The appearance of the golden-haired figure froze everything. In an instant, Lu Yuan's duel with Zhu Zhenyuan shattered apart before they could clash again.
From behind him, dozens of powerful spirit masters emerged, surrounding the Zhu family courtyard in a tight net. Their uniforms gleamed under torchlight—the unmistakable robes of Martial Soul Hall.
Zhu Zhenyuan's gut twisted. His jaw clenched as his gaze locked upon the intruder at their head.
"Yueguan."
He drew a long, careful breath.
The Weight of Martial Soul Hall
To Zhu Zhenyuan, Patriarch of the Zhu Clan, that name carried too much weight. The Martial Soul Hall.
Neither the Star Luo Empire nor Heaven Dou Empire could stomach the organization. Both loathed it, resisted its encroachment, and plotted its eradication whenever possible. But Martial Soul Hall was simply too powerful. Their instructors, scouts, and armies of soul masters gave them unparalleled reach. Both empires had long since learned better than to provoke them openly.
And yet here was Yueguan—Chrysanthemum Douluo himself—in his courtyard.
Zhu Zhenyuan's face darkened. "Yueguan, this is Star Luo territory. This is the Zhu family estate. And I'm quite certain I never invited you as a guest."
Though his voice carried authority, he knew the gap between them. He was Soul Douluo; Yueguan was a full Titled Douluo. Yet even Yueguan could not openly destroy the Zhu family—that would mean declaring outright war against Star Luo Empire.
That was the balance that let him keep words firm.
Yueguan only smirked, golden petals drifting lazily from his palm. "Of course I didn't come as a guest. I came for him."
His immaculate finger pointed like a dagger—straight at Lu Yuan.
The crowd gasped.
Drunken Banter
Lu Yuan blinked, confused. He tapped his wine jar, then tilted his head at Yueguan.
"…Big sis… do you know me?"
The courtyard fell silent. Even the guards forgot to breathe.
"Big… sis?"
Yueguan's whole face twitched. His lip curled. His carefully painted poise nearly cracked under the weight of that one phrase. If it weren't for the Pope's explicit orders to keep this brat alive, he would've slapped him through the walls already.
"Boy," he hissed coldly. "Watch your tongue. Come with me now."
Ensnaring Flowers
Before Lu Yuan could respond, spirit power gathered at Yueguan's fingertips. A thread of golden light lashed forward, wrapping toward Lu Yuan.
But the moment it brushed against him—it unraveled in a hiss of sparks, cut down instantly by the swirling Sword Qi barrier around Lu Yuan's body.
Yueguan's eyes narrowed. "Hn? Interesting…" His voice lowered with something close to unease. That barrier was not pure sword aura—there was something sinister twisted into it, even darker than the chilling essence of his long-time companion Ghost Douluo.
"Boy. Don't test my patience."
Nine spirit rings rose, brilliant. The faint scent of flowers filled the air as a golden chrysanthemum bloomed gracefully in his palm.
"The third soul ability—Breath Enchantment!"
Petals scattered like shimmering rain, blanketing the Zhu family courtyard. Within a heartbeat, every member of the Zhu clan collapsed under the pressure. Bodies locked. Even Zhu Zhenyuan, mighty Soul Douluo, wheezed as coils of heavy spirit power bound his limbs.
But Lu Yuan?
He turned his head sideways, flexed his wrist, and cracked his neck. He simply… kept walking.
Yueguan's eyes widened. His barrier had never failed since becoming a Titled Douluo. There had never been anyone—let alone a Soul King!—who stood unaffected inside it.
"What trick… are you?" Yueguan hissed.
Lu Yuan's eyes rolled drunkenly, expression foggy, before sharpening like glass. "What trick? You bastard, a man dressing like a woman, prancing with flowers. You think you can prance in front of me?"
His grin widened. "—believe it or not, I'll just cut you open and prove it."
Blades and Petals
"I'd like to see you try!" Yueguan snarled.
"The fifth soul ability—Gathering of Cold Shadow!"
The chrysanthemum in his palm flared, a sorrowful gleam dimming the air around him. A sharp blade condensed in its center, flashing with murderous light.
Lu Yuan grinned, wine spilling slightly as he raised his sword. His aura spiked. "Fifth ability—Wind Severing Phantom!"
