Chapter 109: Xiao Yan's Provocation!
"You... you... you... this is impossible!" Bai Shan screamed in disbelief, as though he had seen a ghost, momentarily forgetting the pain wracking his body.
"There's nothing impossible about it. My cultivation is just a bit higher than yours, and my physique is a little stronger too," Lu Bu said with a faint smile as he casually twirled the broken steel rod in his hand. "Now, it's my turn to attack."
"W wait! I surrender!" Bai Shan shouted in panic, knowing full well he wasn't Lu Bu's match and had no choice but to admit defeat.
"Hmph. Think you can offend a Talisman Master and just walk away? Not that easy!"
Lu Bu snorted coldly. In an instant, his figure blurred and vanished like a gust of wind.
Bang!
The broken spear rod smashed into Bai Shan's stomach with brutal force.
"Ugh!"
Bai Shan's body curled like a cooked shrimp as he vomited stomach acid uncontrollably.
The next moment, Lu Bu reappeared at his side, lifting the broken spear rod and smashing it down.
Crack!
"Ahhh!" Bai Shan let out a heart wrenching scream as his right leg twisted into an unnatural angle, clearly broken.
Without missing a beat, Lu Bu followed with a midair kick, sending Bai Shan flying out of the arena. Bai Shan crashed onto the ground, battered and half dead.
A broken leg might seem severe, but on the Dou Qi continent, it was merely a minor injury. With Dou Qi to enhance vitality and accelerate recovery, even regrowing limbs wasn't out of the question, let alone healing fractures. For a Dou Grandmaster like Bai Shan, it was a light injury ten days of rest, and he'd be good as new.
Lu Bu didn't aim to cripple him, merely to teach him a lesson. A beating like this would remind Bai Shan not to provoke people beyond his league.
"..."
The crowd stared, dumbfounded, at the swift and decisive battle. Their minds struggled to process what had just happened.
That was Bai Shan a renowned and prominent figure in Jia Nan Academy. Yet he'd been utterly defeated like this?
"Damn it… This guy is that strong?" Hu Jia's eyes widened in shock as cold sweat ran down her back. If Lu Bu could so easily defeat Bai Shan, he could just as easily crush her. Thankfully, she hadn't provoked him... Wait, no, her target was Xiao Yan. What did Lu Bu have to do with her anyway?
"I misjudged him… This is what a real powerhouse looks like," Wu Hao muttered, his eyes glinting. He loved challenging strong opponents, but fighting Bai Shan had always been unsatisfying Bai Shan's petty nature annoyed him.
As for Hu Jia? That was even worse. They'd been sparring since childhood; they knew each other's moves all too well, making their matches feel repetitive.
At this moment, Wu Hao shoved Xiao Yan out of his mind. Women could wait; a good fight was far more exhilarating.
Unfortunately for him, disappointment loomed.
Just as Lu Bu sent Bai Shan flying, Xiao Yan stepped forward, planting his foot firmly on the ground. He appeared a short distance away from Lu Bu, his Heavy Xuan Ruler drawn and tilted toward the ground, his stance primed for battle.
He had been waiting for this moment.
On the high platform, the vice principal and several elders exchanged glances, surprised by how quickly Bai Shan had been defeated.
"It seems we underestimated Lu Bu…"
"A Dou Emperor's disciple from Yun Lan Sect… A woman managed to produce such a disciple?"
"Don't forget, she has another disciple who hasn't even stepped onto the battlefield yet!"
"Interesting… It looks like Xiao Yan and Lu Bu will clash. I'm curious to see who'll come out on top."
The discussion on the high platform did nothing to interrupt the tension in the arena. Lu Bu observed Xiao Yan, who stood across from him, with an amused expression.
"Looks like you've wanted to fight me for a while now," Lu Bu chuckled, his tone filled with mockery. This kid's strength might not be remarkable, but his ambition certainly was.
"Of course," Xiao Yan replied, clenching his fists with excitement. "Ever since our first meeting, I've wanted to punch you in the face. Lu Bu, you're just so infuriating!"
During their first encounter, Xiao Yan had been humiliated by Lu Bu's puppet. Later, Lu Bu had swindled him out of a mid tier Earth rank cultivation technique meant for his master.
