"I'm in too!"
"Count me in!"
"…"
Lu Genggeng, Tang Dai, and Gu Yu also stepped forward one after another, causing the surrounding members of the Holy Spirit Cult to be stunned, whispering in disbelief.
These three were also rising stars in the Holy Spirit Cult in recent years, their talent and strength self-evident. It was essentially guaranteed they would soon become offering elders or part of the cult's upper echelons. Yet now, all of them were challenging a former "king" at the same time.
Xu Cheng had always been low-key. So low-key, in fact, that ever since he dealt with Yan Feng a few years ago, it had been nearly five years before he once again "revealed" his strength. Even within the Holy Spirit Cult, people only became aware of Xu Cheng's terrifying power during the All-Continent Soul Master Tournament.
But the sharp-eyed had already sniffed out that something unusual was going on.
"Oh? Interesting. Do you not know Xu Cheng is the Holy Son of our Holy Spirit Cult? He recently broke through the encirclement of the Star Luo Empire, and his talent—forget the cult, even the whole continent rarely sees someone like him in a thousand years. Are you sure you want to challenge him?"
On stage, Zhongli Wu reclined leisurely on a sofa, his face showing a hint of amusement.
"We're sure!" Yan Feng's eyes burned as he glanced at Xu Cheng. Ever since five years ago, when, at the age of eleven, he was completely overpowered by the ten-year-old Xu Cheng with just a glance of his blood-colored eyes—so much so that he stabbed himself several times—the trauma left behind had never faded.
Every time he saw Xu Cheng, it was like staring at a demon. For years, he couldn't even meet his eyes.
This was his inner demon. Now, the Cult Leader had given him a chance: Xu Cheng's heart no longer aligned with the Holy Spirit Cult, so they would groom someone else to take his place. If they could defeat Xu Cheng, massive resources would be invested in them...
Resources in the cult were limited—if Xu Cheng had more, he had less. The temptation was irresistible. Even if improving his strength meant sacrificing part of his soul, he wouldn't hesitate!
"Seconded!" ×3 (tool NPCs shout)
"He's actually being targeted by the Cult Leader?"
Ma Xiaotao stood proudly in the center of the crowd, several people surrounding her. Though she wore a veil that concealed her beautiful face, her long, fair, and shapely legs, along with her curvaceous figure, couldn't be hidden.
She silently gazed at Xu Cheng's figure, momentarily lost in thought.
Though she hadn't been with the Holy Spirit Cult long, she'd seen her fair share of filth and scheming. All the more reason why she couldn't imagine how a six-year-old child had managed to establish a new order in such a filthy, chaotic place, and even grow at an insane rate—so much so that even the high-and-mighty Cult Leader had to take action against him.
Xu Cheng's upright and proud silhouette was unlike any of the geniuses she'd met at Shrek Academy. He had an alluring mystery that made people want to get closer, to understand his past, his thoughts—but no one could become him.
He was like a beacon of light in this dark era, utterly different from the rest.
"Saintess, there may be people who challenge you later as well, but no need to worry—with your strength, you can handle anyone other than those four," Second Elder Nangong Wan said flatteringly at her side.
"I'm not concerned..." Ma Xiaotao collected her emotions. Thankfully, her veil covered her expression—otherwise her odd demeanor might've been noticed.
Until now, Zhongli Wu and the Second Elder still believed she had been successfully brainwashed.
But they didn't know that she had long since been marked by Xu Cheng.
"So, Holy Son, will you accept their challenge?" Zhongli Wu smiled brightly at Xu Cheng. As the one who laid the trap, he had, of course, made full preparations.
If Xu Cheng refused, his status in the Holy Spirit Cult would plummet—just what Zhongli Wu wanted.
But if he accepted, Yan Feng, whose Soul Emperor power rivaled even that of a Soul Douluo, would surely teach him a harsh lesson.
For a moment, the entire hall fell silent. All eyes were fixed on Xu Cheng, waiting for his answer.
"Sure."
Xu Cheng glanced at the eager Yan Feng and shook his head with a faint smile.
"No restrictions on life or death?"
"Been waiting for you to say that!" Yan Feng's face twisted slightly. "Xu Cheng, you're not the only one who's improved these years! Today, I'll make you pay for your arrogance!"
