Douluo : Capture the goddess starting from peerless tang sect

Effortlessly winning over a hundred matches, the atmosphere within the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy was suffocatingly grim. This meant that, aside from the elite Mingde Hall, every single student and teacher in the academy had been defeated by Qian Ran.

Moreover, the entire process had taken less than two hours. If only the actual combat time was counted, it wouldn't have added up to more than five minutes. In such a short period, Qian Ran had crushed over a hundred challengers.

By now, they finally understood why Qian Ran had suggested sending multiple opponents at once when he saw the first contestant. A one-on-one format simply wasn't challenging enough for him.

The next stage involved sixth-level soul engineers, the pride of Mingde Hall and the true elites of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Could they pose any threat to Qian Ran?

Historically, the academy had consistently ranked second only to Shrek Academy in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament. Though perpetually in second place, they took pride in this achievement. In their eyes, Shrek Academy's superiority was merely due to its longer history and support from three nations, a precarious advantage at best.

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy primarily comprised students from the Sun Moon Empire. Despite the slightly lower average aptitude of their students, their continuous advancements in soul engineering were a source of immense pride.

Thus, they had never considered themselves significantly inferior to Shrek Academy.

And in truth, this had long been the case.

However, after being so thoroughly crushed by Qian Ran, they were left bewildered. If Shrek Academy were filled with individuals like him, what was the point of soul engineering research? They hadn't even managed to deploy their soul tools before being defeated. How were they supposed to fight?

Even those who had previously resented Qian Ran's arrogance were now silent. They couldn't deny that his confident, domineering demeanor was undeniably captivating when backed by such absolute power.

"Do you need a break?" Xuan Ziwen asked Qian Ran. The progress of this exchange competition had exceeded his expectations. He had originally anticipated it taking at least two days, yet Qian Ran had completed the first phase in just two hours. The plan to let the sixth-level soul engineers participate on the third day was now being hastily moved forward.

Qian Ran hadn't taken a single break, defeating every challenger with ease.

Xuan Ziwen was aware that Qian Ran's earlier victories relied on spiritual attacks. Qian Ran's overwhelming mental power had seemingly allowed him to maintain high-intensity combat without noticeable fatigue.

However, the upcoming matches would require him to use his martial soul.

"No need, let's continue," Qian Ran replied, shaking his head. His earlier efforts had consumed only spiritual energy, leaving his soul power virtually untouched.

Xuan Ziwen gestured for the first sixth-level soul engineer from Mingde Hall to enter the arena.

A young man, appearing around 25 or 26, stepped into the trial grounds. He was burly, with short brown hair and bronzed skin that hinted at a trace of royal lineage. His arms were unusually long and thick, exuding an imposing presence as he walked toward Qian Ran.

"Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Mingde Hall, Shen Musu."

"Qian Ran."

Xuan Ziwen looked at both contestants, raising his right hand before swiftly dropping it. "Begin the match!"

As soon as the signal was given, Shen Musu froze briefly before charging toward Qian Ran, a wave of elation flashing across his face.

Until now, Qian Ran had dealt with the fifth-level soul engineers using incomprehensibly swift methods. Shen Musu had feared facing the same, but to his relief, Qian Ran didn't employ spiritual attacks.

This was excellent news for him. As long as soul engineers had time to activate their soul tools, they believed they wouldn't be significantly outclassed.

With the propulsion of his seventh-level soul tool, Shen Musu rapidly closed the distance to Qian Ran.

But at that moment, Qian Ran released his martial soul.

Six pairs of ethereal golden wings unfurled behind him. A golden angelic mark appeared on his forehead, and five immense red soul rings—each representing 100,000 years of cultivation—glowed brilliantly beneath him. An aura of chaotic energy, both holy and malevolent, surged around him.

Having inherited the Seraphim martial soul and fused with the powers of Death, Necromancer Calamity Electrolux, Qian Ran's Seraphim had long evolved into something unprecedented.

In the past, he had hidden the darker, malevolent side of the Seraphim, showing only its radiant and holy aspect.

But now, he saw no reason to hold back. The Sun Moon Empire already regarded him as a mortal enemy, and he possessed the means to defend himself.

"How powerful…" Shen Musu's initial confidence evaporated as he drew closer to Qian Ran. The aura radiating from Qian Ran was suffocating, making Shen Musu feel as though he were facing a true Soul Douluo.

The sight of Qian Ran's five enormous red soul rings filled him with terror. Was this even real? In comparison, his own configuration of two yellow, three purple, and one black soul ring seemed laughable.

The stands erupted, with nearly half the audience rising to their feet.

So Qian Ran really was a soul king!

They had previously assumed he was a soul emperor or higher—how else could he have defeated over a hundred soul kings so effortlessly?

But this revelation hit them like a slap in the face. Not only was Qian Ran a soul king, but he was one of such absurd power that it defied comprehension.

Teachers had always said the optimal soul ring configuration for a soul king was two yellow, two purple, and one black. Only a handful of prodigies from Shrek Academy managed to absorb a 10,000-year soul ring as their fourth. That alone represented the pinnacle of soul king capabilities.

Yet here stood Qian Ran with five 100,000-year soul rings.

Was this some kind of joke?

The teachers and students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy felt their worldview crumble. The sheer might of a soul master had never felt so overwhelmingly insurmountable.

Even those who knew Qian Ran personally were stunned.

Meng Hongchen stared in amazement at his martial soul and soul rings. She vividly recalled that during the last Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, his martial soul and rings were nowhere near this terrifying. Had he been hiding his true strength all along?

Jing Hongchen, Lin Jiayi, and Xuan Ziwen were equally shocked. This didn't align with the intelligence they had gathered on Qian Ran.

Who had compiled their reports?

No wonder Qian Ran's test results had been so monstrously abnormal. Seeing his five 100,000-year soul rings, Jing Hongchen suddenly understood. Only a soul master of such absurd caliber could produce data comparable to that of an average Soul Douluo while still at the soul king stage.

For the first time, Jing Hongchen deeply regretted his oversight. Even after seeing the outrageous numbers in Qian Ran's test results, he had dismissed them. Past experience had taught him that a soul king's strength could not vastly exceed their rank—it simply defied common sense.

But now, Jing Hongchen realized he might have been utterly wrong.

Qian Ran's combat ability was likely even more terrifying than the numbers suggested.

(End of Chapter)