Douluo Dalu: The Legend of The Spider Emperor

A phoenix—no!

That was an Ice Phoenix, an exceptional beast-type martial soul.

The Ice Phoenix was one of the most powerful martial souls on the continent. It had incredibly strong control abilities and was overwhelmingly dominant. Although it shared the same phoenix lineage as Ma Hongjun's martial soul, the Ice Phoenix was in no way inferior to Ma Hongjun's Fire Phoenix.

They were two opposing extremes, yet both were at the peak of martial soul rankings.

In terms of raw strength, Shui Bing'er was far stronger than Ma Hongjun.

Not to mention, at this point, Ma Hongjun had yet to consume the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, meaning his Evil Fire problem still persisted. His frequent visits to the brothels in the city were proof of that—he was practically a regular customer.

Tianshui Academy, true to its name, consisted entirely of water-attribute soul masters. Their aura gradually turned icy cold, rippling waves of water appearing around them. Their soul rings—each the best possible configuration—shone under their feet.

They immediately assumed formation: three in the front, three in the back, and Shui Bing'er, as the captain, positioned in the center to command the battle.

At the same time, Yu Tianheng's entire body flickered with lightning as his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul descended. Dugu Yan's lower body transformed into a serpent's tail, radiating a toxic and nauseating green mist—the potent poison of the Jade Phosphor Serpent.

Meanwhile, five soul rings appeared beneath Ye Hao's feet. His irregular soul ring configuration made him the only one among the fourteen competitors to possess two ten-thousand-year soul rings.

Once Ye Hao activated his Death Spider Emperor transformation, his usual handsome appearance was completely replaced by a terrifyingly sinister form. His lower half became a massive arachnid-like sphere, while his arms were covered in sharp, barbed thorns.

Moments earlier, some of the Tianshui girls had felt a vague attraction toward Ye Hao.

But now, after seeing his grotesque transformation, any budding affection was instantly snuffed out.

With no time to dwell on such thoughts, they steeled themselves and prepared for battle.

This victory was critical for both sides.

The preliminary competition consisted of over a dozen teams, but only five could advance. The pressure was immense!

"First Soul Skill: Thunder Dragon Claw!"

Yu Tianheng's right hand crackled with blue lightning, the bolts spreading like an intricate web as they shot toward the girls of Tianshui Academy.

Seeing this, Shui Bing'er quickly issued a retreat order.

Then, her first soul ring lit up with a flash of blue light.

In the next moment, Yu Tianheng felt a bone-chilling cold surge through his body—he was completely immobilized, trapped within a block of solid ice.

It wasn't just him.

Dugu Yan was also frozen.

Even Ye Hao himself was caught in the icy prison.

To be clear—this wasn't because Ye Hao was weak.

It was because, from the stands, something had abruptly caught Ye Hao's attention.

His eyes locked onto a particular figure—Shi Nian, the team leader of Canghui Academy.

Shi Nian's gaze remained fixed on Ye Hao, his expression chillingly cold.

It was a bone-deep, eerie coldness that sent shivers down one's spine.

A faint, nearly imperceptible killing intent radiated from him.

But Ye Hao caught it perfectly.

Shi Nian wanted him dead!

That was the conclusion Ye Hao instantly arrived at.

Shi Nian was a cruel and ruthless man—cunning, sinister, and notorious for hunting down prodigies.

For someone like Ye Hao, who had already reached the Soul King level at such a young age, it was no surprise that he had become Shi Nian's next target.

Ye Hao was furious, so much so that he hadn't even noticed he was frozen in ice.

The icy prison was bone-chillingly cold, and neither Yu Tianheng nor the others could break free immediately.

With Ye Hao, Yu Tianheng, and Dugu Yan trapped, the remaining four members of the Second Team looked like they had lost their foundation.

This was a prime opportunity for an offensive.

Shui Bing'er wasted no time in ordering the three front-line members to attack.

Rippling waves of water surrounded their hands as they dashed toward the remaining Second Team members, stepping on delicate patterns of water that enhanced their speed.

At that moment—

The ice encasing Ye Hao suddenly shattered!

His eyes turned murderous.

An overwhelming aura of death and frost radiated from him, causing the three approaching girls to instinctively recoil in fear.

Right after, Ye Hao's gaze snapped toward the stands, locking onto Shi Nian.

Their eyes met.

It was clear as day—Shi Nian's target was him.

That brief exchange of glances was enough for Ye Hao to confirm his suspicions.

He immediately activated his fifth soul ring.

A pitch-black, ten-thousand-year soul ring glowed ominously beneath his feet, sending shockwaves of disbelief through the crowd.

"Isn't it too early to be using his fifth soul skill?"

"No… something's not right. My little brother isn't the type to act recklessly. Something must have happened."

Sitting in the VIP section, Xue Qinghe immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Ye Hao wouldn't get this angry without reason—there had to be another factor at play.

"Fifth Soul Skill: Death Slash Rift!"

Ye Hao's arms transformed into two massive, glowing purple scythes.

The blades gleamed with a chilling, deadly light, sending a wave of gasps through the audience.

From the stands, Shi Nian instantly realized—Ye Hao was issuing a direct warning to him.

But instead of acknowledging it, Shi Nian simply ignored Ye Hao with a dismissive sneer.

To him, Ye Hao was nothing more than another prodigy—one with powerful backing from the Heaven Dou Empire, yes, but still just another target.

And that was exactly what made Shi Nian most excited.

His greatest pleasure in life was hunting down geniuses, dragging them into a nightmare, and making them die in agony.

To put it simply—Shi Nian was a complete psychopath.

Back on the battlefield…

Seeing Ye Hao unleash his fifth soul skill, Shui Bing'er's expression changed drastically.

"Yue'er! Get back, now!"

She shouted anxiously.

Shui Yue'er was her half-sister.

Panicked, Shui Bing'er activated her first soul skill again.

Before Ye Hao could react, he was instantly frozen once more.

A near-instant activation!

Seeing this, Shui Yue'er breathed a sigh of relief.

But then—

Ye Hao broke free again.

His twin scythe-arms slashed wildly, cutting through the surrounding ice with precision. The cuts were smooth and razor-sharp.

The seven Tianshui Academy girls collectively gasped, their understanding of Ye Hao's strength reaching new heights.

Ye Hao was done wasting time.

He needed to end this battle quickly.

Then, he would deal with Shi Nian!

With a swift motion, he kicked off the ground, his figure becoming a blur as he charged straight toward Shui Bing'er.

He knew the rule of battle well—defeat the leader, and the rest would crumble!

Activating his Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone's flight ability, a dazzling blue light coiled around his foot.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Hao had already appeared before Shui Bing'er.

She froze in shock, completely unprepared for his astonishing speed.

Ye Hao raised his scythe-like arm high, aiming to knock her unconscious with the blunt side.

A surge of icy energy engulfed Shui Bing'er.

In the face of the descending blade, she instinctively crossed her arms in front of her chest.

A shield of solid ice materialized before her, looking incredibly sturdy.

Ye Hao's blade struck.

With a loud crack, the shield shattered instantly.

Shards of ice scattered like blossoms, reflecting Ye Hao's cold, emotionless face in their fractured surfaces.

Shui Bing'er stumbled back, quickly pulling away to maintain distance.

Her heart pounded.

She looked at Ye Hao with a mix of shock and dread…