Battle Between Strong Ranking Overlords Among Dou Zhes

The following battles against the remaining three members of Black Tier Class Five were nothing more than Lin Ming crushing them unilaterally. However, since the latter three had not mocked Black Tier Class One, Lin Ming did not strike too heavily. He stopped after forcing them off the arena.

"Shouldn't you announce the result already?" Lin Ming said, looking at the referee who had yet to announce the outcome.

"Oh. Right! Right! Black Tier Class Five's challenge against Black Tier Class One has failed. Black Tier Class One has successfully defended the arena and earned one point." The referee finally came back to his senses after hearing Lin Ming and announced the result.

This referee had been intimidated by Lin Ming's display just now. After all, they were merely students who had entered the Academy a few years earlier and had only reached the Dou Master realm. Yet he had watched Lin Ming move with ruthless efficiency, effortlessly defeating several four- and five-star Dou Zhes. Even he himself might not have been able to do so as easily as Lin Ming. By that logic, wouldn't this member of Black Tier Class One be at least as strong as him? He was a freshman who had enrolled just one month ago, yet he had already become a Dou Master?

Lin Ming had no idea what the senior student referee was thinking. After hearing that his class had won, he stepped off the arena and waited for the next challenge.

After leaving the arena, Lin Ming looked toward the arena beside them, where Black Tier Class Two was fighting.

At that moment, Han Yue defeated one of Black Tier Class Two's members. With that person's defeat at Han Yue's hands, only one member of Black Tier Class Two remained who had not yet taken the stage: Black Tier Class Two's class leader, Liu Qing, the future third-ranked powerhouse on the Strong Ranking, the Tyrant Spear.

Meanwhile, of the five members from Black Tier Class One who had gone to challenge Black Tier Class Two, only two had been defeated. Apart from Han Yue, who was currently on the arena, Lin Xiuyai and another student had yet to fight. It seemed that Black Tier Class One's arena challenge against Black Tier Class Two would most likely end in victory for Black Tier Class One.

Liu Qing stepped onto the arena and said to Han Yue across from him, "Your Dou Qi is almost depleted. Step down." After saying this to Han Yue, Liu Qing directly called out to Lin Xiuyai beneath the arena, "Come up and fight."

"Han Yue, come down. Since Black Tier Class Two's class leader has specifically called me out, wouldn't refusing to fight make people think Black Tier Class One is afraid of Black Tier Class Two?" After hearing Liu Qing challenge him, Lin Xiuyai spoke to Han Yue.

Han Yue thought it over. Her Dou Qi truly was nearly exhausted, and there were still two people left on her team. Her stepping down now would not have much impact. Besides, these two wanted a fair fight. Her staying here would only feel out of place. Thus, Han Yue nodded and stepped off the arena.

Lin Ming watched Lin Xiuyai and Liu Qing on the arena. The regret of not seeing the battle between the future second- and third-ranked powerhouses of the Strong Ranking in the original story could finally be made up for now. With that thought, Lin Ming eagerly anticipated their clash.

"Lin Xiuyai, I had thought the battle between us would have to wait until the Academy Competition at the end of the year. I never expected Black Tier Class One to produce someone like Lin Ming, someone beyond all hope of catching up to. But that is good too. With him around, you, Lin Xiuyai, can finally come out to challenge an arena. We failed to determine a victor in our battle on the way here. Let us settle it today!"

Hearing Liu Qing's words, Lin Ming understood why Liu Qing had provoked Lin Xiuyai when Lin Ming's class had first arrived. So the two of them had fought for some reason on the way here. Although Liu Qing said there had been no victor, judging by his manner, he had probably suffered a slight loss. That was why he now wanted to regain his pride on the arena.

On the arena, Liu Qing removed the Great Black Spear from his back, while Lin Xiuyai, standing opposite him, drew a three-foot Green Peak Sword. Then saw the two charge toward each other as the Great Black Spear and Green Peak Sword began to clash.

"Clang... clang clang... clang clang clang..."

The two continued attacking each other with their weapons, both seeking the other's weakness in order to claim victory. Watching their battle, Lin Ming thought that they were indeed future overlords of the Strong Ranking. Among all the people their age he had met over the years, these two were absolutely among the very best. Even if he were at the same cultivation level, he might not fare much better than them.

The battle between the two continued. At that moment, Lin Ming suddenly thought of something. He remembered that both of them had possessed two trump-card Dou Techniques in the original story. Aside from the spear technique of the Great Black Spear, Liu Qing seemed to have a claw technique as well. And Lin Xiuyai, who had always been a step ahead of Liu Qing, possessed not only sword qi but also an unarmed hand technique.

Looking at the two, who were currently fighting only with weapons, Lin Ming figured they had not learned those techniques yet. Thinking about it, that was only normal. At their age, learning one Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique as a trump card was already more than enough. Not everyone had talent as unparalleled as Lin Ming's, allowing them to learn so many Dou Techniques while still maintaining their cultivation.

Liu Qing's claw technique and Lin Xiuyai's hand technique had likely been Dou Techniques they selected from Jia Nan Academy's Scripture Pavilion after placing in the top five during the Inner Academy Grand Competition. They had only begun cultivating them after entering the Inner Academy.

That explanation made sense. Otherwise, as top-five finishers in their year's Inner Academy Grand Competition, they could not possibly have returned empty-handed from the Academy's Scripture Pavilion. Only that could explain why they were not using those techniques now. At least, that was how Lin Ming saw it.

