Chapter 177: Battle Against Bai Cheng
"What perfect timing."
Slightly annoyed from the interruption, Xiao Yuan narrowed his eyes.
Then, leading Xiao Yu, he strode outside, his cold voice ringing out:
"Let's go. Let's see if Bai Gang has come to donate more Fire Energy!"
When Xiao Yuan and his group arrived at the exit of the freshman area, they saw a large crowd of people dressed in white blocking the gate. The man at the front bore a clear resemblance to Bai Shan.
This must be Bai Shan's cousin—Bai Cheng.
"President, be careful. That guy is Bai Gang's leader, Bai Cheng!"
Ah Tai breathed a sigh of relief upon Xiao Yuan's arrival, walked to his side, and warned him in a low and serious tone.
Around them, a crowd had already gathered again. In just a few days, the freshman district was once again surrounded by upperclassmen.
Under everyone's gaze, Bai Cheng and his group slowly walked up to Xiao Yuan. Bai Cheng's eyes swept over the freshmen, who clearly possessed no small amount of aura, before landing on Xiao Yuan's face.
Meeting eyes with this man who resembled Bai Shan, Xiao Yuan showed no fear in the face of the powerful aura emanating from Bai Cheng. His gaze remained calm and unwavering.
Watching the confrontation between the two factions, the surrounding crowd fell into silence, their eyes filled with mixed emotions.
"You're Xiao Yuan, aren't you? Bai Shan often spoke of you. Now that I see you in person, you're indeed quite impressive."
After a moment of eye contact, Bai Cheng, his face somewhat dark, suddenly smiled and even extended a hand toward Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan narrowed his eyes at Bai Cheng's gesture and saw the coldness hidden in his eyes. With a faint smile, he reached out and shook Bai Cheng's hand under everyone's watchful gaze.
The moment their hands met, the smile on Bai Cheng's face vanished. A powerful aura erupted from his body, causing the clothes of those nearby to flutter violently. The weaker ones even had to retreat a step. The handshake turned into a clash, with thick Dou Qi immediately surging over Bai Cheng's palm.
Feeling the sudden pressure and slight pain, Xiao Yuan made no expression but responded with a fierce grip of his own.
His monstrous physical strength made Bai Cheng's expression change. A sudden, dangerous premonition rose in his heart, and he quickly pulled his hand back like lightning.
As he did so, his brows furrowed, and he lifted his hand.
A black flame had silently begun to burn in the center of his palm, clinging like a deadly parasite.
Worse still, black ice crystals had appeared around the flame, giving it an eerie appearance.
It was the ice crystals that nearly made him overlook the flame entirely.
He hadn't actually felt the flame through his senses.
But his battle instincts warned him that something was wrong.
Boom!
At Xiao Yuan's command, the flame exploded, scattering as black embers across Bai Cheng's body. Despite his swift reaction, his clothes were still singed and scorched, leaving him looking extremely disheveled.
In the blink of an eye, Bai Cheng's robe was tattered and ruined—a sorry sight.
"Don't pretend with me. By now, Bai Shan should still be recovering from his injuries. If you had such magnanimity, you wouldn't have brought so many people to my doorstep. So, say it. What do you want? I, Xiao Yuan, can take it!"
Xiao Yuan coldly sneered at the disheveled Bai Cheng.
Seeing that expression, Bai Cheng frowned slightly. Was Xiao Yuan truly confident, or was he simply insane? Showing zero respect in this situation made it hard to read him.
"What do I want? You dared go to my Bai Gang's turf and injured so many of my brothers. I have to give them an explanation!
Like I said, the Inner Academy has its rules. No matter who you were outside or how much potential you have, without real strength, you have to lie low. But you—without strength—still act this arrogantly. You're just asking for humiliation."
Bai Cheng sneered.
"If being arrogant without strength is asking for humiliation, then what about you, Bai Cheng? Doesn't the same apply?"
Just as Bai Cheng was about to teach this "arrogant fool" a lesson, a cool voice rose from the crowd. Upon hearing the familiar tone, Bai Cheng's expression darkened and he snapped coldly, "Han Yue! Why are you meddling again?"
From the crowd emerged seven or eight graceful female figures. A burst of floral fragrance accompanied them, reinvigorating the onlookers. The one at the front was none other than Han Yue, whom Xiao Yuan had met once before.
All the women behind Han Yue were similarly dressed, each wearing a crescent-shaped emblem on their chest—clearly from the same faction. Though not all of them matched Han Yue's beauty, the collective presence of so many elegant women drew many eyes. In the Inner Academy, where men made up nearly three-quarters, beautiful women were especially popular.
As soon as Han Yue and her companions appeared, the surrounding gazes heated up, and whispers broke out.
"I just couldn't stand watching you bully a group of freshmen by flaunting your status. If you've got guts, go show off in front of Lin Xiuya or Yan Hao instead."
Han Yue's voice remained as cold as ice. Her waist-length silver hair and silver-white robe with violet accents gave her an otherworldly, fairy-like appearance.
"You—"
Bai Cheng's face twisted with anger, but he knew better than to provoke Han Yue further. Lin Xiuya and Yan Hao were both top ten in the Strong Ranking, with Dou Ling peak-level power and top-tier factions. He wouldn't dare mess with them.
Despite his frustration, Bai Cheng didn't dare go too far with Han Yue, whose strength and influence rivaled his own. All he could do was shoot Xiao Yuan a venomous glare and say mockingly, "You sure are popular with the ladies…"
"Greetings, Senior Sister Han Yue."
Xiao Yuan ignored Bai Cheng, turned with a cheerful smile, and cupped his fists.
"No need for courtesy. I said before, if your Lionheart Society can really take shape, I might consider collaborating with you. Looks like I arrived just in time."
Although her voice remained chilly, it was clear to everyone that Han Yue had come deliberately to intervene on Xiao Yuan's behalf.
Immediately, gossip spread among the crowd, speculating that the icy beauty Han Yue might be interested in this rising, talented junior.
"Hehe, I'll have to trouble you to wait a moment, Senior Sister. I've got a small matter to deal with first."
Xiao Yuan smiled politely, then turned back to Bai Cheng.
"One six-star Dou Ling, two three-star Dou Lings, and a few Da Dou Shi… Are you all planning to attack me together?"
He spread his arms slightly, taking a provocatively open stance.
Han Yue frowned slightly at his words, but with all eyes on Xiao Yuan, no one noticed her reaction.
"Well, well, I underestimated your courage. Fine, don't say I bullied you. Just the two of us, a one-on-one match. If you lose, your Lionheart Society disbands, and you join Bai Gang!"
Bai Cheng couldn't help but laugh at Xiao Yuan's audacity. Originally, due to Han Yue's presence, he had planned to withdraw peacefully. But now Xiao Yuan's insane arrogance had revived his fighting spirit.
"Xiao Yuan…"
Xiao Yu, watching the tense standoff, worriedly grabbed his arm.
"Don't worry. After this fight, our Lionheart Society will be fully established!"
Xiao Yuan smiled, patted her hand, gently brushed her fingers off his arm, and stepped toward Bai Cheng. He stared intently at him, then asked softly, "Before we begin, just to confirm—none of you are jumping in together?"
"Fool!"
Bai Cheng snorted coldly, his face darkening as a six-star Dou Ling aura exploded from him once again.
Xiao Yuan stepped lightly on the ground, and his aura rose rapidly until it reached Dou Ling level.
"Even with a secret technique, you've only just stepped into Dou Ling. With that kind of strength, you think you can—"
Before Bai Cheng could finish mocking him, a surge of intense heat erupted from Xiao Yuan. Black and white flames burst out, and his aura soared to four-star Dou Ling!
Feeling the rapidly surging Dou Qi from his five Qi Palaces, Xiao Yuan was mildly surprised.
Due to having five Qi Palaces, his Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Change seemed less impressive compared to others.
After all, powering five palaces consumed an enormous amount of energy.
Yet even so, it was enough to shock Bai Cheng.
What kind of secret technique could raise a six-star Da Dou Shi's strength to four-star Dou Ling?
And judging by the Dou Qi intensity, he wasn't far from five-star Dou Ling either. The gap between him and Bai Cheng was now much smaller!
"Hmph, nothing but a crooked technique. You think tricks like that will work against me? Naive!"
Regaining his composure, Bai Cheng sneered. A deep yellow spear appeared in his hand.
"Senior Bai Cheng, you sure talk a lot."
With ample energy swirling around him, Xiao Yuan's white robe fluttered without wind. Compared to Bai Cheng's tattered state, he looked far more composed. His casual retort only made Bai Cheng's face darker.
"Hope you won't be begging for mercy later."
With a sinister tone, Bai Cheng finally fell silent. He gripped his yellow spear tightly, its shaft trembling slightly as dense yellow Dou Qi flooded out and enveloped the weapon.
"Earth-type Dou Qi, huh…"
Seeing the color of Bai Cheng's Dou Qi, Xiao Yuan raised an eyebrow. Earth Dou Qi was known for being steady and enduring. It gave a significant advantage in long fights and excelled in defense. The best way to deal with it was to unleash an intense, overwhelming offensive from the start.
Feeling the immense strength within his muscles and bones, Xiao Yuan raised his hand. A black cold mist condensed into the Mystic Ice Dragon Spear. He took a few slow steps forward, dragging the spear along the ground. The scraping sound carved a white line across the hard floor.
As Xiao Yuan neared and his aura intensified, Bai Cheng gripped his yellow spear tighter and focused on Xiao Yuan's approach. When Xiao Yuan stepped within ten meters, Bai Cheng suddenly let out a low shout. Deep yellow Dou Qi surged out like thick liquid.
Stomping the ground, Bai Cheng turned into a yellow blur. His spear tip rapidly gathered Dou Qi. Using the momentum of his charge, he fused with the spear, making it and his body nearly one. The spear tore through the air with a sharp whistle.
A six-star Dou Ling's full-powered strike could shatter even giant boulders. Yet Xiao Yuan showed no fear. He thrust his Mystic Ice Dragon Spear straight at Bai Cheng's throat, completely ignoring the attack aimed at his own chest.
"Is this guy insane?!"
Seeing Xiao Yuan's reckless move, Bai Cheng broke out in a cold sweat. This was not a fight to the death!
But while Xiao Yuan dared to risk it, Bai Cheng did not. He had to pull back and block with his spear. The thick earth-colored Dou Qi gave him a strong sense of security.
Xiao Yuan didn't care about Bai Cheng's fear. His spear surged with oppressive force as he launched a furious assault. Caught off guard, Bai Cheng fell into a brief panic.
However, he was still a six-star Dou Ling. After recovering, he unleashed his powerful Dou Qi and began to stabilize. With growing familiarity, he started to counterattack fiercely. His spear danced like a venomous snake beneath the sand—quick and deadly, always targeting vital points.
In the arena, the two figures clashed back and forth. Black and yellow Dou Qi dyed the battlefield. Each spear clash sent out shockwaves, rippling through the air and spreading cracks across the hardened ground.
(END CHAPTER)
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