Xu Feng Challenges the Tianhun Team

"Since we've left that side to them, why don't I take the next match?"

Xu Feng had not competed in a long time. It was a good chance to stretch his limbs; otherwise, this body tempered on the battlefield would start to rust.

"Sure. It doesn't matter who goes up anyway."

Meng Hongchen did not particularly care. The other academies were ultimately nothing more than runners-up, and the outcome of this Soul Master Tournament had long been decided.

"Next, Sun Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy versus Tianhun Royal Academy."

Xu Feng stepped onto the Soul Fighting Arena. Across from him stood Long Aotian, the Young Sect Master of the Body Sect. The rules for this round were one-on-one battles until one side had defeated all seven opponents. Xu Feng was already prepared to take down all seven himself.

"Come on! Let me see just how strong the Prince of Qin, once unrivaled beneath the heavens, truly is!"

Long Aotian immediately unleashed his first Soul Skills, Demonic Ape Transformation. In an instant, the muscles across his body swelled, his bones crackled in rapid succession, and his entire body doubled in size within a few breaths.

With the boost from his Soul Skills, his strength, speed, and defense all doubled at once. He was ready to fight with everything he had.

"You should know that I'm a summoner. Still, you're lucky. This time, I won't be pulling anyone down here to fight you. I'll just borrow my partner's power instead."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Feng raised his right hand and selected Phainon's panel. He was going to borrow his partner's power.

As Xu Feng made his choice, his hair instantly turned silver-white, and his pupils shifted to blue.

A yellow sun-shaped mark slowly appeared on his neck. A brown collar appeared around it, and his clothes changed completely as well.

He wore a white long-robed coat over his upper body, a black fingerless glove on his left hand, and a carefully crafted bracer on his right arm. His lower half was clad in black trousers tucked into high boots.

Finally, he gripped the greatsword named Chenbreak in one hand. This was the power of his good partner, Phainon Khaslana.

"Second Soul Skills! Wrath of the Golden God!"

Long Aotian's right arm suddenly expanded, instantly condensing into a three-meter-long dark golden warblade, while his left arm transformed into a dark golden giant hammer. Then, like an enraged ancient beast, he lunged fiercely at Xu Feng.

Xu Feng stood where he was, his right hand tightening around Chenbreak. When Long Aotian's blade and hammer came down in a crossing strike, Xu Feng merely raised his sword lightly, and Chenbreak collided with both of his arms.

At that instant, the air seemed to freeze. Then a muffled boom erupted, and a shockwave spread outward like a tsunami.

Xu Feng turned his wrist and added just a fraction more force. Long Aotian immediately felt an irresistible power surge through his blade and hammer. He flew backward like a kite with its string cut, rolled several times through the air, and crashed heavily near the edge of the arena.

After landing, blood seeped from the corner of Long Aotian's mouth, but the fighting spirit in his eyes did not weaken in the slightest. He slammed a hand against the ground and flipped back to his feet, choosing to use his strongest move.

"Fifth Soul Skills! Heaven and Earth Transformation!"

Blinding white light erupted from within him, transforming his entire body into a massive sphere of white light. He shot skyward, rising a hundred meters into the air. At its highest point, he abruptly stopped, then the sphere plunged straight down like a falling meteor with unstoppable momentum.

"Interesting... Stride to Deliverance—where I walk, I shall arrive!"

Xu Feng looked up at the sphere of light. He did not use any flashy Soul Skills. He merely held his sword horizontally before him, then took one step forward and swung.

The strike was simple and unadorned. There was no earth-shattering phenomenon, no overwhelming momentum. Yet the moment Chenbreak's tip collided with the white sphere, the sphere began to tremble violently. Countless cracks burst from within it, and white light scattered in every direction like shattered glass.

Long Aotian's figure emerged from the sphere, his eyes filled with disbelief. His proudest, strongest attack had been as fragile as paper before Xu Feng.

Xu Feng sheathed his sword, then instantly appeared before Long Aotian. He grabbed his collar and lifted him as easily as a chick before casually tossing him aside. Long Aotian landed steadily outside the arena, though he staggered several steps before barely regaining his footing.

He stared blankly at Xu Feng on the stage, opened his mouth, and finally let out a bitter laugh. Cupping his fist in his palm, he said, "I lost. Completely and utterly."

