Chapter 283: Promoted to the Tenth Elder of Spirit Hall

"I’m not convinced!" "Again! I was careless and didn’t dodge!" "Young people don’t talk about martial ethics! They go and steal, go and deceive an old man like me." The Ninth Elder, in his Martial Soul True Body state, said angrily, his old face burning hot. As a veteran of the workplace, he had wanted to give the newcomer a show of force and at the same time let him understand the power of his own organization. The result was that he was KO’d with one sword. What a great humiliation! The Titled Douluos looked at each other. It really wasn’t that the Ninth Elder was careless. It was that the person’s sword qi was too strong, and the spiritual attack was too sharp. It was really difficult to dodge. But it was also true that the Ninth Elder, thinking he had a soul power advantage, had been a little too contemptuous. Otherwise, if he had cooperated with his soul skills, he might not have had no chance of winning. It was just that a loss was a loss. He just had to admit it. Naturally, he would not be allowed to fight again. Spirit Hall still had this much magnanimity. Bibi Dong said softly, "Ninth Elder, step down. You lost the initiative. If Yan Chixia had pursued his victory just now, you would have had no chance of winning." "You are very good. To have such combat power just after stepping into the Titled Douluo realm. If you are willing to honor me as your superior, I will make an exception and enfeoff you as a new elder of Spirit Hall. From now on, you will enjoy endless glory and wealth, and I will personally guide you on the road ahead." Shen An did not agree, but instead said with a fervent gaze, "Don’t be in a hurry. The fight just now was really not satisfying enough. It’s rare to encounter so many Titled Douluos. Why not fight me a couple more times?" ’A martial arts fanatic, a complete martial arts fanatic.’ Looking at the battle-intent-filled Shen An, Bibi Dong and the others thought in unison. "Fine. I will definitely let you have your fill today. Yue Guan, you come," Bibi Dong said. She could see it. "Yes, Your Majesty the Pope." Yue Guan, dressed in flawless white, walked out. "Yan Chixia, you are very powerful and have great potential. But right now, you are still not my opponent." Yue Guan’s feminine voice sounded, his words filled with admiration for Shen An. "Who is stronger and who is weaker will only be known after a fight," Shen An said indifferently. Yue Guan smiled. He was a level ninety-five Titled Douluo. At this level, he was already in a different league from Titled Douluos below level ninety-five. What’s more, his martial soul was an immortal-grade immortal herb. Yue Guan really couldn’t think of how he could lose. Not everyone had the strength to fight across ranks like Tang Hao. Moreover, even Tang Hao had the advantage of a perfectly absorbed hundred-thousand-year soul ring, a full set of soul bones, and the Clear Sky Sect’s ultimate skills to be able to fight across ranks. "Yue Guan, level ninety-five Titled Douluo, title, Chrysanthemum!" A golden chrysanthemum, flowing with a mysterious charm, appeared in Yue Guan’s hand. To be honest, although he had met Yue Guan many times, this was the first time Shen An had seen the full appearance of Yue Guan’s martial soul at such a close distance. Shen An was slightly dazed. He had seen this kind of flower at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but had not picked it. Yue Guan, seeing Shen An in a daze, thought he was intimidated by his powerful aura and martial soul. He immediately covered his mouth and chuckled lightly. "Yan Chixia, are you scared? Don’t worry, I am a Super Douluo, and my martial soul is an immortal-grade immortal herb. It’s no shame to lose to me." Immortal-grade immortal herb? A thought moved in Shen An’s mind. Yue Guan seemed to know about immortal herbs. To be honest, when Tom and Jerry took immortal herbs, it was generally based on intuition. But if you really asked them to explain the effects, they couldn’t. And Dugu Bo, who possessed many immortal herbs, knew nothing at all, perfectly interpreting the terror of being illiterate, and was tormented by his own poison for decades in vain. If he could get the knowledge of many immortal herbs from Yue Guan’s mouth... When the time came, he could make another deal with Dugu Bo, take out a few immortal herbs, and rebuild the foundation for Xue Qinghe, Na’er, and the others. It would be a beautiful thing. "Scared? That’s out of the question," Shen An’s face did not change. On the other hand, Yue Guan covered his mouth and chuckled lightly, thinking to himself that this person’s mouth was quite hard. It was just that Shen An’s next words made him unable to laugh. "I have just seen this flower somewhere. I never thought that your martial soul would be almost identical to it." "What?! You’ve seen this flower? Tell me quickly where it is!" Yue Guan was suddenly shocked and let out a sharp cry. His powerful soul power couldn’t help but pour out, causing even the clothes of the crowd to rustle. A Titled Douluo who had reached the peak was actually unable to control the leakage of his soul power. One can imagine how shocked his mind was. Shen An smiled. "I’ve seen it. If you beat me, I’ll tell you. Otherwise, you owe me a favor." "Alright, alright, alright!" Yue Guan’s gaze had never been so intense. At this moment, his battle intent was constantly climbing, almost reaching the peak of his life. "I’ve never seen Chrysanthemum Guan like this. It seems that immortal herb must have an indescribable benefit for him," Ghost murmured. The Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum suddenly bloomed. Countless golden petals floated down from it, each petal like a crescent moon blade, dancing and spinning. In an instant, the area in front of the Pope’s Hall almost became a golden sea. "Go!" The petals cut through space and attacked Shen An. The petals dancing in the sky made it almost impossible to avoid. Yue Guan’s idea was very simple. No one