In the wild and desolate valley, the auras of three young powerhouses were like three volcanoes on the verge of eruption. They collided and pressed against each other, causing the dust in the air to stagnate.
Tang Chen had the most intense battle intent. He slammed his giant hammer into the ground, his voice like thunder: "Let's skip the small talk. The rules remain the same—should Brother Qian and I play with you first?" He was referring to the old custom from five years ago when they first met, where he and Qian Daoliu would fight a match first, and the winner would then face Yu Yuanchen.
Upon hearing this, Yu Yuanchen slowly shook his head. His gaze swept over Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu, his tone calm yet carrying unquestionable confidence: "Brother Tang, Brother Qian, I appreciate you letting me off easy five years ago. Today, there is no need to follow the old rules."
He paused slightly and continued: "The three of us should just have a free-for-all. Relying on our own abilities for a hearty, unreserved battle—wouldn't that be better?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of both Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu narrowed.
Yu Yuanchen proposed a free-for-all for two reasons. First, he was deeply aware of his current strength. After the sacrifice of the Thunderclap Nethervine, the transformation of his Thunder True Essence, and more than half a year of consolidation, his combat power had far surpassed that of an ordinary Soul Sage. Even when facing a powerhouse who had just entered the Titled Douluo realm, if the opponent was not under the absolute suppression of his Martial Soul, he was confident in gaining the upper hand in a direct confrontation. While killing them would not be easy, the scales of victory had already tilted in his favor. Although Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu were geniuses with heaven-defying talent who had progressed rapidly over the past five years, Yu Yuanchen was more than ninety percent certain he could win in a one-on-one. If they followed the old rules, it would be a hollow victory and hardly satisfying.
Second, he understood the pride of these two opponents. If he had simply said, "You two come at me together," it would have been tantamount to contempt and would inevitably have displeased them. By proposing a "free-for-all," he returned the choice to them, which both saved their face and forced them to reveal their true potential. Yu Yuanchen had a premonition that when Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu felt the pressure of facing him alone, their pride would naturally lead them to choose to join forces against the greatest threat first. This was the most instinctive choice for top-tier powerhouses in a chaotic battle.
Sure enough, Tang Chen was stunned for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter, the flames of battle in his eyes burning even brighter: "Good! A free-for-all it is! I've long wanted to try the feeling of beating you both at the same time!" Although he was rough, he was not stupid; he instantly understood Yu Yuanchen's intention and his own situation. But this was exactly what he wanted—when clashing with strong opponents, why be constrained by form?
Qian Daoliu took a deep look at Yu Yuanchen, a flash of realization and solemnity passing through his golden eyes, and he nodded slowly: "Agreed."
With the agreement made, there was no more to be said!
"Roar!"
Tang Chen was the first to erupt. He looked up to the sky and let out a roar that sounded neither entirely human nor entirely beast. Intense Bloodline Power rose into the sky like wolf smoke, his muscles bulging, and it seemed as if horned dragons were swimming beneath his skin. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black! Seven soul rings rose suddenly. What was shocking was that his seventh soul ring, within the black, actually revealed a clear crimson. Although it had not reached one hundred thousand years, it was likely at least at the ninety-thousand-year level or extremely close to one hundred thousand years. Clearly, he had chosen an extremely powerful soul beast when hunting for his soul ring!
What was even more alarming was that a heavy, vast domain carrying an unparalleled sense of suppression unfolded with him at the center! Within the domain, the air stagnated like a mountain, and gravity increased sharply, as if countless invisible giant hammers were suspended, locking onto everything. This was the unique domain Tang Chen had comprehended himself, based on his sixth soul skill, Clear Sky Formation, combined with his profound understanding of the "power" and "suppression" essence of the Clear Sky Hammer—the Clear Sky Domain!
At the same time, holy light surged into the sky from Qian Daoliu, his Six-winged Angel Martial Soul possessing him, making him look like a god descending to the mortal world. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black! Seven rings shone as well, and his seventh soul ring was also black with a hint of red, of extraordinary quality. The sacred aura purified the surroundings, but what was even more eye-catching was that within that sacred light, it simultaneously contained two types of ultimate attributes that made the soul tremble—Ultimate Sacred and Ultimate Fire! Although his depth of understanding of "ultimate" was not as rounded, transparent, or as if an extension of one's arm as Yu Yuanchen's Ultimate Thunder, the pressure of those pure attributes was real, causing his Angel Martial Soul to undergo a certain sublimation. Where the light and flames passed, even the air slightly distorted.
A flash of true surprise appeared in Yu Yuanchen's eyes. Ultimate attributes were incredibly rare; for Qian Daoliu to possess two at once—even if they were somewhat different, closer to an ultimate sublimation of the Martial Soul origin rather than the acquired cultivation and control he possessed—it was enough to show his talent and the terror of the Six-winged Angel Martial Soul.
Tang Chen's Clear Sky Domain, as well as his surging Bloodline Power—which had clearly been tempered through some special training technique rather than a systematic cultivation (this was not uncommon among power-type Soul Masters on the continent; there were always those with innate gifts who could, by chance, stimulate their bloodline potential and pass down some techniques for tempering it, though they could not form a complete system)—also allowed him to see the efforts and fortuitous encounters his two close friends had gained over these five years.
"It seems that the gains of my two brothers over these five years have far exceeded my expectations." Yu Yuanchen laughed aloud, no longer holding back. Looking at their seventh rings, which were clearly absorbed beyond their level, it seemed that after seeing his soul ring configuration, they were no longer satisfied with the normal optimal soul ring configuration.
"Boom—!"
