Douluo: I have too many clones

Chapter 825 Susanoo and the Bet

"Interesting. It seems you're not just a big talker."

Uchiha Sasuke stood there, looking at the unharmed Aruheng, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by coldness.

He gave a soft "humph," and his aura grew even more intense. The originally dark pupils in his eyes slowly changed, and three red marks resembling tomoe appeared and rotated in his pupils. This was his martial soul—the Sharingan.

At the same time, nine spirit rings rose from beneath his feet, eight black and one red.

"Thousand Birds Stream".

Sasuke's deep voice rang out, carrying a hint of cold sharpness. He gripped the hilt of the longsword at his waist with his right hand, and with a slight twist of his wrist, the longsword was drawn from its sheath with a "whoosh," its blade flashing a cold light under the lamplight.

Immediately afterwards, blue electricity surged from his palm, coiling around the sword as if it were alive. The electricity became more and more concentrated, emitting a piercing "zzzz" sound. The sound was sharp and rapid, like the simultaneous cry of thousands of birds, hence the name "Thousand Birds Stream".

The blue electric currents and the silver blade complemented each other, instantly transforming this ordinary longsword into a divine weapon capable of tearing through any defense.

"Take the move."

Before he finished speaking, Sasuke's figure suddenly disappeared from the spot. He pushed off with his feet, creating a shallow crater in the ground, and used this explosive force to complete a rapid running start. His figure seemed to teleport, instantly covering the distance of dozens of meters between the two of them.

The moment he approached Aruheng, he flicked his wrist, and the longsword in his hand, crackling with blue electricity, slashed straight toward Aruheng's chest with a whooshing sound.

"Haha, come on!"

Aruheng's laughter echoed in the arena, his boldness revealing an undeniable confidence.

Before he finished speaking, an aura far surpassing his previous power suddenly erupted from his body. The aura was like surging magma, sweeping across the entire area with scorching pressure, making the air seem thick and sticky.

At the same time, a golden-red luster appeared on the surface of his body, and the already strong muscle lines became even clearer. Every inch of his skin seemed to be cast in molten gold, shimmering with a metallic texture, like an ancient war god about to awaken.

"Tear-!"

Sasuke's longsword had already struck, blue electricity crackling violently on the blade, slicing through Aruheng's chest with a sharp, tearing sound.

The sharp blade easily tore through Aruheng's upper body clothing, and amidst the flying fabric fragments, his solid, golden-red chest was revealed.

However, when the blade touched that special skin, the expected "blade piercing the body" did not happen—only a crisp and violent explosion was heard, and the blade seemed to have hit a meteorite from outer space, and was actually bounced off, leaving only a very shallow white mark on Aruheng's chest.

"what?!"

Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly, and his hand gripping the sword hilt went numb.

He stared intently at Aruheng's chest, only to see the white mark fade and heal rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if it had never existed, and finally disappear completely without leaving a trace.

"It's a little itchy."

Aruheng grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth, his tone relaxed, as if the sword strike he had just received was merely a mosquito bite.

As soon as he finished speaking, his body suddenly began to expand rapidly—his bones made a "crackling" sound, his muscles bulged as if inflated, and his height instantly soared from two meters to three meters, transforming him into a burly little giant.

His arms were as thick as buckets, and his feet stomped on the ground, causing the entire arena to tremble slightly.

The next second, Aruheng swung his fist, as big as a casserole dish, with a whooshing sound as it blew through the air, and smashed it towards Sasuke, who had not yet fully recovered his senses.

"boom--!"

The fist slammed into the spot where Sasuke had just been standing, and the immense force was instantly transmitted to the arena floor.

With a deafening roar, the stone slabs of the arena shattered, creating a crater five meters in diameter. Debris and dust flew up, forming a temporary barrier.

Sasuke, however, had already dodged the attack just before the fist landed, flashing ten meters away and narrowly avoiding a blow that could have severely injured a Title Douluo.

"Brother Sasuke, use your strongest attack, or you won't be able to hurt me." Aruheng withdrew his fist, looked down at Sasuke, and still had a hearty smile on his face.

