"Flying Dou Technique!"
Mu Yun, being from a somewhat prominent background, wasn't entirely ignorant. He instantly recognized the pair of wings behind Yan Qingshan as a flying Dou Technique. But it was precisely because of this recognition that he felt an even greater headache.
He realized that accepting this challenge might truly have been a mistake. Just as Yan Qingshan said, he knew nothing about his opponent, only relying on his Dou King strength to presume victory. Meanwhile, the enemy clearly came prepared, leaving him truly on the defensive this time.
Only those who participated in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition knew about Yan Qingshan possessing a flying Dou Technique. In the inner academy, carelessly exposing others' information could easily lead to trouble, so unless necessary, no one was willing to discuss another's privacy.
Mu Yun had no prior interaction with Yan Qingshan before the Strong Ranking Competition and hadn't specifically researched him, so it was natural he knew little.
"You think having a flying Dou Technique allows you to fight me? Don't forget, I'm a Dou King!"
Mu Yun roared as he soared into the sky, swiftly darting towards Yan Qingshan while drawing in the surrounding water vapor and clouds. Countless water droplets condensed in mid-air, splashing towards Yan Qingshan like raindrops under Mu Yun's urging.
"My apologies, but having a flying Dou Technique means I'm faster than you, and I can do whatever I want."
Yan Qingshan let out a long, clear laugh, transforming into a purple streak and swiftly dodging. One moment he appeared to Mu Yun's left, the next he was above him, as if playing with him in the palm of his hand, making Mu Yun's head spin with anger.
This flying Dou Technique of Yan Qingshan's came from a sixth-tier flying Magical Beast. With his current Dou Spirit cultivation and the activation of Di-tier Dou Qi, even an ordinary fifth-tier flying Magical Beast might not be able to keep up with him, let alone a mere Mu Yun. So, this frustration was something Mu Yun was destined to endure.
Below the arena, numerous inner academy students were exceptionally surprised to see Mu Yun's repeated attempts at counterattack prove fruitless. The situation was unfolding in an unexpected direction. Before their battle, no one could have imagined that the one being suppressed would be Mu Yun.
Wang Mang looked at Yan Qingshan, who was leaving trails of afterimages in mid-air, and said in a deep voice, "This kid's flying Dou Technique is incredibly fast, too fast. This is just confined to the central plaza. If there were no regional restrictions, he'd be ten times more troublesome."
Many Dou King students nodded in agreement. They put themselves in Mu Yun's shoes and realized that they, too, would likely be kites, hung out to dry by Yan Qingshan like this. Besides Wang Mang, their performance would probably be worse than Mu Yun's!
Mu Yun looked at Yan Qingshan, who kept appearing suddenly from left and right, and roared, "Kid, are you only capable of running around? If you've got the guts, attack! Do you win by dragging this out for a hundred rounds?"
"In that case, as you wish!"
Yan Qingshan's voice suddenly came from behind him. Mu Yun immediately turned and swept out a faint blue Dou Qi. Pale blue energy waves continuously emanated, stirring the wind and clouds and shattering everything in their path. But behind him, there was no sign of Yan Qingshan, not even an afterimage.
"This ventriloquism is truly amazing."
Yang Sheng, watching from the stands, couldn't help but exclaim. He had fallen victim to the same trick back then. Humans instinctively trust their five senses; who would have thought this could also become a means of deception for an enemy!
"Shhh~"
An extremely subtle movement struck Mu Yun's back as he turned, almost undetectable, like a silenced bullet.
"Got you."
Mu Yun knew he'd been tricked when he turned and saw no shadow, but instead of turning back immediately, he deliberately paused, intending to draw Yan Qingshan into another attack. Just as Yan Qingshan was about to strike, Mu Yun twisted his body, sacrificing a graze on his left back and left rib to find an opportunity for a counterattack.
Yan Qingshan's bamboo sword brushed past Mu Yun's clothes, a blue light tearing through the fabric and drawing a spray of blood. A burnt smell permeated the air. At this moment, Mu Yun had just completed his turn. He grabbed Yan Qingshan's unsharpened bamboo sword with one hand, while his left hand wielded a folding fan, slashing at Yan Qingshan's wrist.
The green jade thunder bamboo posed a significant threat to him. He needed to disarm Yan Qingshan first before figuring out how to deal with him. However, Yan Qingshan wouldn't let him have his way.
Five sword threads instantly shot out from Yan Qingshan's five fingers. Amidst the clanging of metal, Mu Yun's folding fan slowed for a moment, and Yan Qingshan's left hand also seized his wrist. Immediately after, his Purple Cloud Wings behind him spread, pulling Mu Yun off balance and swiftly descending.
Thump!
Yan Qingshan executed several continuous flips in mid-air. Mu Yun, unfamiliar with such acrobatics, felt dizzy and disoriented. Then, still recovering, Mu Yun was pulled by Yan Qingshan and crashed into the edge of the arena.
Suddenly struck, Mu Yun finally sobered up. Daring not to hold Yan Qingshan's bamboo sword any longer, he quickly let go, and the two separated.
"This kid is too bizarre. He has so many diverse methods and unknown trump cards. I can't keep playing hide-and-seek with him. My cultivation is higher than his; I can only find a way through that. I must force him into a direct confrontation."
As Mu Yun's thoughts settled, his body trembled slightly, and a surge of dark blue Dou Qi, faintly tinged with a fishy smell, burst forth from within him.
Dou Qi swirled around his body. This dark blue Dou Qi was quite peculiar, appearing somewhat viscous. As it writhed, faint black water stains separated from it, falling onto the floor and forming small puddles.
"Black Water Domain!!!"
Mu Yun unleashed the "Black Water Domain," a large-scale Dou Technique he had learned in the academy. As his Dou Qi transformed, a suppressive aura emanated from him, enveloping the entire arena and the surrounding ten-zhang (approximately 33-meter) airspace. The dark blue energy waves continued to expand.
The dark blue Dou Qi spread continuously, eventually forming a massive Dou Qi sphere. This sphere rhythmically contracted and expanded, as if brewing something. As it suddenly began to rotate at high speed, a whistling sound echoed throughout the entire arena.
Countless blue-black liquid shot out from within, instantly covering the entire arena with a layer. It also splashed droplets in all directions, practically covering most of the central plaza.
"Now!"
Yan Qingshan, surprisingly, did not retreat but advanced. As Mu Yun was performing his Dou Technique, Yan Qingshan's figure moved swiftly forward, aiming a punch directly at Mu Yun's head.
Although Mu Yun was startled by Yan Qingshan's move, his reaction was not slow. He raised his hand to parry Yan Qingshan's punch, unleashing his Dou Qi with full force.
The dark blue Dou Qi continuously swirled and enveloped Yan Qingshan; he wanted to completely subdue this kid and prevent him from running around anymore.
A dazzling, jade-like, powerful Dou Qi suddenly surged from Yan Qingshan's body, matching Mu Yun's Dou Qi without falling behind. In fact, in their direct clash, it even suppressed Mu Yun's offensive.
"You dare to clash Dou Qi with me? Foolish! Although you have Di-tier Dou Qi, and I've consumed a lot just now, I am a Dou King after all. How can you, a mere Dou Spirit, compete with me in terms of consumption?"
Mu Yun started to trash-talk again, intending to shatter Yan Qingshan's confidence. He sneered and gestured with his eyes for Yan Qingshan to look down. "You see all this black water? The black water unleashed by the Black Water Domain Dou Technique is incredibly powerful. It can adhere to and corrode enemies.
It can dissolve an animal into a pool of blood in the blink of an eye; its power is terrifying! Now, this entire arena is my territory. How will you find a foothold? You've already lost this match!"
Mu Yun was truly confident of victory at this point, laughing wildly at Yan Qingshan. However, what he didn't notice was the slight smile on Yan Qingshan's lips.
"Didn't you notice?"
Yan Qingshan suddenly spoke, glancing at Mu Yun's left rib. "Your blood has been flowing all this time. Don't you feel any pain, or have you already lost consciousness?"
"How is that possible? When?!"
Mu Yun followed Yan Qingshan's gaze and instantly turned pale. His left rib was still bleeding, and the blood had almost stained a large patch of his clothes and trousers crimson.
"Before entering the academy, I was a pharmacist. Medicine and poison are inseparable. Although I haven't cultivated poison Dou Qi, my toxicology isn't weak. You've already been poisoned by my paralytic poison. Excessive blood loss won't cause pain, but it will weaken you!"
Yan Qingshan said calmly. Everyone around them was horrified. This battle, up to this point, had completely overturned their perceptions.
Mu Yun, a Three-Star Dou King, was being utterly played to death by Yan Qingshan's endless tricks, completely counteracted.
"You have many unconventional methods, but you think that's enough to defeat me? Before I become too weak, I will definitely finish you off first."
Mu Yun's Dou Qi rapidly circulated to the vicinity of his wound, enveloping the blood to prevent further injury. Then, his Dou Qi, like a continuous torrent, repeatedly impacted Yan Qingshan.
"You have no chance. When you decided to fight me, you lost. Your Dou Qi will fluctuate in three breaths, and I'll seize that moment to utterly defeat you. One, two, three, four."
Yan Qingshan had only counted two, and Mu Yun subconsciously tensed up. When he reached three, his muscles were taut, full of vigilance. Yan Qingshan suddenly added a 'four', which made him momentarily stunned. At that moment, his Dou Qi unexpectedly slowed.
And Yan Qingshan's Dou Qi, like a long-accumulated torrent, poured down, directly breaking through Mu Yun's defenses and sending him sliding along the ground, carving a long groove in the floor.
"Ah~~~"
The power of the Black Water Domain's black water was indeed formidable; even Mu Yun, its original owner, couldn't bear it. As he was sent flying by Yan Qingshan, his skin accidentally touched the black water, and he screamed in agony amidst sizzling sounds and white steam, just like someone splashed with sulfuric acid.
"Sizzle, sizzle..."
Yan Qingshan landed on the stage, trailing boundless pink flames. The pink flames swept over, and the source-less black water instantly transformed into wisps of faint black smoke, rapidly dissipating into the air. He himself arrived before Mu Yun.
"You've lost, Mu Yun!"
Yan Qingshan came before Mu Yun and calmly announced the result. His voice also made Mu Yun lift his head from his hands.
When he looked up, he seemed like a vengeful spirit unleashed, his face mottled with blue and black, his skin showing multiple areas of corrosion and burns from the black water.