Declaration of War! Three Rings Against Six!

Of everyone present, the Great Elder was undoubtedly the most panicked.

To be honest, he truly had no intention of "usurping power."

After all, the mark Xiao Wu had left was still hanging directly over his head.

But at this banquet, he had indeed gotten a little carried away. Relying on his close relationship with the Xiao Family's patriarch, he had naturally seated himself in the place of honor, enjoying everyone's flattery and toasts.

How could he have expected Jiang Ziming to return and catch him red-handed?

Jiang Xiaogang opened his mouth, intending to say something to ease the tension.

Something like, "My worthy nephew, you misunderstand. This is only an ordinary dinner gathering."

However, before he could speak, the youth at the entrance spoke again.

"Jiang Xiaogang!"

Jiang Ziming's voice rang out with force, echoing through the courtyard.

"Today, before every member of the Jiang Family, I, Jiang Ziming, challenge you!"

His gaze was like a blade as it pierced straight toward the Great Elder in the seat of honor.

"Do you dare accept?"

The moment those words fell, everyone present aside from the youth and the girl beside him revealed expressions of utter disbelief.

A mere twelve-year-old boy was challenging an elder over fifty?

And in front of outsiders from the Xiao Family?

Was this still the Douluo Continent?

Before they could recover from their shock, an ancient golden sword slowly emerged before Jiang Ziming.

The blade was broad and covered in profound runes, exuding a vast, ocean-like pressure.

Then, three soul rings lit up beneath the sword one after another.

Black!

Black!

Black!!

Three pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul rings circled the youth, releasing a suffocating pressure.

The soul power in the air seemed to freeze at that moment. An invisible pressure blanketed the entire courtyard, making everyone present struggle to breathe.

BOOM!!!

The powerful soul power kicked up a fierce gale, making the tables and chairs rattle while cups, bowls, and plates clinked noisily.

Several servants with lower cultivation were forced back again and again by the pressure, their faces pale.

[Ding!]

[Great Elder Jiang Xiaogang's brain had completely crashed! Twelve years old, three rings, three ten-thousand-year soul rings?! Wasn't he a food-type support soul master? What was this sword? Twin martial souls?! Was this even something a human could accomplish?—Emotion Points +999!]

[Jiang Yi abruptly rose to his feet, nearly knocking over the wine cup before him. When he had sent his son to Shrek, he had clearly only been a two-ring food-type soul master. They had not seen each other for only a year, so how had he become a three-ring twin martial soul master with three ten-thousand-year soul rings?!—Emotion Points +999!]

[Xiao Zhentian's pupils constricted slightly. He finally understood why his daughter always had the name "Jiang Ziming" on her lips when she was home. This boy was so monstrous that he did not seem human.—Emotion Points +999!]

[Xiao Xiao covered her mouth with both hands, her emerald eyes filled with delight and admiration. She knew Ziming was strong, but when she personally saw those three black soul rings shining beneath the sunlight, even she was shaken beyond words. She clearly remembered that Jiang Ziming had previously possessed only two thousand-year soul rings!—Emotion Points +999!]

[The several elders looked at one another, seeing the same terror in each other's eyes. They had originally thought Jiang Ziming had merely gone to Shrek to polish his credentials. Who would have thought the boy had hidden himself so deeply?!—Emotion Points +999!]

[Jiang Jiahao and his lackeys had just climbed up from the ground and rushed to the entrance when they saw Jiang Ziming reveal three ten-thousand-year soul rings. They were instantly petrified, all feeling as though they had begun hallucinating!—Emotion Points +999!]

Jiang Xiaogang stood before the seat of honor, his legs trembling faintly beyond his control.

His mind raced as he tried to process the information before him.

Twelve years old, three rings, three genuine ten-thousand-year soul rings...

Twin martial souls, and a weapon martial soul whose pressure was strong enough to suffocate people...

The truth was right before his eyes. Even if it was unheard of, he had no choice but to believe it.

He did not dare imagine how many opportunities Jiang Ziming had gained over the past year, aside from that mysterious maid.

But Jiang Ziming's sword tip was aimed firmly at him, leaving him no room to retreat.

Calm down.

Calm down!

Jiang Xiaogang took a deep breath and forced himself to settle down.

So what if he had three ten-thousand-year soul rings?

He was still only a three-ring soul master in the end!

He, Jiang Xiaogang, was a level sixty-three Battle Soul Emperor!

Six rings against three rings—the advantage was his!

At worst, he could go easy on the boy during the fight, then apologize afterward...

He raised his head, met the youth's calm gaze, and spoke with feigned composure.

"Fine. I accept."

Because of this sudden turn of events, the dinner ended hastily.

With a grim expression, Jiang Xiaogang set down his wine cup. Under the varied gazes of the crowd, he rose to his feet, flicked his sleeve, and headed toward the rear courtyard.

Jiang Ziming withdrew the Xuanyuan Sword and followed behind at an unhurried pace. Xiao Wu silently accompanied him like a noiseless shadow.

The several elders exchanged looks. After hesitating for a moment, they too rose and followed.

Xiao Zhentian pondered briefly, lifted his wine cup and drained it, then stood and gave his daughter a meaningful look.

"Come. Let's go watch."

Xiao Xiao hurriedly nodded, lifted her skirt, and followed behind her father.

Several minutes later, at the Jiang Family's fighting arena.

The arena was paved with hard bluestone and spanned dozens of meters in every direction. Several stone pillars engraved with soul power patterns stood around it, meant to absorb stray soul power and prevent damage to the facilities outside the arena.

Usually, this was where the family's younger members sparred and competed. It had also witnessed many exciting matches.

But today's match looked somewhat absurd no matter how one viewed it.

At one end of the platform stood Jiang Xiaogang.

He was over fifty, with gray hair at his temples, but his frame was broad and his bearing steady. His embroidered robe fluttered in the wind, and every movement carried the confidence accumulated through decades of cultivation.

His martial soul, the Earth Dragon King, was the Jiang Family's inherited top-tier beast martial soul. With it, he had roamed freely for decades and rarely encountered an equal among soul masters of the same rank within the empire.

At the other end of the platform stood Jiang Ziming.

On the Douluo plane, the stronger a soul master was, the faster their body developed.

The youth was barely twelve, yet he had already begun to grow into his height.

But in everyone else's eyes, as he stood opposite the tall Jiang Xiaogang, he looked like a small sapling facing an ancient towering tree.

He wore a simple robe, his face still carrying a trace of youthful immaturity, and held an ancient sword that radiated immense pressure.

The image of the two facing off looked utterly incongruous.

Below the platform, several elders gathered together and discussed in low voices.

"Three rings against six rings... the gap is far too great."

"Even if he has three ten-thousand-year soul rings, the difference in total soul power cultivation is right there. How can he fight?"

"The passion of youth is a good thing, but this is far too impulsive..."

"The Great Elder is still a level sixty-three Soul Emperor. Even if he goes easy on him, he cannot possibly lose to a three-ring child."

Jiang Yi stood at the front beneath the platform, his hands clasped behind his back and his expression grave.

He could see that his son had gained unimaginable opportunities over the past year, but the gap between three rings and six rings was not something opportunities alone could bridge.