At this moment, his golden-red skin shone brightly under the lights, and every muscle was like a meticulously sculpted gold sculpture, exuding a visually stunning impact.

Even more astonishingly, the intense heat emanating from his body, like the blazing sun, caused the air temperature on the entire arena to rise several degrees.

This is the ultimate secret technique of the Body Sect—the third awakening of the Innate Secret Technique: Son of the Sun.

Once activated, this secret technique not only doubles the user's combat power, but also transforms every inch of skin and every bone in the body into a "human weapon" comparable to a top-tier soul bone, resulting in a qualitative leap in defense, strength, and self-healing abilities.

It should be understood that ordinary physical martial souls are limited by talent and potential, and can only achieve a second awakening at most. However, innate secret techniques can break this constraint, allowing the physical martial soul to achieve a third awakening and explore the hidden power of the martial soul at a deeper level.

This is why the Innate Secret Technique is called the "Strongest Secret Technique" by the Body Sect Master—because it represents the ultimate potential of Body Martial Soul cultivation.

Of course, this power comes at a price.

The cultivation threshold for innate secret techniques is extremely high. Not only does it require a naturally gifted martial soul, but it also requires enduring unimaginable pain. The risks during cultivation are also extremely high, and a slight mistake can lead to sudden death due to the conflict between blood and soul power.

But as Aruheng demonstrated, once one has mastered the training, the improvement in combat power is revolutionary—strong, truly strong!
Aruheng has been cultivating innate secret techniques for over twenty years. Initially, his martial soul was merely his "heart," a rare physical martial soul, but it also had obvious limitations.

As his innate secret techniques continued to improve, his martial soul potential was gradually developed, moving from a single "heart" towards a "complete body," ultimately resulting in the terrifying form of the "Son of the Sun."

This is the greatest advantage of the original martial soul: as long as there is an opportunity and one is willing to risk everything, there is always the possibility of going further.

Just like Huo Yuhao, the Spirit Ice Douluo from ten thousand years ago, everyone initially thought that his martial soul was just "Spirit Eye". However, later there were rumors that his Spirit Eye was actually connected to his brain and was a more special "spiritual body martial soul".

On the Douluo Continent today, there are still descendants of Xu Yunhan, the first Sun Moon Emperor, who perfectly inherited the "Spirit Eye" martial soul.

The Body Sect once conducted in-depth research on the Spirit Eyes of this lineage and finally discovered that ordinary Spirit Eyes are merely "eye" martial souls and are not connected to the brain.

Therefore, the Body Sect concluded that the Spirit Eye Martial Soul is itself an eye, and perhaps only Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eye is special.

After all, Huo Yuhao fused with the soul ring of a million-year-old soul beast, and it's not impossible that the immense power of that fusion subtly transformed his martial soul, causing it to evolve.

Now, Aruheng has cultivated his innate secret technique to near perfection, and his soul power has reached level ninety-five, making him a genuine Super Douluo.

Even his teacher, Mu Ye, the sect leader of the Body Sect, dared not easily confront him head-on in a one-on-one duel. This alone is enough to demonstrate the power of the innate secret technique.

"Then let me show you the ultimate power of the Sharingan!"

Sasuke's voice was cold and sharp. Clearly, Aruheng's strength had not only failed to deter him, but had also thoroughly ignited his competitive spirit.

The moment he finished speaking, the three tomoe in his eyes began to spin rapidly, faster and faster, until they suddenly overlapped and transformed into a perfect six-pointed star pattern.

"The Third Power: Susanoo!"

As Sasuke let out a low shout, dense purple soul power surged out of his body, completely enveloping him like a tidal wave.

The next second, the purple soul power began to rapidly take shape: first, a huge purple skeleton emerged from the soul power, with thick and ferocious bones, exuding a heart-palpitating sense of oppression;

Next, soul power adhered to the skeleton like flesh and blood, gradually forming muscles and meridians. Finally, a layer of purple armor covering the entire body condensed, the armor covered with complex patterns, and sharp bone spikes protruding from the shoulders and elbows, showing its ferocity.

