Douluo Continent: The Twin Sons of the Styx River, Shaking the World and Destroying the Heavens

Chapter 207 Zhang Lexuan's Story

At night.

The temporary mourning hall set up by the Yan Yu Sect was entirely white. Seven brand-new coffins were placed side by side, containing only some scattered bone fragments—the last traces of the seven young disciples, painstakingly collected from the arena.

The Sect Master of Yanyu, dressed in hempen robes, sat listlessly before the altar, his eyes bloodshot, a deep, unspeakable grief churning within them. Beside him, Yan Yalong, who had just awakened, leaned against a specially made chair, his face ashen, his trousers hanging loosely. Though a prosthetic leg sent by the Sun Moon Empire had been attached, it was unlikely to regain its former agility. His head was bowed, his fists clenched tightly, knuckles white, even his breathing trembling with suppressed intensity.

The Sun Moon Empire was quite "thoughtful," providing not only a sacrificial site but also incense, candles, and paper money. In the mourning hall, besides the people from the Flame Prison Sect, there were also many representatives from sects and families from the original Three Kingdoms. They all stood silently to the side with solemn expressions, not daring to even breathe loudly.

In the past, clan memorial services, even in times of grief, would inevitably involve some perfunctory greetings. But now, the entire mourning hall was filled only with the crackling of burning incense and candles, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

The rabbit mourns the fox's death; all things of the same kind grieve. Of the eight young elites from the Flame Prison Sect who participated in the competition, seven were reduced to ashes, and the young sect leader was left with a lifelong disability. This tragic scene chilled the hearts of all onlookers. Looking at the seven almost empty coffins, and recalling Tang Wutong's merciless attack, they felt a chill run down their spines—if their own sect had encountered such a situation, how much better would things have been?

A silent fear and resentment quietly spread in the hearts of these representatives of the original Three Kingdoms forces.

Zheng Zhan and Zhang Lexuan of the Sun Moon Empire walked into the mourning hall side by side, their faces solemn. They said nothing more than a heartfelt apology to the seven coffins, then lit incense and bowed respectfully three times.

Zheng Zhan put down the storage ring in his hand, which contained the compensation promised by the Sun Moon Empire. He said in a low voice, "We will not shortchange you on the compensation you are owed. No one wanted to see what happened today. I apologize, everyone."

After saying this, the two quietly stepped back, turned and left without lingering any longer.

After they offered incense and paid their respects, many of the representatives from the various sects of the former Three Kingdoms subtly changed their expressions. Some wore complex expressions, some nodded to themselves, and others had a faint hint of mockery on their lips.

The smoke from the incense swirled in the mourning hall, gradually blurring everyone's vision and making it seem as if they couldn't see the future—this competition seemed to have already deviated from its original course.

Everyone knows that the Sun Moon Empire specially sent Zheng Zhan, a titled Douluo, and Zhang Lexuan, Kong Deming's great-granddaughter and a Limit Douluo, to pay their respects and offer generous compensation. They asked for nothing more than to express their condolences for this matter, and this gesture was more than enough.

In comparison, the actions of Tang Wutong, the young master of Haotian Sect, seem even more glaring. Both are protagonists in the incident, but one sincerely apologizes while the other doesn't even show up, as if those seven lives are truly as insignificant as dust.

The silence in the mourning hall grew increasingly heavy, the crackling of incense and candles sounding especially clear in the stillness, striking a chord in everyone's hearts.

As the battles progressed rapidly, the first round of the elimination tournament concluded in an atmosphere of tension and fierce competition. The sixty-two teams that ultimately emerged victorious joined forces with St. Freya Academy and Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, who had directly advanced as seeded teams, to advance to the second round.

After a day of rest, all teams were making the most of their time to adjust their form and study their opponents. The draw ceremony took place amidst great anticipation, and the new matchups were quickly finalized.

When the second round of elimination matches began as scheduled, the atmosphere in the arena was even more tense than in the first round.

The first match of the second round of eliminations featured a showdown between the Tang Clan and the Iron Sword Clan.

As soon as the duel between the Tang Clan and the Iron Sword Clan began, each side sent one person to take the stage.

On the Tang Clan's side, Xu Sanshi was the first to step out of the group, a casual smile playing on his lips, clearly not taking his opponents seriously.

The Iron Sword Sect member who took the stage was actually a young girl. She had delicate features and a slender figure. A simple, fitted outfit accentuated her sharp lines, and her long black hair was casually draped over her shoulders. Her hand holding the sword hilt was steady and powerful, and she exuded a heroic and dashing aura.

When Xu Sanshi saw that the person who came was a pretty girl, his eyes widened instantly, and he swallowed hard. The casualness on his face disappeared, replaced by a bit of unease and awkwardness. He even straightened his posture unconsciously.

In the Shrek Academy's waiting area, Cao Jinxuan watched this scene and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Did the Iron Sword Sect do some research beforehand? Why did they send a female disciple to the arena? And of this type no less... Don't they know that Senior Brother San Shi is most vulnerable to beautiful women?"

