Picking Up Attributes In Martial World

Chapter 208: Worthy Battle

Yuan Chen was actually surprised to see him accepting the challenge so readily.

He knew for a fact that Ye Jun had only recently ascended to the Soul Tempering Realm, whereas he himself was already a consolidated Early-Stage Origin Realm cultivator. That was a full major realm higher than Ye Jun. The disparity in raw Qi volume and density alone was supposed to be an insurmountable wall.

In fact, Yuan Chen had already been prepared to propose certain limitations or match restrictions the moment Ye Jun offered any form of hesitation or rejection. It was only fair.

Still, seeing the calm, unbothered expression on the southern youth’s face, Yuan Chen chose to remain silent about any handicaps. If his opponent was truly this confident, then he would simply fight him on equal terms. If it turned out to be nothing more than standard, baseless arrogance, then the upcoming duel would lay that reality bare before the entire city anyway.

The people surrounding the grand plaza quickly caught wind of the situation, their interest flaring instantly as the words echoed across the white-marble streets.

Among the gathering crowd, a few figures remained completely stationary, their gazes incredibly sharp and calculated. These were the hidden spies of various distant clans and external organizations that had been secretly gathering within Everfrost City over the past few days.

They had traveled from all over the world, dispatched by old masters who were desperate to gauge the true presence of the legendary variable who had triggered the Nine Purple Tribulations.

A public duel was the absolute perfect opportunity to map his parameters.

They smoothly navigated through the main thoroughfares, moving toward the center of the Central Plaza where a massive, reinforced arena stood.

The platform was explicitly carved from thick, black ironstone blocks, specifically reinforced with ancient defensive array nodes to handle high-tier martial impacts. Duels and public challenges were deeply rooted in the North’s traditions, a fundamental aspect of their culture to settle disputes or measure capability without hidden plots.

Thousands of ordinary citizens, shopkeepers, and low-tier cultivators rapidly swarmed around the perimeter of the arena, their faces filled with pure excitement. They were eager to get a direct view of the North’s newest Son-in-law and witness his actual prowess in a real fight.

By now, almost every living soul in Everfrost Capital knew about the legendary breakthrough, and they wanted to see if the prodigy could actually back up the rumors with his fists.

Before Ye Jun could step onto the ironstone steps of the arena, Song Liangxue stepped in front of him, stopping his stride.

Without saying a single word, she lifted her right hand, using her sharp thumbnail to make a small, precise cut along her left thumb. A single droplet of rich, vibrant crimson blood welled up.

Moving with deliberate slowness, she firmly rubbed her blood across Ye Jun’s bare wrists, staining his skin.

"This is how the women of the Northern clans send their partners to battles," Song Liangxue said, her voice quiet but filled with an unyielding weight as she looked up into his eyes.

Ye Jun smiled, feeling the subtle, warm resonance of her trust settling into his pulse.

He gave her a confident nod.

"I won’t let it stain the snow for nothing."

He walked up the stone steps, stepping onto the wide, circular arena.

Facing Yuan Chen, Ye Jun calmly clasped his hands together in a standard warrior’s salute, introducing himself clearly.

"Ye Jun. Soul Tempering Realm."

Yuan Chen mirrored the gesture, his posture straightening instantly as his Origin Realm aura began to ripple through the air.

"Yuan Chen of the Iron-Gale Clan. Early Origin Realm."

Just as their words faded, a blur of motion flickered at the edge of the platform.

Song Ying appeared out of nowhere, her expression cool and efficient as she stood near the primary boundary line. She didn’t say anything, but her presence signaled that she would act as the official referee to monitor the spatial array nodes and ensure no lethal mishaps occurred.

The moment Song Ying raised her hand, the battle erupted.

Yuan Chen didn’t hold back a single shred of his power.

He knew his opponent was a monster who had survived the purple lightning, so treating him like a standard lower-realm cultivator would be absolute suicide.

His thick, broad frame suddenly blurred, but instead of the expected frost or ice elements common to the northern wastes, his Qi exploded with an entirely bizarre, heavy gray resonance.

Gravitational Core: Devouring Maw!

The air around Ye Jun instantly grew ten times heavier, the raw atmospheric pressure slamming down onto his shoulders like a collapsing mountain.

Yuan Chen’s clan possessed a rare genetic affinity for force manipulation and kinetic weight rather than typical elements.

With a heavy roar, Yuan Chen closed the distance in a single bound, his massive broadsword cutting through the compressed air in a devastating horizontal sweep.

Ye Jun’s breath hitched slightly as the sudden pressure caught him off guard.

The sheer density of an Origin Realm master’s Qi was far more oppressive than anything he had faced during his days in the southern regions.

Yuan Chen was, without a doubt, the most powerful and technically refined opponent Ye Jun had faced in this life so far.

He struggled heavily at the very start, his movements sluggish as the gray gravity field actively dragged his boots against the black ironstone.

The broadsword blade whistled inches away from his throat, the pressurized shockwave leaving a thin, red line across his collarbone.

’Fucking hell, his density is on a different level,’ Ye Jun’s inner focus calculated rapidly as he twisted his frame to avoid a follow-up strike.

But as the initial surprise faded, his terrifying, survival-honed adaptation kicked in.