In an instant, a six-meter-tall purple soul power giant with only its upper body appeared in the center of the arena, with Sasuke's figure located in the giant's abdomen, firmly protected within it.

"Amaterasu! Kagutsuchi!"

Sasuke's voice came from within Susanoo. The next moment, the purple-armored giant raised his right hand, and a longbow with an ancient design condensed in his palm. The bowstring was slowly drawn back.

At the same time, a jet-black flame appeared out of thin air. The flame did not leak any heat, but it exuded a deathly stillness that "burns everything until it turns to ashes".

Immediately afterwards, Sasuke used "Kagoto-no-Mikoto" to control the Amaterasu fire, shaping it into a jet-black arrow, which he then nocked onto the Susanoo's longbow.

With a humming sound, the black flame arrow shot out like a meteor, tearing through space with a sharp sound, heading straight for Aruheng's chest.

Faced with an attack powerful enough to make even a Title Douluo retreat, Aruheng remained unfazed. He chuckled, took a steady step forward, and slightly puffed out his chest, showing no intention of dodging—he was going to once again use his own body to withstand the Amaterasu Arrow!
"boom--!"

The black flame arrow struck Aruheng precisely in the chest, and the enormous impact sent his tall body flying.

Aruheng flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing hard into the protective shield at the edge of the arena with a dull thud.

The protective shield rippled, dissipating the impact, while Aruheng was bounced back to the ground, slamming heavily onto the stone slab and kicking up a cloud of dust.

At the same time, Amaterasu's fire spread like a leech, instantly engulfing the area where Aruheng had fallen. The pitch-black flames burned, and even the air seemed to have been burned black.

Sasuke Uchiha frowned deeply. He had absolute confidence in the power of Amaterasu, but at this moment, his senses clearly told him that although the Amaterasu flames were attached to Aruheng, they could not penetrate his body or cause any substantial damage.

Sure enough, the next second, a muffled sound came from the smoke and dust.

Aruheng easily stood up from the ground by supporting himself with his hands. He patted off non-existent dust from his body, still wearing a hearty smile, as if he hadn't been the one struck by Amaterasu.

"Brother Sasuke, that was a powerful attack!" Aruheng gave Sasuke a thumbs up, revealing a set of bright white teeth, his tone full of praise.

"And your flames are no ordinary thing either—the temperature has reached the level of 'extreme fire,' and they're clinging to the opponent like a bone-deep infection. I reckon these flames can't be extinguished by conventional means, right?"

At this moment, the pitch-black Amaterasu Fire was still burning on Aruheng's golden-red body, the flames contrasting with his golden-red skin, making him look exceptionally eerie.

But he seemed completely oblivious to the presence of the flames, remaining standing there talking eloquently, even calmly analyzing Sasuke's abilities.

“But this flame is useless against you, isn’t it?” Sasuke said coldly, a hint of surprise in his voice.

“Of course, our Body Sect’s highest secret technique is no joke.” Aruheng smiled proudly, then took a deep breath and his body suddenly trembled.

In an instant, a dazzling golden light burst forth from his body. The golden light was warm and pure, like the rising sun, completely enveloping the black flames around him.

A jaw-dropping scene unfolded: the Amaterasu Fire, which had been clinging tightly to him, gradually dimmed under the golden light and eventually disappeared bit by bit—not extinguished, but "absorbed" by the golden light!

The realm achieved after mastering the innate secret techniques has an even more imposing alternative name: the flawless golden body.

Once this level is reached, one will first possess the ability of "negative immunity," meaning that any auxiliary soul skill or poison that applies a negative status effect will be ineffective, truly achieving self-purification and immunity to all poisons.
Secondly, all energy-type control-type soul skills will be ineffective in the face of the flawless golden body, and will not be able to restrain the user in the slightest.

Even more terrifying is that the flawless golden body can actively absorb various energies between heaven and earth, transforming them into its own soul power and blood energy, achieving "unlimited endurance".

Although Aruheng has not yet fully achieved the "flawless golden body," he can still unleash some of his power ahead of time.

