Douluo Continent: Starting with a Tom Cat

Page 192

Bibi Dong said calmly, "I'm afraid this is inappropriate. Sword Douluo has the reputation of being the number one attacker on the continent, and the title of Sword Dao Chenxin is enough to make people feel intimidated."

As she spoke, Bibi Dong cursed inwardly. Even if the other party sent Yu Yuanzhen, she believed that Shen An might be able to draw.

Chen Xin is different. In the last great battle, he fought against three opponents without being at a disadvantage. Now, two years later, he is even more unfathomable.

Let him come, isn't that bullying him?

"As fellow swordsmen, seeing Elder Ten's sword intent and aura, I am truly itching to try it myself. I know I am far superior in skill, and my soul power is still better. To be fair, let's not use soul techniques and just discuss swordsmanship."

Chen Xin took a step forward. He was an upright man. Although he knew that he had to win this battle, he was unwilling to take advantage of others.

Ning Fengzhi sighed inwardly. In his opinion, Chen Xin, with his level 97 soul power and superb swordsmanship, would definitely win. This was also the safest method.

But since Uncle Jian has already said so, there's nothing else we can do.

Fortunately, Ning Fengzhi believed in Chen Xin's swordsmanship, after all, the title of the number one swordsmanship master on the continent was not given lightly.

Moreover, Shen An's cat had imparted a great deal of knowledge to this first peak.

Thinking of this, Ning Fengzhi also recalled that stunningly talented figure.

After hearing this, Bibi Dong looked at Shen An. If Shen An lacked confidence, she would definitely find a way to replace him with someone else.

Upon hearing Chen Xin's suggestion, Shen An was greatly intrigued. He was eager to see who was stronger, his current swordsmanship or Chen Xin's.

To be honest, Shen An was almost vomiting blood from sparring with Tom, who was practically a fully-fledged Alpha Cat.

No matter how much Shen An improved his swordsmanship, Tom was always just slightly better than Shen An.

This feeling is maddening.

AlphaCat is too difficult to beat; it's better to play against real people to test your skill level.

Shen An gave him a confident look, as if to say that leaving it to him was no problem.

Bibi Dong was still a little uneasy after receiving the reply; she didn't want to lose face right after gaining it.

After a moment's thought, she said, "In that case, let's limit it to one hundred swords. Otherwise, if the two of you start fighting and it goes on and on, that wouldn't be good."

Before Ning Fengzhi could nod, Chen Xin agreed first, showing he had enough confidence in himself.

His sword was honed through countless battles, both large and small, while Yan Chixia appeared out of nowhere.

Judging from his sword intent, he must be a sword genius, but isn't Chen Xin one too?

"Tenth Elder, please!"

A sharp sword light flashed in Chen Xin's eyes, and the next moment, a sword appeared in front of him.

The sword is entirely blue, as if carved from crystal, and has nine stars on it, which are the transformations of the nine soul rings.

"The sword is four feet three inches long, three inches wide, and the hilt is one foot two inches long. Its name is: Seven Kills!"

Sword Douluo held his sword devoutly and spoke.

Shen An also smiled, filled with anticipation.

The Nine-Leaf Sword Grass appeared in his hand, and the six real and three fake soul rings appeared briefly before disappearing.

"The physical form is merely the vessel for the sword; the way of the sword resides in the heart. My sword is more about its intent. Sword Douluo, please!"

"The way of the sword resides in the heart." Chen Xin pondered these words, his eyes shining brightly as if he had gained some insight.

"Interesting. I am old and frail. In that case, you may draw your sword first!"

"Come!"

Shen An shouted loudly, his sword aura rising continuously. The long sword in his hand emitted a clear sword cry, and the sword intent that could cut down even a blade of grass, the sun, moon and stars, surged out wildly.

Sword energy, sword momentum, and sword intent all converged into this earth-shattering sword strike!

In an instant, the longsword arrived in front of Chen Xin. Behind the sword's edge, thousands of magnificent sword shadows followed, their fierce momentum seemingly unstoppable.

"Good timing!"

An indescribable aura erupted from Chen Xin, and a black sword light suddenly appeared, blocking the sword in Shen An's hand, forcing Shen An to retreat to dissipate the force.

The sword light emitted by the Seven Kill Sword was not the color of Chen Xin's own soul power, but rather a different dimension revealed because the sword was too fast and too powerful, even breaking through space.

Both were eager to fight, and without hesitation, they drew their swords and began to fight.

The sight of countless sword shadows and dazzling sword light clashing together sent chills down the spines of all who watched.

