"Osler, Rank 41, Agility Attack Type Soul Ancestor. Please guide me!" Osler stared at Gu Xuan with a grave expression. The four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—pulsated around his body as his Martial Soul possession transformed him into a black Black Leopard.
Gu Xuan glanced at Osler. He didn't intend to release his Martial Soul. Instead, soul power surged across his skin, and the eight dragon-swords on his back snapped into existence, unfurling slightly. The sight was overbearingly domineering.
"?" Osler froze. 'What the hell...?'
Yu Tianheng and the others were equally stunned. 'Twin Martial Souls? No, wait... is that a soul bone? An external soul bone?'
They weren't ordinary people, and since Gu Xuan had dragged them to the library to cram theoretical knowledge in the past, they naturally understood the concept of external soul bones. To think that after being gone for a few months, he had gained an external soul bone!
Furthermore, was he really planning to face a Soul Ancestor without even using his Martial Soul?
The group watched in silence. Though they were shocked, no one spoke.
"Using my Martial Soul would be a bit like bullying you," Gu Xuan said softly. "I'll use my soul bone."
Hearing this, Osler's face went dark, his expression screaming, 'I seriously suspect you're just showing off your soul bone.'
However, he didn't argue. Yu Tianheng had been right—if Gu Xuan could give them Mixed Yuan Pills, there was no reason he wouldn't have something for himself. Besides, Gu Xuan now had an extra soul bone, and why did this soul bone look so damn cool? 'Are you sure you aren't just trying to look stylish?' Osler thought.
There was no referee; Gu Xuan simply wanted to give Osler a beating.
"Sword One," Gu Xuan whispered. One dragon-sword detached from his back and shot toward Osler like a bolt of lightning.
"!" Osler was startled. 'Is there really no preamble at all?'
Fortunately, the current Osler was no longer his old self. His reactions were sharp, and his first soul ring lit up instantly.
"First Soul Skill, Leopard Shadow Raid!"
His speed increased by fifty percent. With the skill active, Osler turned into a black blur, narrowly dodging the dragon-sword's strike.
Watching the accelerated Osler charging toward him, Gu Xuan smiled faintly. "Sword Two," he said softly.
Another dragon-sword detached. The two swords began to pincer Osler, pursuing him along his path of advancement.
'This external soul bone is this powerful?!' Osler thought, shocked, though his feet didn't slow down.
"Third Soul Skill, Leopard Shadow Doppelganger!"
His purple third ring flashed, and Osler's figure split into three. He lunged at Gu Xuan from three different directions, his speed increasing once more.
Gu Xuan remained rooted to the spot, his lips moving barely an inch. "Sword Three, Sword Four."
As his voice fell, two more dragon-swords detached. The four swords instantly compressed Osler's space for advancement, each clone being locked onto by a blade.
Osler's true body was pursued by two swords, preventing him from getting anywhere near Gu Xuan. He realized that to reach the captain, he first had to deal with these blades. The fact that Gu Xuan still had four more swords remaining on his back made Osler's scalp tingle with dread.
What Osler didn't expect was that Gu Xuan could easily lock onto his true body, forcing his attacks to become timid. Each dragon-sword carried a pressure no less than the tool Martial Soul of a Rank 40+ Soul Ancestor—perhaps even more.
For Gu Xuan, it was simple. He had received the eight strands of the Seven Kill Sword intent from Chen Xin. Although he hadn't fully digested them, they allowed him to control the dragon-swords with greater precision. His Heart Separation Control had only just reached the "Four-Aperture Constant Heart" level, as he hadn't focused on specialized training for it yet.
Reaching this level in just two months was impressive. Once he reached the "Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart," he would be able to control all eight dragon-swords simultaneously with ease. For now, four swords were his current limit.
After all, every profession has its specialty. He had only possessed the Sword Dragon Eight Wings for a few months; his swordsmanship needed tempering, and his sword intent needed nurturing.
However, against Osler, this was more than enough. It wasn't that Osler was too weak, but that Gu Xuan's foundation was too high and his strength too superior. The Sword Dragon Eight Wings came from a 90,000-year Sword-Winged Demon Dragon. Even if Gu Xuan couldn't exert their full power yet, they were sufficient to handle a Soul Ancestor.
"Seven Kill Sword Art, First Form—Sword Intent Traversing!"
This was the sword technique and mental method Chen Xin had passed to Gu Xuan along with the sword intent—the direct heritage of the Seven Kill Sword. As the world's number one offensive Tool Martial Soul, its status might not match the Clear Sky Hammer, but its power has never lost. The twelve forms of the Seven Kill Sword Art were far superior to the Disorderly Splitting Wind Hammer Method, and their killing intent was bone-chilling!
Under the drive of the sword art, the four dragon-swords erupted with fierce light. Sword intent crisscrossed the air as if it could tear through space itself.
"Not good!" Osler shouted. As the four swords surged, he retreated frantically, distancing himself from Gu Xuan. Simultaneously, his purple fourth ring lit up.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Shadowless Continuous Raid!"
Osler's figure turned into dozens of black shadows, scattering in all directions before closing in on Gu Xuan from every angle, as if to shred him to pieces.
Gu Xuan smiled and beckoned with his hand. The four dragon-swords soared back to him, spinning rapidly around his body.
"Seven Kill Sword Art, Second Form—Sword Guarding the Four Directions!"
The four swords whirled around him. Driven by the sword art, they burst with a fierce momentum that formed a quadrilateral sword formation, guarding Gu Xuan and making it impossible for Osler to close the distance.
Having used several soul skills in rapid succession, Osler's soul power was draining fast. Though he hadn't been injured yet, he hadn't achieved anything either. If this continued, Gu Xuan wouldn't even need to strike—Osler would run out of soul power on his own.
'I have to break through!' Osler thought. His second yellow ring lit up; this was his strongest single-target offensive skill. If this couldn't break the sword formation, his only end would be a crushing defeat and a beating from the captain.
"Second Soul Skill, Black Leopard Slash!"
As the ring glowed, Osler pressed his hands together and swung them violently toward Gu Xuan. A two-meter-long dark-black blade of energy erupted. This strike carried half of Osler's remaining soul power; he was determined to land it.
"Heh! Petty tricks!"
Gu Xuan stopped defending. The four swords of the formation merged into one massive greatsword. The blade pointed directly at the incoming slash as a dragon-like hum vibrated through the air.
"Sword Art—Four Swords as One... Flying Dragon Piercing Heaven!"
This was a move Gu Xuan had improvised by simulating one of the soul bone skills of the Sword Dragon Eight Wings. While not as powerful as the actual full soul bone skill, the power of the four merged swords made Gu Xuan invincible among his peers.
As he swung the blade, a domineering sword-dragon composed entirely of sword intent and soul power roared forth. It tore through Osler's Black Leopard Slash and locked onto his figure.
Sensing the fatal momentum, Osler realized he couldn't dodge. He instantly dropped to the ground in a deep bow. "Captain, spare me!"
Seeing this, Gu Xuan was reminded of his own past self. With a strange expression, he lightly waved his hand. "Disperse!"
As the word fell, the sword-dragon, which was just inches from Osler's face, shattered into points of sword intent light that drifted through the air, leaving the very atmosphere feeling razor-sharp.
Gu Xuan loosened his grip on the merged greatsword, and it split back into four dragon-swords that returned to his back. He stood there, having never moved a single step from his original position. With the eight swords fanned out slightly, his presence was peerless.
"Having strength is a good thing, but getting cocky is where you went wrong," Gu Xuan said with a light chuckle, looking at Osler's terror-stricken face.
"Next."
(End of Chapter)
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