Across from him, Ji Hongchen's opponent also stepped onto the platform. He was a hulking man with a burly frame and bulging muscles, and his Martial Soul was a black bear.
"Come on!"
After activating Martial Soul Possession, Manli grew another size larger. He charged at Ji Hongchen menacingly, his bear paws sweeping toward him with gusts of wind.
"First Soul Skill, Furious Bear!"
Ji Hongchen's gaze remained calm. In his eyes, Manli's moves were riddled with openings.
He sprang into the air.
The next instant, he appeared directly behind Manli.
A sword flashed from its sheath.
Manli did not even have time to react. His vision blurred, then a sharp pain struck his chest, and his body suddenly felt much lighter.
Am I flying?
Manli muttered to himself.
Looking down, he realized he had been sent flying by a single sword strike.
With a thud.
Manli crashed heavily to the ground. Rubbing his dazed head, he looked at Ji Hongchen again, a little more awe in his eyes.
Fortunately, Ji Hongchen had not used the sword's edge.
Otherwise, that single strike would probably have cleaved him in two.
"I lost."
As Manli conceded defeat.
A few seconds later, cheers erupted around the platform.
After all, they had placed bets. With Ji Hongchen winning, they stood to make a tidy sum. Who would not be happy?
Besides, Ji Hongchen's performance had been so elegant.
Every movement carried an ethereal grace, giving him the air of an immortal sage. He was a delight to watch.
Elegant, noble, pleasing to the eye.
Compared with the bloody Soul Fighting of the past, this was the kind of Soul Fighting nobles ought to watch!
With the match over.
Ji Hongchen also departed with effortless grace.
Since this was his first Soul Fighting match in Heaven Dou, the odds on him were high. His stake tripled outright, netting him three thousand Gold Soul Coins, enough to cover several days of expenses.
Over the following month, Ji Hongchen came to compete in a Soul Fighting match every few days.
He had now reached twenty-eight consecutive wins.
Neither too high nor too low. If he still had no powerful backer by thirty consecutive wins, he would try breaking his streak once, rather than repeating his previous run of over eighty wins.
He had also successfully obtained the Gold Soul Fighting Badge.
When that day's match ended, Ji Hongchen prepared to leave as usual, but the Jinghong Sword inside him suddenly gave a soft hum, catching his attention.
"Someone's watching me?"
Ji Hongchen's heart stirred.
Surely no one's planning to assassinate me?
But he soon noticed that no hostility accompanied the gaze, allowing him to relax somewhat.
Only after he had walked far away did that gaze disappear.
Just then, a petite figure stepped down from a carriage and headed straight into Heaven Dou City's Soul Fighting Arena.
It was a young girl.
The girl was petite and delicate, with a cute face, and stood about a hundred and sixty centimeters tall. She wore a predominantly white dress, and her well-tended skin was as fair as snow.
She seemed to have a purpose in mind.
She went straight into the Soul Fighting Arena's administrative office.
"Miss Ning Rongrong? Why have you sneaked out alone again? Have you come to our Soul Fighting Arena for that 'Sword Lord' again?"
The staff member spoke with a smile.
This was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong, known as the Little Demoness. Although their Great Soul Arena had the backing of seven great families, they still dared not offend her.
"That's right. Where's Sword Lord's file? Hurry up and give it to me. I want to see it!"
Ning Rongrong urged him impatiently.
A small sword hung at her waist. Judging by its appearance, it seemed to have been modeled after Ji Hongchen's Jinghong Sword, and its materials looked quite fine.
As a Little Demoness who longed for battle.
She had fallen in love with Sword Lord's swordsmanship the first time she saw it. Unlike Grandpa Jian's Seven Kill Sword, Sword Lord's swordsmanship was more graceful. It was not only beautiful but immensely powerful—the very swordsmanship she had dreamed of.
She was now Sword Lord's die-hard fan.
The staff member looked troubled.
"Miss Ning Rongrong, as a matter of principle, our Soul Fighting Arena cannot disclose information about Soul Masters."
Ning Rongrong was displeased.
But her eyes darted, and an idea came to her.
"Oh~ So that's how it is. By the way, I suspect there's something wrong with Sword Lord's file. As a new investor in the Great Soul Arena, I have the right to inspect it."
The staff member froze.
Damn! The principle itself has shown up!
"Well, Miss Ning Rongrong, please follow me."
The staff member led Ning Rongrong to the records room and retrieved the file. This time, it contained not only Ji Hongchen's record in Heaven Dou City, but also his records at other Soul Fighting Arenas, which they had investigated a while ago.
After Ning Rongrong finished reading.
"My goodness, eighty-seven consecutive wins! If you count Heaven Dou, wouldn't that be a hundred and fifteen? Big Brother Sword Lord is way too strong!"
"And my Big Brother Sword Lord is only twelve!"
Ning Rongrong's heart pounded.
She felt she was about to fall hopelessly for him.
"You did well."
Ning Rongrong nodded in satisfaction, then tossed down a money pouch and turned to leave.
The staff member opened it and looked inside.
His eyes went wide.
There were no Gold Soul Coins inside, but rather a gold card worth ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. In other words, Ning Rongrong had casually tipped him ten thousand Gold Soul Coins.
After leaving the Soul Fighting Arena.
Ning Rongrong found her Dao Protection guardians. "Find someone to investigate everything about Sword Lord. The more detailed, the better. You must get it all cleared up as soon as possible."
Inside the hotel.
Ji Hongchen shivered.
His sword told him that someone seemed to have set their sights on him.
Ji Hongchen frowned.
He had not exposed anything, and his record was only twenty-eight consecutive wins. Surely that was not enough to attract unwanted attention?
I'll stay away from Soul Fighting for a few days and let the storm blow over.
Ji Hongchen thought to himself.
Then he took out the minerals he had purchased and fused them all into the Shadowstrike Sword.
After a wave of feedback.
Shadowstep also reached the level of an Upper-Grade Martial Soul. It grew lighter and lighter, and the damage it could inflict on shadows became even more terrifying.
"Eight hundred Gold Soul Coins left. I'll save them for betting."
Ji Hongchen put away the Gold Soul Coins.
Then he resumed practicing his swordsmanship. After several months of practice, he had now honed Divine Prohibition, the first of the Nine Sword Forms, to fiery perfection.
"Second Form, Ten Thousand Weapons!"
Ji Hongchen gave a low shout.
The two swords in his hands, Jinghong and Shadowstep, flew out and danced through the air, gradually splitting into countless swords that densely filled the sky.
But after only a few breaths.
Ji Hongchen felt dizzy.
He had no choice but to recall the swords.
"My Soul Power bar emptied before I even unleashed it!"
Ji Hongchen rubbed his aching brow. By his estimate, he would need to be at least a Soul Saint to unleash the true Ten Thousand Weapons.
At present, he could form only a few dozen flying swords at most.
"But that's enough. With dozens of flying swords attacking together, I'm confident I could kill even an ordinary Soul Elder if he tried to withstand them head-on."
A faint smile curled Ji Hongchen's lips.
After a day of sword practice, the sky had already darkened. Ji Hongchen soaked in a medicinal bath, then sat cross-legged on the bed.
He could not rest yet.
He now slept only one hour each day, practicing his swordsmanship during the day and replacing rest with sword pill meditation at night. His days could hardly have been more packed.
There was no helping it.
Tang San put far too much pressure on him.
Surely the title of the world's most miserable transmigrator belonged to none other than him?
Sitting cross-legged.
Ji Hongchen closed his eyes and carefully sensed the sword qi crisscrossing inside him. Under his deliberate guidance, it gradually passed through his meridians and finally gathered in his dantian, forming a vortex of sword qi.
The sword qi vortex continuously drew in and released Soul Power, nourishing the sword qi.
Like a soul core, it constantly replenished his Soul Power. However, it was still only an embryonic form, so the amount of Soul Power it absorbed was limited, and its speed was relatively slow.
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