Chapter 252 Elder Chen's judgment: Liu Yuan has the combat power of a Title Douluo!
In the training ground, sunlight fell on the bluestone arena, giving it a faint white glow.
Liu Yuan stood opposite Elder Chen, the dark golden light in his three pupils flickering slightly.
He didn't rush to act, but instead took a deep breath and sensed the operation of his soul core.
With a stable rotation speed and abundant soul power, the range of mental perception covered the entire training ground, and even the breathing of each disciple on the sidelines could be heard clearly.
Elder Chen stood twenty paces away, his right hand raised, a pale golden light already taking shape in his palm.
His left hand was still wrapped in bandages and hung at his side, but his posture was very stable, with his center of gravity slightly forward, ready to deal with any attack from any direction at any time.
"Can we begin?" Elder Chen asked.
Liu Yuan nodded.
Without hesitation, he activated his fourth soul skill.
The ultimate sublimation.
The black spirit ring beneath his feet lit up, and light surged from the spirit ring, spreading upwards along his legs and instantly covering his entire body.
The soul core accelerated its operation at the same time, increasing its speed from a stable rate to its limit.
Soul power surged from the dantian, flowing along the meridians to the limbs and bones at a speed more than twice as fast as usual.
His aura surged in that instant, not slowly but all at once.
The disciples on the sidelines felt the oppressive aura and took a half step back in unison.
Elder Chen's gaze narrowed slightly.
He could sense that after Liu Yuan's aura was fully sublimated, it had exceeded the level that should be at level 69, and not just by a little, but by a small step.
Liu Yuan did not give Elder Chen much time to observe.
His left eye narrowed slightly, and a dark golden ray shot out from his pupil.
It wasn't the thin, hair-like spiritual ray from before, but a beam of light about two fingers wide, with a solid texture, heading straight for Elder Chen's chest.
First Soul Skill: Mental Ray.
Elder Chen did not dodge.
He raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and a pale golden light instantly spread from his palm, forming a semi-transparent light shield in front of him.
The rays struck the light shield, producing a hissing sound, and ripples spread across the surface of the shield, but it did not break.
Elder Chen's body swayed slightly.
His brow furrowed, not because he couldn't bear it, but because he felt that the penetrating power of this ray was much stronger than before.
It wasn't just the impact on the soul power level, but also the shock on the mental level. The two forces intertwined, causing his light shield to consume more soul power than expected when defending.
"Not bad," Elder Chen said, his voice not loud, but his tone serious.
Liu Yuan didn't stop. He withdrew his beam, pushed off the ground with his right foot, and charged forward.
At the same moment, the Qilin Treasure Technique was activated, and a layer of dark blue luster appeared on the surface of his arms and legs, instantly increasing his speed by a level.
He covered the twenty-step distance in just one breath.
He clenched his right fist and aimed straight at Elder Chen's chest.
Elder Chen turned to the side and used his right arm to block.
Their fists collided with a dull thud. Elder Chen took a step back, and Liu Yuan's body also paused for a moment, but Liu Yuan did not retreat. He immediately followed up with a left fist, aiming straight for Elder Chen's abdomen.
Elder Chen blocked again. This time he did not retreat, but his right arm was slightly numb from the impact.
His brows furrowed even more.
He discovered that Liu Yuan's close-combat ability had improved significantly compared to before.
Strength, speed, and reaction time—each of these exceeded the level of a level 69 individual.
Liu Yuan gave Elder Chen no chance to catch his breath.
His robes suddenly billowed up behind him, and two dark purple beams of light extended from his shoulder blades.
Externally attached soul bone, giant amethyst wings.
With its wings spread, the wingspan exceeds four meters, and each feather is like a piece of amethyst, its edges shimmering with a cold light.
The amethyst wings did not flap, but Liu Yuan's speed increased again.
His punches and kicks became more frequent, each strike carrying heavy force, hitting Elder Chen's right arm with a dull thud.
Elder Chen started to get serious.
He was holding back at first.
He was, after all, a Title Douluo with a cultivation level of 92. Facing a junior at level 69, he couldn't possibly go all out right away.
He just wanted to test Liu Yuan's combat ability and see how much his martial soul had improved after its third evolution.
But he soon realized that holding back wouldn't work.
Liu Yuan's offensive grew increasingly fierce, alternating between mental beams and close-quarters combat, interspersed with auxiliary attacks from the Amethyst Giant Wings.
Those dark purple wings weren't just for flying; under Liu Yuan's control, they could cut like blades, each flap creating a sharp blade of air.
