Chapter 28: Here Come the Provocateurs!
A trace of softness flickered through Jiang Yun's eyes. He nodded toward Elder Liu, cupped his fists in farewell, and strode swiftly toward the outside.
After Jiang Yun departed, Elder Liu watched his retreating figure. His expression instantly shifted. Clutching his chest with a pained expression, he gritted his teeth and said, "What a 'formidable' little girl. She hits so hard!" Having spoken, the gaze he cast in Jiang Yun's direction was brimming with envy.
The envy was genuine. Only at his age did one realize just how enviable it was to have, in one's youth, a childhood friend of peerless talent whose eyes were filled entirely with you. Had he possessed Jiang Yun's fortune and opportunity back then, how could he have remained stuck at the Dou Wang level for so many years?
Jiang Yun: ? (Eyes filled entirely with me? Isn't it the medicinal pellets instead?)
Walking along the road back to his dormitory, Jiang Yun furrowed his brows. His terrifying soul perception told him he had been tailed by several waves of people along this path, among them gazes brimming with ill intent.
It seemed some people were about to lose their patience!
After a twenty-minute journey, Jiang Yun gradually approached the new student residential area. As he slowly entered the residential zone, the empty, deserted path exuded an aura of solemn, deadly severity.
Suddenly, a figure came panting and running out from within the residential area. Spotting Jiang Yun, the person's face filled with anxiety and rushed over urgently, warning in a low voice, "Jiang Yun! Someone is coming to make trouble for you. Quickly, go outside and lay low for a while!"
"What happened?" Seeing the newcomer, Jiang Yun was somewhat surprised. This person was none other than Song Yun, the one he had defeated during the Inner Academy Selection Tournament—6-star Da Dou Shi, the former number one genius of the Outer Academy.
Pity, because he had run into Jiang Yun prematurely, his strength, which could have contended for first place in the Outer Academy, had been eliminated early. He lost the chance to enter the Library, missing out on a tremendous opportunity in vain.
Jiang Yun had never expected that the other would not harbor resentment against him, but instead come running to deliver a warning—doing something beyond the ordinary person.
"Some old students heard about your exploits and learned that you hold a massive amount of Fire Energy. So they've come to collect your 'new student tribute fee.'"
"Heh— not much ability, but plenty of tricks. Fire Energy, I have in spades. I'd like to see whether they have the skill to take it!" Having understood the full story, Jiang Yun was utterly unbothered, a cold sneer even surfacing on his face.
"Though it makes no difference either way, I still must thank you for bringing this warning. I don't like owing people favors. This is a token of thanks."
Turning his head to look at Song Yun, Jiang Yun spoke calmly. He produced a jade bottle, placed it in Song Yun's hand, then lifted his foot and walked toward his dormitory.
"Jiang Yun... this is...?" Song Yun reached out, wanting to grab Jiang Yun. Yet the other seemed to perceive his intent. With a flicker of his form, Jiang Yun had already vanished from sight. Puzzled, Song Yun looked at the jade bottle in his hand. Wispy strands of medicinal fragrance wafted out from within.
Curious, he opened the jade bottle. Instantly, a dense, rich cyan pill fragrance slowly rose and billowed upward, finally, like a sentient cloud of mist, forming a patch of cyan misty clouds above Song Yun's head.
Song Yun was slightly alarmed at the sight and hurriedly capped the jade bottle. His eyes couldn't help but dart around, scanning his surroundings. Only after confirming that no one had witnessed the scene just now did he finally relax.
He gently reopened the jade bottle. That dense, rich pill fragrance assailed him once more. It actually made his Dou Qi circulation speed up by quite a bit! Fixing his gaze downward, a cyan pill, the size of a dragon's eye fruit, lay quietly at the bottom of the jade bottle.
"What pill is this? It actually accelerated my Dou Qi circulation by at least thirty percent! A pill effective on a Da Dou Shi has to be at least tier 3." Song Yun's voice, tinged with shock and doubt, rang out. "Could it be that Jiang Yun is also a tier 3 alchemist?"
