Fierce Battle!

Xiao Yun looked at the burly man before him, not daring to underestimate him. Light flashed from his Storage Ring, and the Red Blood Spear appeared in his hand. Fiery red Dou Qi rose from within him and surged outward. Gripping the spear tightly, Xiao Yun slowly advanced, its tip scraping across the ground and leaving a white mark on the Qing Shi bricks.

Watching Xiao Yun's aura steadily rise as he approached, the burly man's brows twitched, and a hint of disdain curled his lips.

"Building momentum? That depends on whether your opponent will cooperate!"

A thunderous voice boomed across the arena. The burly man strode forward, light flashing from his Storage Ring as he gripped a massive axe over ten feet tall in both hands. Every step carried an unstoppable momentum as he charged toward Xiao Yun.

"Kid, get off!"

Turning sideways, the burly man used the huge axe like a shield, crushing forward with the full force of his charge.

The two-meter-tall brute wielded an axe even taller than himself, charging at Xiao Yun like an impenetrable wall of bronze and iron. This directly disrupted Xiao Yun's original battle plan, but he was no novice and would not panic.

Xiao Yun swiftly retreated while thrusting out his spear like a dragon. In an instant, he struck the huge axe several times, attempting to block the brute's assault.

Clang.

Unfortunately, the gap in strength between them was simply too great. The instant the spear made contact, an overwhelming force surged through it. Fortunately, Xiao Yun had only been probing him. The spear vibrated and spun wildly, shedding layer after layer of force, yet Xiao Yun was still nearly shaken into losing his grip.

"What incredible strength. He's simply impossible to face head-on." Xiao Yun was greatly alarmed.

"Your reactions are decent, but you still won't escape."

Seeing Xiao Yun rapidly retreating, the burly man held his axe one-handed as earth-yellow Dou Qi surged from his body, forming a savage suit of armor that enveloped him completely. Once the Dou Qi armor covered him, his speed rose several levels, and he quickly gave chase.

"Damn it, how am I supposed to fight that kind of strength?" Xiao Yun had always relied on his own brute force to suppress others. Now the tables had turned, and he finally experienced that suffocating frustration himself.

The burly man's axe techniques were not exquisite at all; he relied entirely on brute strength. Xiao Yun's spear flowed like water, redirecting the axe the instant it came into contact.

But as the saying went, one force could overcome ten techniques. You might be able to use four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, but what if it was ten thousand pounds? Could you still deflect it?

Xiao Yun was now facing precisely that problem. No matter how outstanding his talent was, he was still a child under ten years old.

Although he used his spear to deflect the brute's swings and disperse their force each time, some power inevitably remained. That little bit alone greatly increased Xiao Yun's physical exhaustion.

Two figures darted continuously across the arena. Red and yellow Dou Qi churned from their bodies and spread outward, dyeing the entire platform in two colors.

Every collision between the spear and giant axe sent out a visible ring of air. The shockwaves rolled continuously, cracking the Qing Shi bricks beneath them.

With nothing more than stomps and axe swings, the burly man kept Xiao Yun completely suppressed, forcing him into constant defense.

The main issue was that the man was much taller than Xiao Yun and wielded a broad, heavy weapon like a giant axe. Spears, on the other hand, emphasized unpredictable variations and technical skill.

While doing his utmost to defend, Xiao Yun continued thinking, He crushes forward with a grand and righteous momentum. Though the spear can change in countless ways, it still cannot withstand that force.

Xiao Yun could only be said to be at too great a disadvantage physically. If his body developed further and he gained more strength, he would at least not find it so difficult to contend with him.

"Defend for too long, and mistakes are inevitable. Rather than lose this match in such a stifling way, I might as well attack him to my heart's content!"

The spear collided with the giant axe once more. This time, Xiao Yun did not dissipate the axe's force. Instead, he rode that force backward.

At the same time, the Purple Crystal Lion Flame suddenly emerged and spread along the spear shaft. Soon, the entire spear was wrapped in Purple Flame. Xiao Yun halted, stopping his retreat, then fiercely stomped the ground and leaped into the air with the rebound.

"You've hit me enough times. It's my turn now!" Xiao Yun raised his spear high, then brought it down with the force of splitting heaven and earth. Blazing flames wreathed its tip as it crashed toward the burly man like a meteor.

This time, Xiao Yun was using the power of the Purple Crystal Lion Flame. Even if it still could not match the momentum of the giant axe, it would be far better than before.

"Hahaha, good!" Faced with Xiao Yun's descending attack, the burly man looked excited instead. He gripped the giant axe in both hands and slashed upward. He wanted to crush Xiao Yun head-on and show him the power of the axe in his hands!

Boom!

With a deafening crash, Xiao Yun was sent flying by the giant axe's force. He landed at the edge of the arena, just inches away from falling out.

The burly man did not fare well either. Although Xiao Yun was weaker than him, this attack had borrowed the force of gravity and the enhancement of the Purple Crystal Lion Flame. The Purple Crystal Lion Flame coiled around the brute like a venomous snake, preventing him from immediately moving in to finish Xiao Yun.

Pfft! Xiao Yun spat out a mouthful of blood, but his eyes were filled with excitement. The Inner Academy's Arena really was fun. His battle with the burly man reminded him of his days in the Law Enforcement Team, giving him the sensation of walking between life and death.

"Whew..." His entire body trembled violently as Xiao Yun used his spear to support himself and struggled to rise.

The threat of life and death was what best stimulated the body's potential. Right now, he felt exceptionally sharp.

