In the end, Qian Lingyi and Meng Hongchen still fought — though not in the dining hall, but on the Inner Court's training grounds.
Meng Hongchen couldn't swallow the humiliation of being provoked by Qian Lingyi, so right after dinner, she immediately challenged her. Qian Lingyi, of course, didn't refuse. Having just obtained her sixth soul ring, she hadn't yet tested her combat strength, and this presented the perfect opportunity to gauge her progress.
Both had their own motives, so a sparring match was inevitable.
News of a duel between an exchange student from Sun Moon Academy and an Inner Court girl quickly spread through the academy, and with most students having no pressing matters, they flocked to the arena to watch. Wherever there's a fight, there's always a crowd.
The training ground was packed. Inner Court disciples, Sun Moon exchange students, and even a number of teachers had shown up to spectate.
Zhu Ziyang stood at a vantage point overlooking the entire field, watching the duel unfold with a smile — the unmistakable tension of a love rivalry thick in the air.
"Zhu Ziyang, why are you so calm? I heard those two girls are fighting because of you!" Tang Ya's voice came from behind. Zhu Ziyang turned to see Tang Ya, Beibei, Xu Sanshi, Xue Weiwei, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao walking toward him. With a teasing grin, Tang Ya added, "Nannan's not around and you're already flirting around? When she gets back, I'll definitely tell her everything!"
"You all came too?" Zhu Ziyang chuckled.
"Hehe, we were just in the dining hall. We heard the whole exchange between Meng Hongchen and that blonde girl!" Wang Dong snickered. "Senior brother, who's that blonde girl anyway? She doesn't look like an Inner Court disciple, but she seems really close to you!"
"Oh, her name is Qian Lingyi. She was recently admitted to the Inner Court. It's no surprise you haven't met her yet," Zhu Ziyang explained with a smile.
"Qian Lingyi? That's such a rare surname!" Xiao Xiao bit her finger thoughtfully. "I feel like that name isn't simple at all."
"Of course it's not. The Qian surname was unique to the Qian Clan of the Spirit Hall during the ancient era," Beibei said with a bitter smile. "That Qian Lingyi is a descendant of the Qian Clan."
"Ah!" Tang Ya and Xiao Xiao exclaimed in shock. Tang Ya quickly asked, "Wait, Beibei, how do you know she's from the Qian Clan? You sound like you know her pretty well?"
"Uh… hehe!" Beibei scratched his head in embarrassment. "Xu Sanshi and I were the ones who oversaw her Inner Court examination. Of course we know her."
"Beibei! Speak for yourself — why drag me into this?" Xu Sanshi protested.
"You were the one holding me back that day," Beibei rolled his eyes.
"I held you back? Who could've guessed Dean Xian would send two newly advanced Soul Kings to test a peak-level Soul King? And how could I have known that girl had such terrifying attack power?"
"I see! So Beibei and Xu Sanshi were both defeated by her!" Xue Weiwei clapped her hands in surprise.
"Ugh! Weiwei, could you not be so blunt? Leave me a little dignity, will you?" Xu Sanshi looked like he had just eaten bitter gourd.
"Pffft!"
Everyone burst into laughter. Then Zhu Ziyang said, "Alright, the battle's about to begin. Let's focus!"
On the training ground, Qian Lingyi and Meng Hongchen stood opposite each other. Qian Lingyi wore a faint smile, while Meng Hongchen's expression was visibly sour. Han Ruoruo was acting as the temporary referee. She stepped between the two and looked from one girl to the other — both unfamiliar faces to her — before saying, "Are you ready?"
"Ready!" both replied in unison.
"Alright. Step back ten meters. Wait for my command!" Han Ruoruo continued. "This is a friendly spar — remember, no going overboard and absolutely no killing!"
Neither girl responded, but Han Ruoruo wasn't expecting one. Once they were in position, she gave the order. "Begin!"
With that, she vanished from the field. Qian Lingyi and Meng Hongchen immediately released their martial souls and soul tools.