"Hiss—"
Song Yun was instantly frightened by his own speculation, sharply inhaling a breath of cold air. He looked at the jade bottle in his hand, his eyes struggling. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly bolted toward Jiang Yun's dormitory.
By now, Jiang Yun had already arrived at the entrance of his own dormitory. A dense, dark mass of people was already gathered there. Among them were quite a few familiar faces—the new students of this batch.
Strangely, in such a noisy, chaotic environment, why was Zi Yan nowhere to be seen? Hadn't it been said that she was back?
If Zi Yan were here, these people would probably have been tossed back one by one before they could even get close.
"Gang Leader, Jiang Yun's here!" Someone with sharp eyes spotted Jiang Yun's arrival and sidled up beside a burly, bearded man who was resting with his eyes closed, speaking in a low voice.
The man opened his eyes and immediately locked onto Jiang Yun's figure. His gaze ceaselessly sized the other up, as if trying to see what was so special about him to be praised and hyped so highly.
Yet, looking at Jiang Yun's 'short and small' stature, a look of contempt surfaced in the man's eyes. He sneered derisively, "So you're Jiang Yun? I don't see what's so special about you."
"I heard you defeated those two worthless failures, Sun Hai and Wu Qiu. Brat, the Inner Academy is no place for children playing house. Now that you're here, you have to follow the Inner Academy's rules."
"I won't make this hard for you. Hand over one thousand Fire Energy as the new student tribute fee. From now on, you're a member of my Snow Wolf Gang. I, Xue Zhen, will cover you!"
Hearing Xue Zhen's words, the people around him chimed in one after another.
"Gang Leader speaks true! Jiang Yun, for the Gang Leader to take a liking to you is your good fortune. Hurry up and obediently hand over the Fire Energy. From now on, we're all family."
"That's right, that's right. Our Snow Wolf Gang isn't something just anyone can join. For him to fancy you—that's your blessing. Hurry up and thank him!"
"Big Brother Xue is a 7-star Dou Ling, a top twenty-five existence on the Strong Ranking! To earn Big Brother Xue's regard, you should be secretly laughing with glee!"
"..."
One persuasive exhortation after another rang out, as if they truly had Jiang Yun's best interests at heart. Yet the greed in their eyes could not be concealed no matter what.
"Are you done?" Jiang Yun watched this 'farce' with an indifferent, detached gaze and spoke slowly.
"Hm?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Jiang Yun's attitude caught Xue Zhen somewhat off guard. He frowned, staring at Jiang Yun, and spoke with a chilling voice. An aura of ferocious savagery, as if ready to devour someone whole, radiated from his entire being.
"What I mean is—leave your Fire Energy cards behind. You can all get lost now!" Jiang Yun paid no mind whatsoever to the other's imposing aura, as if speaking of a matter too trivial to be worth mentioning.
"Heh..."
"It's been quite a while since anyone dared to provoke me like this. Jiang Yun, in a moment, let's hope your bones are as tough as your mouth."
Xue Zhen's face was now so darkly overcast it could practically drip water. He let out a mocking laugh and stomped heavily forward with one foot. A low, rumbling boom resounded. Bluish-purple Dou Qi violently surged out from within his body. As the Dou Qi churned and roiled, it was as viscous as seawater, surging and rolling around his entire body.
A powerful, formidable aura permeated this clearing.
"Rushing Thunder Fist!"
Along with Xue Zhen's furious roar, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. A fierce, sharp bolt of lightning rapidly expanded in Jiang Yun's vision. Xue Zhen's figure flickered and had already vanished from his original spot.
It was truly difficult to imagine—this brawny, muscular man was actually an agility-type combatant.
A dark, profound light flickered through Jiang Yun's eyes. He had already firmly locked onto the other's figure. Xue Zhen's speed was not even worth mentioning in his eyes.
"Boom—"
"What?!"
After the deafening boom, a voice of shock and bewilderment rang out. Everyone looked over and saw that the anticipated scene—Jiang Yun being flattened by a single strike—had not occurred. Instead, the other had caught Xue Zhen's fist with a single hand.
