Wang Shaojie's Targeting, Probing from the Sun Moon Empire

In the original work, Ji Juechen was a combat maniac known as the Sword Maniac.

His innate soul power was rank three, and at the very beginning, his spirit was even just a piece of meteorite iron.

It was through his own efforts that he stubbornly polished it into a sword, and he relied entirely on himself to obtain his first spirit ring.

On this Douluo Continent, teeming with prodigies, very few people could earn Yan Jingchuan’s respect, but Ji Juechen was definitely one of them.

When it came to temperament and perseverance, he was definitely among the best.

Yan Jingchuan had not expected Ji Juechen to actually come looking for him to fight; as far as he knew, the current Ji Juechen was already a three-ring soul elder.

Fighting a three-ring with one ring, you use your head to fight!

Ji Juechen was certainly not comparable to those trash from Shrek. Yan Jingchuan could trade blows with people from Shrek, but that did not mean he would casually fight above his rank.

"Senior, you jest. I am merely a one-ring soul master, so it is impossible for me to be your match."

Yan Jingchuan decisively refused; he did not have the bizarre hobby of getting beaten up.

"I will suppress my own soul power to the same rank as yours. Let me witness the skills of Shrek."

Saddled with the label of Shrek by Ji Juechen, Yan Jingchuan instantly felt immensely unlucky:

"Senior, I no longer have any connection with Shrek. If you truly wish to spar, I suggest you go find Xiao Hongchen; his strength is much greater than mine."

"What a coincidence, Xiao Hongchen said the exact same thing."

The silent Jing Ziyan suddenly spoke up, but Yan Jingchuan's face turned pitch black.

Very well, very well, you rascal Xiao Hongchen, just you wait for me!

After a bout of tug-of-war between the two sides, Yan Jingchuan adamantly refused to agree, and it was only when Ji Juechen stated that win or lose he would owe Yan Jingchuan a favor that he finally nodded.

The Soul Duel Arena, much like Shrek's Soul Duel Zone, was a standard facility at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy for students to engage in soul duels.

The difference was that spars arranged privately among students had no teachers acting as referees, and Jing Ziyan logically took on the role of referee.

The moment the two stood firm on the soul duel stage, quite a few students who caught sight of Ji Juechen's figure rushed over to watch the battle.

Among them, Yan Jingchuan spotted Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.

Yan Jingchuan glared fiercely at Xiao Hongchen, but Xiao Hongchen sat in the spectator seats and provocatively made a funny face, while Meng Hongchen covered her face nearby.

In secret, Jing Chenghong and Ye Yulin watched covertly.

The latter's tone was ambiguous:

"Using Xiao to provoke Ji Juechen into challenging Yan Jingchuan, while he himself only needs to sit in the back to learn Yan Jingchuan's true strength—Jing Hongchen has quite the abacus."

Jing Hongchen did not say much, merely smiling.

On the stage, the two reported their names and immediately activated their spirit avatars.

"Yan Jingchuan, spirit Dark Sacred Dragon, rank nineteen."

"Ji Juechen, spirit sword, rank thirty-four assault-type battle soul elder."

Beneath Ji Juechen's feet, three spirit rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—rose.

"Both sides prepare, begin!"

At Jing Ziyan's command, the two charged together.

Dragon claws and sword collided; Yan Jingchuan wanted to control Ji Juechen's sword, but the next instant he realized he had been taking things for granted.

Even though Ji Juechen suppressed his soul power rank to the same level as his own, the gap in cultivation base was solidly laid out before his eyes.

Dragon scales shattered and fresh blood flowed freely as a long, deep wound appeared on Yan Jingchuan's arm.

Ji Juechen pressed the attack relentlessly, and golden light flashed on Yan Jingchuan's hand, forcefully taking this sword head-on.

The external spirit bone Darkgolden Terrorclaw exerted force, relying on its ultimate sharpness to force Ji Juechen back.

Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin, watching secretly, were startled by this.

"A spirit bone?"

"It also seems to be an external spirit bone."

Jing Hongchen immediately thought of something:

"This appears to be what Du Busi brought him to obtain."

That brief clash between Du Busi and Yan Shaozhe in Heaven Dou City naturally could not be hidden from the spies of major factions.

"The people of the Noumenon Sect have eccentric personalities and act overbearingly, yet they would actually help a kid who severed ties with Shrek."

