A Showdown with Lion

Early in the morning, in the square before the Worship Hall.

Two figures stood facing each other on opposite sides of the square. Seven others sat watching from the steps before the Worship Hall entrance nearby.

"Teacher, do you think Brother Zhen can beat Fourth Granduncle? Fourth Granduncle is really going all out this time."

Hugging a watermelon bigger than his face, Oscar watched Su Zhen and Lion face off in the square and asked Guang Ling, who was eating melon beside him.

"Oh, Xiao Zhen is very strong now. You could say he can crush any Soul Master under thirty. But Fourth Brother has over a hundred years of battle experience, which ordinary Soul Masters can't deal with. Even if Fourth Brother suppresses his Soul Power Level to the Soul King realm, he's still no pushover."

Guang Ling swallowed the watermelon in his mouth and carefully analyzed how the two sides might fare for Oscar.

"Looks like Xiao Zhen's in for a rough time."

"Fifth Elder, Little Ao, say less. Fourth Brother and Xiao Zhen's fight is about to begin."

Azure Luan spoke up to stop their conversation.

In the square, bare-chested Lion showed off his sturdy muscles and smiled as he stared at Su Zhen across from him.

"Xiao Zhen, I heard from Big Brother that you want to go out and gain experience. Big Brother agreed, but that doesn't mean the rest of us will let you leave. Today, if you can force me to use any Soul Skill beyond my first five, we won't bring up your plans to gain experience again. But if I knock you flat, you'll stay here in the Worship Hall and cultivate until you reach Soul Douluo. Then we'll talk."

"Understood, Third Granduncle. I'll give it everything I've got."

As soon as they finished speaking, both instantly entered Martial Soul Possession. The enormous phantoms of a Kirin and a lion stood on opposite sides and roared toward the sky. Expanding thunder and flames formed two fierce waves of heat that collided.

Soul Power burst beneath Lion's feet. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Su Zhen, his flame-wreathed right fist swinging straight toward Su Zhen's chest.

Su Zhen reacted quickly, driving his left fist forward to meet Lion's right. Surging black thunder wore away the scorching flames, leaving Su Zhen unharmed.

Boom~

A loud crash rang out as their other hands collided in the same way.

"Hey, Xiao Zhen's got some strength. He actually didn't budge an inch under Fourth Brother's punch."

Seeing them locked in a stalemate, Guang Ling couldn't help praising him.

Su Zhen and Lion strained against each other, locked in a test of strength. Tempering by the Immortal Herbs and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring had strengthened Su Zhen's body enough to keep him from falling behind the moment the fight began. But Lion's body, at the level of a Titled Douluo, was no match for Su Zhen's enhanced Soul King body. In less than three minutes, Lion's immense strength would blast Su Zhen out of the square.

"Second Soul Skill, Startling Thunder Flash!"

The Second Soul Ring beneath Su Zhen's feet lit up. He transformed into a bolt of lightning and, the instant he pulled his fists back, appeared at Lion's right side. Chidori shrieked in his palm as he thrust it toward Lion.

"Hmph, you little rascal. Are you trying to compete with me in speed?"

Lion stepped back to dodge Su Zhen's Chidori. At the same time, he used the momentum of Su Zhen's forward attack to swing his right leg at Su Zhen's waist.

Just as Lion's right leg was about to connect, Su Zhen raised his right arm to shield his waist. Lion's powerful attack struck him and sent him flying several meters before he came to a stop.

Su Zhen rolled across the ground a few times, then pushed himself up and tore off his dust-covered shirt.

"Fourth Granduncle, that really hurt. Now it's my turn to hit back."

"First Soul Skill, Thunderstorm Shocking God Transformation!"

"Third Soul Skill, Thunder Kirin Clone!"

Su Zhen used his First and Third Soul Skills in succession. A clone with seventy percent of his original strength appeared beside him.

The clone darted to the right and appeared ten meters from Su Zhen, condensing Chidori in its left hand.

