"Who do you think has better sword skills, Teacher's or Rongrong's Grandpa's?"
"You actually have such a doubt? You have the makings of a traitor! I will definitely believe unconditionally that Teacher Su Ran can win!"
"Rongrong, is your Grandpa Sword a Titled Douluo? What is his specific rank?"
"Grandpa Sword is a Super Douluo above rank 95!"
"What?!"
Heaven Dou City, Peach Blossom Spring Villa.
The surrounding students were forced back into the house by the sword qi. Seven students either hid behind white jade pillars to peek or lay on sofas and chairs, but all were astonished by the sword qi emanating from Su Ran and Chen Xin. Upon hearing that Ning Rongrong's Grandpa was a Super Douluo above rank 95, their faces were filled with even greater shock.
The Teacher is going to compare sword skills with a Super Douluo above rank 95!
"Wang Sheng, the Teacher is going to compare swords with a Super Douluo, and what are you doing? What are you secretly eating?"
At this moment, Xiao Wu and the others noticed the broad-shouldered Wang Sheng grasping something and putting it into his mouth, looking and eating with great relish. When someone called him, he turned back innocently and chuckled:
"Do you want some melon seeds and peanuts?"
"It's the first time I've seen the Teacher compare swords with a Super Douluo; it must be very exciting. I can't calm down without eating something."
"Oh my! Wang Sheng, are you treating this like a show? You usually seem so honest, I didn't expect you to not care about the Teacher at all!"
Wang Sheng, cracking melon seeds, looked exactly like a simple-minded uncle gossiping at the village entrance, and quickly explained:
"No, no, no, it's not what you're saying. Of course, I believe in the Teacher's sword skills. The Teacher's sword isn't even afraid of heavy hammers, so how could it be afraid of a sword? I'm just afraid I won't be able to stop myself from cheering for the Teacher's heroic posture."
"Oh, right."
"I never thought you, Brother Wang Sheng, who usually seems so clumsy, actually have some brains!"
Zhu Zhuqing and Meng Yiran recalled the Teacher's previous match against the Clear Sky Hammer, and their hearts immediately felt much more at ease.
"That's not necessarily true. Grandpa Sword's sword is different from others, and Grandpa Sword is definitely stronger than that stinky black hammer."
Ning Rongrong was displeased at this moment.
"So, Rongrong, do you hope the Teacher wins or your Grandpa Sword wins?"
"Of course, I hope the Teacher wins, but I also don't want Grandpa Sword to lose too badly…"
Ning Rongrong mumbled. One was her beloved Teacher, and the other was her Grandpa Sword who doted on her. Of course, she hoped both of them would be fine.
But… alas, Grandpa Sword is good in every way, but he's a sword fanatic, which is truly a headache…
"Old Sword Man, don't cry if you lose."
"Little guy, come, give me some melon seeds too."
Gu Rong stretched out his large hands in front of Wang Sheng. He also enjoyed this atmosphere of watching the fun.
"Senior, here."
Wang Sheng gave Gu Rong more than half of his melon seeds and peanuts. The group happily became spectators, eating snacks.
Chen Xin glared back at Gu Rong in annoyance:
"Dead bone, after I finish comparing swords with Dean Su, we'll have a one-on-one fight when we get back."
"A one-on-one it is, who's afraid of whom?"
"Hmph!"
Chen Xin snorted coldly, a wooden sword vibrated in the air, then he looked at Su Ran:
"Dean Su, this old man has dedicated his life to studying the Way of the Sword. The world calls me Sword Dao Chen Xin. My Spirit is called Seven Kill Sword. Its sword qi is primarily for killing, with unmatched sharpness. You must be careful."
The peach branch in Su Ran's hand was not his Spirit, but one broken from an ordinary peach tree. A sword stance formed naturally, and he said lightly:
"Sword Douluo, rest assured. Although my Spirit, the peach branch, is not a pure sword Spirit, I have practiced several sword forms. Since Sword Douluo's sword emphasizes sharpness, I will meet you with Tai Chi Swordplay."