Purple-gold lightning erupted like a volcano, instantly enveloping him. His Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul possessed him, but at this moment, the dragon scales had completely turned into a noble purple-gold, covered in lightning patterns, filled with an ancient and majestic aura. Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red! Seven soul rings rose, and especially the moment that blood-red one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring appeared, the air in the entire valley seemed to freeze. The terrifying pressure spread outward like a tide, actually faintly pushing back Tang Chen's Clear Sky Domain and Qian Daoliu's ultimate radiance!
Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu's pupils contracted simultaneously. Although they had been mentally prepared, seeing a one-hundred-thousand-year soul ring with their own eyes and personally feeling that terrifying pressure like a primordial beast still left them shaken. They reckoned that if they faced Yu Yuanchen alone right now, their chances of winning were truly slim! The rumors of him killing a Titled Douluo were definitely not empty words!
"Fight!"
The three of them moved almost simultaneously!
Tang Chen roared, his Clear Sky Domain fully activated, and his giant Clear Sky Hammer swung down toward Yu Yuanchen with the force of a collapsing mountain! This hammer strike, seemingly simple and direct, contained his profound understanding of the "heavy, clumsy, and grand" artistic conception of hammer techniques. Before the hammer arrived, the force of the condensed artistic conception had already descended, as if it were not a hammer attacking, but a mountain or a piece of the firmament crushing down! The air was compressed to the extreme, emitting an unbearable explosion.
Qian Daoliu moved with the light, his six wings flapping, his speed reaching the extreme. He condensed a light sword burning with golden sacred flames in his hand, the tip pointing directly at Yu Yuanchen's flank. The sacred flames possessed both the purifying power of Ultimate Sacred and the burning destruction of Ultimate Fire; where the light and flames passed, even soul power was quietly evaporated.
Facing the pincer attack of two great enemies, lightning shot from Yu Yuanchen's eyes. He did not dodge or evade, choosing instead to resist head-on!
His right fist, the Thunder Dragon Claw, was clenched tight, wrapped in purple-gold Thunder True Essence. It was no longer simple lightning, but a higher-level energy that fused Bloodline Power and mental will. He threw a punch at Tang Chen's Clear Sky Hammer! At the same time, his left palm slapped toward Qian Daoliu's light sword, lightning patterns rotating in his palm to form an incredibly condensed Thunder Shield.
"Boom—!!!"
Fist and hammer collided like two great mountains crashing together! A terrifying shockwave exploded in a ring, the ground cracked inch by inch, and gravel shot out! Tang Chen felt an indescribable giant force accompanied by destructive Thunder Power coming through the hammer handle. His unstoppable, surging bloodline and Clear Sky Domain were actually forcibly blocked. The web between his thumb and forefinger split, his giant Clear Sky Hammer nearly flew out of his hand, and he staggered backward, leaving a deep footprint on the ground with every step, his eyes full of shock.
On the other side, Qian Daoliu's light sword slashed onto the Thunder Shield, erupting with a blinding interweaving of light and lightning. Ultimate Sacred and Ultimate Fire crazily eroded the Thunder Shield, but the purple-gold Thunder True Essence was of higher quality, carrying a domineering will that destroyed all laws, actually holding the sacred flame sword firmly in place. The counter-shock force even made Qian Daoliu's wrist go numb, and the light and flames on the sword dimmed a bit.
One clash, and the difference was clear!
Yu Yuanchen was one against two, yet he did not fall into a disadvantage in the direct collision; instead, he was faintly suppressing both of them!
"Good! Come again!" Tang Chen steadied his figure, not angry but happy, his battle intent becoming even more wild. He took a deep breath, his bloodline burning like a furnace, the black light on the Clear Sky Hammer flaring up, and his hammer technique suddenly changed. It no longer pursued extreme rigidity but took on a certain mysterious rhythm. Hammer after hammer, like continuous waves, the power of each strike stacked, and the artistic conception shifted from simple power suppression to an interweaving of "vibration," "shattering," and "armor-breaking." It was as if a giant god was swinging a hammer to forge the world; where the hammer wind passed, even space produced subtle ripples! This was the manifestation of him mastering the Clear Sky Hammer technique and beginning to touch upon a deeper level of "hammer technique artistic conception." Each strike contained his understanding of the laws of power, exquisite and unparalleled, with doubled power.
Qian Daoliu's eyes were solemn. His six wings flapped, and he rose into mid-air. The Angel Domain unfolded, attempting to weaken and purify Yu Yuanchen's Thunder Power with sacred radiance. At the same time, he formed seals with both hands, and golden light feathers filled the sky, shooting down like arrows. Each light feather contained the dual damage of Ultimate Sacred and fire.
Yu Yuanchen was at the center of the storm, yet he was as steady as a boulder. His purple-gold Thunder Sacred Dragon True Body stood proudly, resisting the suppression of the Angel Domain and the attack of the light feathers, emitting crisp clanging sounds, but they could not break through his tough dragon scales that had been tempered multiple times. He swung his fists, his Thunder True Essence sometimes turning into a violent thunder dragon pouncing toward Tang Chen, and sometimes condensing into a giant thunder seal crashing toward Qian Daoliu in the air. He exerted his control over lightning to the extreme—sometimes rigid, sometimes soft, sometimes explosive, sometimes erosive—resolving Tang Chen's continuous, terrifying hammer force one by one, and constantly shattering Qian Daoliu's sacred attacks.
The three domains collided fiercely. The Thunder Domain was domineering and destructive, the Clear Sky Domain was heavy and suppressing, and the Angel Domain was sacred and purifying. These three powerful forces intertwined and annihilated each other in the field, making the energy turbulence in the entire valley like boiling water, a terrifying sight.
The battle entered a white-hot state from the very beginning! The absolute strength displayed by Yu Yuanchen made Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu completely let go of their last bit of hesitation, tacitly making him their primary target. Their offensive was like a storm, merciless and unrelenting!
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan