The golden sword in You Chen's hand had become far more formidable after such a long period of nurturing.
Having stayed in the North Sea for so long, he had naturally absorbed all the metals that the Emperor Golden Lion Beast's left palm bone could absorb.
Under the operation of the Beast Soul Commerce, the collected metals and the accumulated resources of the North Sea over countless years meant that this Spirit Bone had already absorbed up to two-thirds of the metals it could absorb from the Douluo Continent.
After all, finding rare metals becomes increasingly difficult the more you search, and the marginal effect of the Emperor Golden Lion Beast's left palm bone growth becomes more severe.
This Spirit Bone had already reached a 500,000-year lifespan after You Chen spared no expense in investing in it.
The strength of the golden sword was completely tied to the Spirit Bone, and now the strength of this golden sword, when compared to Martial Souls, could be considered top-tier even among Super Martial Souls.
As for Chen Xin's Seven Kill Sword, before he gained enlightenment from losing his arm and his Martial Soul Origin made a significant breakthrough to evolve, it was only a Quasi-Super Martial Soul.
The difference between Quasi-Super and Super, though just one word, is a vast chasm.
However, this gap was not yet insurmountable.
Were the Sword and Bone duo weak? Under the enhancement of the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda, one was comparable to a level 96, and the other to a level 97—this was definitely not weak!
Chen Xin believed that You Chen was being overly arrogant, and this was a solid fact.
After all, up to now, You Chen had not even performed a Martial Soul Possession!
An Ultimate Douluo could fight an ordinary level 98 Super Douluo with just physical strength, and You Chen's peak level 98 physique, in terms of pure combat power, was only around level 97 strength.
Considering his current control over soul power and Martial Soul, You Chen could use Stardust Power without performing a Martial Soul Possession, meaning his hard power or on-paper strength had already reached level 98.
But without performing a Martial Soul Possession, this was far from You Chen's peak form.
Even with level 98 combat power, it was likely only at the bottom level of level 98.
Of course, even so, there was still a huge gap between Chen Xin, temporarily enhanced to level 97, and You Chen.
Those who could reach level 98 had Martial Souls that at least reached the Super realm.
In other words, the difference between Chen Xin and this incomplete form of You Chen was not just a small margin. Enhanced Chen Xin < level 97 Super Martial Soul Super Douluo < level 98 Super Douluo.
However, after activating the Spirit Avatar, this gap was mostly bridged.
In this state, Chen Xin's strength was infinitely close to level 98.
Coupled with a similarly Spirit Avatar-enhanced Bone Douluo, even an ordinary level 98 powerhouse would have to be on high alert.
The reason You Chen could remain so composed and seemingly exert absolute suppression was purely because he was too well-rounded.
His powerful Divine Sense, even without using it for attacks, allowed him to perceive all enemy movements imperceptibly.
He was almost always in a preemptive combat rhythm.
However, maintaining such a state while suppressing his strength was no small challenge for You Chen.
Adding to this was the three-minute limit he had set for himself—he had to gradually increase the psychological pressure on his opponents within three minutes, ultimately delivering overwhelming despair, making the conditions increasingly stringent.
But...
'I need a battle. But for me now, finding a suitable opponent is nearly impossible. These two, they are barely adequate. As my whetstones, perhaps under the pressure of such self-imposed limitations, I can push open the door to perfection...'
You Chen smiled slightly; he did not reject such pressure.
Using his Martial Soul's power as much as possible without performing a Martial Soul Possession, he could feel that if he could still unleash at least half the power of a Martial Soul Possession in this state, it might be enough to be considered a perfect utilization of his Martial Soul Origin.
Chen Xin, however, was in a completely different mindset.
He looked at the smiling You Chen as if gazing into a bottomless abyss.
Unlike You Chen, who had clear information and could easily confirm the power difference, Chen Xin had no idea where You Chen's limits lay.
Just the pressure he felt when You Chen was unarmed was immense; now that You Chen had his "Martial Soul" in hand, wouldn't it be—
"It's not good to lose focus in battle."
