Vast Sea Ethereal! Water-Poison Fusion!

Jia Nan Academy's back mountain.

Xiao Ze sat cross-legged on the ground, his breathing deep and steady, though tremendous changes were taking place within his body.

He had successfully converted his cultivation method into a low-grade Earth-tier method, the Vast Sea Ethereal Art.

He had chosen this method because it could create a Dou Qi capacity as vast and mighty as the sea.

It also granted Dou Qi the qualities of being formless, intangible, and able to stand in empty space.

Under his control, the Calamity Poison Power within his body fused with his Dou Qi. Xiao Ze gave a light wave of his hand.

A wisp of Dou Qi drifted like hazy smoke and slowly landed on a stone more than ten meters away from Xiao Ze.

In an instant, the stone was corroded beyond recognition.

"Success. I can completely fuse Dou Qi and poison power."

"And it has no physical form and cannot be detected with the naked eye. It'll give me an enormous advantage in battle!"

"The Class Competition is about to begin. I'll use these freshmen to test it out."

Xiao Ze rose to his feet and headed toward the competition grounds.

The Class Competition was the first major event for the freshmen, drawing a great deal of attention. Even some older students came to watch.

After all, the students representing their classes were all the strongest in their respective classes.

That meant they were likely to become strong contenders in the future Inner Academy Selection Competition!

Thus, they attracted considerable attention.

Xiao Ze arrived at his class's designated area at the competition grounds.

When Ruolin saw Xiao Ze appear, she let out a sigh of relief.

Though Xiao Ze often vanished without a trace, he was dependable when it truly mattered.

"Today, we'll get off to a good start. You're the first to fight, and your opponent is Bai Li from Mysterious Tier Class 3."

After Ruolin finished introducing Bai Li's information to Xiao Ze, the referee's voice rang out.

"Bai Li of Mysterious Tier Class 3 versus Xiao Ze of Yellow Tier Class 2!"

Xiao Ze stepped onto the arena and glanced at his opponent.

A four-star Dou Zhe.

It seemed he would have to hold back a little, lest he accidentally kill him.

"Hmph! You're that mysterious student, Xiao Ze, who everyone's been talking about?"

Bai Li slowly walked onto the stage, gripping a Silver-White Long Spear. Dressed in white as well, he looked particularly dashing.

"If there isn't another person with the same name, then that should be me."

"Then let me see just how mysterious you are!"

The moment the referee announced the start, Bai Li charged forward with his spear.

A glint of cold light arrived first, then the spear shot forth like a dragon!

It had to be said that his spear technique had clearly been honed through hard practice.

A bright yellow glow flickered at the spear tip. Seeing Xiao Ze remain motionless, Bai Li could not help but feel a trace of unease.

Suddenly, the step he forcefully planted beneath his feet made his heart pound wildly.

His vision blurred, and even afterimages appeared. One Xiao Ze instantly became three!

The spear that had been thrust forward so firmly also became crooked and unsteady.

With a casual grab, Xiao Ze seized the shaft of the spear. Applying a little force, he took the Silver-White Long Spear away.

Sweeping Through Thousands!

Bang!

As they watched Bai Li fall from the arena, the spectators could not help but feel puzzled.

Was this... a fixed match?

This was far too fake, wasn't it? Was he not even trying to hide it?

He had charged halfway across the arena, then suddenly looked as though he had taken some drug. His steps became unsteady, and his attacks went all over the place.

Even the middle-aged referee was stunned.

Only when Xiao Ze looked at him did the referee hastily announce,

"The winner is Xiao Ze of Yellow Tier Class 2."

Xiao Ze casually flung the spear away, and it pierced straight into the ground beside Bai Li.

He had tested the Water-Poison Combined Attribute Dou Qi, and its effects were extraordinary.

However, since this was an academy competition, Xiao Ze had not gone for the kill.

He had merely heightened its unconsciousness-inducing effect somewhat.

The Perfect Calamity Poison Body could control the poison power within his body. Strengthening any particular effect required only a single thought.

The audience below had expected an intense clash, but instead they were treated to such a comical match.

Bai Li's classmates could not resist mocking him.

"And this guy was supposed to be the strongest in our class? He's vicious enough in class fights, but the moment he faces an outsider, he turns into a coward."

"Exactly! Did it have to be that fake? Your steps were so unsteady, anyone would think you spent all night fighting in bed."

"The other guy hadn't even made a move, and you fell off the arena yourself. You've completely disgraced our class!"

The jeers drilled into Bai Li's ears one after another. Furious, he abruptly got to his feet, drew his spear, and pointed it at his classmates.

"Say one more word, and we'll see whether my spearhead is sharper or your mouths are tougher!"

Seeing Bai Li behave like this, the class instructor frowned and rebuked him angrily.

"What are you doing? You lost the match, and now you're pointing your spear at your own classmates!?"

"Losing isn't frightening. Being unable to accept defeat is!"

After saying that, the instructor turned and left in disappointment.

He had originally believed Bai Li to be the most talented student in his class, but now he found himself rather disappointed.

A few elders were also interested in the freshman competition and occasionally took time to watch.

They had not expected the first match to involve that little fellow who had once sparked so much debate among them.

Ordinary instructors might not have been able to see it, but these old men had exceptionally sharp eyes!

They could all tell that this had not been a fixed match, but a genuine gap in strength!

The gap was so enormous that even the instructors could not see what Xiao Ze had done!

One elderly man with a stiff expression stroked his beard and revealed an unpleasant smile.

"A peculiar Dou Qi attribute. It cannot be captured by the naked eye, has no form or substance, and can cause hallucinations."

"It seems this Class Competition cannot force out his true strength at all."

"I had been quite interested in seeing his actual combat power, but it seems I can only wait until that competition arrives!"

After muttering to himself, the old man turned and left.

If anyone familiar with the academy had been present, they would surely have recognized that he was heading toward the Law Enforcement Team's headquarters!

When Xiao Ze returned to his class's area, he was met with the admiring gazes of countless classmates.

"Xiao Ze, you're incredible! You defeated him in a single blow."

"That guy from Mysterious Tier Class 3 was so arrogant at the start, but when he fell off the stage, he looked just as dejected!"

Xiao Ze smiled as he accepted his classmates' praise and walked over to Instructor Ruolin.

Ruolin suddenly asked, "Is that a new Dou Technique you've mastered?"

"Not really a Dou Technique... just an attempt at a completely new ability."

Xiao Ze thought for a moment before answering.

This did not count as a Dou Technique at all. It should be an ability unique to him.

After all, there was not a single person on the Dou Qi Continent with a Perfect Calamity Poison Body.

"An attempt... You really do keep giving me surprises, little fellow. Still, a competition of this level isn't worthy of making you use all your strength."

Ruolin sighed. She knew that in the coming matches, scenes like today's would surely become more and more common.

Everyone would realize that it was not that Xiao Ze's opponents were weak, but that Xiao Ze himself was extraordinary!

Sure enough, in the following matches, people were astonished to discover—

Every opponent Xiao Ze faced was just like in the first match.

They started off fierce and aggressive, became listless midway through, and were finally defeated by Xiao Ze in a single strike.

Even before the final, not one person had been able to force Xiao Ze to use a second move!

By then, the spectators had grown somewhat numb.

Whenever Xiao Ze appeared in a match, they simply assumed that he would win!

For a time, Xiao Ze's reputation among the freshmen soared wildly.

It even surpassed Xiao Xun'er, the Super S-Rank!

Some troublemakers even dubbed Xiao Ze the strongest freshman!

Xiao Ze did not care about it. After the competition ended, who would even be able to find him?

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