"Severing Meridians and Connecting Qi Method..."
Su Cheng sighed, instantly recognizing the technique his opponent was using.
"Surprised?" A smirk appeared on Qian Renxue's lips once again.
"Su Cheng, it seems like you can only come back to the Martial Soul Hall with me," she taunted.
"Who are you exactly?" Su Cheng stared at Qian Renxue's familiar yet unfamiliar face, voicing the question that had been troubling him for a long time.
He wasn't actually surprised; instead, there was a sense of resignation, a confirmation of what he had suspected.
However, his mind was still somewhat chaotic.
If the Qian Renxue in the real world had also gained those memories, it would make sense. With his past actions, her hostility towards him in the real world would be understandable.
But the problem was, he could be certain that the person in front of him was definitely not the one he was familiar with.
He knew Qian Renxue too well.
From her demeanor, conduct, to her strength, the person before him was vastly different from the Qian Renxue he remembered.
"Who am I? I'm Qian Renxue, aren't you supposed to know that?" Upon hearing Su Cheng's question, Qian Renxue couldn't help but laugh, with a hint of unreadable emotion flickering in her eyes.
"You know what I'm referring to."
"When we return to the Martial Soul Hall, you'll have plenty of time to understand," Qian Renxue casually replied, ignoring his tone and choice of words.
"I'm afraid that won't do."
"What? You've already lost, and yet you still want—" Before she could finish her sentence, her expression suddenly changed, and she turned to look around.
She saw the scattered sword qi, which had been shattered by her, unexpectedly regaining vitality, swirling and growing at an extraordinary speed.
"Fear is an instinct of living beings, but it's not necessarily a weakness. Especially for humans, who are rich in emotions. In desperate situations, they can always unleash unimaginable power, known as hope," Su Cheng remarked calmly.
He beckoned, and countless sword qi surged out from the ground, the jungle, and between the leaves, surrounding the two of them densely.
"Even a mere spark can ignite a prairie fire."
Fourteenth Swords, Lingering Embers!
This sword technique combined his Sentient Sword with fire and wood attribute sword skills.
At the moment of its release, it wasn't particularly strong, especially compared to the instantaneous burst of power from the previous two sword techniques.
However, given enough time, this sword technique could evolve into a more terrifying state.
Su Cheng's first three soul rings did not include fire and wood attributes. However, the Eternal Sword inherently contained the principles of the Five Elements, combined with the Five Elements Domain, and the lingering influence of the previous Sword Thirteen. At this moment, the power of this sword technique was not to be underestimated.
On the other hand, Qian Renxue, at this point, obviously couldn't react in time.
Her previous Fifth Soul Skill did indeed interrupt Su Cheng's sword move.
But under the clash of their attacks, her soul skill was also completely obliterated.
And Qian Renxue's Severing Meridians and Connecting Qi Method was not yet proficient. She could only use some of her soul skills, with the strongest one being the Angelic Holy Sword just now.
Different soul skills corresponded to different routes of soul power operation.
The human body's meridians and acupoints were extremely complex. Even Su Cheng couldn't fully understand them, let alone Qian Renxue.
In the simulation world, all of her soul skills were designed and guided by Su Cheng personally.
In reality, her soul skills were different from what she remembered. Obviously, it was impossible for her to have independently explored how to operate other soul skills in just a few years.
Moreover, even if she used the Severing Meridians and Connecting Qi Method, it still required time. Soul skills with slightly stronger power couldn't be instantly cast.
At this moment, if she disregarded everything and forcefully attacked, Su Cheng's reaction speed would immediately unleash these sword qi to injure her.
"Seeking hope in desperation..." Watching the sword qi surrounding them, Qian Renxue repeated softly.
Then she looked at Su Cheng in front of her. "You always manage to do something unexpected."
"Phew..." Seeing that Qian Renxue didn't continue to attack, Su Cheng let out a long breath.
"Now what? I've won this bet, haven't I?" Su Cheng raised an eyebrow.
"What bet?" Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Su Cheng furrowed his brows slightly and said in a deep voice, "As the esteemed Young Mistress of the Martial Soul Hall, do you intend to break your promise?"
"The Young Mistress of the Martial Soul Hall doesn't keep her promises? Who said that?" Qian Renxue's expression suddenly changed to one of astonishment as she turned to look at Porcupinefish Douluo.
"Subordinate hasn't said such a thing, nor have I heard or seen any bet," Porcupinefish Douluo said calmly.
Then, the pressure of the Title Douluo swept over them.
Under this pressure, the already not-so-powerful sword qi instantly dissipated and disappeared.
Su Cheng fell silent.
Indeed, with the opponent's strength, any so-called agreement was just a joke.
Such promises were nothing but excuses for the weak seeking comfort and the strong giving charity.
Seeing him remain silent, Qian Renxue waved her hand and said, "Alright, come back to the Martial Soul Hall with me. It's much better than staying in this tiny Tian Dou Empire. You should know better than anyone about the accumulation of the Martial Soul Hall. When it comes to cultivation resources and various knowledge, where else in the world can compare?"
After saying that, she fell silent for a moment.
Then she stared at Su Cheng and said, "And this is what you owe me."
Su Cheng's eye twitched slightly, feeling somewhat at a loss for words for a moment.
At this moment, he was completely suppressed in place by the aura of Porcupinefish Douluo, with almost no soul power left, seemingly unable to resist.
Qian Renxue's eyes were full of joy, and a subtle sense of excitement surged in her heart.
"You're right, this is what I owe you. But I'm sorry, I really can't go back to the Martial Soul Hall with you now."
After a moment of silence, Su Cheng spoke again.
Then he raised his head and shouted loudly, "Dugu Bo, stop hiding! Don't you hurry up and come out for me!"
"...," Qian Renxue's face changed when she heard this, and she looked around.
But there was silence all around, and no one responded to Su Cheng's shout.
Seeing this, she turned back to Su Cheng with a strange look in her eyes.
At this moment, Porcupinefish Douluo suddenly felt something unusual, his expression changed slightly.
Seeing no response, Su Cheng's expression became even more gloomy, and he said in a deep voice, "If you don't come out now, you'll never have to come out again. Just hide in your Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes and wait to die."
"What a bore. How did you know I was here?"
With a slightly old voice, a figure walked out from the forest.