Douluo: Qian Xunji's Joyful Life

Chapter 27 A Perfectly Controlled Outcome

"That shall be as Your Holiness says!"

Sword Douluo gripped the Seven Kill Sword and began swinging it. The archaic blade cut through the empty space before him, soul power perfectly clinging to the Seven Kill Sword. Its tip, like a calligraphy brush, traced a character in midair. The strokes of the sword's tip were fluid, forming the character for "kill."

Only when the final slash fell did that character shoot toward Qian Xunji. Wherever the "kill" glyph passed, the angelic feathers were reduced to imperceptible dust, scattering away.

Qian Xunji likewise slashed out several times, sending forth waves of golden sword aura. Unlike Sword Douluo, he didn't leave them hanging in the air; each sword aura followed directly with the swing of his Holy Sword.

The golden sword aura clashed with the "kill" glyph, and angelic soul power purified the ferocity in that blade energy along with its lethal intent.

"Can't manage it, eh?"

There was a thoughtful glint in Qian Xunji's eyes. He had intentionally tried to mimic Sword Douluo's moves. Sword Douluo's Seven Kill Sword Art gathered all the released sword aura in midair, then sent it out in a single burst, delivering far greater force than Qian Xunji's more mundane blasts. Qian Xunji was able to negate it primarily thanks to the advantage of his angelic soul power, which possessed a purifying effect on any aura that was eroding the feathers.

He planned to make good use of that advantage by pushing Chen Xin to reveal more of his Seven Kill Sword techniques.

With his left hand behind his back, Qian Xunji activated Distraction Control at the Three Apertures Controlling Heart level, splitting his attention so that while swinging his sword, he channeled part of his soul power into his fist. He abruptly threw a punch. A golden fist imprint sailed toward Sword Douluo, while the Holy Sword swung at the same time.

The golden sword aura and fist imprint converged in an assault. Sword Douluo's eyes narrowed as he raised his sword again. This time, instead of a "kill" glyph, he formed a Seven Kill Sword from soul power, its entire surface sheathed in bone-white sword aura. Visually, it resembled a shield.

As the sword aura and fist imprint clashed with the Seven Kill Sword, the angelic power in Qian Xunji's attacks worked to purify Sword Douluo's energy, while the conjured sword withstood the impact without the slightest aggression. It must have been a defensive technique of the Seven Kill Sword Art.

Within the arena, swirling gold and bone-white sword aura incessantly rained on the walls. Each collision left new cracks. Despite the arena walls being quite sturdy, they were no match for the strikes of Titled Douluo.

If one looked carefully, they might notice that Qian Xunji's attacks left relatively broad cracks, causing more visible damage. By contrast, Sword Douluo's strikes produced hairline fissures that extended roughly a foot into the wall and retained a frigid after-effect. Any soul master who carelessly touched it without defensive soul power would have their skin ripped open. Such was the lingering sword aura.

From the stands, many soul masters looked on with burning excitement. Titled Douluo combat wasn't a daily spectacle. Yu Yuanzhen and Tang Zhen, however, seemed disinterested. Despite the dramatic golden-and-white special effects, both Qian Xunji and Sword Douluo were using less than fifty percent of their power—like two elders exchanging Tai Chi moves.

As the Holy Sword and the Seven Kill Sword repeatedly met, sparks flew. As the match continued, Sword Douluo's brow gradually furrowed. He realized Qian Xunji appeared to be stealthily learning his Seven Kill Sword techniques.

The Seven Kill Sword Art wasn't so easily replicated. It demanded not only the right moves but also deep comprehension of the blade. Qian Xunji, at best, could mimic its form without grasping its essence. Still, that didn't mean Sword Douluo was happy to have Qian Xunji attempting to copy it.

All at once, bone-white light flashed around Sword Douluo, and his Seven Kill Sword vanished. Yet the two yellow, two purple, and five black rings remained underfoot. Sword Douluo hadn't withdrawn his martial soul—he had merged man and sword into one, transforming himself into the Seven Kill Sword. At this moment, he was the sword, and the sword was him.

"Your Holiness, let us end this with one final move."

Sensing Sword Douluo's displeasure at his "sword-theft," Qian Xunji consented.

He spread his arms in a cross-like stance, palms facing skyward, and eleven Holy Swords surrounded him in a neat semicircle. Ten of them were illusory; only the one hovering overhead was real.

Raising both hands, the ten phantom swords slowly converged on the genuine one. With each sword's fusion, the blade's might grew.

The Qian Clan had its own sword art, though apparently only this single maneuver—merging eleven Holy Swords into one, multiplying its power severalfold, effectively a charged attack.

When all ten phantom Holy Swords finally merged with the real blade, Qian Xunji took it in hand. Its size ballooned to a forty-meter-long "greatsword," and he swung it down upon Sword Douluo.

Sword Douluo lifted his gaze, forming a massive "kill" glyph at his front. Sword and glyph collided. As both Qian Xunji and Sword Douluo poured in soul power, terrifying waves of energy burst outward, forcing the audience to stop spectating casually and use their own martial souls for protection. Many or all had to activate soul rings to defend themselves.

Yu Yuanzhen and Tang Zhen each revealed nine soul rings, while Gu Rong not only manifested nine soul rings but also activated his bone dragon martial soul, going all-out to shield Ning Fengzhi and Bibi Dong.

A shimmer of interlaced gold and bone-white light flared. Suddenly came the sound of clothes ripping, followed by another shattering noise.

When the dust settled, one could see that the sleeve on Sword Douluo's arm, the one he'd used to block Qian Xunji's holy blade, was gone, leaving his pale skin exposed. Unlike the muscular arms of a Clear Sky Clan disciple, his arm appeared normal—no more developed than your average adult male's.

Meanwhile, Qian Xunji's Holy Sword had shattered. The snapping sound was the breaking of that sword. Ultimately, it was just a run-of-the-mill fifth soul skill from a fifth ring with a maximum recorded age of around 12,000 years in the Wuhun Hall's archives. It had its limits.

No one was seriously hurt. Both men stood, soul power still abundant: one with a missing sleeve, the other with a broken blade. That was effectively a draw.

Calmly, Qian Xunji leapt back onto the high platform and took up his Pope's scepter again, while Sword Douluo exited through the arena gate. He soon reappeared in the stands wearing fresh clothes—after all, Titled Douluo were mindful of their image.

With Qian Xunji and Sword Douluo initiating the competition, soul masters started challenging one another to friendly matches, especially those at the Soul Emperor and Soul Sage levels. Though they didn't qualify for the top three or lower four main sect spots, they'd traveled a long way. They weren't about to stand idle.

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