Chapter 85: Three Years Later

Time flies. It has been three years since the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect held its grand title conferment ceremony. During these three years, the Douluo Continent has been exceptionally peaceful, and the most memorable event for the people remains that very ceremony. With four Titled Douluo within its ranks, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is now hailed as the number one sect in the world. Compared to the Clear Sky Sect, which has long hidden itself from public view and was known merely for its two Titled Douluo, the current Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is unmatched. Over these three years, Tian Lin has grown from the nine-year-old child he once was into a handsome twelve-year-old boy. His strength has also far surpassed what it was back then. The scene of him utterly defeating three Spirit Hall opponents with overwhelming power remains fresh in everyone's memory. Today at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Battle Arena, Tian Lin and Gu Ran have returned home for a rare visit from the Royal Academy. To test their progress, Chen Xin and Gu Rong arranged for several mid-tier Soul Ancestors to challenge the two of them. First up was Gu Ran. His soul power has reached an impressive level 44, with four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—showcasing his prowess as a Soul Ancestor. Not only that, three years earlier, he also obtained a soul bone, one of the two that Spirit Hall had gifted to Dugu Bo. These two ordinary soul bones were a strength-type left arm bone and a poison-attributed skull bone. Gu Ran received the left arm bone, while the poison skull bone remains unassigned, waiting for a suitable candidate. As for Dugu Yan, she obtained something even better—the highly valuable Poison Lightning Salamander skull bone. This skull bone was a betrothal gift from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to Dugu Bo, intended for Dugu Yan. No one had any objections to this arrangement. The spirit skill Dugu Yan gained from absorbing this skull bone is terrifyingly powerful—so powerful that even Tian Lin cannot evade it. Lastly, there was the ten-thousand-year gemstone soul bone gifted by Spirit Hall: the Amethyst Spirit Cat right leg bone. The Amethyst Spirit Cat is a gemstone-type soul beast covered in jewels, known for its incredible speed and strong spiritual power, capable of striking an opponent's soul with sharp claws. If this had been an arm bone, it might have granted the soul skill "Cat Spirit Claw," which targets the soul. But since it was a leg bone, it instead granted the speed-type soul skill "Amethyst Clone." This soul bone was perfect for Ning Rongrong. After absorbing it, and combining it with the Drunken Immortal Moon-Step Tian Lin had taught her, her ability to survive on the battlefield greatly improved. "Gu Ran, do your best! If you lose today, Grandpa Bones might just tear your bones apart!" Tian Lin joked. "Boss, don't worry about me." Gu Ran responded confidently. "An opening!" Gu Ran's opponents seized the moment and launched a fierce assault. "First Spirit Skill: Wild Bull Charge!" "First Spirit Skill: One Blade Journey!" "Third Spirit Skill: Reckless Tackle!" Three Soul Ancestors attacked in unison. Even a Soul King would not dare to take such an assault head-on. Yet Gu Ran stood his ground, using his body to endure every attack without even activating the Death Tyrannosaurus's soul bone skill. Over the years, Gu Ran had fully absorbed the medicinal effects of the Iron Armored Peony, transforming him into a defensive Soul Ancestor in all but name. Gu Ran raised his head, glanced at his three opponents, and said, "It's my turn to counterattack now. Fourth Spirit Skill: Bone Domain!" With a shake of his arm, countless bones emerged from the ground. These bones were not only incredibly tough but also laced with poison. Even the slightest scratch would paralyze the victim's entire body. This was a wide-area spirit skill combining both offense and control—one of the strongest of its kind for a fourth spirit skill. Gu Rong himself had helped Gu Ran choose the soul ring that granted this skill. Since Gu Rong's fourth spirit skill was a similar Bone Domain, he knew the skill's power and how to increase the chances of obtaining it. The results were clear: Gu Ran succeeded. In just a moment, the three Soul Ancestors were trapped in the bone forest, unable to move. However, since this was just a sparring match among allies, Gu Ran held back, ensuring the bones passed by them without causing harm. "Gu Ran, you're truly incredible. We admit defeat," the three Soul Ancestors quickly conceded. They all knew that if Gu Ran had not held back, they would already be dead. "Ugh, these ordinary Soul Ancestors aren't even a match for Ran'er. They can't even handle one of his spirit skills!" Gu Rong sighed, feigning frustration. Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi, standing nearby, were speechless. It was obvious Gu Rong was just showing off. "Old Bones, if that's the case, why not have Xiaotian spar with Gu Ran? It wouldn't hurt to humble the young ones every now and then," Chen Xin teased. Gu Rong's expression immediately froze, as if he had choked on his food. After a moment, he grumbled, "Old Sword, if you want someone to spar with my disciple, at least pick a human. Your disciple isn't human; he's a reincarnated monster!" Ning Fengzhi nodded in agreement. While he was also annoyed by Gu Rong's boasting, he had to admit the truth in his words. Tian Lin's current level was no weaker than Gu Ran's, and his fourth soul ring... All eyes turned to the battle arena. After Gu Ran stepped down, it was Tian Lin's turn. His opponents were even more numerous—seven Soul Ancestors in total. However, instead of feeling confident in their numbers, the seven Soul Ancestors were visibly tense as they faced the much younger boy. Being part of the same sect, they knew better than anyone just how terrifying Tian Lin truly was. "Senior brothers, I'm coming. Brace yourselves—Sword Control Technique!" Tian Lin extended a finger, and his magic sword shot forth. After years of practice, Tian Lin had mastered the Sword Control Technique to perfection. Against weaker opponents, he didn't even need to wield the sword himself. "Ten Thousand Sword Art! Shadow Sword! Demon-Slaying Technique!" The Demon-Slaying Technique was a new combination skill Tian Lin had created. After mastering the Ten Thousand Sword Art, he discovered that combining it with the Shadow Sword technique multiplied its power several times over. Although Tian Lin's Ten Thousand Sword Art wasn't yet complete, allowing only a thousand swords instead of ten thousand, it was still formidable. When paired with the Shadow Sword technique, each magic sword split into five shadow swords. In an instant, over five thousand swords filled the sky, all aimed at the seven Soul Ancestors. If they fell, the seven would be turned into pincushions. "Wait, wait! We surrender!" The seven Soul Ancestors cried out in unison, not even bothering to release their martial souls. There was no point in resisting an opponent they couldn't hope to defeat. Without taking a single step or revealing his soul rings, Tian Lin had effortlessly secured victory. Gu Rong smirked knowingly. "See? I told you, Old Sword. Testing this monster is a waste of time. At full power, Xiao Tian could probably defeat most Soul Kings and even challenge Soul Emperors."