Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

His primary cultivation goal at the moment, besides focusing on his soul power, was to also learn about soul tools as a side pursuit. Soul power cultivation remained his main focus, with soul tool learning as a supplementary endeavor.

Since he had already enrolled in the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, it would be a waste of time and opportunity not to study soul tools. After all, the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy was the most advanced institution for soul tools on the entire continent.

Other academies, even Shrek Academy, couldn't compare to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy in terms of soul tool expertise. Even their soul engineers, at the same level, couldn't match those from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. When their engineers met those from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, they were automatically considered half a rank lower.

The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy's standards for evaluating soul engineers were far stricter than those of the three nations on the original continent.

As Su Yu casually flipped through the book, he gradually became absorbed in its content.

...

Meanwhile, Jing Hongchen, who had been watching from a distance, withdrew his gaze.

"It seems this descendant of the Clear Sky Sect isn't much. He was subdued so easily."

Jing Hongchen clicked his tongue. Both boys came from top-tier powers, but the gap between them was quite large.

"Still, having a thousand-year-second soul ring is impressive. This Clear Sky Sect kid has exceptional talent. He's just lazy. Otherwise, he should have already reached the Soul Elder rank."

"But this Su Yu... I still can't figure him out. He didn't even use his martial soul to defeat the other kid. The only thing I can confirm is that he has ice attributes."

"Though that's not surprising. He's from the Ice God Hall. What else would his attribute be?"

Jing Hongchen shook his head, feeling that this trip hadn't yielded much. Perhaps even Su Yu didn't realize that the situation with the other boy had been subtly orchestrated, with some help from Jing Hongchen himself.

An Ice God Hall disciple and a Clear Sky Sect disciple? Both studying at my Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.

Very well. I'll place them in the same class and the same dormitory.

Jing Hongchen's subtle intervention aligned perfectly with the plans of a certain God King. The God King, who had planned to act personally, was pleasantly surprised to find someone else lending a hand. It was an unexpected but welcome development.

"Never mind. There's plenty of time in the future," Jing Hongchen mused as he stopped paying attention. He was a busy man and couldn't afford to waste too much time on two children.

Just as he was about to leave, a commotion caught his attention.

In the sky outside the dormitory building, two figures were facing off.

"Who are you? How dare you block my way? Get out of my sight!"

Tai Tan stood there, exuding a wild and violent aura as he glared at the person in front of him.

"I am Mu Wu, Grand Protector of the Ice God Hall. Are you from the Clear Sky Sect?"

The man standing opposite Tai Tan was a middle-aged man with white hair, dressed in a blue robe adorned with icy patterns. He stood tall and firm, radiating an imposing and frigid aura, as though he could freeze the very world around him. Despite Tai Tan's violent demeanor, Mu Wu showed no fear, his eyes remaining calm, like a deep pool.

"Ice God Hall? What are you doing here?"

At the mention of the Ice God Hall, Tai Tan's expression became serious. The Ice God Hall was a power on par with the Clear Sky Sect, and the Grand Protector of the Ice God Hall was an especially formidable figure.

"And what is the Clear Skyk Sect doing here? This is the Sun Moon Empire. If I'm not mistaken, your sect has no relations with the Sun Moon Empire," Mu Wu replied calmly.

"Why should I tell you?"

Tai Tan retorted dismissively.

"Then I have nothing to say to you either," Mu Wu shot back.

"You intend to block my way?"

Tai Tan's eyes darkened with hostility.

"It was you who first attempted to bully the weak," Mu Wu replied.

"Hmph, that kid dared to bully Dong'er. What's wrong with me teaching him a lesson? Do you know who Dong'er is?"

Tai Tan snorted, clenching his fists.

"My young lord has the right to teach that brat a lesson. It's his honor to be taught by my young lord. Do you understand how noble my young lord's status is?"

Mu Wu retorted.

"Your young lord? That brat is from the Ice God Hall?"

Tai Tan's face lit up with realization, but his gaze grew even more furious as he glared at Mu Wu.

"Old man, watch your mouth! Who are you calling a brat? Do you have a death wish?"

Mu Wu's expression darkened.

"Who are you calling old? You want to fight?"

Tai Tan's anger flared, and an invisible pressure surged toward Mu Wu like a tidal wave.

"If it's a fight you want, then a fight you'll get! Who are you trying to intimidate?"

