A dozen minutes later.
On the square before the Council Hall, a fierce spirit duel came to an end under Qian Renxue's intervention.
A level 51 assault-type Soul King wearing Thousand Refinement Battle Armor, wielding a blood-red great axe and bearing the optimal spirit ring configuration, fought to a draw with a level 71 assault-type Soul Sage holding a black long spear, whose seven spirit rings shone yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black.
"Not bad."
Seeing the duel end in a draw, Chu Chengzhou nodded in satisfaction.
Of course, if they had kept fighting, the winner would definitely have been the seven-ring Soul Sage.
Because the Soul Sage with the spear still had plenty of spirit power and was still maintaining Martial Soul Avatar, while the five-ring Soul King with the axe had exhausted his spirit power after an intense battle.
It could only be said that after donning Thousand Refinements Battle Armor, a five-ring Soul King could match a seven-ring Soul Sage, but in a war of attrition he would likely lose to a seven-ring Soul Sage.
However, if he did not choose to clash head-on, a five-ring Soul King in Thousand Refinements Battle Armor still had a chance to defeat a seven-ring Soul Sage.
The method was not hard. From the fight just now, when the gap in spirit power rank was around twenty levels, a Soul Sage using Martial Soul Avatar still could not crush a Battle Armor Soul King.
Moreover, while Thousand Refinements Battle Armor greatly boosted a Soul King's strength, it also provided very solid defense, far surpassing mere Thousand Refinements or even Spirit Refinements regular metal armor.
Without Martial Soul Avatar, a Soul Sage could not beat a Battle Armor Soul King. Once Martial Soul Avatar was activated, if the Battle Armor Soul King could withstand the Soul Sage's assault, avoid direct trades, and drag out the rhythm, then in the end the Battle Armor Soul King could win with ease.
After all, a Soul Sage's Martial Soul Avatar has a limited duration, and most Soul Sages will fall into a certain degree of weakness after using it.
"To let a five-ring Soul King match a seven-ring Soul Sage, this Battle Armor is indeed a fine treasure."
Qian Renxue gave a very fair comment.
"By the way, as far as I know, the metal-forging secret art you created is ranked from low to high as Thousand Refinement, Spirit Refinement, Soul Refinement, and Heavenly Refinement.
If Thousand Refinement Battle Armor lets a five-ring Soul King match a seven-ring Soul Sage, by that logic wouldn't Spirit Refinement Battle Armor let a six-ring Soul Emperor match an eight-ring Soul Douluo? Then what about Soul Refinement Battle Armor and Heavenly Refinement Battle Armor?"
Qian Renxue thought of a key point and hurriedly asked.
Rubbing his chin, Chu Chengzhou said, "Soul Refinement Battle Armor can let a seven-ring Soul Sage match a newly advanced nine-ring Titled Douluo, but the prerequisite is that the Battle Armor Soul Sage possesses a domain.
Of course, if the comparison target is a weakling Titled Douluo like She Long, then no domain is fine.
As for Heavenly Refinement Battle Armor, only Titled Douluo can wear it.
Since the gaps between each level at the Titled Douluo stage are not small, the boost is not as great as before. At most it can let a nine-ring Titled Douluo match a level 99 Limit Douluo.
And the Titled Douluo wearing Heavenly Refinement Battle Armor cannot have a poor foundation. At the very least, he cannot be a weakling like She Long."
At once, Qian Renxue could not help drawing a sharp breath. She quickly sent a voice transmission: "Heavenly Refinement Battle Armor can let a Titled Douluo match an expert like my grandfather?"
"No. Heavenly Refinement Battle Armor can only let a Titled Douluo with a decent foundation match an ordinary level 99 Limit Douluo.
Unless he is already level 99, even with Heavenly Refinement Battle Armor he likely would not be a match for your grandfather."
Chu Chengzhou shook his head.
Do not be fooled by Qian Daoliu's spirit power still being level 99. That Heaven-Invincible is not someone an ordinary level 99 Limit Douluo can hope to compare to. In later terms, Qian Daoliu is a half-god expert.
Compared to later half-gods, Qian Daoliu simply has not condensed a soul core.
It must be said, the fact that level 99 Tang Chen could stand toe-to-toe with the half-god Qian Daoliu shows his strength was truly not weak.
"Uh, isn't my grandfather a level 99 Limit Douluo?"
Qian Renxue asked somewhat blankly.
The difference between a Limit Douluo and a half-god had clearly hit a blind spot for her.
Chu Chengzhou explained, "Put it this way. Although a level 99 spirit master is only one step from level 100 and becoming a god, in reality the gap is still large. Your grandfather is only half a step from level 100 and godhood. It is just that, as a divine priest, he can never take that half step in this life."
Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi can be said to have been made by being divine priests, and also limited by being divine priests.
If not divine priests, it is unlikely the two could have become half-gods of their era, and they might not even have reached level 99.
But for the same reason, precisely because they are divine priests, their road to godhood is cut off.
If not for that identity, then given that Qian Daoliu is only a little over one hundred fifty years old and Bo Saixi is even younger, they would not necessarily have no chance to ascend to godhood in the future.
"I see. By the way, what level is your spirit power now?"
Arching her brow, Qian Renxue carefully sized up Chu Chengzhou.
Chu Chengzhou usually restrained his own aura, so Qian Renxue could not see through him.
"Hehe."
Chu Chengzhou smiled and said nothing.
"Hehe? What do you mean by that?"
Feeling mocked, Qian Renxue's gaze turned unfriendly.
"Uh, nothing. I advanced to Titled Douluo a while back."
Chu Chengzhou did not say more, not wanting to provoke the strong-willed Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue: "."
Fixing Chu Chengzhou with a deep look, Qian Renxue turned without a word and headed back into the great hall.
Why?
She was anxious.
Qian Renxue planned to wrap up affairs here in Heaven Dou as soon as possible, then return to Spirit Hall to begin the Angel God Trial. Otherwise, if one day Chu Chengzhou suddenly became a god, she would have to share this man with several other women.
"Hm? Took it to heart?"
Watching Qian Renxue hurry back inside, Chu Chengzhou clicked his tongue, then followed.
Sunset passed. Night fell. Faint starlight spilled over the land shrouded in darkness.
Tonight, Chu Chengzhou did not stay at the Heaven Dou imperial palace, nor did he go to Moon Pavilion to find Big Sister. He lay honestly on a lounge chair in his own courtyard, basking in the moonlight.
By the early hours, the super-divine secret art Elemental Fusion would be completed. This secret art concerned his future path and was crucial. Chu Chengzhou intended to abstain from lust for the night to show his "heart toward the path."
Of course, his heart toward the path was not as firm as the human instinct toward lust. He would abstain only for tonight.
It is said: food and desire are human nature.
Time passed unconsciously, and in the blink of an eye several hours went by.
Suddenly, just as Chu Chengzhou had been waiting until it was getting late, a stream of profound feedback surged into his mind.
Soon after, another great wave of mysterious insights flooded his mind.