Chen Xin was intently staring at You Chen when suddenly, You Chen's figure vanished from his sight, and a calm voice lightly echoed in his ear.
Swoosh—.
Chen Xin hurriedly controlled his giant sword to block.
His eyes couldn't catch You Chen's movement, but relying on his strong combat intuition, he barely managed to block You Chen's attack.
Chen Xin's mood grew increasingly grave: 'Such speed. It's incredibly difficult just to catch a glimpse of it!'
"Pfft!"
Suddenly, Chen Xin's pupils contracted, a sweetness surged up, and blood instantly spurted from his mouth.
His spiritual power quickly scanned his body, and only then did he belatedly notice a gash had appeared on his rib.
'When!? No, at that moment, it wasn't just one sword, but two swords thrust at me simultaneously!?'
Chen Xin's brain replayed the previous scene, rapidly analyzing the outcome.
No matter the state, You Chen's speed was always his advantage.
Chen Xin was utterly astonished; he hadn't expected You Chen's speed to be this fast.
'With such speed, he still chose to clash head-on with Gu Rong earlier? This guy hasn't taken us seriously at all!'
"Roar!"
A dragon's roar shot from the ground into the sky, carrying a soul power shockwave attack aimed at You Chen.
You Chen easily dodged it with a swift sidestep.
Even though You Chen displayed an overwhelming speed advantage, Chen Xin still didn't give up, seizing the opportunity to launch another attack.
The giant sword split into countless sword shadows, raining down on You Chen like a downpour.
You Chen smiled slightly, and under Chen Xin's astonished gaze, he condensed countless small Stardust Swords, which collided with the myriad sword shadows.
The sky erupted with dazzling sparks and explosions, resembling a fireworks display.
"Why keep your distance? If you want to truly strike me, you should close in and attack. Or are you afraid that any part of me might disappear from your sight if you get too close?"
You Chen manipulated the Stardust Swords to engage in a sword energy duel with Chen Xin, while also taunting him verbally.
Boom!
With a sonic boom, You Chen once again dashed in front of Chen Xin.
"If that's the case, then it's just unnecessary worry. Combat distance only matters when the opponents' strengths are equal. So, the distance between us in this battle holds no significance."
As Chen Xin stared in shock, You Chen calmly murmured by his side, the golden sword slashing down diagonally.
Just as Chen Xin was about to be beheaded by You Chen's sword, Gu Rong roared and charged over.
You Chen's figure paused slightly, and in mid-air, he delivered a sharp kick, sending the giant bone dragon crashing back to the ground.
But as he kicked Gu Rong away, countless dark energies clung to him like leeches.
A glint of starlight flashed in You Chen's eyes, and with an invisible soul power shockwave, under the purification of Stardust Power, these dark energies were instantly purified and vanished.
Chen Xin, as always, seized the opportunity tightly. As You Chen paused momentarily, he moved his fingers, controlling the giant sword to whirl and slash towards You Chen!
In Chen Xin's calculation, the speed of this sword strike would definitely hit You Chen before he could dodge! This was an unavoidable attack!
'What if it's just a long-range attack? Protecting everyone in the sect is what truly matters!'
At that moment, You Chen's indifferent voice sounded again.
"One and a half minutes. Is this all you've got? I'm getting a bit bored."
A blood-red Spirit Ring swirled into view, and a blood-red mirror suddenly appeared behind You Chen.
The Stardust Mirror of Annihilation, this 100,000-year soul skill wasn't enough to completely block Chen Xin's full-power strike under the Spirit Avatar, but it was more than sufficient to delay it for a moment.
Taking advantage of this gap, You Chen didn't continue to dodge but instead slashed at Chen Xin once more.
The golden sword energy continuously magnified before Chen Xin's eyes, a scent of death lingering in his heart.
"Huh?"
At that moment, Chen Xin was somewhat dazed.
"Chen Xin!"
A furious roar was heard, and Gu Rong, who had just been smashed to the ground, once again traversed space, this time appearing in front of Chen Xin.
