Qian Daochen VS Tang Chen! The Battle for the Continent's Strongest?!

The first soul ring shattered.

The second soul ring followed close behind.

By the time the ninth soul ring exploded, the power within Tang Chen had risen to its peak.

The Clear Sky Hammer covered half the sky.

Tang Chen gripped the hammer's handle with both hands.

"Take this hammer strike!"

The colossal hammer crashed down from the sky.

The entire mountain could not withstand this force. The ground sank layer by layer, and the rocks split apart one after another.

Qian Daochen remained seated beneath the ancient tree.

Not a speck of dust touched his white robes.

The wine flask and teacup on the stone table had not shifted in the slightest.

He did not pick up the ancient sword beside the tree.

Qian Daochen merely raised his right hand and brought two fingers together.

"Your hammer has enough power."

"Unfortunately, your heart is not calm enough."

His two fingers swept forward.

A streak of pure white sword light flew from his fingertips.

The sword light was not grand.

Compared to the sky-covering Clear Sky Hammer, it even appeared exceedingly small.

Yet when the two collided, the Clear Sky Hammer stopped in midair.

Tang Chen's expression changed drastically.

He could clearly feel the soul power within the Clear Sky Hammer losing its connection.

That sword light had not forcibly shattered the Great Sumeru Hammer.

It had severed the soul power.

Severed the power of Ring Detonation.

It had also severed the connection between Tang Chen and the Clear Sky Hammer.

Crack!

A straight fissure appeared in the center of the hammerhead.

The next moment.

The Clear Sky Hammer, condensed from Tang Chen's lifelong cultivation, split into two from the middle.

The immense power produced by the detonation of all nine soul rings was also cut apart by that single sword strike.

There was no explosion of soul power.

The two halves of the colossal hammer paused for a moment before turning into countless dark-red specks of light.

Tang Chen's pupils contracted.

He had dominated the continent for many years.

No matter which Titled Douluo he faced, the Clear Sky Hammer could crush their martial soul head-on.

But today, Qian Daochen had not even drawn his sword.

With only two fingers, he had split apart Tang Chen's Clear Sky Hammer.

The sword light did not stop.

It passed through the shattered hammer shadow and fell directly toward Tang Chen.

Tang Chen immediately raised both arms before him.

All his remaining soul power gathered at once.

"Haotian Body Protection!"

A dark-red barrier stood before him.

The sword light swept across it lightly.

The barrier was split in two.

A sword mark appeared on Tang Chen's black robe over his chest.

That sword intent entered his meridians and suppressed all the violent soul power brought by Ring Detonation.

Tang Chen could no longer maintain his position.

His body fell from the air.

After his feet touched the ground, Tang Chen staggered back several hundred steps.

With every step back, a deep crater was left atop the mountain.

He did not stop until his back slammed into the mountain wall.

Boom!

A large amount of rock collapsed.

Tang Chen stood amid the shattered mountain wall, his arms hanging at his sides.

The recondensed Clear Sky Hammer was only its original size.

A sword scar that could never heal remained upon its body.

Beneath the ancient tree.

Qian Daochen withdrew his right hand and picked up his wine cup again.

"One sword, to rid you of arrogance and impatience."

From beginning to end.

Qian Daochen had never stood up.

The ancient sword beside the tree had never left its sheath.

Not a single drop of wine had spilled from the stone table.

Qian Daoliu lowered his head and looked at the teacup.

"I knew we wouldn't need to change locations."

Below the Heavenly Screen.

The two continents fell silent.

No one had expected this exchange to end so quickly.

Tang Chen detonated all nine rings and unleashed the Great Sumeru Hammer.

Yet Qian Daochen had ended the battle with only two fingers.

A moment later, countless comments flooded the sky.

[Independent Soul Emperor: Tang Chen was defeated by one sword strike?]

[Elephant Armor Sect Master Huyan Zhen: That was no ordinary sword strike. Qian Daochen did not even use a real sword!]

[Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect Master Yu Yuanzhen: He split the Clear Sky Hammer with two fingers. Just what realm has his swordsmanship reached?]

[Sea Horse Douluo: Tang Chen is a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo!]

[Duke of Netherworld of the Star Luo Empire: They are not even on the same level.]

[Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan: Who exactly is Qian Daochen? Why has Spirit Hall never announced his existence?]

[Sword Douluo Chen Xin: When the sword is in one's heart, all things can become swords.]

[Bone Douluo Gu Rong: Old swordsman, do you know something?]

[Sword Douluo Chen Xin: I only know that Senior's sword cannot be measured by a soul master's rank.]

More and more people began questioning Qian Daochen's identity.

Strangely, everyone who truly knew him remained silent.

Qian Daoliu offered no explanation.

Golden Crocodile Douluo did not send any comments.

Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong also did not reveal what had happened at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect today.

Clear Sky Sect.

The sect's main hall.

Tang Xiao stood before the sect master's seat for a long time without sitting down.

Several elders present were likewise watching the Heavenly Screen.

The Seventh Elder braced himself against the table.

"Lord Tang Chen..."

"Was defeated instantly?"

The Second Elder's expression stiffened.

"Qian Daochen did not draw his sword."

"He only raised two fingers."

The hall fell silent again.

Just moments ago, they had been proclaiming the Great Sumeru Hammer invincible beneath the heavens.

Yet the result on the Heavenly Screen had already been laid bare before everyone.

The Great Sumeru Hammer, empowered by the detonation of all nine rings, had not even touched the corner of Qian Daochen's robes.

The Seventh Elder raised his head and looked at the white-clad figure beneath the ancient tree.

"Who exactly is he?"

"Why had Qian Daoliu never mentioned that he had such an elder brother?"

Tang Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed.

He recalled an old story his father had once mentioned.

Tang Chen had once returned to the Clear Sky Sect alone.

That day, Tang Chen did not summon any elders.

He merely sat before the mountain gate for three days.

Three days later, Tang Chen locked himself inside a secret chamber and did not emerge for an entire year.

When he finally came out of the secret chamber, he left behind only one sentence.

"The strongest person on the Douluo Continent has never been me."

The elders of the Clear Sky Sect throughout the generations had always believed Tang Chen was referring to Bo Saixi on Sea God's Island.

Now, it seemed that they had all guessed wrong.

Tang Xiao stared at the ancient sword beside Qian Daochen.

"Could it be him?"

Several elders immediately looked toward Tang Xiao.

"Sect Master, do you know this person?"

Tang Xiao shook his head.

"I only heard that Grandfather was once defeated by a swordsman."

"The other party did not release his martial soul, nor did he reveal any soul rings."

"After that battle, Grandfather sat at the foot of the mountain for three days."

The Second Elder looked toward Tang Chen on the Heavenly Screen.

"So that rumor was actually true."

Tang Xiao did not answer.

The scene before them had already given them the answer.

The scene in the sky continued.

Tang Chen walked out from the shattered mountain wall.

His black robe was covered in dust, and the sword mark on his chest was particularly clear.

When he reached the stone table, Tang Chen withdrew the Clear Sky Hammer.

The arrogance that had once sought to subdue all the sects beneath heaven had vanished.

He bowed to Qian Daochen.

"I lost."

Qian Daochen poured him a cup of tea.

"Sit."

Tang Chen sat beside Qian Daoliu.

He looked at the tea in his cup for a long time without drinking it.

"What is lacking in my hammer?"

Qian Daochen looked toward the longsword beside the ancient tree.

"Your hammer technique is not bad."

"Your strength is not weak either."

Tang Chen frowned.

"Then why could I not even withstand a single sword strike?"

Qian Daochen took a sip of wine.

"When you climbed the mountain, you were thinking of Bo Saixi."

"When you swung your hammer, you were thinking of surpassing Qian Daoliu."

"You claim to prove that you are the continent's strongest, yet in your heart, you have not even figured out why you wield your hammer."

"When the heart is unsettled, the hammer will be unsettled as well."

Tang Chen fell silent.

He recalled that strike from moments ago.

Its power had already reached the absolute limit.

Yet at the moment he swung, he had indeed thought of Qian Daoliu.

Tang Chen wanted Qian Daoliu to see with his own eyes that he was stronger.

He also wanted to prove that only he was worthy of standing by Bo Saixi's side.

All those thoughts had seeped into the Clear Sky Hammer.

Tang Chen rose to his feet once more.

"Please guide me."

"How can I calm my heart?"