His body blurred, dissolving into streaking Sword Qi that warped across the battlefield, teleporting beyond the strike and slashing back toward Yueguan.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes narrowed. "Second ability—Light of Velvet!"
Another bloom burst outward, a golden shield solidifying before him. Lu Yuan's blade slammed against it—
Doraang!
The shockwave rattled bones. Lu Yuan's arms trembled as numbness spread up his elbows.
On the other side, Yueguan flicked his hair and smiled. "Boy, do you feel it? My Strange Light carries a counter-shock. Every strike rebounds to break the attacker. You can't simply brute-force through me."
His hand twitched. "Backstab!"
From behind, the blade he had conjured twisted sharply, streaking toward Lu Yuan's back.
But Lu Yuan's left arm glowed. Power surged as the Dark Evil Phoenix arm bone lit in black flame. His left arm soul bone skill roared awake—Dark Fire!
His sword erupted with sharper black flames, his attack force multiplying. Whipping around, he cleaved.
Ding!
The two blades struck. The force threw Lu Yuan back five meters where he skidded hard, boots gouging sparks from stone. But the conjured blade shattered under the black fire, vaporized.
"Soul bone skills…" muttered Yueguan, envy burning hot in his chest. To possess a soul bone at all at Lu Yuan's age? Outrageous.
But to wield it with this much raw, feral force? Unacceptable.
"That's enough then."
His killing intent shifted. He had arrived to suppress and retrieve. Now, he would stop playing.
His aura surged monstrously.
Sword of Seven Kills
And then—
Whoosh. Boom!
A streak split the skies.
From above, a silver three-foot sword descended, cutting a line of light through the courtyard. It landed with blinding brilliance, unleashing sword intent so vast it shoved the gathered Martial Soul Hall soul masters back dozens of steps. Even Yueguan staggered, his barrier scattering under the blow.
Sword Qi spread across the grounds like a hurricane of knives.
Faces blanched. Everyone recognized that sword.
Yueguan sneered bitterly. "Seven Kill Sword… Chen Xin!"
From the dispersed air, Chen Xin himself descended, his waist straight, back long like a blade, sword resting at hand. His presence was simple, absolute, and oppressive.
"Yueguan," Chen Xin said, voice deep as steel. "Bullying a member of my sect, here, in daylight? Have you grown tired of living?"
The Zhu family bystanders nearly collapsed.
One Title Douluo was nightmare enough… Now another has come. And it's Sword Douluo, famed as the strongest offense in the continent!
Zhu Zhenyuan tried to swallow but his throat had gone dry.
Seven Treasure's Wrath
Chen Xin's sword gleamed silver, its sharpness tearing faint scars into the air itself as he drew it.
"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has raised a genius the continent has never seen before," Chen Xin's voice thundered, "and you dare extend Martial Soul Hall's paws against him? Do you intend to kill him?"
Yueguan raised both hands swiftly, shaking his head. The murderous sword-qi pressing down on him made his skin sting. "You misunderstand! The Pope only wishes to see him. No harm intended. I have zero orders to kill him."
Lies. The crowd knew it.
Chen Xin's pupils tightened. "I don't believe you."
His fourth spirit ring flashed. "Fourth soul ability—Murderous!"
Silver sword light flared, blinding, tearing the air in wild arcs as Chen Xin strode forward.
"The first soul ability, Velvet Body Protection!" Yueguan cried desperately.
Golden petals burst, converging into a defensive barrier around his body as Chen Xin's blade slammed into it—
BOOOM!
The courtyard walls rattled violently, tile and stone overturning, air itself whipped into fire-hot waves. Dust and shattered granite spun wildly.
Within it all, Chen Xin stood unmoving, like a sword that could never bend. He had not retreated a step.
Yueguan, however, was hurled back several meters, his shield flickering, knees grinding against stone as rage and frustration burned in his eyes.
Damn this old Sword Douluo. Stronger than me, famed as the sharpest blade in the world. Impossible to win head-on.
Still gasping, Yueguan hissed to the sky: "Old Ghost! Get out here already!"
Because against Sword Douluo alone, he could not win.
But together…?
His lips curled. Perhaps Martial Soul Hall could still prove their dominance tonight.
--
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