Playing with Fire

Beneath the statues of Tianyan Academy, Lu Chen endured the pressure of myriad wills, his sea of qi furnace humming and vibrating, the energy flowing in all liquefying.

It was like rain falling within the sea of qi furnace.

The moment it fell, it surged into the sphere at the center.

Lu Chen's aura also rose wave after wave.

Xiong Yao and Fang Jiuding were also within, cultivating separately.

The aura of the Golden Core Realm clashed with the will of the statues, continuously stirring up energy vortices.

Lu Chen suddenly looked up.

Outside Tianyan Academy, there was a sudden sound of breaking air.

A bronze war chariot pulled by nine Crimson Scale Beasts crushed through the clouds, the "Tianyu" battle flag planted on the chariot shaft fluttering in the wind.

The chariot curtain was lifted, and a purple-robed youth stepped out slowly. Spiritual energy solidified into steps beneath his feet, and with each step, the surrounding rocks trembled and fell.

"Lu Chen, come out!" the youth stood with his hands behind his back, his voice shaking the heavens.

Lu Chen's eyes turned cold.

Tianyu Academy really didn't know the meaning of keeping a low profile.

Last time they dealt with the nine Qing Luan, and now it's nine Crimson Scale Beasts. Do they think they're so great just because they have more heads!

"Spit it out if you have something to say, don't delay your grandpa's cultivation!"

Xiao Chen snorted coldly, "Return to Tianyu Academy with me to accept your punishment!"

"What a big mouth! Look above your head, your bird is flying to the sky!"

Pfft pfft!

Xiong Yao and Fang Jiuding both spat.

His mouth is truly venomous!

"You're asking for death!" Xiao Chen's face sank, fierce light flashing in his eyes. He raised his sword, and sword energy surged towards the sky.

"Set up the arena!"

Rumble...

The ground outside the mountain shook, and a massive arena erupted from the earth.

The Tianyu students who had followed brought out the prepared arena.

"Come out and fight, dare you or not?" Xiao Chen roared.

Lu Chen sneered, "You say fight and I fight? Who do you think you are!"

"You don't dare? You trash of Tianyan, I knew you wouldn't dare, humph!"

"Fight, fight, fight..."

The roars of Tianyu disciples echoed outside the sect.

Lu Chen stood up and walked out of the statue cluster. He glanced back, his eyes flashing slightly.

He looked at Xiao Chen and said, "I'll fight, but see those statues of will? Not many, I bet six!"

"Get on with it!"

Xiao Chen descended onto the arena and shouted.

"Where are your statues?" Lu Chen sneered.

"You think you can win against me? Ridiculous!"

"And if you win? Oh, I guess you don't have the ability to bring out statues. Get lost!"

"Well played, advancing by retreating!" Xiao Chen roared.

"If you have the ability, bring out the statues. If you can't, then get lost. You're an unvalued piece of trash, trying to find a sense of presence here, I won't give it to you!"

Pfft pfft pfft...

Many people were greatly provoked.

Not daring to fight is not daring to fight, yet they speak so righteously.

"A bet is a bet, do you think I'm afraid of you!" Xiao Chen coldly shouted.

"Agreed!" a voice echoed from the deep void.

The figure of Old Ancestor Tianyan suddenly appeared above the broken hall. "Since that's the case, let's bet!"

He slammed his wine gourd onto the ground: "No one above the third level of Golden Core is allowed in. Those who violate this will have their necks snapped by this old man!"

The sound wave, carrying divine might, spread out. Several divine senses probing from the clouds hastily retreated.

Soon, six statues were brought to the foot of the mountain.

The one in the lead was an old man.

"Begin!" Just as the other party was about to bow to Old Ancestor Tianyan, Old Ancestor Tianyan ignored him, waved his hand, and the turbulent flow of will at the mountain gate disappeared. Lu Chen strode out, carrying the Soul Severing Saber.

The tip of the blade scraped across the bluestone, sparking.

War drums sounded as Lu Chen ascended the stage.

Xiao Chen brought his fingers together and swept them across his scabbard, releasing nine sword souls that emerged one after another, forming the Big Dipper formation in the air.

Before the sword qi could even be unleashed, the ancient trees surrounding them snapped in half, their cuts as smooth as mirrors.

"This is Tianyu's 'Seven Star Sword Array,' please offer your guidance."

He pointed his fingers like a sword, transforming into a hundred-zhang-long azure dragon that lunged straight for Lu Chen's face.

Lu Chen stomped on wind and thunder, retreating rapidly while simultaneously summoning his clone's furnace.

He didn't want to expose his true trump card.

The furnace spun, and all the sword qi was swallowed by it.

"Tricks!"

Xiao Chen changed his sword seals, unleashing both swords simultaneously.

