Duel After Duel

Xia Qi'an now resembled a Vajra descended into the mortal world, his entire body radiating an unparalleled aura of power.

He gripped Zou Cheng tightly in one hand, his gaze cold as a blade as he looked straight at Li Mei on the opposite side of the arena.

Li Mei's heart trembled involuntarily. Faced with such a terrifying opponent, she was momentarily at a loss.

But if she let herself be frightened off by a single look from Xia Qi'an, how would she continue to make a living in Wei Dao Si?

At that thought, Li Mei bit down hard, deciding to go all out.

She swung the vine-spine whip in her hand, instantly whipping up a fierce wind. Like a venomous snake, it lashed viciously toward Xia Qi'an.

"Whoosh..."

The long whip tore through the air with a sharp whistle, attacking Xia Qi'an swiftly and precisely.

Xia Qi'an, however, was completely unperturbed. He flung Zou Cheng straight off the arena.

Then he reached out and seized the incoming green whip covered in spine-like thorns.

The thorns on the whip were exceptionally hard and sharp. It had been painstakingly refined from a wondrous spirit plant known as Iron Thorn Vine into a Low-grade Spirit Weapon.

Those thorns were more than enough to easily pierce the qi-blood defenses of martial artists in the Bone Forging Realm!

Yet in the face of such a terrifying thorn whip, Xia Qi'an simply clutched it tightly in his hand.

His Vajra-like, incomparably tough palm rubbed against the sharp thorns, producing a hair-raising creaking sound.

Xia Qi'an lowered his head and stared at the wounds the thorns had carved across his palm, frowning slightly.

Clearly, this spine-bone whip was no ordinary weapon. It had actually managed to cut through his skin, which was impervious to blades and spears. It was truly astonishing.

But that was as far as it went.

Even though the whip was merely a Low-grade Spirit Weapon, cutting his skin was already its limit. It could not pierce any deeper into his iron-Vajra-like palm.

Li Mei was terrified by the sight before her, her face paling as she cried out inwardly, What kind of monster are you? You can actually block a Low-grade Spirit Weapon with your bare hands...

Li Mei's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.

Seeing this, she hurriedly exerted her strength, attempting to pull the whip back. Yet the whip in Xia Qi'an's palm was as immovable as if it had taken root.

"Let go!..." Li Mei roared, her voice shaking the heavens.

Xia Qi'an sneered and suddenly yanked hard with his arm, swift as lightning.

A colossal force, enough to topple mountains and overturn seas, surged through the whip. Li Mei felt as if she had been struck by thunder; her body staggered, and she nearly stumbled to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, Xia Qi'an flashed forward like a ghost, preparing to punch Li Mei in the face. At that moment, Si Nanyue below the arena suddenly spoke up to stop him.

"Don't hit her too hard!"

At Si Nanyue's words, Xia Qi'an had no choice but to withdraw his fist.

He raised his foot and kicked Li Mei in the abdomen, sending her flying off the arena.

By this point, Xia Qi'an had already defeated three people in a row.

By contrast, hardly anyone had gone up to challenge Jiang Feng and Lin Beihai.

The spectators below exchanged glances. For a time, no one dared to casually step onto the arena to challenge Xia Qi'an again.

Most of the martial artists from the commanderies under Wei Dao Si were in the Bone Forging Realm. Their cultivation was on par with the first three challengers, and they would fare no better than the three from Zou Cheng if they went up.

After a long while, a tall, stately young man with a calm bearing and facial features somewhat resembling Wei Wuji's slowly stepped onto the arena.

"I am Wei Wudao. Last night, you injured my younger brother, Wei Wuji! Today, I shall stand in his place and ask you for a few pointers." Wei Wudao introduced himself.

Seeing his deep aura and steady steps, Xia Qi'an knew he was a martial arts expert, far beyond the three from Zou Cheng.

As for Wei Wudao, Xia Qi'an had never seen him before.

Earlier, he had been unable to fight to his heart's content, and anger had already been kindling inside him.