Although Amaterasu's fire is powerful, it is essentially still within the category of "energy," and will naturally be restrained by the "energy absorption" characteristic of the flawless golden body.

"Sasuke, brothers, bring out all your tricks!"

Aruheng patted his chest again, his golden-red skin clanging like metal striking metal. "Don't worry, I won't use my battle armor today. I'll show you the true power of our Body Sect!"

In fact, Aru originally intended to reveal this innate secret technique on a more crucial occasion. However, his core objective in this duel was to demonstrate the strength of the Body Sect to Uchiha Sasuke, thereby making him willingly join the sect.

In order to achieve this goal, he deliberately activated this secret technique ahead of schedule.

As for the promise of "not needing battle armor," it was even less important to him: his near-mastery of the innate secret technique had already made his body even harder than a three-word battle armor, and the enhancement that battle armor could bring was already negligible.

"Stop being so arrogant, I'll show you the power of the Uchiha right now!"

Sasuke's voice was as cold as frost; clearly, Aruheng's composure and confidence had completely ignited the fighting spirit within him.

Before he finished speaking, the Mangekyou Sharingan in his eyes suddenly accelerated its rotation, the six-pointed star pattern spinning rapidly in his pupils like a high-speed gear, emitting a heart-palpitating purple halo.

At the same time, among the nine spirit rings surrounding him, the seventh black ten-thousand-year spirit ring suddenly lit up, and brilliant spirit power surged out of the spirit ring like a tide, all flowing into the Susanoo in front of him.

The Susanoo's upper body, which was originally only six meters tall, began to grow rapidly at a visible speed under the infusion of this enormous soul power—its bones cracked and popped as they extended and thickened in all directions.

The entire process took only a few breaths. Susanoo's height soared from six meters to tens of meters, and its body gradually became complete. The missing lower body slowly condensed into shape, and its legs became as thick as pillars supporting the sky, firmly rooted on the arena, causing the entire arena to tremble violently.

"boom!!"

A deafening roar resounded through the heavens and earth, and an even more dazzling purple light burst forth from Susanoo's body, like a purple sun suddenly rising, causing everyone present to subconsciously squint their eyes.

As the light slowly faded, a colossal creature appeared on the arena.

It was a purple-armored giant, a full hundred meters tall, with a head as big as a small mountain, and eyes that gleamed with a scarlet light, like a giant beast from the abyss.

A pair of enormous purple wings unfolded behind him, covered with sharp bone spikes. Each feather was like a sharp blade, and with a gentle flap, they brought up a howling wind that blew away all the dust around the arena.

The giant held a grotesque giant blade in each hand, with faint purple soul energy fluctuations swirling around the blades, as if they could easily sever space.

"Recognize your powerlessness. Before my eyes, which can see through all darkness, all your resistance is futile!"

Sasuke's figure hovered above the head of the complete Susanoo, looking down at Aruheng, who was as insignificant as an ant below. His voice, amplified by the Susanoo's soul power, resounded throughout the entire arena, carrying an arrogant air of looking down on the world.

At this moment, he was like a god who controlled all living beings, while the arena and the audience below became the backdrop for his display of power.

Even more surprisingly, Sasuke's eyes underwent another change at this moment—his right eye still retained the six-pointed star shape, with the six-pointed star pattern slowly rotating on the scarlet background, radiating a sharp light that seemed to see through everything.

However, the left eye has completely changed its appearance. The original six-pointed star has disappeared, replaced by rings of purple circles that spread out like ripples on water. On the outermost ring, there are six small magatama evenly distributed.

"His eyes have changed again... Could it be that he can not only complete the second awakening of his martial soul, but also possess the heaven-defying talent to step into the third awakening? If so, the potential of this Sharingan martial soul is simply terrifying."

Sasuke's change in eyes caught Aruheng's attention, causing the senior disciple of the Body Sect to catch his breath and ponder inwardly.

He had noticed it when Sasuke's eyes turned into a six-pointed star before. But at the time, he only thought that it was the second awakening of Sasuke's original martial soul. But now, seeing the eyes changing again, he subconsciously thought that it was the third awakening.

