Chapter 186: Tang Chen Blocks the Road
The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was very close to Tiandou City, so Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo Chen Xin had already arrived at Yuexuan and were currently exchanging pleasantries with the nobles in the reception room.
Chen Xin maintained a stern expression throughout, acting as if he wouldn't approach anyone. He disliked such pretentious situations, but he had long since grown accustomed to them, so he didn't leave—simply following Ning Fengzhi silently.
No one dared to provoke Chen Xin, nor did anyone dare to express disapproval of his demeanor. They simply greeted him respectfully and left without interrupting.
This perfectly illustrated that when a person is weak, everything they do is wrong and ridiculed. But when they become powerful, no matter how unconventional their actions, they are praised and glorified.
Outside Yuexuan, as time passed, guests arrived one after another, but Gu Han was nowhere to be seen. Tang Yuehua's mood grew increasingly depressed.
"Third sister, don't wait any longer. Go in first."
Tang Hao stepped forward and gently patted Tang Yuehua's shoulder.
Tang Yuehua shook her head slightly and said, "Second brother, as the Master of Yuexuan, I naturally have to be here to greet the guests. Since the guests haven't all arrived yet, I should continue to wait."
Tang Hao scratched the back of his head. There was really nothing he could do about his younger sister, so he could only comply with her wishes and continue to sit beside her while she waited.
"Brother Gu, why hasn't he come yet? Did he stand me up?"
Tang Hao muttered to himself. Logically, given the man's ability to fly, he should have arrived by now. He had reason to suspect Gu Han had stood him up.
Outside Tiandou City, Gu Han looked at the black-haired man before him. The man exuded an air of authority without anger, his aura heavy and oppressive.
"Senior Tang Chen."
The man was none other than the Haotian Sect's former Master, Tang Chen, who had stepped down from his position several years ago. Since then, like Qian Daoliu, he had become a behind-the-scenes figure, practically invisible.
Now, why was he stopping him? Gu Han wondered. But he didn't inquire. He respectfully bowed as a junior.
Ignoring the two hidden auras of worshippers, Tang Chen nodded slightly, raised his hand, and said,
"No need for formalities."
"Thank you, senior."
Gu Han straightened up again.
"I heard you've created a sword technique specifically to counter the Clear Sky Hammer?"
Tang Chen spoke slowly. He had already heard this from Tang Xiao and Tang Hao. Meeting Gu Han this time, he felt like testing him. He was curious about what kind of sword technique had garnered such praise from the two brothers.
"I wouldn't call it a countermeasure. It's just something I created when I had some free time. It's naturally not worthy of being presented before a senior."
Gu Han grew wary. Was Tang Chen here to silence him? With this in mind, he closely monitored his opponent's every move with his mental power. If anything went wrong, he would teleport away. Fighting was impossible—facing a level 99 veteran, he had no chance of winning. Escape was his only hope.
Noticing Gu Han's nervousness, Tang Chen smiled and waved his hand. "Haha, don't be nervous. I won't do anything to you. I'm just curious about what kind of swordsmanship it is."
He gestured. "Come on, use your swordsmanship on me."
Tang Chen wasn't afraid of his own techniques being countered. Instead, he was delighted that someone had discovered a weakness in his hammer technique. This was a good thing. This way, he could find and address any gaps and have a chance to advance further.
In the dark, the brothers Qianjun and Jiangmo breathed a sigh of relief. If Tang Chen had truly intended to kill Gu Han, even if they had stepped forward, they would have been hammered down one by one, completely powerless to resist.
Fortunately, Tang Chen wasn't as stingy as they had imagined. After learning that the Clear Sky Hammer technique had been cracked, he didn't harbor any murderous intent. Instead, he felt appreciation for Gu Han's talent and came here personally to test his swordsmanship.
Upon hearing this, Gu Han knew he couldn't avoid the battle. Fortunately, the opponent had no killing intent. Being able to fight a level 99 being was already a feat.
"Since that's the case, then I'll present my humble service."
Gu Han bowed respectfully. The next moment, his aura shifted—from reverent and detached to fierce and sharp, like a banished immortal descending to earth, his sword pointed at Tang Chen.
"What a powerful aura!"
Tang Chen's eyes lit up. This momentum perfectly matched the unstoppable force of his Clear Sky Hammer.
In his hand, a massive hammer gleaming with purple lightning appeared.
The two sides faced each other for a moment before Gu Han launched the first attack.
He activated his first soul skill, unleashing boundless sword energy, like a net sealing off Tang Chen's position, leaving him no escape. The cold light, carrying a slashing force, descended overwhelmingly.
Gu Han followed closely behind, his sword tip flashing with a dazzling cold light, aiming directly at Tang Chen's vital points.
"Well-timed!"
Tang Chen swung the Clear Sky Hammer, completely neutralizing the incoming sword energy. Then, the hammer spun, blasting toward Gu Han, who was following closely behind.
Gu Han had anticipated this. Before the hammer could strike, he dodged and vanished, appearing at Tang Chen's side, thrusting out with his sword. A piercing sound echoed. In the nick of time, Tang Chen quickly blocked the Xuanshuang Sword with the hammer's handle. Then, with a surge of powerful energy, he sent Gu Han flying dozens of meters.
Tang Chen, pursuing his opponent, launched his hammer forward. Gu Han had barely steadied himself when Tang Chen arrived, bringing down the Clear Sky Hammer with a thunderous thud.
Seeing this, Gu Han took no chances. Unleashing his Tai Chi state, he struck first, his sword grasping the hammer's handle, following the incoming force and ultimately deflecting it to the side.
Tang Chen's eyes lit up, and he continued to swing the Clear Sky Hammer, unleashing his ultimate skills, staying close to Gu Han in close combat.
In the sky, Gu Han repeatedly swung his sword to deflect the attacks, Tai Chi patterns flickering. Tang Chen grew increasingly fearful and excited with each blow.
This sword technique, a blend of hardness and softness, offered countless variations and was incredibly difficult to predict. It was even more effective when struck late and leveraged the opponent's force. No wonder his two grandsons had complained about their bitter defeat.
This feeling of having power but nowhere to use it would quickly destabilize a typical person, leading to anxiety. The more anxious they became, the more helpless they became. A flawed mindset inevitably revealed an opening, allowing the enemy to exploit it and strike with a single decisive blow.
Tang Chen pondered for a long time, yet he couldn't grasp Gu Han's swordsmanship. Each strike was perfectly timed, seemingly improvisations.
Tang Chen's body trembled slightly, his momentum surged, and he pushed Gu Han away.
"Alright, that's about it! You're truly a prodigy!"
Tang Chen raised his hand. After a long exchange of blows, he had detected numerous flaws in his own Clear Sky Hammer technique, but he couldn't find a flaw in Gu Han's.
The opponent's swordsmanship was unpredictable, making it impossible to anticipate his next strike. He could only dominate by relying on the sheer disparity in soul power.
But this went against Tang Chen's original purpose. He wanted a way to break through the enemy's strength, not rely on absolute suppression. After all, strength could suppress for a while, but it was impossible to suppress forever.
Moreover, doing so would be tantamount to covering one's ears while stealing a bell—avoiding the problem. The Clear Sky Hammer technique had already been broken and restrained; this was a foregone conclusion.
As a generation's Extreme Douluo, his job was not to suppress others with force, but to find a way to deal with it—and in turn, find a hammer technique to break this sword technique.
Book Recommendations:
1: Douluo: Time And Space Disorder
2: Douluo: All Wishing System
3: Douluo: Martial Soul Jian Mu
Read 15+ Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/FictionOP
(End of this chapter)