The moment Qian Lingyi's Angel Martial Soul appeared, a commotion rippled through the crowd. The Inner Court disciples finally realized that this unfamiliar new student possessed the Angel Martial Soul — a legendary bloodline all too well known in Shrek Academy lore. In comparison, her two yellow, two purple, and two black soul rings hardly raised any eyebrows.
Qian Lingyi's appearance changed only slightly, with a pair of angel wings sprouting behind her. Meng Hongchen, on the other hand, transformed far more dramatically. Her hair turned snowy white, her blue eyes turned blood red, and her exposed skin gleamed like jade. Behind her, a translucent toad with jade-white skin and crimson eyes materialized. Her two yellow, two purple, and one black soul rings shimmered brightly.
This was Meng Hongchen's martial soul — the Red Eyed Ice Toad, a top-tier poisonous ice-type martial soul.
The battle began. Though she was only a Soul King, Meng Hongchen still chose to go on the offensive against Qian Lingyi, a Soul Emperor. Her first soul ring glowed as a murky grey mist condensed in her palms. With a graceful step, she leaned forward and lunged toward Qian Lingyi.
Qian Lingyi's smile didn't waver. Her jade foot tapped the ground, and her angel wings launched her into the air. A brilliant sword of light appeared in her hands. Her first soul ring lit up as she raised the sword to her chest, then pointed the tip skyward. A cascade of holy light streamed down from her wings and blade, washing toward Meng Hongchen.
Seeing her opponent take to the sky, Meng Hongchen hurled the mist in her hand upward. The poisonous mist clashed with the descending holy light, producing a sizzling cloud of white smoke — their first exchange ended in a draw.
But Meng Hongchen wasn't finished. As she retreated, her body emitted thirteen streaks of icy blue light. A beautiful suit of blue armor wrapped around her, and twin ice-blue blades extended from her hands. Three sets of short wings emerged from her back, and her chilling aura intensified.
"Hmph! Don't think you're the only one who can fly!" Meng Hongchen sneered, then took to the sky with a beat of her wings.
Her display stunned not only Qian Lingyi, but also the spectators. It was their first real taste of the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology — and a shocking reminder of how far it had come.
"So this is the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool prowess…" Zhu Ziyang murmured. "It's definitely impressive."
"Seems like Shrek and the Tang Sect still have a long road ahead," Tang Ya admitted as she stared at the armor on Meng Hongchen's body, her expression complex.
"Hmph! Relying on external tools is not the same as innate flight," Qian Lingyi sneered, flipping mid-air in an elegant motion. Her second soul ring flared, her sword igniting with blinding light. She charged straight at Meng Hongchen.
The armored Meng Hongchen's aura had increased dramatically. Facing Qian Lingyi's charge, she didn't retreat — instead, she met her head-on. Her second, third, and fourth soul rings lit up in tandem. Ice disks formed on the ground below, and a glowing blue field expanded beneath her feet. Her body radiated with an icy aura as twin blue swords clashed directly with Qian Lingyi's holy sword.
"Hmph!" Meng Hongchen snorted as she exerted her strength, knocking Qian Lingyi's sword away and forcing her to retreat several meters before regaining balance.
Qian Lingyi stared at her in shock. "I didn't expect you to be this strong with your armor on!"
"Hmph! Of course!" Meng Hongchen said smugly. "This is my grandfather's masterpiece — a Grade 6 Soul Tool set, the Ice-Blue God Armor!"
"So it's something your elders gave you. No wonder," Qian Lingyi snickered, clearly mocking her.
"Ha! And what's wrong with that? My grandpa gave it to me because he dotes on me. If you've got some hand-me-down treasure, go ahead and use it!" Meng Hongchen replied proudly.
"Ugh…" Qian Lingyi's jab backfired. Embarrassed, she activated her fifth soul ring. A divine sword appeared in her hand, and she slashed at Meng Hongchen with full force.
Meng Hongchen grew serious. Even with her armor, a Soul Emperor's fifth soul skill was nothing to underestimate. She activated her fifth ring — her strongest attack. Her twin swords twisted into two purple dragons, spinning in unison as they flew to intercept Qian Lingyi's holy sword.
(End of Chapter)
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