"Clang!"
A clear sword hum rang out.
Chen Chen wore a relaxed and self-satisfied smile. "Chen Chen, Martial Soul Seven Kills Sword, level 52 power attack system Soul King. Please enlighten me!"
A faint soul power rippled out from his Martial Soul. A breeze suddenly kicked up, making his long hair sway gently.
In an instant, everyone's gaze focused on him.
"Senior Brother Chen Chen is as handsome as ever. Even I can only temporarily avoid his limelight!"
"I've heard rumors that Senior Brother Chen has already received Elder Jian's inheritance and has begun practicing the 'Heart Sword'. It seems it won't be long before another seat is added to the elders."
On the other side, Lu Feng spread his arms, and a dense black light covered his hands.
"Lu Feng, Martial Soul Iron Fist, level 43 power attack system Soul Ancestor. Please enlighten me."
As his voice fell, the noisy venue immediately quieted down.
The fat Soul Master was stunned. He rubbed his eyes and carefully counted the soul rings on Lu Feng. "Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple. That's four soul rings in total."
His brows furrowed tightly as he exclaimed, "He's actually just a four-ring Soul Ancestor?"
After a few breaths, the disciples in the audience, sizing up Lu Feng on the stage, began to discuss among themselves.
"What's the situation? A Soul Ancestor dares to challenge Senior Brother Chen Chen?"
"Tch~ He's just a bit more handsome. I don't think he's all that. Just wait for Senior Brother Chen to beat him up."
"Are you all mistaken? I remember Senior Brother Chen said this person fought him to a draw. And this spirit battle was initiated by Senior Brother Chen."
Lu Feng stood on the stage, a faint smile on his face.
He was standing some distance from the audience, but he could still hear the disciples' discussions about him.
Surprise, doubt, belittlement...
There were one or two compliments, but they were quickly drowned out by the sea of voices.
Lu Feng didn't take these comments to heart, just laughing them off. He had heard similar words countless times in the Spirit Arena.
"Huu~"
Lu Feng slowly exhaled a turbid breath, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
An formless wind spiraled up from under Lu Feng's feet, flowing slowly across the stage. The battle hadn't even begun, but the disciples in the audience could already feel a killing intent.
"You sword-maniac, is this kid a secret disciple of yours?" Gu Rong looked at Lu Feng on the stage and asked doubtfully.
The Bone Douluo didn't understand the sword, but he had been with Chen Xin for many years. The two were clear about each other's moves.
And what Lu Feng was displaying right now was clearly Chen Xin's 'Heart Sword's' state of mind.
A swordsman's cultivation... the heart's state must be as pure and tough as a sword.
In the face of a heart-state like a sword, all the noise and temptation of the outside world are like withered leaves in the wind, unable to withstand a single blow.
"You old bonehead, this is why I say you need to read more. This 'sword intent' is just a state of mind. As long as a Soul Master's heart is indestructible, it's the same no matter what Martial Soul they use," Chen Xin mocked without restraint.
"A sword cultivator trains the sword, the heart, and the self. Forget it, cultivating the sword requires too much from the brain. You probably wouldn't understand it even if I explained."
Gu Rong's face darkened, and he immediately retorted, "Hmph, if you put it that way, that kid Chen Chen has been practicing for a year and still hasn't grasped the basics. Isn't that saying he's an idiot?"
Hearing this, Chen Xin's brows couldn't help but furrow. "Chen Chen's talent is not inferior to mine. It's just that he grew up too smoothly under the clan's protection, which is detrimental to cultivating his temperament."
"Oh, I remember now. Back when a certain someone was a Soul Emperor, he seemed to have lost to me, who was only a Soul King."
Looking at Gu Rong's detestable, mocking face, Chen Xin's anger flared. Even with his current state of mind, he wished he could send a fist flying and smash it right into that ugly face.
On the stage, Gu Lin's gaze was fixed on the two, who had taken their stances. He announced, "Spirit battle, begin!"