Several thin white marks appeared on Elder Chen's right arm, left by the qi blades slicing through his skin. Although they didn't penetrate his defenses, the fact that they could leave marks on the skin of a Title Douluo like him already spoke volumes.
He began to increase his strength.
The output of soul power has increased from 30% to 50%.
His counterattacks became even more ferocious, each punch carrying a heavy wind pressure, forcing Liu Yuan to dodge or block.
The two exchanged blows on the ring, the sounds of their fists and feet colliding so densely it was like raindrops hitting roof tiles.
The disciples on the sidelines were dumbfounded.
No one spoke; everyone's eyes were fixed on the two figures crossing paths on the arena.
Chen Lu's mouth was open, and he forgot to close it.
Wang Yanfeng's fingers tapped faster and faster at his side.
Long Aotian crossed his arms, but his fingers clenched his sleeves.
Vina stood at the front of the crowd, her eyes fixed straight ahead.
Liu Yuan felt the pressure.
Elder Chen's soul power output was constantly increasing, from 50% to 60%, and from 60% to 70%.
With each collision, his body would be jolted back half a step, his hands would go numb, and his arms would ache.
But he did not back down.
He activated his fifth soul skill directly.
The blood-red soul ring beneath his feet lit up.
A dark purple light surged from his body, instantly spreading out and enveloping half of the arena.
Countless enormous phantom pupils appeared in the void, coldly looking down below.
Forbidden Zone.
Elder Chen's movements slowed down noticeably.
His soul power circulation speed was suppressed, not completely stopped, but like walking in a swamp, requiring twice the effort to mobilize every bit of soul power as usual.
Liu Yuan activated the Domination skill at the same time.
His aura surged once again, and his speed, strength, and reaction time—every attribute—were pushed to a new level under the blessing of the forbidden domain.
His figure became erratic on the stage, shifting left and right. Elder Chen's fists grazed his clothes several times, almost hitting him, but always just a little short.
Elder Chen started using multiple soul skills.
His second spirit ring lit up, the pale gold light on his right hand turned into a deep gold, and the hardness of his fist increased significantly. His third spirit ring followed immediately, increasing his movement speed; he was no longer passively defending but actively attacking.
The two exchanged blows for more than a dozen rounds within the forbidden area.
Liu Yuan had several bruises on his body, and Elder Chen had several red marks on his right arm.
But Liu Yuan did not fall; his offensive only grew stronger.
Elder Chen's expression changed.
It's not that it's ugly, it's that it's made with care.
He began to use more soul skills, the fourth, fifth, and sixth lights up one after another.
He was no longer testing himself; he was seriously fighting.
Liu Yuan showed no fear.
A grayish-brown light appeared between his brows, and the soul of the Hidden Beast emerged from the light.
The translucent little beast hovered beside his shoulder, its gray-white eyes staring at Elder Chen.
The power of the spirit began to take effect.
With the assistance of his spirit, Liu Yuan's mental strength was elevated to another level. His perception became more refined, allowing him to anticipate the trajectory of Elder Chen's every attack.
His dodges became more precise, and his counterattacks became more lethal.
Elder Chen's offensive was thwarted.
It wasn't blocked, it was disrupted.
Each of Liu Yuan's counterattacks struck precisely at the point where his soul power was circulating, causing a slight delay in the release of his soul skills.
Those delays are very short, only a fraction of a second, but in this level of confrontation, a fraction of a second is enough to do a lot.
Long Aotian's pupils contracted slightly on the sidelines.
He could tell that Liu Yuan wasn't fighting head-on, but rather using the ability to break the hidden beast's soul to dismantle Elder Chen's offensive.
That ability isn't a direct attack, but rather interference, disrupting the opponent's soul power flow.
Elder Chen was under increasing pressure.
His soul power output had reached 80%, but his offensive still couldn't break through Liu Yuan's defenses.
It's not that he wasn't strong enough, but that Liu Yuan was too slippery.
Every time he thought he was about to hit, Liu Yuan would use spatial jumps within the forbidden area to dodge, or forcibly interrupt his attack rhythm with the power of his soul.
The two figures clashed on the arena, the aftershocks of their soul power collision spreading outwards, stirring up the dust on the ground and forming visible ripples.
Elder Chen's brows were furrowed tightly.
He didn't speak, but he had already made up his mind.
Liu Yuan's strength was much greater than he had expected.
It's not just a little stronger, it's a huge improvement.
Although his current cultivation level is still far from that of a Title Douluo, his actual combat strength is very likely already above that of a Title Douluo.
(End of chapter)