Unconsciously, Lu Jingming had been in this world for eight years.
Over these eight years, he gradually began to grasp part of his "True Authority" powers.
When he first crossed over into this world, the innate true power he possessed had been almost completely drained through manifesting Jingliu.
The true power he gained afterward came from the various influences he and Jingliu exerted on this world, which in turn generated "truth" feedback.
Simply put, whether it was himself or the characters he manifested, the greater the impact they had on this world, the more true power he could harvest.
Over these years, the greatest source of his true power was neither the powerful Jingliu nor Chang Li, who controlled Haiyuan City, but rather the Black Tower—a homebody who rarely left her room.
This was because some of the soul-tech devices created by Black Tower, including several abandoned works, were sold by Lu Jingming and triggered a chain reaction across Douluo Continent. All those effects were credited to Black Tower.
Thus, Lady Black Tower was undoubtedly Lu Jingming's biggest source of true power at present.
"I'm a few years older than you, so I'll just call you Xiaotao. Don't worry, I'll suppress my soul power to match your level so we can have a fair fight."
Though Zhang Lexuan disliked Ma Xiaotao's attitude toward Lu Jingming, she was kind-hearted and wouldn't really abuse her advantage.
At this moment, she earnestly promised to hold back her strength, ready to have a fair and just duel with Ma Xiaotao.
"Hah, I don't need you to go easy on me. I've beaten people older than me before," Ma Xiaotao said confidently, lifting her chin slightly with a proud sparkle in her eyes.
At Shrek Academy, her talent was among the very best. Among her peers, no one was a match for her. Even students several years older had been defeated by her multiple times.
Because of this, at such a young age, she had already gained great fame in Shrek Academy, earning the nickname "Flame Demon."
It's important to know that Shrek Academy was recognized as the continent's top school, a sanctuary where countless geniuses gathered.
To stand out in such a place full of masters proved Ma Xiaotao's strength was truly that of a top-tier genius on Douluo Continent.
"Shrek Academy's Ma Xiaotao, Martial Soul: Evil Fire Phoenix, Level 41, strong-attack type Battle Soul Sect."
Ma Xiaotao placed one hand on her hip in a stylish and confident pose, snapping her fingers crisply. A vivid red flame instantly ignited the air around her with a soft "puff."
Then, four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—slowly appeared above her feet, arranged neatly, radiating powerful soul energy fluctuations.
This was the dream combination of soul rings for soul masters on Douluo Continent, a clear testament to Ma Xiaotao's solid foundation of strength.
At Douluo Continent's dueling arenas, there was an unwritten rule that before a match began, both sides would announce their names, martial souls, and soul power levels.
After all, soul dueling was essentially a competition, not a deadly battle to the death, so such basic etiquette was observed.
Zhang Lexuan's expression remained calm and serene. Her cool voice drifted like a gentle breeze into Ma Xiaotao's ears: "Saint Freya Academy, Zhang Lexuan, Martial Soul: Silver Moon, Level 68, strong-attack type Battle Soul Emperor."
In Ma Xiaotao's gradually widening pupils, a bright silver moon slowly rose, casting soft and sacred light.
At the same time, six soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—shone brightly around Zhang Lexuan's feet. Each soul ring pulsed with immense soul power, weaving together into a force that made hearts race.
This power unleashed a fierce gust of wind, roaring and sweeping outward, causing Zhang Lexuan's jet-black hair to dance wildly, like a vivid and stirring painting in motion.
Bathed in the silver moonlight, Zhang Lexuan looked like a goddess of moonlight descended into the mortal world, exuding an extraordinary beauty so breathtaking it made onlookers swoon.
Her cool aura, combined with the gentle glow of the silver moon, added layers of mystery and nobility.
Ma Xiaotao instinctively pressed her dry lips together, her mouth twitching uncontrollably.
In her heart, she cursed silently, feeling as if she had just kicked a steel wall with full force.
It's important to understand that in a place like Shrek Academy, where geniuses abound, even the most gifted and highly regarded inner disciples at seventeen years old had mostly only just reached the Soul King rank.
Those who broke through to the Soul Emperor realm were exceedingly rare top prodigies.
And someone like Zhang Lexuan before them, who had already reached the terrifying level of 68 in soul power, was likely unmatched by anyone else in the entire Shrek Academy.
Although Ma Xiaotao was extremely confident in her own talent and firmly believed she could break through to the Soul Emperor realm by seventeen as well, deep down she knew it was absolutely impossible to reach the staggering level 68.
After all, for soul masters, the higher the cultivation level, the greater the difficulty of each advancement, with every step forward demanding unimaginable effort and sacrifice.
Moreover, the overwhelming aura and near-perfect soul ring combination she sensed from Zhang Lexuan was not something that could be achieved through drugs or shortcuts — this was genuine, formidable strength.
"Soul Emperor, impressive! But I'll fight you all the same," Ma Xiaotao said, her voice stubbornly defiant despite the flicker of doubt inside.
Even though she realized the battle would be tough, she still put on a fearless, unyielding front.
Zhang Lexuan easily saw through Ma Xiaotao's bluff and smiled faintly, her tone gentle: "Like I said before, I'll only use the first four soul skills and suppress my soul power level. While this isn't perfectly fair, I'm sure you won't mind, right?"
"Hah, I've never feared anyone in a fight between equals," Ma Xiaotao shot back, still tough on the outside, but this time she didn't boast about not needing the other side to hold back.
She wasn't foolish — if Zhang Lexuan gave her all, even just the sheer pressure of that immense soul power would be enough to overwhelm her.
As the two readied themselves for battle, Lu Jingming sat with Keqing under a beach umbrella nearby, snacks and drinks at the ready. Clearly, they were prepared to watch the show unfold with relaxed amusement.