This Dou Emperor was of medium height, with a long, thin face and a pair of small, darting eyes, clearly a quick-witted and observant person.
After bowing, he slowly straightened up and glanced leisurely at Xiao Yan atop the stone pillar beside him.
His eyes held a hint of condescending mockery, as if he were sizing up a clown who didn't know his place.
He deliberately made his tone light and casual, as if he were talking about something trivial and easily obtainable:
"This brat, relying on some lucky encounter, thinks he's all that. He's not worth your time."
Let me do it for you. You just watch from the side, and I will bring you this brat's head."
"Haha, great!"
Old Ghost Liu glanced at the Dou Emperor who had volunteered, a look of satisfaction appearing on his gaunt face.
He was naturally happy to have someone willing to do the work for him.
Besides, he really wanted to see what other tricks this kid had up his sleeve besides that Fire Lotus.
He nodded slightly and spoke, his tone carrying a hint of approval.
"Alright, then go ahead. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes, sir."
Having received permission from Old Ghost Liu, the Dou Emperor seemed to have been injected with Blood One, and a broad smile instantly appeared on his face.
He was secretly delighted.
Indeed, it was the right thing to take the initiative to share the burden with the adults. Just that one sentence, "Don't let me down," shows that Elder Liu already had expectations of him.
If I can get rid of this kid cleanly and efficiently, I'll have more face in front of Elder Liu in the future, and my status in the pavilion might even be promoted as a result.
With that in mind, he began to plan how to make a brilliant move and leave the deepest impression on Elder Liu.
His Dou Qi Wings suddenly flapped, revealing a pale blue color. They were clearly formed from wind-attribute Dou Qi, and speed was his advantage.
A gust of wind swept up, and he drew a smooth arc in mid-air.
It flashed by in an instant, then landed steadily on the top of a stone pillar that was only a dozen feet away from Xiao Yan.
Two Dou Emperor- level auras collided violently in the narrow space, compressing the surrounding air and causing it to hum and buzz.
Fine cracks even appeared on the surface of some of the relatively thin and weak stone pillars.
"Kid, you've been pretending for so long, now let this old man see what you're really made of."
The Dou Emperor stood atop the stone pillar, hands behind his back, chin slightly raised, trying to adopt the demeanor of a senior expert.
His tone was somewhat contemptuous, and his voice was deliberately low, as if he were reprimanding a junior who did not know manners, trying to overpower Xiao Yan in terms of imposing manners.
Xiao Yan's gaze fell on this Dou Emperor, and he looked him up and down.
The opponent's aura was indeed strong; in his perception, it was roughly equivalent to Seven-Star Dou Huang.
His strength was similar to that of Han Li, whom he had killed before.
Xiao Yan was absolutely confident he could defeat an opponent of this caliber in a one-on-one situation.
The problem is that it's not a one-on-one situation right now.
As he sized up his opponent, he also diverted some of his attention elsewhere.
Perception, like invisible tentacles, quietly extended, firmly locking onto the movements of Old Ghost Liu and the other two Dou Emperor in the distance.
Although the two people haven't made a move yet, their presence is constantly locked onto him, and they could launch a surprise attack from any direction at any moment.
And Old Ghost Liu, standing with his hands behind his back in mid-air, was like a sharp sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.
Xiao Yan wasn't naive enough to believe that the other party would actually fight him one-on-one.
This isn't the Soul Master Tournament in the Douluo Continent; no one will talk to you about the rules of fair duels.
There will be no referees to step in and maintain order during the game.
This is a battle for survival, a hunt where it's a matter of life and death.
In this situation, any rules are meaningless.
Any promise can be broken at any time.
Xiao Yan would not entrust his life to the promises of his enemies.
However, the other party's obvious arrogance made Xiao Yan secretly relieved.
What he was most worried about was that Old Ghost Liu would directly order the four of them to surround and attack at the same time.
Attacks came from all four directions simultaneously, given his current strength and condition.
If all four of them attacked together, Xiao Yan knew he probably wouldn't be able to withstand it.
He could barely hold his own against two Dou Emperor attacking at the same time, but three would be life-threatening. With a Dou Zong watching from the sidelines, it would basically be a situation where he had no chance of survival.
But at this moment, Old Ghost Liu clearly didn't take him seriously. His arrogance, typical of Dou Zong expert, led him to choose the easiest and most foolish method.
He sent his men up one by one while he watched from the sidelines.
The opponent's arrogance undoubtedly gave Xiao Yan a chance.
A flaw that could allow him to tear a path out of his desperate situation.
Xiao Yan refocused his gaze on the Dou Emperor before him and began to rapidly calculate in his mind.
The aura emanating from the opponent wasn't particularly strong, probably around Seven-Star Dou Huang.
He was similar to Han Li, who was killed by Xiao Yan, and perhaps even slightly weaker.
Although Han Li's strength wasn't top-tier, his combat experience was extremely rich.
The man before them spoke and acted with an air of impetuosity, clearly not the kind of ruthless character who had been forged in life-or-death battles.
However, Xiao Yan was also clear in his heart that his advantage lay in his explosive power and the unexpected combination of his Heavenly Flames and Soul Skill.
Its weakness lies in its endurance; it must contend with four powerful opponents while also having to spare some attention to guard against Dou Zong.
The rate at which Soul Power is consumed will be several times faster than usual.
Surrounded by four people, and with a Dou Zong Master of Battle) expert also present, escaping would be an incredibly difficult task.
A direct confrontation is impossible; it will only hasten one's own demise.
However, if they can be defeated one by one, survival is not entirely impossible.
"Boy, prepare to die!"
Without giving Xiao Yan much time to think, the Dou Emperor was clearly already impatient.
He was still thinking about how he would perform in front of Elder Liu, and wished he could defeat Xiao Yan in one move so that Elder Liu would take a second look at him.
With a gentle flap of his Dou Qi Wings, wind-attribute Dou Qi whistled and swirled across the surface of his wings.
He shot towards Xiao Yan like an arrow released from a bow, carrying an indomitable momentum.
He deliberately made a big show of himself, his Dou Qi erupting around him, forming a visible shockwave that sent all the rubble flying. His aura was quite terrifying.
In mid-air, Dou Qi gathered wildly in his hands.
The wind-attribute Dou Qi was a pale blue color, constantly compressed and swirling in his palm, emitting a sharp whistling sound.
As Dou Qi qi continued to flow in, a giant phantom hand began to condense and take shape in front of him.
The illusory palm was about three zhang in size, with its five fingers spread out, each as thick as a stone pillar.
Within his palm, wind-attribute Dou Qi formed a rapidly spinning vortex, radiating an incomparably sharp and deadly killing power.
" Heaven-Breaking Palm!"
With a furious roar, the Dou Huang expert thrust his right palm forward, grabbing fiercely at Xiao Yan.
The surging Dou Qi took shape the instant it was unleashed, transforming into a massive handprint about three zhang long.
The handprint had a pale blue, translucent sheen, and its five fingers were sharp as hooks.
The vortex in his palm emitted a piercing shriek, as if it wanted to crush and devour everything in front of it.
Wherever the handprint passed, the air was compressed and made to pop, and the stone pillars below had already begun to crack under the aftershocks of this pressure.
If this palm strike lands squarely, even Dou Emperor of the same level would suffer broken bones and severed tendons.
Xiao Yan remained unfazed as he watched the enormous palm print hurtling down from mid-air.
He could even clearly feel the sharp, rushing energy; the gust of wind arrived before the palm print.
His hair and robes were blown back by the wind.
But there was no trace of worry in Xiao Yan's eyes.
The opponent's attack was both imposing and powerful.
But in his eyes, which were accustomed to all kinds of attacks, the speed and variation of this move were too straightforward.
While it is powerful, it lacks the stealth and surprise that a killing move should have.
The truly lethal attack is never the one that's shouted the loudest.
At this moment, what was racing through his mind was not how to receive the blow, but how to simultaneously prepare for a counterattack.
Although the opponent's aura was powerful, Xiao Yan did not perceive it as posing a significant threat.
What he needed to think about was how to deliver a fatal blow before Old Ghost Liu could intervene.
"Whoosh!"
Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames Twin Wings on his back fluttered gently, and blue and white flames swirled and shimmered on the surface of the wings.
At the same time, he kicked off the top of the stone pillar with both legs, and the hard top of the pillar shattered under his kick, sending stones flying everywhere.
Using the reaction force and the propulsion of his wings, Xiao Yan was sent flying backward.
His figure drew a graceful arc in mid-air, perfectly avoiding the direct impact of the Heaven-Breaking Palm.
The enormous, illusory hand brushed past the hem of his clothes and slammed heavily onto a stone pillar behind him.
The stone pillar, several meters thick, was smashed to pieces, sending fragments flying everywhere.
" Cold Fire - Condensed Soul Stab!"
During Xiao Yan's backward flight, his movements did not pause for the slightest.
He almost used the momentum of flying backwards to release the next Soul Skill.
The second Soul Ring that appeared on his body suddenly trembled, and the purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring suddenly lit up among the five halos.
The light shifted from deep to dazzling, and a chilling aura emanated from Xiao Yan, spreading outwards in all directions.
With a flick of his finger, sharp ice spikes appeared out of thin air around him.
Those ice spikes were not ordinary ice crystals, but were formed by the extreme cold power of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.
It has an almost transparent, cool white color, with Youyou light flowing across its surface.
Each ice spike was about a foot long, with sharp, needle-like ends, and emanated a chilling aura capable of freezing the soul.
Dozens of ice spikes hovered around Xiao Yan, like a swarm of bees poised to pounce.
Under Xiao Yan's control, they flew towards the Dou Emperor like a dense barrage of arrows.
The cold crystals streaked through the air, each trailing a wisp of pale white mist.
Dozens of ice spikes pierced the air simultaneously, producing a series of sharp, piercing sounds.
"Snort!"
Upon seeing Xiao Yan's attack, the Dou Emperor revealed an undisguised disdain in his eyes.
His initial anxiety subsided upon seeing the ice spikes.
If Xiao Yan were to release that dazzling azure Fire Lotus as before, he would still be wary.
After all, he had witnessed the power of that move firsthand; even Elder Liu had been somewhat embarrassed by it.
However, these seemingly light and tiny ice crystals were like children playing house in his eyes, posing no threat whatsoever.
He even thought that Xiao Yan was out of options, which was why he was resorting to such a weak and ineffective attack to buy time.
"Is that all you've got? Shatter it!"
The Dou Emperor's eyes were filled with contempt.
He didn't even bother to use Dou Technique to counter it; instead, he simply extended his right hand.
With his five fingers spread wide, he manipulated the enormous Dou Qi hand to grab at the ice crystals flying through the air.
The enormous Dou Qi hand continued to advance forward, propelled by the remaining force of the Heaven-Breaking Palm.
The wind-attribute vortex in his palm spun rapidly, carrying an indomitable and crushing aura.
I wanted to grasp all those tiny ice crystals in my palm and then crush them in one swift motion.
He was already imagining the crisp sound of those ice crystals being crushed.
"Laugh!"
However, the moment his Dou Qi palm collided with the Condensed Soul Stab...
The final result, however, caused the contempt on his face to freeze instantly.