"However, why is only one eye changing? Is it because this awakening is not yet complete?"

Aruheng felt he had guessed the correct answer, after all, Sasuke's ability to discover his second awakening on his own was enough to demonstrate his talent. But a third awakening would probably have exhausted him, since how could he possibly compare to a sect with tens of thousands of years of history by figuring things out on his own?

Thinking of this, a burning light flashed in Aruheng's eyes, and his fighting spirit and desire to recruit rose up in his heart.

"This time we've really struck gold! No matter what, we must get him to join the Body Sect!" He took a deep breath, and his blood and qi surged involuntarily, forming a faint red halo that was visible to the naked eye.

Immediately, he shouted loudly towards Sasuke in the center of the arena, his voice filled with undeniable enthusiasm: "Brother Sasuke, come on! Today I will definitely show you the true strength of the Body Sect, and make you willingly join us!"

Faced with Aruheng's invitation, Sasuke, the head of Susanoo, slowly lowered his head, his condescending gaze filled with contempt and arrogance.

He opened his mouth, and his cold, arrogant words fell like sharp blades: "Foolish wretch, face reality! What you should be doing is not inviting them, but bowing down to the power of the Uchiha!"

Before the words were finished, the hundred-meter-tall Susanoo suddenly made an astonishing move—it slowly raised its right hand and drew a purple katana that was tens of meters long from its waist.

Immediately afterwards, Susanoo exerted force with its arm, and the katana, with a whistling sound as it tore through the air, slashed down fiercely at Aruheng below!

"boom--!"

The deafening impact was deafening, and the energy, comparable to that of a fixed-position guided missile explosion, instantly swept across the entire area, sending a dark mushroom cloud soaring into the sky.

The energy shield on the arena fluctuated violently, with countless cracks spreading across its surface, as if it would shatter completely at any moment.

Fortunately, the soul-guided array that formed the protective shield had been improved over several generations and ultimately withstood the impact, confining all the damage within the arena.

"Hahaha! How about that? This is the power of the Uchiha! This is the true power of the Sharingan!"

Sasuke watched the rising mushroom cloud, feeling the power feedback from Susanoo, and let out a hearty laugh, his eyes filled with absolute confidence in his own strength.

However, just as the laughter had subsided, a clear voice suddenly came from the center of the explosion, instantly stopping Sasuke's laughter: "Hiss~ That was really powerful! The force of this attack was several times stronger than any Soul Master I had ever encountered before."

As the thick smoke slowly dissipated, Aruheng was seen standing at the epicenter of the explosion, touching his shiny bald head with one hand. His face showed no signs of disarray, and the energy and blood around him remained as intense as a raging fire.

He looked up, grinned at Sasuke, revealing two rows of white teeth: "Brother Sasuke, your Susanoo is really powerful, it really hurts when it hits you!"

It hurts, but that's all it is.

Aruheng has been cultivating the innate secret techniques of the Body Sect since childhood, and has already tempered his body to the extreme, making his pain tolerance far beyond that of ordinary people.

Although Sasuke's attack was incredibly powerful and did break through his blood and qi defenses, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound on his body, it was still far from being a one-hit kill.

More importantly, the innate secret technique endowed him with extremely strong recovery ability—as long as he did not suffer a fatal injury, his internal energy and blood could circulate rapidly to repair the damaged body.

At this moment, the wounds on his body were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the pale red blood energy was constantly nourishing the damaged meridians.

"Hmph! Just being stubborn!" Sasuke's face darkened upon seeing this, and he snorted coldly.

Susanoo then assumed a stance holding two swords, the two giant katanas crossed in its hands, emanating an even more terrifying aura: "I'd like to see how many blows you can withstand from my Susanoo!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three loud bangs rang out in succession as the purple giant wielded his katana with both hands, slashing down at Aruheng like a storm.

Each strike contained earth-shattering power, carving deep trenches into the arena floor, and the energy shield vibrated and trembled, on the verge of collapse.

