We've reached 50 powerstones! Bonus chapter for you guys. Thanks to you all. Let's try 100 before the reset
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"Ahhh! Traveler, this is terrifying!"
Countless sword shadows surged forward like a tidal wave. Aether's slender figure was like a small boat in a storm, seemingly on the verge of being swallowed whole.
Behind him, Paimon's eyes were wide with fear. Her tiny hands clutched his clothes even tighter without realizing it.
Faced with the rain of blades, the elemental crystal on Aether's clothing glowed with an amber hue. He raised the Dull Blade in front of him, and a barrier sprang to life. A series of metallic clangs rang out as every last sword strike was deflected.
Thunderous but ultimately harmless—the terrifying soul skill ended, and the three beneath the barrier remained untouched.
"Who is that boy? How is he unharmed under Sword Douluo's fearsome soul skill?!"
"Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Did Sword Douluo's attack do nothing?"
"No way. He must have held back, right?"
"Sword Douluo's skill was terrifying! Look, the rest of the auction platform is in ruins…"
The crowd erupted in a frenzy, voices swirling around Chen Xin's ears. His aged face flushed red, then pale.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul Avatar!"
Chen Xin roared. A massive Seven Kill Sword materialized behind him, standing proudly like a monument.
Though he had already overestimated the boy below, Aether's casual nullification of his soul skill still left him shaken.
Now that the arrow was nocked, it had to be released. If he couldn't defeat even this greenhorn, then the title of Sword Douluo would soon become a laughingstock.
What he needed now—was power. The power to obliterate that boy and all who stood with him!
"Break!"
With a thunderous cry, Chen Xin formed a sword gesture with his fingers. The immense Seven Kill Sword behind him tilted forward, gathering a terrifying aura as it slashed down toward Aether.
Aether raised his sword to meet it. A screeching crash of metal rang through the auction house, forcing everyone to cover their ears.
"It's over," Aether said calmly. He pushed upward, sending the Seven Kill Sword recoiling backward. Then, with one sweeping slash—clang—the massive sword shattered like a pile of wooden blocks.
"Gah…!"
With his sword broken mid-air, Chen Xin suffered a massive backlash. Blood spurted from his mouth as he plummeted, but Ning Fengzhi rushed forward to catch him and channel soul power to heal his injuries.
"Clan leader… I-I'm fine…"
Chen Xin struggled to his feet, eyes filled with awe as he looked across at Aether.
"Young man… I concede. I have lost this duel."
He had pride—and the strength to back it up. But when faced with someone even stronger, he accepted defeat without hesitation.
His voice echoed across the vast auction house. A moment ago, the space had been filled with chatter—now, it was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
Everyone stood frozen, dumbfounded by what had just occurred. They had witnessed one of the top five titled Douluo on the continent lose to an unknown, mysterious youth.
"May I ask, what is that weapon you wield? It shattered my Martial Soul Avatar…"
Still coughing as Ning Fengzhi supported him, Chen Xin's eyes remained fixed on the sword in Aether's hand.
As the one who clashed blades with him, he knew better than anyone how sharp that weapon was. It carried a power that could sever all—it was a sword intent he had never experienced before.
"Oh, this? It's called Dull Blade," Aether said casually, spinning it in his hand.
Picked up from the land of Teyvat, this blade—despite its humble origins—felt perfect in his grasp.
"Dull Blade… a sword with no edge, and yet…"
Chen Xin murmured to himself, confusion growing deeper.
As the continent's foremost sword spirit wielder, his obsession with the sword surpassed everything.
His lifelong pursuit was the sharpest edge—but even with his incredible talent, he had never touched the true essence of swordsmanship.
That was why he had joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, hoping to use the tower's amplification to grasp the sword's ultimate form, like reaching for the moon in water or flowers in a mirror.
Yet the Dull Blade Aether spoke of… was far sharper than even his famed weapon spirit.
He couldn't comprehend it. So he looked at Aether again, expression complicated.
"You call it Dull Blade… but it clearly possesses the power to cut through anything! Why give it such a name?"
The boy before him hadn't just overwhelmed him in strength—he gave Chen Xin a powerful premonition.
Perhaps… the key to elevating his sword intent lay in this thin-framed youth.
"It really doesn't have a blade," Aether replied, his voice calm and steady. "Calling it the Dull Blade is perfectly fitting. The power you felt didn't come from its sharpness."
He glanced at Chen Xin and said slowly,
"The dreams of youth… the thrill of adventure. If those aren't sharp enough—then let courage make up the difference. That… is the true edge of the Dull Blade."
"So that's it…"
Aether's words struck Chen Xin like thunder.
What he had sought for so long—the true essence of the sword—had just been laid bare in a single sentence.
"The sword's ultimate form… isn't in the weapon itself. It lies within the one who wields it! Hahahaha…!"
His mind suddenly clear, Chen Xin—though still wounded from his broken Martial Soul—stood upright like a drawn sword.
The sword aura around him no longer surged with deadly force. Instead, it flowed gently like a stream, calm yet boundless.
He raised his hand—and the previously shattered Seven Kill Sword reformed, hovering above his palm, good as new.
Hum~
The sword trembled. Chen Xin's sword aura flared outward with explosive force. The pressure was so intense that even Ning Fengzhi had to summon his Martial Soul to shield himself.
"Uncle Sword, y-you broke through?!"
Ning Fengzhi could barely believe what he was sensing.
For a Titled Douluo, every level above rank 95 was a monumental leap—an abyss between each step.
Chen Xin had been stuck at rank 96 for years. Yet now, he had broken through to rank 97 in an instant!
Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but smile.
This breakthrough wasn't just a personal triumph—it heralded a brighter future for the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
With Chen Xin ascending to a new height, their position among the top three sects was now unshakable. The rankings might even need to be rearranged.
"Congratulations, Uncle Sword! With this, we'll definitely defeat that brat!"
Unlike Chen Xin's calm demeanor, Ning Fengzhi was elated. If a rank 96 Sword Douluo couldn't beat him… what about a rank 97?
"Thank you for enlightening me. I feel deep shame for what transpired earlier."
Chen Xin ignored Ning Fengzhi's excitement. Instead, he dismissed his Martial Soul and bowed deeply toward Aether.
"Uncle Sword, you…"
Ning Fengzhi was stunned. After breaking through, instead of fighting back, Chen Xin was apologizing?
"Sigh… Fengzhi, can't you see it? Before him, we're nothing more than ants."
Chen Xin waved his hand.
Before his breakthrough, he had looked at Aether like a frog gazing up at the moon. After the breakthrough… he felt like a mayfly staring up at the vast sky.
_
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