Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King-Chapter 376: [DD2]:

After all, back then, Wang Dong’er and Su Yu were practically inseparable. Wherever Su Yu went, she would inevitably follow.

At the time, Ma Rulong and the others thought they were just close friends, but now...

People used to wonder how two men could be so close—turns out, this was the reason.

But honestly, now that Wang Dong’er has returned to her true female form, she is an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Su Yu, that guy, has quite a sharp eye, doesn’t he?

Seeing Ma Rulong and his group snickering over there, Wang Dong’er’s face turned even redder. She subtly moved closer to Su Yu, trying to use him as a shield.

Ma Rulong noticed and teased, "Oh, look, Wang Dong’s getting shy!"

Mi Jia and the others immediately burst into louder laughter.

Wang Dong’er’s face flushed bright red as she hid behind Su Yu. With a shy yet annoyed expression, she shot Ma Rulong and the others a glare.

Su Yu glanced briefly at Wang Dong’er and then shifted his gaze to Ma Rulong and his group, smiling as he said, "Senior Ma, it’s been two years. You all must have made significant progress, right?"

As Su Yu observed the badges on Ma Rulong and the others’ chests, he noticed that they had all been upgraded.

Mi Jia, Lin Xi, and the others now wore six-star badges, while Ma Rulong’s badge had even reached the seventh level.

This indicated that Mi Jia and Lin Xi were now Level 6 Soul Engineers, while Ma Rulong had officially become a Level 7 Soul Engineer.

In truth, Ma Rulong had always been highly talented; otherwise, he wouldn’t have become the top student in the Illustrious Virtue Hall.

Aside from Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen, and Su Yu, Ma Rulong was arguably the most outstanding student of Illustrious Virtue Hall.

During the last Soul Dueling Tournament, Ma Rulong’s Soul Engineer level was already close to Level 7.

Now, after more than four years, it was only natural that he had made progress.

In fact, among Level 7 Soul Engineers, Ma Rulong could be considered one of the best.

However, the gap between Level 7 and Level 8 Soul Engineers was still significant.

To become a Level 8 Soul Engineer, one needed soul power, talent, and spiritual strength—all indispensable.

Ma Rulong’s innate soul power talent wasn’t particularly high; even now, he had only barely reached the Soul Sage level, which was comparable to Xiao Hongchen.

Though Xiao Hongchen often behaved childishly, his talent was undeniably exceptional.

Even without relying heavily on medicines, Xiao Hongchen wouldn’t fall behind people like Bei Bei.

The unique traits of his Martial Soul, the Three-Legged Golden Toad, were enough to make him a top-tier Soul Engineer.

This was a level Ma Rulong simply couldn’t match.

The higher you climb, the more crucial talent becomes. It’s harsh, but it’s the reality.

"A little progress, yes, but it’s nothing compared to you," Ma Rulong said with a bitter smile.

Honestly, it was quite humbling. During the last Soul Dueling Tournament, Su Yu had only been a Level 5 Soul Engineer, while Ma Rulong had already reached Level 6.

Yet Su Yu had surpassed him and become a Level 7 Soul Engineer even earlier. That was something Ma Rulong couldn’t help but reflect on.

He considered himself a genius, but Su Yu was simply a monster.

While Ma Rulong was proud of his abilities, in front of Su Yu, his pride couldn’t hold up.

"Senior Ma, you’re being too modest. Everyone has their strengths," Su Yu replied with a smile.

After a brief chat, Ma Rulong and his group returned to their positions.

Su Yu, with Wang Dong’er in tow, walked over to a special metallic table.

This was his personal workstation, and the rare metals here were provided without limit.

In Illustrious Virtue Hall, only three people enjoyed this privilege: Su Yu, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen.

When Su Yu first arrived, Jing Hongchen had joked about canceling his supply of rare metals, but Su Yu knew it wasn’t serious.

Whether those words were in jest or not, Su Yu understood Jing Hongchen well.

"Two years away, and this workstation is still kept so clean," Su Yu said, lightly running his fingers across the tabletop with a faint smile.

"Of course it’s clean. Someone cleans it every week," a voice called out from a distance.

Su Yu and Wang Dong’er turned to see two figures approaching.

Both wore the uniform of Illustrious Virtue Hall, one male and one female.

The woman looked to be about thirty years old, with a striking appearance, a tall and slender figure, and an air of bold confidence.

The man stood straight as a post, exceedingly handsome to the point of being unreal, though his complexion was pale. His bright, piercing eyes were striking.

His long black hair was tied into a ponytail, and he carried a black iron sword in his arms. A sharp, intimidating aura radiated from him, making him seem unapproachable.

As he stared at Su Yu, his eyes burned with excitement and passion.