Aruheng's expression finally changed slightly, and he secretly thought that something was wrong.

If he were to cultivate his innate secret technique to the point of perfection, with the absolute hardness of his physical body and infinite regenerative ability, he would naturally be able to withstand the continuous slashes of Susanoo with ease.

However, his secret technique is not yet perfected. Although his physical strength far exceeds that of other Soul Masters of the same level, it still has its limits. He can withstand five or six consecutive attacks, but if he is attacked continuously like this, his blood and qi will eventually be exhausted, and he will be at the mercy of others.

In the critical moment, Aruheng no longer hesitated, his body suddenly sank down, and his legs bent into a squatting position.

As the movement ended, the entire arena suddenly trembled slightly, and the pebbles on the ground bounced, as if a powerful force was continuously flowing from his body into the earth.

The next instant, Aruheng suddenly sprang up, his blood and qi burning to their peak, and he transformed into a golden-red meteor, moving at incredible speed. He precisely dodged the katana that Susanoo was slashing at and charged straight toward Sasuke's main body.

“Brother Sasuke, although your Susanoo is incredibly powerful, its speed is ultimately its weakness! Moreover, your weakness is too obvious!” Aruheng’s voice rang out amidst the high-speed movement, carrying a hint of certainty.

Before he could finish speaking, his body slammed into the diamond-shaped crystal at the head of Susanoo like a cannonball—the core of Susanoo and the last barrier protecting Sasuke's body.

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out, and the rhombus-shaped crystal shattered. Sasuke, now without protection, was sent flying like a kite with a broken string by the immense impact.

He struggled to circulate his soul power in mid-air to stabilize himself, finally managing to stop just before reaching the energy shield. His face had turned ashen, and a trickle of blood even oozed from the corner of his mouth.

His proud Martial Soul True Body was broken open by Aruheng in such a direct way!

Although Susanoo is incredibly destructive, it is ultimately an energy aggregate, and the defense of its core is far weaker than that of its other parts.

In open terrain, Sasuke could avoid attacks by taking to the air, but the energy shield of the martial arts tournament has height restrictions, making it impossible for him to use aerial tactics. This gave Aruheng an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Aruheng landed steadily on the arena, looking at the pale-faced Sasuke in the distance, a smile appearing on his face: "Brother Sasuke, you flatter me. Now, shouldn't you seriously consider joining the Body Sect?"

"How can it be repaired?"

Sasuke clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm. The pain instantly cleared his muddled mind. He fiercely wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes flashing with unwillingness and stubbornness. "You think you've got this in the bag? Don't underestimate me!"

Before he finished speaking, Sasuke's right hand suddenly lit up, black electricity surging wildly in his palm, the crackling sound like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, carrying a chilling aura of destruction.

This current was not an ordinary fluctuation of soul power, but rather "Yin Chidori," which incorporated the special energy of the Sharingan, making it more penetrating and destructive than the ordinary Chidori.

He stomped his foot on the ground, and his body shot out like an arrow. A sharp beam of black electricity formed in front of him and rushed straight towards Aruheng.

Seeing this, Aruheng's eyes flashed with approval, and then his blood and qi surged again: "Good! You have guts! Then let me see how many more tricks you have up your sleeve!"

……

Meanwhile, the atmosphere on the podium became increasingly delicate due to the fierce battle below the ring.

The Spirit Pagoda Master, Qian Gu Dongfeng, sat upright in his seat, his gaze fixed on the arena, his aged face revealing undisguised apprehension. He gently tapped the table and slowly began to speak:

"It seems that young man named Sasuke is going to lose. The Body Sect's innate secret techniques are indeed well-deserved. That contestant named Aruheng must be the Body Sect's chosen next sect leader."

At this point, Qian Gu Dongfeng seemed to suddenly remember something, and his gaze shifted to Lu Fa, who was sitting quietly beside him. His tone was somewhat probing: "I heard that the Divine Craftsman also cultivated the secret techniques of the Body Sect in his early years. I wonder what your relationship is with contestant Aruheng?"

