Douluo : Capture the goddess starting from peerless tang sect

Countless people were hoping to defeat Qian Ran in such a widely-watched setting.

Qian Ran's arrogant demeanor had already ignited a collective sense of honor among the teachers and students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Defeating Qian Ran at a time like this would undoubtedly be the fastest way to achieve fame. Moreover, it offered a chance to advance to Mingde Hall for further study—why not give it a try?

"Both parties, retreat to the preparation areas." After confirming the participants' readiness, Xuan Ziwen announced loudly. The Soul Engineering Trial Grounds had already been marked off the day before. The preparation zones for both sides were 150 meters apart, providing ample space for soul engineers to showcase their skills.

Following Jing Hongchen's specific instructions, Qian Ran was prohibited from using any soul tools except milk bottles.

"Begin the match." Once both parties reached their preparation zones, Xuan Ziwen immediately declared the start of the contest.

At that moment, Qian Ran's eyes shimmered with golden light. In an instant, his immense spiritual power overwhelmed Xia Xuancheng's brain. Losing control of his body, Xia Xuancheng collapsed limply to the ground.

The audience, ready to cheer for their academy's student, didn't even get the chance to shout before the match ended.

Xia Xuancheng hadn't even forced Qian Ran to release his martial soul.

This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.

From the stands, teachers rushed to carry Xia Xuancheng away. After confirming he was merely unconscious, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Next," Qian Ran called out to Xuan Ziwen with a smile.

It didn't matter. Opponents of this caliber? Qian Ran could take them down in a single second.

Ten at a time might speed things up slightly.

Even at one per second, the main time consumed was in the preparation efforts of the participants and referees.

"Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, sixth-year student Wan Yijun, at your service." The second contestant stepped into the arena and entered the preparation zone.

Without even glancing up, Xuan Ziwen announced the start of the match to save time.

Just like Xia Xuancheng, Wan Yijun fell as soon as the match began. Qian Ran's spiritual attack struck instantly, leaving him with identical symptoms to the first contestant.

At this point, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's teachers and students could no longer sit still.

Two fifth-level soul engineers—who hadn't even managed to step out of their preparation zones—were defeated before they could lay a finger on Qian Ran.

How could they even play at this rate?

How could they fight?

The stands erupted in chaos.

For the academy, this was a humiliating spectacle. Even losing after holding out for ten or twenty seconds would have been easier to swallow. But to lose so inexplicably was simply incomprehensible.

"This guy is a total monster," Keke muttered, dumbfounded. She was reminded of the time Qian Ran had defeated her team. Back then, they couldn't even touch him. Even their soul cannons and beams had utterly failed to harm him.

Looking back now, it seemed Qian Ran had gone easy on them.

With Qian Ran's strength, he could have annihilated them instantly.

"Qian Ran is so handsome. He's exactly the man I want," Meng Hongchen whispered to herself, her beautiful eyes glued to him. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms. She adored his arrogance, his confidence, and his commanding presence.

If it were someone else acting so arrogant, it would only be annoying.

But Qian Ran was different—his arrogance was backed by undeniable strength. His confidence stemmed from his ability.

Watching Qian Ran dominate the trial grounds, Meng Hongchen stared in awe, her body tingling with excitement. Over the past few days, Qian Ran's teasing had made her heart flutter. Now, seeing him so dazzling and formidable made her long for him even more.

She wished she could become a part of Qian Ran, merging with him completely.

"This is disgraceful. Utterly disgraceful."

"The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's reputation is ruined!"

On the stands, students of the academy cursed incessantly. The matches were ending far too quickly—barely a second or two each. Meanwhile, Qian Ran lounged in a recliner in the preparation zone, sipping fruit juice. His relaxed demeanor stood in stark contrast to the utter humiliation of the two defeated fifth-level soul engineers.

The disparity was far too great.

Jing Hongchen, the academy's headmaster, began to regret his decision. If he'd known, he would've set the entry requirement to sixth-level soul engineers and above. For Qian Ran, soul kings weren't even a challenge. They couldn't even manage a couple of steps, let alone land a hit.

"Next. Teacher Xuan Ziwen, how many fifth-level soul engineers are left?" Qian Ran asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

"Er… next," Xuan Ziwen called towards the preparation area, flipping through his list of participants. He couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Knowing they'd lose, they still had to face the humiliation—such was the nature of the ordeal.

The worst part? These matches offered no valuable insight. Such one-sided domination left them with nothing to reflect on for their reports afterward.

One after another, Qian Ran dispatched his opponents effortlessly, losing count of how many he'd defeated.

Even the audience had grown numb. Their initial fervor to cheer for their academy had faded into despair.

The strongest among the opponents barely lasted a few seconds. What was the point of fighting?

Was this truly a soul king?

Could it be some kind of mistake?

Many began to doubt Qian Ran's actual cultivation level. No one could fathom a soul king possessing such overwhelming power. Even their academy's Soul Douluos couldn't compare.

Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi were visibly unsettled. They had anticipated some disparity in strength but hadn't expected it to be so vast.

At this rate, the students' confidence would suffer greatly.

"Qian Ran, when you face the sixth-level soul engineers later, try using your martial soul," Jing Hongchen transmitted privately to Qian Ran. As the headmaster, he felt the need to salvage some dignity for the academy.

"Fine," Qian Ran replied, deciding to humor Jing Hongchen. After all, the old man had turned a blind eye when Qian Ran had openly flirted with his granddaughter, Meng Hongchen, just days prior. That kind of tolerance deserved some acknowledgment.

"Finally, the fifth-level soul engineers are done. The rest are all at the level of soul emperors. No matter how strong Qian Ran is, he can't deal with soul emperors so effortlessly, right?"

Hearing Xuan Ziwen announce that the upcoming contestants were soul emperors, the spectators regained some energy.

However, none dared to boast. After witnessing Qian Ran's domination of the soul kings, they couldn't bring themselves to place much faith in their soul emperors.

Their hope now lay with their soul saints. At this point, even a single victory over Qian Ran would feel like a massive triumph.

(End of Chapter)