He didn't make the slightest sound, but wherever he passed, the surrounding light seemed to be swallowed by the darkness emanating from his body.
He was only thirty meters away from Gu You.
Gu You's arms began to be covered with dragon scales, and his gaze sharpened. The next moment— Bang!
Almost simultaneously, the Winged Tiger Soul Master was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground before dissolving into radiant light.
After seeing the Winged Tiger Soul Master eliminated, the shadow in the darkness finally revealed its true appearance.
It was a pale-skinned young man with unremarkable facial features, except for his striking gray hair. His eyes were also gray, making him look as though he came from another world.
In his right hand, he held a massive scythe. The scythe's handle was three meters long, and its blade exceeded 1.5 meters. The blade was engraved with numerous dark purple patterns that seemed to draw in one's gaze. Just looking at it made one feel as if their very soul was being pulled in.
The gray-haired youth raised his scythe and pointed it directly at Gu You!
Roar!
A resounding dragon roar echoed through the air, shaking heaven and earth. The dignity of the dragon race could not be insulted. Even if Gu You remained calm, the bloodline within him would never allow such disrespect to pass.
The dragon's roar was deafening, shaking the heavens and earth. The gray-haired youth and his two companions were immediately sent reeling, blood pouring from their seven orifices before their bodies vanished in white light.
"I never expected to see such a Martial Soul," Xu Xiaoyan exclaimed in awe after witnessing Gu You's battle.
"What? A Martial Soul? It's just a big scythe," Xie Xie scoffed, picking his nose. "Got wiped out in one hit. I don't see what's so great about it."
Xu Xiaoyan glared at him angrily. "You really don't get it, do you? Do you even realize who he was fighting? If I remember correctly, his name is Xu Yucheng. A very ordinary name, right? But in Mingdu, he's extremely famous. He's a student of the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy and has a rather notorious nickname— Undying Xu Yucheng! His Martial Soul is the Dark Demon Scythe, also known as the Reaper's Scythe. You should've noticed it, right?"
"So what?" Xie Xie still seemed unimpressed.
"You—!" Xu Xiaoyan was exasperated. "You've been spoiled by the boss, haven't you? The Dark Demon Scythe is a true Super Martial Soul—no, it should actually be classified as a God-Level Martial Soul! But unfortunately, it's not recognized as a God-Level Martial Soul, not because it's weak, but because it's too strong. It's so powerful that it causes backlash on the Soul Master themselves. Even at the four-ring level, Soul Masters with this Martial Soul don't dare to absorb thousand-year spirit rings. But even with just hundred-year spirit rings, he's still incredibly strong. Among his peers, he's undefeated! He is the number one talent in the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy among those under fifteen—no, even among those under eighteen! He has never lost a single battle! I didn't notice before, but I can't believe he actually got into our class as well."
Hearing Xu Xiaoyan's explanation, Xie Xie nodded slightly. "So basically, anyone we run into is stronger than me, huh?"
The battle throughout the forest continued. The sounds of fighting and shouting made it feel like a war zone.
Gu You moved through the battlefield, cutting down anyone in his way. Every opponent he encountered was eliminated instantly, without even a chance to react.
Then, a bright yellow light suddenly flared up, making Gu You pause. Not far ahead, a group of seven people emerged—a full-fledged team.
However, Gu You didn't immediately attack. Instead, his eyes widened in disbelief.
The one leading the group was a tall young man whose body had expanded to twice its normal size. His arms were covered in dragon scales, and four soul rings hovered beneath his feet—all of them purple.
Behind him was an exceptionally handsome young man—the most striking among the seven. His long blue hair cascaded down his back, and he radiated an ethereal aura. Although Wu Zhangkong also had blue hair, the two had completely different temperaments. Wu Zhangkong was a cold and aloof warrior, while this young man wore a gentle smile, as if everything was under his control.
"Yuetian, even I have to admit, you're amazing," the blue-haired youth said with a smile.
"No need for flattery," Yuetian replied calmly.
Yuetian! Yuetian!
Gu You was stunned. His mind raced back to that orphanage, to that weak and foolish little boy. He never could have imagined that they would reunite under these circumstances. His thoughts drifted to Shen Yue and the others.
Soon… Very soon…
But for now, there was still a fight to be had. Gu You took a step forward in silence.
"Who's there?!" The blue-haired youth instantly tensed.
Seeing a familiar face, Gu You spoke calmly, "Since I recognize someone here, I'll give you a chance. Leave on your own."
Leave? That was impossible.
Luo Guixing spoke coldly. "I don't care who you are or what your status is. If you want to defeat me, do it fair and square, but don't insult me."
He was ranked sixth on the Young Heroes Ranking of the Continent, but even he had to admit—Gu You was absurdly strong. Even just having a ten-thousand-year spirit ring made him unbeatable.
"Then I'll grant your wish," Gu You said indifferently. "Don't worry. This time, I won't make it hurt."
Boom!
Gu You clapped his hands together.
Rise!
The entire ground lifted up, as if two massive hands had risen from below, preparing to clap together.
"Retreat! Hurry up and retreat!" Luo Guixing shouted.
If they didn't, they'd be crushed into mincemeat.
So much for a painless defeat—this would cause psychological trauma for sure!
The rest of the team immediately retreated. At the last second, Yuetian glanced up at Gu You before stepping back as well.
"Young Heroes Ranking! I, Gu You, am coming for you…!"
The Young Heroes Ranking was created by the Spirit Pagoda, specifically for Soul Masters. Its purpose was to promote growth and encourage improvement within the Soul Master community. It had multiple categories, with the main ranking being the Douluo Continent Young Heroes Ranking. It listed the top 100 most powerful Battle Armor Masters.
Of course, Gu You wasn't aiming for that one. His target was the Strongest Combat Power Ranking!
Tang Wulin had also heard Xie Xie mention the Young Heroes Ranking before, and he couldn't help but feel a bit down. He didn't like this feeling—this feeling of being left behind. Gu Yue barely even spoke to him anymore, let alone looked at him…
Gu You steadied his breath and calmed his emotions.
Just then, a booming voice rang out from the sky:
"Remaining contestants: 32. Battlefield size reduced by 50%."
The voice sounded like Shen Yi's, amplified several times over.
As it echoed in his ears, the scenery around him warped and twisted.
The next instant, everything became clear again—Gu You was in a different place.
A battlefield shrink?
It seemed like the final phase had begun.
Gu You muttered to himself.
Xie Xie… where are you…?
(End of Chapter)