Watching Gu Xuan dispatch Osler so effortlessly, Yu Tianheng, the Shi brothers, and Yu Feng were all struck by the sheer magnitude of his strength. Even without using his Martial Soul, the power of his external soul bone alone was enough to rival a Soul Ancestor.
Yu Feng, in particular, knew his strength was roughly on par with Osler's, the only real difference being his ability to fly. While Yu Tianheng and the Shi brothers were stronger, the gap was limited; seeing Gu Xuan's relaxed state, they knew that even if they went up, the outcome likely wouldn't change.
However, they were all competitive. Without testing the gap for themselves, they wouldn't be satisfied. Besides, the Shi brothers' "shield-throwing" technique had reached a level of near-mastery; even Yu Tianheng struggled to win against them in a one-on-one, and their teamwork maximized the synergy between long-range offense and melee defense.
"My turn!" Yu Tianheng barked, leaping onto the spirit arena within the training ground.
Osler walked down with lingering fear. He wasn't hurt, but he felt like he had just narrowly escaped death. "The Captain's strength is too terrifying. He handled you like a toy," Yu Feng teased, supporting Osler.
Osler rolled his eyes. "If you're so capable, you go up and try."
Yu Feng laughed helplessly. "The Captain's soul bone clearly allows flight. My advantage would be useless."
On the stage, lightning flickered around Yu Tianheng's body. A Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon manifested, and two yellow and two purple rings circled his arms. At Rank 40, he could already achieve dual-arm "Dragonization." His talent was considered number one within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; while most clan members only achieved their first Dragonization at Rank 40, Yu Tianheng had done so at Rank 30, a feat matching the young Yu Yuanzhen.
"Yu Tianheng. Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Rank 43 Power Attack Type Soul Ancestor. Please guide me."
He stared at Gu Xuan with intense gravity. Despite being Rank 43, he had no confidence in winning; he was simply praying he wouldn't be toyed with as easily as Osler.
"Oh? Rank 43? Not bad at all," Gu Xuan remarked, his brow arching. The sword-wings on his back unfurled slightly, and a phantom of sword intent surrounded him.
Yu Tianheng didn't waste breath. Against Gu Xuan, there was no point in trying to drain his soul power; he had to seize the initiative immediately. His rings glowed, and he activated his first and third skills simultaneously.
"First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
"Third Soul Skill, Thunder Fury!"
Furthermore, his arms Dragonized, boosting his overall attributes by at least thirty percent. He lunged toward Gu Xuan, and as he closed within five meters, his second ring flashed.
"Second Soul Skill, Thunder Crash!"
Gu Xuan remained stationary. Four dragon-swords detached from his back and spun rapidly around him, creating a vortex of fierce sword intent and momentum that seemed ready to shred anything that drew near.
"Seven Kill Sword Art, Second Form—Sword Guarding the Four Directions!"
Terrifying lightning erupted from Yu Tianheng's Dragonized right claw, submerging Gu Xuan in a sea of electricity. The crackling thunder echoed through the entire courtyard, making Osler and Yu Feng shudder—they had both experienced this move and ended up with charred "afro" hair.
To their shock, Gu Xuan stood at the center of the storm, his spinning swords creating a hollow "safe zone" that the lightning couldn't penetrate. Every bolt of electricity was severed by the high-speed blades. Gu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking like a transcendent immortal.
"Open!" Gu Xuan commanded.
The four swords expanded their rotation, pushing back the lightning. Once the safe zone reached a diameter of one meter, he raised his hand. The four swords merged into a single greatsword, and before the lightning could reclaim the space, he swung.
"Seven Kill Sword Art, Third Form—Traversing the Eight Directions!"
The strike was like a rainbow of sword intent, instantly extinguishing the encroaching lightning. Yu Tianheng was stunned. He clamped his Dragonized claws onto the sword momentum, his lightning power exploding.
Bang!
Yu Tianheng blocked the strike, but blood seeped from his Dragonized hands, dripping onto the stage.
"Sword Art—Four Swords as One, Flying Dragon Piercing Heaven!"
Gu Xuan swung again. The same sword-dragon that had targeted Osler roared forth, charging at Yu Tianheng with the force of a falling mountain.
Yu Tianheng didn't dodge. His purple fourth ring lit up, and boundless lightning surged from his body to form a ten-meter-long Blue Lightning Divine Dragon.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Blue Lightning Divine Dragon Haste!"
The lightning dragon slammed into the sword-dragon. Yu Tianheng had great confidence in this skill; his fourth ring was an 8,000-year ring, a fact that had shocked even Yu Yuanzhen. He had promised Gu Xuan to keep the "Whale Glue" secret, so he had vaguely brushed off his grandfather's questions by blaming Gu Xuan and a "soul oath."
The lightning and sword intent dragons collided, grinding against each other in a stalemate of consumption. Gu Xuan was impressed; the fact that Yu Tianheng's fourth skill could match his Flying Dragon Piercing Heaven was a testament to its power.
'Unfortunately, your opponent is a cheater,' Gu Xuan thought with a smile. He threw the greatsword directly at Yu Tianheng.
In mid-air, the blade split into four dragon-swords, striking from four different directions.
'Are you kidding me…' Yu Tianheng thought, his soul power largely drained by his fourth soul skill. He unleashed his second soul skill again to try and deflect them. He managed to knock two aside, but the other two slipped through, stopping precisely at his throat and his heart.
Yu Tianheng gave a helpless smile. "I lose."
The dragons dissipated, and the swords flew back to Gu Xuan's back. "Good strength, but you're still a bit behind me. Been slacking lately?" Gu Xuan teased.
Yu Tianheng's face went dark. 'Slacking?! I've spent every day in the mimicry cultivation grounds or the training hall! I've lost weight from the effort, and you call it slacking? Why don't you just admit you're using cheats?!'
Gu Xuan smiled. "There's less than two years until the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. Work hard, young man."
"Don't worry, we won't drag you down," Yu Tianheng replied. The others nodded in agreement.
After the sparring, Gu Xuan checked their progress:
Yu Tianheng: Rank 43, 8,000-year fourth soul ring.
Shi Mo: Rank 42, 7,500-year fourth soul ring.
Shi Mo (Junior): Rank 41, 7,000-year fourth soul ring.
Osler & Yu Feng: Rank 41, 6,500-year fourth soul rings.
Ye Lingling: Rank 39, close to breaking through.
Their ranks were now nearly where they would have been two years later in the original timeline. Gu Xuan explained his changed appearance as a "Martial Soul Secondary Awakening" and fabricated a story for his external soul bone, successfully reintegrating into the team.
That Wednesday, the group attended classes at the training hall. Their instructor, Qin Ming, looked radiant and was planning a trip for them to gain real-world experience. This reminded Gu Xuan of the original battle in Suotuo City against the Shrek Seven Devils. 'Is fate trying to pull things back to the original track?' he wondered. It didn't matter to him; he already had Xiao Wu.
When Qin Ming realized Gu Xuan was now Rank 45, he nearly choked. Twelve ranks in a year? Even with "cheats," that was monstrous. Gu Xuan gave Qin Ming a Mixed Yuan Pill as well; the man was kind-hearted and would be a great ally against Spirit Hall later. Out of his twelve pills, five were gone to the team and one to Qin Ming, leaving six for future "investments."
On his second day back, Xue Qinghe arrived at the academy. Gu Xuan guessed he was there to feel him out. He was more than happy to see him; it was the perfect opportunity to leak the information he wanted the world to know without any effort.
(End of Chapter)
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