Dark Netherworld Protection, the Iron Sword Unrivaled, Ji Juechen Defeated!

The Cloud-Soaring Ambition Wind-Following Sword Art had been created by Chen Xin's father, Chen Jianjun, and was the Chen Clan's inherited sword art.

"Wind-Following" meant that the sword swept forth like a wind scattering the last clouds, representing ultimate speed and ultimate slaughter.

In his youth, Chen Xin had roamed the continent unchallenged with the Seven Kill Sword in his hand and the Cloud-Soaring Ambition Wind-Following Sword Art, honing his killing sword intent to its peak.

A sword like a great wind, pressing ever onward—this was the true meaning of the Cloud-Soaring Ambition Wind-Following Sword Art.

Later, Chen Xin joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and grasped the truth that a sword could protect as well as kill, taking his swordsmanship to a new level.

But even now, Chen Xin did not dare claim that his swordsmanship had truly surpassed his father's when he created the sword art.

No wonder the killing sword intent he had sensed from Lin Bai earlier had felt familiar. Lin Bai had already grasped part of the true meaning of the Cloud-Soaring Ambition Wind-Following Sword Art.

But the question was, how old was he?

He was only eleven or twelve, yet he could already grasp the true meaning of swordsmanship?

When Chen Xin was eleven or twelve, he had still been learning the sword art from his father, hadn't he?

"To think that the Douluo Continent of the future would have such a breathtakingly gifted swordsmanship prodigy!"

Chen Xin's eyes lit up with excitement.

"What a pity I cannot take him as my disciple."

Then his gaze turned toward Ji Juechen.

"This young man's sword intent is remarkable as well. Lonely and peerless-does he disregard everything outside himself except the sword in his hand?"

At that moment, Gu Rong chuckled and said to Chen Xin,

"Old Sword, this youngster Ji Juechen is rather like you when you were young."

Chen Xin smiled faintly and nodded.

"Such sword intent is extreme, but it holds boundless possibilities."

"Whichever direction he takes a step in, he could achieve great things!"

"And his Martial Soul looks..."

"Rather interesting as well."

In the spectator stands below the arena.

Meng Hongchen was stunned to see Lin Bai suppressing Ji Juechen, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's chief student, with sword strikes as swift as a gale.

She had thought this would be a training match, with Ji Juechen merely giving the newly enrolled junior some pointers.

Instead, the student had turned the tables and become the teacher, while sweat was already beading on Ji Juechen's forehead.

"Xiao Xue, Yutong, how is this possible? That's Ji Juechen!"

"Although he's only a Soul Ancestor right now, he's defeated quite a few of the sixth-year Level 5 Soul Engineers."

"Some of the stronger ones who remained were afraid that losing to a student a year below them would affect their chances of promotion into the Illustrious Virtue Hall, so they refused to fight the Sword Fanatic and yielded the chief student's position to him."

"But even so, there's no doubt that once Ji Juechen reaches the sixth year, no one in the entire Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy will be his match."

"So how can Lin Bai be suppressing Ji Juechen in swordsmanship, the very thing he's strongest at?"

Hearing Meng Hongchen's astonished words, Qian Renxue and Huo Yutong exchanged a glance and couldn't help laughing.

Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Bai in the arena.

"Meng, don't let my brother's usual lazy manner fool you. He's actually the most hard-working of the three of us."

"When he was little, he always told the two of us he'd follow us around, live off us, and lie flat."

"But he spends the most time cultivating, and he even uses meditation in place of sleep most of the time."

"After the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect fell into decline, its descendants sent the Cloud-Soaring Ambition Wind-Following Sword Art to auction, and my brother bought it right away."

"For three years, he practiced it for more than six hours a day, stopping only when his arms were red and swollen, then recovering in a medicinal bath."

"And there's no telling how many of Star Luo City's famous swordsmen he's defeated."

