Although Chen Ming belonged to the younger generation, his status was simply too high now. He could speak to Spirit Hall elders as equals and converse with the sect masters of the Upper Three Sects using the respectful dynamic of junior and senior.
He might technically still be a child, but his position had already become so elevated that almost nobody dared lay a hand on him anymore. Those weaker than him could not beat him in the first place, while those stronger than him did not dare attack casually.
It had already been a long time since Chen Ming had fought opponents around his own level—especially the kind of hot-blooded idiots who fought without restraint and would not hesitate just because of his status.
If he forcefully challenged high-level Spirit Masters like Spirit Emperors or Spirit Saints, Chen Ming definitely would not win. Other than testing his limits, such battles had little meaning.
But now, with Spirit Hall's Golden Generation trio—all at the Spirit Ancestor realm—it just so happened that they were perfect sparring targets for Chen Ming.
Yan might be stupid, but he was strong and thick-skinned. Once excited, he never held back, making him an excellent test dummy for measuring raw power.
Xie Yue's blade techniques were sharp and precise, making him a good opponent for practicing counters and deflections.
That way, Chen Ming could train both strength and technique.
As for Hu Liena...
Heh...
Generally speaking, intelligence and combat strength were hard to possess at the same time; one usually had to choose between the two. But Hu Liena was one of the rare exceptions—her strength was not particularly outstanding, and her brain genuinely did not work very well either.
Although she was considered the core of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation trio, among the three, the one with the least actual substance might very well have been Hu Liena herself.
After all, she truly received special treatment from Bibi Dong and was practically regarded as her biological daughter. The resources, status, and instruction she enjoyed far surpassed what the other two received.
One could even say that Bibi Dong had raised Hu Liena with the idea that if she ultimately failed to destroy Spirit Hall, then Hu Liena—whom she treated as a daughter—would inherit the position of Pope.
Xie Yue was Hu Liena's older brother, while Yan was her hopeless simp. This naturally gave Hu Liena many more opportunities to stand out.
Yet even under those conditions, she could only stand alongside Yan and Xie Yue as part of the Golden Generation. It was only after gaining the Deathgod Domain in Slaughter City that she truly surpassed the other two. That alone already showed that her talent was indeed inferior to theirs.
Leading the three of them, Chen Ming arrived at one of Spirit Hall's arenas.
Spirit Masters were naturally combative. Most of the time, when disputes between Spirit Masters could not be settled through words, they simply decided things through strength.
And the Spirit Masters within Spirit Hall were all proud geniuses by nature, making arguments and fights especially common.
To prevent unnecessary private conflicts from escalating into genuine grudges, Spirit Hall had specifically established multiple battle arenas for duels. Each one was overseen and refereed by a Spirit Saint-level Spirit Master.
At the moment, the Spirit Saint-level Spirit Hall bishop overseeing this particular arena was taking advantage of the quiet period to secretly read his copy of Douluo Heart Method.
Then he looked up and suddenly saw a major figure leading three smaller but equally untouchable figures toward the arena under his supervision.
He lowered his head to glance at the copy of Douluo Heart Method in his hands—a book he had nearly worn out from rereading, yet one that still shocked him every single time he opened it—then looked back up at Chen Ming approaching from afar.
The Spirit Saint instantly leapt out of his seat, his eyes filled with admiration as he hurried forward to greet him.
Originally, Hu Liena and the others thought the Spirit Saint had become excited upon seeing them.
But before they could finish the thought, they watched the Spirit Saint walk directly up to Chen Ming and enthusiastically shake his hand.
"Elder Chen, I have admired you for a long time. Being able to meet you today is truly the fortune of three lifetimes."
The Spirit Saint excitedly gripped Chen Ming's hand, his eyes filled with admiration, while the Golden Generation trio at the side was temporarily ignored entirely.