"Hey, it’s you two!"

Su Yu exclaimed softly, immediately recognizing them.

Who else in Illustrious Virtue Hall could form such an odd duo besides Jing Ziyan and Ji Juechen?

"Hahaha, Su Yu!"

Jing Ziyan laughed heartily and clapped Su Yu on the shoulder without any hesitation.

"You’re so unreliable! You came back and didn’t even tell us. Do we even count as your friends anymore?" she teased, looping an arm around his shoulder.

Su Yu brushed her hand off with a smile. "I only just got back yesterday. I haven’t had time to reach out yet."

"Well, that’s no excuse! You owe us a meal today as an apology," Jing Ziyan declared, hands on her hips.

"Fine, fine. Lunch is on me. I’ll treat you to a feast," Su Yu said, waving her off with a laugh.

"Now that’s more like it!" Jing Ziyan grinned, crossing her arms.

"Su Yu, you’ve gotten stronger," Ji Juechen said, his eyes gleaming.

To him, Su Yu now seemed like an unfathomable abyss—mysterious and immeasurable.

But that only excited him more. His battle spirit surged in his chest.

"Su Yu, I challenge you!" Ji Juechen said firmly, his voice resolute.

With an exasperated look, Su Yu sighed. "You’re still the same. I just got back. Can’t we do this some other day?"

"Why postpone? Today is perfect. Let me see how much you’ve improved. Please!" Ji Juechen bowed slightly as he spoke.

Su Yu’s lips twitched. This guy...

With a resigned sigh, Su Yu looked at Ji Juechen’s determined gaze and said, "Fine, let’s find a place to spar."

To be honest, Ji Juechen wasn’t even close to being on Su Yu’s level anymore. They weren’t in the same league.

But Su Yu appreciated Ji Juechen’s dedication. He was curious to see how much progress Ji Juechen had made over the past two years.

"Great! There’s an arena in Illustrious Virtue Hall. Let’s head there," Ji Juechen said, his excitement palpable as his fighting spirit grew even stronger.

He was a sword fanatic and a battle maniac. For the past two years, with Su Yu gone, he hadn’t found a worthy opponent.

No one in Illustrious Virtue Hall could compare to Su Yu.

After experiencing the thrill of battling Su Yu, Ji Juechen developed a taste for it—something no one else could satisfy.

Su Yu shook his head, glanced at Wang Dong’er, and then turned to Ji Juechen. "Lead the way."

"Got it!"

Ji Juechen immediately strode toward the interior of Illustrious Virtue Hall, with Jing Ziyan hurrying to catch up.

Su Yu looked at Wang Dong’er, and the two of them followed.

"Su Yu and Ji Juechen... are they going to fight again?"

Ma Rulong and the others, who had been keeping an eye on the commotion, began whispering among themselves.

"That Ji Juechen guy is persistent. How many times has he challenged Su Yu now?" Mi Jia asked.

Lin Xi shook his head. "I’ve lost count. He’s never won, though. Every time, he gets utterly crushed, but he just keeps coming back for more."

"Yeah, you can’t understand the mindset of a battle maniac. But hey, at least Su Yu’s back. With him around, Ji Juechen won’t bother us anymore," Chen Fei said.

"Exactly. I’ve been challenged by him before, too. That guy’s so annoying."

...

A group of people were chattering noisily, almost all of them complaining about Ji Juechen.

Ji Juechen, someone who was obsessed with challenging others and stuck to them like glue, wasn’t particularly popular in Illustrious Virtue Hall.

But it was understandable—after all, Ji Juechen was different from everyone else.

He was pure. His world revolved solely around the sword. His obsession with the sword was something ordinary people couldn’t comprehend.

The spiritual realm pursued by such a pure sword cultivator was difficult for others to grasp.

"Alright, enough gossiping. Ji Juechen is challenging Su Yu. Let’s go watch."

"Just in time to see how far Su Yu’s strength has progressed."

Ma Rulong clapped his hands, silencing the chatter.

Mi Jia and the others exchanged glances, seeing the interest in each other’s eyes.

"Let’s go, let’s go. I’m curious to see how much progress that beast Su Yu has made."

"Not me. I just want to see Ji Juechen get beaten up. Hehe."

...

As soon as it was mentioned that Su Yu and Ji Juechen were about to fight, the group became energized.

They didn’t like being pestered by Ji Juechen, but watching him fight someone else? That was a different story.

Especially since the opponent was Su Yu. They were curious to know just how terrifying Su Yu had become after more than two years.

The group glanced at each other and hurriedly followed.

Inside Illustrious Virtue Hall: Underground Arena.

This wasn’t Su Yu’s first time here.

