A gentle look flashed in Jiang Yun's eyes. He nodded to Elder Liu, clasped his hands in farewell, and then quickly walked outside.
After Jiang Yun left, Elder Liu looked at Jiang Yun's departing back, his expression instantly changing. He clutched his chest with a pained look, his teeth chattering as he said, "What a 'fierce' little girl, she really hits hard!" After speaking, his gaze towards Jiang Yun was filled with envy.
The envy was real. Only when he reached his age did he realize how enviable it was to have a gifted childhood sweetheart who only had eyes for you. If he had Jiang Yun's fortuitous encounter, how could he have been stuck at the Dou Wang (Battle King) stage for so many years?
Jiang Yun:? (Only eyes for me? Wasn't it the pills?)
Walking back to his dormitory, Jiang Yun frowned. His terrifying soul perception told him that he had been followed by several groups of people along the way, many with malicious gazes.
It seems some people can't hold back any longer!
After twenty minutes of rushing, Jiang Yun gradually approached the new student dormitory area. As he slowly walked into the dormitory area, the empty road exuded an aura of 'Su Sha' (Su Sha: solemn and deadly).
Suddenly, a figure ran out of the dormitory area, panting. Upon seeing Jiang Yun, his face was anxious, and he rushed over, whispering a warning: "Jiang Yun, someone is looking for trouble with you, you should quickly go out and avoid them!"
"What's wrong?" Seeing the person, Jiang Yun was a little surprised. This person was Song Yun, whom he had defeated in the Inner Court selection competition. A Six-Star Dou Grandmaster, and the former top genius of the Outer Court.
Unfortunately, because he encountered Jiang Yun early, his strength, which was enough to contend for the top spot in the Outer Court, led to his early elimination, losing the opportunity to enter the Treasure Pavilion and missing a great opportunity.
Jiang Yun hadn't expected that the other party not only harbored no resentment towards him but instead came to warn him, doing something beyond what ordinary people would do.
"Some older students heard about your deeds and know that you have a large amount of Fire Energy, so they've come to collect 'new student tribute fees' from you."
"Heh—, not much skill, but plenty of tricks. I have plenty of Fire Energy. I'd like to see if they have the ability to take it!" Understanding the whole story, Jiang Yun didn't care, even showing a cold smile.
"Although it makes no difference, I still thank you for the warning. I don't like owing favors, so this is a thank you gift."
Turning to look at Song Yun, Jiang Yun said calmly, took out a jade bottle, placed it in Song Yun's hand, and then lifted his leg to head towards his dormitory.
"Jiang Yun, this is...?" Song Yun reached out to grab Jiang Yun, but the other party seemed to sense it, and with a flicker of his figure, he had already disappeared from sight. Song Yun looked at the jade bottle in his hand with confusion, a faint medicinal fragrance emanating from it.
Curiously opening the jade bottle, a rich green pill fragrance instantly wafted out, slowly rising and finally forming a cloud of green misty aura above Song Yun's head, like a spiritual mist.
Seeing this, Song Yun was slightly startled and quickly covered the jade bottle. His eyes couldn't help but scan around, making sure no one had seen the previous scene before he relaxed.
Gently opening the jade bottle again, the rich pill fragrance assaulted him once more, actually making his Dou Qi (Battle Qi) circulate much faster. Looking closely, a green pill the size of a dragon's eye lay quietly at the bottom of the jade bottle.
"What kind of pill is this? It actually makes my Dou Qi (Battle Qi) circulate more than thirty percent faster. A pill useful for a Dou Grandmaster must be at least a Rank Three pill." Song Yun's voice, full of surprise and doubt, rang out, "Could Jiang Yun also be a Rank Three Alchemist?"
"Hiss—"
Song Yun was immediately startled by his own guess, taking a sharp breath. He looked at the jade bottle in his hand with a conflicted expression, gritted his teeth, and suddenly ran towards Jiang Yun's dormitory.
At this moment, Jiang Yun had already returned to the entrance of his dormitory, only to see a dense crowd of people gathered there. There were also many familiar faces among them, who were the new students of this year.
Strangely, in such a noisy environment, why was Zi Yan nowhere to be seen? Didn't they say she had returned?
If Zi Yan were here, these people probably would have been thrown back one by one before they even got close.
"Gang Leader, Jiang Yun is here!" A sharp-eyed person spotted Jiang Yun's arrival and slowly approached a burly man who was resting with his eyes closed, whispering.
The other party opened his eyes and immediately saw Jiang Yun's figure, his gaze couldn't help but scrutinize him, as if he wanted to see what was so special about him that he was so highly praised.
However, looking at Jiang Yun's'short' stature, the other party's eyes showed disdain, and he sneered, "You are Jiang Yun? I don't think you're anything special, are you?"
"I heard you defeated those two good-for-nothings, Sun Hai and Wu Qiu. Kid, the Inner Court isn't child's play. Once you're here, you have to follow the Inner Court's rules."
"I won't make things difficult for you. Hand over a thousand Fire Energy as a new student tribute fee, and from now on, you'll be a member of my Snow Wolf Gang. I, Xue Zhen, will cover you!"
Hearing Xue Zhen's words, the people around him echoed in agreement.
"The Gang Leader is right, Jiang Yun. It's your good fortune that the Gang Leader favors you. Why aren't you obediently handing over the Fire Energy? From now on, we'll be family."
"Exactly, exactly. Our Snow Wolf Gang isn't just for anyone to join. It's your good fortune that we favor you, so hurry up and thank us."
"Brother Xue is a Seven-Star Dou Ling (Battle Spirit), someone in the top twenty-five of the Strong Rankings. To be favored by Brother Xue, you should be secretly happy!"
"..."
Words of persuasion rang out, as if they were truly for Jiang Yun's benefit, but the greed in their eyes could not be concealed.
"Are you done talking?" Jiang Yun looked at this 'farce' indifferently, speaking slowly.
"Hm?"
"What do you mean?"
Jiang Yun's attitude took Xue Zhen by surprise. He frowned at Jiang Yun and said coldly, his whole body exuding a fierce, predatory aura.
"I mean, leave the Fire Energy card, and you can all scram!" Jiang Yun completely disregarded the other party's aura, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.
"Heh."
"How long has it been since someone dared to provoke me like this, Jiang Yun? I hope your bones are as hard as your mouth later."
Xue Zhen's face was so gloomy it could drip water at this moment. He sneered, took a heavy step forward, and with a low rumble, a blue-purple Dou Qi (Battle Qi) surged out from his body. As the Dou Qi (Battle Qi) churned, it became as viscous as seawater, swirling and surging around him.
A powerful aura permeated the open space.
"Thunderbolt Fist!"
As Xue Zhen roared, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and a sharp electric light rapidly magnified in Jiang Yun's eyes. Xue Zhen's figure flickered and had already disappeared from his original spot.
It was hard to imagine that this burly man was actually an agile fighter.
A faint light flashed in Jiang Yun's eyes. He had already firmly locked onto the other party's figure. Xue Zhen's speed was not worth mentioning in his eyes.
"Boom—"
"What?"
After the loud bang, a surprised voice rang out. Everyone looked over, only to see that the expected scene of Jiang Yun being knocked down with one blow did not occur. Instead, the other party had caught Xue Zhen's fist with a single hand.
Looking at Jiang Yun's composed demeanor, it was clear he hadn't used his full strength.
Xue Zhen's feeling was even more intense. Looking at Jiang Yun's deep gaze from close range, a trace of fear inexplicably rose in his heart, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
"What a joke, how could I lose to you, a wet-behind-the-ears kid!"
As soon as the thought arose in his mind, Xue Zhen roared, lightning flashing fiercely in his eyes. His free right hand rapidly erupted with violent lightning, and a blue-purple great hammer, nearly half a zhang long, flashed into existence.
A Dou Master could form Dou Qi (Battle Qi) into a veil, a Dou Grandmaster could even manifest Dou Qi (Battle Qi) armor, and a Dou Ling (Battle Spirit) could condense Dou Qi (Battle Qi) into objects.
The weapons condensed by a Dou Ling (Battle Spirit) were sometimes sharper than some divine weapons. At this moment, the blue-purple great hammer in Xue Zhen's hand was condensed from Dou Qi (Battle Qi). Judging from the lightning flashing on it, its offensive power was extremely extraordinary.
Unfortunately, Jiang Yun's expression remained unchanged.
"Far from it!"
Jiang Yun smiled faintly as he watched the falling great hammer, condensing his own Dou Qi (Battle Qi) and punching out. Instantly, everyone felt the surrounding air become hot, and they swallowed with difficulty.
Is this a Dou Grandmaster?
"Boom—"
A thick white pillar of fire blasted towards Xue Zhen. The gradually distorted space clearly indicated the high temperature of the flames.
"Thunderstorm Flash!"
Xue Zhen's pupils suddenly contracted as he looked at the enormous pillar of fire. Then, his eyes sharpened, his entire body's Dou Qi (Battle Qi) surged, converging towards the hammer's body, and he slammed the hammer down towards Jiang Yun.
At this moment, the tall Xue Zhen, holding the giant hammer, with the hammer rendered in a brilliant blue-purple Dou Qi (Battle Qi), appeared like a thunder god, surging and manifesting with a wild, fierce aura.
"Rumble—"
In the arena, blue-purple lightning and white flames each occupied half the sky. At the point of collision, faint white mist continuously rose.
The mighty Dou Qi (Battle Qi) clashed in the field, erupting in a huge energy roar. The continuous ripples of energy spreading outwards forced the surrounding spectators to constantly retreat.
"This Jiang Yun is indeed not simple!" In a secluded spot in the distance, several figures quietly appeared. One of them, a young man in white, watched the two sides fighting in the arena, slightly tightening his grip on the armrest. Even he felt pressure from Jiang Yun.
"He does have some skill. It seems Xue Zhen is going to lose this time!" Another voice chimed in, with a hint of schadenfreude.
