Chapter 55: Even More Underhanded Is Coming
Whoosh—!
The arrow shot out, streaking through the air like a falling meteor as it rapidly closed in on Meng Xiaoyan's position.
At Meng Xiaoyan's current speed, there was absolutely no way she could dodge it.
Of course, Fan Chen had no intention of killing her. With so many Titled Douluo watching from the sidelines, saving her would be effortless.
Clang!
A longsword descended from the sky, intercepting Fan Chen's attack midair and successfully rescuing Meng Xiaoyan.
Fan Chen looked up and saw Qian Renxue rapidly closing in on his position.
Second Soul Skill: Angel Wings
Qian Renxue's speed surged explosively, her body turning semi-transparent.
The longsword slashed down. Seeing this, the only purple soul ring behind Fan Chen lit up.
First Soul Skill: Heart Clarity and True Nature
Fan Chen decisively activated Bai Ze's first soul skill, strange light flickering in his eyes.
Everything slowed down in his vision. Qian Renxue's figure gradually faded before his eyes.
The flow of energy became incomparably clear, leaving nothing hidden from him.
"Wings, left fist, longsword."
These three areas were where Qian Renxue's energy was most concentrated.
The wings were for acceleration, the longsword was meant to restrict his movement, and the left fist was the real killing blow.
Not only did it cut off his escape route, but it also contained the densest concentration of soul power.
Fan Chen was well aware of the effects of Qian Renxue's soul skills.
Especially her first soul skill, which came from a nine-hundred-year-old top-tier light-attribute soul beast—the Dawnlight Cloudwing Bird.
While granting her a soul skill, it also bestowed a special ability.
This ability was called Light Erosion Mark. As long as her attack hit the enemy, it would erode their soul power and leave a mark behind.
If she struck the same opponent again within a certain time frame, the damage would increase significantly.
Moreover, this effect could stack. The upper limit was still unclear.
But Fan Chen was certain of one thing—if he let Qian Renxue keep attacking like this, he would absolutely not be able to hold out.
"Isn't this a bit too ruthless?"
Fan Chen couldn't help but complain inwardly. Before the fight began, he had already expected Qian Renxue to be difficult to deal with.
But this was just a spar. Given their relationship, holding back a little shouldn't be a problem, right?
Besides, he didn't want to hurt her either. From the beginning, his real target had always been Meng Xiaoyan.
Yet, to his surprise, from start to finish, Qian Renxue showed no intention of holding back at all. Every strike was genuinely vicious, leaving no mercy.
First Soul Skill: Angel Assault
At the instant she closed in on Fan Chen, the first soul ring behind Qian Renxue lit up once more.
A layer of golden radiance enveloped both the longsword in her right hand and her left fist.
The longsword struck first, attacking Fan Chen head-on, with her left fist following closely behind—perfectly covering the direction Fan Chen would dodge toward.
Attacked from both sides, Fan Chen's only apparent escape route was to retreat backward.
But he didn't choose that option.
Instead, he made a move that no one expected.
"Xiao Bai, go!"
"Heh, big sister's here~."
Xiao Bai separated from Fan Chen's body, instantly startling Qian Renxue.
Seeing her attack about to land on Xiao Bai, Qian Renxue hurriedly withdrew her strength. She had no intention of hurting Xiao Bai.
With the protection of the Reverse Edge Demonic Armor, Fan Chen wouldn't be harmed by this kind of attack.
But Xiao Bai had no protection whatsoever. If she got hit, Qian Renxue would be heartbroken.
"Heh, you fell for it."
The moment Qian Renxue pulled back, Xiao Bai lunged straight at her face.
At the same time, Fan Chen flashed behind Qian Renxue.
From behind, Fan Chen wrapped his arms around her.
His hands locked her arms from behind, while his legs crossed tightly around her slender waist.
At this moment, Fan Chen was completely pressed against Qian Renxue's back. Using his body weight, he forced her center of gravity backward, directly flipping her onto the ground.
With her arms firmly locked by Fan Chen, Qian Renxue was completely unable to move.
Even though her soul power was slightly higher than Fan Chen's, in such close-quarters combat, she couldn't easily break free.
And if this were a real battle, she might already be dead by Fan Chen's hands.
"Sister, you lost."
"I lost."
Qian Renxue admitted defeat decisively, though her expression as she looked at Xiao Bai was filled with helplessness.
She had imagined the possibility of losing to Fan Chen—but never in such a way.
