Battle Against Wen Jingran

"Brother Wang Chuan, I'll advise you one last time—apologize to Miss Rong Rong immediately. Don't force us to make a move." Wen Jingran stepped forward, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness. "We don't want to gang up on someone weaker, nor do we want to bully Sword Douluo's disciple. But if you insist on refusing, we have no choice."

Wang Chuan gently shook his head. His grip on the hilt tightened, but his gaze remained calm. "I appreciate your good intentions, but Master and Uncle Ning personally permitted me to call her 'Rong Rong.' I cannot change it. So if you want to fight, come." As his words fell, faint Soul Power rippled around him. "Wang Chuan, martial soul 'Nothingness,' a level sixteen Assault-type Battle Soul Master."

"Martial soul 'Nothingness'? Level sixteen at six years old?" Wen Jingran's pupils contracted slightly, clearly shocked by his level. But he quickly steadied himself and said in a deep voice, "You truly are a genius, but I'm two years older than you, and my Soul Power is higher. Wen Jingran, martial soul Gluttony Shield, a level twenty-one Defense-type Battle Soul Master!"

Before he finished speaking, Wen Jingran struck first like a gale. The first soul ring beneath his feet lit up as he shouted, "First Soul Skill, Rock Spear!" His hands rapidly formed seals, and Soul Power condensed in his palms into several rock spears as thick as arms. Their surfaces were covered in rough stone patterns, hard as boulders, as they shot toward Wang Chuan with piercing whistles.

The rock spears came from tricky angles, nearly sealing off all of Wang Chuan's escape routes. One aimed directly for his chest, another targeted his ankle, while two more struck toward his left and right shoulders like an airtight stone wall, trapping him in place. At the same time, Wen Jingran followed close behind the spears, his hands guarding his chest. Clearly, he intended to close in and suppress Wang Chuan while he dealt with the attack.

"Not bad. Those Rock Spears are somewhat interesting." A sharp glint flashed through Wang Chuan's eyes. Rather than retreating, he advanced. Though the long blade in his hand remained sheathed, it carried a fierce force. With a turn of his wrist, the scabbard streaked through the air like a shooting star. Several crisp clangs rang out, and the incoming rock spears were shattered with a single strike, rubble pattering onto the ground.

Immediately afterward, Wang Chuan shifted his footing, his body darting about like a ghost. The scabbard in his hand transformed into countless afterimages as he smoothly tangled with Wen Jingran in battle. They exchanged blow after blow, the sounds of the scabbard striking the Gluttony Shield echoing continuously through the courtyard. Yet after more than a dozen exchanges, they seemed to reach an unspoken understanding and leaped backward at the same time, opening up distance between them.

"What do you mean by this?" Wen Jingran panted heavily, his face full of anger. "You're fighting me, yet you won't even draw your sword? Are you looking down on me that much?" As he spoke, the second soul ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up, and his Soul Power surged. "Second Spirit Ability, Gluttony's Devour!"

Wang Chuan looked at the earthy yellow glow spreading around Wen Jingran, his tone still calm. "I'm not deliberately refusing to draw my sword. It's just that my blade carries the Power of Void. Once it leaves its sheath, you may be injured."

But Wen Jingran did not believe him at all. He took a deep breath and actively absorbed part of the Soul Power. Empowered by Gluttony's Devour, his body instantly expanded by a full size, his muscle lines becoming more pronounced as both his defense and attack doubled. Without further hesitation, he charged at Wang Chuan once again, condensing even more Rock Spears as cover. Clearly, he intended to suppress Wang Chuan through sheer soul skills.

"Since you insist, I will no longer hold back." Wang Chuan sighed softly, his fingers finally touching the hilt. With a light shing, the long blade slid from its sheath, its surface gleaming with a faint blood-red radiance like a cold star. Unlike before, after many days of training, he could now precisely control the spread of the Power of Void instead of releasing it without restraint.

The next second, grayish white suddenly spread through a fifteen-meter radius centered on Wang Chuan. The flowers and grass in the courtyard, the stone path, even the evening glow in the sky, all faded into colorless silhouettes in an instant, as though they had become a desolate land forgotten by time. With the range reduced, the Power of Void within this domain became even more violent, like an insurmountable mountain crushing down on Wen Jingran.

"This is... a domain?" Wen Jingran's expression changed drastically. He felt strength rapidly draining from his entire body, while even the circulation of his Soul Power became sluggish. His attack and defense had been forcibly reduced by fifty percent!

"First Soul Skill, River Severance: No Return!" Wang Chuan spoke softly, his voice sounding especially ethereal within the domain. As his words fell, he shot toward Wen Jingran like an arrow leaving the bow. Facing the incoming Rock Spears once more, he paid them no heed. His blade rose and fell, and wherever its edge passed, the Rock Spears instantly shattered into fragments without causing even the slightest obstruction.

After only a few simple exchanges, Wen Jingran was forced backward again and again by Wang Chuan's Blade Qi. The glow of his Gluttony Shield grew increasingly dim, and the Soul Power fluctuations around him weakened further and further. The areas eroded by the Power of Void sent waves of weakness through his body. He was as wretched as a fallen leaf swept up by a violent storm.

"Concede. You are no match for me." Wang Chuan stopped, his blade angled toward the ground, his tone carrying a hint of persuasion. "If this continues, you will only be hurt more severely."

"What are you three still standing there for? Get him!" Seeing Wen Jingran fall into a disadvantage, Ning Rongrong immediately grew anxious and shrieked. The three children had already felt guilty about ganging up on someone younger. Seeing Wen Jingran at a disadvantage made them hesitate even more, but Ning Rongrong's order was like an imperial decree in their eyes. In the end, they gritted their teeth, drew the short blades at their waists, and stood behind Wen Jingran, ready to attack at any moment.

"You... Hah, forget it." Wang Chuan looked at the four people surrounding him and helplessly shook his head. Then his gaze sharpened, and he raised his long blade high. "Slash!"

An enormous Blade Qi burst from the blade like a roaring black dragon, tearing toward the four with a shrill whistle. Wherever it passed, even the air seemed to be ripped apart, whipping up violent gusts of wind.

"Not good! We can't dodge it! Get behind me—I'll take it!" Wen Jingran's face turned deathly pale, but he still gritted his teeth and stood in front of the other three. He raised the Gluttony Shield before him and pushed his Soul Power to its limit. Yet before Wang Chuan's Blade Qi, his defense was like a dying candle in the wind, fragile beyond measure.

With a muffled boom, the Blade Qi slammed fiercely into the Gluttony Shield. Wen Jingran was instantly blasted away, crashing to the ground unconscious. The three children behind him were also struck by the aftershock of the Blade Qi, collapsing limply one after another and losing consciousness. The entire courtyard fell silent, as though time had stopped in that instant.

Seeing this, Wang Chuan immediately sheathed his blade and dispelled the Void Domain. He hurried forward to check the four's breathing. Only after confirming that they had merely been knocked unconscious and were in no mortal danger did he let out a sigh of relief. He had deliberately controlled the strength of the Blade Qi because he feared hurting fellow disciples. Now that he saw they were only unconscious, the weight in his heart finally lifted.