Mission complete

Qian Daoliu looked at Chen Jianjun in the distance. A small, dark-yellow bell appeared before him, then instantly transformed into an ancient, weathered sword.

A streak of sword light flashed past.

To Chen Jianjun, that sword light felt like an ordinary strike, yet there was nothing ordinary about it.

He could not withstand that strike.

Chen Jianjun closed his eyes, as though waiting for death.

But the sword light swept past Chen Jianjun and continued behind him. Wherever it passed, it was as though a golden river had flowed through, sending ripples through the surrounding space.

"You... aren't going to kill me?"

Chen Jianjun looked at that pale-golden "river," sensing the terrifying power within it, and asked in confusion.

"We have a wager, and I still need a high-level fighter like you," Qian Daoliu said with a cold snort.

Qian Daoliu rolled his neck and stretched, then looked at Chen Jianjun, who was still taking in that strike, and spoke in a rather frightening tone:

"Your challenge is over, but I'm only just getting started!"

The moment Qian Daoliu finished speaking, he appeared before Chen Jianjun. Then... he opened with a punch straight to the eye, blasting him hundreds of meters away while continuing to berate him:

"Who gave you the courage to challenge me at level ninety-seven?"

"Answer me."

"You..."

Chen Jianjun had just steadied himself and opened his mouth when his vision went black again, and Qian Daoliu blasted him toward the ground.

"Putting on airs as a Sword Cultivator in front of me? Who are you trying to impress?"

Boom!

A deep, human-shaped crater appeared in the ground.

And it happened to be right in front of Golden Crocodile and the others.

Chen Jianjun had barely crawled out of the crater with a pair of panda eyes when he saw six people surrounding him.

Chen Jianjun swallowed and looked at Golden Crocodile, wanting to say something, but Golden Crocodile cut him off before he could speak.

"I haven't left Spirit Hall in twenty years, and the moment I step outside, I run into you!"

"Beat him."

The six of them wasted no more words and went straight to work.

"Fucking hell, even our boss has never put on a show like you. What are you showing off for?"

"You're the first person to dare kick up such a fuss outside Spirit Hall."

"Don't you know all that shouting disturbs people?"

"Your family really has guts, but what good are guts?"

"Level ninety-seven? Aren't you a brave one?"

"Where's all that swagger from earlier? Show us!"

Qian Daoliu watched the six vent their anger without stepping in to stop them. He put away the trial card and checked its remaining duration. He should be able to use it a few more times.

Not only had they gone a long time without getting any exercise, but this sword-wielding bastard had picked the exact moment he was teaching them the Nine-Yang Divine Skill to cause trouble. Wasn't it only natural that Golden Crocodile and the others were angry?

Interrupting someone else's opportunity-boy, you've already found your path to death.

[Congratulations, host, on completing the mission "Chen Jianjun's Challenge." Mission completion rating: perfect. Distributing mission rewards.]

[Congratulations, host, on obtaining Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring Lifespan Pill ×3.]

[Congratulations, host, on obtaining Muscle-Tendon and Marrow-Cleansing Pill ×1.]

[Congratulations, host, on obtaining the Basic Body-Tempering Liquid Recipe.]

[Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring Lifespan Pill]: Effective on Soul Rings under thirty thousand years old.

[Muscle-Tendon and Marrow-Cleansing Pill]: Strengthens muscles and bones, cleanses impurities from the marrow and body, and reshapes one's innate constitution. Each person may take only one; additional pills have no effect.

[Basic Body-Tempering Liquid Recipe]: Once refined, the medicine can expel impurities from the body and nourish the meridians.

Listening to the system's voice, Qian Daoliu felt positively delighted!

He had defeated Chen Jianjun with one strike and earned three rewards.

Let more challenges like this come my way.

"Hahaha, how was that strike just now?"

Qian Daoliu found a tree to lean against. He watched Golden Crocodile and the others while communicating with the Chaos Bell.

