A Spar with Jiangmo Douluo

At dawn, Qian Renyuan slowly opened his eyes.

After last night's reward fusion, the Soul Power within his body was noticeably more condensed than before. Especially the External Soul Bone that had just fused into his body—though he had yet to fully use it, he could already sense the exceedingly domineering power contained within.

Light footsteps sounded outside the door.

A moment later, Xiao Wu entered carrying tea.

She kept her head lowered, and her movements appeared proper and restrained, yet a deeply hidden trace of hatred remained in her eyes.

Hatred was hatred, but the pain of having her soul gripped last night still weighed on her heart. Xiao Wu did not dare act recklessly.

She walked up to Qian Renyuan, placed the teacup on the table, and spoke in a low voice.

"Master, please have some tea."

Qian Renyuan glanced at her, then picked up the cup. Just as he took a sip, Jiangmo Douluo's respectful voice sounded from outside.

"Holy Son, this subordinate requests an audience."

"Come in."

The door opened, and Jiangmo Douluo entered.

Compared to yesterday, his attitude was clearly much more respectful. The aura that had erupted from the room last night was something he still could not forget.

"Holy Son, the aura in the room last night was astonishing. This subordinate did not dare pry and merely stood guard outside." Jiangmo Douluo lowered his head. "Does Your Highness feel any discomfort today?"

"None."

Qian Renyuan set down the teacup and rose to his feet.

He had also been meaning to test the movement technique and External Soul Bone he had obtained last night.

Jiangmo Douluo before him was the most suitable opponent.

"Jiang Mo."

"This subordinate is here."

"Suppress your cultivation to my level. No soul skills—use only staff techniques."

Jiangmo Douluo froze slightly.

Xiao Wu raised her head as well, surprise flashing through her eyes.

Qian Renyuan was going to spar with Jiangmo Douluo?

Even with his cultivation suppressed, Jiangmo Douluo was still a Title Douluo-level powerhouse. His combat experience, perception, and reaction speed were far beyond those of ordinary Soul Masters.

"Your Highness, this..."

Jiangmo Douluo hesitated.

"Do it."

Qian Renyuan's tone remained calm.

Jiangmo Douluo did not dare advise him further and could only lower his head in acknowledgment.

"Yes."

A moment later, in the rear courtyard of the Branch Hall.

Jiangmo Douluo stood in the courtyard, his Coiling Dragon Staff hanging at an angle from his hand.

He had suppressed his Soul Power to an extremely low level. There was not a trace of a Title Douluo's pressure on him, and he looked like an ordinary Soul Master.

Yet Xiao Wu, standing to one side, did not dare underestimate him in the slightest. She knew that cultivation could be suppressed, but a Title Douluo's battle instincts could not be so easily restrained.

Qian Renyuan stood opposite Jiangmo Douluo, rolling his wrist as a trace of excitement flashed in his eyes.

"Come."

Jiangmo Douluo nodded. The Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand shook, and with a stomp of his foot, he instantly closed in on Qian Renyuan.

It was merely the most basic horizontal sweep, yet to an ordinary Soul Master, even such a simple strike was terrifyingly fast.

The staff's shadow tore through the air and shot toward Qian Renyuan's waist.

Xiao Wu instinctively held her breath.

However, just as the Coiling Dragon Staff was about to strike Qian Renyuan, his foot shifted lightly.

His figure seemed to slide half a step aside without warning—not too much, not too little—perfectly evading the staff's edge.

Surprise flashed through Jiangmo Douluo's eyes, but his movements did not stop. The Coiling Dragon Staff turned with the motion, changing from a sweep into an upward strike aimed directly at Qian Renyuan's shoulder.

Qian Renyuan shifted his footing again. His body skimmed past the staff at an incredibly tricky angle, while his right hand formed blade-like fingers and shot straight toward Jiangmo Douluo's wrist.

Jiangmo Douluo's heart stirred, and he could not help exclaiming, "What quick reactions."

But he did not relax. He immediately sank his wrist, and the Coiling Dragon Staff slammed downward, intending to seal off Qian Renyuan's path.

Yet Qian Renyuan's steps seemed to have anticipated this long ago.

In the span of a single breath, he changed positions three times in succession.

Each time, he landed precisely where Jiang Mo's staff technique was hardest to exert force.

