Defeating the Sword Fanatic

In the spectator stands.

"Meng, who do you think will win between the two of them?" Ye Guyi leaned over to whisper in Meng Hongchen's ear.

"In terms of overall strength, Ji Juechen cannot compare to my brother. But if Xiao intends to go head-to-head with Ji Juechen and compete in 'intent'..."

Meng Hongchen paused, pushed up the nonexistent glasses on the bridge of her nose, and said slowly:

"Both outcomes are possible... that is the answer."

The students nearby were not as composed as she was.

A sharp-eyed male student suddenly stood up, pointing at the five slowly rotating soul rings beneath Xiao Hongchen's feet in the arena, his voice cracking:

"Five soul rings! Since when did Xiao Hongchen become a Soul King?!"

The spectator stands erupted in an instant.

"Five rings?! He's only thirteen, right? This is too exaggerated..."

"How long has it even been? He's already a Soul King?"

A senior student nearby clutched his head, looking utterly devastated:

"It's over, it's over. I thought the Sword Fanatic was a sure win, so I bet my entire half-month quota of rare metals."

"You deserve it. Who told you to gamble?" his companion replied mercilessly.

Several female students couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

A girl with short hair had bright eyes, sighing softly:

"A thirteen-year-old Soul King... and he's so handsome, I'm dying."

Another girl chimed in softly, her cheeks slightly flushed:

"I used to think he only got into Mingde Hall because of family connections... but now it seems he really has the strength. His temperament is just too good; that cold, arrogant, yet confident vibe—once you look, you can't look away..."

While the girls were filled with quiet admiration and infatuation, the scene on the boys' side was quite different.

Several boys looked displeased, one of them clutching his head and grumbling:

"Tch... five rings at thirteen, sure, he's strong. But isn't this guy usually too arrogant? He doesn't even look at people when he walks."

Another boy snorted:

"Exactly. Just because he got into Mingde Hall, he thinks he's the best in the world? I can't stand that high-and-mighty look of his. So what if he's a genius? He'll trip up sooner or later."

"I hope Ji Juechen teaches him a lesson," another added. "Otherwise, this guy will be even more insufferable in the academy."

Hearing the boys' complaints, the girls rolled their eyes in unison. One of the short-haired girls retorted quietly:

"You're just jealous. He has the strength, so of course he can be a bit arrogant... If it were you, who among you has his capital?"

The boys were instantly rendered speechless, left only to stare at the arena with dark expressions.

In the Soul Fighting Arena.

Ji Juechen had finally finished gathering his power. His sword intent had reached its peak, and the sharpness was so intense that even from this distance, Xiao Hongchen felt as if his face were being pricked by blades.

Without any warning, Ji Juechen suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed on Xiao Hongchen in the distance as if two bolts of lightning were flashing within them.

The next instant, his entire body became like a strange ray of light, skimming across the ground toward Xiao Hongchen.

It was a sliding streak of light, its speed so fast it could only be described as a flash of lightning.

Without the aid of any Soul Tools, this was the absolute speed limit a Soul King could reach. This instantaneous burst was something even agility-type Soul Masters of the same level could not compare to.

Gripping his sword with both hands, he rotated his body and swung the long blade horizontally.

The moment Ji Juechen lunged, as if pulled by an invisible force, Xiao Hongchen moved as well.

He took a fierce step forward with his left foot, his body sinking slightly, his right fist hidden behind his chest with his left palm covering it.

Metallic elements condensed into a nearly tangible radiance upon his knuckles, and the space around his fist was compressed to the limit.

Then, propelled by the four Level 5 soul thrusters on his back, he flew toward Ji Juechen, throwing a punch directly at the incoming blade.

"Black Flash!"

Luvme, luvme; hateme, hateme...

Xiao Hongchen had named this self-created soul skill "Black Flash." Although it had nothing to do with the real Black Flash, he treated it as a tribute to Jujutsu Kaisen. He was going to be the Emperor Xiao of the Douluo Continent!

The golden right fist collided violently with the tip of the Extraterrestrial Meteorite Sword.

The air for dozens of square meters seemed to collapse, and everything became distorted and unreal.

Fist and sword remained deadlocked for about a second after the collision, and the next instant, a violent roar exploded.

"BOOM--"

Centered on the point of their collision, the ground cracked and collapsed in a massive area, extending outward for a full thirty meters before finally subsiding.

Xiao Hongchen and Ji Juechen were both sent flying backward. Ji Juechen gripped the hilt of the Extraterrestrial Meteorite Sword with all his might, blood trickling from the webbing between his thumb and forefinger.

The sleeve on Xiao Hongchen's entire right arm had completely burst open. The metal plating he had layered onto his arm to store power was sliced with countless fine gashes, and a wound had been carved into his right hand, which had been facing the sword tip directly. Blood dripped down his knuckles, and a trickle of blood also flowed from the corner of his mouth.

After landing, Ji Juechen did not move, yet his gaze was no longer sharp; it even carried a hint of trance.

He seemed completely unaware of the blood flowing from the web of his hand and sliding down the Extraterrestrial Meteorite Sword.

The two of them stood there like that, neither showing any intention of attacking again.

"I lost."

Ji Juechen's face was deathly pale, but his eyes were filled with an unprecedented level of excitement.

He then sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and remained seated there. His entire person was as motionless as a sculpture, clearly having entered a state of profound meditation through enlightenment.

"Thank you, I'm full."

Xiao Hongchen said to Ji Juechen, who had already entered deep meditation.

Hm? It seemed a bit quiet all around; shouldn't they be cheering for me?

Xiao Hongchen looked around; all the spectators were staring intently at him, watching him, waiting for him.

Wait, wait, wait.

What is this?

Although he wanted to be like Huo Yuhao in the original story—finishing a hard-fought battle and immediately entering deep meditation—he simply didn't feel it.

There was no flash of inspiration, no sense of sudden enlightenment where the world between heaven and earth opened up; he couldn't just pretend to meditate.

Xiao Hongchen could only wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth with his left hand and turn to walk toward the edge of the arena as if nothing had happened.

Meng Hongchen was the first to rush up.

"Brother! Are you okay? Your hand—"

"I'm fine." Xiao Hongchen took the handkerchief Ye Guyi handed him and pressed it against the wound on his right hand, looking down at it.

"Just a flesh wound. If I don't get it treated soon, it'll heal on its own."

"That won't do." Meng Hongchen grabbed Ye Guyi's arm and gently pushed her toward Xiao Hongchen.

"Sister Guyi, take my brother to the infirmary to get bandaged. I'll go find Grandfather to handle the aftermath; the arena is destroyed like this, we can't just leave it."

She paused and held up a finger. "One hour. I won't go see Brother until an hour has passed."

As she spoke, she winked at Xiao Hongchen, tossed her silver-white hair, and turned to leave.

Xiao Hongchen stood where he was, watching her retreating back.

Handle the aftermath? Find Grandfather? Had Meng Hongchen ever taken the initiative to report anything to Grandfather in her life? As long as she didn't blow up the Hongchen Estate, Grandfather wouldn't care.

The expression on her face clearly said—Brother, one hour is enough for you to apply medicine and do something else, right?

He naturally understood the hidden meaning in his sister's words.

The problem was... she was too direct! Also, don't underestimate me.

Ye Guyi stood to the side, her body visibly stiffening.

She had clearly understood as well; her pale golden eyes lowered slightly, and her long eyelashes trembled gently.

Xiao Hongchen withdrew his gaze and pressed down on the handkerchief on his right hand.

"Let's go. To the infirmary."

Ye Guyi didn't respond, simply turning to walk outside with a pace half a beat faster than usual.