still steaming, "If she wants to test me, she should come in person. Sending a few small fry—what's the point? Why not send someone from the Worship Hall? Is she not capable of commanding them?"
"Heh. So-called 'Pope'—just an empty title," Su Wen said lazily.
He dared to say this, but everyone else around him pretended not to hear, wishing they could cover their ears. They didn't dare listen!
A big shot could say whatever he wanted; his strength was absolute. If he was in a bad mood, even the Pope could be scolded or exposed at will. But them... hopefully they wouldn't be silenced, right? And these were the Spirit Hall's deepest secrets—how could mere bystanders be allowed to hear them?
"So, do you all think I'm slandering Bibi Dong?"
Everyone's pupils contracted.
They swallowed hard.
Yan, Xie Yue, and Hu Liena all wished they could disappear underground. Please, please, don't ask us these questions!
Su Wen looked at Yue Guan with a smile. "Hmm?"
Yue Guan, under Su Wen's invisible aura, stiffly shook his head.
"Tsk, you'll say anything to save your own skin." Su Wen waved his hand in boredom, then turned his attention to the Golden Generation: "So, this is the Golden Generation raised by Spirit Hall?"
"Yes," Yue Guan nodded quickly, eager to change the subject.
"Too weak," Su Wen said softly.
Yue Guan: "..."
Evaluating ten thousand years ago by today's standards? Not exactly. After all, even in the future, Su Wen would stand at the pinnacle. If anyone could call them weak, it was him.
"Since it's an exchange match, let's begin," Su Wen said, raising his chin.
"We three will fight their six—no substitutes!" Yan couldn't help but say.
"Very well," Su Wen smiled.
"Don't disappoint me."
He glanced at the Heaven Dou Class One students, who were eager to try. The age difference was obvious; the Golden Generation were already around twenty-two or twenty-three, while the Heaven Dou group averaged only nineteen.
"So lively! Uncle Su, why didn't you call me..."
A tall, elegant figure appeared in everyone's sight. Yue Guan paused, silently mouthing a few words to Qian Renxue, who nodded, indicating that she would handle it.
She knew Su Wen was uninterested in Spirit Hall, especially the faction led by her mother, and for some reason even opposed them. But she also knew Su Wen was always kind to her. The girl felt a bit proud and joyful, though she hid it well.
"Your Highness," Meng Shenji and others quickly stood up to greet her respectfully.
"With an exchange match at Spirit Hall, how could this princess be left out?" "Xue Qinghe" smiled and sat beside Su Wen, her manner quite intimate. But since both were male, outsiders would only marvel at the prince's skill in winning people over.
"Uncle Su, could you please let them off this time?" Qian Renxue pleaded softly.
Clearly, she saw that Su Wen had not truly shown his full strength.
If she didn't step in, a bigger storm awaited Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo.
…