Word Count: 2,191 Words

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  First Elder Su Qian noticed that Xiao Yan's body and appearance began to exhibit features characteristic of magical beasts. His expression grew solemn as he muttered to himself, "The Ten Thousand Beast Fme can strengthen the flesh and blood of magical beasts, enhancing their bloodlines and physiques. I never thought it could work on humans as well."

  "Again!" Xiao Yan let out a long howl. The illusory figure of the Eight-Winged Fme Demon Tiger behind him roared in unison. The Ten Thousand Beast Fme poured forth with overwhelming power in an instant. Scales like those of a magical beast sprouted all over his body as he underwent a transformation.

  In the eyes of everyone present, a massive Eight-Winged Fme Demon Tiger sprawled across the square, gring intently at Zi Yan's petite figure in the sky.

  "What... what is that? Why do I feel like Xiao Yan has summoned a demon tiger?" The illusory figure of the Eight-Winged Fme Demon Tiger behind Xiao Yan appeared so real that it startled everyone.

  After all, the original Eight-Winged Fme Demon Tiger was a Rank 7 magical beast. Although none of them had ever seen one, the tiger before their eyes looked incredibly lifelike.

  "Could this be another powerful Di Css Dou Technique?"

  ROAR!!

  A tiger's roar shook the sky.

  The fme beast formed by the Ten Thousand Beast Fme let out a resounding roar. Xiao Yan's wings vibrated in the next second as a pair of blood-red tiger cws struck toward Zi Yan from both sides. These tiger cws carried a terrifying high temperature, causing even the sunlight to distort. An ordinary Dou King would find it difficult to withstand this strike and might be smashed into pulp by the cws.

  "Ha!" Zi Yan let out a loud shout. Her body emitted a faint purple glow as she thrust out a palm with each hand to the left and right. A pair of invisible spatial hands appeared instantly. Two loud booms resounded as Zi Yan maniputed Spatial Strength to block Xiao Yan's twin cws. The Eight-Winged Fme Demon Tiger's cws couldn't advance even half an inch.

  Crack! Crack! Crack!

  The tiger cws exerted force at this moment. Even space itself was unable to withstand the pressure under the full power of the Ten Thousand Beast Fme and showed signs of melting.

  In that split second, a pair of fme wings whipped over at incredible speed, so fast that Zi Yan had no time to dodge. The fme wings struck her with a crisp 'bang,' and her whole body was whipped down from the sky, crashing into the square and creating a rge pit.

  But in the next moment, a fsh of purple light emerged from within the pit. Zi Yan wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, bent her legs slightly, and shot up into the sky like a cannonball with a loud 'boom.'

  Her hands were enveloped in purple light. Each punch and palm strike maniputed Spatial Strength as she fought. Intangible Spatial Strength cshed fiercely with Xiao Yan's Heavenly Fme power.

  Xiao Yan had long grown accustomed to Zi Yan's mysterious bloodline strength.

  They battled from the sky to the ground in an incredibly intense fight. A single cw swipe from the fme tiger formed by the Ten Thousand Beast Fme could melt the earth, while Zi Yan's elusive Spatial Strength was equally unpredictable. Both sides fought until blood spttered.

  This battle stirred the hearts of all who watched. The audience was utterly captivated. For everyone present, including the Dou King elders, this was undoubtedly the most magnificent battle they had ever witnessed.

  "Both of them are exceptional talents of their generation. I fear they represent the strongest pinnacle in the history of our Jia Nan Academy!"

  Even Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan of the Outer Academy couldn't help but marvel as he watched this earth-shattering battle with his peak Dou Emperor strength. He had to acknowledge the formidable strength of both Xiao Yan and Zi Yan.

  Even members of the Splitting Mountain and the White Gang couldn't help but feel admiration upon witnessing the strength Xiao Yan dispyed, despite usually being at odds with him. Lin Xiuya and Liu Qing simply couldn't be mentioned in the same breath as these two.

  "The most spectacur battle in the history of the Inner Academy."

  "Unprecedented, and perhaps never to be surpassed."