"If your Clear Sky Sect's Master were here, I'd give him some respect. But who do you think you are?"

Mu Wu retorted, unleashing his terrifying pressure. Instantly, the surrounding temperature dropped sharply, and water vapor in the air began to freeze into ice crystals.

The two men glared at each other, and in the next moment, they clashed.

From high above, the sounds of their fierce battle echoed like thunder, rumbling through the sky.

At the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, countless people looked up, hearing the booms coming from the clouds above.

In the dormitory, Su Yu also noticed the commotion. He glanced up briefly before returning to his book, unconcerned.

Meanwhile, Jing Hongchen, sensing the outbreak of the battle, rushed over in a hurry.

Up in the clouds, Mu Wu and Tai Tan were locked in fierce combat, neither dodging as they fought with all their might.

Behind Tai Tan appeared a giant ape that let out a deafening roar, exuding an aura of pure dominance, as though it could suppress the heavens themselves. Tai Tan's martial soul was none other than the legendary soul beast, the Titan Giant Ape, a terrifyingly powerful creature with no real weaknesses. To possess such a martial soul spoke volumes about Tai Tan's immense strength.

But Mu Wu was no less formidable. Behind him manifested a strange soul beast: pure white, enveloped in a chilling aura. It had the body of a turtle, the head of a dragon, sharp fangs, and claws, and its body was covered in thick ice armor, radiating a power capable of freezing all things.

Mu Wu's martial soul was known as the Ice River Bixi, a unique variant of the Baxia species, one of the nine sons of the Dragon King. It possessed not only Bixi's immense strength but also extraordinary ice powers. This martial soul was undeniably a super martial soul, potentially even stronger than the Titan Giant Ape.

At Shrek Academy, Xuanzi's martial soul, the Godly Taotie Bull, was already considered a super martial soul, but even the Godly Taotie Bull couldn't match the Ice River Bixi. Only the true Godly Taotie Bull could stand on equal footing with Bixi.

The two continued to clash violently, their power shaking the area for miles around.

"Enough! Stop fighting, both of you!"

At that moment, Jing Hongchen arrived and, seeing the scene, hurriedly called out to stop them.

In the sky, the battle between Tai Tan and Mu Wu was already in full swing.

The two were evenly matched, making it difficult to determine a victor for the time being.

"These two are incredibly strong," Jing Hongchen remarked gravely as he watched the fight unfold.

Either one of them alone was overwhelmingly powerful. In the Sun Moon Empire, if you didn't factor in soul tools, almost no one could match these two. Even with soul tools, perhaps only Elder Kong could fight them to a standstill. As for himself, Jing Hongchen didn't dare claim he could defeat them. At best, he was confident he could stall one of them for a short time.

"Is this the foundation of ancient superpowers like the Clear Sky Clan and the Ice God Hall?"

Jing Hongchen silently praised. Such experts were exceedingly rare across the continent, with only a handful who could compare. And it wasn't even certain that these two were the strongest of their respective factions. After all, it would be unusual for the most powerful individuals to act as bodyguards—it would be beneath their status.

Even Jing Hongchen himself, when reflecting honestly, wouldn't do such a thing. Shaking his head to dismiss these thoughts, Jing Hongchen knew his priority now was to stop the fight. The academy below had already descended into chaos.

But clearly, neither Tai Tan nor Mu Wu paid any attention to his calls.

Jing Hongchen wasn't angry, though, and spoke again, "Gentlemen, please, give this old man some face and stop fighting."

With the help of his soul power, his voice carried far, and both Tai Tan and Mu Wu, who were in the midst of their battle, heard him.

Mu Wu said nothing, but a trace of impatience flashed across Tai Tan's face. He was enjoying the fight, and now this fool was yapping away. Rarely did he have a chance to stretch his muscles like this. What's this idiot blabbering on about?

"Gentlemen, this is the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Please..."

"Enough! Shut up! You're annoying me to death!"

Tai Tan interrupted.

With a move, he forced Mu Wu to retreat and glared impatiently at Jing Hongchen.

"Shorty, mind your own business, or I'll beat you up too."

Jing Hongchen was 1.5 meters tall, with a waist circumference of 1.5 meters as well—indeed short and round. As the saying goes, lies don't hurt, but the truth cuts deep. Tai Tan's words hit Jing Hongchen right where it hurt.

"You... called me what?"

Jing Hongchen was stunned, thinking he must have misheard.

