Chapter 354: The Ranking Battles Begin – First Match: Feng Bailong

On the first day that Dugu Bo appeared at the venue, his presence was already known to all the major sects.

With a Title Douluo-level expert like Dugu Bo backing the Sky Sword Sect, no other sect dared to provoke them.

Now, as Dugu Bo stepped onto the arena stage, he was akin to the King of Hell holding the Book of Life and Death—his decisions could determine the fate of others.

As long as he didn't challenge the Snow Mountain Sect or the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, no one among the other sects could match him.

To these sects, Dugu Bo's gaze was akin to the King of Hell calling out names—those who were chosen would be eliminated.

"Please select your opponent," the referee announced.

Meanwhile, Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo grew extremely tense.

If Dugu Bo's toxins were to spread through the wind, over ninety percent of the people in the arena would die instantly.

As the head of security for this conference, they had to prevent such a disaster from occurring.

"Wind Sword Sect."

When Dugu Bo uttered those three words, many sects felt relieved, but everyone from the Wind Sword Sect wore somber expressions.

Feng Bailong was the strongest member of the Wind Sword Sect, yet his strength was still inferior to Huyan Zhen's.

Facing Dugu Bo, a Title Douluo at level 95, the outcome was obvious.

However, Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo's expression became even more troubled.

The Wind Sword Sect's inherited spirit, the Wind Sword, inherently possessed wind-attribute abilities.

During their battle, the winds slashed by Feng Bailong would inevitably scatter Dugu Bo's poison mist, causing widespread casualties.

Moreover, Dugu Bo's strength was on par with theirs, and his potent toxins made them wary.

The referee turned their gaze toward the Wind Sword Sect and urged, "Wind Sword Sect, who will you send to the stage?"

After a brief discussion, Feng Bailong remained calm and said evenly, "We concede."

As soon as he spoke, the entire arena erupted in shock.

Before the competition, many had predicted that the Wind Sword Sect would secure one of the new lower four positions.

Their decision to surrender without a fight came as a complete surprise.

Down below, Ning Tianchen didn't see the Wind Sword Sect's concession as cowardice.

From the start of the conference until now, Feng Bailong had never stepped onto the battlefield. At this point, engaging in a fierce battle with Dugu Bo for a spectacular match wasn't what they wanted.

They wouldn't win the match anyway, and it would expose their cards, making the Wind Sword Sect's subsequent revival match much harder.

Since the Wind Sword Sect's goal was a spot among the lower four, fighting in a revival match wasn't a bad option either.

Dugu Bo returned to his seat, looking thoroughly uninterested.

Seeing this, Ning Tianchen chuckled and said, "Don't worry, there'll be plenty of opportunities for action later."

The ranking battles were the main focus of this conference, while the elimination rounds were just a prelude.

After the Sky Sword Sect took action, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Snow Mountain Sect followed suit.

Ning Fengzhi's original plan was for both the Snow Mountain Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to act simultaneously, forcing the Elephant Armor Sect and the Holy Dragon Sect to reveal their trump cards. This would make things easier for the Sky Sword Sect in the later matches.

However, Ning Tianchen hadn't accepted their kind gesture.

Neither Huyan Zhen nor Tuoba Xi were fools. Knowing they couldn't win, why would they go all out?

In any case, only seven sects could enter the final ranking battles. Even if the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Snow Mountain Sect didn't act, the Elephant Armor Sect and the Holy Dragon Sect would eventually have to eliminate other sects.

---

After a series of intense battles, only the seven great sects remained on the field.

Aside from the three major sects—the Sky Sword Sect, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and the Snow Mountain Sect—the remaining sects were the Steenbok Sect, the Elephant Armor Sect, the Holy Dragon Sect, and the Black Tiger Sect.

Next, the eliminated major sects would have one chance at a revival match.

Feng Bailong immediately declared his intention to challenge the Steenbok Sect.

The Hornet Sect challenged the Black Tiger Sect.

The remaining sects also wanted to act, but aside from the Elephant Armor Sect, all the others had Title Douluo-level experts backing them, and the Elephant Armor Sect's strength wasn't weak either. After much deliberation, they decided to forgo the revival match opportunity.

First up was the Hornet Sect versus the Black Tiger Sect.

In the original timeline, the Black Tiger Sect was also one of the new top three sects, ranked just below the Elephant Armor Sect and the Holy Dragon Sect. In terms of strength, they far surpassed the Hornet Sect.

As expected, the leader of the Black Tiger Sect won the match cleanly and decisively.

The next match was between the Steenbok Sect and the Wind Sword Sect.

The Steenbok Sect's inherited spirit was the Rock Antelope—a powerful defensive spirit with impressive charging capabilities.

Feng Bailong's attacks struggled to break through her defense, and Feng Bailong himself had weak defenses. If she managed to ram into him, the match would be over without question.

"Kid, who do you think will win?" Dugu Bo casually asked.

The strengths of these two sects were roughly equal, but luck had played a big part in the Steenbok Sect's survival so far.