Sssss—.
The golden, extremely sharp sword energy rubbed against the bone dragon's dark bones, creating intense sparks, eventually completely shattering the bone dragon.
With the Spirit Avatar broken, Gu Rong reverted to his original form, giving Chen Xin a strained smile before falling from the sky.
"Gu Rong!!!"
Chen Xin looked at Gu Rong's mutilated body, the gruesome wound that seemed to sever him in half, and his eyes finally turned red, letting out a sorrowful cry.
"Tsk tsk, truly moving. I heard both of you, in your seventies and eighties, have remained unmarried. Are you perhaps a gay couple?"
A teasing voice sounded in Chen Xin's ear, making him break out in a cold sweat and realize this was not the time for sentimentality.
Even if Gu Rong truly died because of this, he had to temporarily forget it and fight to the very end!
But... if a person could be absolutely rational, then they wouldn't be human.
"You deserve to die! Die! I will definitely kill you!"
Chen Xin's eyes were bloodshot, having completely forgotten fear, roaring in rage at You Chen.
"Do not easily speak of things you cannot achieve."
You Chen said indifferently: "It only reveals your weakness."
Hearing this, after a brief moment of vulnerability, Chen Xin instead calmed down.
He coldly glared at You Chen, saying sternly: "You will regret saying these words—Soul and Weapon Unity."
With this murmur, the seventh Spirit Ring on the giant Seven Kill Sword shone brightly, and Chen Xin's body turned into light, instantly merging into the Seven Kill Sword.
"Soul and Weapon Unity, is it?"
The golden sword in You Chen's left hand vanished.
In its place, a figure identical to himself formed with soul power.
As You Chen observed Chen Xin's transformation, the Spiritual Realm Burst quietly activated.
On the Starlight Avatar, a blood-red Spirit Ring rotated, and in an instant, the entire figure turned into a massive starlight dragon spear.
"Soul and Weapon Unity, Stardust Dragon Spear."
You Chen gently grasped the dragon spear, and in the Spirit Avatar state, the massive dragon spear shrank to a size perfectly suited to his body, yet its power remained at the enhanced level of the Spirit Avatar.
"That sword, isn't it your Martial Soul!?"
The Seven Kill Sword, in Soul and Weapon Unity, trembled violently in extreme shock, its words conveyed through spiritual fluctuations.
But the moment the words were spoken, Chen Xin already realized... he had evidence before.
Chen Xin suddenly recalled the moment when You Chen used the Stardust Mirror of Annihilation to block his sword strike.
Not a single word or detail was missed.
At that time, the blood-red Spirit Ring did not circle the golden sword but instead revolved around You Chen.
And the Spirit Rings of weapon Martial Souls were always anchored to the weapon Martial Soul...
You Chen, holding the Stardust Dragon Spear, looked at Chen Xin, who had merged with his weapon Martial Soul, with a gaze akin to a god looking down at an ant, and said lightly: "When did you get the illusion that my Martial Soul was a sword Martial Soul?"
Whoosh—.
This was an even greater speed than before.
Just as a Clear Sky Hammer Soul Master gained a certain degree of strength enhancement when using the Clear Sky Hammer, using the Stardust Dragon Martial Soul in the form of a Beast Spirit's Spirit Avatar also granted a certain degree of Martial Soul enhancement.
And more importantly—power!
Boom!
You Chen rapidly closed the distance, spinning the spear like a whip, the spear shaft twisting, bringing an unstoppable force that smashed into the Seven Kill Sword, creating a deafening explosion.
Chen Xin felt terror for the first time.
'What kind of power is this!? Is this his true strength!?'
The Seven Kill Sword, in Soul and Weapon Unity, actually had a gash appear after just this first collision!
This was only natural.
In Soul and Weapon Unity, the power of the weapon Martial Soul far surpassed that of a normal Spirit Avatar, but it lacked the physical strength of the Soul Master.
Simply put, Spirit Avatar + physical strength > Soul and Weapon Unity > remote Spirit Avatar.
