In an instant, terrifying pitch-black Dou Qi surged violently from Wang Chen's body. His aura skyrocketed like a rocket launch, climbing to a frightening peak. As it swelled, his eyes were completely consumed by darkness, and a sinister black Dou Qi shrouded his entire being. A wave of murderous energy rolled outward, and he looked every bit like a fiend that had crawled straight out of hell.
On the viewing platform, Venerable Feng furrowed his brows and shot a glance at the smirking Venerable Huang.
"For just a competition, he actually unleashed the Yellow Spring Blood Technique? Is he not afraid it will cripple his potential and make future breakthroughs near impossible?"
Venerable Huang sneered, utterly unconcerned. 'I might not be able to beat you, but if my disciple can defeat yours, then sacrificing talent is a small price to pay.'
"Winners are kings, losers are nothing. If victory can be obtained, any sacrifice is worth it."
Around the square, everyone who had heard the infamous name "Yellow Spring Blood Technique" gasped in shock. The aura now emanating from Wang Chen had already reached the very limits of the Dou Zong Realm. The savagery within that pressure made even true Dou Zongs unwilling to approach him.
Wang Chen's eyes gleamed with madness as the black Dou Qi condensed into streaks of lightning, his overwhelming might making the very air quiver. The power he radiated was already comparable to that of a Dou Zong. With a flash of black light, Wang Chen appeared before Mu Qingluan. Staring at her delicate, beautiful face so close to his own, he grinned maliciously.
"I finally caught you. Let's see where you can run this time! Yellow Spring Corpse Arm!"
A thick stench of rot spread from his arm as it turned completely black like ink. His five fingers curled into ghostly talons and lunged straight for Mu Qingluan's slender neck. The foul, corpse-like smell filled the air, making her frown in disgust. "What a lunatic," she cursed under her breath.
Her jade-like hands flicked out, and surging wind-attribute Dou Qi burst forth. A sweeping gale gathered into a translucent wall of wind that blocked her front while her figure swiftly retreated. Remaining calm under pressure, Mu Qingluan's hands blurred into a flurry of complex seals, her voice crisp and clear:
"Thousand Birds… Resonance!"
A resonant wave—both tangible and intangible—erupted from her lips, rippling outward in concentric circles that enveloped Wang Chen.
"Ahhh!"
Just as he tore through the wind barrier and prepared to strike again, Wang Chen suddenly screamed in agony, clutching his head. His entire body stiffened and then collapsed to the ground. The invisible sound waves had pierced straight into his mind. It felt as though tens of thousands of birds were shrieking in unison inside his skull, and his consciousness was drowning in unbearable pain.
"A Sound Dou Technique? No… it seems to be a racial talent—one that can even affect the soul. Venerable Feng's disciple is quite something," Liu Xi remarked with a faint smile.
Wang Chen had well and truly shot himself in the foot. The Yellow Spring Blood Technique greatly amplified Dou Qi, but at the cost of losing control over it. When the soundwave invaded his mind, that berserk Dou Qi instantly turned against him, devouring its own master.
At Liu Xi's praise, Venerable Feng smiled calmly. "The Tianluan Clan naturally possesses soundwave-based abilities. It seems I did take in a good disciple after all."
Seeing Wang Chen curled up on the ground, screaming in pain, Venerable Huang's eyelids twitched violently while Venerable Feng's tone only made it worse.
On the stage, the presiding elder from the Wind Lightning Pavilion raised his voice: "Third Match — Mu Qingluan wins! Next Match — Feng Qing'er versus Wang Yi! Prepare to enter the arena!"
Feng Qing'er's silk ribbons fluttered as she gracefully descended into the square, the hem of her dress swaying lightly. Her narrow phoenix eyes gleamed coldly as she spoke in an indifferent tone:
"Do you surrender?"
Wang Yi gritted his teeth. He was well aware that Feng Qing'er's strength was on par with Mu Qingluan, Wang Chen, and Tang Ying. But to surrender outright would be far too humiliating.
"I don't. Come—let me see just how strong you truly are!"
"As you wish."
Feng Qing'er flicked her hand, and the silk ribbon on her shoulder shot forth like lightning. In the next instant, it struck Wang Yi squarely in the chest.
"Pffft!"
Blood spurted from his lips as his face turned deathly pale. The immense impact sent his body flying backward. Though soft in appearance, that ribbon carried the weight and hardness of refined steel, and the energy within it was terrifying.
"Dou Zong?!"
Venerable Jian, Venerable Feng, and Venerable Huang's eyes widened in shock. When Feng Qing'er attacked, her concealed strength could no longer be hidden.
Liu Xi smiled faintly. "It seems the championship belongs to the Wind Lightning Pavilion. A Dou Zong facing Dou Huangs—such a gap is nearly impossible to overcome."
Venerable Lei stroked his beard with a confident grin, though his tone remained modest. "Tang Ying and Mu Qingluan are both excellent talents as well. Qing'er only has a slightly higher chance of winning, that's all."
Venerable Jian and Venerable Feng exchanged silent looks of disdain. Though they were proud of their own disciples, even they knew it was nearly impossible to leap ranks against a Dou Zong.
As for Venerable Huang, his wrinkled face twitched bitterly. Venerable Lei's words had completely dismissed Wang Chen, who hadn't even made it into the top four.
'Can't you at least spare me a shred of dignity? Life really is unfair...'
Soon, the elder called for another round of draws. When the results came out, he announced loudly: "Fifth Match — Feng Qing'er versus Tang Ying! Sixth Match — Mu Qingluan versus Zhang Nan! Feng Qing'er and Tang Ying remain on the field, Mu Qingluan and Zhang Nan stand by."
Neither Feng Qing'er nor Tang Ying wasted time on words. They clashed the moment the signal dropped. Tang Ying's flying sword was sharp and fierce, but against a Dou Zong-level opponent like Feng Qing'er, it was utterly outmatched.
Venerable Lei chuckled. "Venerable Jian, it seems Qing'er narrowly takes this one."
Venerable Jian rolled his eyes. "A win is a win. Don't dress it up as luck. I can afford to lose, can't I?"
The fifth match concluded with Feng Qing'er's victory.
The sixth began soon after. Mu Qingluan, already a quasi-Dou Zong, overwhelmed Zhang Nan from start to finish, eventually eliminating him.
The final battle came—and ended—just as quickly. Facing Feng Qing'er, Mu Qingluan broke into a cold sweat, unable to even unleash seventy percent of her strength.
To the spectators, it looked bizarre. Feng Qing'er's victory felt unreasonably easy, and Mu Qingluan's loss strangely half-hearted, as if the match were staged.
But to those seated on the viewing platform, the reason was clear.
Venerable Feng exhaled softly, his eyes glinting with astonishment. "No wonder you went out of your way to conceal her identity. I didn't expect Feng Qing'er to be of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan. Qingluan's loss is justified."
Venerable Lei's smile brightened even more. "Indeed. The Heaven Demon Phoenix bloodline is born with dual Wind and Fire attributes. Yet Qing'er is a rare mutation—Wind and Lightning. When it comes to lightning-type Dou Qi control, few on the continent can rival my Wind Lightning Pavilion. That's why I accepted her as a disciple. Now that she's mastered the fusion of Wind and Lightning Dou Qi, her energy is denser and more formidable than any of her peers."
Rising to his feet, Venerable Lei turned to the other three and said with a grin, "Gentlemen, I'll accept your gracious defeat."
Then he raised his voice, his tone carrying across the entire mountain.
"With this, the Four Pavilion Grand Meeting concludes! The final champion is Feng Qing'er of the Wind Lightning Pavilion! However, all of the top eight contestants will receive both a reward and an honorary disciple title from our pavilion."
"The path of a Cultivator has no end—remember to stay true to your hearts and keep moving forward!"
(End of Chapter)
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This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on P4 treon, For those who want to read 2 chapters ahead for free, you can find me on P4 treon by searching for my username: Fallen_Archangel_.
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