could be well-rounded. Even Titled Douluos had their biases. Since Shen An was biased towards attack, his defense must not be outstanding. And his area-of-effect attack, coupled with the suppression of his soul power level, was the best way to deal with Shen An. With Shen An’s perception, it was not difficult to feel the majestic power in the petals. Of course, it was not difficult to break the situation either. The Nine-Leaf Sword Grass was least afraid of fighting attack with attack. He just had to directly hit back with his ultimate sword intent and sword qi. It was just that, this time, Shen An’s identity was Yan Chixia. He still needed to show something different to completely dispel the suspicions of the Spirit Hall crowd. After all, on the entire Douluo Continent, there were only two people who were truly famous for using a sword: Sword Dao Chen Xin, and Shen An himself. I can’t let them associate me with my true self. Shen An thought silently to himself. He then held the sword in his hand, his eyes reflecting the appearance of the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. A sense of loneliness and desolation naturally flowed from his body. A sword could be ultimately sharp, but it could also be a vessel for the person holding it. "In the mountains for a jiazi, I have not seen the red dust. I have only seen the cold moon and the warm sun, which come to fry a person’s life." He then thrust out his sword. This sword did not have ultimate speed and sharpness. It could even be said to be a little limp. But the flowers that filled the sky actually paled under this sword, withering and dying one after another. Bibi Dong’s eyes widened. She seemed to see a mountain swordsman, tempering himself day after day, but finding it difficult to see the road ahead, and thus lamenting the easy passing of time. Shen An heard the cries of the people around him, his face unchanged. How could it be so mysterious? How old am I? I’m just deliberately trying to be pretentious. The substance of this sword was that, thanks to his sixth soul skill, the time intent he had comprehended from the Dark Demon Evil God Bead was integrated into the sword, creating a time-alternating effect. However, it was an unexpected counter to the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. Yue Guan’s face was pale at this time. There was no need to fight anymore. This power, this intent... this Shen An was his natural nemesis. He had originally thought that among the known Titled Douluos, the one who countered him the most was Chen Xin. He had not expected another Shen An to appear. At this time, Yue Guan’s heart was filled with "holy crap." Am I naturally at odds with those who use swords??! But with the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum immortal herb at stake, how could he be willing to admit defeat? "Again! Martial Soul True Body!" At this moment, the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum in Yue Guan’s hand flew out rapidly, growing to a size of ten zhang in mid-air. The flower’s body spun violently and crashed towards Shen An. At the same time, Yue Guan himself flew out and landed on the giant chrysanthemum. His whole body was bathed in the golden light emitted by the chrysanthemum, and the energy of the person and the martial soul were completely fused into one. Facing a blow from a Super Douluo who was one with his own martial soul, Shen An’s eyes were grave. His own six soul rings, plus the three soul rings painted by Tom, suddenly appeared. The sixth soul ring then shone brightly. "Sword Heart Illumination!" A profound and mysterious aura spread from Shen An’s body. In the perception of all the Titled Douluos, at this moment, Shen An actually gave a feeling of being invulnerable, a complete and unified whole. It passively improved Shen An’s talent for the sword, helping him to see through all things in the world, so as to reach the realm of comprehending the sword and comprehending the Dao. When he actively opened it, it naturally integrated all of Shen An’s cultivation, as if he were a legendary sword immortal. Facing the speeding Yue Guan, Shen An slashed out with his sword, fiercely colliding with the golden chrysanthemum. At that instant of collision, Yue Guan felt as if his five organs and six viscera were about to shatter. Even his essence, qi, and spirit were somewhat weakened. A sword slash without reservation, what it slashed was the three flowers of a person: essence, qi, and spirit! The Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, along with Yue Guan’s body, was sent flying back. A deep sword mark was left on the body of the immortal-grade martial soul. The flower’s body now seemed to be withered. At this moment, Yue Guan was bleeding from his mouth and nose, his head was splitting. His essence, qi, and spirit were all injured by this sword. Shen An also stood on the spot, panting, indicating that this blow had also cost him a lot of effort. Yue Guan wanted to activate his martial soul again, but the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum was already severely damaged. He couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of reverse blood. Ghost hurriedly came forward and used his soul power to help him recuperate. After a long while, Yue Guan was barely better, but said in a dim voice, "I lost. From now on, I owe you a favor. As long as it’s not something that forces me, I will help you." "But can you tell me where that flower is? I can promise you anything you want." Yue Guan, disregarding his injuries, had a pleading look in his eyes. With his martial soul, if he could consume the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum again, so as to complete his creation, he might not necessarily be unable to glimpse the realm of the Great Priest in his lifetime. Shen An shook his head. He was not so kind-hearted. Yue Guan had once wanted to kill him. If he were to still go and aid the enemy now, wouldn’t his brain have a hole in it? "My request is very simple. You tell me everything