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"Such a lowly fringe dragon dares to challenge the king of dragons?"
Yu Tianheng let out a loud roar, unleashing the full might of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's aura without restraint.
However, the Azure Dragon sword qi was not dispelled by the dragon's might.
Caught off guard, Yu Tianheng could only brace himself with both hands to block the sword qi attack.
Ning Tianchen's lips twitched slightly. Was this guy here to make a joke?
The Seven Kill Sword was a weapon-type martial soul, and the dragon-shaped sword qi it emitted was fundamentally just sword qi—it had little to do with actual dragons.
What use was the bloodline power of a beast-type martial soul against a weapon-type martial soul?
In the audience, Qin Ming slapped his forehead in frustration. "Damn it, I forgot to tell Tianheng about this principle."
Ordinary people wouldn't foolishly rely on their martial soul's bloodline power to counter sword qi. But Yu Tianheng, accustomed to relying on the overwhelming strength of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's bloodline, had unknowingly fallen into that habit.
Subconsciously, he believed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's aura was all-powerful and that any dragon-related soul skills could be countered with its bloodline power.
---
After confirming the situation, Ning Tianchen concluded that the opponent was indeed an idiot.
There was no reason to hold back—he should end the fight quickly.
Holding the sword, Ning Tianchen advanced with fluid movements, spinning and flipping gracefully yet powerfully.
His footwork was light and steady, swift as the wind yet firm as a mountain. Between each strike, the sword seemed invisible, like a breeze; amidst countless changes, only the glint of the sword remained visible, not the wielder.
The ferocity of his swordplay threw Yu Tianheng into disarray, leaving multiple cuts on his body.
"This guy is so strong—how is this possible? Even Boss isn't a match for him!" Yu Feng, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but gape in shock.
Qin Ming kept his eyes glued to the battle unfolding on the stage.
Yu Tianheng was his most accomplished student, yet even he couldn't stand up to Ning Tianchen?
From the distant stands, Sun Buyu chuckled. "Yu Tianheng hasn't changed—he's already lost his composure. However, he'll definitely launch a counterattack. I hope Tianchen doesn't get careless."
"He won't have the chance," Zhu Zhuqing shook her head.
Of the team, Zhu Zhuqing had watched Ning Tianchen's spirit duels the most.
The match had already entered Ning Tianchen's rhythm, and ending it was only a matter of time.
---
"Third soul skill, Thunder Fury!"
Yu Tianheng's body became enveloped in waves of thunder, his muscles bulging as he entered a berserk state.
Ning Tianchen didn't retreat. Gripping the sword with both hands, he held it defensively in front of him. "Seven Kill Sword Technique, Breaking Sword Form."
"First soul skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"
In his berserk state, all of Yu Tianheng's attributes increased by more than fifty percent, and the power of the Thunder Dragon Claw was significantly greater than before.
"Come on!" Ning Tianchen sneered, thrusting the Seven Kill Sword forward fiercely.
With a sudden retreat-turned-advance, the sharp force of the sword pierced through.
"Not good, Tianheng, forfeit quickly!" Qin Ming sensed that Ning Tianchen's strike was no ordinary sword technique.
The soul power fluctuations emanating from the sword were unmistakable, yet Ning Tianchen's feet showed no flashing soul rings—clear evidence of a self-created soul skill.
How could Yu Tianheng, in his berserk state, hear his words?
The dragon claw clashed with the Seven Kill Sword. Ning Tianchen suddenly exerted force with both arms, piercing through Yu Tianheng's entire palm with the sword tip.
Blood dripped slowly down the blade, pooling on the ground.
Yu Tianheng let out a pained howl, the intense pain nearly causing him to black out.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul? It's nothing special."
Ning Tianchen showed no mercy, kicking Yu Tianheng off the stage with one swift motion.
The members of the Royal Battle Team surrounded him, glaring at Ning Tianchen with anger in their eyes.