  After dozens of intense exchanges, a fsh of purple light suddenly appeared in Zi Yan's eyes. She let out a roar that produced a sonic attack simir to the 'Ancient Dragon Roar,' causing Xiao Yan's soul to tremble.

  In a fsh, she appeared behind Xiao Yan, csped her hands together to form a hammer, and smashed it down onto his back.

  This extremely tyrannical and heavy hammer seemed to gather an unparalleled amount of Spatial Strength in that split second. The terrifying blow shattered the illusory figure of the Eight-Winged Fme Demon Tiger and sent Xiao Yan plummeting from the sky into the center of the square.

  BOOM!!!

  The rge pit from before expanded even further. Dust and smoke billowed instantly, and rocks flew in all directions.

  Fortunately, the square was surrounded by protective barriers. Otherwise, the flying debris alone could have injured the spectators.

  "Don't worry; Xiao Yan ge-ge has many trump cards," Xun Er comforted the nervous Xiao Yu beside her.

  Moments ter, the dust settled. The Ten Thousand Beast Fme had vanished, his Mad Lion Chant had been broken, and the illusory figure of the Eight-Winged Fme Demon Tiger had disappeared. Xiao Yan revealed his original appearance as he stood in the rge pit. He spread his Eagle Wings with a wave of his hand and soared once again into the air.

  Xiao Yan had undoubtedly suffered a big loss just now. Zi Yan's powerful spatial strike had not only shattered the Beast Spirit manifestation formed by the Ten Thousand Beast Fme but had also torn his back open, with blood flowing profusely.

  Opposite him, Zi Yan looked somewhat disheveled, although she had not sustained any major injuries.

  "Hey, Xiao Yan, do you want to take a pill to heal your wounds?" Zi Yan asked. She was still a bit afraid that Xiao Yan might refuse to refine pills for her, forcing her to return to the days of consuming bitter medicinal ingredients.

  Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Regardless of the outcome, I will still refine pills for you. Use your full strength without worry."

  "Besides, you're underestimating me."

  A white fme ignited on Xiao Yan's back. From a distance, it seemed as though his back was on fire. Soon, the torn and bloody wounds on his back visibly began to heal and close up.

  The Life Fme rapidly healed his injuries. Xiao Yan took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Zi Yan. At this moment, his gaze was profound, his expression calm, his whole being as tranquil as an ancient well.

  For a strong fighter like him, the stronger the opponent, the calmer he became, and the more his fighting spirit soared.

  "Hehe, that's more like it, Xiao-Yan-Zi." Zi Yan's entire being exuded a majestic aura. At this moment, she was like a boundless ocean, her strength unfathomable.

  With a buzz, light fshed from Xiao Yan's storage ring, and the Heavy Xuan Ruler appeared in his hand. The ruler immediately gave off a sense of immense weight that could suppress the world as he grasped it. At this moment, he wielded the Heavy Xuan Ruler, heavy as a great mountain.

  "I'm going to use a weapon now," Xiao Yan said, holding the Heavy Xuan Ruler.

  "You know what my weapon is."

  Zi Yan's small pink fists bumped against each other, emitting metallic cngs. Her body was her strongest weapon.

  Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. The ruler moved, stirring wind and clouds. Countless people gasped in amazement with the emergence of the Heavy Xuan Ruler. This casual downward strike from Xiao Yan already dispyed the skill of a grandmaster!

  Even though Xiao Yan didn't have any ruler-based Dou Techniques, he had been wielding the Heavy Xuan Ruler since he was young. After years of continuous practice, every swing had reached the pinnacle of proficiency.

  Zi Yan faced Xiao Yan's strike. Her fists were like cannons as she met the Heavy Xuan Ruler head-on.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Sounds of collision echoed as the battle reignited.

  Despite Zi Yan's petite body, her small pink fists produced deep, resonant sounds when they collided with the Heavy Xuan Ruler.

  Sparks flew in all directions as fists and ruler cshed, clearly visible to the spectators below.

  "Senior Sister Zi Yan is truly terrifying, contending against a weapon with just her body!"

  "But even so, Xiao Yan isn't falling behind; he's holding his own."

