The Return of Godkin

Chapter 208: The Eight Trial (Part-4)

They shared the same configuration: two yellow and one purple. Yet the manner in which those rings manifested could not have been more different.

Raziel's Light Dragon Dagger appeared in his hand, gleaming with sharp brilliance. His opponent, however, underwent a transformation that bordered on the monstrous.

The instant student number two's soul rings appeared, his body began to expand violently. His purple soul ring flashed, and muscle ballooned outward as his clothes shredded apart, leaving behind only undergarments woven from some absurdly elastic material.

Thick brown hair erupted across his body.

Though he still retained a vaguely humanoid outline, he no longer looked human. Towering at nearly four meters tall, with arms like pillars attached to a massive frame, he radiated overwhelming strength. The air around him seemed to vibrate under his presence.

Seeing this, Raziel nearly wanted to turn around and give Ray a heartfelt thumbs-up.

We really can't judge Central students by appearances. This guy has to be a giant gorilla martial soul… maybe even something worse.

Before Raziel could finish his thoughts, student number two completed his transformation and launched his attack.

Both massive arms slammed down, smashing into the arena floor.

Raziel reacted instantly, springing into the air as he slashed downward with his Light Dragon Dagger. A crescent of golden blade-light tore through the air, carving glowing lines into the walls and floor while countering the violent tremor below.

The shockwave rushed beneath him, and Raziel's heart skipped a beat. If he had reacted even a fraction of a second slower, the match would have ended right there.

Student number two didn't bother dodging the Light Dragon Blade. He lowered his head and took it head-on, then surged forward without slowing down in the slightest.

Even as an agility-type soul master, Raziel was stunned. His opponent's leap far surpassed his own. The massive figure soared through the air like a living mountain, both arms swinging down toward Raziel with crushing force.

So strong!

With no leverage in midair, Raziel split into three identical clones. Each clone kicked off the others in rapid succession, scattering in three different directions with breathtaking precision. It was a brilliant maneuver, barely allowing him to escape the giant's reach.

Shock rippled through the spectators.

What Raziel didn't know was that all of the surrounding Central students were watching his match closely. Out of all the available opponents, he had chosen student number two, the strongest among the ten.

The transformation didn't faze student number two in the slightest. His first soul ring lit up, and he threw three punches in rapid succession.

The pressure from those punches made the air shriek.

To Raziel's horror, each blast of compressed air locked onto one of his clones.

What kind of monster is this? How can his attacks be this terrifying?

Yet even in such a desperate moment, the three clones twisted and dashed again, kicking off the air itself to evade the strikes by the slimmest margin possible.

A flicker of surprise finally appeared in student number two's eyes. He had just seen Raziel's third soul ring activate for the second time.

Both fighters landed on the ground almost simultaneously.

Up to this point, it was clear that student number two held the advantage, though it wasn't absolute. Even after unleashing his thousand-year soul skill right away, he hadn't been able to land a decisive blow. Raziel's nimbleness had allowed him to escape every deadly strike.

In theory, the attacker always exhausted themselves faster than the defender. With their cultivation levels so close, Raziel managed to seize a sliver of advantage through evasion alone.

But theory was one thing. Reality was another.

Raziel was painfully aware of his own state. His opponent had gone all out with his third soul skill, but so had he. The crushing pressure had forced him to use Light Dragon Clones just to survive, and the follow-up attacks had pushed him into activating Shadow Dragon Clones as well.

His response had been clever, but it came at a steep cost. In fact, he might now be more drained than his opponent. The only reason he felt any confidence at all was because of the Mysterious Heaven Method. With its aid, he believed he could barely hold on long enough.

Student number two did not rush. He calmly observed Raziel's three clones darting across the arena in different directions. While he possessed terrifying ranged power, it was still impossible for him to attack all three at once, and his range couldn't cover the entire battlefield.

Years of combat experience sharpened his instincts. He could feel it. His opponent wouldn't be able to maintain those clones for long. A thousand-year soul skill that created three clones had to be an enormous drain.

Sooner or later, Raziel would be forced to make a move.

