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Chapter 65: The So-Called Sword Maniac
Jing Ziyan and Bai Chen followed Ji Juechen to a tall building.
A large plaque hung above the entrance that read:
"Soul Tool Testing Grounds."
Jing Ziyan explained as they walked.
"This is a place Juechen and I come to often. Soul engineers can rent arenas here to test new soul tools. They also allow duels between soul engineers. I know the owner a little, so she gives me a discount."
After speaking briefly with the receptionist, she received a token and led Bai Chen and Ji Juechen into a spacious combat arena.
She jumped onto the platform and excitedly beckoned.
"Alright, Juechen—let's begin."
Jing Ziyan's eyes were bright with anticipation.
The reason she spent so much time around Ji Juechen wasn't only because she liked him.
At heart, she was also a battle maniac.
Even if Bai Chen hadn't asked to see Ji Juechen, she had already planned to challenge him again soon.
Now was the perfect chance to fight to her heart's content.
Ji Juechen stepped onto the arena without a word and slowly drew his sword.
The battle began.
Bai Chen sat in the audience seats, watching thoughtfully.
Overall, Ji Juechen was at a disadvantage.
He was six or seven years younger than Jing Ziyan. While he would surpass her in the future, at the moment she still had the upper hand.
If Bai Chen had to describe Ji Juechen's combat style in two phrases, it would be:
"All-or-nothing."
and
"Overpowering strength breaking all techniques."
The latter meant Ji Juechen had no combat methods other than his sword.
No matter what tricks his opponent used, he would break through them directly with a frontal sword strike.
The former referred to the fact that his fighting style had no defense and no evasion.
He replaced defense entirely with offense.
His attacks were so sharp that they compensated for his lack of defensive ability.
If Bai Chen had to describe it with modern terms, it would be:
"You can attack me if you want—but you'll die too."
A sword style built around mutual destruction.
This unique combat style perfectly matched his personality.
It made him extremely troublesome to deal with.
Jing Ziyan, however, fought in the complete opposite way.
Her nickname, "Uncrowned King of Fourth-Level Soul Engineers," came from the fact that she had mastered nearly every type of Level 4 soul tool.
If Ji Juechen's abilities could be described as a single stat maxed to the extreme, Jing Ziyan's abilities were like a balanced hexagonal chart.
She was good at everything.
Her smoke martial soul also made her combat style revolve around mobility and guerrilla tactics.
Because of this clash between two completely opposite fighting styles, the battle was extremely intense.
However, Ji Juechen's cultivation was still lower.
After about ten minutes, Jing Ziyan finally caught an opening and defeated him.
But even as the winner, she looked tired.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she said:
"Your strength keeps improving, Juechen. At this rate, it won't be long before I can't beat you anymore."
"Mm."
Ji Juechen simply nodded calmly.
Then his gaze shifted toward Bai Chen below the arena.
"Are you fighting me now, or after I recover?"
"Wait, Juechen. Are you serious?"
Jing Ziyan's expression suddenly became serious.
She stepped in front of him.
"We agreed only to spar with opponents qualified to fight us. You—"
Her sentence suddenly stopped.
A hand had landed on her shoulder.
Her body reacted instantly.
She spun around and kicked.
"Whoa—close one, senior sister."
Bai Chen easily dodged the kick and smiled.
"Could you trust senior brother's judgment a little? You should know his personality better than anyone."
Jing Ziyan stared at him.
A chill slowly crept up her spine.
She hadn't sensed Bai Chen approaching at all.
And he had just dodged her full-power kick.
Even though she had just finished fighting Ji Juechen and was slightly tired—
That kick had still been serious.
How was this possible?
Ji Juechen spoke calmly.
"Your answer?"
He was speaking to Bai Chen.
Bai Chen shrugged.
"Let's wait until you're fully recovered. If we fight now, it wouldn't be satisfying anyway."
Ji Juechen's eyes shifted slightly.
Then he sat down and began meditating.
From the sidelines, he had clearly observed Bai Chen's movement earlier.
The reason Jing Ziyan hadn't sensed him was because of his footwork.
Bai Chen's steps were light and eerie—almost like a ghost gliding through shadows.
Ji Juechen had fought many soul engineers before.
Some were melee specialists.
But none of them possessed movement techniques like that.
He was now certain of something.
Bai Chen was far more dangerous than he appeared.
After about ten minutes, Ji Juechen opened his eyes and stood.
Bai Chen was already waiting on the opposite side of the arena.
Seeing Ji Juechen rise, Bai Chen tilted his head and smiled.
"Ready?"
"Mm."
Ji Juechen raised his sword vertically in front of his chest.
In that instant—
Bai Chen's entire body tensed with goosebumps.
Ji Juechen hadn't even moved.
Yet Bai Chen's instincts screamed in warning.
Immediately, a purple soul ring appeared around Bai Chen and lit up.
His first soul skill activated instantly:
Steel Bone – Shocked Gold.
Below the stage, Jing Ziyan's jaw dropped.
"A… thousand-year first soul ring?! What kind of monster is this kid…?"
But Bai Chen had no attention to spare for her shock.
At this moment, he could not afford to divert even a single fragment of focus.
Ji Juechen still stood perfectly still.
Yet an invisible sword aura had already spread outward, enveloping Bai Chen.
The air itself seemed filled with razor-sharp killing intent.
It felt as if the moment Bai Chen made even the slightest move—
Ji Juechen's sword would cut off his head instantly.