Douluo: I have too many clones

Chapter 809 Orchid Goose VS Dragon Staff

Inside the Mingdu Grand Gymnasium.

"Dear viewers, please be patient—"

Behind the commentary booth, Aifei's clear voice resounded throughout the entire Mingdu Gymnasium through the amplification array: "The players who will be taking the stage today will be the sixth group that everyone is most looking forward to."

As soon as the words were spoken, the audience members who had been looking for seats in twos and threes quickened their pace. The rustling sound of canvas seats being pulled, mixed with the shouts of vendors packing up in the distance, was gradually replaced by a chorus of discussions.

Today is the third day of the second round of the round-robin tournament. According to the schedule, Groups 5 and 6 will take the stage one after the other. However, everyone knows that Group 6 is the real focus of this tournament, even more so than Group 5.

"Well then, without further ado, let's welcome the contestants from the fifth group to the stage!"

The fifth group of contestants took the stage first. Although their overall strength was not as great as the sixth group, there were still some incredibly talented individuals among them. The most eye-catching of them all was probably a tall, bald man.

Aruheng, in the name of the senior disciple of the Body Sect, signed up for the martial arts contest to find a husband. His strength as a titled Douluo, coupled with his minor mastery of the innate secret technique, made him the most promising contestant in the fifth group.

However, given his muscular physique and bald head, most viewers believed that even if he successfully advanced, the chances of him being chosen by the Silver Dragon Princess were extremely slim.

It's worth mentioning that, besides Aruheng, the contestant most favored by the audience in the fifth group is a cold-faced young man named Uchiha Sasuke.

With his handsome appearance, cool demeanor, and the strength of a Title Douluo, viewers privately predict that if he successfully advances, the probability of him being chosen by the Silver Dragon Princess is quite high.

As the referee announced the end of the match, before the applause from the stands had subsided, everyone's eyes were already drawn to the other side of the players' tunnel—where the real protagonists of the day were about to emerge.

Commentator Aifei took a deep breath, adjusted her headset, and her clear voice resonated throughout the arena through the amplification array: "Ladies and gentlemen, after a short break, the sixth group that everyone has been eagerly anticipating will be taking the stage next!"

"Without further ado, let's welcome our contestants to the stage. The first match of the second round of the round-robin tournament, Group 6: Youlan Dai'e versus Qian Gu Zhangting."

When those two names came out of Aifei's mouth, a louder murmur erupted in the arena, like a boulder being thrown into a calm lake.

Everyone knows that the encounter between these two players in the second round was by no means accidental—or rather, it was this "accident" that made it the most eye-catching highlight of the day.

The young master of the Spirit Pagoda faces off against a giant white goose!

This seemingly absurd pairing had already spread throughout the stadium before the match even started.

As the grandson of Qian Gu Dongfeng, the master of the Spirit Pagoda, Qian Gu Zhangting not only possesses the formidable strength of a Super Douluo, but also has the best soul ring ratio rarely seen in the entire continent. From the very beginning of the competition, he was undoubtedly the favorite to win the championship in Group Six.

The "Youlan Dai Goose" was the biggest upset in this year's martial arts contest for marriage. No one expected that a white goose that was originally thought to be just there to make up the numbers would easily defeat a titled Douluo in the first round of the competition.

Almost everyone was extremely curious about this match: just how far could this unexpected white goose push Qian Gu Zhang Ting?

Clearly, although Youlan Dai'e demonstrated overwhelming strength against Title Douluo in the first round, most viewers believed that its chances of winning against Super Douluo-level Qian Gu Zhangting were still slim.

After all, the gap between a Super Douluo and a Titled Douluo is not something that can be easily bridged.

……

The atmosphere on the highest platform of the stadium was relatively calm.

Qian Gu Dong Feng smiled slightly and said to the young man beside him, "Young friend Lu Fa, I didn't expect Zhang Ting's opponent today to be your masterpiece. It seems this will be another interesting match."

In his words, Qian Gu Dong Feng's tone carried a subtle hint of confidence.

In his view, his grandson Qian Gu Zhangting had enjoyed the best resources of the Spirit Pagoda since childhood. When his martial soul awakened, he had innate full soul power, and he broke through to the Super Douluo realm before he was thirty-five.

Such talent and strength could never be inferior to a "goose" transformed from metal, even if that goose was crafted by a master craftsman.

His words at this moment were both a prediction of the competition and a subtle foreshadowing: if Youlan Dai'e were to suffer a complete defeat later, he hoped that the divine craftsman Lu Fa would not hold it against him, since the two sides were originally from different "starting points".

In his eyes, although Lu Fa was already a recognized master craftsman, he was still a young man, perhaps still carrying some youthful impetuosity. It was always good to give him a heads-up in advance.

Upon hearing this, Lu Fa simply nodded slightly, his face showing little emotion, and replied in a calm tone, "Then let's wait and see."

After a brief silence, Lu Fa turned his gaze to the empty seats on the other side of the stage, which were originally the Silver Dragon Princess's reserved seats, but were now completely empty.

He was slightly puzzled and turned to ask, "Isn't Princess Silver Dragon coming today? I remember she used to come and watch the matches all the time."

As the main character in the martial arts contest to choose a husband, the presence or absence of the Silver Dragon Princess often affects the atmosphere of the competition.

Qian Gu Dongfeng smiled knowingly and explained, "Na'er had some urgent business to attend to, so she couldn't come to watch the match today. I suppose she felt that the result of this round wouldn't affect the final outcome."

His words still carried absolute confidence in his grandson.

"I see." Lufa nodded slightly, asked no more questions, and turned his gaze back to the arena.

Just then, a clear and lively voice suddenly came from the entrance to the stage, breaking the brief silence: "Brother Lufa~"

Lu Fa turned his head at the sound and saw a white-haired, blue-eyed figure running towards them. The girl was wearing a light blue dress, the hem of which fluttered gently as she ran, like a graceful butterfly.

Behind her followed an elderly man with a slightly aged appearance, who was none other than Ao Hongchen, the dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. Although his face was aged, his eyes shone with a vigorous light.

"It's Xiao Zui." Seeing the person who came, Lu Fa rubbed his temples helplessly, but still showed a gentle smile on his face as he got up to greet him.

He was always somewhat helpless with this eccentric girl, but he could only patiently deal with her enthusiasm.

……

During this brief interaction on the podium, the players' tunnel below the arena was already opened.

Two figures emerged one after the other and slowly stepped onto the center of the competition field.

"Five, four, three, two, one, the game begins!"

As the referee waved his hand, the highly anticipated competition finally began!

"hold head high--"

Qian Gu Zhangting slightly raised his right arm, and golden light burst forth from his palm. A long staff engraved with dragon patterns appeared in response. The golden dragon coiled on the staff seemed to come alive, emitting majestic roars with his movements.

The next moment, six black and three red spirit rings rose up.

"Son~"

The orchid-white goose opposite merely flapped its snow-white wings lightly, letting out a clear cry, its tone carrying a hint of obvious dissatisfaction.

The audience instantly understood why it was dissatisfied—as a special soul spirit created by the master craftsman Lu Fa, it was not a soul master in the traditional sense, and naturally could not summon a soul ring like Qian Gu Zhang Ting.

In the center of the arena, on one side was the imposing young master of the Spirit Pagoda, surrounded by spirit rings, and on the other side was a graceful white goose without any spirit rings.

From a purely visual perspective, the Orchid Goose seems to be naturally shorter, which inevitably makes people feel that it is at a disadvantage in this competition.

"Shh!"

The air in the center of the arena suddenly tore apart, and it was none other than Qian Gu Zhangting who launched the first attack.