Jiang Nannan frowned, glaring fiercely at Xu Sanshi with a look that was both reproachful and sharp, making him shudder as if pricked by needles. His previously nonchalant expression vanished instantly. He didn't say another word, his expression suddenly becoming serious. He took a step back and swiftly moved a hundred meters away. Seeing that the two had retreated to within a hundred meters, Zheng Zhan raised his hand and made a gesture in front of him, activating the simulated battlefield program.

The scene randomly matched by the system quickly appeared—[Stone Forest No. 506].

In the blink of an eye, the surrounding scenery had changed, and the place where the two were standing had become a strange forest made of jagged rocks. The "trees" were all gray-black rocks, some straight as pillars with irregularly forked edges at the top; others were twisted and coiled, their surfaces covered with weathered grooves, and the ground was covered with fine gravel that made a rustling sound when stepped on.

Xu Sanshi's soul power surged suddenly, and his martial soul possessed him. A huge Xuanwu phantom appeared behind him, its shape of a tortoise and snake intertwined, exuding a heavy and majestic aura.

Rings of spirit light appeared around him, their colors changing in sequence: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, red, red, red. Eight spirit rings circled his body, their rhythm carrying a powerful sense of oppression, clearly indicating that he was already a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse.

Wang Chengxi clearly hadn't expected that the guy who had spoken to her on the competition stage was actually a Soul Master. Yet, her smile remained unchanged as she took small, quick steps towards Xu Sanshi. No one noticed, however, that a chilling coldness was surging deep within her eyes.

With a slight lift of her right hand, a jet-black iron sword appeared out of thin air, and rings of spirit rings lit up around it: two yellow and three purple. Such a configuration of spirit rings was quite good for an ordinary spirit master, let alone someone with the cultivation of a Spirit King. But in the eyes of a true powerhouse, this was naturally nothing special.

The two quickly closed in. To make up for his earlier abruptness, Xu Sanshi shouted in a deep voice, "Let's have a duel of sword and shield! Take this!" Before he finished speaking, the Xuanwu Armor Shield in his hand was already raised, and the Xuanwu Shield swept horizontally towards Wang Chengxi.

Wang Chengxi smiled faintly, paused slightly, and lightly jumped to the side. The iron sword in her hand flashed, and a black sword beam shot out, slicing straight at Xu Sanshi's shoulder.

Xu Sanshi didn't care at all. He suddenly quickened his pace by half a beat, and with a simple step, he avoided the sword light. At the same time, he pulled back the Xuanwu Armor Shield, which blocked the path of the incoming sword light.

Sword and shield clashed heavily, a crisp "clang" echoing throughout the area. Xu Sanshi took a sudden step forward with his right foot, pressing his shield down with the force of the impact. He didn't use any soul skills, relying solely on his abundant soul power and formidable physical strength to charge straight at Wang Chengxi. His attack came extremely suddenly, catching Wang Chengxi somewhat off guard. Her iron sword was first pushed upwards, and it looked as the Xuanwu armor shield was about to strike her body.

Wang Chengxi swiftly reached forward with his left hand, changing his grip from one hand to two, and pressed down sharply. Using the momentum of the shield's forward thrust, he leaned back and stood up.

Her movements were extremely light and graceful. As she exerted force with both arms, she leaped into the air and, in the instant she cleared the top of Xu San's stone, she nimbly turned in mid-air, executing a beautiful "Looking Back at the Moon" move.

The sword light on the iron sword suddenly surged, and the sharp sword energy instantly enveloped Xu Sanshi's body from behind.

The series of movements—pressing down the sword, leaping, and counterattacking—was truly dazzling and executed with remarkable skill.

Xu Sanshi suddenly went from the initiative to the defensive. But he was a veteran of countless battles; what kind of situation hadn't he seen? Wang Chengxi only felt a blur before his eyes, and Xu Sanshi's shield miraculously blocked behind him, intercepting all the sword beams without letting a single one slip by.

Only those who kept their eyes glued to the arena could see that the moment Wang Chengxi leaped, before Xu Sanshi had even turned around, his shield had already flipped up with him. Because it was flipped up from the bottom, it gave people the illusion of a sudden appearance.

The sword's edge missed again, and Wang Chengxi's smile seemed to deepen. Suddenly, the iron sword in her hand shone brightly, and a layer of icy blue light abruptly enveloped Xu Sanshi. The third soul ring was glowing on the iron sword.

The icy blue aura instantly enveloped Xu Sanshi, but at that very moment, a black halo suddenly spread out from the Xuanming Tortoise Shell Shield, like a huge air shield bulging outwards. It not only instantly dispelled the icy blue aura, but also enveloped Wang Chengxi inside.

This is Xuanwu's first soul skill - Xuanming Tremor.

Unlike before, the Xuanming Shockwave that Xu Sanshi unleashed this time seemed to have a spirit. The strongest shockwave force did not erupt immediately, but first swept over Wang Chengxi's body in an instant, and then it was about to burst out with that powerful shockwave force, the range of which was as large as three meters.

Wang Chengxi was terrified. Facing Xu Sanshi, she felt incredibly constrained. Her previously rich combat experience seemed utterly useless against this guy, and even her prized combat skills seemed to be completely seen through by him. The moment Xu Sanshi unleashed his soul skill, it immediately brought her immense pressure.

(End of this chapter)