"What, do you want to try too?" Ning Tianchen remained indifferent, as if they were beneath his notice.
Within the Grand Spirit Arena, fighting was strictly prohibited anywhere other than the stage. If they dared to act, the arena guards would intervene before Ning Tianchen even needed to lift a finger.
"What are you all doing? Lingling, treat Tianheng's wounds. Everyone else, disperse," Qin Ming arrived, dispersing the Royal Battle Team.
Sun Buyu arrived shortly after, exchanged a few words with Qin Ming, and then returned to the stands with Ning Tianchen.
"That was so satisfying! Tianchen, you should've chopped off his hand," Ning Rongrong said, unsatisfied.
Ning Tianchen sighed helplessly.
Yu Tianheng was already at Level 39, not far from breaking through to Level 40. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family's dragon transformation secret technique would cause a soul master's arm to partially transform into a dragon after reaching Level 40.
Yu Tianheng's arm had likely undergone partial dragon transformation during the fight, making it incredibly hard. Moreover, Ning Tianchen had withdrawn his sword the moment he felt resistance—there was no opportunity to sever the hand.
---
Early the next morning, the carriage carrying the Yu-Die sisters entered Tiantou City.
A disciple of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect who had been gathering intelligence immediately informed Ning Tianchen of their arrival.
The Seven Treasures Academy was now taking shape, and the first phase of construction would be completed within a month.
The sisters' carriage pulled into the academy grounds, where Ning Tianchen and several members of the team greeted them along the academy pathways.
The carriage stopped nearby, and Yu Die lifted the curtain, stepping down first, followed closely by Cai Die.
Finally, Zhang Erhe emerged from the carriage.
"We meet again," Yu Die said, walking forward with a seductive gait. Her voice was low and enchanting, like a gentle breeze at dawn.
Chen Huayu shyly turned away, unable to meet her gaze.
"Haha, young Tianchen, long time no see!" Zhang Erhe's voice boomed as he strode forward confidently.
After exchanging greetings, Ning Tianchen introduced the rest of the team to the Yu-Die sisters.
"Is the Seven Treasures Academy ready for enrollment already?" Yu Die asked curiously.
Ning Tianchen explained, "The Seven Treasures Academy has officially registered with the Tiandou Empire's Ministry of Education. Aside from the campus still being under construction, it's no different from other advanced soul master academies."
"Team coordination takes time. The sooner you enroll, the sooner we can begin integrating you into the team."
"My sister hasn't agreed to enroll yet," Yu Die said with a faint smile.
If they weren't interested in enrolling, they wouldn't have come here—it was just that the terms hadn't been finalized yet.
Of course, the focus wasn't on them but on Zhang Erhe.
"Young Tianchen, may we speak privately?" Zhang Erhe suggested with a smile.
Ning Tianchen nodded. "Rongrong, take everyone and show them around the academy."
With that, he led Zhang Erhe to a newly completed meeting room.
---
"My apologies, but since this place is still under construction, we don't have tea or refreshments to offer you, Elder," Ning Tianchen said with a slight bow.
Zhang Erhe didn't care for such formalities and got straight to the point. "Can you make decisions on certain matters?"
"Feel free to speak your mind," Ning Tianchen replied evasively.
Zhang Erhe laid out his conditions and bargaining chips. "I need a soul bone or some rare treasures to break through to Level 80. If the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect is willing to provide these, my daughters and I will agree to join the sect."
"Of course, I believe the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect would prefer to add a Soul Douluo-level expert rather than a mere Soul Sage."
While the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's treasury did contain soul bones, only Ning Fengzhi had the authority to allocate them. This condition, Ning Tianchen couldn't promise.
As for rare treasures, that was something worth considering.
However, before he could respond, a stern voice rang out in the meeting room. "What gives you the right to negotiate terms with my grandson!"
Zhang Erhe was stunned, turning sharply to see an old man in white robes standing behind him, having appeared unnoticed.
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