Chidori appeared once more in Su Zhen's right hand. He and his clone raised their hands, facing each other.

"Thunder Transmission!"

At that moment, the Chidori in Su Zhen's and his clone's hands resonated with each other. Two bolts of thunder instantly stretched toward one another, intertwining in a flash. Black light flickered across the square as the bolts joined to form a ten-meter-long beam of black lightning.

The instant the black lightning beam formed, Su Zhen and his clone controlled it and sent it hurtling toward Lion. In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of him.

Lion sensed a tremendous threat from the beam and leapt into the air before it could strike him.

"Thunder Prison Vine Right Arm Bone Skill, Thunder God Imprisonment!"

The instant Lion leapt, light flared from Su Zhen's right arm. A thick purple vine shot from his palm and instantly bound Lion. The thunder running through it numbed Lion's body for a moment as he tried to break free.

Seizing that brief opening, Su Zhen yanked Lion toward him, spun around, and sent him flying with a roundhouse kick.

Lion stopped his spinning body midair, landed, and brushed the footprints off himself.

"Third Soul Skill, Mad Lion Possession!"

Lion's attributes rose further. Crimson flames surged around him as he turned into a bolt of red lightning and charged at Su Zhen.

Seeing this, Su Zhen increased the flow of lightning and transformed into black thunder, charging forward to meet Lion. The two bolts of lightning collided, paused for an instant, quickly separated, then crashed together again.

"Xiao Zhen's something else. He's managed to fight Fourth Brother for this long!"

Watching the two streaks of lightning collide and chase each other across the square, Golden Crocodile couldn't help exclaiming.

Boom~

After another collision, the two separated and stood on opposite sides of the square.

"Xiao Zhen, I've had my fun. Let's settle this with one move."

"Fifth Soul Skill, Mad Lion Hundred Rends!"

Countless phantom lion heads gathered around Lion. He drew his fist inward, and all the phantom heads converged on it, their scorching heat warping the air around him.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Thunder Spirit Five Bodies!"

"Sorrow of the Thunder Spirit: Wrath of the Thunder God!"

Su Zhen activated all his strengthening Soul Skills, and the External Soul Bone above his head appeared on its own.

The two looked up at each other. The instant their gazes met, they charged toward one another at the same time.

Thud~

Their strongest attacks collided. Dazzling light and a deafening crash engulfed the entire square.

When the light faded, the scene in the square came into view.

"What!"

"Xiao Zhen!"

"Third Brother!"

The worshippers cried out in shock. The scene before them shattered everything they thought they knew.

"Brother Zhen—Brother Zhen actually beat Fourth Granduncle!"

Oscar stared at the scene before him in disbelief.

In the square, Lion and Su Zhen faced each other in a deep crater, each having landed a punch on the other.

Lion looked at Su Zhen, whose chest he had struck, his eyes filled with shock. Feeling the fist pressed against his brow, he felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down his temple.

At the instant their blows landed, both had withdrawn their Soul Power and fought with the strength of their bodies alone. Compared with his punch to Su Zhen's chest, Su Zhen's punch to his brow had been far more lethal.

Su Zhen's eyes fell shut, and he toppled backward. The battle had pushed his body to its limit. The power packed into a Titled Douluo's body is truly terrifying. That was his final thought before he fell.

Lion stepped forward and caught the unconscious Su Zhen. There was no dejection at having lost; instead, his heart swelled with pride that Su Zhen had won their duel.

"Just as you'd expect from the peerless prodigy we raised."

The others came down from the steps and gathered beside them, gazing at the unconscious Su Zhen with deep concern.

"Teacher, is Brother Zhen all right?"

Oscar's voice trembled with fear.

"He's fine. He just exhausted his Soul Power and was knocked out by a full-force blow from a Titled Douluo's body. He'll be fine after a little sleep."

"Xiao Zhen has grown to the point where he can stand toe to toe with us old fellows. It's time to let him go out and gain experience."

Qian Daoliu delivered the final verdict on the duel.