He gripped the ends of the Dragon Staff tightly with both hands, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his figure shot into the air like a golden lightning bolt. The surging soul power within him exploded without reservation, and a dazzling white light shone on his body like a second sun, illuminating the entire arena.

"Fight against heaven and earth!" The dragon-shaped staff in his hand seemed to grow rapidly, becoming a hundred meters long, as if it would break through the sky.

Qian Gu Zhangting's entire body also became ethereal and suddenly grew larger. He gripped one end of the Panlong Staff with both hands, arched his body backward, and then swung the Panlong Staff down towards the white goose.

The enormous dragon-shaped staff, stretching over a hundred meters, seemed to split the heavens and earth in an instant, as if it were about to shatter the entire world.

The match had only just begun when Qian Gu Zhangting launched such a fierce offensive, which completely exceeded everyone's expectations.

On the podium, a hint of approval flashed in Qian Gu Dongfeng's eyes—his grandson had indeed not disappointed him.

"Destroy you with one move!"

Qian Gu Zhangting's eyes gleamed with undisguised arrogance as he looked down at the tiny white figure on the ground.

In his view, his opponent was nothing more than a goose, and even with the background of the divine craftsman Lu Fa, he was essentially just an anomaly.

If we cannot defeat him as quickly as possible, it will only make us a laughing stock and have an unnecessary impact on his reputation and even the reputation of the Spirit Pagoda.

In fact, among the many contestants, Youlandai Goose is definitely a "troublesome" one.

If you defeat it, others will only think, "What's so special about the young master of the Spirit Pagoda defeating a goose?" But if you get entangled in a fight with it, then you'll be in trouble.

"Shocking! The young master of the Spirit Pagoda is actually fighting a goose to a standstill?"

"Unexpected! Super Douluo Qian Gu Zhangting almost lost to the Divine Craftsman's pet goose?"

Just thinking about the headlines that the news media might come up with made Qian Gu Zhangting feel a surge of irritation.

That's why he chose to use the most powerful move from his family's "Unyielding Staff Technique" right from the start, aiming to crush his opponent with overwhelming force, prove his strength with absolute power, and completely eliminate any possibility of being ridiculed.

As for whether this would offend the divine craftsman Lu Fa?
This was never taken seriously by Qian Gu Zhangting. The Chuanling Tower was a large and powerful organization with a profound foundation. While their respect for the divine craftsman was partly due to their need for the four-character battle armor, it did not mean that they would shrink back because of it.

Moreover, the Spirit Pagoda is one of the Blacksmith Association's biggest partners, and the two sides have countless connections and interests.

Even if this creates a grudge, as long as the subsequent resource exchange is in place, the other party will eventually have to grit their teeth and continue forging battle armor for the Spirit Pagoda.

"boom--"

The colossal dragon-shaped staff crashed down with an indescribable, terrifying force, tearing the air into countless fragments and emitting a sharp whistling sound. In the afterimage created by the staff, spatial rifts spread like a spiderweb, as if the entire arena was about to collapse under this single blow.

This strike embodies the spirit and essence of Qian Gu Zhangting, and its momentum contains his unique understanding of the word "unyielding," reaching the level of "the soul of the staff."

This is his unique, meticulously refined attack method, enough to strike fear into the hearts of any titled Douluo.

"Son~"

The Youlan Dai'e let out a clear cry, its dark eyes clearly reflecting the rapidly enlarging dragon-shaped giant staff, yet it showed no sign of backing down.

It suddenly spread its wings, its snow-white feathers shimmering faintly in the sunlight, and instead of dodging or avoiding, it went straight to meet the giant club that was falling from the sky.

This scene, as seen by the audience, was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

Many people in the stands gasped in surprise, and some even subconsciously turned their faces away—no one could have imagined that this big white goose would choose such a forceful way to take the earth-shattering blow from Qian Gu Zhang Ting.

"boom!"

The collision erupted in an instant, the deafening roar like thunder in the sky, causing the entire stadium to shake violently.