Ice and fire dragons intertwined, freezing and burning the very air wherever they passed.

Boom!

The external furnace clashed head-on with them, barely holding back the assault, though cracks had already spread across its surface.

A clone of Lu Chen suddenly appeared in a blind spot of the battle formation, the qi of his Soul Severing Saber surging:

"Explode!"

The saber qi detonated as commanded, violently shaking Xiao Chen's protective spiritual light, his expression changing drastically.

A clone, that bastard actually had a clone.

Seizing the moment of his opponent's slowed movement, the external furnace expanded explosively like a small mountain, drawing in the remaining six sword souls!

"Take this back!" The furnace mouth flipped, and the corrupted, pitch-black sword light shot back out.

Xiao Chen hastily formed seals, but the sword light's trajectory was bizarre and hard to track, and the Seven Star formation turned on him, trapping him.

One wrong move, and the whole game is lost.

The instant the saber's aura broke through his protective spiritual light, the jade pendant at Xiao Chen's waist flared brightly.

The magic power barrier barely blocked the fatal blow, but it also sealed his defeat.

Xiao Chen stared at the disintegrating sword light and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood from his heart.

Old Ancestor Tianyan's sleeve flicked, and an Immortal Binding Rope flew out, coiling around the statue and pulling it back.

The moment the broken Saber Venerable Statue fell into the mountain gate, all eighteen existing statues trembled in unison, and a vast Martial Dao Will surged towards the heavens, illuminating the Yanjing night sky as brightly as day.

Pfft!

Overwhelmed by the stimulus, Xiao Chen spat out a mouthful of blood.

Especially seeing the expression of the elder supervising the match, his heart sank.

He had gone too far.

Six statues of will!

The other disciples stood frozen as if struck by lightning, all looking utterly bewildered.

He lost!

A senior brother in the Golden Core third-layer had been defeated by someone in the Qi Surge eighth-layer.

Many Foundation Establishment disciples couldn't help but tremble.

There were many people present who wanted to make a name for themselves off Lu Chen.

If Senior Brother Xiao lost, what were they?

"Anyone in the Golden Core third-layer can challenge me freely. This time, it's just one statue, dare you?"

Lu Chen looked at the elder.

"Go back!" The elder coldly yelled, turned around with a grim expression, and left.

Xiao Chen had been careless, but wasn't he too?

The Seven Star battle formation's assistance... it had all failed.

"Hey, hey, hey, where are you running off to? Even fourth-layer is fine!"

The elder suddenly turned around, "Are you serious?"

"Serious!"

"Betting three statues!"

"Three statues it is!" Lu Chen smiled.

"Call Wan Tong over!" the elder roared.

"Don't forget the statues too!" Lu Chen added.

"This is too much!" Xiong Yao's body flickered.

"Wan Tong, you freak, my junior brother is finished!" Fang Jiuding's expression also changed slightly. He secretly glanced at the Old Ancestor, finding his expression calm and undisturbed.

Little did they know, the old man was practically bursting with excitement.

It was one thing for Lu Chen to have monstrous combat power, but the key was his personality, dragging his opponents step by step into an abyss. The academy needed people like him.

Of course, Tianyu Academy's arrogance also played a part.

A moment later, a figure shot over from a distance. Before the person even arrived, a fierce aura swept over them.

It was like a ferocious beast.

The instant Wan Tong stepped onto the stage, the mountains seemed to be trampled by a giant beast, and the bluestone slabs cracked inch by inch.

His physique was as imposing as an iron tower, with bulging veins on his bare arms. With every step, a fierce aura erupted from his pores, coalescing behind him into a three-headed, six-armed Asura phantom.

"A mere Qi Surge Realm cultivator dares to be so arrogant?" Wan Tong sneered. His right fist suddenly expanded threefold, engulfed in terrifying fierce winds, and smashed down.

Lu Chen's pupils contracted sharply. The furnace outside his body instantly expanded in response.

The furnace's opening pulsed with a faint glow, tearing the Asura's fierce aura into shreds and devouring it.

The energy that fed back into him flowed like lava into his meridians, and the Soul Severing Saber's energy shone like the midday sun.

"Take this back!"

The saber energy transformed into a blood-red phoenix, spreading its wings and lunging forward.

Blood Qi Mimicry, an ability Lu Chen gained at Qi Surge seventh level.

Wan Tong neither dodged nor retreated, blocking with his left arm.

The phoenix phantom collided with his bronze-colored skin, erupting with the clang of metal striking metal.

This guy had actually tempered his physical body to be comparable to a spirit artifact!

"That tickles." Wan Tong slammed his fists together, and the Asura phantom swung all six arms.

A rain of fist shadows poured down like meteorites, and the stage's barrier exploded, causing the observing Tianyu disciples to hastily retreat.