Chapter 25

Li Hao and Chu Junliang exchanged a glance, then simultaneously charged out of the ranks, joining forces to rush toward Xiao Li.

The blade in Li Hao's hand flashed, "Junior brother, sorry to offend!"

"Xuan-rank intermediate fighting technique, Ice Spirit Sword Whirl!"

Flames flickered on Chu Junliang's fists; the exploding fire formed a trail, with puffs of thick smoke rising.

"Xuan-rank intermediate fighting technique, Molten Magma Burst!"

The cold ice and flames assailed him, a powerful energy surge rolled up the thick smoke over the plaza, Xiao Li sank his stance, stabilizing his center of gravity.

"Fortunately I acquired a powerful fighting technique; otherwise I truly could not contend with these two peers of the same rank."

Xiao Li's battle qi rapidly drained, almost instantly emptying thirty percent of his internal battle qi.

The thunder-scale spear's tip blossomed, thunder and lightning surged, streaks of current reached their peak.

"Xuan-rank advanced fighting technique, Xuan Lightning Shock Thunder Flash!"

Lightning burst forth, blue thunderbolts shot straight to the horizon; during this period Xiao Li poured nearly all his energy into this technique, today it finally erupted fully, letting everyone present witness what is called "thunderous might"!

The fish-shaped shadow on the thunder-scale spear flickered, seeming about to break free; the scales on it grew clearer, and the carp's whiskers at its mouth became finer and tougher.

The fish shadow stirred wind and cloud, Xiao Li's figure shot upward, thrusting the spear down to pierce the cold ice and flames.

Lightning shielded his body; the thunder-scale spear turned into a piercing sharpness that broke through myriad obstacles, advancing irresistibly!

The cold ice shattered, the flames vanished, only the lightning remained strong!

A flicker of disbelief crossed Li Hao's eyes, "You're not a newly promoted Dou Shi, but a two-star peak!"

Lightning flashed, Li Hao's words dissipated in the air, leaving only two somewhat scorched silhouettes collapsed where they stood.

The entire arena fell silent; the people in the ring stared at Xiao Li in disbelief.

One against two, did he win?

He won!

The few veteran students who had rallied to Xiao Li felt their hearts almost leap out; they never expected he would truly block the attack, not only block it but also injure Li Hao and Chu Junliang!

"Cough, cough." Li Hao struggled to his feet, the wounds on his body covered in scorch, blood even unable to flow.

"Junior brother, impressive skill, I, Li Hao, admire you."

Having spoken, Li Hao quickly retreated, distancing himself from Xiao Li.

Li Hao still had the strength for one more fight; he understood that if he continued to deadlock with Xiao Li, let alone the reward for most defeats, it was uncertain whether he could even hold a top-five spot, after all many still feared his strength, and if he weakened, someone would surely kick him while he's down.

Chu Junliang was the same, silently rising and retreating; today Xiao Li's strength had completely convinced him, having refined a Xuan-rank advanced fighting technique to such a degree, truly a genius.

Not only did Xiao Li's martial talent make Chu Junliang feel ashamed, his solid and profound battle energy cultivation likewise shocked him.

"What a monster—obviously so talented, yet he can still calm down to temper his battle qi; I am no match for him."

The two were defeated; this battle hardly had any suspense left, and with a few helpers, Xiao Li need no longer fear being ganged up on.

Li Hao and Chu Junliang had eliminated a few people; others fought each other, eliminating some more; now only thirty-two remained on the field.

Xiao Li no longer waited; now was the best opportunity.

His long spear waved continuously, lightning constantly poured into the thunder-scale spear.

The fish-shaped shadow on the thunder-scale spear grew ever clearer and more lively; Xiao Li's eyes flashed with curiosity, but he had no time to dwell on it, deciding in his heart to ask Hu Qian after the fight.

When only three remained in the arena, Xiao Li lowered his spear and stood firm; after confirming he had defeated thirteen opponents and secured first place, he ceased fighting, leaving the others to vie for the remaining two top-five spots.

Li Hao and Chu Junliang exchanged bitter smiles; finally Chu Junliang willingly withdrew first, taking third place in this selection tournament.