A violent shockwave spread outwards from the point of impact, and the strong wind it generated made the protective array at the edge of the arena buzz. Even the spectators in the stands could feel the oppressive force coming towards them, as if the ground beneath their feet was trembling.

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, a snow-white figure plummeted from the sky like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the ground in the center of the arena.

With a muffled thud, as heavy as a blow to everyone's heart, spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly outwards from its two orange-yellow duck feet, covering the ground within a radius of tens of meters in the blink of an eye, sending pebbles and dust flying.

It is a wild orchid-colored goose.

Meanwhile, in mid-air, Qian Gu Zhang Ting's coiled dragon staff rebounded violently upwards due to the reaction force of the collision, the staff trembling violently and emitting a buzzing sound.

If someone were to get a closer look, they would see that his hands, gripping the handle of the stick tightly, had knuckles that had turned white from excessive force, and his wrists were trembling uncontrollably. Clearly, the force of the recoil from that strike far exceeded his expectations.

"Son~"

Just when everyone thought that Youlan Dai'e had been seriously injured, the snow-white figure that had landed on the ground moved.

It shook its head slightly, as if merely brushing off the dust, then calmly pulled its duck leg from the cracked ground and called out a few more times towards the Qian Gu Zhang Pavilion opposite. There was no trace of distress in its voice; on the contrary, it sounded like... a provocation?
"Damn, it's so hard!"

Qian Gu Zhangting looked at the still lively white goose on the ground, then looked down and felt the spasms coming from his arm. He couldn't help but twitch his lips.

Only now did he truly understand why a Title Douluo like Lu Xingyu had fallen into the hands of this goose—after all, his cultivation had already reached the Super Douluo realm.

That attack just now even utilized the essence of the "Unyielding Staff Technique," "Fighting Heaven and Earth." Even ordinary powerful offensive Super Douluo would have to temporarily avoid its edge, yet this big white goose actually withstood it, and appeared completely unharmed!

This is way too hard!
Qian Gu Zhangting took a deep breath, suppressing his shock. The goose's defensive power was simply unbelievable. The force of that attack was enough to shatter a small mountain, but it seemed to sink into the sea as if it were a stone sinking into the ocean. Apart from knocking it away, it did not cause any substantial damage.

"Then let's give it our all!"

A fierce glint flashed in Qian Gu Zhangting's eyes, and he no longer showed the slightest contempt.

The next moment, incandescent light emerged from his body like flowing water, quickly covering his limbs and torso, forming a set of sharp-lined, explosive armor—his three-word battle armor.

He knew very well that today's match could not drag on. If he couldn't defeat his opponent cleanly and decisively, he would only become a laughing stock across the entire continent.

Moreover, if Gu Yuena knew that he was fighting fiercely with a goose, his image in her eyes would probably plummet, which was something he could not accept under any circumstances.

……

"Achoo~"

Inside the Mingdu Grand Gymnasium, in a room located on a high floor, one can take in the scene of the arena.

A beautiful woman with silver hair and purple eyes stood in front of a huge floor-to-ceiling window, her hands gripping the glass, and she couldn't help but sneeze a little.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Nan Fusheng sensed Gu Yuena's condition and couldn't help but ask her what was wrong. At the same time, he stepped back slightly, trying to put away an unknown syringe.

"Don't worry, Brother Fusheng, Gu Yue is very healthy and doesn't catch a cold easily. Maybe someone is just talking about her."

Na'er, with silver hair and silver eyes, appeared and hugged Nan Fusheng from behind, pressing down hard to push the syringe that had been protruding slightly back in.

"At worst, Brother Fusheng, you can give her a few more injections, and maybe she'll get better," Na'er said with a grin, while reaching out to hug Nan Fusheng's neck from behind.

"Is this really okay?" Nan Fusheng asked hesitantly.

"It's alright, Fusheng, let's continue." Gu Yue, who was leaning against the French window, turned around with a seductive look in her eyes.

(End of this chapter)