Chapter 60: The Power of the Qi and Blood Soul Ring

Xie Xie never thought he could dodge that punch, but his body's instinctive reaction allowed him to burst out with speed beyond his usual limits.

Steadying his footing, his first soul ring lit up:

Light Dragon Blade shot toward his opponent while he himself lunged at Gu You. When Gu You stepped aside to evade the Light Dragon Blade, Xie Xie had already reached his other side, forcing Gu You to take his punch head-on. No matter what, this exchange meant that Gu You had lost.

This level of combat technique even made the ever-strict Wu Zhangkong nod silently in approval. Though Xie Xie was the weakest among them, he had indeed begun to grasp some of the core principles of agility-type battle soul masters.

Tang Wulin also watched closely. This time, as a spectator, he could more clearly appreciate Xie Xie's recent efforts. He had only defeated Xie Xie before because of those mysterious golden scales, but in reality, Xie Xie was undoubtedly stronger than him in terms of pure combat ability.

When everyone thought that Gu You would dodge the Light Dragon Blade and take Xie Xie's punch, he remained motionless.

Wu Zhangkong frowned. This kid was too careless. He was prepared to step in and use soul power to save Gu You from getting hurt by the Light Dragon Blade. However, Gu You's displayed strength so far had indeed piqued his curiosity. If he were to unleash his full power, just how strong would he be? Regardless of whether he passed this test, Wu Zhangkong had already decided—Gu You would stay in Class Zero. A dragon-type martial soul's strength was something he had personally experienced before, and from the way his bloodline suppressed others, Gu You's martial soul must be of incredibly high quality. Even if Gu You lacked combat skills at the moment, Wu Zhangkong believed that under his guidance, he could undoubtedly become an unparalleled powerhouse.

A powerful wave of soul power erupted from Gu You's body as a purple-blue soul ring rose at his feet.

The terrifying dragon might instantly shattered Xie Xie's Light Dragon Blade and forced Xie Xie to retreat.

The entire place fell silent.

Everyone stared at the soul ring beneath Gu You in shock. What kind of color was that?

But this was a battle—there was no time for questions, nor room for distractions.

Wu Zhangkong was well-read. He knew that history recorded the existence of rare soul rings beyond the conventional red hundred-thousand-year rings, but they were incredibly rare. One could find records of such phenomena by searching through ancient texts. However, this particular color was completely unheard of.

Just by possessing this soul ring, Gu You had already set himself apart as a genius, breaking a miracle and creating a legend. Regardless of his future achievements, the mere existence of a purple-blue soul ring was enough to be recorded in the annals of history.

Xie Xie landed just about a meter away, positioning himself carefully. He had calculated this exact distance, making sure he could still reach his opponent. Faced with such a strong adversary, his potential had been pushed to its limit.

However, deep down, he felt a bitter realization—Gu You had been holding back.

Before Xie Xie could react, Gu You's fist shot toward him.

It was too fast!

No one even saw when the punch was thrown.

"On the battlefield, don't waste time thinking. Every second can determine your life or death," Gu You warned. His fist had already slowed down significantly, yet it still landed squarely on Xie Xie's right cheek.

The force tore through the air with a sharp "whoosh" sound.

"Ah!"

Xie Xie was sent flying. Thankfully, Gu You had pulled his punch; otherwise, his face might have been completely crushed.

This fight had never been a contest—Gu You's dragon might alone was enough to suppress Xie Xie's martial soul, rendering him unable to even summon it properly.

But to keep things interesting, Gu You had restrained his own aura for a while to prolong the battle.

Tang Wulin felt an intense sense of unease.

Gu You was unbelievably strong, even with just one ring.

However, what Tang Wulin didn't know was that Gu You's soul ring was merely an addition from his bloodline. His actual soul power had already reached the level of a Soul Elder.

Gu Yue's face remained stern as she gazed at Gu You, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

"I lost, Teacher," Xie Xie said, covering his swollen right cheek with a neutral tone, though Wu Zhangkong could tell that he had suffered a heavy blow—not just physically, but mentally as well.

Next time, I won't let him fight. Wu Zhangkong made a mental note, then acknowledged Xie Xie's statement with a slight nod.

"Don't be so discouraged," Gu You said as he walked toward Xie Xie. "Your combat technique is truly impressive. If we had the same martial soul, I wouldn't be your match."

Wu Zhangkong shot Gu You a sharp look.

"Saying such unnecessary things... Are you comforting him?"

"Thanks, but there's no need for that. If I'm weak, then I'm weak. I'll just train harder," Xie Xie replied with a bitter smile. It wasn't that he couldn't handle the defeat—it was just that he had been smacked in the face so many times already! Why was it always his face?!

Tang Wulin hurried over to support Xie Xie.

"Are you badly hurt? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

Xie Xie shook his head.

"Xie Xie, you really look like a big swollen pig right now," Gu Yue remarked, walking over with a grin.

"You're the pig! Your whole family is!" Xie Xie roared.

"Fine! If you want to fight, I don't mind making your other cheek match."

"You—!"

"Enough arguing," Wu Zhangkong interrupted, feeling a sense of nostalgia. They really remind me of my younger days...

His gaze turned to Gu You.

"That soul ring of yours—what is it?"

"This is my bloodline soul ring. It's not attached from a soul beast but is instead condensed from my own bloodline energy. Like normal soul rings, it grants me a soul skill, but because of its extreme compatibility with my martial soul, its power is at least two hundred times that of an ordinary soul skill."

Gu You calmly explained in response to Wu Zhangkong's question.

"I see… Congratulations. You've officially joined Class Zero. What is your current soul power level?"

Not only was Wu Zhangkong curious, but so were Zhang Yangzi and the others. For someone to so easily defeat a Rank 20 Soul Grandmaster, he must be at least Rank 25 or higher, right?

Gu You looked at everyone, then glanced subtly at Tang Wulin before speaking:

"Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Gu You. I am nine years old, from Tianhai. My martial soul is the Purple-Gold Dragon Emperor, and my soul power level is Rank 30 Soul Elder."

The moment those words fell, it was like a bomb had exploded in the crowd.

Nine years old. Soul Elder.

In just three years, even with innate full soul power, he had risen by nineteen levels?!

At this rate, wouldn't he reach Titled Douluo by twenty?!

A true genius!

This was the only thought in Wu Zhangkong's mind. Even the prodigies of Shrek Academy's long lineage paled in comparison. But what puzzled him was—why had such an incredible talent never appeared on any genius rankings?

Had he simply not paid enough attention to online news?

Or had the world already changed beyond his expectations?

Tang Wulin's heart pounded furiously.

His fists clenched.

For the first time, he felt an overwhelming sense of inferiority.

Gu You's sheer talent and presence weighed on him like a mountain, igniting an undeniable defiance in his heart..