The blue-robed youth appearing before Xiao Yan had his hair loosely draped, a lazy expression on his face. His build was tall and straight, not as dashing as Baisan, but still approachable. His harmless appearance made people feel at ease, no wonder Xiao Yu, with her personality, was easily fooled by him during their first meeting.
“Are you Xiao Yan? The cousin of Yu’er?” While Xiao Yan scrutinized the blue-robed youth, the latter smiled and asked.
“Uh-huh.” Seeing that this person didn’t show the same expression as Baisan, Xiao Yan slightly nodded in response.
“Hehe, family is family. Don’t worry, Brother Xiao Yan. When the competition starts, I’ll hold back and won’t hurt you. If I do, Yu’er will be mad at me, and I’d be in big trouble,” seeing Xiao Yan nod, Lu Mu chuckled and spoke warmly.
“Uh…” Xiao Yan was speechless. This guy was truly a natural socialite! To be so familiar during their first meeting, it was truly a talent.
“If so, thank you, Senior Lu Mu. However, I’m also very interested in ranking in the top five. Will Senior Lu Mu still go easy on me?” Xiao Yan smiled lightly.
“Cough… Brother Xiao Yan, one must be down-to-earth. Don’t aim too high; even I’m not confident about the top five. Although you defeated Xue Beng, he was only middle-tier in the selection matches,” Lu Mu’s face turned red, and he coughed, smiling awkwardly.
Seeing Lu Mu’s straightforwardness, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but smile. This guy was indeed honest, unlike the cold-hearted Baisan.
“Begin!” At the judge’s seat, a middle-aged man waved his hand and announced loudly.
“Senior Lu Mu, defeat Xiao Yan!”
“Let him know the power of the Canan Academy!”
“…”
As soon as the middle-aged judge’s voice faded, cheering sounds erupted from the stands. Most of the voices were from male students. Interestingly, the fierce reaction of the male students seemed to make some sympathetic female students unhappy. After all, Xiao Yan’s performance yesterday was quite shocking, and his good looks, with his slender figure and handsome face, had attracted the attention of many girls.
Not long after the shouts to defeat Xiao Yan, clear and uniform cheers from the girls began, supporting Xiao Yan instead.
“Heh, it seems Xiao Yan is quite popular with the girls! He’s only been here for a day, and already there are people cheering for him,” listening to the supportive shouts, Mentor Rulin covered her mouth and laughed.
Beside her, Xun’er also smiled and nodded.
“Xiao Yan, beat that medicine pot!” Blushing from the two waves of cheers, Xiao Yu suddenly cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted loudly.
Hearing the persistent cheering, Xiao Yan shook his head speechlessly, looking up at Lu Mu across the field. Shrugging his shoulders, he slowly grasped the hilt of the Heavy Scale on his back. With a “shish” sound, the heavy scale cut through the air, pointing diagonally at the ground. A green Dou Qi slowly rose from his body, enveloping him in a powerful aura.
“Senior Lu Mu, please!” Feeling the powerful aura rising from Xiao Yan, Lu Mu was stunned. The lazy expression on his face gradually disappeared. The light from the ring on his finger flickered, and an iron sword flashed out. Tipping the sword towards Xiao Yan, he said seriously, “From the look of Brother Xiao Yan’s aura, he must have advanced to the Great Dou Shi level! No wonder he could defeat Xue Beng; his cultivation talent is truly outstanding.”
“I’m also very interested in the top five, so I can’t let you win. Therefore, I must use my full strength!” As Lu Mu finished speaking, a strong and formidable aura, almost matching Xiao Yan’s, surged from his body, turning into a fiery red, enveloping him like a blazing flame.
At this moment, the two of them completely shut out the noise from the outside world, focusing their minds and exchanging glances. The Dou Qi covering their bodies pulsed like breathing, expanding and contracting.
Both remained silent, and a tense atmosphere filled the arena as a gentle breeze blew past. The surrounding stands also quieted down, sensing the impending clash.
In the square, the two opposing auras suddenly coalesced, and in an instant, everyone felt their vision blur. Two shadows shot out, and a sharp ringing of metal and sparks erupted from the center of the arena.
Most people in the stands could only see the vague black and blue figures and the whistling of the heavy scale. Then, they saw the cracks in the stone slabs caused by the collision of Dou Qi. Even though they couldn’t see the exact combat, the nearly equal auras suggested the intensity of the battle.
