Chapter 9: My Body as a Sword!

"What the hell?!"

Gu Douluo also stood up, his words lacking all restraint.

"Hahaha..."

Jian Douluo felt he hadn't laughed this heartily in many years.

The spectators around the arena were not as surprised as them; although everyone knew Qin Jian hadn't increased his soul power for three consecutive years, he was, after all, Jian Douluo's personal disciple, so it wasn't unacceptable for him to suddenly increase by 4 levels.

Only Ning Fengzhi, who knew Qin Jian's soul power level from a few days ago clearly, was completely unable to believe it.

"Jian Shu, what exactly is going on? Why has Qin Jian's soul power increased so quickly?" he couldn't help but ask.

Gu Douluo, at his side, also pricked up his ears.

Jian Douluo frowned slightly; he leaned closer to the two of them and whispered, "This is the greatest secret regarding Jian'er, so it is not easy for me to disclose it..."

Ning Fengzhi nodded, indicating he understood.

"Old man Jian, with that peculiar First Soul Skill of his, plus this ability for rapid improvement, in terms of talent, he certainly surpasses Gu Yue, but as for his loyalty to the sect..." Gu Douluo stopped mid-sentence.

Even Ning Fengzhi looked over.

Jian Douluo, however, was not worried about this at all: "You can be completely at ease regarding him; having spent years together, I see this child's true nature very clearly. He will absolutely not betray the sect's cultivation!"

Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi nodded gently: "With Jian Shu's judgment, I am relieved..."

In the arena.

Gu Yue finally recovered from his shock: "You actually reached level 14 already. Did you hide for so long just to amaze everyone at this moment?"

"I suppose your soul power level was much higher than those opponents just now, which is why it had such a miraculous effect..."

A look of confidence appeared on his face: "But I am not them; don't think you can use the same trick again!"

His analysis caused the confused crowd below the stage to nod one after another, believing they had discovered the truth.

Qin Jian just smiled and said, "I advise you to use your full strength, lest you lose within one round."

"The match begins!"

Gu Yue's eyes widened, about to flare up, but the presiding Elder interrupted him.

"Bang!"

Without a word, he stomped on the ground and charged straight forward.

"You don't even summon your martial soul; you will pay the price for your arrogance!"

He roared, and the Bone Dragon martial soul behind him surged into his body: "First Soul Skill, Bone Claw!"

"Impressive!"

The crowd below could not help but show admiration as they watched his fluid, flowing attack.

"Gu Yue doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of the others, so he is striking first to gain the advantage, while Qin Jian hasn't even displayed his martial soul yet. He has lost the initiative in this first round..."

Gu Douluo laughed: "Although it is only a matter of time before this little fellow Qin Jian surpasses Gu Yue, I reckon my little Bone will still win this match."

Jian Douluo's expression did not change: "Don't be happy too soon..."

In the arena.

"Swish!"

Seeing a massive Bone Claw strike before his eyes, several gasps came from under the stage, but Qin Jian was unhurried. He held his right hand in a sword finger position before his chest and then let out a cold shout.

"My Body as a Sword!"

Boom!

The next moment, a dark purple Sword crashed down in front of Qin Jian.

"Bang!"

The Bone Claw clawed fiercely at the Sword, emitting a harsh, grating sound.

"It's over..."

After the martial soul Qing Sword appeared, Qin Jian seemed like a different person, filled with an aura of slaughter.

He did not hold back any longer; instead, he seized the moment of Gu Yue's shock and flicked his right sword finger.

"Sword Qi!"

Clang!

A streak of dark purple Sword Qi shot out from the Sword, suddenly slamming into Gu Yue's chest before he could react.

"Pfft!"

Gu Yue's figure flew backward the next moment, landing straight outside the arena, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

The entire arena was silent.

"What was that just now? A soul skill?"

"I didn't see clearly; I only saw that as soon as the martial soul appeared, Gu Yue was defeated."

"He must have been hiding his strength these past three years; he's clearly so powerful..."

"..."

Finally, sparse murmurs began to rise.

And here at the central viewing stand, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Douluo were also immersed in shock.

While others couldn't understand it, the two of them were so familiar with Jian Douluo's techniques that they naturally understood.

This was clearly Jian Douluo's Self-created Soul Skill, Man-Sword Unity!

And My Body as a Sword was Jian Douluo's habitual opening move for summoning his martial soul.

The two looked at each other, then both looked at Jian Douluo.

"I told you not to be happy too soon."

Jian Douluo grinned.

Having finally suppressed his old rival for once, he felt incomparably refreshed.

And Ning Rongrong was also especially happy.

"Daddy, Daddy, Qin Jian took first place! Rongrong has the best eye for talent, doesn't she?" She excitedly hopped into Ning Fengzhi's arms.

"Yes, yes, yes, my little princess has the best eye for talent."

Ning Fengzhi could only agree repeatedly.

"The final winner, Qin Jian!"

The presiding Elder finally announced the result, but it drew very little reaction.

Because the spectators all around simply hadn't understood what had happened.

Only Gu Yue, who was climbing up from the ground, knew just how formidable Qin Jian's counterattack had been in that instant.

That Sword Qi had torn directly through all his defenses, so he had not lost unjustly.

"I lost, you are stronger than me."

He stood before Qin Jian and said with effort: "But I will definitely catch up to you in the future!"

Qin Jian glanced at him without speaking, and he held no hostility.

Although everyone in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect regarded the two of them as rivals, just like Jian Douluo and Gu Douluo.

But Qin Jian himself had never felt that way...

His rivals had never been Gu Yue, but rather the cheering and jumping Ning Rongrong on the sidelines, and the eight outstanding women in the future.

The field of love was his true battlefield!

"Next, I invite the direct disciples of the sect to choose their partners. The first is our little princess, Ning Rongrong!"

Before the Elder's voice had even faded, Ning Rongrong rushed up: "Qin Jian, Qin Jian, I choose Qin Jian!"

The crowd was not at all surprised by this result, because as the daughter of the Sect Master and the next generation's successor, she naturally could only choose the strongest.

"And what about you, Qin Jian? Do you accept?"

Perhaps out of humanitarianism, the Elder still asked for Qin Jian's opinion, and only after seeing him nod did he announce: "Very well, the first pair of partners: Qin Jian and Ning Rongrong."

Gu Yue's palms tightened and loosened, loosened and tightened, until finally, he lowered his head in dejection.

He knew that this time he had been thoroughly and completely defeated, and his winning streak of the past three years had been ruined in an instant.

Qin Jian did not watch the subsequent pairings, because Ning Rongrong was already impatiently pulling him away: "Let's go, let's go, I want to keep hearing the story!"

And so, everyone watched as the two of them swaggered away.

But the heat stirred up by this competition would not easily subside; after all, the one who ended up as Ning Rongrong's partner was not the widely expected Gu Yue, but rather Qin Jian, who had shocked everyone after three years of silence.

Whether it was his inexplicable performance in the previous matches or that final, overwhelming victory, both left the people of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect talking with relish for a long time...

(End of chapter)