Douluo : Capture the goddess starting from peerless tang sect

Not only were the students eager to see how their soul devices performed against a top-tier soul master prodigy, but even the teachers were equally curious. Especially the Level 8 and 9 soul engineers—they wanted to study the combat style of top-level soul masters to identify and compensate for their own shortcomings.

Opportunities like this were rare.

At Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, only a handful of elite representatives chosen every five years had the chance to compete with the continent's finest talents.

To prepare for this sparring match, the academy even suspended classes for a week. All attendees were required to submit a detailed report of their observations.

The event was hosted by the Dean of Instruction, Lin Jiayi. As for the referee, Lin Jiayi invited none other than Xuan Ziwen. Xuan Ziwen happily set aside his research to take up the role; he, too, was deeply curious about Qian Ran.

When Qian Ran first joined the lab, he had already given both Juzi and Coco a harsh wake-up call. To defeat Qian Ran, one would need to be at least a Level 6 or even Level 7 soul engineer. As for the Level 5s, Xuan Ziwen couldn't fathom why they were even included—they were likely there to learn a humbling lesson.

After all, Qian Ran was now a Soul King. If he were easily defeated by someone of the same level, it would serve as a reality check for the arrogant students of the academy.

"Have you all placed your bets? If you're short on money, just come to me. Betting on my win is a sure thing—guaranteed profit, no losses," Qian Ran said with a smirk as he walked through the preparation tunnel, addressing Juzi and Coco.

Qian Ran was well aware of the underground betting scene among Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy students. The odds were:

If Qian Ran couldn't last ten matches, the payout was 3:1.If he couldn't last twenty matches, 2:1.If he couldn't last fifty matches, 0.3:1.If he couldn't last one hundred matches, 0.1:1.

"I've put all my savings on you, so don't disappoint me," Coco declared, her hands clasped over her chest in earnest.

"No problem. This time, I'll make you rich," Qian Ran replied with a chuckle.

With that, Qian Ran headed straight to the stage.

Watching from the stands, Huo Yuhao felt a surge of irritation at the sight of Qian Ran taking the stage. Yet, his actions betrayed his feelings—he immediately placed a bet on Qian Ran winning 300 consecutive matches.

He couldn't help it. As much as he disliked Qian Ran, he knew the guy was genuinely terrifyingly strong.

Even with Huo Yuhao's formidable abilities, he couldn't hold a candle to Qian Ran.

Huo Yuhao was confident that none of the registered challengers posed a genuine threat to Qian Ran.

Little did Qian Ran know, even Juzi and Coco harbored slight doubts about his strength. Among the few who truly believed in him, Huo Yuhao was a surprising addition.

But then again, given Qian Ran's overwhelming dominance over him, it wasn't entirely unexpected for Huo Yuhao to hold some level of grudging admiration. Perhaps in the near future, after being utterly defeated, Huo Yuhao might even take pride in the idea of his mother, Huo Yun'er, becoming Qian Ran's woman.

Standing alone on one side of the field, Qian Ran casually conjured a multifunctional recliner from a small soul device in his palm. With an air of leisure, he lay down on it. Considering the numerous challengers he was about to face, standing for seven or eight hours seemed too exhausting for his liking.

The stands immediately erupted into chaos.

Even though the academy's announcement had hyped up Qian Ran, the fact remained that he was just a Soul King. No matter how powerful, what could a mere Soul King achieve? The audacity to take on the entire student body of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy in a sparring match—including Soul Emperors and Soul Sages—was an insult to Shrek Academy itself.

Some of the academy's Soul Sages were also Level 8 soul engineers. While their combat capabilities couldn't match those of a typical Soul Douluo, their technical expertise was nothing to scoff at.

"He's way too arrogant," someone muttered.

Watching Qian Ran lounging on his recliner and sipping juice, many in the crowd felt an overwhelming urge to storm the stage and pummel him. This sparring match had drawn a huge crowd, with even the aisles packed.

To witness Qian Ran's smug display in front of so many people—it was infuriating.

"This guy isn't scared of getting beaten up, huh?" Coco stifled a laugh.

"He probably has the strength to back it up," Juzi said, covering her mouth to hide her smile. She knew Qian Ran was immensely strong. However, with so many challengers, Juzi was concerned about the toll on his stamina.

On the main platform, Lin Jiayi was momentarily stunned by the scene.

He had planned to deliver a longer opening speech but quickly abandoned the idea. With the crowd already seething, Lin Jiayi worried that an enraged mob might storm the stage and attack Qian Ran.

Although Qian Ran hadn't uttered a single word of provocation, his actions exuded pure disdain. For students who prided themselves as geniuses, this was unbearable. At Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, they were used to looking down on others, not being looked down upon.

"Silence! Everyone, quiet down!" Lin Jiayi roared, exerting all his authority. "Teachers, control your students! The match is about to begin. All unrelated personnel must leave the field immediately!"

"Crush that arrogant bastard! He's not just showing off—he's even flirting with girls from our academy! What a scumbag!"

"If anyone defeats him, I'll personally reward them with 100,000 gold soul coins. I mean it!"

"If you take him down, I'll agree to any request—even if it's to go to a hotel…"

…

Even the usual looks-obsessed girls sided with their academy this time. As handsome as Qian Ran was, he wasn't attractive enough to make them root for him. Of course, Juzi, Coco, Meng Hongchen, and a few others close to Qian Ran were exceptions. But even they dared not speak up, fearing the wrath of the crowd.

"The first round of the exchange match begins. Silence, everyone!" Lin Jiayi's stern voice reverberated across the arena.

As he finished speaking, a youth of about seventeen or eighteen stepped onto the field, wearing the badge of a Level 5 soul engineer on his chest.

Seeing the challenger, Qian Ran sighed in exasperation.

"Dean Lin, let's have more opponents of this level come up together. No need to waste time. There are so many people registered to spar with me, and I don't have all day," Qian Ran said loudly, his voice carrying effortlessly across the arena.

The stands erupted into an uproar once again.

What was that supposed to mean? Was he looking down on Level 5 soul engineers? Wasn't he just a Soul King himself?

"No," Lin Jiayi snapped, glaring at Qian Ran.

"Fine," Qian Ran said, dropping the matter and continuing to sip his juice.

"Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Level 5 Soul Engineer, Xia Xuancheng!"

"Shrek, Qian Ran," Qian Ran replied indifferently.

Xuan Ziwen gave Qian Ran a somewhat helpless look before addressing both contestants: "This is just a sparring match. Try to avoid injuring your opponent. Learn from each other and grow stronger."

"No problem," Qian Ran replied with a nod.

Xia Xuancheng also nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Defeating Qian Ran would undoubtedly earn him significant prestige.

(End of Chapter)