"Hmph!"
Though deeply reluctant, Jiang Mo withdrew his aura.
Chen Jianjun withdrew his as well, then turned toward Qian Daoliu, who had spoken.
Sure enough, this was the man he wanted to challenge.
"You're the Spirit Hall's current Great Enshrined. Come on, let's make this quick."
Unable to gauge Qian Daoliu's true strength, Chen Jianjun simply spoke bluntly.
With that, Chen Jianjun shot high into the sky like a sharp sword.
"All right, I'll go stretch my limbs."
After addressing the others, Qian Daoliu also rose straight into the sky, his eyes gleaming as he looked directly at Chen Jianjun.
"I'm willing to spar with you, but I have one condition."
Looking at the white-robed elder opposite him, Qian Daoliu raised a hand as he spoke.
"All this fuss over a fight? That's hardly the decisiveness an Arbitration Elder should have!"
Hearing Qian Daoliu's words, Chen Jianjun replied with some disdain.
Qian Daoliu narrowed his eyes. Arbitration Elder-only the Spirit Hall's Pope and the people of the Elder Hall and Worship Hall knew that title.
Looks like this swordsman is being used as someone else's spear.
I'll beat you into submission first, then have Jiang Mo 'sound you out.'
"Ah, when you're old, you need something to keep you motivated, don't you?"
"You want to grow stronger. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come knocking."
Qian Daoliu spoke with a sigh.
"Then let's hear it."
Finding some sense in Qian Daoliu's words, Chen Jianjun nodded in agreement.
"Ha, ha! I've heard that the Seven Killings has seven strikes. I'll try taking your Seven Kill Sword Technique. Let's wager that you can't break through my defenses."
"If you lose, you'll spend thirty years in the Spirit Hall."
Qian Daoliu laughed twice, then his tone sharpened as he addressed Chen Jianjun.
"That wager isn't fair. If I fail to break through, I might not even have ten years left. Besides, all I need to do is break through your defenses?"
Hearing the terms, Chen Jianjun immediately shook his head in refusal.
He might not be able to win the fight, but Chen Jianjun was still confident he could break through Qian Daoliu's defenses and injure him.
Injure Qian Daoliu.
Golden Crocodile and the others: You've certainly got guts.
"Fairness? That's something you fight for yourself. What, don't tell me you think you can't break through my defenses?"
What a joke. You come challenging me at level 97 when I'm level 99, and you still want fairness? Qian Daoliu thought.
"Hmph, you make it sound as though you're certain to win."
Chen Jianjun spoke disdainfully.
On a distant hilltop,
"Second Brother, breaking through under pressure at his realm? That's impossible, isn't it? If Eldest Brother actually tries to kill him, he might have a chance between life and death."
Jiang Mo had found a blade of grass somewhere and held it between his lips.
"True. If Eldest Brother grants his wish and goes all out, he'll die."
Up in a tree, Guang Ling spoke with a grave expression, toying with an arrow he had condensed from soul power.
After all, helping Chen Jianjun witness a higher tier of power was something their eldest brother really would do.
"If Chen Jianjun dies at Father's hands, our relationship with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will deteriorate."
Qian Xunji arrived before the others with Bibi Dong.
"Then let it deteriorate. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has wealth to rival a nation. If it offered soul master subsidies like our Spirit Hall does, it wouldn't be caught with the old crop gone and the new crop not yet ripe."
"..."
Qian Xunji was speechless. Seventh Uncle, you have no idea. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's wealth is only a third of our Spirit Hall's at most.
"You need to break through by facing me, to seek a higher realm. And I need greater power to protect this continent."
Qian Daoliu spread his hands as he looked at Chen Jianjun.
"And you, Chen Jianjun-the strength you seek can only find its answer with me!"
"As for those thirty years afterward, that will depend on your own fortune."
Having finished speaking, Qian Daoliu immediately issued a command to the system in his mind.
System, use the Six-Winged Angel Peak Combat Experience Card.
[Congratulations, host. The Six-Winged Angel Peak Combat Experience Card has been successfully used. Your physical condition has been restored to its peak, and your Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul's combat strength has been restored to level 99. The time limit is 2 hours.]
As the system notification faded, soul rings appeared around Qian Daoliu one after another, and the overwhelming pressure of a level 99 Peerless Douluo emerged once more.
The sight shocked not only Chen Jianjun, but even Golden Crocodile and the others behind him.
Has Eldest Brother returned to his peak?
In fact, Chen Jianjun had already been stunned when the black first soul ring appeared.
Then came black, black, black, black, black, black, black, black, red!
As that soul ring configuration of eight black rings and one red ring surrounded Qian Daoliu, Chen Jianjun could not hide the shock in his eyes.
"Those rings! They've already exceeded the limits a soul master's body can withstand, haven't they? Or do you have twin martial souls?"
"Limits? Every soul master's physical strength is different. You've only just begun to see this world."
"It seems you've read Yu Xiaogang's theories on martial souls as well."
Qian Daoliu explained after hearing Chen Jianjun's words.
"But let's finish this fight first! As for the wager, it doesn't matter whether it counts. Once we're done, though, I think you'll come to the Spirit Hall."
Seeing Qian Daoliu disregard the wager, Chen Jianjun unleashed his aura as well.
A level 97 Peak Douluo.
Then a sword appeared before Chen Jianjun.
The blade was four feet three inches long and three inches wide, with a hilt one foot two inches long. Its name was Seven Killings!
Soul rings also appeared around him: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black!
Two yellow, two purple, and five black-the most standard soul ring configuration.
Qian Daoliu was very satisfied as he sensed Chen Jianjun's soul power fluctuations. Another powerful worker.
A glint flashed through Chen Jianjun's eyes. His soul rings did not light up, but killing intent rose from his body.
"Seven Kill Sword Technique, First Kill!"
A self-created soul skill.
A sharp streak of sword light flew straight toward Qian Daoliu, carrying powerful killing intent.
Qian Daoliu did not dodge the approaching sword light. Instead, he raised his hand, and a mysterious light flashed, stopping it.
Then, right before Chen Jianjun's eyes, he crushed it with one hand.
"Stop testing the waters."
Qian Daoliu frowned at Chen Jianjun as he spoke.
Chen Jianjun then grew serious. With such a gap in their soul power levels, he really should not have been probing.
He immediately adjusted his state and unleashed his second sword strike!
"Second Kill! Soul Severing!"
The sword energy carried a mental assault that struck directly at the soul.
Watching the sword light, Qian Daoliu did not catch it with his hand this time. Instead, he let the Chaos Bell within him act.
"Today, I'll show you what it means to be the greatest treasure in all the heavens!!!"
The Chaos Bell's voice rang out in Qian Daoliu's mind.
A phantom image of the Chaos Bell appeared around Qian Daoliu, visible only to him.
He felt as though he stood within a world of its own, with mountains, rivers, and lands flickering in and out of sight, along with the figures of countless races.
The sword light arrived in an instant, but struck the Chaos Bell's phantom image without producing so much as... a ripple!
"Is this the martial soul with the greatest offensive power on the continent?"
Chen Jianjun's brows knitted tightly as he watched his second attack get blocked just as effortlessly.
Moreover, from his perspective, he had only seen Qian Daoliu raise his hand before the sword light vanished, as though it had struck something.
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