Another Battle with Chen Xin
Following Chen Xin out of the main hall, Chen Yuan couldn't help but reflect on what Ning Fengzhi had just revealed.
In half a month, the eldest prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe, would come to formally become Ning Fengzhi's disciple.
To Ning Fengzhi, this was a golden opportunity for the sect to influence the empire and further its development.
However, the so-called "Eldest Prince" Xue Qinghe was not a real prince. He was actually a spy from the Spirit Hall—Qian Renxue, the daughter of the former Pope Qian Xunji and the current Pope Bibi Dong.
Chen Yuan sighed inwardly. While I'm growing rapidly under my teacher's protection, the world's events are also progressing. It seems I need to accelerate my own growth.
As for warning Ning Fengzhi, Chen Yuan had no intention of doing so. It would only bring unnecessary danger. The key to facing the future was to seize opportunities and grow stronger while letting events unfold naturally.
By now, it was late at night. After returning to their courtyard, Chen Xin instructed the kitchen to prepare some food for himself and Chen Yuan. Once they had eaten their fill, they each returned to their rooms to cultivate.
Although Chen Xin was already a Titled Douluo, he had never slacked off in his cultivation. He meditated every night without fail.
Chen Yuan, on the other hand, always felt a sense of urgency. Even though he had just absorbed his second soul ring and become a Soul Grandmaster, he didn't neglect his training.
The night deepened, and soon, morning arrived…
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The next day!
Chen Yuan woke up early as usual and headed to the training ground. However, instead of using the eight-jin iron sword, he switched to a sixteen-jin one.
After absorbing his second soul ring—a thousand-year soul ring—his physical strength had increased significantly, so his training intensity naturally had to keep up.
After completing 300 sword swings with the sixteen-jin iron sword, Chen Yuan was drenched in sweat but not completely exhausted.
As he took a short break, Chen Xin, who had been watching from the side, stepped forward and said:
"Yuan'er, today we'll do some combat training. You absorbed your second soul ring yesterday, so I want to see how much your strength has improved. Also, today I'll be a bit more serious."
With that, Chen Xin raised his right hand. As light flickered in his palm, the Seven Kill Sword appeared. At the same time, nine soul rings rose from beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and five black. They rotated ominously, exuding the terrifying pressure of a Titled Douluo.
Chen Yuan was surprised but more so delighted. This was a perfect opportunity to test his strength against his teacher.
He put away the training iron sword and reached out, summoning his own Seven Kill Sword. A yellow and a purple soul ring rose from beneath his feet.
Chen Yuan could feel the overwhelming pressure emanating from Chen Xin, so he decided to go all out from the start. He shouted:
"Teacher, I won't hold back! First soul skill, The Sword Emerges! Second soul skill, Boiling Killing Intent!"
The yellow and purple soul rings beneath Chen Yuan's feet lit up in succession. His Seven Kill Sword was enveloped in invisible currents, and its blade took on a crimson hue. Threads of killing intent flowed from the sword into his body, stimulating him until his blood seemed to boil. A surge of killing intent rushed to his brain, turning his eyes blood-red.
Although his body didn't expand much, it was clear that he had transformed into something different—a ruthless killing machine.
His strength, speed, resistance… all increased by 100%, and his pain tolerance dropped significantly. He was indeed a killing machine.
"Ha!"
The surging power coursing through his body made Chen Yuan feel better than ever. He was eager to experience the thrill of tearing his enemies apart with the Seven Kill Sword.
Bang!
Chen Yuan's right foot slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave outward. Using the rebound force, he charged at Chen Xin with terrifying speed and ferocity.
Chen Xin frowned slightly as he observed Chen Yuan's blood-red eyes and the overwhelming killing intent radiating from him. While the amplification from this soul skill was impressive, if it had too great an impact on his mental state, it would become a life-or-death technique.
As Chen Yuan closed in, Chen Xin swiftly raised his sword, blocking the attack with a crisp clang.
The force behind Chen Yuan's strike was estimated to be over four hundred jin. For an eight-year-old, this strength was already comparable to that of an adult.
However, compared to Chen Xin, this level of strength was insignificant. With a slight exertion of force, Chen Xin sent Chen Yuan flying backward.
Chen Yuan flew through the air for about seven or eight meters before stabilizing himself. Upon landing, he bent his knees slightly and charged at Chen Xin again.
Chen Yuan's blood-red eyes seemed devoid of emotion, but he hadn't lost his rationality. His movements were still precise, and his Seven Kill Sword techniques—thrusts, slashes, parries, and cuts—were executed with deadly precision.
Chen Xin was pleasantly surprised. Although he could easily suppress Chen Yuan, he was, after all, a Titled Douluo. He was certain that even a Soul Elder would struggle to suppress his disciple.
With a single swing of his sword, Chen Xin sent Chen Yuan flying once more. He then called out in a deep voice:
"That's enough, Yuan'er. Stop attacking. I've seen your strength."
As he spoke, Chen Xin watched Chen Yuan closely, wanting to see if he could control the effects of his soul skill.
After taking three deep breaths, Chen Yuan closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the blood-red hue had faded, replaced by his usual black-and-white eyes. The power surging through his body gradually dissipated, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
"Teacher…"
Chen Xin finally smiled. The fact that Chen Yuan could resist the soul skill's influence and shake off the killing intent pleased him greatly.
He then retracted his martial soul and said to Chen Yuan:
"Very impressive. Your first and second soul skills allow you to unleash combat power comparable to a Soul Elder. Your Seven Kill Sword techniques have also reached a proficient level. In close combat, few would be able to gain an advantage over you. As for the 'Killing Intent,' once you can wield a sixty-four-jin iron sword as effortlessly as your own arm, you'll have truly mastered it."
"Yuan'er, as things stand now, I'm very satisfied with your progress. What you need to do from here is continue training diligently until you've truly mastered these skills."
Chen Yuan also retracted his martial soul and bowed respectfully:
"All of this is thanks to your careful guidance, Teacher."
Chen Xin clasped his hands behind his back and, after a moment of thought, spoke in a serious tone:
"Our family has another inherited secret technique, which I will now pass on to you. However, your current strength is still insufficient to use it effectively."
"This secret technique is called 'Soul Ring Refinement.' As the name suggests, it involves refining soul rings directly. Soul rings are, in essence, a form of energy. When we use soul skills, we don't fully utilize this energy. By refining the soul ring's energy into your martial soul, you can gain power beyond your limits."
"This is extremely difficult. To suppress a soul ring as energy, your own soul power must be exceptionally dense. Even I haven't fully mastered this technique yet…"
(End of Chapter)
Word Count : 1,269
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