Xu Feng did not look at him. He simply turned toward the other side of the arena, Chenbreak angled toward the ground, a trace of white light still lingering on its tip.

"Next."

The moment he spoke, the next opponent came onstage. Yet even their Young Sect Master had been defeated, so the remaining few were simply walking into a beating, all the way until the final match.

"Hm?"

Xu Feng looked at the young man before him. He was not one of the seven who had appeared from the Snow Demon Sect later on. It seemed he had come to replace Weina. Still, he was only the last one. The sooner this ended, the sooner they could wrap things up.

However, what happened next stunned Xu Feng and everyone else, because this young man was actually able to fight Xu Feng to a standstill.

"Holy crap! Who is that guy?! Does the Heaven Dou Empire have someone this fierce?!"

Xu Jiawei was dumbfounded. They had already tacitly decided that their entire team would forfeit this Soul Master Tournament, but who was Xu Feng? Even if they went all out, he was someone they could never defeat.

Yet the youngster from the Heaven Dou Empire below was actually able to fight this man evenly. Just moments ago, the Young Sect Master of the Body Sect had been thrown off the stage after only a few exchanges.

Of course, Xu Feng had not used his full strength. As a summoner, he had yet to summon anything and was only fighting with martial skill and his physical body. Even so, being able to match him was already terrifying.

Over at Shrek Academy, Xuan Zi even declared on the spot that this boy was fated to join them. He was already planning to go down later and snatch the young man for Shrek Academy. After all, such a powerful soul master was naturally meant to belong to Shrek.

Weina was stunned as well. Had her father not said that this guard was only high in Soul Power and not particularly strong in combat? His Martial Soul was clearly a pair of swords, yet they did not even have blades. Their lethality was especially weak, and they were incredibly cumbersome too.

Xu Feng carefully examined the young man before him—or rather, he examined his Martial Soul. It was a pair of extremely heavy golden maces, and a guess suddenly arose in his heart.

"Young man, do you know what your Martial Soul is called?"

"Isn't it Golden Greatswords?"

The young man was a little confused. Weren't they just two swords? Couldn't he tell?

Xu Feng silently sighed. Were the people of Douluo Continent really this ridiculous when it came to categorizing weapons? Those were maces, not swords.

"Young man, what is your name?"

Xu Feng stared intently at the youth wielding the twin maces. The feeling this young man gave him was exactly the same as that peerless general in his Remembrance.

If he truly was that man's parallel counterpart, then no matter the cost, he would bring this youth into his own camp.

"My name is Qin Shubao..."

The moment Qin Shubao finished speaking, he keenly sensed the gaze opposite him turn incomparably fervent.

That look made him shudder uncontrollably. He instinctively covered his butt. This crown prince of the Sun Moon Empire should not lack stunning beauties around him, so why was he staring at him with such an almost greedy gaze?

"Shubao! Let me see what you can do again!"

Xu Feng was thoroughly excited. The Chenbreak sword in his hand let out a humming tremor, resonating with its master's excitement.

The same weapons, the same name, and martial skill capable of battling him for so long—the young man before him was undoubtedly the parallel counterpart of that Qin Qiong.

If he let the younger form of such a peerless general slip through his fingers, then he, Xu Feng, would write his name backward!

"Fine!"

Although Qin Shubao did not understand why Xu Feng's attitude had suddenly changed, as a warrior on the field, he knew that the most important thing now was to give it everything he had!

He tightened his grip on the twin maces, took a deep breath, and threw all distracting thoughts to the back of his mind. Now, he would go all out!

Chenbreak and the twin maces collided once again. In a flash, the two had exchanged dozens of moves. The longer Xu Feng fought, the more excited he became. It had been a long time since he had encountered an opponent who could trade blows with him for this long.

This young man's martial skill was still somewhat immature, but the combat talent in his bones and that refusal to yield were almost identical to the one in his Remembrance.

"Again!"

Xu Feng shouted, and Chenbreak slashed forward at a speed utterly unsuited to a greatsword. The strike was swift as lightning, carrying sharp sword intent, yet just as it was about to touch flesh, it cleverly veered a fraction aside, leaving only a faint gust from the blade.

Qin Shubao's pupils contracted as his body reacted on instinct. His left foot withdrew half a step, the Golden Mace in his right hand rose to parry, and the Golden Mace in his left hand swept horizontally toward Xu Feng's waist and abdomen.

