Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

With just a single sentence from Chen Ming, an immense sense of danger completely engulfed Yu Tianheng. The poisonous mist, which had previously been unable to penetrate his body, suddenly shed its toxic properties and erupted as pure soul power.

Boom!

A massive shockwave exploded outward. Yu Tianheng felt as though he had been trampled by a ten-thousand-year soul beast. In an instant, his body began to twist and collapse. His once-proud physique and martial soul were utterly useless in the face of this overwhelming force, leaving him at the mercy of the violent explosion tearing him apart.

At this moment, Yu Tianheng had no means of self-preservation. And the Poison Explosion Technique? That was merely the beginning.

The power of the Poison Explosion Technique had no theoretical limit—it depended entirely on the amount of soul power consumed and the potency of the accumulated poisons. The soul power Chen Ming had been gathering with his Poison Cloud Technique earlier was no small amount. The resulting destructive force was something no Soul Elder could withstand.

Of course, this excluded special abilities like Invincible Golden Body or teleportation.

Finally, at the critical moment, the referee Meng Shenji made his move.

Unnoticed by anyone, his Black Demon martial soul had already manifested. Eight soul rings—two yellow, three purple, and three black—rotated around him. The sixth black soul ring began to glow, enveloping both himself and Yu Tianheng in a peculiar power.

Sixth Soul Skill: Void Nightmare.

The skill's effect temporarily phased its target, turning them into a semi-spiritual state immune to conventional damage and physical collisions, though it doubled their vulnerability to mental attacks.

This soul skill could be used offensively, allowing for a high-damage combo on enemies, or defensively, to protect oneself and allies from dangerous soul skills.

Meng Shenji could sense that the damage output of Chen Ming's Poison Explosion Technique was comparable to the fourth soul skill of some Soul Kings—or even the fifth soul skill of weaker ones. What was most alarming was that it was an area-of-effect skill.

Without prior preparation, not only would Yu Tianheng, a three-ring Soul Elder, be severely harmed, but even Meng Shenji himself could suffer losses. After all, as a spirit-type soul master whose body was aging, his physical resilience was not particularly strong.

The once-sturdy arena was completely obliterated under the Poison Explosion Technique. Large chunks of debris and stone shards were launched at high speed toward the surrounding area but were intercepted by the soul skills of Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin before they could cause harm.

When the soul skill ended, the arena looked as though it had been ravaged by a herd of strength-type soul beasts. The ground was left pockmarked with craters of varying sizes.

Witnessing this terrifying destructive power, the previously composed onlookers—students observing from nearby—were utterly panicked. The once-organized group fell into chaos. Many stumbled and fell, while some of the more timid students even summoned their martial souls in panic, creating further disorder.

However, at this moment, the three elders had no time to worry about the commotion. Zhi Lin and Bai Baoshan rushed into the ruins—one heading toward Chen Ming, and the other toward Yu Tianheng.

Thanks to Meng Shenji's precise timing, Yu Tianheng narrowly avoided the brunt of the damage, suffering only from the initial impact of the Poison Explosion Technique.

Even so, he felt like he was on the brink of death. His bones were fractured in multiple places, and his internal organs had begun to bleed.

Yet on the Douluo Continent, such injuries were still considered minor. As long as his limbs weren't severed and he hadn't lost an entire organ, he could fully recover in half a month without any lingering effects.

Bai Baoshan carefully observed Chen Ming. Aside from some dust on his clothes and signs of significant soul power consumption, Chen Ming appeared entirely unharmed. Only then did Bai Baoshan sigh in relief, patting Chen Ming gently on the back.

"Xiao Ming, calm down, calm down. This is a friendly exchange within the academy, not a life-or-death battle. Don't be so aggressive, don't get so worked up! If there's anything bothering you... anything at all, come talk to us three old men. Think of us as your elders! Whatever it is, you can come to us!"

"Didn't we give you the token last time? If anything happens, just show the token. There's no need to get so worked up!"

To be honest, after seeing the sheer destructive power of Chen Ming's second soul skill, Bai Baoshan felt as if his head had been hit by the Clear Sky Hammer, buzzing uncontrollably.

If something happened to Yu Tianheng, they couldn't bear the responsibility. But if something happened to Chen Ming, they couldn't bear that either.

Not to mention that Chen Ming was a top-tier genius, clearly destined to become a Title Douluo! Tomorrow, he was scheduled to meet with the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe, at the Seven Treasures Restaurant. A few days later, when the Poison Douluo returned, he would undoubtedly come looking for Chen Ming.

If any of these people ran into trouble, Bai Baoshan felt the pressure would crush him.

Of course, deep down, Bai Baoshan was also extremely curious about Chen Ming's second soul skill.

For a Soul Douluo like him, the fourth or fifth soul skill of a Soul King wasn't particularly impressive. But Chen Ming was just a Grandmaster-level soul master! Yet his second soul skill rivaled the core techniques of many Soul Kings—this was simply outrageous!

Poison Explosion Technique?

He had never heard of such a skill. Even after consulting the archives at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, he only found similar techniques like Flame Explosion and Ice Explosion. He knew these kinds of skills were vastly different in power compared to ordinary soul skills.

But...

Was it just vastly different?

This power, this area of effect—if someone claimed it was the sixth soul skill of a Soul Emperor, he'd believe it without question. And the soul power consumption? It merely drained a Grandmaster-level soul master. Was there no justice in the world?

If it weren't for his lineage's focus on tool martial souls, where any damage could lead to serious consequences and thus couldn't be recklessly detonated, Bai Baoshan would have considered establishing a family rule to ensure every generation absorbed a skill like Poison Explosion or Ice Explosion.

To prevent further issues, Bai Baoshan exchanged a glance with Meng Shenji, who immediately took Yu Tianheng to a healing-type soul master for treatment. Bai Baoshan, meanwhile, grabbed Chen Ming by the sleeve and led him away, while Zhi Lin summoned his martial soul and stayed behind to maintain order.

Once they reached a secluded spot, Bai Baoshan carefully examined Chen Ming and, seeing that he only had minor surface injuries, sat him down on the grass and began a heartfelt conversation.

"Xiao Ming, think of us as your elders. If there's anything on your mind, don't keep it bottled up. You can always talk to us. Yu Tianheng may be from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but in this academy, he's just a student."

"If someone provokes you, just show them the token and let us handle it. If you want practical combat training, come to us—we'll arrange for a good teacher to spar with you."

"Your talent is exceptional, and you are sure to secure a place on the school team. When the time comes for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, you'll undoubtedly shine. Don't let minor matters derail your future."

"Don't worry—Yu Tianheng isn't seriously hurt. A few days of treatment, and he'll be fine. If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan sends someone, the three of us will handle it for you. And from now on, Yu Tianheng certainly won't be causing you trouble again."

"Some things can't be easily explained with words, but Xiao Ming, you must be vigilant. Your talent is extraordinary, and once you grow, you'll surpass all of us. But you mustn't let yourself fall prey to those who may wish to harm you before that happens!

"Within the academy, the three of us will have your back. But in the future..."

Sigh... Thinking of the complicated relationship between the academy's dean, Prince Xue Xing, and the Crown Prince, Bai Baoshan let out a deep sigh and fell silent.