Chen Xin grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed. Aside from the cat and the Grand Elder of the Spirit Hall, this was the first time he had encountered someone who could rival him in swordsmanship.

In the first fifty sword strikes, he saw the shadows of countless sword masters in Shen An's sword.

He wasn't afraid. He was no less than any sword master. In terms of swordsmanship alone, he might not even be afraid of that Grand Elder.

The sword light was like a net, like a woven tapestry, like light itself, like a sword, endlessly changing, and the two continued their battle.

After the eightieth sword strike, Chen Xin sensed danger, as if he could see his former weak self facing one powerful enemy after another with their superb skills.

He wasn't afraid; he was better than them.

Chen Xin calmly delivered one sword strike after another. He would grow rapidly in the battle and win this fight.

Even after 120 sword strikes, the two were still locked in combat, their battle as fierce as rivers and mountains, each strike brimming with deadly intent, a single misstep could mean certain death.

Everyone watched with rapt attention; such a battle was the pinnacle of skill, and they seemed to have forgotten that the two had already exchanged over a hundred sword strikes.

Even Qian Daoliu stood solemnly atop the mountain, gazing into the distance.

If anyone above doesn't care, it must be a cat and a mouse wearing dog head masks.

Tom took a bite of the grilled fish, glanced at it casually, and thought, "It's alright, I guess. I still need to practice more."

The two combatants were surrounded by bursts of sword energy, with endless sword energy gushing out from every pore, like clouds and mist, intertwined together.

In the clash of swords, Chen Xin vaguely saw his own reflection in Shen An's sword.

No, they might even win!

He was both surprised by Shen An's talent in swordsmanship and felt a sense of fear deep in his heart.

If there is anyone I cannot defeat in the art of swordsmanship, it is myself, the best in the world.

Each sword strike Chen Xin delivered at this moment became increasingly difficult, and his mental strength was being greatly depleted.

Suddenly, a sword light burst forth from Chen Xin's eyes. Shen An's growth was too fast; he was like a peerless jade, radiating unparalleled brilliance under Chen Xin's sword energy.

'I can't delay any longer. I must concentrate all my strength on one sword strike, otherwise I will surely lose if this drags on,' Chen Xin thought to himself.

He wasn't necessarily fixated on winning or losing, but this battle was of paramount importance and he absolutely could not afford to lose.

Chen Xin faced the vast sword light, wandering and shuttling among it, when suddenly a sword was thrust out, breaking through the dimension.

This sword strike concentrated all his energy and spirit, tearing apart the surrounding space. The sword energy surged like rivers turning upside down, as if the heavens and earth were overturned.

Faced with this stunning sword strike, Shen An suddenly realized that after fighting AlphaCat for so long, and under Chen Xin's offensive, he had completely transformed his swordsmanship foundation into swordsmanship cultivation.

The pinnacle of swordsmanship that he once saw has now been surpassed by him; he is now the new peak of swordsmanship (excluding that Alpha Cat).

In an instant, Shen An found the weakest link among the thousands of sword lights and met it head-on with his own!

"Clang!"

After the sword strike, Shen An retreated rapidly, followed by Chen Xin. Both were panting heavily, seemingly exhausted.

"Sword Douluo, the Hundred Swords Pact has passed. How about we consider ourselves evenly matched this time?" Shen An said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. Chen Xin had once given him guidance, so he naturally wanted to give him a way out and not let him tarnish his reputation in his later years.

Besides, it's enough to use Tang Hao as an achievement to sell to the Spirit Hall; why bother with Sheng Chenxin to boost the Spirit Hall's prestige?

Chen Xin nodded silently. He always felt that Shen An had not broken through his sword with difficulty. This Tenth Elder definitely had the strength to spare. He just didn't know why he deliberately said it was a draw.

Bibi Dong's eyes lit up with joy. Shen An had truly given her a pleasant surprise, killing Tang Hao, fighting to a draw with Sword Douluo, and at the same time showing gratitude.

In contrast, Emperor Xueye and his group had grim expressions as they looked at Yan Chixia with apprehension.

Damn it, he tricked me.

It's easy to imagine that the voices questioning whether Tang Hao's severed arm was the reason the Tenth Elder was able to capture him will completely disappear after this battle.

That's Chen Xin, a level 97 Title Douluo who, on the very day the Soul Master Competition ended, fought three opponents single-handedly, holding his own and even emerging victorious.

Even though Chen Xin didn't use his soul skills, and the two were only competing in swordsmanship, the fact that Yan Chixia could hold his own against such a being shows just how terrifying he is.

Moreover, they also have informants in Wuhun City.