Ye Yulin was quite astonished.

The confrontation continued, reaching a deadlock for a time.

Ji Juechen's sword moves were not only sharp and unreserved, but also immensely heavy. Had it not been for the Darkgolden Terrorclaw, Yan Jingchuan would have long since failed to block them.

Seeing that he could not take down Yan Jingchuan for a moment, Ji Juechen's first spirit ring lit up.

His spirit was a sword, and he wholeheartedly devoted himself to studying the Dao of the sword; his spirit rings and skills were all amplification abilities.

Clashing once more, Yan Jingchuan's entire arm felt somewhat numb. Perceiving that Yan Jingchuan had fallen into a disadvantageous position, Ji Juechen pursued his victory.

Retreating step by step, Yan Jingchuan seized the opportunity, grabbed hold of Ji Juechen's sword with one hand, and channeled his spirit skill with his dragon-transformed other hand:

"First spirit skill, Dark Sky-Splitting Claw!"

Claw radiance swept out, causing the hairs all over Ji Juechen's body to stand on end.

A dangerous aura rushed over him, and Ji Juechen decisively pulled out his sword, the blade carving a wound across Yan Jingchuan's palm.

Yet he neither dodged nor blocked, swinging his sword to meet it instead.

With a muffled clang, the claw radiance was shattered.

Ji Juechen stepped back twice, the sword body vibrating incessantly alongside his entire arm, which was trembling.

Yan Jingchuan did not strike again; his strongest offensive means had been smashed apart head-on, meaning he had already lost:

"Senior sister, I admit defeat!"

"No, it should be that I lost..."

Ji Juechen suddenly spoke up:

"If we were truly of the same rank, I could not take this move of yours."

Jing Ziyan was instantly caught in a difficult position.

"Then let's call it a draw; friendship first, competition second."

Jing Hongchen appeared without any warning.

"Dean!"

Uniform shouts rang out around them.

Under Jing Hongchen's announcement, the spar concluded in a draw. Yan Jingchuan's injuries were not severe, and after treatment, he quickly recovered.

Looking at his own hands, Yan Jingchuan felt that he was still far too weak.

He had to elevate his strength as quickly as possible; once he obtained his second spirit ring, he would have to find a way to acquire Life Gold to lay the groundwork for absorbing his third spirit ring.

"Hey, you're Yan Jingchuan, aren't you?"

An arrogant voice arrived, and a large group of people wearing specialized attire completely surrounded Yan Jingchuan.

"Who are you all? What is your business with me?"

Yan Jingchuan swept his gaze across them with a solemn expression.

"Junior's demeanor is truly peerless; to be able to fight to a draw with that bumpkin Ji Juechen, this senior truly admires you to no end."

"Senior flatters me. If nothing is the matter, please step aside."

He made a motion to leave, and as expected, that man reached out a hand to block him:

"Junior, don't be in such a rush. Let me introduce myself; I am a member of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial clan, Wang Shaojie."

The name Wang Shaojie made Yan Jingchuan's heart skip a beat.

It seemed he had been targeted by the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family.

"On behalf of the third prince, I extend an invitation!"

As he spoke, Wang Shaojie put on airs and made an inviting gesture.

Yan Jingchuan did not move; he stared at Wang Shaojie:

"I wonder what business the third prince has in inviting this humble one?"

"You will know once you go."

The corners of Wang Shaojie's mouth curled upward, his chin held very high.

Yan Jingchuan had no wish to go; he was unwilling to meddle in the affairs of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family by even a fraction. Whether it was that madman Xu Tianran or the other princes, none of them were anything good.

However, with this group surrounding him with predatory gazes, it seemed he had no way to refuse and must go whether he liked it or not.

"Is this how His Royal Highness the third prince extends invitations? Just blocking people directly like bandits, regardless of whether others are willing or not?"

Glancing sideways at the numerous disciplinary committee members around him, Yan Jingchuan attempted to struggle a bit.

He definitely could not win a fight; the headcount was too high, and furthermore, every single one of them had a high soul power rank. He could only look for a chance to break out and stir up a commotion, as long as he drew the attention of the academy's higher-ups, he could be saved.

"You won't go? Then I have reason to suspect you are a spy from another country. Take him down!"

Yan Jingchuan's expression turned incomparably unsightly.