Martial Arrogance Dragon Soul-Chapter 17 Watch Closely

"I won’t leave, so what?" Qin Qing’s cold eyes stared directly at Guan Hao, causing him to be taken aback.

"Elder Guan, today at Mu Hongtu’s birthday banquet, you came to me wanting to make connections through me to introduce you to Mu Yunlan. Once you found out that my relationship with Mu Yunlan had broken down, you suddenly turned hostile, repeatedly insulting me!"

"And now, from the moment I entered the Martial Arts Ground, I have done nothing wrong. By what right do you ask me to leave? Just because you want to take this opportunity to ingratiate yourself with Mu Yunlan?"

"You..." Guan Hao found himself at a loss for words.

But quickly, he gave a cold laugh and said, "Qin Qing, you’re right. I indeed wanted to connect with Mu Yunlan through you. But, I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong."

"I am an instructor of the Great Qian Martial Institute. It’s only natural for me to seek out disciples that I find promising. The desire to cherish talent is something everyone possesses. Mu Yunlan is an exceptional talent, and I want her to be my disciple. What’s wrong with that?"

"Elder Guan is absolutely right!" From the high platform, Shangguan Xuan stood up, his face filled with mockery as he pointed at Qin Qing, "It’s you, Qin Qing. I advise you to hand over the life-and-death contract with the Mu Family. Our Great Qian Dynasty venerates the Martial Dao and respects martial artists. The stronger the talent and cultivation, the higher the status one justifiably attains!"

"Yunlan’s talent is one in a million, and she is certain to become a powerful martial artist in the future. What about you? A useless cripple unable to cultivate, a person who should be as lowly as a dog, yet you attempt to threaten Yunlan with a mere contract. How laughable is such despicable behavior?"

Shangguan Xuan’s lips curled slightly. He had personally witnessed Qin Qing’s Soul Palace being destroyed, his Martial Soul taken. Now, Qin Qing was probably nothing more than a crippled person. When it comes to talent, he simply couldn’t compare to Mu Yunlan!

"So, just because she is more talented than I am, I should just hand over the life-and-death contract?" Qin Qing’s eyes flashed coldly. "By that logic, are you saying that you, Young Master Shangguan, consider the laws of the Great Qian to be worthless?"

Shangguan Xuan’s expression turned stern.

Quite the sharp-tongued one.

The Shangguan Clan is a prominent official family in the imperial city, and if this matter involved the laws of the Great Qian, it could not be taken lightly.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Shangguan Xuan said, "The laws of the Great Qian naturally cannot be violated by anyone. But our Great Qian also has rules that if a servant possesses exceptional talent, as long as they pass the assessment recognized by the imperial Martial Institute, they can apply to the City Lord’s Mansion of their locality for the release from servitude!"

"Heh, you’re right!" Qin Qing sneered, "But the latter half of the statement is that the city lord can consult with the servant’s clan to consider the termination of the servant’s status! So even the city lord doesn’t have the right to directly release a servant from their bondage, right?"

At this moment, Shangguan Hai, seated in the center of the high platform and current City Lord of Tianjue City, stood up.

"Qin Qing. You seem to be quite well-informed about the laws of the Great Qian. However, Mu Yunlan is an exceptional talent not commonly found and is a special case. If I declare her directly released from servitude, it would not be unjust!"

Shangguan Hai’s tone seemed to carry a hint of mockery as he added, "But today, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. Qin Qing... you also participated in this assessment. If your talent is not inferior to Mu Yunlan’s or, let’s say, not much worse. Then the life-and-death contract can continue to be valid, and the Mu Family will remain servants of the Qin Residence..."

"But if... your talent is far less than Mu Yunlan’s, then the life-and-death contract will be destroyed on the spot!"

There was an undeniable authority in Shangguan Hai’s voice.

At the same time, to avoid any backlash, he seemed to have provided Qin Qing with what appeared to be a fair opportunity.

But everyone understood that it was only seemingly fair.

In reality...

To ask Qin Qing to compare his talent with Mu Yunlan’s?

One was a genius who had awakened a Seventh Rank Martial Soul.

The other, a waste who had spent three years in the Tempering Soul Palace and still could not awaken a Martial Soul...

Was it not an insult to Qin Qing?

"Heh... Qin Qing, do you dare to accept?" Not far from Qin Qing, Qin Lie, who was also participating in the assessment, said with a sneer on his face.