"If it drags on, Feng Bailong isn't a match," Ning Tianchen replied frankly.

Once the match began, the leader of the Steenbok Sect leveraged her strengths, taking the central position on the stage and using her formidable defense to withstand Feng Bailong's attacks.

This match was quite entertaining. Both sects' goals were simply to secure a spot among the lower four, not caring about their exact rankings. As long as they entered the ranking battles, their mission was accomplished regardless of the outcome.

Both sides went all out in this match. With their spirit true bodies activated, they delivered an intense clash of soul skills.

Surprisingly, despite having the advantage of time, place, and people, the leader of the Steenbok Sect lost the entire match due to a minor mistake.

Although Feng Bailong hadn't reached the realm of sword mastery, his skill in wielding the Wind Sword was second only to Ning Tianchen and Chen Xin.

In the end, Feng Bailong seized victory decisively, successfully securing the Wind Sword Sect's place among the seven great sects.

It should be noted that sects that advanced through revival matches couldn't be challenged by others. Thus, the Wind Sword Sect's position among the lower four was now secured.

Dugu Bo laughed and said, "Kid, you tried to snatch a chicken and ended up losing some rice instead. Now, you're really in for it during the sect leader battles."

Feng Bailong was also a sword fanatic. He wasn't a match for Chen Xin, and since Ning Tianchen was Chen Xin's disciple, he would surely come to challenge him.

Ning Tianchen shrugged and earnestly replied, "Then I'll let him know why the Seven Kill Sword is the continent's number one weapon-type spirit."

The elimination rounds officially concluded, and the ranking battles were set to begin the next day.

The host gave a brief thank-you speech before announcing the end of the elimination rounds.

However, the Spirit Hall offered a small perk to all participating sects: everyone could watch the ranking battles live at the venue.

---

Back at the hotel, Ning Tianchen and the others didn't rest.

Now that the list of the seven great sects was finalized, they needed to make targeted preparations.

Originally, they planned to concede directly when facing the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Snow Mountain Sect, but Ning Tianchen had changed his mind.

"When facing the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, I'll fight Grandpa in the sect leader battle. When facing the Snow Mountain Sect, Elder Yang Wudi, you'll fight Tian Guozhen in the elder battle."

Ning Tianchen was just one step away from entering the realm of sword mastery, and sparring with Chen Xin might help him take that final step.

Of course, a battle between grandfather and grandson would primarily serve as guidance rather than a life-or-death struggle.

Yang Wudi let out a hearty laugh, rubbing his fists. "Let me test the Snow Mountain Sect's number one genius. I hope he doesn't disappoint me."

"One generation gives way to the next; the young replace the old," Dugu Bo sighed. "Never before in the history of the re-selection conferences of the seven great sects have we seen such young faces. It won't be long before the continent belongs to you youngsters."

Ning Tianchen's talent was evident to him. If Tian Guozhen earned Ning Tianchen's respect, his potential clearly matched his own.

Dugu Bo couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

In his youth, the youngest Title Douluo on the continent was still in their fifties. By the time of Tang Hao, the age had dropped to forty-four.

Now, with Ning Tianchen and Tian Guozhen, this record was likely to be broken again.

Silence reigned throughout the night, and dawn arrived swiftly the next morning.

The seven great sects entered the venue, where the Spirit Hall had prepared separate lounges for them.

Behind them, the audience seats were packed with spectators from various participating sects.

Ordinarily, seeing a Title Douluo was a once-in-a-century event. Now, witnessing battles between Title Douluos was an experience worth the trip for these sects' experts.

Not long after, the Spirit Hall's guards cleared a path through the crowd.

Pope Bibi Dong, surrounded by countless strong individuals, walked toward the main platform.

Following behind her was Hu Liena, and further back were Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo and the others.

The young man accompanying the Pope immediately sparked intense discussions among the spectators.

Even Dugu Bo couldn't resist commenting, "It seems the Pope is grooming Hu Liena as her closed-door disciple. The future Pope of the Spirit Hall will likely be her."

Ning Tianchen didn't respond.

The internal situation of the Spirit Hall was complex. Even if Bibi Dong fully supported Hu Liena, as long as the Offering Hall and the Elder Hall opposed her, Hu Liena wouldn't be able to rise to power.

Upon reaching the main platform, Bibi Dong turned and faced the direction of the seven great sects' rest area.

"Silence!"

Chrysanthemum Douluo shouted, and the noise in the arena gradually faded.

Bibi Dong lightly parted her crimson lips and calmly said, "On behalf of the Spirit Hall, I congratulate you all for breaking through the brutal elimination rounds and becoming one of the seven great sects."

"The upcoming ranking battles will be even more ruthless. The difference between victory and defeat will determine your rankings."

After delivering her formal speech, Bibi Dong took her seat on the high platform behind. Hu Liena stepped forward to take over the speaking duties.