Before participating in the Soul Fighting Tournament, he, Ma Rulong, and the others had trained here for a while.

He was quite familiar with the place.

On the arena stage, Su Yu and Ji Juechen stood facing each other.

Ji Juechen held his heavy black iron sword in his arms, his aura growing sharper and sharper.

Su Yu stood with one hand behind his back, looking relaxed and carefree, showing no signs of preparing for a fight.

"Has it started yet? Has it started yet?"

Ma Rulong and the others arrived just in time and looked at the two figures on the stage.

"Not yet, but it’s about to. I wonder who will win this time. It’s probably still Su Yu, right? He’s always won."

"But Ji isn’t without a chance. That thing he’s comprehended is pretty incredible."

Jing Ziyan scratched her head and muttered to herself.

Wang Dong’er glanced at Jing Ziyan but said nothing. She just quietly watched the arena.

In her opinion, there was no need to guess who would win.

Ji Juechen could never be a match for Su Yu.

Under the watchful eyes of Wang Dong’er and the others, the two figures on the stage finally began to move.

Ji Juechen slowly drew the heavy black iron sword from his arms, and his entire demeanor underwent an extraordinary transformation.

It was as if he had merged with his surroundings, and everything around him seemed to quiet down in an instant.

As he slowly walked toward Su Yu, a faint gray color seemed to spread wherever he passed.

"Hmm?"

Su Yu let out a soft sound of surprise. "You’ve grasped the secret of combining spiritual power with soul power?"

"What is this domain called?"

With Su Yu’s sharp eyes, he easily saw through the changes in Ji Juechen.

Ji Juechen had fused his sword intent with his soul power, creating a new domain of his own.

It was somewhat similar to Mu En’s Sovereign’s Domain.

However, this domain was uniquely Ji Juechen’s.

"Silence. The silence of solitude."

Ji Juechen spoke flatly.

"The Sword Obsession Domain: Silence. Interesting."

Su Yu murmured. Over the past two years, Ji Juechen had not stood still.

In the original story, he had comprehended a domain, and now, he had done so again.

What a natural-born sword cultivator.

"Come, let me see the power of your domain."

Su Yu beckoned with his hand.

He was curious to see just how much strength Ji Juechen’s domain possessed.

"Be careful!"

Ji Juechen raised the heavy black iron sword, the gray color spreading further as everything fell into silence.

In the next moment, a gray light swept out like a ribbon. When it appeared, there was no fluctuation of soul power, not even the slightest ripple.

It seemed to be nothing more than a faint gray shadow, something entirely intangible.

Yet, where the shadow passed, the space behind it left a faint black line—as though space itself had been cleaved apart.

Su Yu smiled faintly.

He brought two fingers together, conjuring a three-foot-long ice sword, and slashed toward the gray light.

"Boom!"

A sound like a heartbeat echoed.

Su Yu stood firm, unmoved, but Ji Juechen’s heavy black iron sword trembled violently.

In the next instant, a powerful force erupted. Ji Juechen’s hands split open, blood staining the black iron sword, and he staggered back over ten steps before regaining his footing.

"Again..."

Su Yu spoke calmly.

Ji Juechen took a deep breath, pointed the black iron sword at Su Yu, and unleashed a slash of gray sword energy that expanded mid-air.

It was as if a massive sword of light had materialized, slicing straight down toward Su Yu.

The sword energy was vast and imposing, yet thin as paper and impossibly sharp.

Su Yu responded with another slash. His ice sword cut through the air, freezing the space momentarily as layers of ice crystals blossomed.

"Boom!"

A piercing screech echoed as their attacks collided, sending an invisible shockwave sweeping outward.

Su Yu waved his sleeve lightly, dispelling the shockwave completely, while Ji Juechen was forced back over twenty meters. His hair tie came undone, and his ponytail unraveled.

Ji Juechen was panting heavily, sweat pouring down in streams.

Even though they had only exchanged two moves, he felt an overwhelming, crushing pressure.

It wasn’t a pressure from soul power but from spirit.

The spiritual light emanating from Su Yu’s every movement was like a tidal wave, leaving him breathless.

"Is that all?"

Su Yu looked at Ji Juechen and asked indifferently, "Is this where it ends?"

Ji Juechen straightened up, his gaze firm.

"I have one more sword intent. It’s called Dragon Slayer!"

Su Yu: ??????

"What did you say it’s called?"

"Dragon Slayer!"

Ji Juechen gripped the black iron sword tightly and spoke with determination.

Hearing this, Su Yu chuckled.

"Very well. Very well. Very well indeed."

I am known as the reincarnation of the Dragon God, and your sword is named Dragon Slayer.

How wonderful.

Su Yu stared at Ji Juechen, and for a moment, his fists clenched tightly.