The others also looked at Qin Qing with disdain; in their eyes, Qin Qing was just bringing shame upon himself.

Mu Yunlan was also watching Qin Qing with a mocking face.

This current pride of Tianjue City and the girl who once followed Qin Qing, calling him "Brother Qing" at every turn, were now completely different.

"Fine!"

However, amidst the ridicule and contemptuous gazes of everyone, Qin Qing suddenly spoke up, his voice booming like thunder.

This made many people puzzled.

What did Qin Qing mean by this?

Could it be that after facing such continuous blows, the good-for-nothing Young Master of the Qin Residence had completely lost his mind?

"Utter nonsense!" Qin Wujian coldly looked at Qin Qing and then quickly signaled to Pei Yuye and the others that this was just Qin Qing’s personal act, unrelated to the Qin Residence.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the sound of a bell tolling echoed.

In the very center of the Martial Arts Ground, the area designated for the assessment, an elder dressed in a dark grey robe suddenly waved his hand.

From his hand flew out a bronze bell, small enough to fit in half a palm.

The moment the bronze bell flew out, it expanded in the wind, astonishingly growing into a bronze ancient bell over ten meters tall within a few breaths.

The ancient bell was engraved with various old patterns, including birds and beasts, flood dragons, and fierce birds, as well as all kinds of complex array patterns interwoven, emitting an air of antiquity and weight.

"The first round of the assessment, ringing the Green Rainbow Bell!"

"This ancient bell, named Green Rainbow, is made from bronze and red iron. Strike it with force, and if the striking power exceeds five hundred jin, the Green Rainbow will emit the sound of a bell."

"A force of a thousand jin will cause Green Rainbow to ring twice, one thousand five hundred jin will sound three times, and so on..."

"If one fails to ring the Green Rainbow ancient bell, they will be directly eliminated!"

"Now, the assessment begins, and you will come forward in order!"

As the words of the elder fell, the person at the very front of the team participating in the assessment stepped out of the crowd and approached the Green Rainbow ancient bell.

This was the talent from the Lu Family who had awakened the Fifth Rank Martial Soul, Lu Zihe.

Lu Zihe took a deep breath, and the next second, his Martial Soul manifested.

His Martial Soul was a large eagle, its body woven with ice and snow.

"Ha!"

Lu Zihe shouted loudly, gathering his strength, and slapped his palm onto the Green Rainbow ancient bell.

"Dong... Dong..."

The Green Rainbow trembled, and then, two prolonged and deep bell sounds resounded and echoed throughout the skies above Tianjue City.

"Two bell tones, surpassing a thousand jin in strength, Lu Zihe, you have passed the first round of assessment!"

Immediately, from the crowd, cheers erupted from where the Lu Family stood, and others nearby cast envious glances their way.

"Next, Fang Lue!" the elder in grey clothes called out.

Fang Lue stepped forward and struck with all his might.

However, this time, the Green Rainbow ancient bell did not emit the slightest sound.

"Eliminated," the elder in grey clothes said coldly.

"Elder, please let me try again, my striking power is around five hundred jin. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but sometimes I can exceed five hundred jin..." pleaded the young man named Fang Lue, anxiously.

"Next!" The elder in grey clothes merely gave the youngster named Fang Lue a cold glance, and he dared not say another word, instead leaving dejectedly.

Following that, Mo Liangsong from the Mu Family of Tianjue City, Xu Jing from the Xu Clan of Dongguan City, Fu Yuanhu from the Fu Family of Qishan City, and others all easily passed the assessment.

Even Fu Yuanhu and Qin Lie sounded four bell tones, reaching a strength of two thousand jin.

But there were also those who were eliminated directly; their strength was just around five hundred jin. In fact, some had already exceeded five hundred jin, but due to excessive nervousness during the assessment, they failed to perform to their true ability.

"Ouyang Rou!"

As the gray-clothed elder announced the next person to be assessed.

All eyes converged on the young girl.

Mu Yunlan also looked at Ouyang Rou, her eyes filled with a trace of pride.

She too wanted to see, this genius girl who had once been known alongside her, to what level she had now reached.

Ouyang Rou moved lightly like a lotus, seeming unhurried yet extremely graceful.

She approached the Qinghong Ancient Bell.

The next moment, her Martial Soul manifested.

