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Ning Tianchen retreated while countering with bursts of sword qi.
Feng Xiaotian swiftly dodged the sword qi attacks, closing the distance between them as he pressed forward.
With the limited range of the arena, Ning Tianchen decided to stop evading and counterattacked with the Seven Kill Sword in hand.
His movements were graceful, his form light and elegant, like a divine being descending from the heavens.
Meanwhile, Feng Xiaotian rushed toward Ning Tianchen like a gale. The sharp claws of his Gale Wolf slashed through the air, creating fierce shockwaves that deterred anyone from approaching!
The two clashed mid-air, their Gale Wolf claws and Seven Kill Sword colliding with explosive force, producing deafening sounds.
Ning Tianchen furrowed his brows, silently acknowledging the terrifying destructive power of his opponent.
Steadying his resolve, he swung the Seven Kill Sword in wide arcs, shattering the air around him with each strike.
Feng Xiaotian was inwardly startled and attempted to evade, but he was still caught by the overwhelming sword pressure!
To stabilize himself, he landed back on the ground and looked up at the sky, silently marveling, "No wonder it's called the Seven Kill Sword—such attack power is truly difficult to withstand."
He believed it wasn't that Yu Tianheng's strength was lacking; rather, the opponent was simply too powerful. If Ning Tianchen's soul power level reached that of a Soul Ancestor, even Feng Xiaotian might not stand a chance.
"Brother Feng, isn't it time to use your self-created soul skill?" Ning Tianchen glanced down with a faint smile on his face.
"Alright, then let me show you." Feng Xiaotian extended his claws, which transformed into the sharp talons of the Gale Wolf. His twin wind wings flapped behind him as he moved his hands.
In an instant, the gentle breeze around him was captured and converged, forming a fierce gust of wind.
"Gale Wolf, Thirty-Five Consecutive Strikes!"
Feng Xiaotian had yet to master the thirty-sixth strike, but even so, after unleashing two consecutive slashes, the gathered wind energy formed blade-like currents, threatening to tear apart everything in its path.
"Is this the power of a self-created soul skill?" Yu Die couldn't help but exclaim.
"So strong." Ning Rongrong wore a worried expression, fearing Ning Tianchen might get injured.
"It's similar to the Chaotic Windsplitting Hammer Technique," Ke Jie remarked. Having seen the Chaotic Windsplitting Hammer Technique before, he found Feng Xiaotian's self-created soul skill familiar.
And the best way to counter the Chaotic Windsplitting Hammer Technique was to interrupt its buildup process.
However, disciples of the Hao Tian Sect hadn't appeared on the continent for a long time, and the Chaotic Windsplitting Hammer Technique had fallen into obscurity. Did Ning Tianchen really know how to deal with it?
This was just a friendly sparring match, and they were also on their home turf.
Ke Jie refrained from giving hints, lest Feng Xiaotian think they were using their home advantage to cheat.
---
Though Ning Tianchen hadn't encountered the Chaotic Windsplitting Hammer Technique before, he didn't intend to interrupt Feng Xiaotian's buildup either.
In the original timeline, Tang San defeated Feng Xiaotian's self-created soul skill using the Chaotic Windsplitting Hammer Technique. And prior to the Soul Master Competition, Tang San had only received basic instruction on the technique from Tang Hao.
As for Ning Tianchen, he had been trained intensively by Jian Dao Chenxin since childhood, so there was no reason for him to back down.
Moreover, if he could defeat or even force a draw with Feng Xiaotian, it would provide an opportunity to invite him to stay at Seven Treasures Academy.
With this in mind, the feather blades on his sword wings detached and swirled around him, forming multiple razor-sharp projectiles.
His third soul ring lit up as he summoned the Seven Kill Sword, preparing for the next move.
Feng Xiaotian soared into the air, unleashing his fifth consecutive strike toward Ning Tianchen.
Using the countless feather blades as a buffer, Ning Tianchen effortlessly deflected the attack.
However, this was only the beginning. Feng Xiaotian's attack power continued to grow, making it increasingly difficult to resist.
