Gently patting Xuner’s head, Xiao Yan slowly turned around, the gloom on his face rapidly disappearing. He looked at Fu Ao opposite him and said softly, “Shall we begin?”
“Heh, you’ve got guts…”
Seeing that Xiao Yan really dared to accept the challenge, Fu Ao couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. He then chuckled, “Alright, let me see for myself today if the leader of the newcomers, whose reputation is soaring within the Inner Academy, is as powerful as the rumors suggest.”
As a great battle was about to unfold, the surrounding spectators hastily stepped back. They had heard many tales about Xiao Yan, and now they were eager to witness it with their own eyes.
“I wonder if Xiao Yan can truly stand up to Fu Ao. If not, he’ll be losing face in a big way,” someone murmured.
“Heh, I heard that Fu Ao advanced to the level of a Three-Star Dou Spirit a month ago. Although Xiao Yan could defeat Luo Hou, facing Fu Ao would still be a tough fight,” another commented.
“If he loses carelessly to Fu Ao, not only will he lose face, but he might also lose his woman… That would be quite a spectacle.”
Xiao Yan ignored the whispers around him and slowly stepped forward. His hands swiftly formed some peculiar hand seals. As the seals formed, tendrils of emerald flames surged out from within his Qi Vortex, racing along a strange and eerie path.
When the emerald flames completed their circuit, they began to boil, emitting surges of violent energy that infiltrated every corner of Xiao Yan’s body.
“Heavenly Fire Tri-Transform: Emerald Lotus Transformation!”
“Boom!”
The hand seal suddenly froze, and a robust emerald flame burst out from Xiao Yan’s body, enveloping him in a green inferno. The flames flared for a moment before quickly retracting back into his body. As the flames returned, everyone noticed that Xiao Yan’s aura was rapidly climbing, nearing the level of a Dou Spirit!
“So, you’re forcibly boosting your strength. No wonder you could defeat Luo Hou. But this method is ultimately inferior; it can’t last long and will cause significant harm to your body. Xiao Yan, is this your trump card?” Fu Ao, seeing Xiao Yan’s sudden increase in strength, was taken aback and then sneered coldly.
Ignoring Fu Ao’s sneer, Xiao Yan remained silent. Grasping the heavy ruler beside him, he turned to Wu Hao and said, “Keep an eye on Bai Shan and the others.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle that scum.”
Wu Hao nodded, hesitating slightly before saying in a low voice, “Be careful. This Fu Ao is stronger than Luo Hou.”
“Mm.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Fu Ao, who was smirking across from him. He slowly lifted his foot, then brought it crashing down. A blast of energy erupted beneath his foot, and Xiao Yan’s body transformed into a black shadow, rushing straight at Fu Ao.
“Hmph, today, I’ll show you what a true Dou Spirit is! These side techniques are not the right path!”
In his vision, the black shadow rapidly enlarged. Fu Ao let out a cold snort and grasped his hand. A blue light flickered, and a blue trident nearly half a zhang long appeared in his grip. Holding the trident, Fu Ao charged at the black shadow, the tip of the trident glowing with a deep blue light, leaving a trail of faint blue as it moved.
“Clang!”
The black shadow suddenly halted, and a massive black ruler swung down, colliding heavily with the trident. The sound of metal clashing and sparks flying erupted in the arena.
“Not bad, you’ve got some strength.”
Fu Ao’s body shook slightly, and he took a half step back, chuckling in amazement at Xiao Yan, who had also retreated a step. Fu Ao then pressed forward, his trident swirling like a vicious shark in a sea of azure Dou Qi, emitting a chilling and sinister aura.
Xiao Yan’s face tightened as he watched the trident’s attack. His arm trembled slightly, and without retreating, he raised his ruler again to meet Fu Ao.
In the arena, the azure Dou Qi and emerald flames each occupied half the sky. Where they met, faint white mist rose continuously. In the mist, two elusive figures darted and weaved, their speed so fast that the surrounding crowd could only hear the sounds of the ruler and trident clashing and see the occasional burst of sparks.
The collision of the formidable Dou Qi in the arena produced a massive explosion of energy. The waves of energy rippling out forced the crowd to keep retreating.
“Can Xiao Yan win against that guy?” Amber stared intently at the figures flashing through the white mist, her hand gripping tightly. She asked quietly to Xuner and Wu Hao.
“I don’t know… it’s still too early to tell,” Wu Hao shook his head and said gravely.
