In the original story, Ji Juechen had been a battle-crazed maniac, known as the Sword Addict.
His Innate Soul Power had only been rank three, and at the very beginning, his martial soul had merely been a piece of meteoric iron.
Through his own efforts, he had forcibly polished it into a sword, and he had even obtained his first Soul Ring all by himself.
On this Douluo Continent filled with freakish geniuses, there were few people Yan Jingchuan admired. Ji Juechen was definitely one of them.
In terms of temperament and perseverance, he was unquestionably among the very best.
Yan Jingchuan had not expected Ji Juechen to come looking for a fight. As far as he knew, Ji Juechen was already a three-ringed Soul Elder.
A one-ringed Soul Master fighting a three-ringed one? Fight with his head?
Ji Juechen was no match for Shrek's trash. Yan Jingchuan could trade blows with Shrek students, but that did not mean he could casually fight opponents above his level.
"Senior, you flatter me. I'm only a one-ringed Soul Master. I can't possibly be your opponent."
Yan Jingchuan decisively refused. He had no masochistic hobby of getting beaten up.
"I'll suppress my Soul Power to your level. Let me see what Shrek is capable of."
Being labeled as Shrek by Ji Juechen immediately made Yan Jingchuan feel incredibly unlucky.
"Senior, I no longer have any connection to Shrek. If you really want to spar, I suggest you find Xiao Hongchen. He's much stronger than I am."
"What a coincidence. Xiao Hongchen said the same thing."
The silent Jing Ziyan suddenly spoke, and Yan Jingchuan's face instantly darkened.
Fine, fine, Xiao Hongchen. Just you wait!
After much back-and-forth, Yan Jingchuan stubbornly refused. In the end, Ji Juechen said he would owe Yan Jingchuan a favor regardless of who won or lost, and only then did he agree.
The Soul Duel Arena was like Shrek's Soul Duel area. The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy also had a dedicated venue for students to duel one another.
The difference was that sparring matches arranged privately by students had no teachers serving as referees, so Jing Ziyan naturally took on that role.
The moment the two stood on the dueling platform, quite a few students spotted Ji Juechen and hurried over to watch.
Among them, Yan Jingchuan spotted Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.
Yan Jingchuan shot Xiao Hongchen a vicious glare, but Xiao Hongchen sat in the stands and made a taunting face at him. Meng Hongchen covered her face beside him.
In secret, Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin were watching as well.
The latter spoke in an unreadable tone.
"Using Xiao Hongchen to provoke Ji Juechen into challenging Yan Jingchuan, while you only need to sit back and learn Yan Jingchuan's true strength. What a fine scheme, Jing Hongchen."
Jing Hongchen said nothing more and merely smiled.
The two on the field announced their names before immediately activating their Martial Soul Possession.
"Yan Jingchuan, martial soul: Dark Sacred Dragon, level nineteen."
"Ji Juechen, martial soul: Sword, level thirty-four assault-type Battle Soul Elder."
Three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—rose beneath Ji Juechen's feet.
"Both sides, prepare. Begin!"
At Jing Ziyan's command, the two charged at each other.
Dragon claw collided with sword. Yan Jingchuan wanted to seize control of Ji Juechen's sword, but in an instant, he realized he had taken things for granted.
Even though Ji Juechen had suppressed his Soul Power Level to the same level as his, the difference in their realms remained plainly before him.
Dragon scales shattered and blood streamed forth. A long wound appeared on Yan Jingchuan's arm.
Ji Juechen did not relent and continued his assault. Golden light flashed over Yan Jingchuan's hand as he forcibly received the blow.
The External Soul Bone, Darkgolden Terrorclaw, exerted its power and forced Ji Juechen back with its supreme sharpness.
Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin, watching secretly, were both startled.
"A Soul Bone?"
"It even seems to be an External Soul Bone."
Jing Hongchen immediately thought of something.
"It seems Du Busi helped him obtain it."
The brief clash between Du Busi and Yan Shaozhe in Heaven Dou City naturally could not be hidden from the spies of the major factions.
"People from the Noumenon Sect have eccentric temperaments and are arrogant and overbearing. Yet he actually helped a child who had left Shrek."
