Days passed in the blink of an eye.
The entire Spirit City was already buzzing with news of what had happened inside the main hall.
The Pope had traveled abroad and found a talented youth.
Upon returning to Spirit City, the Pope had summoned all the elders and Worships, intending to establish him as the Holy Son.
The Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo, deemed this matter improper, believing it was established far too early and would fail to win public support.
Chen Ci had then set down a wager to sweep all younger disciples of Spirit Hall below level forty.
If he won, he would be crowned Holy Son.
If he lost, he would be forever cut off from the Holy Son Position.
Logically, meetings that took place in the main hall were attended solely by Worships and elders, making it impossible for the contents to leak.
Yet it had spread across the entire City, and this was naturally at the behest of Pope Bibi Dong, who wanted to build momentum for Chen Ci.
As soon as the news broke, the Martial Arena of Spirit Hall had been packed with people since early morning, and countless outside Soul Masters hearing the news were pouring in continuously.
On the viewing platform, Bibi Dong wore a purple robe and sat in the main seat holding a scepter, while the Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo, arrived as promised to serve as the notary and referee for this match.
Hu Liena, Xiao Wu, and Gu Yuena stood in a prime spot on the viewing platform, the first two maidens furrowing their brows slightly with hearts full of worry.
Gu Yuena showed not the slightest hint of worry, instead observing the reactions of the people around her out of curiosity, wishing to understand the human world more.
She could sense that Chen Ci possessed the bloodlines of the Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King within his body, so dealing with so-called level-forty Soul Ancestors would be mere child's play.
In the center of the Martial Arena stood a duel platform, and the entire arena was crowded with Soul Masters, including those from Spirit City and outsiders alike, lively beyond compare as the sound of discussion rose and fell in waves.
"Have you guys heard?"
"This Chen Ci seems to be merely a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster, yet he wants to challenge all disciples of Spirit Hall's younger generation."
"Who knows what his Martial Soul even is to be recognized by a host of elders and Worships and made Holy Son."
"..."
Amidst a wave of discussions, Chen Ci wore a gold and silver athletic outfit and stepped onto the duel platform.
"Is he Chen Ci?"
"Aside from looking a bit handsome, there's nothing out of the ordinary."
"Just on the strength of him, he wants to challenge our entire younger generation of Spirit Hall?"
"Don't let it turn into a complete joke by the end."
Discussions continued throughout the entire Martial Arena, mostly looking unfavorably upon Chen Ci.
Chiefly because this move by Chen Ci was simply far too shocking to the world.
Unprecedented, and without a successor.
Chen Ci paid no mind to worldly perceptions, merely saying to Golden Crocodile Douluo:
"Second Worship, I am ready. Let us begin."
Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded calmly, though in his heart he actually held even greater approval for Chen Ci.
From the moment Chen Ci took the stage, he had been watching him; this youth stood at the vortex of public opinion yet suffered not the slightest outside distraction, and his temperament was truly quite good.
"The rules of today's duel are that it ends upon reaching the point, but you disciples need not hold back too excessively either.
"With me presiding personally, naturally casualties will not occur, so you may freely unleash your fists and feet to duel.
"Which disciple is willing to step onto the stage first to issue a challenge?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo's gaze swept across all the Spirit Hall disciples present.
The disciples who had already become Soul Ancestors were universally unwilling to take the stage, for they could not gauge Chen Ci's strength; in case Chen Ci was too weak, they would defeat him in mere turns upon stepping up.
They would only be accused by everyone of bullying the weak with their strength.
Soul Elders felt the same way, and in the end, the choice for the opening battle fell upon disciples at the Soul Grandmaster tier.
"I'll go first!"
A red-haired youth stepped onto the duel platform, and he was none other than Yan, who held a secret crush on Hu Liena.
Yan had discovered that ever since Hu Liena went out for Soul Hunting and returned, her attitude toward him had become extremely cold.
Thinking further on how Chen Ci had only recently risen to prominence in Spirit City, he reasonably suspected that the root cause of all this was Chen Ci.
Chen Ci glanced at Yan a few times and said:
"You won't do. Next."
An uproar instantly erupted at the scene:
"Yan's Martial Soul is none other than the Flame Lord, an ancient Beast Martial Soul with dual fire and earth attributes, and Chen Ci actually says he won't do?"
"On what grounds does Chen Ci speak thus?"
"He hasn't even exposed his Martial Soul."
Upon hearing these words, Yan instantly grew anxious; his personality was naturally flamboyant and proud, so how could he endure such humiliation!
"Whether I'll do or not is not for you to decide-we'll fight a match before knowing the result!"
Yan immediately activated his Martial Soul, releasing his first soul skill to launch an attack on Chen Ci.
Chen Ci shook his head, saying nothing.
Facts surpassed all eloquence.
Chen Ci followed suit by activating his Martial Soul, summoning the Gold-Patterned Blue Silver Emperor and Silver-Patterned Blue Silver Emperor simultaneously.
Four eye-catching purple Thousand-Year Soul Rings appeared on the duel platform, two for each of the Gold-Patterned Blue Silver Emperor and Silver-Patterned Blue Silver Emperor.
Simultaneously, Chen Ci also invoked the bloodlines of the Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King, golden and silver dragon markings glowing as faint dragon roars could even be heard.
Every Soul Master present felt their Martial Souls subjected to a suppression of exceptionally high hierarchy.
As the one facing Chen Ci directly and even initiating an attack against him, Yan bore an even greater suppression.
He was inherently a Beast Martial Soul, and at that moment he was still actively attacking Chen Ci, which was unquestionably a provocation to both the Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King.
In an instant, the might of the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King descended upon Yan, forcibly interrupting his first soul skill.
His entire body stopped in place, blood overflowing from his mouth.
Yet he did not halt his steps, continuing his attack on Chen Ci.
Although Yan could not figure out what the previous pressure was about, that kind of pressure merely disrupted his soul power circulation for a fleeting instant, rather than continuously suppressing it.
Even so, his soul power had also been weakened by roughly thirty percent.
This time, Yan directly employed Granite Rock and his first soul skill, charging at Chen Ci clad in stone armor wrapped in flames.
Chen Ci immediately utilized the first soul skill of the Silver-Patterned Blue Silver Emperor, Water Element Control, and clear currents instantly flooded the entire duel platform, extinguishing the flames on Yan's body.
Following that, he used the second soul skill of the Gold-Patterned Blue Silver Emperor, Golden Dragon Tyrant Body-a strengthened version of the Golden Dragon Body, likewise a buff-type soul skill.
Having unleashed the Golden Dragon Tyrant Body, Chen Ci also charged toward Yan, matching him in the exceptional physical strength at which Yan himself excelled most.
Fist met fist between the two, and mere moments into a single exchange, Yan was blasted flying backward by Chen Ci.
He flew off the duel platform, landing deep within the Martial Arena, unconscious.
Chen Ci dismissed Water Element Control, four purple Thousand-Year Soul Rings orbiting his form as he said indifferently:
"I told you long ago that you wouldn't do, yet you insisted on striking a rock with an egg and trying to shake a tree with a mayfly."
Witnessing Chen Ci's combat prowess, Golden Crocodile Douluo's pupils constricted slightly as he announced:
"The first battle, Chen Ci wins.
"A five-minute intermission, after which the second battle begins."
Shortly after, a support-type Titled Douluo walked onto the duel platform to help Chen Ci recover his consumed soul power.
Chen Ci shook his head and said to Golden Crocodile Douluo:
"Second Worship, I require neither rest nor soul power replenishment.
"Let us begin the next battle directly!
"I want to win so thoroughly that they are convinced from the heart, leaving them with no further dissent!"
Before you continue