Chapter 65

（Thank you to the generous support of Baiyin Mengzhu Xiawu Cha...）

This is the main hall of Chen Lie's Tinghou Mansion, where the courtyard outside is extremely spacious, measuring about twenty to thirty paces square. It is large enough to accommodate three to five hundred guards without feeling crowded.

To prevent Chen Hai and Jie Wenchan from damaging nearby buildings during their competition, Chen Lie waved his hand, releasing a greenish-blue mystic light that formed a protective shield in mid-air, enveloping the courtyard to create a stage for the competition. Then, Chen Lie stood aside with a stern expression, no longer speaking.

Everyone could see the displeasure in Chen Lie's heart, but no one dared to say anything more at this moment.

Sun Gan, Su Yuan, and others hoped that Chen Hai and Jie Wenchan would quickly finish their competition, and they also hoped that Jie Wenchan would show mercy and not make the situation too awkward.

They did not believe for a moment that Chen Hai had any chance of winning.

Jie Wenchan is the grandson of Chen Zhiyi, the patriarch of the Chen clan. His father, Jie Quan Ting, is relatively unknown, but his mother, Chen Jue, is known as one of the "Dual Jewels" of the Chen clan alongside Chen Lie. Although Jie Wenchan is not a direct descendant, his status is still very high, almost on par with a direct descendant. Jie Wenchan has been practicing under Chen Zhiyi for a long time and is said to have cultivated seven spirit veins. On this foundation, he has opened the Spirit Sea Secret Palace, and the purity and power of his true essence are not inferior to those of a mid-stage Spirit Opening Realm cultivator.

Moreover, Jie Wenchan's family's secret techniques are not something ordinary inner disciples of the Upper Seven Peaks can match.

Chen Hai, on the other hand, had to use five Vein-Opening Pills to barely reach the late-stage Spirit Penetrating Realm. Sun Gan and the others estimated that Chen Hai could only last three moves against Jie Wenchan, relying on the magical treasures and talismans given to him by Chen Lie in private.

Chen Zhang had a blank expression; he knew that even if Jie Wenchan thoroughly humiliated Chen Hai today, he could not show any joy.

Chen Qing did not have such composure and stood with her arms crossed, looking forward to the show that Chen Hai, the rogue, would put on. Su Zilin, however, watched Chen Hai standing in the corridor, taking off his snake scale armor, with a thoughtful expression.

This snake scale armor was made from the shed skin of a demon python and, although it did not have any array formations, it was an excellent piece of armor that could withstand blades and bullets. Su Zilin did not understand why Chen Hai was taking off his armor at this moment.

Although Jie Wenchan was angry at Chen Hai's arrogance, he still felt that even if he won today, it would not be a glorious victory. Seeing Chen Hai take off his armor in the corridor, he coldly said, "You should put your armor back on. I am not yet familiar with the Great Derivation Spirit Sword, and if I accidentally hurt you, it would be hard to explain to Uncle..."

Jie Wenchan also called Chen Lie "Uncle," but the relationship was still different.

Chen Hai smiled coldly and ignored Jie Wenchan's words. He then took off the Green Cloud Spirit Armor he was wearing, leaving only a short-sleeved shirt. Seeing the veins on Jie Wenchan's forehead bulge, he secretly laughed: Jie Wenchan, being so arrogant and pampered by Chen Zhiyi, must have many protective magical treasures. If he did not trick Jie Wenchan into taking off his protective treasures, he would not be able to break through Jie Wenchan's defenses in ten moves.

Of course, just giving a lesson was not enough. Chen Hai smiled sinisterly and pointed to the Green Cloud Spirit Armor he had placed on the stone platform, giving Jie Wenchan a disdainful look, and said:

"Do I need any protective magical treasures to win you? Besides, a free competition is rather boring. I will take off this Spirit Armor as a bet. If you can win me today, you can take both pieces of armor!"

Jie Wenchan, who had never seen such arrogance in his life, could not bear this. Determined to teach the rogue a lesson, he angrily took off his two protective magical treasures and said, "If you can last ten moves without losing, these two protective magical treasures will be yours!"