Her Martial Soul was actually an Instrument Martial Spirit, an ancient-looking fan.

Then, Ouyang Rou waved her hand.

Her Martial Soul moved in tandem, unleashing a powerful force instantaneously that struck the rainbow hues of the bell.

"Dong!"

A crisp and full bell sound resonated in response.

"Just one ring?"

The crowd was perplexed, but at that moment, a second sound followed.

"Dong..."

Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth!

A total of five bell sounds echoed through Tianjue City.

And they shook everyone’s hearts.

This was the most outstanding display of talent among all those assessed today.

"Truly worthy of Ouyang Rou, living up to the Ouyang Clan’s name."

"Ouyang Rou was once a person of equal renown to Mu Yunlan..."

"At such a young age, to possess a strength of two thousand five hundred jin, truly formidable!"

"Now it’s Mu Yunlan’s turn, just how many bell sounds will Mu Yunlan be able to strike?"

Amidst the surging buzz, Mu Yunlan took steps toward the Qinghong.

The next moment, Mu Yunlan’s black hair flew about, her dark blue robe fiercely flapping in the wind.

Her Martial Soul, in turn, manifested, with the Flood Dragon spreading its wings, overshadowing the sun.

Mu Yunlan’s aura, in the moment it was revealed, was enough to pale any of the previous participants in the assessment.

Was this the imposing aura of a High Rank Martial Soul?

"Yoohoo..."

The Flood Dragon soared into the sky, emitting a distant and profound cry.

Simultaneously, Mu Yunlan struck out with a palm.

"Dong..."

The Qinghong Ancient Bell trembled greatly.

And then...

"Dong dong dong dong dong..."

Six successive bell sounds reverberated between heaven and earth, with their lingering echoes.

All were stunned on the spot.

Mu Yunlan had actually struck six bell sounds!

"Unbelievable, Mu Yunlan struck six bell sounds."

"Her strength has exceeded three thousand jin, stronger than many Martial Artists in the Middle Late Stage of Soul Refinement Realm!"

"As expected of a High Rank Martial Soul, truly an eye-opener!"

"Incredible, a prominent figure is about to emerge from Tianjue City..."

"Soon, a statue of Mu Yunlan will probably stand here..."

Amidst the crowd’s exclamations and astonishment, Mu Yunlan retracted her aura, turned arrogantly, and her gaze swept over towards Qin Qing’s side like a sword.

"Qin Qing! Did you see that?"

"This is the gap between you and me now!"

"Did you think that two scraps of paper could hold me back? You’re too naive, too foolish!"

Qin Qing indifferently met Mu Yunlan’s sword-like gaze, taking in every word she said.

After Mu Yunlan finished speaking, the gray-clothed elder announced, "The next one to be assessed, Qin Qing!"

Qin Qing withdrew his gaze, taking steps towards the Qinghong Ancient Bell. As he passed by Mu Yunlan, he spoke indifferently, "Mu Yunlan, you asked me if I saw? Now let me tell you, watch closely with your eyes wide open!"

Standing before the Qinghong Ancient Bell, Qin Qing took a deep breath.

In this life, memories of over a decade flashed before his eyes as if he were glancing at flowers while riding past.

Remembered within those memories were loving parents, a cute sister, the people of the Qin Residence, and every sunset and sunrise in Tianjue City, every familiar corner.

Over these three years... the changes in everyone around him, the suddenly indifferent clan members of the Qin Residence, his sister’s bouts of illness, the suddenly unfamiliar and chilling Mu Yunlan and the people of her family...

And Shangguan Xuan, Bai Qiuhe, Jiang Ruorong, etc...

All these people who had appeared in his life over the decade, now surfaced one by one in Qin Qing’s mind.

Qin Qing knew, it was time for him to change his fate!

All the past, it was time to close that Chapter.

He was about to bid farewell to the past, thoroughly.

He was about to embark on a completely different trajectory of life!

"Rumble..."

Suddenly, thunder boomed above the sky.

The clear sky that had been cloudless just moments before, now surged with wind and clouds.

Around Qin Qing, his green robe fluttered fiercely, his black hair dancing in the air, eyes as if they could penetrate through eternity.

Inside Qin Qing, Spiritual Power surged like a roaring river.

All his power converged in this moment.

"Boom!"

The next instant, Qin Qing punched out, striking the Qinghong Ancient Bell...