  "No, Xiao Yan is using a Secret Technique to forcibly elevate his strength to the Dou King realm. In other words, he still needs to defeat Senior Sister Zi Yan within a limited time."

  Zi Yan was using her fists, making her movements even more agile. She punched the Heavy Xuan Ruler, deflected it, and used incredible speed to throw a punch toward Xiao Yan's chest.

  But Xiao Yan was no ordinary person either. The ruler trembled; he moved with it, easily dodging Zi Yan's heavy punch.

  For a time, the two battled fiercely in an incredibly spectacur dispy. One wielded the Heavy Xuan Ruler with grand, sweeping motions; the other unleashed punches like a storm. They exchanged blows back and forth, creating continuous thunderous sounds.

  Waves of impact from high in the sky spread to the spectator stands. The terrifying energy produced by their collisions even made the broken stones on the ground tremble, and the very earth shook!

  Gripping the Heavy Xuan Ruler, Xiao Yan finally unleashed his full power. He seemed invincible, extremely impressive. Even First Elder Su Qian couldn't help but nod secretly, marveling at the immense effort Xiao Yan must have invested in mastering the heavy ruler.

  "I can sense that behind those swings of the heavy ruler are countless years of hard work," Liu Qing, who also used weapons, commented, his eyes fshing with admiration.

  "Indeed, those aren't casual swings. Without painstaking practice, such mastery is impossible," Lin Xiuya agreed with a nod.

  Xiao Yan's ruler techniques were incredibly impressive, leaving those who also practiced with weapons in awe. The mastery reflected in his swings, if not unparalleled, was still exceedingly rare.

  Finally, after a prolonged stalemate, Xiao Yan sensed that the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change was nearing its end. He let out a long shout and swept the Heavy Xuan Ruler horizontally to force Zi Yan back. The Heavy Xuan Ruler in his hands began to turn crimson in that instant.

  "Xiao Yan is finally going to use his trump card!" Many people present were stirred seeing the Heavy Xuan Ruler turning red. Some powerful individuals even keenly sensed the energy of the world frantically converging, all pouring into the ruler.

  They understood that Xiao Yan's Di Css Dou Technique was coming!

  Fme Splitting Tsunami—Ten Thousand Beast Fme Wave!

  With a shout in his heart, Xiao Yan chopped down with the Heavy Xuan Ruler. A series of ringing sounds erupted as the ruler's radiance dazzled like sunlight descending upon the world. The majestic ruler light surged overwhelmingly toward Zi Yan.

  Facing a Di Css Dou Technique, even Zi Yan didn't dare take it lightly. As the ruler light approached, she let out a long roar. Her entire body erupted with a purple glow. Her fists shone brilliantly as an inexplicable, terrifying power gathered within them.

  She threw out a punch. Surprisingly, the faint sound of a dragon's roar could be heard from her fist. It was as if a true dragon had unleashed a punch. The world was submerged in purple light in an instant.

  The purple-glowing fist cshed head-on with the Heavenly Fme-imbued Fme Splitting Tsunami!

  BOOM!!

  It was as if the sun had exploded. Zi Yan's fist force was melted by the Ten Thousand Beast Fme, but Xiao Yan's Fme Splitting Tsunami was also bsted through, leaving a rge hole in its center.

  As the sea of fmes dissipated and the purple light vanished, Xiao Yan exhaled a breath, slowly descended from the sky, and retracted his Eagle Wings. His Dou Qi was nearly exhausted after unleashing the Fme Splitting Tsunami and consuming a rge amount of Heavenly Fme, and the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change was about to end.

  Zi Yan also nded back on the square. A slight sheen of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her breathing began to quicken. Her physical strength was simirly greatly depleted.

  However, since Zi Yan wasn't boosting her strength using a Secret Technique, she had more endurance.

  "This is a Dou Technique I created myself, and it's also my final move." Xiao Yan opened his palm as a blood-red fme emerged from his core.

  First Elder Su Qian's expression turned solemn when he saw the appearance of that fme. Although the fme looked small, it was the Essence Fme of the Ten Thousand Beast Fme!

  Heavenly Fme Dou Technique—Beast Spirit Descent!