Ye Yulin was greatly surprised.
The clash continued, and for a time, the battle reached a stalemate.
Ji Juechen's sword techniques were not only razor-sharp, but also powerful and heavy. Without the Darkgolden Terrorclaw, Yan Jingchuan would have been unable to hold out long ago.
Seeing that he could not defeat Yan Jingchuan quickly, Ji Juechen's first Soul Ring lit up.
His martial soul was a sword, and he devoted himself wholly to the path of the sword. His Soul Rings and soul skills were all enhancement-type abilities.
When they clashed again, Yan Jingchuan's entire arm went numb. Seeing that Yan Jingchuan had fallen into a disadvantageous position, Ji Juechen pressed his advantage.
While being forced back step by step, Yan Jingchuan seized an opening and grabbed Ji Juechen's sword. His other hand transformed into a dragon claw as he activated his soul skill.
"First soul skill, Dark Sky-Splitting Claw!"
The claw light swept out, and every hair on Ji Juechen's body stood on end.
A dangerous aura rushed toward him. Ji Juechen decisively pulled free his sword, its blade cutting a wound across Yan Jingchuan's palm.
Yet he neither dodged nor defended. Instead, he swung his sword to meet it head-on.
With a dull clang, the claw light was shattered.
Ji Juechen retreated two steps. His sword trembled without stop, and even his entire arm shook.
Yan Jingchuan did not attack again. His strongest offensive method had been defeated head-on. He had already lost.
"Senior Sister, I concede!"
"No, I should be the one who lost..."
Ji Juechen suddenly spoke.
"If we were truly at the same level, I wouldn't have been able to withstand that move."
Jing Ziyan was immediately caught in a dilemma.
"Then call it a draw. Friendship first, competition second."
Jing Hongchen appeared without warning.
"Dean!"
A unified shout rose from the surrounding crowd.
With Jing Hongchen's declaration, the spar ended in a draw. Yan Jingchuan's injuries were not serious, and he quickly recovered after treatment.
Looking at his hands, Yan Jingchuan felt that he was still too weak.
He had to improve his strength as soon as possible. After obtaining his second Soul Ring, he needed to find a way to acquire Life Gold and lay the groundwork for absorbing his third Soul Ring.
"Hey, you're Yan Jingchuan, right?"
An arrogant voice sounded out. A large group of people in distinctive uniforms surrounded Yan Jingchuan.
"Who are you? What do you want with me?"
Yan Jingchuan's expression turned grave as he swept his gaze over them.
"Junior, you truly cut an impressive figure. To draw with that country bumpkin Ji Juechen, this senior admires you immensely."
"You overpraise me, Senior. If there's nothing else, please move aside."
He made as if to leave. Just as expected, the man reached out to block him.
"Don't be in such a hurry, Junior. Let me introduce myself. I am Wang Shaojie, a member of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial clan."
The name Wang Shaojie made Yan Jingchuan's heart skip a beat.
It seemed the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family had set its sights on him.
"I am here on behalf of the Third Prince to invite you."
As Wang Shaojie spoke, he put on airs and made a gesture of invitation.
Yan Jingchuan did not move. He stared at Wang Shaojie.
"May I ask what matter the Third Prince wishes to discuss with me?"
"You'll know once you go."
Wang Shaojie curled his lips upward and raised his chin high.
Yan Jingchuan did not want to go. He had no desire whatsoever to involve himself in the affairs of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family. Whether it was that madman Xu Tianran or the other princes, none of them were decent people.
However, with this group eyeing him like tigers around him, it seemed he had no way to refuse. He had no choice but to go.
"Is this how the Third Prince invites people? Blocking someone's path like bandits, regardless of whether they are willing?"
Glancing at the many members of the disciplinary squad around him, Yan Jingchuan tried to struggle once more.
He definitely could not fight them. There were too many of them, and every one of them had a considerable Soul Power Level. He could only look for a chance to escape and cause a commotion. As long as he attracted the academy higher-ups' attention, he could be saved.
"Not going? Then I have reason to suspect you're a spy from another nation. Arrest him!"
Yan Jingchuan's expression became incomparably ugly.
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