Keeping the Promise, Challenging Yu Tianheng

It was nearly dusk, but Wang Chuan figured they might still be at the training grounds. He headed there at an unhurried pace. Before he even got close, he heard—

On the attacking side, Yu Tianheng took the lead, crackling blue lightning dragons coiling around his body as he radiated an imposing aura. At his side, Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul emitted an eerie green glow, carrying a faintly sweet, fishy scent that made one's heart tremble. Osler drifted along the flank like a ghost, searching for a chance to strike a killing blow.

Their opponents were an impenetrable defensive formation. The Black Tortoise Armor shields of the Shi Mo brothers stood to the left and right, forming a solid barrier. Behind that wall, Wen Jingran stood steadily before Ye Lingling, holding a dark shield engraved with savage Gluttony Patterns. He was the final, and most dependable, line of defense. Veiled in thin gauze, Ye Lingling held a white begonia flower in both hands, calm and focused, ready at any moment to release Light of Healing.

"Begin!" The instant Qin Ming's voice fell, battle erupted.

"First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"

Yu Tianheng did not probe them at all. He opened with a fierce attack. With a low roar, his right arm underwent Dragon Transformation. A massive dragon claw covered in blue scales and wreathed in violent lightning charged at the defense formed by the Shi Mo brothers with the force to tear through anything.

The Shi Mo brothers worked in perfect sync. They shouted low at the same time, and the Soul Power in their tortoise-shell shields surged. Heavy as mountains, the shields braced to take the lightning strike head-on.

However, just as the Thunder Dragon Claw was about to crash into the Black Tortoise Armor shields, a sudden change occurred!

"First Soul Skill, Rock Spear!"

With a sharp whoosh through the air, a yellow-brown streak shot fiercely from the gap between the Shi Mo brothers! It was not a physical metal spear, but an energy javelin formed from highly condensed earth-element Soul Power. Its tip was sharp, its shaft steady, and it flew at incredible speed, accurately meeting Yu Tianheng's Thunder Dragon Claw.

"Hm?" A flicker of surprise crossed Yu Tianheng's eyes. He had not expected such a swift and tricky counterattack.

Boom!

The Rock Spear collided violently with the dragon claw, producing a thunderous blast. Though the spear was shattered by the lightning force and dispersed into scattered motes of earth-element light, Yu Tianheng's sure strike was successfully halted as well. The lightning around his claw visibly dimmed, and his forward momentum faltered.

"Good chance!" Osler on the flank seized that fleeting opening. Like a bolt of black lightning, he silently slipped around the front line and pounced toward Ye Lingling in the rear. His goal was clear: take out their Healing Master first.

But though Osler was fast, Wen Jingran reacted even faster!

Almost at the same moment Osler moved, Wen Jingran had already turned and raised the Gluttony Shield before him. He did not even look at Osler's dazzlingly swift figure. Instead, he lowered his stance and shouted, "Second Spirit Ability, Gluttony's Devour!"

In an instant, the ferocious beast-head pattern on the Gluttony Shield seemed to come alive, generating an invisible suction force. The Soul Power in the arena's air—even part of the energy dispersed by Yu Tianheng's Thunder Dragon Claw after its collision—flowed into the shield in thin streams like rivers returning to the sea. A faint glow spread over the dark shield surface, and its aura became visibly heavier and more solid.

Osler's claws were already upon him. Accompanied by a piercing whistle through the air, they slashed viciously at Wen Jingran.

Bang!

The claws struck the Gluttony Shield, but only produced a dull thud. Having absorbed Soul Power, the shield's defense had greatly increased. Osler felt as though his attack had sunk into a bottomless mire, all its force easily absorbed and dispersed. He could not shake the steady figure behind it in the slightest. Instead, a rebounding force traveled through the shield and left his wrist slightly numb.

"What?!" Osler's strike had accomplished nothing, and he was shocked. He immediately used the force to flip backward, watching Wen Jingran warily. This teammate's defense far exceeded his expectations.

On the front line, Yu Tianheng's expression darkened after being stalled by the Rock Spear. Meanwhile, Dugu Yan's poison mist had silently spread outward. The jade-green haze seemed alive as it tried to slip past the Black Tortoise Armor shields and seep into the rear of Team B.

"Shi Mo, hold the line!" Shi Mo roared. The two brothers poured out their Soul Power at full force, and their tortoise-shell shields swelled once more as they tried to block the poison mist outside.

But Dugu Yan's poison was extremely insidious, and thin wisps still seeped through.

At that moment, Wen Jingran moved again. He did not leave Ye Lingling's side. Instead, he slammed the Gluttony Shield hard against the ground.