"Good."
Chen Xin said no more and struck with his sword through the air.
One could see:
Two white robes reflecting the twilight, the setting sun's light on two shadows.
The green sky's wood trembled, its energy long, the Seven Kill piercing through the vastness, arriving through the mist.
People like meteors chasing the grand cosmos, bodies like swift cranes arranging the cloud's edge.
Where the peach branch trembled, cold light swirled, sword intent surged, and an elegant rhythm unfolded!
"Hang Sword."
"Lift Sword."
"Cloud Sword!"
"Teacher is using Tai Chi. It turns out that the essence of Tai Chi works even better when applied to swordplay!"
Seeing the swordplay Teacher Su Ran displayed, Xiao Wu could feel a resonance with her own fist techniques, and unconsciously began to practice Tai Chi Fist beside him.
This Tai Chi Sword and Tai Chi Fist originated from the same source, both relying on leveraging force against force, using a small force to deflect a thousand pounds. It was as if an invisible wall of qi formed around their bodies, deflecting Chen Xin's sharp sword strikes one by one.
Gu Rong was stunned for a moment, looking at Xiao Wu and saying:
"This swordplay actually has corresponding fist techniques? This is truly strange. Swords and fists are two different offensive styles, yet they can be practiced together?"
Xiao Wu nodded: "They can! Teacher said that the form can be different, but the intent and momentum can be the same!"
"Interesting. It's been a long time since this old man has seen anyone who can fight this Old Sword Man to a draw in sword skills. No, one could say, the Old Sword Man is at a disadvantage!"
Gu Rong looked at the two fighting on the lawn. Although Chen Xin was on the offensive, each of his attacks was cleverly resolved by Su Ran.
Even the Seven Kill Sword Qi, which made his bones ache, seemed to be dissolved by an invisible force under Su Ran's peach branch. The sword qi simply could not get close to Su Ran.
Tai Chi Swordplay does not focus on its moves, but on understanding its momentum and intent, integrating them thoroughly, making it impossible for a hundred swords to approach.
"This swordplay is indeed profound, but all sword variations do not deviate from their origin."
"Dean Su, this sword is the killing sword of my Seven Kill. One force can overcome ten skills. Let's see if it can break your sword momentum!"
Chen Xin's long robe fluttered lightly, and the wooden sword in his hand was tinged with a cyan-red color. His figure darted like a long dragon, and he struck with a single sword, aiming directly for Su Ran's face.
Su Ran's feet sank, and the surrounding winds formed a Tai Chi yin-yang symbol, pressing a double-fish pattern into the lawn.
"Discharge!"
Buzz—
The clash of swords was swift.
A sword light flickered in Peach Blossom Spring, more dazzling than the evening glow.
—
Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
In the magnificent conference room, the three deans of the Academic Affairs Office were present. Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang and Qin Ming were making the final arrangements for Heaven Dou Royal Academy's team:
"Our main team, along with Star Luo Royal Academy and Spirit Hall's main team, as seeded teams, can skip the preliminaries and advance directly to the finals after the promotion rounds. Our goal is to contend for the championship, and we are certainly going for the championship."
"Second team, your only objective is to clear obstacles for the main team. In the preliminaries, you must test the strength of the strong teams, especially this Peach Garden Team. Once you encounter them, I need you to go all out, unleash your strongest abilities to deal with them, and thoroughly ascertain their strength and trump cards."
"Of course, if you can achieve a good ranking with your own strength and directly eliminate the Peach Garden Team in the preliminary stage, successfully entering the finals to meet up with the main team, I will also be very happy for you."
The All-Continent Elite Soul Master Competition is divided into three stages: preliminaries, promotion rounds, and finals.
