Chapter 880: A Glance That Lasts a Lifetime…

Tang Er was well aware of the power of his fighting techniques.

Normally, Li Qingran would be unable to move now. Her clothes were torn by the vines, and the thorns with a numbing effect were already stuck in her skin. Considering that the other party was, after all, the captain of the first team of the Soul Hall, and the reward for the competition was given by the Hall Master of the Soul Hall, he did not want to make things too ugly.

Li Qingran surrendered voluntarily, and he immediately stopped.

However, the expected surrender did not occur.

The other party remained silent.

Tang Er's expression darkened.

"A last-ditch resistance? My Heavenly Net has a second stage called Vine Explosion. Once I activate the second stage of the fighting technique, I can't even control the effects it will have."

This is a competition, not a life-or-death struggle. Sister Li Qingran, there's no need to gamble your life for a competition.

There was still no movement inside the vine cage.

Tang Er frowned.

He could almost see Li Qingran gritting her teeth and stubbornly persisting, like a dead duck refusing to admit defeat.

Little did they know.

Inside the vine cage.

All the eyes and voices of the world were blocked by the mother grass.

This deadly move from Tang Er became a safe haven, providing a private space for the master and disciple.

A few rays of light, filtering through the cracks, dappled the two of them.

Fear and panic gradually dissipated in the tender gaze between them.

Chen Huai'an held Li Qingran in a loose embrace.

Although his arms passed through her waist, and although he couldn't feel her body heat on his chest...

But the peace of that soul connection is more real than any physical embrace.

"Master..."

Li Qingran knelt down, gently stroking Chen Huai'an's cheek.

Fingertips traced across those pale eyebrows and eyes, across that head of snow-white hair.

Even though she was touching nothingness, her fingertips trembled violently as if they had been burned.

"You've suffered."

Large tears rolled down her already tear-stained face.

The drop landed on Chen Huai'an's snow-white clothes, passed right through, and fell into the dust on the ground.

She could tell.

Although Master is still incredibly handsome and maintains his calm and collected demeanor.

But the weariness between his brows was impossible to shake off.

The resolute and deathly stillness lingering deep in her eyes, as if she had just crawled out of hell, could not deceive her.

What kind of near-death experiences did the man who always stood in front of her, smiling and saying "If the sky falls, Master will hold it up," go through in a place she couldn't see?

The excruciating pain I felt just now was no illusion.

"Thank goodness... you're back."

Li Qingran sniffed and then smiled through her tears.

Although it takes this strange "fighting spirit" form, it doesn't even have a physical form.

But as long as Ng Ng is there, the sky is still blue.

Seeing his apprentice's tearful appearance, Chen Huai'an felt a sharp pang in his heart. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He could only raise his hand, hovering above her head, and make the same head-patting gesture that Li Qingran was very familiar with, just like before.

His eyes were gentle, reassuring: "I'm alright."

Countless days and nights, when they were close together, Master would often stroke her head like this.

Although you can't feel any real touch.

But Li Qingran could feel that warmth.

Zi—

A soft tearing sound broke the tranquility between the two.

The vine cage is shrinking.

A sharp thorn, glowing with a ghostly blue poisonous light, pierced through the fabric on Li Qingran's shoulder and embedded itself in her fair skin.

A streak of bright red blood seeped out, starkly contrasting against the snow-white skin.

Chen Huai'an's hand froze in mid-air.

Those eyes, which were originally full of gentleness, suddenly froze the moment they saw that splash of blood red.

cold.

A bone-chilling cold.

Even though he is currently a Fighting Spirit, and even though his current power in the Canglan Realm is less than one ten-thousandth of his peak strength.

but……

Dragons have scales that cannot be touched; to touch them is certain death.

Li Qingran keenly sensed the change in her master's aura.

She paused for a moment, then her eyes darted around.

The "ice queen" mask that Nirvana wore in public shattered instantly.

Instead, she displayed the same naivety and playfulness that she only showed in that wooden house at Luoxia Peak.

"Master~"

She leaned forward slightly, resting against Chen Huai'an's chest, tilting her head back, blinking her big eyes, her voice full of grievance:

“That guy with the shokuro (a type of stick) bullied me.”

“He pricked me with thorns and said he was ruthless and destroyed flowers.”

"This disciple is no match for him, Master... please help me deal with him!"

Chen Huai'an looked down at her, shook his head helplessly, his eyes full of doting affection.

How could Li Qingran possibly fail?

She's so old, why is she still acting like a child?

but……

He turned his head, his gaze peering through the gaps in the vines at the boundary.

The doting look in his eyes vanished instantly, leaving only indifference.

It definitely needs to be cleaned up.

How dare they injure his apprentice?

I can't stand it.

He slowly raised his hand, his index and middle fingers together.

The air seemed to freeze, and a faint yet pure sword intent gathered at his fingertips.

break.

He silently recited it in his heart.

He drew his sword.

…

The arena (or ring).

Tang Er looked at the black cocoon, which had shrunk to its limit and was now completely still, and his patience finally ran out.

"If you refuse a toast, you'll have to drink a penalty shot."

He snorted coldly, his five fingers clenching tightly as if crushing a heart.

"Since you insist on doing this, then I'll... go all out!"

"Vine blast!!"

The moment the words fell.

Boom—!!!

A loud bang.

But it wasn't the muffled sound of vines exploding, but rather... the sharp whistling of a blade slicing through metal.

Before Tang Er's cold expression had faded, a violent white wave of energy erupted from the center of the black cocoon like a mountain erupting.

"What?!"

He managed to let out a cry of surprise.

That seemingly indestructible "Heavenly Net," which even a Soul King couldn't easily escape, was like tofu thrown into a meat grinder in that instant.

collapse!

collapse!

collapse!

Countless vines, as hard as iron, crumbled inch by inch, turning into a sky full of black dust.

The violent sword energy, mixed with fragments of vines, formed a black and white storm that instantly swept across the entire arena.

"ah!!"

Tang Er felt an irresistible force assail him.

He was thrown out like a rag doll and crashed heavily onto the protective shield that was tens of meters high.

The slime team members behind him were scattered like rolling gourds by the sword energy.

The audience in the stands were so surprised that they all stood up.

The referee squinted, staring intently at the field, his hands trembling beneath his sleeves.

This sharp aura... is it really something a Soul Master could produce?

A few breaths later.

The smoke and dust cleared.

The entire room fell silent.

On the riddled arena, a vacuum zone with a diameter of 100 meters appeared.

The surface was covered with countless sword marks, each one seemingly bottomless, becoming denser towards the center.

And at the center of that sword wound.

A figure in white stood proudly, sword in hand.

His figure was ethereal, yet he exuded an air of arrogant disdain for the world.

And in his arms.

Li Qingran was tightly wrapped in his large white robe, which covered her tattered and blood-stained clothes and concealed all her disheveled state.

This girl, who was like an ice queen in the hearts of countless Soul Masters, was now nestled in the man's arms like a docile cat, revealing her delicate and pretty face.

Those eyes paid no attention to anyone or anything around them.

She was staring intently at the man's profile.

It's as if this world is empty.

Only one person remains.

…

…