Li Hao bowed with admiration and said, "Junior brother, your strength is truly astonishing; senior here wishes you, upon entering the inner court, uninterrupted success and a rise to first place!"

Xiao Li returned the smile with a bow, "Thank you for the courtesy."

Li Hao smiled, then said nothing more, simply walking off the stage by himself; he accepted his defeat wholeheartedly.

Seeing only Xiao Li left in the arena, Hu Qian spread his wings, rose, and landed in the center of the ring to announce the result.

"The first place in this elimination round goes to Yellow Rank Class One, Xiao Li!"

As his words fell, applause thundered across the venue; this was the sole occasion where a freshman had taken first place in the selection tournament.

After the applause subsided somewhat, Hu Qian gestured with both hands, signaling everyone to quiet down.

"Tomorrow, the top five students of the selection tournament come to my place; I will take you to select fighting techniques."

Having spoken, Hu Qian turned his gaze to Xiao Li, "Come with me; I have prepared your reward."

Xiao Li followed Hu Qian out of the arena, a sense of anticipation rising in his heart; a fourth-tier elixir would surely greatly boost his strength, giving him extra confidence in the upcoming inner-court fire-energy hunting tournament.

In the fire-energy hunting tournament there are senior students with Dou Ling strength; Xiao Li now asks himself it is absolutely impossible for him to possess Dou Ling strength, at most he could only defend himself.

In Hu Qian's office, Xiao Li and Hu Qian took their seats; this time little Hu Jia was not present.

Hu Qian knew Xiao Li was anxious, so he didn't beat around the bush, directly producing a box from his spatial ring.

As soon as the box appeared, waves of medicinal fragrance assailed him; Xiao Li smelled it and felt his cultivation advance a notch.

Xiao Li's face broke into a smile; he took the box and opened it to reveal a cyan pill bearing two lines, upon which were one yellow and one red stripe, looking exceedingly alluring.

"Dean, what is this!"

Xiao Li's breathing grew heavy; he had already recognized what kind of pill this was.

Hu Qian nodded with a smile, "Correct, this is a Two-Stripe Azure Spirit Pill; it can raise your strength by two stars, although there is a certain chance of backlash, but this pill's quality is excellent; given your foundation, it should not fail."

A spark of fervor flashed in Xiao Li's eyes; this pill could save him half a year of arduous cultivation.

"Kid, thank you, Dean."

Xiao Li rose solemnly and bowed.

Hu Qian nodded, then added, "It's just a pity that after taking this pill you cannot consume the higher-grade Three-Stripe Azure Spirit Pill; that's a bit regrettable, though I doubt anyone in this world could master the refinement of three kinds of flame."

Xiao Li nodded, yet in his heart he knew his younger third brother could do so in the future.

"Dean, the student still has one matter to ask."

Hu Qian raised his brows, "It's rare for a genius to still have doubts; go ahead and ask."

Xiao Li drew his Thunder Scale Spear, waves of thunder and lightning howled in his ears; looking at the increasingly lively wandering fish on it, he asked, "I want to know what's going on with the wandering fish on my spear—it seems to help me fight."

Hu Qian's eyes showed astonishment, "Back then, from far away I couldn't see it, but now looking closely, this really is a fine spear."

"Any good weapon will develop a spirit; when the spirit becomes strong enough it takes on a tangible form—your weapon is exactly that." Hu Qian continued explaining.

Hu Qian stroked his chin and said, "What an impressive spear—rare, truly rare."

Good things come in pairs; Xiao Li could hardly conceal his joy, "Thank you for letting me know, Dean."

Hu Qian waved his hand and said, "Your artifact spirit is quite high‑grade; I see it hasn't reached its complete form yet—it's only assisting in battle now, and I don't know what it will become later."

Hu Qian sighed, "Maybe this is what a genius is like—his cultivation, weapon, and disposition far surpass those of his peers; others with a single strength can outshine their contemporaries, but a true monster is one who has mastered everything, so it's no wonder that Li Hao and Chu Junliang together still aren't a match for Xiao Li."

It's not just a difference between one star and two stars.

(End of chapter)