This tenth elder is only in his early fifties this year. In the long lifespan of a titled Douluo, he can be considered young, and his future development is absolutely limitless.

Filled with apprehension about the future, the four major forces left Wuhun City with heavy hearts.

"Uncle Jian, did you agree to a draw because the Hundred Swords Pact had ended?" Ning Fengzhi suddenly asked.

Chen Xin slowly shook his head; only he knew what he had been through.

"If these ten elders were to unleash their full swordsmanship, they would definitely be able to overpower me."

Chen Xin's tone contained both frustration and fighting spirit. His sword heart was not extinguished by the temporary setback. On the contrary, he was happy, happy that the path of the sword was endless.

"However, this Tenth Elder is really strange. He has never shown his name on the mainland before, which means that he has been living in seclusion. Yet, this unsharpened sword can actually defeat me."

Chen Xin said strangely, "True strongmen are forged in battle, but Yan Chixia is someone I really can't see through."

After all, Chen Xin never expected that Yan Chixia was Shen An. Although Shen An had been dominating the game all the way, he had an AlphaCat as his sparring partner all along.

Ning Fengzhi also sighed, "I hope we can hold on for a while longer. If Shen An can grow up and return, he may have the ability to turn the situation around on his own."

Chen Xin nodded. In their eyes, Shen An was too talented and brilliant. They couldn't keep the news from Xingluo from them. A Soul Emperor could kill a Soul Douluo.

It is conceivable that once Shen An reaches the level of a Title Douluo, he will immediately become the strongest among them.

Ning Fengzhi slowly shook his head again: "That kid has disappeared now, and there's no new news about him. Rongrong keeps talking about him all the time."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xin also became worried: "This kid is too provocative. Not only Rongrong, but even Zhu Zhuqing, the disciple whom the old man took in, talks about him all day long, and there's also that cat girl Shen Yi."

"Ugh!"

Both the granddaughter-obsessed and daughter-obsessed individuals sighed simultaneously.

Ning Rongrong has deep feelings for Shen An, but they are not optimistic that Shen An will remain devoted to Ning Rongrong in the future.

-

Inside the Papal Palace, only Bibi Dong and Shen An were present in the vast council hall.

Bibi Dong burst into laughter.

She tapped her scepter on the ground, and a silent barrier of soul power was erected.

Note that she's about to start making empty promises; she always needs to give employees who have made great contributions something to look forward to.

"Yan Chixia, you have given me another big surprise."

"You are my trusted confidant, and I will never treat you unfairly in the future. In terms of strength, you are already among the strongest on the continent."

"In terms of honor and power, you are now the Tenth Elder of the Spirit Hall. The only ones above you are the sect leaders of the three upper sects and the thrones of the two great empires."

"It's still early. I promise that within the next three years, even if you want to become the sect leader of the three sects, I will help you achieve it."

Shen An's eyelids twitched. He sensed the impending war, and Bibi Dong's demeanor clearly indicated that she wanted him involved in some important events.

'Why don't we use this opportunity to inquire about Xue Qinghe's whereabouts?' Shen An had an idea and prepared to ask.

Chapter 296 I treated you like a brother, but you wanted to sleep with me?!

"Please explain, Your Holiness, as I am truly puzzled," Shen An asked, feigning ignorance.

Bibi Dong was clearly in a good mood. With Tang Hao dead, the Pope's power was once again consolidated, and she had also taken Shen An as a confidant, so there was naturally nothing to hide.

"Elder Yan, look at the various forces standing on this continent. Beneath the peaceful surface lies a turbulent undercurrent. Why not unify them? And my Spirit Hall happens to have the strength to do just that."

Bibi Dong continued with high spirits, "Now that Haotian is weak and hiding, only the forces of Tiandou, Xingluo, Qibao, and Landian have the potential to hinder us."

"Therefore, within three years, I will first destroy the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and then, based on the power of the Soul Masters I control, conquer the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires."

"I will conquer a vast territory and become the unifying empress for all eternity!"

Bibi Dong's ambition was obvious, and her eyes gleamed with a burning light.

Shen An thought for a moment and decided to steer the conversation toward the Heavenly Dou Empire, but before that, he would offer some insincere flattery.

“Your Holiness is wise. However, compared to the relatively concentrated Soul Master forces of Qibao and Landian, could we perhaps make some moves with Tiandou and Xingluo? After all, their power is immense, which also means that their internal factions are complex and intertwined.”

Bibi Dong looked at Shen An in surprise: "You are quite shrewd. I have spies in both of these great empires. The Spirit Hall's unification is already unstoppable."