Gu Rong Challenges Him of His Own Accord, Seeking Only a Breakthrough? A Duel Outside the City-Qian Yu: I'll Give You What You Want! (Please Read On!)

The two left the Great Soul Arena and headed straight back to Quiet Garden.

But the moment they pushed open the courtyard gate, Qian Yu came to a halt.

At the center of the courtyard stood a gaunt man who looked like a skeleton. No one knew when he had arrived.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his sunken eyes fixed on Qian Yu, burning with undisguised eagerness for battle.

Qian Yu remained calm, positioning himself partly in front of Bibi Dong, and said evenly:

"You came uninvited and even used your spatial travel ability...

Looks like I guessed right. It really is you, Gu Rong.

Going by our family lines, I should call you Uncle."

Gu Rong casually waved a hand, cutting Qian Yu off.

"The blood ties between our families are too distant. There's no need to follow those family-tree formalities. They'd sound awkward anyway.

Let's just treat each other as equals."

Gu Rong stared at Qian Yu, the fire of battle in his eyes growing ever hotter.

"Besides, judging by the strength you just showed at the Great Soul Arena and your Dark Sacred Dragon Martial Soul,

you're more than worthy of my respect. You've earned the right to be my equal!"

Qian Yu gave a slight nod.

He sensed only pure fighting spirit from Gu Rong. The man harbored no ill will toward Spirit Hall.

Qian Yu's taut nerves relaxed a little.

In the original story, Gu Rong's hostility toward Spirit Hall had left a deep impression on him.

"Since you put it that way, I won't stand on ceremony."

Qian Yu smiled faintly.

"May I ask what brings you here, especially using your spatial ability to find me?"

Gu Rong paused, a complicated look of wonder crossing his face.

"From what I just saw, with talent as monstrous as yours, becoming a Titled Douluo one day should be a piece of cake.

But I'm different..."

Gu Rong let out a long sigh, his voice carrying a trace of frustration and urgency.

"I'm already old, and my cultivation has reached a bottleneck that feels like a dead end.

If I rely on my own hard work, I'm afraid I'll never get past it.

I need the pressure of a powerful opponent to help me shatter this bottleneck in a fight to the death!"

Gu Rong clenched both fists, his knuckles cracking sharply.

"I have to reach the Titled Douluo realm in the next few years.

Otherwise, I'll have little potential left. I'll be stuck here for the rest of my life!"

Qian Yu immediately understood what he meant, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile.

"So you want to draw out the potential of your Bone Dragon Martial Soul by using the Ultimate pressure of my Dark Sacred Dragon?"

"Exactly!"

Gu Rong made no attempt to hide his intention. He shouted aloud,

"Let's have a good fight!"

Qian Yu glanced around the quiet courtyard and made a composed suggestion.

"If we fight here, one move might flatten the whole garden.

There's no room to let loose here. Let's go outside the city."

Gu Rong readily agreed, his eyes shining as he laughed.

"Good!

That's the spirit!

There's a wasteland thirty miles outside the city. I'll head there first and wait for you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, space rippled around Gu Rong. He instantly merged into the void and vanished.

Bibi Dong looked at the spot where Gu Rong had disappeared, furrowing her brow slightly. Her voice carried a hint of concern.

"Brother Yu, Gu Rong has been famous for a long time.

He's only two levels away from becoming a Titled Douluo.

And his Bone Dragon Martial Soul is even more inscrutable.

Are you really going to fight him to the death?"

Qian Yu took Bibi Dong's hand and chuckled, his eyes brimming with absolute confidence.

"Don't worry, Dong'er. He wants to use the pressure I bring to break through, and I happen to want to use him as a fine whetstone to hone my skills.

Come on, let's meet him. We shouldn't keep him waiting."

The Dark Sacred Dragon Martial Soul might not have space attributes.

But it was unquestionably a superior Martial Soul to Gu Rong's Bone Dragon Martial Soul!

Just that alone made defeating Gu Rong a piece of cake!

The two flashed forward, turning into streaks of light as they sped toward the outskirts of the city.

Thirty miles outside the city, on a barren stretch of rocky wasteland,

the wind howled, sweeping up sand that blotted out the sky.

Gu Rong stood with his hands behind his back, astonishing waves of Soul Power radiating from him. Even the space around him seemed to warp.

When he saw Qian Yu and Bibi Dong appear, a startling gleam burst from his eyes. He laughed aloud.

"Right on time!"

Qian Yu escorted Bibi Dong to a safe distance, then walked forward alone at an unhurried pace. His voice was calm.

"Since you're looking for a breakthrough, show me all your trump cards.

If you hold back, you might not only fail to break through today—you might die here."

A feverish fighting spirit appeared on Gu Rong's gaunt face. He shouted,

"That's exactly what I want!

Today, I'll show you the true power of my Bone Dragon!"

"Bone Dragon, possess me!"

At Gu Rong's furious cry, the phantom of a gigantic, bone-white dragon appeared behind him.

A chilling, eerie aura surged into the sky.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black!

Eight Soul Rings lit up one after another beneath Gu Rong's feet.

Gu Rong stared intently at Qian Yu, his voice low.

"Qian Yu, show me your Martial Soul!"

Qian Yu remained calm and stepped forward lightly with his right foot.

"As you wish."

"Roar—!"

A heaven-shaking dragon's roar echoed across the wasteland. The Ultimate darkness instantly devoured the sandstorm raging around them.

The Dark Sacred Dragon's immense, regal phantom descended proudly behind Qian Yu, like a god ruling over all beneath heaven.

The terrifying pressure of a superior true dragon bore down on Gu Rong.

Qian Yu looked at Gu Rong, whose bones were already trembling faintly. He slowly raised one hand, his calm voice carrying an overbearing edge.

"Come on. Let's see just how hard your bones really are."

Feeling the terrifying pressure of the Dark Sacred Dragon, Gu Rong didn't retreat. The fervor in his eyes only burned brighter.

Gu Rong shouted,

"What domineering bloodline pressure!

No wonder it's an Ultimate Martial Soul!

Qian Yu, my Soul Power has reached the peak of rank eighty-eight. You'd better be careful!"

Before his words had even faded, Gu Rong flashed away, using his spatial power to vanish into thin air.

The next second, he appeared right behind Qian Yu.

"Third Soul Skill, Bone Spike Thrust!"

Several sharp, bone-white spikes tore through the air with a vicious whistle, aimed straight at the back of Qian Yu's heart.

Faced with the sudden, ruthless attack, Qian Yu didn't even turn around.

He simply raised his right hand and gave a casual wave behind him.

"Bang—!"

Dense darkness took shape as an unbreakable shadow dragon scale.

Gu Rong's bone spikes, powerful enough to pierce metal and stone, struck the scale.

They shattered instantly, like rotten wood, crumbling into a shower of bone dust!

Qian Yu slowly turned around, his tone still breezy.

"A peak rank eighty-eight Soul Douluo. Your speed and control over space are pretty good.

But if that's all your attacks amount to, you're not even enough to warm me up."

Qian Yu looked at Gu Rong, who had been knocked back several steps, and curled his lips in amusement.

"Gu Rong, show me something real.

If you're not prepared to kill me, you'll never get so much as a touch of the Titled Douluo threshold."

Gu Rong shook out his numb arm. Far from losing heart, he burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha!

Good!

What a Dark Sacred Dragon!

In that case, I won't hold back anymore!

Qian Yu, take this!"