As his voice fell, Chen Chen's eyes sharpened. The Seven Kills Sword flashed with a cold light, and a chilling aura emanated from his body.
"Clang!"
His first soul ring shone, and the sound of a sword hum rang out.
The Seven Kills Sword in his hand trembled slightly, as if responding to its master. A powerful soul power fluctuation burst from his body. With him at the center, it stirred up a violent wave of wind that swept in all directions.
Chen Chen grasped the Seven Kills Sword with both hands, looked at Lu Feng, and said, "This is my first soul skill: Sword Blade. After many years of cultivation, I have created a new move, Sword Blade Storm."
"Brother Lu Feng, be careful!"
The next moment, dozens of sword blades, glinting with a cold light, shot straight at Lu Feng's face.
Facing this oncoming storm of sword blades, Lu Feng didn't dare to be careless. His expression turned grave.
Chen Chen was no pushover from the Spirit Arena.
A genius who created his own soul skills.
The 'Eldest Senior Brother' of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
A Soul King expert at only twenty years old.
Any one of these achievements was enough to leave others in the dust.
Lu Feng could feel that, in addition to the violent storm of soul power, these sword blades also emanated an unstoppable, all-piercing 'intent'.
Facing such an opponent, Lu Feng's own spirits began to soar.
His dark eyes instantly flashed with a touch of gold.
The next moment, this golden light instantly spread throughout his body. His hair, skin, and even his clothes were all enveloped in a brilliant gold.
Third Soul Skill: Justice Fist!
On the stage, Chen Chen's sharp sword intent swept the field, and a fierce wind raged across the stage.
In the audience, even from a great distance, the disciples felt as if needles were pricking their backs.
However, when the sword intent permeating the stage touched the golden light on Lu Feng's body, it was like ice meeting a blazing sun, instantly melting away.
A two-meter-long wind blade broke through the golden light's defense, but it only reached about one meter in front of Lu Feng before completely dissolving into mist.
"This..."
On the high platform, Chen Xin looked at the golden light around Lu Feng and murmured.
"What is it? You sword-maniac, is there a problem with his defensive soul skill?" Gu Rong asked doubtfully.
Chen Xin shook his head. He felt that this soul skill of Lu Feng's was somewhat familiar. He seemed to have seen or heard of it somewhere.
After a long time, a sharp light flashed in Chen Xin's eyes. He looked up toward the south of the continent and slowly uttered eight words.
"Repels all evil, forms its own domain."
Gu Rong frowned slightly. "You sword-maniac, what riddles are you spouting now? Is this kid's soul skill as profound as you say?"
Chen Xin shook his head and sighed, "Not really. It's just that this soul skill of his reminds me of an old friend."
Gradually, the wind on the stage died down.
Lu Feng stood quietly in the center, not even a corner of his clothes out of place.
Chen Chen looked at Lu Feng and smiled. "As expected, after obtaining your fourth soul ring, Brother Lu Feng's strength has increased again. Your third soul skill is as indestructible as ever."
Lu Feng smiled slightly. "Brother Chen, your sword intent is also impressive. You truly live up to your name as the number one of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's younger generation."
What Lu Feng had used wasn't a defensive soul skill, but a small domain created using the [Light] and [Sacred] attributes.
Chen Chen smiled without a word. Although his attack was nullified, his fighting spirit, far from diminishing, had actually increased.
"Ha!"
Chen Chen shouted, and the black soul ring around him shone.
Suddenly, a terrifying aura emanated from his body. Piercing sword qi swirled out, concealing his body within.
A layer of purple covered Lu Feng's eyes. In his vision, the soul power around Chen Chen was so dense it was almost tangible.
"Brother Lu Feng, you are a guest of the clan. We'll keep this spar light. This is my fifth soul skill. If you can take it, it's your win."
Chen Chen's voice came through the soul power storm. Lu Feng could feel that Chen Chen's breathing had become somewhat heavy.
