Bodily Aberration

"You two... come at me together!"

Gu Hua and Lin Xiu exchanged a glance in the distance, each seeing confusion in the other's eyes.

Xun'er seemed like a completely different person. Her tone and gaze were nothing like those of the little girl from before. She was like a stranger now, devoid of much emotion.

"Mystic Mid-Rank Dou Skill: Azure Wood Palm!"

Lin Xiu formed his five fingers into a palm. Pale green Dou Qi enveloped his hand as he shot forward, slamming a palm toward Xun'er.

"Swallow Counterattack."

Watching Lin Xiu's attack approach, Xun'er remained calm. Golden light shimmered over her palm as Dou Qi mixed with Heavenly Flames slowly gathered in her hand. Then, she lightly pressed her right palm against Lin Xiu's.

Lin Xiu felt as though he had been struck heavily and hurriedly retreated. As he fell back, a staff shadow descended from above with a piercing whistle. The Dou Qi contained in it was no weaker than Lin Xiu's previous strike.

Xun'er casually raised a hand and, with a flash of golden light, steadily caught Gu Hua's staff. Then, her other hand lightly struck his chest, instantly sending him flying.

The two men's attacks seemed to have caused Xun'er no harm at all. On the contrary, her two casual palm strikes had sent them both flying. The disparity left everyone present baffled.

On the field, Lin Xiu turned his head and asked, "What's going on with Miss Xun'er? Why did she suddenly become so strong?"

"I don't know either. But Miss Xun'er's strength doesn't seem to be at the Dou Zhe level anymore," Gu Hua said in astonishment.

As the two were still confused, Xun'er suddenly appeared before them. Golden light blazed from her right palm as it tore through the air and slammed viciously toward Lin Xiu's chest.

Lin Xiu did not dare be careless in the face of Xun'er's sudden outburst. He hurriedly raised both hands, wrapped in green light, to meet it.

"Boom!" The instant the green and golden palms collided, the floor beneath Lin Xiu's feet was pulverized by the tremendous force, and even his feet sank into the ground.

"Purple Lightning Staff!" Just as Xun'er clashed with Lin Xiu, another sharp whistle suddenly rang out beside her, accompanied by Gu Hua's furious shout.

"Bang!" Golden light coiled around her left hand. With a flip of her palm, she collided with the staff, and Gu Hua was knocked back with a muffled thud.

Seeing Xun'er, with the strength of a Six Star Dou Zhe, take the initiative and directly confront two Dou Masters, the spectators outside the field were secretly amazed. Such strength was truly terrifying.

After knocking the two of them flying again, golden light surfaced in Xun'er's eyes. Her cold gaze was gradually engulfed by gold. Her feet lifted slightly off the ground, her long hair fluttered without wind, and golden light flickered in her palms as she unleashed six successive palm strikes.

Six golden palm imprints hung in the air, then shot toward the two men before they could rise to their feet at the speed of light. Both immediately spat out blood as their bodies crashed into stone pillars.

Lin Xiu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Just as he shakily rose with the support of a stone pillar, he suddenly sensed danger again and fiercely hurled a Dou Qi-wrapped fist behind him.

"Bang!"

The green fist and golden palm collided once more. Before he could react, another golden palm lightly pressed against Lin Xiu's chest, his pupils shrinking instantly. With a muffled impact, Lin Xiu was sent flying out of the massive Trial Grounds and eliminated.

The spectators outside the field were somewhat unaccustomed to Xun'er's ruthless move. After all, she was only a young girl, yet her methods were so clean and decisive that anyone who saw it found it unnatural.

Gu Yuan, seated on the main platform, watched Xun'er's chain of attacks. Their ruthlessness was utterly unlike her usual self. Especially when he saw her cold eyes, even he felt a chill run through his heart. The little girl on the field seemed less like his daughter and more like an assassin who had fought countless battles and killed without blinking.

Seeing this, Gu Hua immediately felt something different toward Xun'er, who stood in the distance clad in Flame Soft Armor. That feeling was called—fear.

As if sensing someone watching her, Xun'er slightly turned her head and met Gu Hua's gaze. Then, amid his terrified stare, she charged at him at high speed.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

Having clearly seen the killing intent in Xun'er's eyes, Gu Hua's mental defenses instantly collapsed, and he hurriedly shouted.

Yet it was as though Xun'er had not heard him. She continued charging at high speed, golden light surging in her hand as her spiritual power locked onto Gu Hua in the distance.

"Stop!"

Just as she was about to reach Gu Hua, a deep shout rang out from the sky. Then, a burly figure appeared before Xun'er.

"Space Lock!"

The referee, who had just arrived, immediately used Space Lock, imprisoning Xun'er, who had been rushing forward, in place.

As Space Lock restrained her, the Heavenly Flames surging over Xun'er's body slowly dissipated. Her Flame Soft Armor also gradually faded away before vanishing into the air.

"Huh? The battle's over..."

As the Heavenly Flame armor dissipated, life returned to Xun'er's eyes. But before she could finish speaking, she collapsed to the ground.

At the same time, Gu Yuan vanished from the main platform in an instant and appeared beside Xun'er, gathering her into his arms as he solemnly checked her condition.

The moment Gu Yuan appeared, the entire venue fell silent. Many looked at him holding Xun'er with envy and admiration. After all, such strength was what countless people yearned for.

"Whew, she's fine. Her Dou Qi is simply completely exhausted, and her spiritual power was greatly depleted. I'll take her to rest first. Continue presiding over the remaining matches," Gu Yuan said to the Elders who had just appeared behind him, his tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxing.

"Yes, Clan Chief." Realizing the gravity of the situation, the Elders did not dare slack off in the slightest as they replied.

Gu Yuan nodded slightly, then vanished from where he stood with Xun'er in his arms.

After hesitating for a moment, the Elders slowly returned to the main platform.

"Gu Xun'er wins this match!"

Only after the referee's declaration did waves of astonished exclamations rise from the audience.

"So Gu Xun'er is the Gu Clan Chief's daughter. No wonder she's so formidable."

"What happened just now? Why did she suddenly faint?"

"My heavens, she faced a two-star and a three-star Dou Master head-on with the strength of a Six Star Dou Zhe and beat them until they couldn't fight back at all. That strength is simply unbelievable!"

"What kind of secret technique was that? It was so powerful!"

In the Yan Clan section.

"Grandpa Ling, was the flame on Gu Xun'er's body a Heavenly Flame?" Huo Zhi asked curiously.

"It should have been. It is said that the Gu Clan guards the Golden Emperor Burning Flame, ranked fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. That should be it." The long-browed Elder nodded slightly.

At the edge of the field, Gu Hua slowly rose to his feet, his gaze somewhat vacant. He had clearly seen a trace of killing intent in Xun'er's eyes just now, and even now, his entire body felt icy cold.

Forcing himself to stop thinking about it, Gu Hua staggered away from the field on trembling legs. There were still... two more battles to go.