"So no matter how strong Ji Juechen is, if they're only competing in swordsmanship, he won't be my brother's match!"

Huo Yutong nodded with a smile as well.

"That's right! Brother Xiao Bai is the hardest-working person I've ever met!"

"He often tells us that only someone strong enough deserves to lie flat and be a salted fish!"

In the arena, layers of black sword shadows loomed like dark clouds, blotting out even the sunlight.

Sword light and Sword Qi, black as ink, crisscrossed the arena, but Lin Bai himself was nowhere to be seen, as though his figure had merged into the sword art.

Facing attacks like a raging storm, Ji Juechen was barely able to hold on, yet the deathly stillness in his eyes gradually gave way to fervor.

"That's it, just like that!"

"I, Ji Juechen, acknowledge you, Lin Bai! You're the strongest swordsman I've ever seen!"

The next instant, he abruptly retreated and slashed upward with the sword of meteoric iron from beyond the heavens in his hand.

"Sweeping Slash!"

Sweeping Slash was Ji Juechen's Self-Created Soul Skill, and his fastest attack.

His figure transformed into a streak of gray-black light, slashing toward Lin Bai's position amid the layers of sword shadows.

He meant to meet speed with speed, using his strongest Self-Created Soul Skill to break through Lin Bai's sword art in a single strike.

Cries of alarm rose from the spectator stands below.

They had naturally seen plenty of fights involving Ji Juechen, the Illustrious Virtue Hall's chief student.

They were thoroughly familiar with his Self-Created Soul Skill, Sweeping Slash.

Whenever that move appeared, it had always meant the outcome was decided!

It seemed this junior named Lin Bai was going to lose after all!

But the next instant, a clear, ringing chant came from the arena.

"Dark Netherworld Protection, the iron sword unrivaled!"

Lin Bai stood with his sword in hand, its tip pointing straight at the sky, and an invisible wall of Qi seemed to appear around him.

Ji Juechen's Sweeping Slash came within a foot of Lin Bai, but could advance no farther.

If he had used Soul Power, his Soul Ancestor cultivation would have made it easy to break through the wall of Qi around Lin Bai.

But this was a contest of swordsmanship, and all Ji Juechen could feel was a gale seemingly enveloping Lin Bai's body.

As he tried to approach Lin Bai, countless blades of wind battered the sword of meteoric iron from beyond the heavens in his hand.

Lin Bai had spent a staggering thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins to buy the Cloud-Soaring Ambition Wind-Following Sword Art.

That was because this secret art inherited by the Seven Kill Sword lineage ten thousand years ago was not just a sword art, but an entire set of Self-Created Soul Skills.

"Dark Netherworld Protection, the iron sword unrivaled; a thousand swords hide their edges for decades, never drawn!

When I turn, meteors chase the moon, crossing nineteen continents in an instant!

I slay demons and fiends, and gods and buddhas too!

A blessing for a thousand lifetimes, the great sword closes the rift; content in one corner, I live as I please, undisturbed by the mortal world!

Now I turn, Sword Qi sweeps in all directions, its cold light spanning thirty thousand li!

I ask only this of the world: who can match me!"

Each line of the sword chant was a Self-Created Soul Skill.

And "Dark Netherworld Protection, the iron sword unrivaled," which Lin Bai had just recited, was the sword art's defensive stance.

It protected the body with a raging wind that could also wound the enemy, combining offense and defense!

After a long stalemate, Ji Juechen ultimately failed to break through Lin Bai's defense.

He sighed softly and returned the sword of meteoric iron from beyond the heavens to his waist.

"I've lost. I'd like to know, what sword art is this?"

Lin Bai chuckled, and the Ruthless Sword in his hand turned into countless points of black light that returned to his body.

"The Cloud-Soaring Ambition Wind-Following Sword Art, a secret art of the Seven Kill Sword lineage from ten thousand years ago!"

"Want to learn it? I'll teach you."