And You Chen now was in Soul and Weapon Unity + physical strength.
His Martial Soul was a Super Martial Soul, and his physique was a Super physique.
This was an absolute violence that only You Chen could unleash.
Combined, the power alone surpassed You Chen's normal Spirit Avatar, though it was less flexible and versatile.
Chen Xin controlled the Seven Kill Sword, feeling utterly resolute: 'Only by burning all I have can I have a glimmer of hope!'
Like a mother lifting a truck to save her child, a person's spirit could burst into radiant light in desperate situations.
In a moment of intense resolve, Chen Xin briefly stepped into the realm of Spiritual Realm Burst!
But unlike those who truly entered through profound understanding of their Martial Soul Origin, this was an uncontrollable burn!
Chen Xin felt as if his soul was ignited by flames!
"Slash!"
In the Spiritual Realm Burst, Chen Xin instinctively found a more suitable combat method. The giant Seven Kill Sword rapidly contracted, and in this compression, it became even more refined.
The flying sword's target was directly aimed at You Chen's body.
In this soul-burning state, Chen Xin indeed had a chance to severely injure You Chen's physical body.
But what Chen Xin didn't know was that this desperate state of his was just a normal state for You Chen.
You Chen flicked the spear shaft, accurately piercing the high-speed flying sword.
Chen Xin tried to shift the force, skimming past You Chen's Stardust Dragon Spear to directly attack You Chen himself.
However, the power he burst out in this desperate state was still far, far weaker than You Chen's!
The Seven Kill Sword couldn't even withstand You Chen's power, only barely maintaining a state of resistance.
The spear tip and sword tip collided fiercely, and cracks began to appear on the Seven Kill Sword's tip.
If the Seven Kill Sword completely shattered in the Soul and Weapon Unity state, Chen Xin would also face death and soul destruction.
Seeing this about to happen, You Chen glanced indifferently at the Seven Kill Sword, and hundreds of Star God Thorns suddenly shot out from his spiritual sea, piercing into the Seven Kill Sword.
The intense spiritual impact forcibly interrupted Chen Xin's merged state with the Seven Kill Sword, separating them.
"Pfft!"
Chen Xin's face turned as pale as gold, and he vomited three liters of blood on the spot.
He was completely drained of soul power, and his spirit, body, and Martial Soul were severely injured, but he swayed in mid-air and ultimately did not fall, avoiding the same fate as his dear friend.
He deeply gazed at You Chen and asked: "Why?"
You Chen did not directly answer but instead stated: "You ultimately didn't last three minutes. According to our agreement, I will now kill everyone in your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan."
Chen Xin's expression changed drastically.
But then You Chen looked directly into Chen Xin's eyes, showing a faint smile, and changed the topic: "However, you, this guy, barely managed to entertain me."
A rollercoaster of emotions, and Chen Xin's face suddenly showed a mix of surprise and joy, as he clasped his hands: "This... thank you, sir, no, senior!"
At this moment, he finally realized that the crisis had been averted.
Even recalling the sudden spiritual attack, Chen Xin understood that the other party did not intend to kill him but instead saved his life!
Now thinking about it, You Chen had never gone all out from the beginning to the end. Although he did come to seek justice, he had never targeted anyone in the sect except for the two Titled Douluo.
Such conduct, compared to the actions of the Seven Treasure Commerce, could truly be called noble and magnanimous. Even this battle could be understood as guidance and teaching...
At least personally, he had gained many insights from this battle and finally had some grasp of the path ahead.
From You Chen, Chen Xin felt the existence of so-called "martial virtue," and his heart was filled with deep admiration.
The only regret and what he couldn't accept...
Chen Xin silently looked in the direction where Gu Rong had fallen, unable to feel happy no matter what.
However, it was indeed they who acted first and threatened first. You Chen was willing to spare his life, which was already magnanimous. Could he really turn around and harbor hatred against the other party?
"Rest assured, I have great confidence in my control over my power. Your old friend is not yet dead."
