The more he thought about it, the clearer it became. Of course the Li Clan would know Lu Yuan—they lived in Heaven Dou City. That wasn't strange at all.
"You ran off so far?" A booming voice cracked like thunder across the square.
A massive figure moved forward, his presence rolling through the air like an avalanche. The coercive force pressed down on Lu Yuan without mercy, but he didn't so much as flinch.
The old man was furious. After hearing that his grandson Tyrone had been beaten, he had rushed to Heaven Dou City nearly two days in a row. By the time he got there, however, he found that Lu Yuan had already slipped away. That had left him simmering in frustration ever since.
And now, fate had thrown them together again in Longxing City. What an "amazing coincidence."
"Who are you, old fellow?" Lu Yuan asked, raising an eyebrow as the oppressive aura tried—and failed—to lock down his movements.
The man snorted coldly. "I am Titan, patriarch of the Li Clan. You beat my grandson. Shouldn't you give me an explanation?"
Titan wasn't stupid. He knew Lu Yuan had ties with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but if he could force the boy to apologize in public, then at least his grandson would keep face. That was a compromise worth pursuing.
"Your grandson?" Lu Yuan's mouth twitched. He had beaten too many people to remember every single one of them.
"Old orangutan!" Bai He suddenly snapped, blowing his beard out in anger. "Whatever grudge you've got with Lu Yuan, it ends here. With me, Bai He of the Min Clan, standing here, you won't so much as lay a hand on him!"
Titan's wrinkled face twitched. "Old white crane, this has nothing to do with you. Back off—don't meddle in my clan's matters!"
The words sparked a fire. Though the four great clans had always maintained cordial ties, no sect was truly willing to submit to another. To step back now would make it seem as if the Li Clan had grown timid. Titan's temper was rising fast, and once his blood was up, persuasion was nothing but wasted breath.
"Big Brother, let's just go," Bai Chenxiang whispered anxiously. She knew her grandfather's strength paled in comparison to Titan's. After all, Titan's Martial Soul was the legendary Great Strength Orangutan—the embodiment of raw power.
"Go? Impossible!" Titan's eyes bulged as he stomped forward.
Lu Yuan stepped out slowly, his calm presence in stark contrast to Titan's stormy temper. "Alright, old man, tell me—which grandson are you here to seek justice for? There are so many I've thrashed, I can't keep track."
"Old orangutan, are you drunk?" Niu Gao of the Defense Clan barked. "You really think your strength is enough to stand against the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? Use your head. Do you even know who this boy is?"
Titan's teeth clenched so hard it seemed sparks might fly out. That was the problem. He knew exactly whose disciple Lu Yuan was—and it made the whole thing much trickier. Did everyone have to keep reminding him? Was no one willing to give him an easier way down? Instead, their constant words just hemmed him further in, until backing off seemed impossible.
"Humph!" Titan finally sat down, breathing sharply through flared nostrils. His grandson hurried over to soothe him.
"Grandpa, Niu Gao's right. They're from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. We can't afford to provoke them."
Titan slammed his palm down so hard that the wooden table beside him splintered into pieces. "And what if they're from that sect? Do you think my strength alone can't match them? Don't make me laugh!"
The stubborn fire burned in his eyes, but the others were growing restless. Just talking wasn't resolving anything. The only way left was battle.
The Fighting Spirit Platform
Not long after, the clans gathered at the Imperial Clan's proudest construction—their exclusive fighting spirit platform.
Unlike the public battle arenas, this one was built colossal, nearly three hundred meters in diameter. Its granite floor was so thick and sturdy that even a Title Douluo could cut loose without fear of collapsing it.
Lu Yuan and Titan now stood on opposite ends of the broad platform, staring each other down across fifty meters of tension.
"Is this really necessary?" someone muttered from the stands.
"Trust me, once these iron-headed fools get knocked around a bit, they'll calm down."
"This is too dangerous," Bai Chenxiang cried softly. "Grandpa, why is Titan so stubborn?"
The other clan leaders could only sigh. They had reminded him countless times: He's from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; we cannot afford to offend him! But Titan simply refused to listen. The old man was supposed to be full of wisdom in his seventies, yet here he was, acting like a rash teenager. If he lost, the consequences could be disastrous.
Within moments, the duel began.
Clash of Strength and Speed
"Boom!"
One colossal fist crashed down, colliding against Lu Yuan's longsword. The sheer force sent Lu Yuan skidding back more than ten meters, his boots grinding scorch marks into the granite ground.
"Lu Yuan!" Zhu Zhuqing's heart trembled from the sidelines, her face pale.
If she had known such a fight would explode today, she would've stopped them from ever coming to Longxing City. But it was too late to regret.
"Haha, old orangutan, you've still got plenty of strength!" Lu Yuan's grin was sharp. As he spoke, his long sword erupted in black flames, trailing streaks of afterimages as he charged forward.
"Severing Wind!"
A flurry of black sword qi tore through the air toward Titan.
But the giant laughed. With a stomp, his fourth spirit ring flared. A spirit power shield sprang out, yellow light covering him like a defiant cocoon. Sparks showered down as the sword qi screamed against the shield.
When Titan turned, Lu Yuan was already behind him, his right arm glowing as the Soul Bone's violent energy activated. A massive Soul Power Sword descended furiously onto Titan's back.
Sparks hissed, sizzling across his flesh. Titan's body wavered for an instant, forcing him to breathe out sharply. This kid wasn't simple!
Of course, Titan knew the truth. His clan had abandoned every other attribute in pursuit of ultimate raw power. Speed was their greatest weakness. Lu Yuan was sharp enough to see it.
But at Titan's level—Contra—such weaknesses were far less exploitable. True power didn't bend so easily.
"Seventh Spirit Ability—Martial Soul True Body!"
Titan's roar shook heaven and earth. In an instant, his body expanded and transformed. A towering Great Strength Orangutan, several stories tall, appeared, pounding his chest with fists like mountains.
"Old orangutan, are you shameless?" Bai He exploded from the stands. "You're actually using your Martial Soul true body against a junior?"
From Lu Yuan's perspective, everything suddenly grew crushingly heavy. His breath was strangled, his movements slowed as though an invisible hand had clamped down on him.
But then, his aura surged up. "Storm's Surge!" The strengthening spirit skill kicked in, dulling the pressure enough for him to breathe.
He circled his sword, calling out: "Sword Formation!"
From the heavens descended countless ethereal blades of spirit energy, each screaming through the air as they fell like meteors.
Titan, however, only smirked. "Child's play."
With a mighty punch, the air convulsed. A black glow erupted, twisting space itself. The swords froze midair, unable to advance any further. Titan's eighth spirit ring flared next—its second stage bursting with ferocity.
That terrible power wrapped the arena, locking onto Lu Yuan.
"Tch." Lu Yuan's eyes sharpened as his fifth spirit ability burst out again, his body slicing like a phantom through the battlefield, trying to avoid the locking force.
But…
"Hahaha!" Titan's wild grin stretched wide. "My ability locks onto you no matter how fast you dodge. You can run, but the attack will follow. Boy—you have already lost!"
The pressure closed in from all sides like a collapsing mountain, Titan's laughter echoing across the platform as the clan leaders looked on anxiously.
And thus, the real test began.
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