His broad frame locked into place, and he began to get back on track.

Circulating his internal reserves at maximum velocity, he unleashed his Qi-Tempered Physique to its absolute limit, his bones and muscles absorbing the kinetic gravity shockwaves cleanly.

At the same time, a brilliant, roaring heat exploded from his meridians.

Crimson Flame Lotus Art: Bursting Petals!

Vibrant, deep red flames erupted from his palms, clashing violently against the gray gravity field.

Utilizing his Nascent Sword Intent, Ye Jun didn’t even draw his Ember Sword; instead, he channeled the sharp, invisible intent directly through his bare fingers, weaving it seamlessly into his basic sword arts.

The invisible blades of intent sliced through the heavy air, forcibly carving paths through Yuan Chen’s forcefields.

The battle quickly turned into an epic, high-speed spectacle.

The black ironstone ring vibrated continuously under the sheer impact of their exchanges, gray shockwaves and crimson fire tearing across the platform in beautiful, destructive waves.

Ye Jun felt a surge of pure, unadulterated joy washing over him.

He was genuinely enjoying the battle, his combat instincts sharpening with every single block and parry.

But while he was fighting on equal terms, hissystem was actively working in the background.

[Force Manipulation +14]

[Kinetic Weight Comprehension +18]

[Origin Realm Vector Control +11]

Translucent attribute bubbles continuously detached from Yuan Chen’s movements, flowing smoothly into Ye Jun’s frame with every heavy clash.

His comprehension of Yuan Chen’s specific technique parameters was stacking at an absurd rate.

Once he felt the database was completely full, Ye Jun’s lips twitched into his signature bold grin.

He shifted his stance, his fingers mimicking the exact, complex vector patterns Yuan Chen had used to compress the gravity field.

He thrust his hand forward, intending to turn a perfectly mirrored variant of the gray force field right back against its creator.

However, Yuan Chen’s eyes flared with sudden anticipation.

Instead of rushing forward into the trap, the noble youth instantly pulled his broadsword back into a defensive loop, shifting his weight a fraction of a second before the mirrored kinetic strike could launch.

"I’ve done my research!" Yuan Chen shouted, a confident smile breaking through his sweat-drenched face as he deflected the residual shockwave. "The rumors from the southern valleys said you possess a strange, divine ability to perfectly copy and map an opponent’s arts mid-fight. Did you truly think I would walk blindly into my own technique?"

Ye Jun was slightly surprised, but his confidence didn’t waver for a single breath.

’Noice. The kid actually did his homework,’ he thought, his admiration for the blunt northern tactician rising even higher.

The battle continued to rage for another dozen exchanges, both of them pushed to their absolute limits as the arena’s defensive runes flashed wildly.

Yuan Chen’s execution was near flawless, his heavy broadsword maintaining a perfect, suffocating rhythm.

But the continuous stress of fighting a freak who could absorb attributes mid-combat eventually took its toll.

During a high-speed transition to execute a final gravity slam, Yuan Chen’s left heel caught a minor, unpolished groove on the ironstone floor, a micro-mishap in his stance vector that altered his balance by a single millimeter.

To any ordinary cultivator, the mistake was completely invisible.

But to Ye Jun, whose perception had been enhanced by Soul Sense, the gap was as wide as the palace gates.

Moving with fluid, lightning precision, Ye Jun bypassed the heavy broadsword entirely.

His body slipped beneath the gray guard line, his palm striking Yuan Chen’s chest directly over his central meridian node before the gravity field could manifest.

He didn’t use lethal force, he simply unleashed a sharp burst of his Yang Circulation to temporarily disrupt the flow of Yuan’s internal energy.

The gray forcefield vanished instantly.

Yuan Chen stumbled back five paces, his breath leaving his lungs in a sudden gasp as he hit the stone floor, his broadsword clattering beside him.

The arena fell into an absolute, breathless silence.

Ye Jun stood at the center of the ring, his breathing completely steady as he casually smoothed down his robes.

He didn’t gloat or posture.

Instead, he walked over to the fallen youth, extending his right hand down with a genuine, friendly smile.

"Get up," Ye Jun said, his voice casual as he firmly pulled Yuan Chen back to his feet. "I really enjoyed that battle. Your force manipulation is straight-up broken."

Yuan Chen stared at him for a moment, rubbing his numb chest.

A self-deprecating but thoroughly satisfied smile broke across his face.

"I truly didn’t expect that I would actually lose to a Soul Tempering Realm cultivator. The Purple Tribulation produces real monsters."

He stepped back, smoothed his fox-fur cloak, and rendered a deep, completely flawless warrior’s bow from the waist, his voice carrying effortlessly across the entire plaza.

"Yuan Chen of the Iron-Gale Clan acknowledges the prowess of Senior Ye. Welcome to the North, Lord Son-in-law!"

The four noble youths outside the ring instantly dropped into identical bows, their faces filled with absolute respect.

Within the next heartbeat, the surrounding crowd erupted into a massive, deafening cheer.

Thousands of northmen slammed their fists against their leather chest plates, their deep voices merging into a thunderous roar that shook the very foundations of the Central Plaza, completely accepting the southern youth into their capital.