The ease on Jiangmo Douluo's face gradually vanished.

At first, he had merely intended to help the Holy Son test his moves. But as the fight continued, he discovered that, at the same cultivation level, he was actually having trouble suppressing his opponent.

How was that possible?

He was a level ninety-six Super Douluo.

Even after suppressing his cultivation, his eyesight and combat experience remained what they were.

But Qian Renyuan's movement technique was too bizarre. His Soul Power was clearly not strong, yet his speed was unreasonably fast.

Jiangmo Douluo had just intended to change his move when Qian Renyuan's figure had already closed in before him.

A wisp of lightning flashed across Qian Renyuan's palm.

Jiangmo Douluo's pupils contracted as his body reacted on instinct.

Buzz!

The Coiling Dragon Staff trembled violently.

A trace of Soul Power far beyond their shared level leaked uncontrollably from his body.

The instant that power emerged, several fine cracks spread across the bluestone slabs beneath them.

Qian Renyuan's sleeves snapped in the shockwave, and he slid half a step backward.

The courtyard instantly fell silent.

Jiangmo Douluo gripped the Coiling Dragon Staff, his entire body frozen in place.

He had lost his composure just now. They had clearly agreed that he would suppress his cultivation and use only power of the same level, yet in that instant, he had actually been forced to use a higher level of cultivation.

Jiangmo Douluo knew perfectly well that, if they were judged solely at the same level, Qian Renyuan truly might have pinned him down in close combat.

Xiao Wu, standing nearby, was equally shocked. She had thought Qian Renyuan's pressure last night had already been terrifying enough.

But now she realized that Qian Renyuan's combat talent was just as absurd.

That was a Title Douluo. Even with his cultivation suppressed, he was not someone an ordinary Soul Master could hope to challenge.

Yet Qian Renyuan had actually forced Jiangmo Douluo to use Soul Power beyond the agreed level.

Jiangmo Douluo put away the Coiling Dragon Staff and immediately dropped to one knee.

"This subordinate lost his composure. Please punish me, Your Highness."

Qian Renyuan looked at his fluttering sleeves and smiled instead.

In that instant just now, he had also felt the gap between them. A Title Douluo was still a Title Douluo.

Even with his cultivation suppressed, Jiangmo Douluo's combat experience remained terrifying.

Still, this was enough. At the very least, it proved that the movement technique he had obtained last night had not disappointed him.

"Rise."

Qian Renyuan spoke indifferently.

Jiangmo Douluo kept his head lowered, but his heart remained unsettled for a long while. He had thought he had already valued this Holy Son highly enough.

But now it seemed he had still underestimated him.

At the same level, even he had been caught off guard. If those old fellows in the Worship Hall learned of this, they probably would not be able to sit still.

At that moment, Ma Xiunuo's cautious voice sounded from outside the courtyard.

"Holy Son, this subordinate has something to report."

"Speak."

Ma Xiunuo hurried inside. "Reporting to the Holy Son, the matter at Notting Academy has been dealt with cleanly. Yu Xiaogang's Soul Power has been crippled, and he is now locked in the prison. His reputation has also been utterly ruined. No one in the academy calls him Grandmaster anymore."

At this point, Ma Xiunuo paused before continuing.

"As for Tang San, he remained in Dorm Seven all last night. This morning, he began asking about the Soul Hunting Forest. It seems he wants to obtain his first soul ring as soon as possible."

At the mention of Tang San's name, Xiao Wu's gaze shifted slightly.

She had no fondness for the boy who had run out so self-righteously to save her.

But she had not expected that, after being trampled so badly, he was still thinking of obtaining his first soul ring.

Qian Renyuan, however, was not surprised.

The more someone like Tang San was trampled on, the more he would believe he could still make a comeback.

Unfortunately for him, Qian Renyuan needed to obtain resources by crushing Tang San. There was no way Tang San would be allowed to smoothly walk the path to his first soul ring.

The corners of Qian Renyuan's lips lifted slightly. "The Soul Hunting Forest?"

Ma Xiunuo lowered his head. "Yes."

"Prepare a carriage."

Ma Xiunuo was stunned.

"Holy Son, you mean..."

Qian Renyuan said indifferently, "We're going to the Soul Hunting Forest."