Chapter 139 Within the Rules

Since the Little Ancestor had given instructions, Xu Chen naturally could not defeat her in a single stroke, controlling his blood-qi strength to the level of nine dragons and three tigers.

Bohua Yanyan, who was sent flying by a single palm strike, adjusted her posture mid-air, stepped directly into the void, and transformed into a sword-shadow to charge back once again.

This time, her speed reached the ultimate limit, and her kinetic force transformed into sword threads that spread out like blooming flowers.

"A bit interesting."

Xu Chen reached out, and a battle saber from a weapon rack in the distance flew into his hand.

"Fighting empty-handed is a bit too arrogant; using a weapon looks much more pleasing."

With a single slash, it swept forth like a giant wave on the ocean, heading toward the oncoming sword-shadow.

"Spring intent..."

A cool, crisp voice rang out. A gentle breeze suddenly swept across the entire battlefield, causing ripples to stir through the sea of flowers.

Amidst this breeze, the kinetic force transformed into sword threads that coiled and whipped toward Xu Chen.

"Not bad."

The slashed blade-light was directly entangled and worn away by the endless sword threads.

Meanwhile, that sword-shadow had already rushed right in front of Xu Chen.

It was fast to the absolute extreme, resembling a thrust that pierced through the void, yet it was effortlessly parried by Xu Chen.

Bohua Yanyan's pretty face appeared right in front of Xu Chen, carrying a faint, orchid-like fragrance that momentarily distracted a shred of his focus.

"Being distracted in battle—the composure of a superior sect's heaven-chosen leaves much to be desired."

The sword in Bohua Yanyan's hand suddenly blossomed like a queen of the night, breathtakingly beautiful.

Just as this sword intent was about to enshroud Xu Chen, a thunderous intent radiated outward from his body.

With a single slash, it shattered like a broken illusion.

The twelfth-layer vibration of his blood-qi strength nearly caused Bohua Yanyan to drop the hundred-flower sword in her hand.

The person and the flower separated once again.

"I let you have three moves; now it's my turn."

Xu Chen swung his long saber, and a roaring river condensed from blade-light surged toward Bohua Yanyan.

The blade intent condensed atop that river made the hairs on Bohua Yanyan's body stand on end.

In an instant, the phantom of an orchid condensed from sword qi appeared behind Bohua Yanyan, slowly blooming.

A surge of sword intent soared into the sky. Channeling her kinetic force into the hundred-flower sword, she transformed it directly into a giant sword that swept horizontally across Xu Chen's river of blade-light.

The two traded blows back and forth, making the disciples watching outside the Illusion Valley's blood boil with excitement.

They had anticipated that Xu Chen would be strong, but they had never imagined he would be *this* strong.

Meanwhile, the high-realm onlookers up on the viewing platform wore highly complicated expressions.

In particular, the Elder of the Spirit Flower Clan wore a sighful expression, looking as though his lifelong ambitions had taken a crushing blow.

Throughout the entire Human Race, only Thunder Prefecture—a once-lowest-ranking minor sect—allowed alien races to join.

Who would have-thought that this very minor sect would toy with the heaven-chosen prodigy whom their own clan had painstakingly nurtured as their future hope, treating her like a mere child at play?

If they were fighting to such a state against the famously renowned Little Ancestor, they could have accepted it.

Yet the one before them was merely an ordinary human heaven-chosen.

"Elder Chengfeng, you must be laughing at the juniors of our clan," said the Spirit Flower Clan Elder.

"The future of this heaven-chosen of our sect is limited, but this young lady of yours possesses Saint-grade aptitude, and her path along the Great Dao is smooth and unobstructed."

"Being strong now is not as good as being strong in the future," the Xuanxian Elder replied modestly.

Down in the battlefield below, the two had already exchanged nine moves.

Xu Chen was practically timing it down to the second.

On the tenth move, the phantom of a starry giant wielding a long saber appeared behind Xu Chen.

With a single slash, all things perished into annihilation.

Bohua Yanyan, before she could even react, fell directly beneath this blade strike.

The illusory world shattered, and their consciousnesses returned.

Xu Chen stepped out first and bowed to the elders on the platform.