Upon hearing Qian Renxue concede, Fan Chen finally let out a sigh of relief and released his hold on her.
But the instant he loosened his grip—
A thick, heavy staff swung straight toward his face.
"Holy shit!"
Clang!
The staff struck Fan Chen squarely on the head.
Caught completely off guard, Fan Chen saw stars explode in his vision.
Although the attack caused no real damage, such a close-range blow still left his head buzzing violently.
"Playing dirty tricks, huh? I'll show you dirty tricks!"
Meng Xiaoyan's voice rang out, followed by another swing of the staff.
This time, with no need to restrain Qian Renxue, Fan Chen rolled aside and dodged the attack.
He scrambled to his feet, staring at Meng Xiaoyan as his temper exploded.
"Meng Xiaoyan, you're dead! You actually dared to ambush me!"
"Tch, dream on if you think you can hit me. I surrender!"
Just as Fan Chen was about to attack her, Meng Xiaoyan suddenly shouted, "I surrender!" toward the spectator stands.
Fan Chen froze in place.
So, this kind of operation was actually allowed?
"What are you staring at? Do you think I'm stupid enough to fight you one-on-one?"
Meng Xiaoyan made a face at Fan Chen, then tossed aside the staff, clapped her hands, and walked over to Qian Renxue.
"This damn stick is really heavy. Xiao Xue, did that bastard just now hurt you?"
"No, I have soul power protecting me. Brother Fan Chen didn't strike too hard."
Qian Renxue explained awkwardly, her face full of helplessness.
Compared to being sneak-attacked by Fan Chen and defeated through Xiao Bai just now, she was more concerned about Meng Xiaoyan's behavior.
She had already lost—Meng Xiaoyan was obviously no match for Fan Chen.
Surrendering was the best choice.
But why did she have to smack him with a stick before surrendering?
More importantly, it seemed Meng Xiaoyan had just used a weapon that Fan Chen himself had made, right?
"Meng Xiaoyan!"
Fan Chen was in a terrible mood. That sneak attack didn't hurt much, but the humiliation factor was off the charts.
It was obvious she did it on purpose—and she even accused him of playing dirty tricks.
Who the hell could be more underhanded than you?!
"Why are you yelling so loudly? My hearing works just fine."
Seeing Guang Ling and the others approaching, Meng Xiaoyan wasn't afraid at all that Fan Chen would make a move.
Besides, Qian Renxue was standing right in front of her. She didn't believe Fan Chen would attack both of them at once.
"What are you two making such a fuss over? It's just a spar—why are you acting like this?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo and Xiong Kuohai each smacked Fan Chen and Meng Xiaoyan on the head.
Both of them yelped in pain, clutching their heads.
Fan Chen alone was already troublesome enough. Now, Meng Xiaoyan had joined in.
The destructive power of the two together increased exponentially—fortunately, all that extra destruction was directed at themselves.
In a way, Meng Xiaoyan also restrained Fan Chen's ability to stir up trouble. The only downside was that she was way too noisy.
Whenever the two were together, something unexpected was bound to happen. They were practically natural enemies.
Watching the two get punished, Qian Renxue couldn't help but smile.
"Why the hell are you shouting? Take off the armor first."
Golden Crocodile Douluo lifted Fan Chen and gave his backside another hard slap.
The energy of the Reverse Edge Demon Armor had already reached its limit. Under Golden Crocodile Douluo's strike, it instantly disintegrated and vanished.
After long-term training, Golden Crocodile Douluo had become thoroughly familiar with the armor's current energy reserves.
"Master, you can't do me like this! I won, and you still hit me—keep this up, and you'll lose me!"
Fan Chen protested indignantly. Getting hit when you lose was one thing—but getting hit even when you win? What was the difference between winning and losing then?
Golden Crocodile Douluo didn't bother responding.
He knew full well that reasoning with this kid was pointless.
Rather than wasting time arguing, it was faster to just beat him into submission.
Once the situation was under control, Fan Chen and the other two were once again surrounded by Golden Crocodile Douluo and the others.
Though it looked like the three were surrounded, most of the attention was clearly focused on Fan Chen and Meng Xiaoyan.
Qian Renxue, holding Xiao Bai, was pushed off to the outskirts.
Seeing the looks in everyone's eyes, both Fan Chen and Meng Xiaoyan sensed that something was wrong.
They exchanged a glance, the same thought rising in both their minds.
"Something bad is about to happen."
—
End of Chapter