Xiao Yan swung the heavy scale with great force, using its wide blade. Each swing created a powerful wind, and sometimes, when the Dou Qi was fully charged, the floor would crack under the force, showing the terrifying power behind each swing.
In contrast, Lu Mu’s iron sword was like a cunning, soft snake, never touching the heavy scale. Occasionally, if contact was made, it would retreat immediately, never giving the heavy scale a chance to transfer its force.
Shadows flashed in the arena, and Dou Qi clashed. Occasionally, streams of Dou Qi burst from their palms, colliding and sending ripples of energy that swept the debris clean off the square.
“This guy has such a tight defense. Even with my speed, I can’t touch him,” Lu Mu thought. Striking like lightning, a series of afterimages of the red Dou Qi appeared, but the huge scale would always shift in an instant, effortlessly blocking the dozen afterimages.
As the battle continued, Lu Mu’s laziness gradually vanished. Now, his face was entirely serious. Xiao Yan’s display of strength was enough to make him cautious.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Mu took a small step back, then leaned forward. The red Dou Qi on his body rushed into the iron sword, transforming it into a flaming sword in an instant.
As the sword changed, a flush spread across Lu Mu’s face. His arm shook, and a crisp sound came from his joints. The fire sword stabbed out, its heat cutting through the air, leaving a faint, scorched smell.
Noticing the change in Lu Mu’s sword, Xiao Yan’s eyes sharpened. Gripping the heavy scale, he shouted, and the scale moved like a black wall, standing in front of him.
“Ding!” The red sword struck the black scale, and with a crisp ring, the tip of the sword suddenly veered, slipping out of the range of the black scale, slicing upwards with a scorching cold gleam, aiming for Xiao Yan’s hand gripping the scale.
Stunned by the sudden flexibility of the sword, Xiao Yan quickly released the scale and lunged forward. As his hand left the scale, the suppressed Dou Qi within him surged like a flood, increasing his speed exponentially. His figure became a black shadow, passing by the startled Lu Mu. In the instant of their pass, Xiao Yan’s elbow smashed down, hitting Lu Mu’s wrist.
Instantly, the red sword fell, and Lu Mu’s arm went numb.
“Ding…” The sword dropped, and Lu Mu rolled clumsily on the ground to avoid Xiao Yan’s kick from behind. Seeing that his attack was unsuccessful, Xiao Yan turned around, looking at Lu Mu, who was now ten steps back and shocked, with a half-smile.
The fast-paced battle suddenly slowed. The students in the stands, seeing Lu Mu rolling like a donkey, were all astonished.
“Such speed, such power,” Lu Mu muttered, tugging at his wrist, his face twitching.
Xiao Yan smiled and walked slowly to the heavy scale, but did not touch it.
“Ah, I underestimated you. It seems I need to get serious.” Lu Mu sighed, his hands slowly extending from his clothes, his gaze fixed on Xiao Yan. “You should know my other identity. Alchemist… My specialty isn’t Dou Qi, but… playing with fire!”
Pride flashed across his face, and Lu Mu’s hands trembled. A deep blue flame instantly penetrated and enveloped his hands, the heat making his face slightly illusory.
Looking at the deep blue flame in Lu Mu’s hand, Xiao Yan’s eyes flickered with surprise. It was probably a beast flame, but Lu Mu’s words made him feel a strange amusement. Playing with fire? Heh, even a fourth-grade alchemist wouldn’t dare say that in front of him, with his current control over flames.
“Brother Xiao Yan, be careful. My Blue Crystal Flame once injured a Dou Ling level expert,” Lu Mu looked at Xiao Yan proudly, grinning. Xiao Yan nodded slightly, and under the watchful eyes of many, he slowly drew his slender, fair hand from his black robe. To Lu Mu’s surprise, he took a purple pill from his ring and put it in his mouth, chewing it lightly.
After chewing for a moment, Xiao Yan lightly rubbed his thumb and index finger. A crisp sound echoed in the square. As he rubbed his fingers, Xiao Yan opened his mouth, and a ball of purple flame was spit out. The purple flame floated above his right hand.
Looking at the dancing purple flame, Xiao Yan raised his head, his smile making the entire area fall into silence. Lu Mu, originally smug, now stared in shock.
“Hehe, Senior Lu Mu, sorry. My specialty isn’t Dou Qi, but… playing with fire!”
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