you know about immortal herbs, and from then on, we will not owe each other anything." Yue Guan froze. He had not expected Shen An to propose this. To be honest, giving the knowledge of immortal herbs to Shen An was not a big deal. The problem was that he was afraid. He was afraid that Shen An would directly eat the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum after knowing its effects. Although the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum had the most significant effect on him, an immortal herb was an immortal herb after all. No matter who consumed it, they would receive a creation. "What, Chrysanthemum Douluo is famous throughout the continent. Are you planning to go back on your word?" Shen An, seeing Yue Guan hesitate, said to provoke him. "A bet is a bet. Give it to him," Bibi Dong said. Bibi Dong didn’t care about what immortal herb or not. She now had a high opinion of Shen An. Such combat power, and his age was not yet a jiazi. This could already be called a supreme posture. From the artistic conception just now, it could be seen even more that this person was definitely a bitter cultivator. Only by watching the sun and moon rotate day after day, the warmth of spring and the cold of winter, could one comprehend such an artistic conception. Their own boss had spoken. Even if Yue Guan had ten thousand unwillingnesses in his heart, he had to comply. A small booklet flew towards Shen An. On the title page was a line of graceful small characters, "A Hundred Explanations of Immortal Herbs." ’In the future, I can prepare a newbie gift package for Xue Qinghe and Na’er.’ Shen An was secretly happy in his heart. With a turn of his hand, he put it into his storage space. "Yan Chixia, wait. I will fight you. If you lose, you will tell Chrysanthemum Guan the whereabouts of the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. If I lose, I will also owe you a favor and can make a move for you once." Ghost stood out at this moment. His good friend had been beaten into this state. He naturally would not sit by and do nothing. "If you are willing, you can rest and recuperate first," Ghost added. He could be a little shameless to outsiders, taking advantage of their unpreparedness to take them down fiercely. But for a future colleague like Shen An, it was better to be a little more particular. Otherwise, it would not be conducive to the unity of the organization, and Her Majesty the Pope would not be happy. Shen An nodded lightly. Ghost had also made a move on him before. Since he had come to his door at this time, he didn’t mind teaching him a lesson. Pretending to recuperate for half an hour, Shen An opened his two eyes. "Come on." "Alright!" Ghost, whose body was shrouded in black mist, actually became almost illusory in the scorching daylight. In just a few moments, Shen An felt a gust of yin wind attack him. "Yan Chixia, what I am least afraid of is physical attacks. Your sword qi can’t do anything to me." Shen An’s face became strange. Under his Sword Heart Illumination, he was a unity of essence, qi, and spirit. With one sword strike, all three would be injured. He then drew his sword, and the sword light illuminated all four directions around him. "Holy crap! It hurts so much!" Ghost, who had unfolded his Martial Soul True Body, under this sword light, was actually like an ordinary wild ghost first seeing the sun, his form shattered by the light. Ghost fell to the ground. Black qi could be seen rising from his body with the naked eye, and his illusory form also became clear. It wasn’t that Ghost was weak. It was that Ghost was too confident in his Martial Soul True Body’s physical immunity. Bibi Dong’s eyes shone with brilliance. She did not care about the injured Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos. At this moment, her mind was full of thoughts on how to subdue Shen An. "Yan Chixia, welcome to our Spirit Hall. You will become the tenth elder of the Elder Hall. Fame and fortune, glory and wealth will all belong to you in the future." "From today onwards, your name will resound throughout the continent. You will share the glory with our Spirit Hall!" Bibi Dong made a heavy promise, not hiding her high regard for Shen An in the slightest. To be able to defeat the Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos showed that Shen An’s combat power was strong. His age being not yet a jiazi showed that his potential was huge. If this person was cultivated into a confidant, then he would be an invaluable assistance in the future. Fame, my name resounding throughout the continent? A strange feeling rose in Shen An’s heart. He had originally sneaked into Spirit Hall just to find Xue Qinghe’s whereabouts. He had not expected to have this gain. He had known from his previous participation in spirit-fighting that even if it was a fake name, as long as the final point was himself, then he could gain fame points. ’Could it be that my opportunity to break through to Soul Sage has fallen on Spirit Hall? To find someone and at the same time get a free ride, it seems not bad.’ Shen An’s small heart suddenly went "thump thump thump." "That... to be honest, I have been cultivating in the deep mountains for a long time and have had little contact with people. Now that I have come out of the mountains, I want to experience this red dust even more. Can you let everyone get to know me as soon as possible?" Shen An coughed a few times and said. Bibi Dong suddenly smiled very brightly. I’m not afraid that you have a request, I’m just afraid that you have no request. "Someone, pass on my decree. Yan Chixia will be the tenth elder of our Spirit Hall!" "Today, I, the Emperor, will personally crown him with his title." Shen An was ecstatic in his heart, only feeling that he was not far from becoming a Soul Sage! Bibi Dong would never have dreamed that the Shen An before her, his true cultivation had not yet reached Soul Sage. TLNote: "Red dust" (红尘 - hóngchén) is a poetic and philosophical term for the mortal world or secular life.