Lu Fa raised his eyes and glanced at Qian Gu Dong Feng, his voice calm and even: "He is my senior brother."

"I see."

Qian Gu Dongfeng suddenly realized, then stroked his beard, and changed the subject slightly, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm.

"With the master craftsman in charge, a talented successor like Aruheng, and Uchiha Sasuke who is about to join the Body Sect, it seems that the day when the Body Sect will flourish is just around the corner."

His words, seemingly in praise, were actually a test of the degree of connection between Lu Fa and the Body Sect.

After all, the Body Sect is an established power in the Douluo Continent. If it can truly rise, it will inevitably impact the existing power structure. The Spirit Pagoda needs to prepare for this in advance.

However, Lu Fa seemed to see through his thoughts and said calmly, "My intentions are not with the Body Sect. Although Sect Master Mu Ye is my teacher, I have not joined the Body Sect and will not interfere too much in the affairs of the Body Sect in the future."

"I see." After receiving a clear answer, Qian Gu Dongfeng's doubts were slightly relieved, and a hearty smile appeared on his face. He stopped pursuing the topic.

Just then, a languid and charming voice suddenly broke into their conversation, like a warm spring breeze, yet carrying a hint of something elusive: "The Tower Master just said that Uchiha Sasuke will join the Body Sect, but that's not necessarily true."

Following the sound, Qian Gu Dong Feng saw a stunningly beautiful woman resting her chin on her hand, staring intently at the arena below.

The woman, dressed in a long black dress, with skin as white as snow and a nonchalant languor in her eyes, was none other than Fors, the Spirit Messenger of the Spirit Tower.

"It's really weird."

Qian Gu Dongfeng pondered to himself, "Fors clearly had no interest in this martial arts contest for marriage before, and didn't even show up for the first few matches. Why would she suddenly come here? Could it be that she wants to catch up with her old classmate Lufa? Or does she have another purpose?"

Despite having many doubts in his heart, Qian Gu Dongfeng maintained a friendly smile and asked, "Oh? Could it be that Fors, you believe that this battle, which seems to have a clear winner, could be reversed?"

As he spoke, he turned his gaze back to the area below the arena.

At this moment, Sasuke Uchiha's "Yin Chidori" collided with Aruheng's blood barrier—the black electric current, though sharp, could not break through the golden blood barrier, leaving only fine marks on the surface of the barrier.

Having lost his Martial Soul True Body, Sasuke could only engage in close combat with Aruheng. However, his physical strength was far inferior to Aruheng's, who had cultivated the Innate Secret Technique. Every attack he made was like scratching an itch through a boot, unable to break through Aruheng's defenses at all.

Instead, he was unilaterally suppressed by Aruheng's powerful strength, and his figure became increasingly disheveled.

"I think the outcome of this battle is already a foregone conclusion."

Qian Gu Dongfeng withdrew his gaze, his tone carrying a hint of certainty, "Uchiha Sasuke's attacks cannot harm Aruheng. If this continues, it will only deplete his physical and spiritual strength, ultimately leading to defeat."

"Is that so?" Fors raised an eyebrow slightly, a sly glint in her eyes, her tone tinged with provocation. "Then I wonder if the Tower Master dares to make a bet with me?"

"A bet?" A hint of curiosity flashed in Qian Gu Dongfeng's eyes. He hadn't expected Fors to suddenly propose a bet, and he couldn't help but become interested, asking with a smile, "What kind of bet?"

Fors pointed to the arena below, her black skirt swaying gently with her movement, but her tone was firm: "Let's bet on the final outcome between these two. I bet Uchiha Sasuke can defeat Aruheng. I wonder if the Tower Master dares to accept this bet?"

Qian Gu Dongfeng didn't rush to agree, but calmly asked, "Since it's a gamble, there must be a stake. What do you want, Fors?"

Fors gently twirled a strand of hair behind her ear with her slender fingers, her tone still nonchalant, as if she were talking about something trivial:

"The Federation will soon be holding elections for the next Speaker, and my husband, Nan Fusheng, is currently only the Vice Speaker. If I win, I hope the Tower Master can mobilize all the resources of the Spirit Pagoda in the Federation to support him in becoming the next Speaker."