The combined team of Shrek members like Tang San, Yu Tianheng, and Dai Mubai, and the Royal Fight Team, naturally served as Heaven Dou Royal Academy's main team, inheriting Heaven Dou Royal Academy's seeded team slot, allowing them to skip the preliminaries.
"Grandmaster, is this Peach Garden Team the one Teacher Qin Ming mentioned before, the team that defeated our main team in Soto City?"
Dean Meng Shenji of the Academic Affairs Office was a bit confused. This Peach Garden Team was clearly an unknown, as the academy's name had never appeared in previous Spirit Master competitions. Why did Grandmaster attach so much importance to them?
Grandmaster glanced at Qin Ming, somewhat blaming Qin Ming for talking too much, and could only explain:
"Yes, the Royal Fight Team did narrowly lose to the Peach Garden Team. This team should not be underestimated; they possess very strong explosive power. Therefore, we need to be fully alert when dealing with them. If necessary, we won't hesitate to have the second team cover for the main team."
"In fact, we can lose the championship, but we absolutely cannot lose to the Peach Garden Team again. Otherwise, it will have a significant impact on these children's future cultivation."
"What worries me most is that our main team has now lost an excellent support system Spirit Master like Lingling, which might cause our team to lose its soul..."
A hint of worry appeared in Second Dean Bai Baoshan's eyes.
A few days ago, when these children returned from hunting their fourth spirit ring, they discovered that Ye Lingling was missing. She was the most outstanding support system Spirit Master among the younger generation of the Royal Academy.
"Second Dean Bai, there's no need to mention her again. Since she chose to betray her team, let her be. Without Nine Heart Begonia, we will still win."
Hearing Ye Lingling's name, Yu Xiaogang's eyes also dimmed slightly, but he quickly waved his hand. With the competition about to begin, he couldn't shake morale, boost others' Spirits, or diminish his own prestige; he had to give the children confidence.
"Xiaogang!"
"Flender, you're back? How was it? Did you find out about Peach Blossom Spring Academy's situation?"
Just then, Flender and Zhao Wuji walked in from outside, and Yu Xiaogang hurried forward to ask.
Flender adjusted his glasses:
"According to my investigation, after Peach Blossom Spring Academy entered Heaven Dou City, they should have moved into the wealthy district, and they are guarded by special escorts from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Our people didn't dare to act rashly."
"However, I just saw an old man in white robes go to the area where Peach Blossom Spring Academy is staying. Soon after, a shocking sword light erupted, even dispersing the evening glow in the sky. I don't know if a fight occurred."
"White robes? Sword light? Could it be..."
"Zhao Wuji, if I'm not mistaken, when Su Ran severely injured you before, it was also a peach branch transformed into a sword, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
Zhao Wuji was a bit embarrassed to have a painful memory brought up.
"Then there's no mistake. To unleash such powerful sword light, that old man should be Sword Douluo Chen Xin. It's said that his swordsmanship is unparalleled, with few able to contend with him, and he's also a sword fanatic. Su Ran uses a peach blossom sword, so he most likely went to challenge Su Ran to a sword fight."
A look of joy appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face:
"This Sword Douluo is said to have broken through to ninety-five levels many years ago, making him a Super Douluo expert. If he takes action, Su Ran will certainly suffer. If he can be severely injured, it would be greatly beneficial to us! The room for maneuver would be much larger."
"Alright, Little San, Mubai, Tian Heng... you main team members, after receiving your team uniforms, go back to training first. The competition starts tomorrow, and you should also go watch. Don't miss any of the Peach Garden Team's matches."
"Second team, stay. I still need to finalize your tactical arrangements for the preliminaries."
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and said to the members of the two Royal Academy teams.
"Grandmaster, are these our team uniforms?"
"They're not very good-looking, are they?"
"Why are there two logos? This one is the Royal Academy's emblem, what's this symbol of a tree branch with a red cross?"
"Idiot, this clearly means—destroy the Peach Garden Team!"
"Hmph! Brilliant!"
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