Under Chen Xin's astonished gaze, You Chen directly used the eighth soul skill, Sacred Blessing, and then said indifferently: "Now, can we discuss the treatment fees and the compensation for the damages you caused to the Beast Soul Commerce earlier?"
Chen Xin's expression stiffened, and he looked far towards Ning Fengzhi on the tower.
At this moment, Ning Fengzhi, who had overused his soul power and was almost completely drained, looked as pale as gold.
After more than ten minutes of friendly negotiations, the Seven Treasure Commerce finally decided to "sincerely" transfer numerous deeds and shops in the Star Luo Empire to the Beast Soul Commerce, and provided a lot of information about various places in the Star Luo Empire.
"Then, I hope that in the future, in the Heaven Dou Empire, our Beast Soul Commerce and the Seven Treasure Commerce can continue to cooperate happily."
You Chen smiled and shook hands with Ning Fengzhi.
Since it was a business discussion between the leaders of the commerce guilds, it was naturally Ning Fengzhi and You Chen who handled the handover.
Ning Fengzhi could only force a strained smile: "Of course, of course, we are all in business. It was our fault for being too extreme and lacking in manners, leading to these misunderstandings. To make amends, we should be the ones cooperating with you."
In essence, what they paid to You Chen was almost like war reparations. How could they be happy about that?
Though deeply saddened, Ning Fengzhi still had to put on a smile in front of You Chen.
For no other reason... this person in front of them, they truly could not afford to offend.
According to his Uncle Jian, this person was most likely a supreme powerhouse akin to the one who had defeated his father back in the day.
Even until the end of the negotiations, this lord had not revealed his name or face, yet he still had to put on a smiling face and flatter him.
You Chen also chuckled and said, "No need to worry. In business, we speak business. As long as your Seven Treasures Commerce sticks to commercial practices, our Beast Soul Commerce naturally won't resort to violent means. Cooperation goes without saying; it's more like an alliance! Let's join forces, sweep all other competitors off the board, and then compete based on our own abilities, how about that?"
The reason You Chen was so magnanimous, apart from the fact that the martial threat from the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect paled in comparison to the threat posed by a supreme powerhouse like Bo Saixi, was primarily because...
His Beast Soul Commerce and Seven Treasures Commerce were competitors, but he and the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect weren't necessarily rivals.
In the future, these two commerce houses might even become colleagues under his command, so there was naturally no need to crush them outright.
In the future, when You Chen aimed to dominate the entire continent, he couldn't possibly eliminate everyone and rely solely on his own team. That wasn't impossible, but the time required to cultivate talent and expand across the continent would inevitably be much longer.
After all, the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect was a sect with a long history and formidable combat strength.
Most importantly, they had a foundation in commercial practices, unlike Seagod Island, which was entirely faith-driven and centralized. This made them a potential candidate for assimilation.
Showing both benevolence and authority in advance would naturally facilitate the possibility of future collaboration.
Upon hearing You Chen's words, Ning Fengzhi's eyes lit up, and he finally revealed a relaxed, genuine smile. "That would naturally be a win-win for everyone."
Although Beast Soul Commerce was gradually gaining dominance in the market, having a chance to play was still much better than having none at all. At the very least, he could still struggle, couldn't he?
Since the other party was willing to compete fairly within the rules, he naturally couldn't be anything but pleased.
"Bad guy, you're not allowed to bully my Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa!"
At that moment, a beautiful young girl in an elegant white dress stormed in angrily.
Upon closer inspection, one could see her body trembling slightly.
Ning Rongrong might be willful and spoiled, but she deeply cared for her two beloved grandfathers.
Although Ning Fengzhi had told her that You Chen was there to treat Sword and Bone, Ning Rongrong had personally witnessed You Chen nearly kill her two grandfathers. How could she believe such words so easily?
She'd rather believe that her father had caved in out of fear! (Ning Fengzhi: ???)
'It's up to me to save the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect!'
With a resolute determination, the little princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect kicked open the door to the reception room. (End of chapter)