Eyes fixed intently on the azure flames rising from Xiao Yan’s palm, in that instant, Sha Tie distinctly felt the temperature in the woods rise significantly. His face took on a grave expression as he looked at Xiao Yan with some astonishment and asked, “Are you an Alchemist?”
On the Dou Qi continent, there were only two possible ways to summon a substantial flame. One was when an Alchemist obtained a flame seed from various fire-type magical beasts or from the world itself and then refined it for personal use. The other way was through a powerful individual who cultivated fire-attribute Dou Qi, but to condense Dou Qi into a substantial flame, one would need to be at least a Dou Wang level. Of course, there were exceptions. Some people who practiced fire-attribute Dou Qi but were not Alchemists managed to obtain special flames through sheer luck, though the requirements for their strength were quite stringent. Seeing Xiao Yan now, it was clear that he did not meet the latter’s requirements, so Sha Tie instantly opted for the first possibility.
In response to Sha Tie’s surprised question, Xiao Yan did not answer. The azure flames spread upwards from his palms, swiftly enveloping both of his arms. He raised his head slightly, and green flames occasionally flickered in his dark eyes.
“Boom!”
With another thunderous step, the only sound was a crisp thud. Xiao Yan transformed into a pale-green shadow, bringing with him a blazing heat, charging straight at Sha Tie.
The intense heat rushing towards him made Sha Tie frown. Although he did not know what type of flame Xiao Yan had summoned, the gradually rising temperature around him allowed him to vaguely guess that this flame’s power would definitely not be weak.
Standing firmly like an iron tower, Sha Tie did not choose to dodge. The fighting style Dou Qi had granted him great offensive and defensive power, but it had also taken away his agility. He knew that even if he tried to evade, he would never be able to escape Xiao Yan’s attack. There was no point in making such a futile effort, which would only expose his weaknesses.
As the scorching aura grew closer, a fierce roar erupted from Sha Tie. A surge of dark-golden Dou Qi burst out from his body, and a brilliant golden light flashed, giving rise to a full-body dark-gold Dou Qi armor that covered every part of Sha Tie. From a distance, he looked like a man made of metal.
After the Dou Qi armor appeared, the scorching aura diminished somewhat. Slowly clenching his metallic-like massive fists, Sha Tie launched a straightforward and unadorned punch, containing no fancy moves or techniques.
Although Sha Tie’s punches lacked any particular form, the terrifying power they contained completely enveloped the space around Xiao Yan. At this moment, pure brute force encompassed everything.
Xiao Yan’s face was taut, as the Dou Crystal within his Qi whorl continuously trembled, expelling wave after wave of powerful Dou Qi. It quickly flowed through his meridians, bringing him a bountiful supply of fighting power.
Azure flames rapidly circled around his fist before he suddenly struck out, colliding squarely with Sha Tie’s fist. Instantly, a wave of force radiated from the center, causing several nearby trees to crack and sway precariously.
The fierce force transmitted from the punch forced Xiao Yan to take a couple of steps back. In contrast, Sha Tie merely shook his body slightly. Clearly, in terms of pure physical strength, Xiao Yan was still somewhat inferior to Sha Tie.
Despite Xiao Yan being pushed back a few steps, Sha Tie was not entirely unaffected either. The azure flames on Xiao Yan’s fists had caused him considerable trouble. If it were not for the Dou Qi armor’s protection, his fist might have swollen to several times its size from the scorching. Even so, his fists still burned with a lingering pain.
A glance at the azure flames in Xiao Yan’s hand brought a hint of shock to Sha Tie. He had seen Alchemists’ flames before and had even fought against Alchemy students in the arena. However, the flames summoned by those students could never penetrate the Dou Qi armor and cause any damage. Yet, the strange azure flame in Xiao Yan’s hand possessed such a terrifying effect, which made Sha Tie feel a sense of seriousness.
While Sha Tie’s thoughts raced, Xiao Yan charged again, but this time, he abandoned the direct confrontation and relied on his agility. Like a ghost, he darted around Sha Tie, occasionally unleashing azure-flame-filled punches, creating a metallic clang in the open forest.
To Xiao Yan’s relentless attacks, Sha Tie did not react much. He avoided them when he could and, when he couldn’t, he braced himself. Occasionally, he would swing his heavy fists, and the increasing weight of the power made Xiao Yan have to dodge.
As the battle between Xiao Yan and Sha Tie intensified, the other areas of the battlefield also reached a fever pitch.