After receiving a few words of praise, he withdrew from the Illusion Valley.

"I still prefer the way you looked when you were so untamed and rebellious just now," the Tri-colored Fox Clan's heaven-chosen said, looking smugly at Bohua Yanyan.

"A loser who only knows how to borrow another's prestige."

Though somewhat hard to believe, Bohua Yanyan quickly recovered and didn't even bother to look at the Tri-colored Fox Clan female.

"Just you wait, when the time comes, I'll find a dao companion just as formidable as him and have him beat you every single day!" the Tri-colored Fox Clan heaven-chosen said in exasperation.

The elders on the platform watched this scene with amused smiles.

Returning to the Tianyun Island cavern dwelling via the teleportation array, Xu Chen resumed his previous cultivation.

"In less than a month, I'll be able to achieve mastery, and by then, there will be new challenges."

As he cultivated the Nine Transformations of the Candle Dragon, a trace of excitement stirred within Xu Chen's heart.

That battle just now had scarcely caused any ripples in his heart; aside from admiring a beauty, the rest of it held zero meaning.

Just as he was deep in cultivation, his disciple token suddenly rang out.

Xu Chen paused his cultivation, frowned slightly, and took out the disciple token.

Inside the cavern dwelling of Li Chenghfu, whose specifications were slightly inferior to Xu Chen's:

"Your fiancée has arrived, what's the use of calling me?" Looking at the bitter and distressed face of Li Chenghfu, Xu Chen expressed his incomprehension.

It could be said that among the great human families, there was no such thing as appearance anxiety; the men were handsome, and the women displayed diverse forms of beauty.

"Do you remember the three female disciples of the Tri-colored Fox Clan that Junior Brother saved?" Li Chenghfu asked inexplicably.

"What does that have to do with your fiancée? Didn't you not even get to hold their little hands?" Xu Chen asked after pondering for a moment.

At that moment, Zong Changshou walked in from outside, looking at Li Chenghfu with an expression of schadenfreude.

"If nothing unexpected happened, little Fu probably got his vital essence sucked dry yesterday," Zong Changshou said with a chuckle.

"I drank too much with those three junior sisters, and in a moment of excitement, I blurted out that I would take all three foxes as concubines, and who would have thought they all agreed."

"And today I just received word that my fiancée is coming to look for me."

"I've only just gained a bit of footing in my family; if I blow up the marriage alliance between our two families, my dad and the others will stomp me into the mud," Li Chenghfu said with lingering regret.

"If you did it, just own up to it directly. Be open and generous about it—a passing storm is always better than hiding things and ruining your character," Xu Chen said.

For alien races like these who had remained utterly loyal to the Human Race and depended on it for many years, marriages and betrothals between the two races were officially recognized by the Human Race's destiny.

Even if it was just a concubine, it was still an official status; if it became a big deal back at the great families, it had to be acknowledged.

"Why don't you discuss it with that fiancée of yours? See if she can accept it," Zong Changshou suggested from the side.

"I met her once when we were kids, and her personality is way too overbearing. Just thinking about it now scares me."

"There's no way she'll accept it. By then, the family alliance will be annulled because of this."

"I called Junior Brother and Changshou over just to ask if you guys have any ideas," Li Chenghfu said pitifully.

"That's easy enough. First seal the mouths of your three concubines, and then have your family annul the engagement for you. Isn't that it?" Zong Changshou said leisurely.

"Is there any better way? The family definitely won't agree to an annulment."

"Then you can go wild in the pleasure quarters of Thunder Prefecture City, ruin your reputation, and let the woman's family annul the engagement with you," Xu Chen suggested after thinking for a moment.

Upon hearing these words, Li Chenghfu's eyes lit up, feeling that this idea was quite good.

"Then I'll make a trip to Thunder Prefecture capital and spread my bad reputation first."

Li Chenghfu immediately stood up and, under the gazes of the two, boarded a spirit boat and flew toward the Teleportation Hall.

<div>"No matter what method he uses, a beating from his old man is definitely unavoidable."</div>

"And perhaps his remaining Human Race contribution points will be stripped away as well," Zong Changshou stroked his chin and deduced.

"That's not bad either; at least he gets three concubines."