"Hmph—, Xue Zhen, that brainless fool, is nothing to worry about. Don't forget about that guy!" A lazy voice came out, full of apprehension when mentioning a certain person.
"Feng Wuhen, second on the Strong Rankings." The man who spoke earlier also said solemnly. After speaking, he looked at the white-clothed man in front of him and asked softly, "Brother Li, what is Feng Wuhen's current strength? Has he taken that step?"
The white-clothed man was none other than the current number one on the Strong Rankings, Li Lin, a Half-Step Dou Wang (Battle King).
And those who could stand with Li Lin were not simple individuals. If an older student from the Inner Court saw these people, they would be greatly astonished, because these people were all among the top ten on the Inner Court's Strong Rankings.
The lowest among them was a Nine-Star Dou Ling (Battle Spirit), and the stronger ones were peak Dou Ling (Battle Spirit) who had touched the barrier of Dou Wang (Battle King).
At this moment, Li Lin did not answer. Instead, after a moment of contemplation, he said, "He already reached Half-Step Dou Wang (Battle King) last year. At that time, I barely won by one move. If we fought again, I wouldn't be confident of winning against him. You also know that at our level, one might cross that threshold at any time."
"Then it seems our little prodigy is going to run into trouble!" A somewhat gleeful voice rang out, causing everyone to smile. Watching a show, they loved it the most!
With a violent impact, Xue Zhen's body trembled slightly, and he retreated repeatedly. At this moment, his figure was somewhat disheveled, his whole body scorched black, his hair slightly curled, looking like he had been burned.
"Hehe, good, you really have some skill, no wonder you're so arrogant." Raising his hand to wipe away the black 'mask' on his face, Xue Zhen's great hammer landed heavily on the ground with a loud thud. He gasped for a few breaths, then looked at Jiang Yun and sneered.
Jiang Yun's face was flushed, and his breathing was a little ragged. Although his cultivation method far surpassed the opponent's, the disparity in Dou Qi (Battle Qi) was still there. A Nine-Star Dou Grandmaster clashing head-on with an Eight-Star Dou Ling (Battle Spirit) still showed a gap.
Releasing a powerful Combat Skill all at once consumed a large amount of Jiang Yun's Dou Qi (Battle Qi), making his breathing somewhat erratic.
"Jiang Yun, I admit your strength, but... the gap in cultivation isn't that easy to bridge. You don't have much Dou Qi (Battle Qi) left, do you? Watch me finish you with one move!"
Looking at Jiang Yun, Xue Zhen smiled sinisterly. Xue Zhen saw Jiang Yun's weakness very clearly. The great hammer in his hand suddenly vibrated, and then the blue-purple lightning on it abruptly intensified. As the Dou Qi (Battle Qi) on the hammer became denser, Xue Zhen's hair also mysteriously stood on end, emitting bursts of lightning.
"Nine Movements of the Thunder Dragon!"
Jiang Yun's expression sharpened. Any Combat Skill with 'Dragon' in its name was bound to be extraordinary. He hadn't expected Xue Zhen to have such a trump card. However, he quickly relaxed, for he saw...
The Dou Qi (Battle Qi) around Xue Zhen rapidly churned, eventually faintly forming an energy Thunder Flood Dragon completely condensed from Dou Qi (Battle Qi).
There was a significant difference between a flood dragon and a True Dragon. Observing its aura, it should be a High Xuan Rank Combat Skill. If it was truly a Combat Skill created in imitation of a Thunder Dragon, it would certainly not be lower than Earth Rank.
The blue-purple energy Thunder Flood Dragon opened its enormous mouth, its sharp teeth reflecting a chilling, sinister gleam against the blue Dou Qi (Battle Qi). Its huge mouth held a thunderball composed entirely of lightning elements, leaving no doubt that if one were bitten by it, it would certainly be a fatal injury.
The Thunder Flood Dragon, over a zhang long, charged violently towards Jiang Yun. Through the slightly transparent Dou Qi (Battle Qi) flood dragon, one could still see Xue Zhen hidden behind it.
Jiang Yun took a deep breath, drawing in the fire elements between heaven and earth.
"This is... an Earth-rank Dou Technique?"
This sudden scene left the strong onlookers stunned. This Jiang Yun actually possessed an Earth-rank Dou Technique!
"No, it's an Earth Rank Cultivation Method!" Only Li Lin stared intently at Jiang Yun, his voice somewhat hoarse as he spoke. At this moment, even he felt a hint of jealousy towards the other party.
"Earth Rank Cultivation Method—"
The people around couldn't help but raise their voices, looking at Jiang Yun with some envy. Although Earth Rank Cultivation Methods and Earth-rank Dou Techniques were both Earth Rank, the former's preciousness was immeasurably greater than the latter's.
An Earth Rank Cultivation Method was a cultivation method that could be used until the Dou Zun (Battle Venerate) stage, and even Dou Zun (Battle Venerates) practiced it.
This alone showed its preciousness!