Judging by Jiang Yun's completely at-ease expression, he clearly hadn't even used his full strength.
And Xue Zhen's own sensations were even more intense. Looking at Jiang Yun's deep, profound eyes from such close range, a fear he couldn't explain rose unbidden from the depths of his heart. A bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead.
"Are you joking?! How could I possibly lose to a wet-behind-the-ears little brat like you!"
The moment this thought surfaced in his mind, Xue Zhen let out a furious roar. His eyes flashed with fierce, sharp lightning. In his free right hand, violent, surging lightning rapidly erupted. A blue-purple great hammer, nearly half a zhang in length, flashed into existence.
A Dou Shi could already condense Dou Qi into gauze. A Da Dou Shi could even materialize Dou Qi armor. A Dou Ling could accomplish Dou Qi congealing into solid objects.
The weapons condensed by a Dou Ling were sometimes sharper than even divine weapons and sharp blades. At this moment, the blue-purple great hammer in Xue Zhen's hand was precisely a construct of condensed Dou Qi. Judging by the arcs of lightning flickering upon it, its offensive power was extraordinarily formidable.
Pity, Jiang Yun's expression did not shift in the slightest.
"Far from enough!"
Jiang Yun smiled faintly, watching the descending great hammer. He gathered his own Dou Qi and punched out. In that instant, everyone felt the surrounding air grow scorching and parched. They swallowed with difficulty.
This was a Da Dou Shi?!
"Boom—"
A thick, massive pillar of white flame blasted toward Xue Zhen. The gradually distorting space was an unmistakable testament to the flame's terrifying heat.
"Thunder Flash!"
Watching the colossal pillar of flame, Xue Zhen's pupils abruptly constricted. Immediately, his gaze sharpened viciously. Dou Qi surged through his entire body, converging toward the hammer's head. With a violent heave, he brought the hammer crashing down upon Jiang Yun.
At this moment, the towering Xue Zhen, great hammer in hand, his weapon bathed in the deep blue-purple hue of his Dou Qi, looked like a thunder god descending amid the lightning, rolling and surging into view. His berserk, violent aura carried a thick, murderous ferocity.
"Rumble—"
In the arena, blue-purple lightning and white flame each occupied half the sky. Where the two forces collided, faint wisps of white mist continuously rose and billowed.
Majestic, surging Dou Qi clashed violently in the field, erupting with world-shaking booms of energy. The ceaselessly spreading ripples of energy force forced the spectating crowd back again and again.
"This Jiang Yun truly is anything but simple!" In a distant, concealed location, several figures had silently appeared. Among them, a young man in white robes watched the two sides clashing in the arena, his hand unconsciously tightening on the railing. Even he could feel the pressure emanating from Jiang Yun.
"He indeed has some skill. That Xue Zhen is probably going to fall this time!" Another voice rang out, its tone carrying a note of delighted schadenfreude.
"Hmph— that brainless Xue Zhen is no cause for concern. Don't forget, there's still that guy!" A lazy, languid voice drifted out. When mentioning a certain someone, its tone was full of wariness and dread.
"Feng Wuhen. Ranked second on the Strong Ranking." The man who had spoken earlier also spoke with solemn gravity. Having spoken, he looked toward the young man in white at the front and asked softly, "Brother Li, what is Feng Wuhen's current strength now? Has he taken that step yet?"
The young man in white was none other than the current number one on the Strong Ranking: Li Lin, half-step Dou Wang.
And those qualified to stand beside Li Lin were, likewise, far from ordinary people. If an Inner Academy old student saw this group, they would certainly be greatly shocked—for these people were all existences within the top ten of the Inner Academy's Strong Ranking.
The weakest among them were all 9-star Dou Ling. The stronger ones were peak Dou Ling, already brushing against the barrier to Dou Wang.
At this moment, Li Lin did not answer. Instead, after a moment of contemplation, he spoke. "Last year, he had already reached half-step Dou Wang. Back then, I only defeated him by a razor-thin margin, a single move. If we fought again, I would not be confident of victory. You all know as well as I do—at our realm, one never knows when they might cross that threshold."
