"...Your practical combat opponent is me."
After a brief pause, Zhao Wuji smiled and said, "The test is for you to join forces and withstand my attacks for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. As long as even one of you lasts until the end, you will pass."
The moment he said this, Li Yusong beside him immediately frowned and said hesitantly, "Wuji, this isn't quite appropriate, is it? With your strength, let alone a group of children, even two or three Soul Emperors might not be able to withstand you for the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
Zhao Wuji glared at him. "The dean isn't here, so I make the decisions in this academy. Besides, that brat Zhou Chen nearly defeated you just now. If I don't win back some face, how will us teachers have any authority left to teach the students?"
"Ah, fine."
Li Yusong sighed, then looked at Zhou Chen and the others. "Vice Dean Zhao is a level 76 Soul Sage. Back in the day, he was known as the Immovable Bright King. His martial soul is the Vajra Bear, exceptional in both defense and offense. Be careful."
At those words, Tang San and the other three, aside from Zhou Chen, had their pupils contract almost simultaneously. A level 76 Soul Sage?
A Soul Sage was a powerhouse capable of cutting through an army without resistance!
"Wait, the Immovable Bright King?"
At that moment, Ning Rongrong suddenly cried out, "I remember now! He's Zhao Wuji, the Immovable Bright King. Ten years ago, Spirit Hall sent sixteen red-clad bishops at the Soul Emperor level to surround him, but he still charged his way out. He was only a Soul Emperor back then. Wouldn't he be even stronger now?"
Hearing Ning Rongrong's words, Tang San and the others were instantly dumbfounded, all turning their gazes toward Zhou Chen, who had been resting with his eyes closed.
"You don't need to make a move. Just stand to the side and cheer for me."
Zhou Chen opened his star-bright eyes and gave Zhu Zhuqing a gentle look. In a low voice, he said, "You're not very mobile today, so stand a little farther away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire."
Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong all turned teasing looks toward Zhu Zhuqing at the same time, making the normally cool and aloof girl wish she could crawl into a crack in the ground.
By then, Zhou Chen had already turned his gaze toward Zhao Wuji and said calmly, "Vice Dean Zhao, please."
"Haha, I also want to see just how strong a genius from a reclusive family truly is!"
Zhao Wuji laughed heartily, then looked at Tang San and the other four. "Don't think you'll be getting out of this test, either. Once I've dealt with this brat, I'll deal with you."
After saying that, Zhao Wuji took out an incense stick from beneath him, lit it with a flick of his fingers, and with a casual toss, drove the fragile incense stick directly into the hard ground!
"Martial soul, possess!"
With a low roar, an incomparably fierce aura surged from Zhao Wuji's body. His body abruptly swelled as every muscle rapidly bulged, his height increasing by a meter. Behind him, the phantom of a massive golden bear appeared!
At the same time, seven dazzling soul rings slowly rose from beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and three black!
Clearly, Zhao Wuji was extremely wary of Zhou Chen's strength.
Zhou Chen, meanwhile, instantly transformed into a golden humanoid silhouette as three brilliant golden soul rings slowly rose around him.
"What kind of soul rings are those?"
The instant they saw the three golden soul rings, Zhao Wuji, Li Yusong, and the others immediately sensed that something was wrong. Yet with their knowledge, they were not enough to recognize God-level Soul Rings.
"Brat, I'm making my move!"
Zhao Wuji suddenly leaped forward, arriving before Zhou Chen in practically a single step. He raised his enormous bear paw as his second soul ring lit up. Infused with Soul Power, his palm instantly turned golden and slammed fiercely toward Zhou Chen!
This was his second soul skill—Vajra Palm!
Feeling the violent force of the palm wind, Zhou Chen naturally had no intention of taking it head-on. His third soul ring flashed faintly, and his entire body immediately became a streak of golden light. In an instant, he dodged the strike, circled behind Zhao Wuji, and threw an utterly ordinary punch!