Suddenly, Ning Tianchen's soul power erupted fully. He extended his right hand like a sword, controlling the swirling feather blades to form a tornado that blocked Feng Xiaotian's attack path.
"Gale Wolf, Thirty-Fifth Consecutive Strike!"
The final strike descended, tearing through the surrounding air and creating a brief vacuum. Anyone caught within it would feel an intense suffocation, unable to resist.
Ning Tianchen didn't retreat. Instead, he directed the myriad feather blades and the Seven Kill Sword to simultaneously shoot toward Feng Xiaotian.
This move bore a striking resemblance to Sword Spirit Elder's sixth soul skill—the Myriad Swords Return to the Origin.
While the feather blades lacked the cutting power of actual swords, their sheer number made up for it.
When the two attacks collided, a powerful surge of soul pressure erupted around the arena, knocking the members of the Seven Treasures Team off their feet.
"Heavenly Chessboard, activate."
Ke Jie stepped forward, using his chessboard to shield against the soul pressure.
At the same time, he prepared to intervene at any moment.
Both Ning Tianchen and Feng Xiaotian had unleashed their full power without holding back, and it wouldn't be long before they exhausted themselves.
At that point, both would likely be injured by their own soul skills.
---
When the timing felt right, Ke Jie manipulated the chessboard to seal both of their attacks within it.
The space above the arena instantly fell silent as Ning Tianchen and Feng Xiaotian landed simultaneously, gasping for breath.
In truth, Ning Tianchen's energy consumption far exceeded Feng Xiaotian's. The gap in their soul power levels meant Ning Tianchen had to expend more energy to withstand the assault.
Fortunately, thanks to Ke Jie's intervention, he avoided injury.
"Super Recovery Sausage." Oscar quickly crafted sausages to replenish their soul power.
Ning Rongrong summoned her Seven Treasures Pagoda martial soul to restore some of their soul power as well.
After catching their breath, Feng Xiaotian clasped his hands together and laughed freely, "Tianchen, you are indeed formidable. If we were both Soul Ancestors, I would have undoubtedly lost this duel. Of course, even fighting to a draw with you at my current level means this sparring match is mine to lose."
Having fought so intensely, even without winning, he felt satisfied.
Ning Tianchen waved his hand, not agreeing with that assessment. "Brother Feng, if it had dragged on for another second or two, I wouldn't have been able to hold on, so..."
"What's there to argue about? Let's call it a draw." With that, Oscar handed the sausages to both of them.
Feng Xiaotian scanned the members of the Seven Treasures Team and couldn't help but crack a wry smile.
The Divine Wind Team still hadn't been fully assembled.
Most students at their academy came from wealthy families. After breaking through to Level 30, many chose to graduate and return home to inherit their family businesses. Very few stayed at the academy to further their cultivation.
As a result, it was difficult for Divine Wind Academy to select participants for the Soul Master Competition.
Additionally, the competition lasted nearly half a year, which was seen as a waste of time for those from merchant families who preferred to focus on earning money.
Ning Tianchen keenly noticed Feng Xiaotian's expression and seized the opportunity to say, "Xiaotian, why don't you stay at Seven Treasures Academy and train with us?"
Feng Xiaotian didn't respond immediately, but it was clear he was somewhat tempted.
However, the Feng Family rarely interacted with the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, and as the leader of the Divine Wind Team, he couldn't leave so easily.
Ke Jie guessed Ning Tianchen's intentions and inwardly agreed. He also wanted Feng Xiaotian to join them.
The Seven Treasures Team's strength was still too weak. With Feng Xiaotian's addition, their overall power would undoubtedly increase. Moreover, with his abilities, Feng Xiaotian could become another core member of the team, allowing them to develop more tactical systems around him and ease the burden on others.
"Xiaotian, since you're already here, why not stay and train with the Seven Treasures Team for the afternoon? You're all leaders of the new generation—it'd be good to exchange cultivation experiences."
Feng Xiaotian nodded in agreement.
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