Once he snapped back to reality, his expression changed, and with fury burning in his eyes, he forced out a few words through clenched teeth.

"Shorty, can't you understand plain speech?"

Tai Tan glanced at him, clearly not taking him seriously at all.

Tai Tan was battle-hungry, and Jing Hongchen's interruption, offering him face, didn't impress him in the least.

Even Niu Tian probably didn't expect that sending Tai Tan to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy to look after Wang Dong'er would result in Tai offending Jing Hongchen on his very first day. Quite the talent indeed.

"You insolent fool! You've insulted this Master far too much. Today, I will not let you off easily!"

Jing Hongchen was fuming, utterly enraged.

In the Sun Moon Empire, he held great prestige, and no one had ever spoken to him like this. Tai Tan was the first.

Jing Hongchen could no longer suppress the flames of fury in his heart.

A metallic clattering echoed as thousands of metal pipes extended from in front of Jing Hongchen. Then, countless beams of white light burst forth from the pipes, shooting toward Tai Tan.

The once-peace-seeking Master of Illustrious Virtue Hall had now joined the battle himself.

"How bold!"

Tai Tan roared, smashing the white beams to pieces with a single slap, then launching a punch toward Jing Hongchen.

Jing Hongchen hastily dodged and fired back at Tai Tan. Countless metal pipes spewed out blinding white light, fully showcasing the firepower of a Rank 9 Soul Engineer.

"Get lost!"

Tai Tan shouted, a black shield of light rising in front of him, blocking all the white beams.

On the other side, Jing Hongchen suddenly felt a heavy pressure on his body, as if an invisible force was weighing him down. Then, a massive hand descended upon him. It was Tai Tan's Gravity Domain, one of his signature moves.

Jing Hongchen's raw strength was ultimately lacking. Against weaker opponents, he could hold his own, but facing someone as formidable as Tai Tan, he was bound to suffer.

However, just then, another icy blue domain burst forth, forcefully pushing back Tai Tan's domain. It was Mu Wu who had intervened.

"Well, well, well. Now you two are ganging up on me, huh? Fine, come at me together!"

Tai Tan bellowed, showing no fear, expanding his attacks to target both enemies.

Mu Wu remained calm, easily fending off Tai Tan's assault, while Jing Hongchen had to focus hard to block the attacks.

In no time, the three of them were tangled in a chaotic melee. In the sky, the energy surges grew even more intense.

Suddenly, a figure was sent flying from the center of the battle. Jing Hongchen wiped the blood from his face and charged back into the fray. Moments later, he was kicked out again.

The gap in strength between them was evident—Jing Hongchen simply couldn't compare to the other two. He might fare decently against Xuanzi, but either of these two could easily overpower him.

"Damn it! I won't let you two off!"

Jing Hongchen, now in a battle frenzy, charged back in without a second thought.

The sky rumbled loudly, and the commotion continued until nightfall when the battle finally began to subside.

...

In a hidden corner of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, a short, stocky figure suddenly appeared. It was none other than Jing Hongchen. However, his face was now bruised and swollen, and he was clutching his waist, limping as he moved.

Jing Hongchen cautiously scanned his surroundings, ensuring no one was around. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, rubbing his sore waist with a grimace.

"Those two bastards hit so hard! My poor waist..."

Jing Hongchen gritted his teeth. Initially, he and Mu Wu had teamed up to fight Tai Tan. But as the battle escalated and Tai Tan went berserk, it became more of a free-for-all. Those two were strong enough to handle it, but Jing Hongchen had suffered the most.

"I won't forget this, you two idiots."

"Especially that old ape from the Clear Sky Clan. I'll never forgive you. You brute, you brainless fool, you idiot."

Jing Hongchen cursed under his breath, seething with hatred toward Tai Tan. Most of his injuries had come from Tai Tan's blows. Tai Tan's hits hurt like hell.

Grumbling, Jing Hongchen took out some pills from his soul tool and swallowed them, immediately feeling better.

"I still need to go to the palace and report to His Majesty. A battle this intense must have caught the emperor's attention by now."

"Those two old geezers sure know how to cause trouble."

"I never expected that my impulsive decision to bring that brat from the Clear Sky Clan and the kid from the Ice God Hall together would lead to such a huge mess."

"This time, I miscalculated."

Jing Hongchen muttered to himself as he took to the sky, heading toward the Sun Moon Imperial Palace.