"Then it seems our little monster might be running into some trouble!" A voice full of delighted schadenfreude rang out, making everyone break into amused grins. Watching a good show—that was their absolute favorite pastime!
With a violent, explosive crash of the impact, Xue Zhen's body jolted. He stumbled backward repeatedly. At this moment, his figure was somewhat battered and disheveled. His entire body was scorched black, his hair slightly curled and singed—the very picture of a fire victim.
"Heh heh! Fine! You really do have some skill. No wonder you're so arrogant." Raising a hand to wipe the black 'face mask' off, Xue Zhen let his great hammer crash heavily to the ground with a thunderous boom. He panted fiercely for several breaths, then looked at Jiang Yun and sneered coldly.
Jiang Yun's complexion was somewhat flushed, his breathing a bit erratic. Though his cultivation art far surpassed the opponent's, the gap in Dou Qi cultivation was still there, plain for all to see. A 9-star Da Dou Shi and an 8-star Dou Ling clashing head-on—the gap still existed.
Unleashing a massively powerful Dou Technique in one go had consumed a great deal of Jiang Yun's Dou Qi, leaving his aura disheveled and disordered.
"Jiang Yun! I acknowledge your strength! But... the gap in cultivation isn't so easily erased! You're nearly out of Dou Qi inside that body of yours, aren't you? Watch me finish you in one move!"
Gazing at Jiang Yun, Xue Zhen smiled sinisterly. Jiang Yun's weakness was something Xue Zhen could also see very clearly. The great hammer in his hand suddenly quivered. Then, the blue-purple lightning upon it abruptly flared with great intensity. And as the Dou Qi on the hammer's body intensified, Xue Zhen's hair eerily stood on end, radiating bursts of lightning and electric light.
"Thunder Dragon Nine Movements!"
Jiang Yun's expression sharpened. Any Dou Technique whose name carried the character 'dragon' was definitely no ordinary thing. He hadn't expected Xue Zhen to still have such a hidden trump card. But very quickly, he relaxed once more. What he saw was...
The Dou Qi around Xue Zhen was churning and roiling at high speed. Toward the end, it faintly, indistinctly formed an energy thunder flood dragon completely condensed and manifested from Dou Qi!
The gap between a flood dragon and a true dragon was not small at all. Judging by its aura, this should be a Mysterious Class High-tier Dou Technique. Had it truly been a Dou Technique modeled after a true Thunder Dragon, it would definitely not be lower than Earth Class.
The giant energy-formed thunder flood dragon of blue-purple hue opened its massive maw wide. Its sharp, keen teeth, against the backdrop of blue Dou Qi, reflected a cold, sinister, bone-chilling gleam. Within its enormous mouth rested a thunder orb composed entirely of lightning elements. No one doubted for a moment that if this thing bit down, the damage would absolutely be fatal.
The thunder flood dragon, a full zhang and more in length, charged furiously at Jiang Yun. Piercing through the faintly translucent Dou Qi flood dragon, one could still see Xue Zhen hidden behind it.
Jiang Yun took a deep breath. The fire element between heaven and earth was drawn over by him.
"This is... an Earth Class Dou Technique?!"
This sudden, abrupt scene stunned the gathered watching experts. That Jiang Yun truly possessed an Earth Class Dou Technique!
"No... it's an Earth Class Cultivation Art!" Only Li Lin fixed his burning, blazing gaze dead on Jiang Yun. His voice was somewhat hoarse as he spoke. At this moment, even he felt a twinge of envy toward the other.
"An Earth Class Cultivation Art—"
The people around him couldn't help but raise their voices, gazing at Jiang Yun with envy. An Earth Class Cultivation Art and an Earth Class Dou Technique—though both were Earth Class, the preciousness of the former surpassed the latter by an unknown margin.
An Earth Class Cultivation Art was something that could be used all the way into the Dou Zun level—something even Dou Zuns would still cultivate!
This alone spoke volumes of its value!
(End of Chapter)