"After the rankings of the seven great sects are finalized, the Spirit Hall will announce them to the entire continent. We hope that all of you will fight for the honor of your sects and display the demeanor of true powerhouses."

"Without further ado, the matches will proceed in a round-robin format. Now, we will decide your respective opponents through a draw."

"Uncle Zhao Wuji, go draw the lots," Ning Tianchen instructed.

Since they would eventually face off against all six other sects, it didn't matter who they drew first or last—it made no real difference.

---

The drawing concluded, and the matches officially began.

"The first match of the first round of the ranking battles: Sky Sword Sect versus Wind Sword Sect," the referee announced.

Both sect names contained the word "sword," and both sect leaders possessed sword-type spirits.

As soon as the referee's voice fell, it immediately ignited the audience's interest.

The spectators were eager to see just how big the gap was between the Seven Kill Sword and the Wind Sword.

"Which battle do you wish to start with—elder battle or sect leader battle?" the referee asked, addressing both sects.

"Sect leader battle," Feng Bailong replied without hesitation.

The referee then turned his gaze toward Ning Tianchen.

If the two sides had differing preferences, a coin toss would decide.

Ning Tianchen stood up and walked toward the arena.

His actions already spoke for themselves.

The referee announced once more, "Sky Sword Sect versus Wind Sword Sect, the sect leader battle is about to begin. Both sides, please prepare."

Seeing Ning Tianchen's youthful face, the audience erupted into murmurs.

"Wow, the leader of the Sky Sword Sect is this young? At this age, he's probably only in his early twenties?"

It was well-known that although Feng Bailong looked young, he had been famous on the continent for a long time, and many people were aware of his actual age.

A fifty-something-year-old elder choosing to fight a twenty-something youth—such a reputation wouldn't sound good if spread.

Moreover, it was Feng Bailong who had actively chosen the sect leader battle.

"Who knows what the Sky Sword Sect is thinking, letting such a young man become their sect leader!"

"Oh my god, I bet on the Sky Sword Sect winning—don't mess with me!"

This was an official competition, and both the Spirit Hall and various private bookmakers had opened betting pools.

After all, there weren't many forms of entertainment on the continent, so betting had become one of them.

Both sect leaders simultaneously stepped onto the stage.

Feng Bailong clasped his fists together and said, "Thank you. You are the grandson of Sword Dao Chen Xin and also possess the Seven Kill Sword spirit. I assume you studied under him. By battling you, I hope to experience the true might of the Seven Kill Sword."

Polite words indeed.

Ning Tianchen smiled inwardly and replied, "Sect Leader Feng, please guide me."

The audience couldn't hear their exchange and found their politeness excessive.

For a moment, some felt deeply dissatisfied. "What is Feng Bailong doing? Against someone so young, shouldn't he just attack directly? Why so polite!?"

From the main platform, Yan sneered, "Arrogant. You'll get what's coming to you soon enough!"

In truth, only Feng Bailong himself knew how terrifying Ning Tianchen truly was.

Even by simply standing there, the aura surrounding Ning Tianchen was enough to make ordinary people tremble.

At the referee's signal, the battle began.

Eight soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black—appeared beneath Feng Bailong's feet.

"Feng Bailong, eighty-sixth level strong offensive system battle Soul Douluo."

Not to be outdone, eight soul rings—black, black, black, black, black, black, red, red—quickly appeared around Ning Tianchen.

"Please guide me."

"What the heck is this soul ring configuration!?"

The entire audience rose to their feet. They had never seen such an outrageous soul ring setup.

Possessing hundred-thousand-year soul rings was understandable, but why were the earlier rings upgraded to ten-thousand years?

Seeing Yan's troubled expression, Xie Yue patted his shoulder and bitterly remarked, "He's already completely left us in the dust. Just let it go—don't set this monster as your goal."

Beside them, Bibi Dong carefully scrutinized Ning Tianchen.

Upon seeing the divine trial mark on his forehead, her expression changed, and she furrowed her brows.

"Teacher, he…" Hu Liena gaped in disbelief.

Bibi Dong said in a low voice, "Eighty-second level."

In the rest area, Chen Xin proudly looked at Gu Rong, unable to suppress his smile. "Old bones, did you see that? That's my grandson—not someone your disciple can compare to."

Gu Rong sneered but unusually refrained from retorting.

He had seen Zhu Zhuqing's diligence in cultivation.

If there was anyone to blame, it was Ning Tianchen's monstrous talent. His rate of improvement was beyond comprehension for ordinary people.

---

On the arena stage.

Even though he couldn't see, Feng Bailong could clearly sense Ning Tianchen's soul ring configuration through the pressure emanating from them.

Underneath his eye bandage, his brows gradually furrowed. He hadn't expected Ning Tianchen's opportunities to surpass even those of Chen Xin.

With the situation as it was, he had no choice but to press forward.

"First soul skill, Wind Blade!"

Feng Bailong struck first, aiming to seize control of the battle and close the gap created by their soul rings.

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