Then came a series of dubious transactions. At first, Xiao Yan thought Lu Bu was genuinely helping him, albeit for a price. But after the Yun Lan Sect incident, he realized Lu Bu had used both him and his master as bait and forced Yao Lao to fight the Hall of Souls.
It was the ultimate betrayal!
By the end of it all, Lu Bu had advanced to a seventh tier alchemist while Xiao Yan and Yao Lao gained nothing except for losing a fortune in resources, including alchemy inheritance, hundreds of pill formulas, and rare soul cultivation techniques.
Lu Bu sneered. "Acting like you didn't scam me? During every deal, you two cut corners, shortchanged me, and tried to pull all kinds of dirty tricks. If it weren't for my foresight, you two would've left me penniless."
As for the ambush against Protector Wu? That was their own retreating from battle. What did it have to do with him? Besides, hadn't he already crafted restorative potions for Yao Lao?
"Enough talking. I've been itching to test your Dou Qi strength!" Xiao Yan's lips curled into a feral grin as his battle intent surged. "Don't tell me your only strength is your soul power!"
"Tsk tsk… Xiao Yan, your confidence reeks worse than my athlete's foot!" Lu Bu shook his head mockingly. It seemed he needed to teach this brat the same lesson he gave Bai Shan.
The other four competitors wisely backed away, while Xiao Xun'er and Nalan Yanran stood watch, ready to intervene if Hu Jia or Wu Hao tried to interfere. For now, helping Xiao Yan was their priority.
"Let's see if I'm overconfident after a fight!" Xiao Yan sneered, his foot slamming down as he vanished from sight.
Lu Bu's eye twitched. Despite his keen perception, he couldn't pinpoint Xiao Yan's location. That old man Yao Lao was meddling!
Yao Lao's soul power was formidable, rivaling a mid to late Heaven Realm cultivator. Even in his weakened state, concealing Xiao Yan's movements from Lu Bu was a trivial matter.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan reappeared behind Lu Bu, the Heavy Xuan Ruler descending with devastating force. The massive blade cleaved through the air with a thunderous roar.
Clang!
Lu Bu spun around just in time, raising the broken spear rod to block the strike.
Xiao Yan's expression shifted drastically. "Impossible! Master already shielded my presence!"
"Surprised?" Lu Bu grinned. "Did your master forget to mention my physique is insanely tough?"
Thanks to his painstaking cultivation of the Nirvana Golden Body, Lu Bu's reflexes were as sharp as lightning. Speed alone wouldn't suppress him.
Blue gold light shimmered faintly on Lu Bu's body as he pressed upward with the rod, then swiftly transitioned into a downward force.
Xiao Yan's face contorted in shock as a tremendous power surged through the Heavy Xuan Ruler, driving him back. The massive blade, meant to suppress opponents, now crushed down on him instead, forcing his body into an awkward arch like an iron bridge.
"You… you…" Xiao Yan stammered, disbelief written all over his face. He tried to muster strength to resist, but his force was swallowed up by Lu Bu's overwhelming power.
"This can't be!" Xiao Yan shouted, his face flushed red. "I've carried this ruler during training for three years no one my age has more strength than me!"
"Well, you've met someone today," Lu Bu said, smirking as he spun the broken rod and struck the Heavy Xuan Ruler's flat side with a resounding blow.
Clang!
Xiao Yan stumbled backward, his hands trembling as blood seeped from his palms. The impact had nearly forced him to drop his weapon.
"So, how about it?" Lu Bu asked, twirling the rod with a smug grin.
"Impressive… very impressive!" Xiao Yan admitted, his eyes burning with determination. Crimson flames danced faintly as he spoke, flaring with each breath.
Suddenly, he released his grip on the Heavy Xuan Ruler and began forming a flurry of seals with his hands.
"Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations: Ten Thousand Beast Transformation!"
A deafening roar erupted from Xiao Yan as a surging energy akin to a stampede of beasts burst forth.
"Tsk, tsk… Did you forget something, Xiao Yan?" Lu Bu chuckled, his tone dripping with amusement. "I'm the one who gave you that technique."
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