"Bishop Liu, didn't we meet just a few days ago? I clearly remember that among the many Spirit Masters my teacher brought out to protect my reputation, Bishop Liu was one of them. If anything, I should be the one thanking you for your hard work."
"E-Elder Chen actually remembers me?!" Bishop Liu's eyes widened with excitement.
Back then, Golden Crocodile Douluo had brought along four Titled Douluo-level elders, seven or eight Spirit Douluo-level experts, and more than twenty Spirit Saint-level red-clothed bishops. He himself had merely been one ordinary member among those red-clothed bishops, yet Chen Ming had actually remembered him specifically.
How could he not be excited?
"I remember everyone," Chen Ming said meaningfully.
And he truly did.
Chen Ming remembered every single person within Spirit Hall who had participated in matters related to him. Their personal profiles had all been categorized and memorized within his mind as a special data archive.
He might never need to use that information, but he absolutely could not afford not to remember it. Memorizing names and traits barely consumed any time or mental processing power, but if the information ever became useful, the benefits would be immense.
"Bishop Liu, I'd like to spar with these three. I'll trouble Bishop Liu to act as referee."
"These three...? Oh, right." Only then did Bishop Liu finally notice the Golden Generation trio and belatedly nod. But soon afterward, he realized something was off.
"Elder Chen, the Golden Generation are the most talented among Spirit Hall's younger generation. Although they naturally cannot compare to you, Elder Chen, the age gap and cultivation gap between you are simply too large. There really isn't much meaning in a spar between both sides..."
"It's fine. Just a simple exchange to verify each other's strength. This is also a form of communication between Spirit Masters."
"Understood. Elder Chen, please wait a moment. I'll call a few colleagues over to witness the match."
Bishop Liu cupped his fists respectfully toward Chen Ming before immediately dashing away. Not long afterward, he returned with eight colleagues.
Among them was one Spirit Douluo-level expert, four Spirit Saint-level bishops, and three healing-type Spirit Masters of different specialties.
All eight had basically been dragged over by Bishop Liu personally, solely to ensure there would be enough backup in case anything went wrong during the spar.
After confirming both sides were in proper condition and having all present witnesses certify the match, Chen Ming stepped onto the arena first and unleashed a combination of "One Yang Finger + Lion's Roar Technique" toward the three below.
"Come, come! Who's going first? Or are you all coming together?"
"Hmph. I'll do it!"
The proud Hu Liena ignored the reactions of the other two and directly leapt onto the arena.
On the square arena, which measured one hundred steps in both length and width, Chen Ming and Hu Liena stood twenty-five steps apart under the referee's guidance. Following the sharp sound of a whistle, both summoned their Martial Souls simultaneously.
Four standard Spirit Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—spread out around Hu Liena. A fluffy tail appeared behind her, while a pair of furry fox ears quietly emerged from beneath her hair.
As the Martial Soul Possession was completed, a charming and cloying aura enveloped Hu Liena. The people nearby, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, turned their gazes toward her.
Then a dragon's roar erupted from Chen Ming's mouth.
A tyrannical and pure aura surged from his body.
Under the pressure of that aura, no one paid further attention to the charming and seductive Hu Liena. Every gaze shifted entirely onto Chen Ming.
Bathed in dark golden radiance, Chen Ming's body expanded dramatically. Golden scales covered his entire frame, forming a shining suit of armor around him.
His arms and lower legs underwent drastic transformations. His hands became savage dragon claws that looked as though they had been forged from pure gold, while the portions below his knees swelled into draconic limbs.
Sharp dragon horns emerged from both sides of his head, pure dragon aura coiling around his body. Chen Ming's right eye became shrouded in a dark purple color that seemed capable of devouring souls, while his left eye blazed like burning fire or dazzling gold.
Three Spirit Rings—yellow, purple, purple—far surpassing the optimal ratio, appeared around Chen Ming.
Under the sunlight, Chen Ming, enveloped in golden radiance from head to toe, resembled a ferocious giant clad in golden armor.