"It was passable when you used it, but when those two figures of light used it, it really could split the heavens, just as they said!"

The Chaos Bell thought it over carefully before speaking with a serious expression.

Right, the Chaos Bell only had a bell body.

"Not bad, kid! You actually got to see a battle on that level."

"..."

He had read it in a novel while killing time in the Library Pavilion in his previous life. The old Daoist had even caught him back then and made him copy books as punishment...

"By the way, what was that strike called?"

The Chaos Bell asked curiously.

"I don't know. It was only an oath."

Qian Daoliu answered honestly.

"..."

Qian Daoliu silently recalled it, that oath still vivid in his mind. That strike belonged to no Sword Technique or Sword Move. It was simply a single strike.

After an incense stick's worth of time,

Jiang Mo, who had thoroughly enjoyed the beating, dragged the bruised and swollen Chen Jianjun out of the huge crater they had created together.

They knew Qian Daoliu wanted to put him to use, so they had only inflicted some superficial pain on Chen Jianjun without endangering his life.

After all, he was another old fellow, and his body still carried hidden injuries. Otherwise, he would never have said he had little time left.

"Had your fill?"

Qian Daoliu looked at the thoroughly refreshed Enshrinements and asked.

"Boss, if you're going to ask like that, I'd like to beat him for another few incense sticks."

Jiang Mo scratched his head and said with a grin.

Hearing that, Chen Jianjun's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Of them all, Jiang Mo had hit him the most.

Jiang Mo: If I don't get a few more hits in now, I might not be able to beat him later!

"Enough, let the matter rest. If you want to fight, go play with him in private."

Qian Daoliu spoke to Jiang Mo helplessly.

"Dong'er, come over and show him your Soul Rings."

Qian Daoliu then waved Bibi Dong over.

"Yes, teacher."

Bibi Dong walked to Qian Daoliu's side and released her Martial Soul. Six black Soul Rings appeared.

"Hiss!"

Seeing that even Bibi Dong's first Soul Ring was black, and that she was already a Six-Ring Soul Emperor, Chen Jianjun sucked in a breath of cold air.

This master and disciple are terrifying. Their Soul Rings start at ten thousand years, and how old is this little girl? She's already a Six-Ring Soul Emperor.

And judging by those Soul Power fluctuations, she must be close to level seventy.

"You can put them away. There's no need to be so surprised."

Qian Daoliu patted Bibi Dong's shoulder and reassured Chen Jianjun.

"Our Soul Rings were all upgraded afterward. They weren't like this at first."

As he spoke, Qian Daoliu took out a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring Lifespan Pill the system had just rewarded him with.

"Here, Jiang Mo, show him."

"Hahaha, sure thing, big brother. Let's open his eyes."

Laughing, Jiang Mo casually swallowed the pill.

Then he realized something was different. The energy contained in this one pill equaled ten of the pills he had taken before.

Understanding his big brother's intentions, Jiang Mo directed the energy into his third Soul Ring.

Black began to spread over the purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring, and in an instant, it turned completely black.

Jiang Mo was thrilled. The bottleneck that had held him back for years had finally loosened. He would soon be able to break through to level ninety-six.

"This... this..."

Watching Jiang Mo's Soul Ring become a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring before his very eyes, Chen Jianjun's pupils contracted in shock.

"This... big brother?"

Lion was puzzled.

"This is a ten-thousand-year pill. Its medicinal power works on Soul Rings under thirty thousand years old."

Qian Daoliu explained.

"A Soul Master's body does have limits to what it can endure, but those limits aren't fixed forever. Some things can be changed through outside means."

"Take Battle Soul Masters and support Soul Masters, for example. Do you think their bodies are equally strong?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"All right, now that I've told you these secrets of Spirit Hall, we should discuss something else."

The smile on Qian Daoliu's face gradually gave way to a serious expression as he looked at Chen Jianjun and said:

"Let's talk about how you learned of the Arbitration Elder."