The crowd gathered to watch consisted either of elites from the Lower Four Sects or senior members of the Spirit Hall. All of them were curious to witness the true strength of the younger generation from the Upper Three Sects.
When Gu Xuan finally stepped up to Yu Tianming, the crowd instinctively backed away, giving the two plenty of space to duel.
Even the usually reclusive Dugu Yan was drawn to the excitement, watching from a distant pavilion overlooking the gathered spectators.
Seeing Gu Xuan's aggressive demeanor, Yu Tianming chuckled lightly and said, "So this is the so-called genius Ning Rongrong speaks of? Looks like nothing but a self-proclaimed hero to me."
Ever since Yu Yuanzhen's breakthrough, Yu Tianming no longer concerned himself with Ning Rongrong's feelings. Her insistence on sparring had only irked him more, prompting him to mock Gu Xuan openly.
Gu Xuan narrowed his eyes, his voice hoarse and low. "Is the young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan always this arrogant? I'm afraid you don't have the strength to back it up."
Although he knew Yu Tianming possessed innate full soul power, Gu Xuan's own wasn't far off—and he had three years' advantage in age, which wasn't something soul power alone could offset.
Yu Tianming didn't want to waste time. Spreading his hands with disdain, he said, "You'll find out soon enough."
Gu Xuan responded without another word, immediately activating his spirit. His body swelled in size, muscles tightening and thinning. Gray bone spikes emerged from his head, back, and elbows as he charged at Yu Tianming. The moment he moved, his first soul ring lit up, and a suit of grayish-white bone armor shimmered with faint purple light over his body.
Yu Tianming didn't use his spirit nor did he dodge. He simply raised his left hand and effortlessly caught Gu Xuan's gray-white fist.
Seeing this, Gu Xuan smirked confidently—his punch had been a feint. The real attack was the bone spikes in his hand. Since Yu Tianming dared to catch it barehanded, the duel was already over in his mind.
Gu Rong, the owner of the Bone Dragon Spirit, was infamous for his strange and sinister nature. His grandson Gu Xuan was no better.
At the instant their fists and palms collided, three sharp bone spikes suddenly emerged from Gu Xuan's knuckles, stabbing directly into Yu Tianming's palm.
But the Bone Dragon Spirit, while famous for its incredible defense and tricky unpredictability, lacked raw offensive power. Although Yu Tianming hadn't activated his spirit, he was already a level 46 Soul Sect. With both the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum tempering his body, his defense was formidable.
Gu Xuan, who hadn't obtained his third soul ring, lacked sufficient attack strength. The bone spikes merely caused slight pain in Yu Tianming's hand, not even piercing the skin.
Since the clash was confined to a hand-to-fist exchange, most spectators noticed nothing unusual. Only a few soul masters with heightened perception realized a hidden confrontation had occurred. Qian Renxue, who had fused with a spiritual soul bone, was among them. Watching closely, she mused to herself, Has Yu Tianming's spirit mutated toward defense?
Realizing his spikes had failed, Gu Xuan's confident expression turned to panic. He tried to retreat, but his fist was tightly gripped—he couldn't break free. Yu Tianming's fingers dug into the gaps of his bones, clamping down hard.
During his first soul battle, Yu Tianming had let an opponent escape due to a loose grip. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
When Yu Yuanzhen captured the Thunderflame Flood Dragon for his third soul ring, he'd sunk his hands deep into its flesh and locked its spine to control it. Yu Tianming was copying that exact method now.
With a pull of his left hand, he flung the large Gu Xuan toward him like a rag doll, landing a powerful uppercut with his right to Gu Xuan's chin.
Even with the Bone Dragon's famed defense, Gu Xuan's jaw cracked from the blow. His vision blurred as he fell backward.
Before Gu Xuan could regain awareness, Yu Tianming yanked him forward again.
Yu Tianming's waist twisted, his right arm bent slightly, and his elbow flew straight toward Gu Xuan's face.
Whether due to the Bone Dragon's traits or Gu Xuan's sheer willpower, he snapped back to consciousness just in time. His second soul ring flared as he opened his mouth and released a freezing dragon breath directly at Yu Tianming's elbow.
Yu Tianming was immune to ice, but a strange spatial force slowed his movements, disrupting his soul power.
There's an old saying in the world of fantasy: Time reigns supreme, space is king. Without fate, causality rules.
Struck by the breath, Yu Tianming inwardly remarked, The spatial properties of this Bone Dragon really are bizarre.
But the rhyme ends with: Destruction unseen, strength reigns supreme.
Under Yu Tianming's superior cultivation and overwhelming force, Gu Xuan's breath attack had minimal effect. His elbow paused only slightly before smashing into Gu Xuan's face.
With a single strike, Gu Xuan's cheekbone caved in, forming a pit-like dent.
Yu Tianming released his grip. Gu Xuan, now unconscious, crumpled to the ground like dead meat. Ning Fengzhi hurried to summon the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda to heal him.
It had taken only seconds—and just two blows—for Yu Tianming to decisively defeat Gu Xuan. And he hadn't even summoned his spirit.
This crushing victory came so swiftly and so thoroughly that the crowd—originally eager to evaluate the younger generation of the Upper Three Sects—fell into stunned silence.
Ning Rongrong, who had been full of anticipation, buried her head into Sword Douluo's shoulder without saying a word.
Davis chuckled at the sight and said to Qian Renxue beside him, "Looks like there's quite the gap between Gu Xuan and Brother Tianming."
Qian Renxue smiled without replying, while Ning Rongrong blushed furiously and buried her head even deeper.
Sword Douluo patted Ning Rongrong on the back to comfort her, then turned to Yu Yuanzhen not far away and said, "It seems His Excellency Lightning places great importance on this boy—he's already fitted him with soul bones."
His words weren't just speculation, but also a subtle defense of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's face.
Hearing this, many nodded thoughtfully.
High-level soul bones suitable for inheritance were extremely limited in large sects. Heirs usually had to wait until the previous generation passed away to inherit them. Extra soul bones were rare and only then passed to younger members. To reach Yu Tianming's level of physical strength, at least two soul bones over fifty thousand years old were required.
As everyone marveled at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's investment in Yu Tianming, none of them knew that this ten-year-old had already reached nearly level fifty.
Yu Yuanzhen glanced at Ning Fengzhi, who was still healing Gu Xuan, and said meaningfully, "Tianming's spirit just mutated a bit—he's stronger, that's all. But how did Gu Xuan recover so fast after getting hit in the head? He could activate his second skill instantly?"
(End of chapter)
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