"A fierce and exhilarating" battle had ended and to be honest, Shuyan felt a little disappointed.
The Diamond Mammoth's defense and strength were undoubtedly top-tier, but in front of him, it was nothing more than a moving sandbag.
As for the others, aside from Luo Qinghan's spiritual attribute, only Qian Gu Yueyin earned a sliver of his respect.
After kicking Huyan Hao off the stage, Shuyan didn't immediately deal with Qian Gu Yueyin. He could tell she still had a trump card left that held some subtle mystery. Perhaps out of curiosity, he wasn't in a rush.
When she entered that state, Shuyan clearly sensed a fluctuation in the surrounding natural energies. With the first swing of her staff, he furrowed his brow slightly.
He could feel that her attack was heavily enhanced by the power of heaven and earth, greatly amplifying both her strength and offensive force. By the second strike, her power had doubled compared to the first. The previously indestructible wall of ice was shattered under her staff. If an average Soul King weren't careful, they might be crippled—or even die—from such a blow.
By the time she launched her third strike, it was clear she had reached her physical limit. Borrowing too much of heaven and earth's power was a tremendous burden on her body. Yet this final blow managed to force Shuyan back a step...
In the end, Shuyan looked down at Qian Gu Yueyin, who had just coughed up blood and was half-kneeling on the ground, still glaring at him stubbornly. His expression showed a trace of reflection.
He slowly stepped forward, bent down, and smiled lightly before speaking:
"So, how about it? Surprised that someone like me—just a pretty face—could beat you? Tell me, do you admit defeat?"
Qian Gu Yueyin stared back at him, her anger and unwillingness causing her to cough violently again. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and those once cold and arrogant eyes now shimmered with undeniable humiliation.
"How can you be this strong? This… this isn't the power a Soul King should have..."
Shuyan chuckled softly and replied:
"You've probably never seen a true ultimate-attribute soul master before—at most, you've just heard of us in name. But I want you to understand: for us, cultivating each additional level of spirit power is twice as hard as it is for ordinary soul masters. That difficulty comes with a reward—our actual combat power far surpasses soul masters of the same rank. I'm not joking when I say I can go head-to-head with a Soul Sage who hasn't activated their Martial Soul Avatar. For you all to have lasted this long against me is already quite impressive."
Qian Gu Yueyin blinked in surprise. Confusion flickered in her golden eyes. Could a Soul King really match a Soul Sage just by having an ultimate attribute?
She didn't know why, but she found herself feeling a bit lost and uncertain. Still, she couldn't deny that she now looked at Shuyan very differently. Her earlier arrogance and provocation seemed to turn back and stab at her like blades. Even someone as proud as her had begun to clearly see the vast gap between them—and that enormous disparity made her question herself.
Before she could think any further, Shuyan's voice rang out again:
"So? Have you had enough? If not, I don't mind beating you again until you do."
She froze, the fire in her eyes flaring up once more. But the moment she moved, the excruciating pain searing through her body forced her to collapse back down, her face going pale as cold sweat visibly rolled down her forehead.
Looking up at the still-standing Shuyan, she struggled to lift her head. Remembering her grandfather's advice, she gritted her teeth and hesitated for a long time before muttering softly:
"I… I yield..."
A satisfied smile spread across Shuyan's face. He then looked up toward the viewing platform and called out clearly:
"Granny Medical Immortal, I'll have to trouble you now..."
A soft greenish light descended from above. Qian Gu Yueyin and the others felt a warm current flow through their bodies. Their damaged organs and muscles began healing at a miraculous speed. Most of the pain disappeared, and even their spirit power recovered to a decent extent. When Shuyan extended a hand to her, Qian Gu Yueyin irritably slapped it away and struggled to stand on her own.
An elderly figure appeared behind Shuyan. The Medical Immortal Douluo wore a kindly smile. Her eyes swept over everyone before landing on Shuyan.
"Ah-Yan, you've given both His Majesty and me quite the surprise..."
Shuyan shook his head with a smile and said:
"Granny Medical Immortal, this is nothing. If someone had the resources and opportunities I've had and still couldn't completely surpass soul masters of the same level by this age, then that person would truly be useless—trash that can't be helped."
She chuckled lightly at his bluntness, not bothering to continue the topic. Her gaze shifted to the people who had gathered not far away, finally settling on Luo Qinghan and Qian Gu Yueyin.
"You two little girls have grown up... And the rest of you have changed a lot since those early years, too."
The group respectfully bowed, but the Medical Immortal Douluo waved her hand and smiled:
"No need for such formality. It's not like we're strangers. Just call me Granny Medical Immortal like Ah-Yan does—none of that 'senior' nonsense."
They looked at each other in surprise before agreeing.
After a few brief words, she turned to Shuyan and said softly:
"His Majesty asked me to tell you to visit the palace when you're free. Old Man Qian wants to see you."
Shuyan blinked in surprise but quickly nodded in agreement.
After she left, Shuyan turned to face Luo Qinghan's group once more and asked:
"Now, I trust no one has any objections left?"
As his voice fell, Chen Ming stepped forward first and shouted cheerfully:
"Boss, I'll be counting on you to look after me from now on!"
Wang Lin and the large but dopey-looking Huyan Hao followed, clearly showing where their loyalty now lay.
Luo Qinghan wheeled herself forward too, with little Meng Ning behind her, along with Tian Ling—still rubbing her aching waist and grumbling softly. It was clear both of them deferred completely to Luo Qinghan's decision.
Qian Gu Yueyin glared at Shuyan but, after a moment's hesitation, stepped forward as well.
Perhaps shaken by Shuyan's overwhelming strength, her previously proud and aggressive demeanor had softened considerably. However, the burning desire for battle in her eyes had only grown. On some level, her willingness to "submit" was undoubtedly influenced by her grandfather Qian Gu Chaosheng's words.
Though she'd always been a wild and unruly little devil, she still gave some weight to her grandfather's advice—after all, his strength was far from as simple as it seemed...
Shuyan glanced over the group, his eyes carrying a faint smile. Even Xu Jiujiu, who had remained on the viewing platform the entire time, couldn't help but smile. Snow Empress and Ice Empress exchanged glances and shared a knowing laugh. It seemed even they hadn't expected Shuyan's strength to have grown to this extent—something that was undeniably a cause for celebration.
The stronger Shuyan became, the more promising their choice appeared. At the very least, what they gained from following him wasn't just hope...
And with that, Shuyan finally completed one of the major goals he had set in his strategic plan. From here on, he could shift his focus to other matters—marking a brand new beginning...