A sudden realization flashed in Qian Gu Dongfeng's eyes, and she thought to herself, "So that's how it is. No wonder she suddenly paid attention to this battle; it turns out she was paving the way for her husband."

As the master of the Spirit Pagoda, he already knew the backgrounds of the core members of the pagoda very well.

Fors may seem indifferent to everything on a daily basis, but she secretly protects her husband, Nan Fusheng, very much.

Nan Fusheng's talent and ability are not outstanding among the federal high-level officials. The fact that he was able to sit in the position of vice speaker is undoubtedly due to the secret support of Fors using the resources of the Spirit Pagoda.

Qian Gu Dongfeng had long been aware of this, but firstly, Fors had his elder brother backing her up, and secondly, she acted with discretion and never caused any substantial damage to the Spirit Pagoda, so he had always turned a blind eye.

Now that Fors has taken the initiative to make this request, it is clear that he wants to use this bet to legitimately gain the support of the Spirit Pagoda, adding an important weight to Nan Fusheng's path to becoming the Speaker.

"can."

After a moment's thought, Qian Gu Dongfeng chuckled and agreed—supporting Nan Fusheng was not a bad thing for the Spirit Pagoda. If he could do Fors a favor through this, he might reap even greater rewards in the future.

But then he changed the subject, turning his gaze back to Fors, "However, if you lose, what stakes do you have to offer?"

"A set of four-character battle armor." Without thinking, Forl blurted out, then pointed to Lu Fa beside him, his tone as natural as if he were saying "Lend me a pen," "I lost, you can just ask him for it."

"Huh?" Qian Gu Dongfeng was stunned. His smile froze, and he subconsciously turned his gaze to Lu Fa.

The Four-Word Battle Armor is the Federation's most advanced equipment. Even in the Spirit Pagoda, only a few core members and high-ranking members can possess it. As the Federation's only master craftsman, Lu Fa's Four-Word Battle Armor, which he personally crafted, is priceless and can be called a rare treasure.

Fors actually pushed Lufa out as the "bet," which makes their relationship seem rather unusual.

Not only Qian Gu Dongfeng, but also several high-ranking federal officials who were watching the conversation showed surprise, their eyes scanning back and forth between Fors and Lufa, their hearts filled with doubt.

Just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, Lu Fa slowly raised his head, calmly met Qian Gu Dong Feng's gaze, and uttered two words: "Okay."

Qian Gu Dongfeng was completely dumbfounded—was the master craftsman really that good-tempered? Even if Fors was his old classmate, he shouldn't be so indulgent, right?
The value of a set of four-word battle armor is enough to drive any force crazy, yet Lu Fa agreed so readily. The relationship between these two is probably far more than just "old classmates".

Surprised as he was, Qian Gu Dong Feng had no reason to refuse a set of four-character battle armor personally crafted by a master craftsman.

He suppressed his doubts and nodded hastily, afraid that Lu Fa would go back on his word: "Alright! The bet is settled! I want to see how this battle will ultimately unfold."

Seeing this, Fors smiled with satisfaction. She turned to look at Dean Dang Hongchen of the Red Dust Academy on the other side and said in an inviting tone, "I wonder if Dean Dang Hongchen would be interested in participating in this bet? More people means more fun."

Dang Hongchen quickly waved his hand, a helpless smile on his face: "Forget it, I'm too old to handle this kind of trouble." Although the Hongchen family did indeed have considerable influence in the Federation, he didn't want to get involved in this kind of thing.

"let it go."

Fors didn't force him, and hummed a tuneless little melody, turning his gaze back to the arena below, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Seeing this, the others on the platform also turned their attention to the ring.

Everyone originally thought that the battle was over, but Fors's bet with Qian Gu Dongfeng and Lu Fa's straightforward acceptance aroused everyone's curiosity.

Could it be that Sasuke Uchiha, who seemed to be suppressed, really had a hidden plan that could lead to a stunning comeback?

(End of this chapter)