And student number two was absolutely right.

The instant Raziel's feet touched the ground, he surged forward without the slightest hesitation.

With both **Light Dragon Clones** and **Shadow Dragon Clones** already active, he knew he had no room to hesitate. His opponent was a terrifying power-type soul master who also possessed long-range attacks strong enough to flatten the arena. Either one of those traits alone would have been troublesome. Combined, they pushed this fight far beyond ordinary standards.

Without his clones, Raziel would not have been able to survive even a few exchanges. Yet with them active, his soul power was draining at an alarming pace. He had no choice but to gamble everything on a decisive strike.

The three visible clones accelerated again, now even faster than before, streaking toward the lone figure standing in the center of the arena.

Raziel followed close behind, abandoning his Light Dragon Blade altogether. He had no intention of testing his opponent's defense with probing attacks anymore.

Student number two did not move.

He stood there like a mountain rooted into the earth, his towering figure radiating calm indifference. That stillness alone carried oppressive weight, as though he were daring Raziel to come closer.

The moment Raziel's second soul ring lit up, the three Light Dragon Clones exploded into motion, unleashing **Light Dragon Storm** simultaneously.

As an agility-type soul master, Raziel's attacks were fast, sharp, and deadly. Against most opponents, even a single Light Dragon Storm would be overwhelming. But his current opponent was anything but ordinary. Student number two's defenses were monstrous, capable of shrugging off even the Light Dragon Blade without concern.

Light Dragon Storm, however, was on an entirely different level.

Raziel was certain of one thing: if this attack landed cleanly, it would injure his opponent no matter how tough he was.

Yet student number two did not retreat.

Instead, he raised his massive arms, the motion eerily familiar.

If Ray hadn't been meditating at that very moment, his eyes would have widened in shock. What student number two was using was unmistakably a Immortal guild secret art.

**Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon.**

A violent aura burst outward from student number two's position. The impact was immediate and overwhelming. Raziel's clones were ripped out of their Light Dragon Storm formation, the momentum of their attack shattered in an instant.

Before Raziel could react, his opponent's second soul ring lit up.

Student number two pressed his hands downward.

The air inside the arena changed abruptly. It rumbled like distant thunder, compressing and vibrating all at once. Raziel's three Light Dragon Clones and three Shadow Dragon Clones were flung backward as though struck by an invisible hammer.

The thunderous roar snapped Ray out of his meditation.

He opened his eyes just in time to see Raziel's scattered clones hurtling through the air, then collapsing back together as they merged into a single figure.

Student number two stomped against the ground and launched himself upward like a cannonball. His first soul ring flared, and he threw a single punch.

A shockwave erupted.

Raziel was in no state to dodge. His repeated use of high-level soul skills had thrown his soul power and mental focus into chaos. Worse still, the earlier blast had already injured him.

A green light flashed across the arena.

Raziel's body was yanked downward, dragged out of the shockwave's path just in time.

Student number two halted mid-motion. He landed, straightened himself, bowed once toward Giselle, and calmly returned to the ranks of the Central Academy students.

The match was over.

Raziel had lost.

From beginning to end, barely five minutes had passed. He had been completely suppressed, and without Giselle's timely intervention, the consequences could have been far worse.

This was the true strength of a Central Academy student.

In the face of absolute power, twin martial souls and theoretical compatibility meant nothing at all.

Ray stared, stunned.

If I had chosen him… could I have lasted that long? Could I have beaten him?

He had no answer.

Student number two had already reverted to his original form. By the time he rejoined his classmates, his clothes fit snugly once more, as though the monstrous transformation had never occurred.

Ray swallowed hard. This guy is terrifying.

Raziel's defeat was not shameful. He had displayed everything he had, but his opponent had simply been overwhelming.

Raziel returned to his teammates with his head lowered and shoulders heavy. Not only had he earned a mere three points from this trial, but he would also lose points later for failing it. Central Academy didn't care how unfair the matchup had been. He had chosen his opponent himself.

Ray looked at him seriously.

"Why didn't you keep running? You knew how strong he was."