A clearing was soon made in the temporary camp.
Even the corpse of the Third-Rank Magical Beast, which had drawn so much attention before, now went unnoticed.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two figures standing opposite each other in the clearing.
Besides the students, several instructors had also hurried over after hearing the news, their gazes filled with curiosity.
They were all clearly eager to see whether this student possessed the formidable strength Instructor Lin had described.
Xiao Yao stood in the clearing and flipped his wrist, producing his fiery-red spear.
Liu Qing likewise took out a heavy sword.
But when he saw Xiao Yao's utterly calm expression, his heart skipped a beat:
Why is he still so calm? Is he still putting on a brave front?
Liu Qing felt a little uneasy.
After all, this challenge had been agreed upon before numerous students and several instructors. If he ultimately failed to keep his promise, the academy might even hold him accountable.
After all, if an instructor could not even keep his word, what else could anyone expect of him?
If he really let this kid withstand three moves, he would have to pay three Profound Tier Cultivation Methods or Dou Techniques.
At the thought of that possibility, Liu Qing's expression grew grave.
He might have agreed in a moment of impulse earlier.
But when he realized that the price of that impulse was three Profound Tier Cultivation Methods or Dou Techniques, he felt some regret.
No, that won't happen. He's so young; there's no way he can be all that strong!
Liu Qing kept reassuring himself.
The person presiding over the challenge was Instructor Lin Gao from before. He was the strongest among the instructors, having reached the level of a Nine-Star Great Dou Master.
Even if something unexpected happened in the clearing, he would be able to respond quickly.
Instructor Lin Gao glanced at the two men on either side of him and announced the start of the challenge.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Liu Qing abruptly raised the heavy sword in his hand. A fiery-red Magic Core was embedded in its hilt.
When he channeled his Dou Qi, the entire heavy sword shone with a fiery-red Dou Qi radiance.
Liu Qing burst forward, his figure shooting toward Xiao Yao like an arrow loosed from a bow.
The fiery-red radiance on the heavy sword abruptly gathered into a thick layer of sword force that coated the blade. He had clearly used a Dou Technique of considerable power.
Sensing the terrifying force of the attack, the spectators could not help looking grim, and the surrounding students cried out in alarm.
Deep concern appeared in the eyes of some of the female students.
After all, Xiao Yao was handsome and tall, and quite easy to like.
Instructor Lin Gao immediately gathered his Dou Qi and cursed inwardly. Has Liu Qing gone mad? How dare he use a Dou Technique against a new student!
If the student showed any sign of being unable to withstand it, he would intervene.
Faced with the terrifying blow, Xiao Yao showed not the slightest fear.
Dou Qi surged wildly into the fiery-red spear in his hand, and a brilliant light gathered at its tip.
The sudden light made Liu Qing close his eyes instinctively, but he immediately used his soul perception to sense Xiao Yao's situation.
To his shock, however, he could not directly perceive Xiao Yao with his soul perception. That meant Xiao Yao's soul perception was stronger than his.
Liu Qing was decisive. Realizing that this brief instant might allow Xiao Yao to move from his position, he instantly changed his heavy downward chop into a horizontal slash.
The fiery-red heavy sword, coated in thick sword force, swept across, but he felt no impact whatsoever.
At the same time, Xiao Yao's voice reached his ears.
"One move."
Liu Qing's pupils contracted. He snapped his eyes open and instinctively moved his heavy sword to block at his side.
Clang!
The deafening sound rang through the temporary camp.
The spear tip struck the heavy sword fiercely, shattering the thick layer of sword force coating it!
A terrifying force passed through the sword, and Liu Qing could only use his body to withstand its impact.
He slid nearly ten feet sideways, carving two deep furrows into the ground before he finally steadied himself.
So strong!
Liu Qing was startled. He had not expected Xiao Yao's strength to be so terrifying.
The many students and instructors watching were all stunned. With one blow, he had shattered the sword force a Da Dou Shi had coated his heavy sword with!
With strength like that, never mind withstanding three moves from Liu Qing, he might even be able to defeat Liu Qing head-on!
Liu Qing forcibly suppressed his shock, realizing that he had to give it his all.
Their earlier agreement had not said that Xiao Yao could only receive attacks and could not strike back.
If he were defeated before the three moves were over, it would be far more than an ordinary humiliation.
At that thought, Dou Qi erupted from Liu Qing's body, covering him in a layer of fiery-red Dou Qi Armor.
Xiao Yao looked at the Dou Qi Armor covering Liu Qing's entire body and smiled faintly. Now he could attack more freely.
Earlier, Xiao Yao could actually have changed the direction of his attack at the last moment and struck Liu Qing's body directly.
But considering that this was, after all, only a sparring challenge, with so many students and instructors watching, he could hardly strike to kill.
Thus, he had followed through and struck Liu Qing's heavy sword with his spear, driving him back.
Now that he had seen Liu Qing's Dou Qi Armor, Xiao Yao could act without restraint.
This was Dou Qi Armor that could only be formed upon reaching the level of a Da Dou Shi, and its defense was extremely strong.
Moreover, forming Dou Qi Armor consumed a considerable amount of Dou Qi. Once it was shattered in battle, it was generally difficult to have enough Dou Qi left to form it again.
Xiao Yao had the advantage in speed, so there was naturally no need for him to form Dou Qi Armor.
His cultivation method was not of a high grade at present, after all, and his Dou Qi was limited.
Rather than form Dou Qi Armor for defense, he would be better off using his Dou Qi to attack.
After forming his Dou Qi Armor, Liu Qing poured a large amount of Dou Qi into his heavy sword, making its surface look as though it were burning with fiery-red flames.
He swung the heavy sword, and flames swept outward. The surrounding instructors hurriedly used their Dou Qi to block the flames.
The students backed away repeatedly, looking at Liu Qing with some reproach.
But Liu Qing could no longer concern himself with anything else. He only wanted to take Xiao Yao down before the three moves were up.
Even if he could not take Xiao Yao down, he wanted to use up the three moves quickly.
If he used up all three moves without taking Xiao Yao down, he could still come up with an excuse—he had not used his full strength, or Xiao Yao had been too fast for him to hit. There was always some reason he could give for saying he had not lost.
But if he were defeated outright by Xiao Yao, that would be an indisputable loss.
Xiao Yao also saw what Liu Qing had in mind, but he was in no hurry.
Whether he withstood Liu Qing's three moves or truly defeated him, it would not affect his getting the three Profound Tier Cultivation Methods or Dou Techniques.
Xiao Yao was not about to go to such thankless trouble, doing his utmost to offend Liu Qing.
Facing the fierce incoming attack, Xiao Yao simply swung his spear, split the flames, and flashed aside, easily neutralizing it.
Seeing this, Liu Qing sighed deeply inwardly, knowing that he had no way to take Xiao Yao down.
When he unleashed his final move, a Dou Technique, it was actually less powerful than the second. It was much like a drumbeat: strong on the first roll, weaker on the second, and spent by the third.
After the three moves were over, Liu Qing sighed, put away his heavy sword, and took three scrolls from his Storage Ring. He tossed them to Xiao Yao and left without looking back.
Xiao Yao looked at the scrolls in his hands, filled with admiration.
"Jia Nan Academy's instructors really are rich. Just make one drop some coins and you get three Profound Tier Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques."