After roughly gauging the defensive power of the barrier, Zhou Changqing raised his hand again, preparing to shatter it outright.
Yes, shatter it.
Although Zhou Changqing had used a Dou Technique earlier, he had relied solely on the Dou Qi of his peak three-star Dou King cultivation, not even tapping into his physical strength.
As for why Yun Li and the others perceived him as a four-star Dou King, it was simply due to their imprecise senses, combined with the fact that Zhou Changqing's dual-attribute Dou Qi was naturally more formidable than a single attribute.
In the lower realms, those with dual attributes held no significant advantage over their single-attribute peers. In fact, they could even be at a disadvantage. With their total Dou Qi split into two, they could quickly run out of energy in a fight if they lacked Dou Techniques that utilized both attributes, dual-attribute techniques, or attribute-less techniques.
However, this weakness gradually faded as one's cultivation realm increased.
Once a cultivator reached the watershed realm of a Dou King, the advantages of having dual attributes became fully apparent.
Take Zhou Changqing, for example. After becoming a Dou King, the strengths of his two attributes were massively enhanced. His attack, defense, burst power, speed, and stamina all far surpassed others at the same star level. He could even contend with a high-tier seven-star Dou King.
Of course, not every dual-attribute cultivator could achieve such results.
The synergy between his Gold and Thunder attributes was simply too perfect, too complementary. The attack and defense of Gold, combined with the destructive power, burst potential, and speed of Thunder, were all supported by the vast reserves of his dual-attribute Dou Qi. It maxed out his capabilities in every area, making him a perfect all-rounder.
That was the source of his incredible power.
Furthermore, if he were to infuse his formidable physical body with Dou Qi, the resulting effect would be far greater than a simple sum of its parts. His combat prowess would multiply, allowing him to transcend the Dou King realm and reach the level of a mid-tier Dou Emperor.
This was a level of power that had been personally verified by Queen Medusa herself.
Swoosh!
"Hmm?"
Just as Zhou Changqing was about to imbue his physical strength into another Dou Technique, the sound of tearing air came from behind him. An instant later, a wave of pressure washed over him, signaling a powerful attack was hurtling his way.
This forced Zhou Changqing to lower his arm and turn. As he did, he saw Yun Leng rocketing toward him at extreme speed. At the same time, a massive, gray stone sword stele flew before him, leading the charge.
Judging by its power, this was at least a High-Tier Xuan Rank Dou Technique.
Yun Leng no longer held any trace of arrogance toward Zhou Changqing. He had unleashed his signature Dou Technique from the very start, hoping to end the fight in a single blow.
The sword stele was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, its blunt tip was inches from Zhou Changqing's face.
Zhou Changqing's eyes narrowed. He immediately raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. Crackling arcs of electricity and a brilliant golden light erupted across the surface of his arm, making it look as if it were cast from solid gold and radiating lightning.
"Thunder Jiao's Devastation!"
Just as the tip of the stele was about to strike him, Zhou Changqing threw a punch, slamming it directly into the massive stone sword.
BOOM!
The terrifying force of the impact instantly pulverized the tip of the sword stele, the destruction spreading rapidly across its entire body, covering its surface with countless cracks.
The deafening explosion shook the protective barrier enveloping the mountain, causing a momentary loss of hearing for everyone below the rank of Dou King. Those at the Dou Zhe and Dou Shi levels had their eardrums rupture, blood trickling from their ears.
In the next moment, the sword stele completely shattered.
It revealed Yun Leng's aged face, now etched with profound shock.
But it wasn't over.
After the stele disintegrated, the golden light and electric arcs on Zhou Changqing's arm rapidly contracted, as if the color was draining into his fist. They coalesced into a sphere of energy and then shot forth with incredible velocity.
The moment it was launched, the golden-electric sphere transformed into a foot-long, golden thunder jiao wreathed in lightning. The golden thunder jiao then expanded with the wind, and in less than two breaths, it had become a colossal beast over a hundred feet long, its body shimmering with a metallic luster as lightning danced across its scales.
"ROAR!"
With a furious roar, the giant jiao charged headlong at Yun Leng.
Everything happened too quickly. Yun Leng had no time to dodge and was struck squarely by the thunder jiao.
CRASH!
The jiao swallowed Yun Leng whole and then slammed him violently into the plaza below.
A powerful and terrifying burst of Dou Qi washed over everything in the vicinity. The stone tiles of the plaza exploded, and the flying debris was vaporized into dust by arcs of electricity before it could even travel far, swept up into the sky by the raging winds. The shockwave from the impact covered the entire plaza, even spreading to the viewing platforms and knocking many of the Misty Cloud Sect disciples off their feet.
Fortunately, they desperately held their ground, preventing their formation from breaking and the mist from dissipating.
When the tremors in the plaza finally ceased, everyone stared blankly, their eyes fixed on the dust-choked square. Even Jia Xing Tian and the other faction leaders had jumped to their feet in shock.
It was only when the dust settled, revealing Yun Leng's figure within, that they snapped back to their senses.
Hiss...
But when they saw Yun Leng's condition, they couldn't help but gasp in unison, their eyes filled with horror.
In the center of the plaza was a massive crater, over fifty feet in diameter and six feet deep.
Lying in the middle of the crater was the utterly wretched form of Yun Leng. His elegant white cloud-patterned robes were now torn and tattered. The crown that held his hair was gone, and his white hair hung down in a messy tangle, like a beggar's. His aged face was covered in cuts and scorch marks, and fresh blood stained his features a deep crimson.
In that state, he looked nothing like the Grand Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect. He more resembled a half-dead old beggar who had been caught stealing and beaten mercilessly.
"Pfft!"
His blood roiled and his internal organs ruptured from the impact. Yun Leng violently spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as if every bone in his body had been shattered. He couldn't move a muscle.
But the excruciating pain of his injuries was nothing compared to the overwhelming shame of being defeated in a single blow by a mere youth. That was what Yun Leng found truly unbearable.
After catching his breath, Yun Leng struggled to lift his head, his eyes glaring at Zhou Changqing in the sky with a look of insane, venomous hatred. He let out a roar of impotent fury.
"Zhou Changqing!!!"
Zhou Changqing casually cleaned his ear, ignoring Yun Leng completely as he turned his attention to the fleeing Xiao Yan.
While Yun Leng had been attacking him, Xiao Yan had been intercepted by Yun Li and two other elders. In their haste to end the fight, the three had immediately used a combination Dou Technique—the Wind-Fire Wood Wall—in an attempt to trap and capture Xiao Yan.
Unfortunately for them, Xiao Yan seized the fleeting opportunity before the wall fully closed. He decisively drew his Azure-Crimson Flame Python Bow, a weapon perfectly suited for him. At full power and with a specially made arrow, the bow's attack was comparable to a Dou Technique from a three-star Dou King, and it caught the three elders completely off guard.
The wood-attribute elder, unprepared for the assault, was struck by the arrow. Though he managed to shift his body at the last second, the arrow still pierced through his right shoulder. The immense power contained within the arrow coursed through his body, severely injuring him and taking him out of the fight.
With that, the Wind-Fire Wood Wall was broken.
But Xiao Yan's crisis was far from over.
Even with one elder down, the remaining two Dou Kings still put him under immense pressure. The Flame Python Bow consumed a massive amount of energy, and he couldn't unleash another attack of that magnitude.
Thus, Xiao Yan could only resort to firing normal shots from the bow as he fled, harassing the two elders pursuing him, which was the only reason he hadn't been caught yet.
"Old Zhou! Tag me out! I can't handle them!"