Jie Wenchan wore a white robe and did not have any armor, but he usually carried two protective magical treasures with him.

A shield-shaped spirit ring, emitting a faint green light, which subtly influenced the elemental energy of heaven and earth, was a mid-grade Yellow Rank magical treasure that could automatically release six layers of defensive spirit shields when attacked. A small crimson seal, intricately carved with nine fiery dragons...

"Nine Flame Soaring Dragon Seal!" Chen Lie's subordinates and family members quickly recognized the crimson seal as the famous Nine Flame Soaring Dragon Seal of the Chen clan, and they were all shocked.

The Nine Flame Soaring Dragon Seal was a powerful magical treasure used by Chen Zhiyi in his early years. Everyone was familiar with it, knowing that it could release nine protective flame dragons when attacked, making it a high-grade Yellow Rank magical treasure that was both offensive and defensive. They did not expect Chen Zhiyi to have given the Nine Flame Soaring Dragon Seal to his grandson, Jie Wenchan, for protection.

Seeing that Jie Wenchan not only took off his two protective magical treasures but also used them as stakes, Chen Hai was almost laughing out loud.

As the saying goes, gambling is a bottomless pit.

Chen Hai had accumulated battle merits, slain demons, and managed the medicinal garden over the past two years, but all his efforts combined could not match the value of a high-grade Yellow Rank magical treasure.

Moreover, to gather the four Vein-Opening Pills, Chen Hai had handed over all his savings to his uncle Chen Lie, and he was so short of money that he could not even afford a bottle of Spirit Nourishing Pills. He never expected Jie Wenchan to so easily put two magical treasures up as stakes, thinking that Jie Wenchan was truly a proud and wasteful person.

Chen Qing frowned slightly at this moment. Although she despised Chen Hai, she had seen his bravery on Yulong Mountain and did not expect the proud Jie Wenchan to so easily fall into Chen Hai's trap, abandoning his two most important magical treasures.

Jie Quan Ting felt a vague sense of unease but did not want to dampen Jie Wenchan's spirit at this moment. He did not think Jie Wenchan would be defeated and said, "You two are practicing and should not hurt each other's feelings. Apart from the weapons you hold, you may not use any other magical treasures."

Chen Hai cursed Jie Quan Ting in his heart, thinking he was as cunning as a fox. He probably noticed the Golden Peak Spirit Ring on Chen Hai's left middle finger, which was given to him by his uncle Chen Lie, and deliberately said this to prevent Jie Wenchan from being at a disadvantage due to the Golden Peak Spirit Ring.

Chen Hai took off the Golden Peak Spirit Ring and threw it onto the Green Cloud Spirit Armor, smiling and saying, "Just the Green Cloud Spirit Armor as a stake is too much in my favor. This Golden Peak Spirit Ring, given to me by my uncle, will also be a stake. If I lose to Wenchan, it's all within the family, and I'm sure my uncle won't blame me for being wasteful!"

Jie Wenchan, regardless of what Chen Hai said, held the Great Derivation Spirit Sword and entered the courtyard covered by the protective shield, coldly watching Chen Hai. He first formed the Threefold Vajra Secret Armor, and a powerful green spirit essence spewed from his mouth, forming tens of thousands of green light runes that circled his body, creating three layers of defensive armor that made him impenetrable.

Although Jie Wenchan was furious and had taken off his two protective magical treasures as stakes, he was not foolish enough to forgo defensive techniques and allow Chen Hai to have a chance to attack him in the narrow space of twenty to thirty paces.

Seeing this, Wu Meng frowned, thinking that with Jie Wenchan's seven spirit veins and the purity and thickness of his true essence, even if Chen Hai attacked him without restraint, he might not be able to break through the three layers of Vajra Secret Armor in ten moves.

"Did you just say that if you can't win me in ten moves, you'll admit defeat?" Chen Hai picked up the Frosty War Halberd, as if afraid Jie Wenchan would renege, and asked again from outside the protective shield.

