Zhou Huan froze for a moment, then immediately understood.
"Of course you can!"
Zhou Huan's expression was complicated.
No wonder Qi Dao had challenged him right from the start.
He really did have the strength!
Even setting aside his thousand-year Second Soul Ring, there was that tricky sword strike just now.
Whether it was the timing or the angle, how could a Level 22 Soul Grandmaster have pulled it off?
And if Zhou Huan had seen correctly, what Qi Dao had unleashed just now was Sword Qi, wasn't it?
He would not have found it strange if a high-level Soul Master with a Sword Martial Soul could release Sword Qi.
But Qi Dao was only a Level 22 Soul Grandmaster. How had he done it?
Qi Dao continued, "Teacher, release your Martial Soul!"
"All right!"
Zhou Huan did not refuse. He immediately released his Martial Soul: an Eyebrow-Level Copper Staff.
As he did, four Soul Rings—two yellow and two purple—rose from beneath his feet.
"The newcomer really is going to fight Teacher!"
"A Level 22 Soul Grandmaster challenging a Level 47 Soul Ancestor? Even if he loses, it'll be a glorious defeat."
"I wonder how many moves he can last against Teacher Zhou."
"Teacher Zhou will definitely hold back. Otherwise, the newcomer probably won't last even one move."
"True!"
At the front of the crowd, Qi Dao and Zhou Huan faced each other.
Zhou Huan smiled faintly. "Qi Dao, make your move. Show me everything you've got!"
"Please instruct me, Teacher!"
Qi Dao smiled calmly, then shot forward from where he stood.
Zhou Huan narrowed his eyes at Qi Dao's sudden burst of speed.
So fast. That didn't look like the speed of a Power Attack System Soul Master. It was more like an Agility Attack Soul Master's.
No, he was even faster than an Agility Attack Soul Master at the same level.
Where on earth had this freak come from?
Still, Zhou Huan was a Level 47 Soul Ancestor. Fast as Qi Dao's displayed speed was, it remained within the bounds of a two-ring Soul Master.
Against him, that speed was nowhere near enough.
But the next moment, Qi Dao flicked his hand mid-sprint, sending several streaks of Sword Qi tearing through the air from his blade.
Zhou Huan's eyes narrowed.
Was this how he had defeated Osler?
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Without moving his feet, Zhou Huan gripped his copper staff in both hands and swung it several times, blocking every streak of Sword Qi.
The Sword Qi was not particularly powerful.
It seemed Osler had lost because he was caught off guard.
Zhou Huan silently made that assessment as he blocked the attacks.
But in the next instant, Qi Dao was already upon him. A dark-gold glow covered the Peerless Sword as he brought it slashing down.
Clang!
Zhou Huan raised his staff to block.
Feeling the force behind the blade, Zhou Huan revised his assessment.
His strength also surpassed that of an ordinary Soul Grandmaster with a Beast Martial Soul.
When his strike failed to land, Qi Dao swept his sword horizontally. Even at such close range, he unleashed another streak of Sword Qi.
Zhou Huan's pupils contracted slightly. He pushed off the ground and leaped back, swinging his staff to scatter the Sword Qi.
But as Zhou Huan retreated, Qi Dao lunged after him. His swordplay was fierce, every strike as tricky as a venomous snake, and his blade moved so fast that the onlookers could barely follow it.
"Th-this newcomer is fierce! Is he really just a Level 22 Soul Grandmaster? Why does it look like he's forcing Teacher Zhou to keep retreating?"
"No, Teacher Zhou hasn't used his full strength at all."
"The newcomer's attacks are fierce, but Teacher Zhou hasn't struck back once."
But in the next instant!
Another cry rose from the crowd.
"Teacher Zhou is fighting back!"
Zhou Huan suddenly poured strength into his staff and knocked Qi Dao away. He spun the copper staff in both hands, faster and faster, until it looked like an impenetrable shield.
At the same time, Zhou Huan advanced with his staff, pressing forward step by step.
Qi Dao narrowed his eyes, searching for an opening. As he retreated, he sent several streaks of Sword Qi slashing out.
But they were instantly knocked away by the impenetrable blur of the staff.
Just as Qi Dao frowned, Zhou Huan leaped into the air and brought his copper staff crashing down, the wind howling around it.
Qi Dao's pupils contracted. He twisted aside.
The copper staff struck the ground, throwing up dust. Spiderweb cracks spread across the earth, and fragments of stone flew everywhere.
The instant his blow missed, Zhou Huan twisted and unleashed Sweep Across a Thousand Armies.
A sharp whistle cut through the air. Qi Dao held the Peerless Sword before him and took the blow head-on.
Even though he used a technique to deflect some of the force, the staff still sent him tumbling sideways.
"See? The moment Teacher Zhou got serious, the newcomer was no match for him."
"Wait, the newcomer's about to use a Soul Skill!"
"It's his Second Soul Skill!"
As Qi Dao rose, the Purple Soul Ring around him lit up. He pressed two fingers of his left hand together like a sword.
In an instant, eighteen Flying Swords formed behind him.
"Go!"
At Qi Dao's command, all eighteen Flying Swords shot toward Zhou Huan.
Zhou Huan's pupils contracted. He spun the copper staff in his hands once more.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Metallic collisions rang out without pause, sending sparks flying.
From a distance, it looked as though Flying Swords were striking Zhou Huan's shield from every direction. It was a spectacular sight.
Qi Dao felt the Soul Power in his body draining rapidly. He lifted his sword-pointing fingers, and all eighteen Flying Swords soared into the air before falling point-first like a rain of blades.
Zhou Huan could no longer remain unmoved. His First Soul Ring lit up.
First Soul Skill: Iron Wall!
Gripping the copper staff in one hand, he slammed it into the ground.
A barrier of light instantly appeared before him.
All eighteen Flying Swords struck the barrier, leaving only a few cracks in it.
Qi Dao's Second Soul Skill was powerful enough to threaten a three-ring Soul Elder, but against a Level 47 Soul Ancestor, it still fell short.
Yet at that very moment, his aura suddenly surged.
Heart Sword State!
After entering the Heart Sword State, Qi Dao sprang forward like an arrow loosed from its bow. He leaped and brought his sword down in a slash.
"Your momentum is impressive, but it won't be enough against my Iron Wall."
Zhou Huan shook his head, unmoved.
But he failed to notice that Qi Dao's blade held more than its glowing edge. A wisp of Sword Intent as fine as a hair reinforced it.
Heaven Guard Sword Intent!
Crack!
Qi Dao's sword struck a crack in the barrier.
Boom—crack!
The barrier shattered!
Zhou Huan's voice cut off, his face filled with shock.
Even so, he raised his copper staff to block the instant the barrier broke.
Bang!
Zhou Huan's knees bent slightly, and the ground beneath his feet shuddered. Spiderweb cracks spread outward from where he stood.
Seeing this, Qi Dao gripped the sword hilt with both hands and pressed down harder.
Boom—
Zhou Huan's expression changed slightly. He stumbled back seven or eight steps before steadying himself, though both his hands were left faintly numb.
Across from him, Qi Dao had no strength left to fight after that strike.
He looked at Zhou Huan, who had regained his footing, and disappointment flashed through his eyes.
Even with the Heart Sword State and Heaven Guard Sword Intent, could he only cause Teacher Zhou a little trouble?
A Level 47 Soul Ancestor really was too powerful!
Before you continue