“Boom!”
Just as Wu Hao finished speaking, a deafening explosion rang out from the white mist. Two figures shot out in opposite directions, skidding several meters before stopping.
“Heh, good, you do have some skills, no wonder you’re so arrogant.”
Fu Ao’s trident slammed into the ground, and he panted heavily, sneering.
Xiao Yan’s heavy ruler embedded itself in the ground, and his breathing was also labored. After using the Heavenly Fire Tri-Transform to boost his strength, he could now hold his own against Fu Ao, even surpassing him in strength. However, this boost was temporary, and once the effect of the Emerald Lotus Transformation wore off, he would be hard-pressed to continue fighting Fu Ao.
Fu Ao saw this weakness clearly and sneered. His trident suddenly vibrated, and the blue Dou Qi on it intensified. As the Dou Qi grew, Fu Ao’s face turned an eerie blue.
Feeling the rapidly concentrating Dou Qi on Fu Ao’s trident, Xiao Yan’s face changed slightly. He could sense the immense power of Fu Ao’s next strike.
“Let’s end this in one move!”
Spinning the trident, Fu Ao pointed its tip at Xiao Yan and grinned. He then kicked off the ground, transforming into a blue blur, while the trident’s Dou Qi roiled and eventually formed an energy shark made entirely of Dou Qi.
The blue energy shark’s mouth gaped wide, its sharp teeth reflecting a cold, deadly glow. There was no doubt that a bite would be fatal.
Condensing Dou Qi into physical forms was a mark of a Dou Spirit, much like a Dou Shi’s Dou Qi cloak or a Great Dou Shi’s Dou Qi armor. When used with a Dou Technique, such condensation had a devastating effect.
The energy shark, over a zhang long, charged at Xiao Yan. Through the slightly transparent shark, one could see the razor-sharp trident inside its belly.
Xiao Yan’s eyes locked onto the rapidly approaching shark, his expression becoming more serious. The fishy wind made his face even graver. His arm trembled, and emerald flames coursed through his veins, enveloping the black ruler.
With the ruler fully covered, Xiao Yan gripped the handle tightly and raised it above his head. His Dou Qi was now operating at its maximum!
“Break!”
Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed, and a thunderous roar erupted from his throat. The ruler, enveloped in thick emerald flames, swung down with the force to split a mountain!
As the ruler descended, the space around it seemed to warp. The intense heat evaporated all the water on the ground!
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the ruler, surrounded by emerald flames, collided heavily with the Dou Qi shark.
“Boom!”
The impact produced a muffled explosion. Water vapor spewed from the point of contact, and waves of water mixed with emerald flames rippled out in all directions, washing away any debris on the ground.
In the mist, Fu Ao glared at the trident held back by the ruler. The emerald flames not only failed to be extinguished by the energy shark but instead instantly vaporized the shark upon contact, a situation Fu Ao had not anticipated.
Clutching the trident tightly, Fu Ao’s arms shook. The force from the ruler was so strong that it made him feel a chill.
Xiao Yan’s face was flushed red, a sign of exertion. Staring at Fu Ao, who was only two feet away, a cold smile appeared on his lips.
Xiao Yan’s throat rolled, and a strange sound began to form in his mouth. As the sound grew, his cheeks bulged, and then he threw his head back and opened his mouth wide.
“Roar!”
As Xiao Yan’s mouth opened, a lion’s roar, like thunder, exploded outward, causing the onlookers to cover their ears, which were ringing painfully.
The onlookers felt the pain in their eardrums, but Fu Ao, only two feet away from Xiao Yan, suffered a severe blow!
Although Fu Ao sensed something was wrong, he didn’t immediately retreat. Therefore, Xiao Yan’s “Lion and Tiger Shatter Gold Roar” hit him full force.
His arms trembled violently, and blood seeped from his ears. His mind was in chaos, as if a thousand bells were ringing.
While Fu Ao was dazed by the roar, Xiao Yan released the ruler and spun, appearing like a specter at Fu Ao’s left. His face cold, he punched with a sharp, tearing sound, and under the horrified gazes of the onlookers, he struck Fu Ao’s face.
“Bang!”
Flesh met fist, and a dull thud made the onlookers’ hearts skip a beat. Fu Ao, like a kite with a broken string, flipped several times in mid-air before crashing to the ground dozens of meters away, unconscious.
As Fu Ao’s body hit the ground, the surroundings fell dead silent.
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