"Second Spirit Ability, full power!"

The suction force of Gluttony's Devour suddenly intensified! The Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison that had seeped through was, at its core, energy condensed from Soul Power and poison attributes. Now, it too was drawn in by the invisible suction emitted by the Gluttony Shield, slowly pulled apart, devoured, and absorbed into the shield. Though it could not completely clear the poison mist, it greatly slowed its spread and reduced its concentration, creating a safe space for Ye Lingling behind him.

"Beautiful!" Qin Ming could not help praising him softly from the sidelines. Wen Jingran's use of his two Soul Skills was exquisite. His First Soul Skill, Rock Spear, was not used as a main attack, but as long-range interference and suppression to disrupt the rhythm of an assault-type Soul Master. His Second Spirit Ability, Gluttony's Devour, was even more inspired. Not only could it normally boost his defense, but at critical moments, it could even restrain energy-based attacks and control abilities to a certain extent, such as poison mist. He had perfectly integrated himself into the Shi Mo brothers' defensive system, making up for the Black Tortoise Armor's lack of mobility while greatly strengthening the formation's cohesion and protection of its core in the rear.

For a time, attack and defense reached a stalemate. Team A possessed the sharpest spear, but Team B had raised the toughest and most flexible shield. Yu Tianheng's lightning assault was blocked head-on by the Shi Mo brothers, Osler's sneak attack was neutralized by Wen Jingran, and Dugu Yan's poison control was jointly restricted by Wen Jingran's Gluttony's Devour and the Black Tortoise Armor's sheer sturdiness.

The battle had only just entered its fiercest stage. Lightning blazed brighter in Yu Tianheng's eyes, clearly showing that he was preparing to use a stronger Soul Skill. On the defensive side, Wen Jingran took a deep breath, and the faint glow on his Gluttony Shield grew increasingly dense as he prepared to meet an even more violent assault. The Nine Heart Begonia in Ye Lingling's hands swayed gently, its soft light ready to burst forth. The outcome of this clash between spear and shield was still unknown.

Qin Ming stood at the edge of the field observing when his eyes suddenly lit up—Wang Chuan was looking their way and striding toward the training grounds, the fluctuations of Soul Power around him noticeably steadier than before.

Qin Ming immediately went up to greet him, his voice carrying satisfaction. "Xiao Chuan, you broke through and came back already? From the feel of your Soul Power, your advancement went very smoothly."

Hearing the voice, the people in the field stopped one after another and ended their sparring state. Ye Lingling reacted first. She quickly walked over, her eyes full of surprise. "Oh, Xiao Chuan, you're back already? That was so fast!" Then she turned toward Yu Tianheng and deliberately teased him, "Captain, Xiao Chuan remembered his agreement with you and rushed back the moment he broke through. Don't tell me you're planning to go back on your word because you don't dare fight him?"

Yu Tianheng frowned in mock displeasure and scratched his head. "Of course not! Don't go spreading nonsense, or I'll sue you for slander." Though there was amusement in his eyes, he still refused to yield verbally. "I just think Xiao Chuan has only just broken through. If I go all out and accidentally hurt him, wouldn't that be an unfair victory?"

"Captain, that concern is unnecessary." Wen Jingran stepped forward, patted Wang Chuan on the shoulder, and smiled as he added, "When Xiao Chuan used to spar with me, he could always suppress me with ease. You don't need to worry about hurting him at all."

Wang Chuan nodded as well, his gaze firm. "That's right, Senior Yu. Since I dared agree to this match, I naturally have enough confidence. You need not hold back for my sake. If I am injured during the match, it will only mean that my own strength is lacking. I cannot blame anyone else—otherwise, I would be unworthy of being Sword Douluo's disciple."

Seeing the two go back and forth, Qin Ming knew that further refusal would only drag things out, so he stepped in to smooth things over. "Since Xiao Chuan is confident, Tianheng, stop making excuses. How about this? You'll spar here at the training grounds tomorrow at noon."

"Fine!"

"Works for me!"

The two answered almost in unison, anticipation flashing in both their eyes—one wanted to test the results of his breakthrough, while the other wanted to see this junior's true strength.

After setting the time for the match, no one continued training. Ye Lingling pulled Wang Chuan aside and peppered him with questions, curious about his experiences at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Wen Jingran discussed the details of tomorrow's match with Yu Tianheng, while Qin Ming followed nearby, occasionally reminding the two to exercise restraint during their spar. Laughing and chatting, the group headed toward the dormitories amid playful banter. Even the sunlight over the training grounds seemed warmer because of the lively atmosphere.