Perhaps due to the earlier battle, Hu Jia and Wu Hao, after about six or seven minutes of fighting, saw their Dou Qi begin to wane. Hu Jia was a bit better off, but Wu Hao’s weakened Dou Qi led to a significant drop in his strength, speed, and evasion. He was now almost completely at a disadvantage against the “Black Demon Squad” member.
If it weren’t for Wu Hao’s overly aggressive attacks, which concerned the “Black Demon Squad” member, Wu Hao’s fight would have been even more difficult.
Compared to the two struggling here, Xun Er was in the complete opposite situation. Her palms emitted bursts of golden light, and her figure was as ethereal as a wisp of smoke. Her attack speed was so fast that she left residual images. Perhaps because she knew Wu Hao and Hu Jia wouldn’t last long, she no longer held back. Occasionally using powerful Dou Techniques, she often put her opponent in peril. If it weren’t for his combat experience, the unlucky “Black Demon Squad” member would have been the first to fall.
Beyond these three battle zones, there was another chaotic zone where fifteen freshmen fought against the last “Black Demon Squad” member. Despite the freshmen’s numerical advantage, all five of them were injured to varying degrees from the previous battles with Su Xiao’s three teams. Now, facing a formidable opponent who was at the level of a five-star Da Dou Shi, victory was impossible.
Therefore, in less than ten minutes, five of the freshmen were knocked out of the battle. The remaining ten could only barely hold on through teamwork, but their coordination was clearly lacking. Every two or three minutes, the opponent found a weakness, and they would be temporarily incapacitated.
Across the entire clearing, in the five battle zones, Hu Jia, Wu Hao, and the freshmen were in a disadvantageous position. Xiao Yan, with his abnormal flame, could hold his own against Sha Tie, but without a decisive move, victory was out of reach. Only Xun Er’s zone had the upper hand.
The key to the battlefield now lay in which side could get the first person free to help. If someone could defeat their opponent just half a minute earlier, the tide of battle might quickly turn in their favor!
Almost everyone, including the non-participating freshmen, understood this. Therefore, their gazes were fixed on Wu Hao and Xun Er’s battle zones, as these would be the first to determine either victory or defeat.
The bloody Dou Qi enveloping Wu Hao’s body grew dimmer, indicating that his Dou Qi was nearly depleted. His earlier battle with Xiu Yan had already drained him, and now, with this high-intensity fight, even after taking a restorative pill from Xiao Yan, he was starting to struggle.
He swung his heavy sword at his opponent, but the force was easily dodged. In a flash, the “Black Demon Squad” member appeared on Wu Hao’s left, striking his wrist with a sharp hand slash. The blood-colored heavy sword fell from Wu Hao’s grasp. The “Black Demon Squad” member sneered, and his hands enveloped in Dou Qi, he slammed them into Wu Hao’s chest. With the force behind the blow, if it hit, Wu Hao would likely be the first to fall.
As the crowd watched anxiously, the fist came closer to Wu Hao. Just as it was about to land, Wu Hao, whose face was slightly gray, suddenly opened his eyes. Blood trickled from his nose, and a thick killing intent surged from his body like a last-ditch effort. A low growl rumbled in his throat, and the dull blood-colored Dou Qi in his hands turned crimson again. Clenching his fists, he unleashed a furious counterattack.
“Bang!”
The two fists collided, and the dull sound reverberated. Wu Hao’s shoulders shook violently, while the “Black Demon Squad” member let out a muffled groan. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth as he retreated several steps, steadying himself. Looking up, he gazed at Wu Hao, whose face had turned much paler, filled with a mix of shock and anger. Clearly, Wu Hao had used some kind of secret technique to expend his last reserves of power in that moment.
However, judging from Wu Hao’s appearance, it seemed that he could not use this technique again.
“Hmph!”
The “Black Demon Squad” member, seeing Wu Hao’s weakening state, let out a cold snort, suppressing his injuries, and turned into a black shadow, once again shooting toward Wu Hao.
Just as he was about to close the gap to within five meters, a black shadow suddenly appeared, startling the “Black Demon Squad” member. He paused, then quickly retreated two steps.
As he backed away, the black shadow heavily crashed to the ground. Glancing over, the “Black Demon Squad” member’s expression changed. This black shadow was the person who had been fighting Xun Er earlier.
A wave of alarm swept through him, and he quickly looked up, only to see a green-robed girl standing indifferently beside Wu Hao. The golden light swirling in her palm made his eyes ache slightly.
“Damn…”
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