Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1659 Branch Prodigies

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……

To the right of the backyard of the Marquis of Jiannan's mansion, a delicate courtyard stands quietly under the moonlight.

The layout of the courtyard is consistent with that of the Tian Dou Chen Mansion and the Chang'an Duke's Mansion, with three courtyards and nine palaces, containing the principles of ritual.

Inside the courtyard, the moonlight was cold and clear.

The dust-covered figure, with bandages wrapped around his arm, stood before the stone steps, dressed in plain white, yet his demeanor remained calm and composed.

He raised his hand and gently patted Zhu Wujiu's shoulder beside him, the gesture casual yet conveying an unspoken understanding: "This time, you didn't go back to Chang'an to deliver that 'tinder'... You must feel quite regretful."

Zhu Wujiu lowered his gaze slightly, landing on a worn-out old ring in his palm—his father Zhu Changhe's only keepsake.

His fingertips unconsciously caressed the ring, and his eyes flickered imperceptibly in the moonlight for a moment before returning to an almost transparent calm.

His voice was slightly hoarse, with a gritty quality, "With my sister back, that's enough."

Their branch in the Zhu family was a direct line, yet also an isolated one.

His grandfather, Zhu Yingfeng, died young, and his father, Zhu Changhe, was an orphan raised by his great-uncle, Zhu Hefeng.

Zhu Changhe had no brothers; Zhu Changfeng and Zhu Changyun were cousins.

By the time of Zhu Wujiu's generation, his family had become sparsely populated, leaving only him and his younger sister Zhu Wuzhen to depend on each other for survival.

He lived up to expectations, becoming a long-time follower and even having his name engraved on the Earthly Fiend position, making him a recognized outstanding talent within the clan.

But at this moment, the ancestral hall's incense and candles could not be offered in person.

Standing in the moonlight, after four years apart, the carefree and elegant demeanor between his brows was even more pronounced than before, but beneath that elegance lay a subtle sense of rigor, creating a contradictory yet balanced aura.

His gaze swept over Zhu Wujiu's clenched knuckles, and his tone softened: "Once the academy advances, we'll go back to the village together, and then we'll offer a stick of incense for Uncle Changhe."

A slightly cold voice came from the side: "Fourth brother, don't say that too soon. It's not too late to talk about it after you've qualified for the next round."

The one speaking was Dust Sword Master.

The moonlight fell upon him, outlining his impeccable features.

Beneath his raven-black hair were long, sword-like eyebrows, beneath which were eyes like black ink, with hidden starlight. His nose was high and straight, and his thin lips, when slightly upturned, exuded a handsome beauty that was somewhere between sharp and dashing.

He was recognized as the "most handsome guy" among his peers in the Chen family; his handsomeness had an almost overwhelming impact.

Before he could finish speaking, a cool-looking girl of about eighteen or nineteen standing beside him spoke softly, her voice like a drop of water under the moonlight: "Don't worry, Brother Sword Master, qualifying is a certainty."

Her snow-white dress fluttered slightly in the night breeze, making her oval face appear even smaller and more delicate. Her long, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and her slender neck appeared fragile and pitiful in the night. "Didn't Fourth Brother make a promise?"

She is Shen Youxi, the younger sister of Shen Youchu.

Three years after the clan meeting, a group of outstanding young people from various family branches flocked to Sword Rain Academy.

Of the 21 members of the Sword Rain Academy team participating in this competition, 14 were disciples of a branch of the Chen Clan Sword Soul—and her name was prominently listed among them.

……

The moonlight was clear and cool, and the shadows of the trees swayed gently.

Chen Feng rubbed his nose, a playful smile playing on his lips: "Youxi's words resonate deeply with me."

His gaze swept over Shen Youxi's profile, which held a cool demeanor but also hinted at anticipation. "Don't worry, I'll take care of your wish for you and your sister to meet on the final stage."

Shen Youxi's dark, bright eyes flickered in the moonlight: "But we'll have to run into the Chang'an team first."

His tone was as indifferent as the wind brushing across a stone.

Chen Feng raised an eyebrow, his expression one of complete certainty: "The finals are in Tian Dou City. They won't allow both of our Chen family teams to meet in the finals. Without a doubt, they will put our two teams against each other ahead of time."

A brief silence spread, with only the sound of the wind gently rustling the leaves.

With his white hair and tall, well-proportioned figure, Wei Qingfu took a step forward. His voice was steady and had a metallic, heavy quality: "Fourth brother, it seems that the Abyss Shadow Wolf Soul Saint's claws only scratched the skin on your arm, and didn't hurt your brain at all."

Chen Feng whistled, "That's right, who am I? I'm the rising star of the control system, ranked 33rd on the Prodigy Ranking."

Wei Qingfu nodded in agreement: "Yes, the 32nd is the fifth one." Chen Feng felt suffocated, as if he had eaten shit.

Dust Sword Master interrupted at the right moment: "The most important thing right now is the semi-finals of the Star Luo Division."

Dust twitched at the corner of his mouth, seemingly in good spirits: "Second brother, don't be in such a hurry."

"Losing two games? That's because the brothers got hurt and their luck was a bit bad, but we won back today, didn't we?"

He raised his chin slightly and pointed at Wei Qingfu and Feng Xiaoxiao, "Xiaoxiao and Qingfu, didn't you do a pretty good job?"

He pointed to today's match as a narrow victory, with everyone playing through injuries.

The Chang'an team was attacked and injured at Tian Dou Chen Mansion, while Jian Yu Academy was also at the center of the storm!

The two core members, Dust Sword Master and Dust Sealing, were the most severely injured—especially the renowned Water Element Sword Master, Dust Sword Master.

When the night breeze occasionally lifted the hem of the loose outer robe, the outline of the tight bandages wrapped inside could be vaguely seen.

The attacking enemy was a Soul Douluo accompanied by three Soul Saints!

Fortunately, they used the improved Double Seven Star Sword Formation by Chen Cong to construct their offense and defense. With the help of their teammates and the desperate rescuers and teachers, they managed to withstand this deadly combined attack and hold out until the important figures from Xingluo City came to their aid and launch a counterattack.

In the end, three Soul Saint corpses were left behind, while the Soul Douluo managed to escape.

What is particularly noteworthy is that the martial souls of the two Soul Saints who were killed were none other than the murderers identified by Makoto Ito back then—the Abyss Shadow Wolf and the Night Shadow Demon Butterfly!

It was these very things that killed Liu Ruyan's grandfather back then.

Now, intelligence confirms that they belong to the Demon Bull Legion and the Devouring Legion, respectively.

The cost was also severe, with the remaining team members suffering injuries.

As the leaders of the two sword formations, Chen Jianzun and Chen Feng were the most seriously injured and naturally could not participate in the competition.

During the seven-day competition, the substitutes, represented by Zhu Wujiu (a defensive player with minor injuries), won five matches but also lost two, which was truly unfortunate.

Mentioning it now, though it's been forgotten, is something I can accept with equanimity.

In the corner of the courtyard, Feng Xiaoxiao, dressed in plain clothes but unable to conceal the blue outfit underneath, spoke lazily, his tone carrying his usual sharp edge: "You're right, Fourth Brother."

"Whether you're here or not, it really doesn't make much difference."

He belongs to the Feng family, is a control specialist, and is the third commander.

Chen Feng immediately turned his head, as if he had seized an opportunity, his eyes shining brightly: "Hey, when it comes to being blind to talent, who can compare to you, Xiao Xiao?"

He deliberately dragged out his words, "That year during the clan competition, I don't know who it was, but they challenged the sixth-ranked member who was the competition's standard, and went there full of confidence... and the result? One move! One move!"

He made a crisp, clean cutting gesture and smiled mischievously.

Feng Xiaoxiao's handsome face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he rolled his eyes in annoyance: "Fourth brother! You always pick these lousy pots, don't you!"

Chen Feng nodded with a chuckle: "How could I dare? This old story is enough to amuse me for a lifetime."

"Alright." Dust Sword Master's voice was as cold and hard as a sword returning to its sheath, instantly extinguishing the sparks between the two. "If you've had enough, then put your mind at ease."

"Over the next seven days, we'll be facing teams like the Earth Emperor, Qingqiu, and the Star Luo Royal Family—"

His gaze was sharp as he swept across the faces of the gathered team members, saying, "There's not an easy nut to crack."

He paused briefly, his gaze finally settling on Feng Xiaoxiao and Wei Qingfu, and he solemnly instructed: "For tomorrow's battle, Xiaoxiao, you will lead the team, and Qingfu will be your deputy."

He read out several names in a steady voice, "Dengyuan, Rongliang, Yiming, Youxi, and Qinxue, the five of you will go on stage."

Feng Xiaoxiao (Wind Sword, Level 54), Wei Qingfu (Shark Tooth Sword, Level 53), Gai Rongliang (Canghai Sword, Level 53), Xili Dengyuan (Xili Sword, Level 53), Qin Yiming (Dragon Sparrow Sword, Level 52), Yan Qinxue (Yimeng Sword, Level 52), Shen Youxi (Bixue Sword, Level 51).

One Rank 8 and six Rank 7 Martial Souls, a full lineup of Soul Kings.

The fact that they were able to assemble such a lineup despite many other players being unable to play speaks volumes about their team's strength – Anxi Province's Chief Academy.

Meanwhile, apart from Shen Youxi being an Earthly Fiend Star (star name), the other six are all Heavenly Fiend Stars.

(End of this chapter)