Wei Wudao's appearance had come at exactly the right time.

It set Xia Qi'an's qi and blood boiling, while waves of Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound rang out from within his body. "Good... a real expert has finally arrived..."

With that, Xia Qi'an struck first. His twin claws surged forth like flood dragons emerging from the sea, carrying a fierce momentum as they attacked Wei Wudao.

Wei Wudao's aura surged magnificently, his qi and blood incomparably vigorous. With a great shout, he moved explosively, unleashing the Hundred Refinements Fist in a relentless barrage.

Every punch contained terrifying power. The wind of his fists howled, accompanied by terrifying sonic booms.

Xia Qi'an's twin claws were likewise nimble and ever-changing. Sometimes he grasped, sometimes he struck, colliding with Wei Wudao's fists and producing muffled booms.

The battle between them was exceptionally fierce. The spectators below seemed shaken by their imposing auras, and awe crept into their eyes.

In this fierce clash, Xia Qi'an and Wei Wudao both displayed their formidable strength and consummate martial skill.

Wei Wudao primarily cultivated the Ox Demon Body Tempering Technique and Golden Bell Shield, and he was equally proficient in fist- and palm-based martial arts.

For a time, he and Xia Qi'an fought to a deadlock.

And this time, Xia Qi'an could finally fight without restraint.

His fist, palm, and claw techniques shifted as naturally as flowing water, each one refined to the point of complete mastery.

Moreover, he possessed Dragon-Elephant Monstrous Strength, making every move and stance utterly terrifying.

"Boom..."

After the two exchanged a forceful punch, they quickly separated.

Several cuts split open across Xia Qi'an's fist, and blood slowly trickled out.

Wei Wudao had suffered even worse. His entire right arm had been shaken to the point of splitting, and blood dyed half his body red.

"Ox Demon Descends..."

Wei Wudao bellowed. As if transforming into an Ox Demon, he brought both fists together and smashed them toward Xia Qi'an.

"...Vajra's Fury!"

A faint, barely audible Sanskrit chant rang out as a four-armed Vajra materialized, glaring furiously.

"Boom..."

With a thunderous crash, both sides unleashed their killing moves, and the victor was revealed in an instant.

Wei Wudao, drenched in blood, was blasted away by a single punch like a kite with its string cut, flying straight into the ruins of the old city.

It had to be admitted that Wei Wudao was indeed far stronger than his younger brother. Even for the powerful Xia Qi'an, defeating him had been no easy task.

"I am Wang Lang... Please enlighten me..."

Yet just as Wei Wudao had been defeated, a slender, handsome young man stepped onto the arena.

He wore a Hound Guard uniform and possessed an elegant, refined bearing. At a glance, it was clear that he came from no ordinary background.

It turned out that this young man hailed from the Jinling Wang Clan and was also Wang Xie's paternal cousin.

At this moment, after fighting one round after another, the anger in Xia Qi'an's heart was impossible to suppress. His fury had reached its peak.

"If anyone else is dissatisfied... come up together!"

Hearing Xia Qi'an speak so arrogantly, Wang Lang's expression immediately darkened. "Since you're so arrogant and conceited, don't blame me for showing you no mercy..."

Before he had even finished speaking, Wang Lang lightly flicked his sleeve toward the spectators below. Six more Hound Guards immediately leaped onto the arena, surrounding Xia Qi'an together with Wang Lang.

Seeing this, Si Nanyue was just about to step forward and stop them when Xia Qi'an reached out and held her back.

"They're nothing but a bunch of weaklings. Even if all of you attack together, what can you possibly do to me?"

Xia Qi'an's voice grew increasingly low and hoarse. His face twisted, his brows drew together in fury, and as he breathed, two streams of white mist actually spurted from the corners of his mouth.

In his state of extreme fury, his features faintly took on the aspect of a Vajra glaring in wrath.

It was as if, in the next moment, he would truly become an enraged Vajra and descend upon the mortal world.