Light flashed from the Storage Ring on his finger, and several medicinal pills appeared in Xiao Yun's hand. Tilting his head back and opening his mouth, he swallowed them. Their medicinal power immediately spread, rapidly repairing his body.

"Senior, it's fine if I take a few pills, right?" Xiao Yun grinned, the corner of his lips curving into a dangerous arc.

"Do as you like," the burly man said in a muffled voice as he extinguished the Purple Flame clinging to his body.

"Then good. Let's begin the second round!"

Flames surged across the arena. Xiao Yun no longer defended blindly. Instead, he used his agile footwork and the troublesome nature of the Purple Crystal Lion Flame. His spear danced up and down, occasionally unleashing streams of Purple Flame as he relentlessly attacked the burly man and began to seize the initiative.

"This little fellow is in trouble now. Although he can temporarily seize the initiative with the might of a high-grade Beast Flame, it consumes an enormous amount of Dou Qi. Before long, he will surely lose once his Dou Qi is exhausted."

"So what if he loses? Rather than passively endure beatings, he might as well attack. Even if he loses that way, he will not be left too frustrated, and his mastery over his Dou Qi techniques will deepen as well."

"You two really are something. Don't underestimate him so much. I think Xiao Yun still has a sliver of a chance. Defend for too long, and mistakes are inevitable. If he can deliberately set a trap and lure his opponent into revealing a flaw, then he can win with a single strike!"

Three elderly men dressed in black robes sat in the elders' seats above the Arena, carefully watching the battle below.

"Perhaps. In terms of Dou Qi reserves and Dou Qi techniques, though, I can't see even the slightest chance of victory for him. If the spear in his hands improved another step, perhaps he could break through his opponent's defenses."

The spectators outside discussed the battle fervently. Most believed that Xiao Yun no longer had any chance of winning and was merely making a final struggle. Yet in the arena, Xiao Yun was nothing like what they described. Instead, he fought with exceptional exhilaration.

His spear was sometimes sinister and unpredictable, sometimes fierce and violent! Xiao Yun brought the spear's ever-changing nature to its limit. Nearly seven or eight out of every ten thrusts were incomparably violent, and he even clashed head-on with the giant axe.

"His attacks are broad and powerful, seemingly ferocious beyond compare, yet they are sluggish and difficult to change. Although the gap in Dou Qi and strength is enormous, it isn't impossible to win!"

Xiao Yun shouted in his heart. A lone yin could not grow, and solitary yang could not thrive. He had his fierceness, while Xiao Yun had endless transformations! Fierce methods were only suitable for quickly defeating an opponent. Over time, they consumed too much energy and gave the opponent a chance to counterattack.

Boom! Boom!

The spear continuously collided with the giant axe. Although Xiao Yun's strength still could not compare with the burly man's, the Purple Flame helped him. Whenever the man tried to press his advantage, the Purple Flame would flare fiercely, obstructing the giant axe's advance.

Gradually, Xiao Yun's arms had become completely numb. The only reason he could still grip his spear was his powerful willpower.

The burly man did not feel well either. The troublesome, scorching Purple Crystal Lion Flame caused his Dou Qi armor to grow hazy, while his earth-yellow Dou Qi gradually ran dry.

Boom! In another collision, the burly man seemed to exert all his strength, even sending the spear in Xiao Yun's hand flying away.

Seeing the spear fly off, the burly man rejoiced. He stomped forward in rapid succession and charged at Xiao Yun. His giant axe rose high again, as though he would split Xiao Yun in half the next moment.

"Now!" Xiao Yun's mind jolted. After attacking fiercely for so long, he had finally waited for the burly man to reveal a flaw. As the man pursued him, his steps were no longer as steady as before and had become somewhat unsteady.

Borrowing the force from the giant axe's previous blow, Xiao Yun's body wrapped around the spear like a boneless python. With a shudder of his body, the spear immediately stabilized.

Then, his hands rapidly formed seals. He poured the last of his remaining Dou Qi into the spear shaft, where it surged violently from the butt of the spear.

Scarlet Flame Palm!

In midair, fiery red energy shot from the spear's butt. In the blink of an eye, it formed a two-meter-tall flaming palm that dove toward the burly man below.

At such near point-blank range, even if the burly man wanted to dodge, it was already too late. He could only hold the giant axe horizontally before him like a shield to protect his entire body.

Boom!

The surging fire energy exploded, and the resulting smoke instantly filled the entire arena, preventing the spectators from seeing the outcome.

"Who won? Did you see it clearly?"

"Don't ask me. I didn't see it either. With so much smoke, who could see anything?"

The crowd outside continued discussing it, but with smoke swirling everywhere, no one knew who had won in the end.

Cough, cough.

Suddenly, a soft cough came from the arena. The previously chattering crowd immediately fell silent, scarcely daring to breathe as they stared expectantly at the platform.

Such an exciting duel was rarely seen. If they did not learn the outcome, they might not be able to sleep that night.

Gradually, the smoke dispersed. At the center of the arena, a slender figure could be seen supporting himself on a spear, standing with great difficulty.

Beside him, the Qing Shi bricks had all shattered, revealing spiderweb-like cracks. At the center of those cracks, the burly man lay motionless.

The next second, a referee became a blur and leaped onto the platform. He reached toward the burly man's neck and, after discovering that he had merely fainted from exhausted Dou Qi, loudly announced:

"Number seventy-eight wins! Will you continue competing?"

"No more. Help me up. I'm about to collapse..."