"Brother Chen, feel free to attack. My iron fists are already thirsting for battle."
A cunning smile touched Lu Feng's lips as abundant soul power burst from his body.
At the same time, his fourth soul ring lit up, and the golden light on his body seemed to intensify.
"Clang!"
A clear sword hum instantly tore through the quiet air.
The soul power around Chen Chen converged into a tornado. He stepped forward, sword in hand, and charged straight at Lu Feng.
His eyes were as cold as frost. His speed was extreme, as if he had transformed into a sharp sword.
Where the sword hummed, the soul power in the air condensed into countless transparent sword bodies, glinting with cold light, as if they had a mind of their own and were following Chen Chen's figure.
Fifth Soul Skill: Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin!
Gu Lin sensed the majestic aura contained within that sword hum and nodded to himself, his eyes full of admiration.
Gu Lin looked at Lu Feng, who was only assuming a simple defensive posture, and couldn't help but frown.
Is he scared stiff?
At the same time, a faint soul power fluctuation emanated from his body, ready to intervene at any moment.
Swoosh—
In an instant, the Seven Kills Sword pierced straight at Lu Feng. Its attack speed made Lu Feng marvel.
Boom~
Lu Feng stepped forward with his right foot. The terrifying force caved in the ground beneath. He turned his body slightly, his left fist pulling back to gather power, and a dense black light appeared in front of him.
In the next instant, a three-meter-wide blue sword qi slash swept over, accompanied by a violent gale, howling toward Lu Feng's position.
This sword qi was Chen Chen's true killing move.
Using his body as a sword, he drew the soul power from the air to condense his sword's momentum. If an ordinary person faced this move, it wouldn't feel like fighting a Soul Master, but rather the force of heaven and earth.
Unexpectedly, facing this overwhelming sword qi, Lu Feng did not dodge.
His soul power condensed on his fists, his body flashed with golden light, and he swung his left fist. A surging wave of soul power energy burst forth, smashing toward the incoming sword qi.
Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone Skill: Invincible Golden Body!
The two rushed toward each other at extreme speed, like two streaks of golden and blue light, colliding.
Boom—
The two attacks smashed together. The energy explosion caused a violent roar, and the entire venue couldn't help but shake.
Golden light and pale blue sword qi intertwined.
Whoosh—
The energy storm formed by the golden light and sword qi was instantly blasted apart.
Along with a roar filled with a sense of power, the ground beneath their feet cracked. The powerful impact caused the hard stone slabs to fracture inch by inch.
Under the shroud of the powerful soul power shockwave, the spectators couldn't help but close their eyes and cover their ears, barely resisting the howling gale.
The next moment, all the disciples' hearts suddenly clenched.
A heavy soul power pressure emanated from the stage, as if a great mountain was smashing down, pressing on everyone so they could barely breathe. The disciples with lower soul power turned pale, only able to gasp for breath.
Several disciples at the Soul Ancestor level or higher managed to force their eyes open. The next moment, their pupils shrank, as if they had seen something unbelievable.
On the stage, Gu Lin had instantly appeared in front of Chen Chen. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and a hemispherical soul power shield enveloped the two of them.
At this moment, Lu Feng swung his right fist. In a large fan-shaped area in front of him, the soul power suddenly became violent.
First Soul Skill: Heavy Fist, Second Form!
Fourth Soul Skill: Overwhelming Fist!
"BOOM!"
An earth-shattering explosion erupted.
Lu Feng's surging soul power was almost tangible, like a golden flood dragon, carrying world-destroying power as it slammed viciously into Gu Lin's soul power shield.
In an instant, light radiated everywhere. White light and the earthy-yellow soul power shield intertwined, battling against each other.
Energy spread out wildly in all directions like ripples. The stage floor couldn't bear the load. With the impact point as the center, spiderweb-like cracks appeared, rapidly spreading across the entire stage.