"What has Senior Brother Zong been up to recently?" Xu Chen asked.

"I'm preparing some worldly spiritual treasures to use when I break through to the Treasure Body Realm."

"Will Junior Brother Xu be reaching that stage soon as well?"

"Pretty much, within half a year at most."

The two chatted for a while before parting ways. Xu Chen returned to his cavern dwelling and continued his cultivation in the dao field.

Unawares, half a month had passed.

Inside the dao field, Xu Chen's aura suddenly surged like a river flowing into the sea, instantly expanding boundlessly.

The kinetic force surrounding Xu Chen flickered and faded with every movement and stance, carrying the faint phantom of a Candle Dragon.

Shortly after, as if struck by a sudden epiphany, Xu Chen continuously practiced the first nine forms of the Nine Transformations of the Candle Dragon.

After an unknown length of time, Xu Chen finally snapped back to his senses.

"Finally achieved mastery!"

Feeling that unique Candle Dragon kinetic force within his body, a look of excitement appeared on Xu Chen's face.

What excited him was not merely achieving mastery, but rather the fact that a new challenge had appeared.

Returning to his cavern dwelling and hanging up the sign indicating closed-door cultivation, Xu Chen entered the sacred white space.

A golden gate engraved entirely with Dao scripts appeared before him, with the carved image of a Candle Dragon adorning the door frame.

Xu Chen pushed open the golden gate and stepped inside.

What met his eyes was the corpse of a True Dragon as massive as a mountain range.

His clone was sitting atop those True Dragon corpses.

Xu Chen closed the golden gate and walked over.

The clone sitting upon the True Dragon corpse slowly cast its gaze toward Xu Chen.

"Why is the style of this battlefield of yours like this?"

Beneath Xu Chen's feet lay ruins resembling a battlefield, while in the distance lay the corpses of giant beasts as massive as mountain ranges.

"Who knows? Maybe when I first manifested here, this was the scenery all around me."

The clone leaped down from the True Dragon corpse, descending through the void.

"I've seen Candle Dragons before, but this set of foundational techniques leans a bit off course."

"However, it doesn't matter; whether it's body-refinement or Dao laws, they all lead to the same destination in the end."

"Kid, if you want to challenge me, you better prepare yourself."

The clone's aura slowly pressed down toward Xu Chen, and the near-tangible phantom of a Candle Dragon appeared behind it.

Feeling this terrifying aura, Xu Chen slowly said, "Big shot, if you cheat, I'm going to report you."

"Cheat? Do I need to cheat to beat you?"

The clone lunged at Xu Chen like an ancient primordial beast, and the great battle between the two commenced.

Xu Chen used a secret technique to elevate his blood-qi strength to its absolute limit—nine dragons and eight tigers.

Once his blood-qi strength reached nine dragons, he discovered that the Fish-Dragon Transformation dance technique became less and less effective the further along he went.

Back at nine dragons, it could still enhance his strength by two tigers.

By now, it could at most enhance it by a single tiger.

The phantom of the Saint Yang Sea appeared, and a pale moon rose from the surface of the sea.

In an instant, Xu Chen's gaze turned icy and rational.

"Flashy and full of bells and whistles, but it's still a path nonetheless."

Xu Chen engaged the clone in close combat.

After trading a few blows, Xu Chen leveraged the force to separate himself.

Then, condensing a kinetic force saber in his hand, he clashed with the clone once more.

After another hundred blows, the clone bypassed Xu Chen's protective kinetic force with a single palm strike and hit him squarely in the chest.

Flying backward like a cannonball for several hundred zhang, Xu Chen crashed against the scales of the True Dragon corpse and slowly slid down.

Xu Chen slowly stood back up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Fighting this clone gave Xu Chen only one feeling: no matter how exquisite his moves were or how great his power was, everything would be neutralized by the clone, dragging him entirely into its own rhythm.

The clone's every move and stance was utterly unadorned and unpretentious, yet it was precisely this simplicity that made Xu Chen doubt his own existence.

"Continue."

"Big shot, you're breaking the rules," Xu Chen couldn't help but complain.

"Don't resort to reporting every time you lose a fight. Every single one of my moves falls strictly within the rules."