Half an hour passed. Because Lin Ming had displayed such overwhelming might earlier, no one had come to challenge Black Tier Class One so far. Since no one came to challenge them, Lin Ming was happy to take it easy and continued watching Liu Qing and Lin Xiuyai fight on Black Tier Class Two's arena.

After fighting for half an hour, the two had gained a fairly thorough understanding of each other's capabilities. They knew that ordinary methods would no longer be enough to defeat the other, so both tacitly pulled back and widened the distance between them.

"Lin Xiuyai, I have to admit it. Among people our age, you are the first to push me this far. In return, I will use my final move. Because of my cultivation, I cannot fully control this move yet. If you are afraid now, concede defeat. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourself." Liu Qing said this to Lin Xiuyai across from him as he panted.

"Haha! You, Liu Qing, are not capable of making me, Lin Xiuyai, admit defeat. As it happens, I also have a sword qi move for you to taste. Likewise, because of my cultivation, I cannot fully control it. So I return your words to you: if you are afraid, concede now. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourself." Lin Xiuyai laughed twice, displaying an arrogance and imposing presence no weaker than Liu Qing's.

"Haha! Good. Since that is the case, let us decide victory and defeat with one move!" Liu Qing laughed as well upon hearing Lin Xiuyai throw his own words back at him so proudly.

"Then one move shall decide victory and defeat."

Lin Ming watched as the two, having finished speaking, both entered the state of preparing their ultimate moves. He knew the most exciting part was about to begin. Now it would depend on whose ultimate move was stronger.

Lin Ming looked at the two on the arena. Liu Qing shook his arm, raising the black spear straight toward the sky before slamming it down at the ground. When the Great Black Spear touched the ground, Lin Ming sensed a hidden force leaking through the floor. Fine cracks appeared across the arena wherever it passed. Though they were only hairline cracks, the arena was built from Cyan Grey Rock, which only Dou Masters could damage. Yet Liu Qing, only a five-star Dou Zhe, had already unleashed power comparable to a Dou Master. That was truly terrifying.

On the other side, Lin Xiuyai was no less formidable. Sword qi wrapped around his entire body, making his green robe billow in the wind. His Green Peak Sword floated between his hands, continuously spinning as though it were about to pierce and shatter space itself.

Great Mountain Split!

Liu Qing roared, and as the shout rang out, the spearhead of the Great Black Spear in his hand suddenly lifted, pointing directly at Lin Xiuyai. Then saw the tip of the Great Black Spear emit an unstoppable golden light like a mountain flood.

The dazzling Golden Light was like an enraged Giant Dragon, roaring and tearing viciously. Its piercing Explosive Sound and terrifying might gave people the feeling that no matter how many obstacles stood ahead, all would be utterly destroyed.

Even Lin Ming was surprised by its power. From the Great Mountain Split Liu Qing unleashed, he sensed a threat. He was a Three-Star Dou Master! It seemed the third-ranked powerhouse of the Strong Ranking truly lived up to his reputation. Even though Liu Qing was only a Dou Zhe now, he already possessed the bearing of the Strong Ranking's third place.

Then what even greater ultimate technique did Lin Xiuyai, who could firmly suppress Liu Qing and hold second place on the Strong Ranking, possess?

As Liu Qing unleashed the Great Mountain Split Dou Technique, Lin Xiuyai also moved. Lin Xiuyai violently gathered the sword qi wrapped around his body, attaching every strand of it to the three-foot Green Peak Sword floating between his hands. The Green Peak Sword, covered in sword qi, surged with Gale Wind as it spun ever more fiercely, its imposing might not inferior to Liu Qing's Great Mountain Split in the slightest.

Green Peak Sword Qi!

Lin Xiuyai gave the same explosive roar. Then the Green Peak Sword between his hands shot forth like a falling meteor, carrying a green tornado as it stabbed toward the Golden Light emitted by Liu Qing's Great Mountain Split Dou Technique.

Boom~~

The green tornado and Golden Light collided, and a deafening explosion rang out over the arena as though it were about to split the sky apart.

"Who won?" "Who knows who won?" "Where is the referee?"

Questions rose from all around. Then saw someone emerge awkwardly from the side. Everyone looked and realized that it was the referee who was supposed to be on the arena. Why was he walking out of the crowd?

"Ahem! The power of the Dou Techniques both sides used just now was simply too great, so I came down first. I do not know who won either." The referee spoke awkwardly. He was a Dou Master, yet two Dou Zhes had frightened him into fleeing below the arena. That would be embarrassing for anyone. But what else could he do? This year's students were simply not human. It was one thing for a Dou Master to appear on the neighboring arena earlier, but while no Dou Master had appeared on his arena, the Dou Techniques these two unleashed were something even ordinary Dou Masters could not withstand! That was why he had hurriedly fled the arena.

Just after the referee beneath the arena finished speaking, two figures flew backward in opposite directions. One fell directly beneath the arena, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted. The other grabbed the edge of the arena just before falling off, but he too spat out blood. Soon afterward, the hand gripping the arena edge loosened, and he fell beneath the arena as well, unconscious.

"Lin Xiuyai is considered the victor. Black Tier Class One has successfully challenged the arena and gains one point. Black Tier Class Two has failed to defend the arena and loses three points." The referee announced. It seemed that the person who had grabbed the arena's edge and fallen a moment later was Lin Xiuyai.