"No restrictions on life or death?!"
"They're betting everything?! The upper echelons always treat these geniuses like treasures—protecting them from even the simplest missions. And today, they're allowing a life-or-death match?"
"Pfft, this is clearly a setup targeting Holy Son Xu Cheng. Let's see how it turns out."
"Kekeke, this is gonna be good!"
"…"
The Holy Spirit Cult members whispered excitedly below the stage.
A juicy drama was about to unfold.
And they could witness firsthand the strength of the so-called legendary Holy Son.
"Since this is an internal battle within the Holy Spirit Cult, I won't use soul tools…" Xu Cheng said calmly.
His words stunned the audience, many looking on in shock.
After all, during the All-Continent Soul Master Tournament, Xu Cheng's biggest trump card had been his soul tools. Without them, while he was still strong, facing the current Yan Feng might be a tough fight.
"Good! No backing out!" Gu Yu said excitedly.
"And I'm in a bit of a rush—how about all four of you come at me together?" Xu Cheng scanned the four of them with a smile.
"Xu Cheng! You're too arrogant!" Yan Feng's face turned completely grim.
He'd been preparing to defeat Xu Cheng solo, to wipe away his past humiliation and inherit Xu Cheng's influence. But if all four of them attacked at once and won…
"Ahem, alright. Since there are no objections, everyone move off the stage and leave the arena to these five." Zhongli Wu spoke in time, his voice cold and calm.
Whoosh—
Immediately, countless black-robed figures retreated, clearing a space hundreds of meters wide.
The grand hall was vast—nearly 2,000 meters in diameter—hidden deep underground in the Sun-Moon Empire. Much of the space was already filled with spectators.
"Both sides, step back!"
A long-robed elder stepped up as referee.
After a nod of approval from Zhongli Wu, he used soul power to amplify his voice across the hall.
"Hmph!"
Yan Feng glared at Xu Cheng, then turned and walked to the other side.
He didn't dare disobey the Cult Leader's orders.
But in his mind, he was already thinking of how to torment Xu Cheng.
Making Xu Cheng kneel before him in front of everyone—that would be his greatest pleasure.
Just imagining it made his body tremble in excitement...
"Brother, can you do this?" Na Na anxiously grabbed Xu Cheng's arm, wishing she could fight in his place.
"Shh." Xu Cheng placed a finger to his lips, smiling. "A man can't admit defeat, right? Besides, this is an opportunity for us."
Indeed, he'd already reached a bottleneck in the Holy Spirit Cult—and their dear Cult Leader had generously offered him a way to break it.
If he won—defeating four at once—his prestige would soar to unprecedented heights.
"Begin!"
With a single shout, the hall fell silent once more.
Thousands of eyes focused on the five in the arena.
"Roar!"
Lu Genggeng let out a beastly roar and launched forward. His already large body ballooned to five meters tall, bouncing off the ground like a massive ball, shaking the arena with booming thuds.
"Abomination, huh…" Xu Cheng murmured, eyes gleaming.
His entire body looked like it had been stitched together by a patchwork of skin. Just one glance would remind anyone of a horror movie. He even drooled like an idiot, emitting a foul stench.
Commentators would probably say: Trying to provoke fear or disgust? Mission accomplished...
Then came Gu Yu—much more ordinary in appearance. He held a three-meter-long skull staff, his power clearly focused on support and control, applying buffs to allies.
Tang Dai transformed into a three-meter-tall skeleton warrior. His martial spirit resembled that of the ancient Bone Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—defensive against both physical and magical attacks, a classic tank.
As the three of them released their six soul rings…
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
Everyone present was an evil soul master, and they knew what it meant for fifteen- or sixteen-year-olds to have already reached Soul Emperor level—it was insane.
And yet they were supposed to be supporting characters!
Sure enough, when Yan Feng revealed his Bone Dragon martial spirit and Soul Emperor strength, the crowd erupted in cheers and awe.
His faction within the cult went wild.
Only now did everyone understand why Yan Feng, silent for years, suddenly went rogue to challenge the Holy Son. With strength like that, who could match him among his peers?
"Xu Cheng, make your move!"
Yan Feng floated above the other three, bone wings flapping behind him.
An evil, icy wind swept through the arena—not physically cold, but infused with such sinister energy that even evil soul masters shuddered.
"That's the Frost Bone Dragon?" someone whispered in awe.
"A rare evil-ice attribute. Even in the cult's history, that's extremely rare. Add his young age and Soul Emperor level—Xu Cheng might really be in trouble…"
"Yeah, and with three more geniuses backing him up… This lineup could probably win the All-Continent Soul Master Tournament."
"Xu Cheng is strong, but without soul tools, he might fall behind. Everyone knows he uses a spiritual-type martial spirit, and Yan Feng definitely came prepared. Sigh, what a pity—crippling himself like this."
"…"
Voices of admiration filled the hall.
Yan Feng, hearing them, felt his pride swell. He extended a finger, pointing at Xu Cheng with a smirk: "Come on. If you're scared, I might spare your life!"
The other three were also itching to fight.
Defeating Xu Cheng—even if together—would still grant them fame.
After all, among the younger generation in the Holy Spirit Cult, Xu Cheng stood like a mountain.
Now…
"Roar!"
Lu Genggeng couldn't wait any longer. Like a massive bouncing ball, he shot toward Xu Cheng.
Gu Yu activated his third soul ring, covering Lu Genggeng in a layer of purple mist. His speed increased noticeably, and even his body grew slightly larger.
The Skeleton King followed right after, charging forward.
Yan Feng simply crossed his arms, watching from above, his bone wings flapping lazily. He wasn't worried about the trio—he expected Xu Cheng to handle them easily. Then he'd swoop in and take the final blow, getting all the glory.
"Fifth Soul Skill—Borrow the Sun!"
Xu Cheng lifted his hand.
The once dimly lit underground palace instantly brightened as though it were midday.
Terrified faces looked upward—above Xu Cheng, a blazing sun had appeared.
At the same time, the hall's temperature skyrocketed. People began sweating, licking dry lips.
On the arena floor, lava erupted, surging with searing heat.
From within Lu Genggeng's bloated form came a pained howl.
The heat was too much for even him to maintain his form—but he gritted his teeth and kept charging.
Even the Skeleton King began slowing down in the molten field, as though it would soon sink into the lava forever.
Xu Cheng's expression remained calm.
This fifth skill, Borrow the Sun, was a semi-domain-type technique.
It summoned a sun to generate a lava field, reducing enemy mobility and potentially consuming them.
If an enemy exhausted their soul power and sank into the lava—they'd be truly dead. But killing someone outright with just this one skill was still a tall order.
As people exclaimed in shock, six soul rings rose around Xu Cheng.
But what shocked everyone wasn't the number—it was the colors: purple, black, black, black, black, black.
For an ordinary Soul Emperor, this might not matter.
But this configuration left the crowd in utter confusion.
Even Yan Feng looked stunned.
His own ring setup was already considered elite, but Xu Cheng's…
"Sixth Soul Skill—Fire Bow!"
Xu Cheng spoke calmly.
He placed two fingers from his left hand in front of him, then drew back with his right.
Fwoosh— fire coated his pale hands as a flaming bow formed.
His right hand held a blazing arrow at the string. As he drew back, the flames around him grew more intense. The sun overhead channeled even more power into the bow.
"Four targets, four arrows."
Xu Cheng grinned at the four opponents.
From his bowstring, four fire arrows materialized.
A terrifying aura surged from him, shaking the crowd.
"If you don't use your trump cards now… you'll die."
And with that, he released the string.
Four flaming arrows shot forward, tearing through the air like meteorites, radiating terrifying power.
"Run!" Tang Dai, still struggling in the lava, screamed in panic the moment he saw the arrows. He immediately abandoned his Skeleton King form and used a flying soul tool to flee.
He knew—if those arrows hit him, he would die.
Lu Genggeng was less lucky.
He tried to cancel his Abomination form and use a flight tool to escape—but too late…
The first arrow hit him squarely.
Flames engulfed him in an instant, his entire form becoming a fireball.
Amidst his shrill screams, within seconds, he was silent.
His corpse fell into the lava and was quickly swallowed…
"Damn it!" Tang Dai's heart nearly burst.
He never expected Lu Genggeng, who had defenses comparable to his own, to die from just one arrow!
They were all Soul Emperors—how could Xu Cheng be this terrifying?!
(End of Chapter)