Jie Wenchan was slightly taken aback. In the hall, it was clearly this rogue who was arrogant, saying he could not last ten moves against him, but now he was saying this?

Although the difference was significant, in his anger, he had indeed said that if Chen Hai could last ten moves without losing, the two protective magical treasures would be his.

Jie Wenchan did not want to change his words and had no face to do so. He thought that since Chen Hai had not opened the Spirit Sea Secret Palace and could not use protective magical treasures, if he could not win in ten moves, he would not have the face to continue. He coldly said, "I did say that, but you must first withstand my ten strikes before you can claim victory..."

Although he said this, Jie Wenchan was also secretly on guard, afraid that Chen Hai might play some tricks.

He lightly flicked the Great Derivation Spirit Sword, and a mystic light shimmered, suddenly buzzing and vibrating as if an ancient fierce beast was flying out of his hand, the sword tip pointing directly at Chen Hai, who was still outside the protective shield, determined to drink Chen Hai's blood to quench his anger.

Wu Meng, Zhou Jun, and Ge Tong exchanged glances and laughed, not expecting Chen Hai to be setting a trap for Jie Wenchan.

Everyone was watching the scene, but Su Zilin secretly observed the expressions of the three, feeling a shock in her heart. Could it be that Chen Hai really had some unexpected abilities or powers that could tear through the three layers of Vajra Secret Armor?

Chen Hai did not give Jie Wenchan and Jie Quan Ting any chance to change their words and stepped into the protective shield formed by Chen Lie's spell.

Although he said he would not use magical treasures, Chen Hai was not afraid that Jie Quan Ting and Jie Wenchan would notice any loopholes if he secretly used the snake bracelet today.

When Chen Hai's soul consciousness merged with the puppet's mind through the snake bracelet, a profound insight arose in his heart, and he intuitively knew that Jie Wenchan's first strike would involve three sword beams.

This was a sixth sense that only a Mind Aperture Realm cultivator would have after opening the Ancestral Aperture Mind Sea.

After the puppet was upgraded to the Martial Guard level, when Chen Hai's soul consciousness connected with the puppet's mind, this intuitive insight became even clearer than that of an early-stage Mind Aperture Realm cultivator...

Chen Hai's first step into the protective shield was precisely in the gap where Jie Wenchan's three sword beams would strike, and he did not give Jie Wenchan any time to react. As he stepped in, the Frosty War Halberd in his hand shot out like a black lightning bolt, aiming directly at Jie Wenchan's face.

To outsiders, Chen Hai's close-range attack was both reckless and not a rational choice.

Jie Wenchan had already used the Threefold Vajra Secret Armor to protect himself, and Chen Hai's attack would not only be ineffective but would also expose him to the Great Derivation Spirit Sword.

If the Great Derivation Spirit Sword struck at will, Chen Hai would have no chance to avoid it...

However, in that instant, Jie Wenchan felt an indescribable discomfort.

He had planned to use the Great Derivation Spirit Sword to simultaneously release three sword beams, directly driving Chen Hai out of the courtyard in a miserable state. He thought that only by ending the battle this way would he feel satisfied and make the rogue never be able to hold his head up in front of him. He would not give Chen Hai the chance to last ten moves.

He never expected Chen Hai's step to be perfectly timed, landing in the gap between the three sword beams.

Even so, he could have adjusted the direction of the three sword beams by slightly vibrating the tip of the Great Derivation Spirit Sword, but Chen Hai did not give him even a fleeting moment, and directly slashed the halberd at his face.

To others, Jie Wenchan did not need to pay attention to this halberd, but in that instant, Jie Wenchan felt a blood-red light flash in Chen Hai's eyes, and a fierce and brutal aura enveloped the Frosty War Halberd, transforming it into a ferocious demon with a bloody mouth, ready to devour his body and soul...

Jie Wenchan's heart trembled, and he instinctively withdrew his sword to block the ferocious demon's bloody mouth.

Page break for AD

Page break for AD end