The move combined offense and defense. It both neutralized the opponent's attack and created an opportunity for a counterattack. It was exquisitely clever.

"Good!"

Approval flashed through Xu Feng's eyes. He flipped through the air, barely evading the sweeping Golden Mace. The instant he landed, he tapped off the ground with his toes and lunged at Qin Shubao again, stabbing toward his shoulder, chest, and abdomen respectively.

Qin Shubao did not dare lower his guard. His twin maces danced before him in a blaze of golden light. Three crisp clangs rang out, and all three strikes were blocked.

But Xu Feng's offensive continued without pause. His sword technique shifted from thrusting to slicing, targeting Qin Shubao's wrist directly. The strike was incredibly tricky; if it landed, the Golden Mace in Qin Shubao's hand would certainly be knocked away.

However, Qin Shubao turned his wrist, rotating the Golden Mace from vertical to horizontal. It brushed past Chenbreak, producing a piercing screech of metal against metal.

At the same time, the Golden Mace in his left hand thrust sharply forward, driving straight for Xu Feng's heart. The counterattack was exceptionally decisive. If Xu Feng did not retreat, then even if he injured Qin Shubao's wrist, he would be struck by the Golden Mace himself.

"Interesting!"

Xu Feng laughed loudly and leaned backward. His body became nearly parallel to the ground, evading the deadly strike as his right foot kicked upward toward Qin Shubao's chin.

Qin Shubao hurriedly retreated, but Xu Feng's toe still grazed his chin, leaving a faint red mark.

He touched his chin and felt the burning pain. His gaze became even more solemn. This crown prince's martial skill far surpassed his imagination. Every move was filled with killing intent, yet each also left just enough room, as though Xu Feng were testing his limits.

"Don't lose focus!"

Xu Feng's voice sounded beside his ear. Qin Shubao suddenly looked up to see Xu Feng already closing in, Chenbreak's shadow enveloping his entire body.

Qin Shubao gritted his teeth and crossed his twin maces above his head, forcibly taking the strike. With a thunderous clang, sparks flew everywhere. Both his arms went numb, and he was blasted backward seven or eight steps before barely steadying himself.

"Can you still stand?"

Xu Feng stood some distance away, Chenbreak angled toward the ground, a satisfied smile on his face. This young man's strength had far exceeded his expectations. Given a few more years, he would certainly grow into a peerless general capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with that Qin Qiong.

"Of course!"

Qin Shubao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gripped his twin maces again. Unyielding fighting spirit burned in his eyes. He was not someone who would ever say he gave up.

"Then that's wonderful!"

Xu Feng launched another attack. This time, his swordsmanship was even fiercer, every strike carrying the force of thunder, as if he intended to crush Qin Shubao completely.

Qin Shubao no longer defended passively. Instead, he took the initiative to meet him head-on, clashing fiercely with Xu Feng's Chenbreak. Their figures moved rapidly around the arena, the sounds of impact unceasing as sparks flew everywhere, as though the entire arena would be set ablaze.

"Fantastic!"

Qin Shubao fought more fiercely with every exchange. Though several wounds had appeared on his body, the fighting spirit in his eyes only grew stronger. He discovered that he was constantly breaking through in battle. Techniques that had been difficult for him to comprehend before now came naturally, as if they had always existed in his blood.

The two exchanged more than a hundred further moves, and the entire arena had been devastated by the aftershocks of their battle. Deep sword marks and mace imprints covered the ground, while the air was filled with the scent of metal and sweat.

In the end, Qin Shubao was the first to falter. Such an intense battle consumed his Soul Power every minute, and now, his Soul Power had been completely exhausted.

"Sun Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy wins!"

Yet just as he was about to collapse, Xu Feng caught him, preventing him from falling to the ground and allowing him to remain standing.

"You..."

Qin Shubao did not understand why Xu Feng had specifically helped him up. They were opponents, after all. Though according to His Majesty, there was a good chance the princess would marry him.

"You are one of the few people who has let me fight so wholeheartedly. I won't let you lie on the ground. A true warrior stands until the final moment, even when utterly exhausted."

After letting him recover for a moment, Xu Feng patted his shoulder and walked toward the Sun Moon Team's resting room. Qin Shubao remained where he was, watching that figure walk away into the distance.