"Imperial Sky Shocking Fist!"
"Good timing!!"
Faced with that sudden punch from behind, Zhao Wuji reacted quickly. With a loud roar, Soul Power burst from his entire body, and the first yellow soul ring among his seven rings instantly lit up!
First Spirit Ability—Immovable Bright King Body!
Boom!!
Zhou Chen's golden fist collided with Zhao Wuji's golden protective barrier, instantly producing a terrifying metallic crash. A ring-shaped shockwave exploded outward, forcing everyone watching nearby to retreat again and again.
Yet Zhou Chen's punch, powerful enough to severely wound a Soul Emperor, only forced Zhao Wuji back a few steps. It did not even leave a fist mark.
That was precisely why Zhao Wuji was known as the Immovable Bright King!!
Though only a Soul Sage, his defensive power surpassed that of most Soul Douluos and even approached that of a Titled Douluo!
After his punch failed to connect, Zhou Chen immediately used Ground Shrinking Golden Light and flashed away. The moment he moved, Zhao Wuji's fan-sized bear paw viciously swept through the spot where he had just been standing!
"What soul skill is this? How can he be so fast?"
Startled, another of Zhao Wuji's purple Thousand-Year Soul Rings lit up!
In an instant, the purple soul ring flew out, somehow catching up to the lightning-fast Zhou Chen and directly encircling him!
Seeing this, Li Yusong, who was watching from afar, immediately gave a bitter smile. "It's over. This is Zhao Wuji's fourth soul skill—Positioning Tracking. Within a hundred meters, he can use his jumping power to instantly close the distance with whoever has been locked onto. No matter how fast you are, it's useless!!"
Sure enough, the moment Li Yusong finished speaking, Zhao Wuji abruptly leaped from the ground, following closely behind Zhou Chen like a shadow and catching up to him in an instant!
"Damn, did he plant an eye on me and teleport straight over?"
Zhou Chen was utterly dumbfounded. There was no way to shake him off. He could only fight head-on!
However, before Zhou Chen could stop, Zhao Wuji's roar rang out again:
"Fifth Soul Skill—Gravity Squeeze!"
In an instant, Zhou Chen felt enormous pressure closing in from all directions, causing his speed to slow sharply.
Seeing this, Zhou Chen stopped running and turned around to confront Zhao Wuji head-on!
"Vajra Palm!"
"Imperial Sky Shocking Fist!"
Fist and palm collided. Zhou Chen, who had always been invincible, was actually blasted back dozens of steps. The web between his fingers split open from the impact, and bright red blood flowed down his hand!
"Chen Ge!"
"Zhou Chen!"
"Hurry and admit defeat! Don't hurt yourself."
Cries of alarm rang out from nearby. Zhu Zhuqing and the others were filled with worry.
"How is it, brat? Still not enough, right?" Zhao Wuji laughed loudly.
The corner of Zhou Chen's mouth curled up as he said calmly, "Vice Dean Zhao, you can't say that. Both you and I still have the strength to fight. How about we call it a draw and avoid hurting our harmony? What do you say?"
"Hmph, brat, one of your hands can no longer move, and you still dare call it a draw?"
Zhao Wuji snorted and pointed at the incense stick nearby, already half burned down. "Last until that incense stick burns out, then talk about a draw!"
With that, Zhao Wuji leaped into the air like an obese meteor, crashing down toward Zhou Chen!!
Seeing Zhao Wuji leap into the air, Zhou Chen gave a cold smile. A golden giant several zhang tall suddenly appeared behind him!
The giant wore a Twelve-Stringed Jade Crown and an Apricot-Yellow Gold-Gilded Robe. Around it floated phantoms of mountains, rivers, vegetation, the sun, moon, and stars!
"Vice Dean Zhao, taste the self-created soul skill I've spent six years developing—Five Emperors Fist - Fist Tilting the World!"
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