BOOM!
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the next moment, with a thunderous crash, the entire stage completely collapsed.
Everyone in the venue stared, dumbfounded, at the ruins of the stage, their eyes vacant.
At this moment, the scene fell into a strange silence.
What just happened?
Why did Elder Gu Lin suddenly intervene?
Is the battle over?
And on the viewing platform, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong were also filled with shock.
They had clearly captured what had happened on the stage in that instant.
Yes, the winner had been decided.
Especially for Chen Xin and Gu Rong, as Titled Douluo, the feeling was the deepest. They knew clearly that if Gu Lin hadn't intervened to block Lu Feng's attack, it was unknown whether Chen Chen would have survived.
Chen Xin sighed and turned to leave. He was now a little worried about his disciple's mental state.
Chen Chen having such a rival... Chen Xin was gratified. Because he himself had learned from failure and then made a breakthrough.
But at the same time, he felt a little sad.
Chen Chen's talent was in no way weaker than his own; he was a true genius.
However, the one thing the Douluo Continent did not lack was geniuses.
In Chen Xin's era, the most discussed were Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen. Those two names were like two great mountains, weighing on the heart of every genius Soul Master.
In the next generation, Tang Hao and Bibi Dong appeared.
As juniors, their strength and talent crushed a host of the previous generation's experts.
And now...
Chen Xin looked at Lu Feng on the stage, his heart filled with emotion. He felt as if he were watching a new moon slowly rising.
No matter how bright the stars are, how can they compete with the full moon?
As Chen Chen's master, he was even worried that Chen Chen would be unable to recover from this blow.
On the martial arts stage, Chen Chen stood blankly in place. His wide-open eyes were filled with disbelief, and... fear.
The back of his clothes was soaked with cold sweat, and his body could be seen trembling slightly.
As the opponent, he had felt Lu Feng's punch most deeply.
That terrifying soul power, like a mountain crashing down, struck straight at his soul. If the elder hadn't intervened, he felt he would already be dead.
Lu Feng looked at the two opposite him and smiled. "Seventh Master's (Qiye) skills are impressive. You actually blocked my strongest move with your bare hands."
Although the other party was a Soul Douluo, Lu Feng was not reserved at all.
"Hmph, you brat, what a ruthless soul skill. If I hadn't stepped in, this might have ended in a death," Gu Lin said fiercely.
Lu Feng smiled apologetically and cupped his fists. "This junior's soul skill grows stronger against the strong. Brother Chen is a once-in-a-century genius, so I naturally didn't dare to hold back."
Lu Feng's fourth soul skill could absorb the opponent's attack and then counter with double the damage.
Theoretically, as long as he could withstand one blow from a Titled Douluo, this counter-attack would have Titled Douluo-level power.
Generally speaking, the damage a Soul Master can withstand will definitely not exceed two major realms above their own.
For example, an ordinary Soul Ancestor, even a pure defense-type, could at most withstand a Soul King's fifth soul skill, but definitely not an attack from a Soul Emperor.
However, Lu Feng had a heaven-defying skill.
Invincible Golden Body!
For a short period, he was immune to all physical damage, and his own strength was doubled.
This soul bone skill, paired with his fourth soul skill, plus Luo Wu Pao's support... If he returned to the Star Dou Forest back then, Lu Feng was confident he could take out Zhao Wuji even at his peak.
At this time, Chen Chen lowered his head, dejected. "Brother Lu Feng, I lost this match."
He smiled bitterly. Although he felt unreconciled, he knew he had lost completely.
If Gu Lin hadn't intervened, he would be dead now.
This was somewhat hard for Chen Chen to accept.
Clearly, in their last exchange, the two were evenly matched. How could he have lost so miserably this time?
With such a one-sided match, those who didn't know better would think their soul power levels had been swapped.
Chen Chen dragged his body as he slowly left. He was starting to doubt his life, his eyes growing hazy.