In the center of the arena, Chen Jing was smugly pleased that his fighting technique had struck Yang Shou.
But soon, he realized something was wrong.
The power of the Mad Lion Flaming Fist had been forcefully withstood by Yang Shou.
Yang Shou calmly grasped Chen Jing's fist, his arm swinging in an arc, and to Chen Jing's astonishment, he thrust out with both palms.
Yang Shou channeled his surging fire-attribute fighting energy, combining it with his own wood-attribute fighting energy, and unleashed it all while circulating his Yang Fist technique.
Sensing the suddenly rising, terrifying energy, Chen Jing's pupils constricted, a look of horror crossing his face!
How could his fighting technique have been deflected by Yang Shou?
Suddenly, the crowd outside heard an even louder lion's roar.
Immediately afterward, a disheveled figure flew out of the thick smoke—it was the previously arrogant Chen Jing.
"Senior Brother Chen has lost!"
"Senior Brother Yang's underdog victory is truly unfathomable."
Even the outer disciples who hadn't expected Yang Shou to win were shocked by the result.
On the other side, Zhao Kuo also finished his fight. His gaze fell on Yang Shou in the arena, a smile appearing on his honest face. He thought to himself, "As expected, Senior Brother Yang was holding back. That punch just now seemed even more profound than Tai Chi."
In the stands, seeing Chen Jing's defeat, Chen Ran's face turned ashen. He cursed him as trash. A dignified two-star Grand Dou Master couldn't even defeat a one-star Grand Dou Master; it was truly a disgrace to the Chen family.
Fang Zi also looked grim. Seeing Chen Jing's defeat, a look of surprise appeared on her pretty face.
But Fang Zi quickly regained her composure and gently said to Chen Ran beside her, "You only won the first match; you haven't advanced yet. Junior Brother Chen, please calm down. Let's see how it goes."
Maintaining his composure, Chen Ran suppressed his anger after being reminded by Fang Zi. "Sect Master
Qing
, it seems your sect has produced quite a few geniuses in this inner sect selection," Elder Ouyang of Canaan Academy said with a smile.
Qing Ya Zi humbly replied, "Compared to the prodigies of Canaan Academy, our Qingmu Sect is still a notch below."
Elder Ouyang did not deny it, his gaze turning to a certain arena in the center of the arena, and he said with interest, "I noticed that the Sect Master was paying close attention to that young fellow just now. Is there something special about him?"
Qing Ya Zi understood and pointed to Yang Shou in the central square below, explaining, "That disciple is named Yang Shou, the senior disciple of the outer sect. He entered our sect fifteen years ago, and for fifteen years he had not broken through to the Great Dou Master, but he never gave up. His perseverance is unwavering. Now that he has broken through to the Great Dou Master, I am very much looking forward to his results."
Elder Ouyang was puzzled upon hearing this, but out of consideration for his reputation, he did not speak directly.
Qing Ya Zi immediately understood the other party's meaning and continued with a light laugh, "I hadn't noticed this little fellow before, but over the years, he's rarely lost a challenge against those below the Great Dou Master level in the outer sect. He's also developed a strange set of fist techniques; although the level isn't high, it's very practical."
Elder Ouyang nodded knowingly, surprised that an outer sect disciple of mediocre talent had such a story. He then looked at the white-robed figure on the stage and murmured, "Yang Shou," silently memorizing his appearance.
Qing Ya Zi noticed Elder Ouyang's reaction. The real reason he was optimistic about Yang Shou was because the other's early experiences were similar to his own. Before becoming a Dou Huang, Qing Ya Zi had also experienced periods of obscurity, only to rise through the ranks after a great opportunity, becoming a Dou Huang and founding the Qingmu Sect.
"Little fellow, if you can win this election, no one will question me taking you as my personal disciple. So what if you're thirty? I'm a Great Dou Master at forty," Qing Ya Zi muttered to himself.
Yang Shou, still striving to advance to the inner sect, was unaware that he had caught the eye of a powerful figure. His ranking was steadily climbing, reaching the top 200. Two more wins would propel him into the top 100, securing his qualification for the inner sect.
As dusk fell, Yang Shou remained undefeated, advancing to the top 100. He then set his sights on competing for a place in the top ten of the inner sect, as the higher the ranking, the richer the rewards.
To be on the safe side, he decided to use the Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill to attempt his breakthrough to the second-star Great Dou Master level. After using one Qi Gathering Pill last time, he had two remaining.
Time passed swiftly, the sun set in the west, and the moon rose in the east.
The bright, flawless moonlight streamed through the window into the room. Yang Shou, who had been meditating cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window.
Outside, the sky was filled with twinkling stars, and streaks of light occasionally flashed by, creating a unique and beautiful scene.
Yang Shou adjusted his state, waiting for the opportunity to level up.
Just after midnight, the mysterious voice sounded, reminding Yang Shou.
Yang Shou held the Qi Gathering Pill between his fingers, and when the Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill was formed, he swallowed it in one gulp.
After the Azure Spirit Pill entered his stomach, a powerful burst of battle qi erupted from his lower abdomen, immediately transforming into three torrents of energy that rapidly surged through every meridian in his body.
The immense energy, combined with the circulation of the Azure Wood Technique, quickly transformed into a suitable heat flow for absorption. This heat flow recklessly passed through every inch of his meridians, causing Yang Shou considerable pain.
After circulating through his body three times, the heat became the purest energy, all of which was poured into the black and white rhomboid crystal within the vortex.
Receiving the pure energy from the Azure Spirit Pill, the Dou Crystal shone ever brighter, its size steadily increasing.
Yang Shou finally felt his strength rising, pushing towards the realm of a two-star Great Dou Master.
A moment later, a faint, clear chirping sound rang out, the barrier of the two-star Great Dou Master shattered, and Yang Shou's aura surged dramatically.
As the pill's energy was gradually absorbed, Yang Shou exhaled a breath of stale air, his mind relaxing. He twisted his somewhat stiff neck, carefully sensing the surging Dou Qi within his body, like a mighty river, a joyful smile appearing on his face.
Suddenly, Yang Shou's figure blurred, and the next second he appeared on the other side of the room, unleashing a powerful punch with a fierce wind.
The force dissipated the moment his fist struck the wall.
Yang Shou's ability to freely control his battle qi proved that his two-star Grand Dou Master status was genuine combat power, not just an uncontrolled, empty state.
This was thanks to the solid foundation he had built through more than ten years of arduous training. According to his estimation, even if he used pills to quickly reach the five-star Grand Dou Master level, he could still perfectly control his strength.
In high spirits after his successful advancement, Yang Shou went to the rooftop and looked up at the starry sky, reviewing yesterday's competition in his mind and digesting the combat experience.
The scenes flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
Soon,
Yang Shou suddenly realized a flaw.
He had noticed this in yesterday's duel with Chen Jing. The
Yang Fist technique, which uses softness to overcome hardness and borrows force to strike, requires a strong physical body to withstand the initial wave of battle qi impact in order to deflect the opponent's battle technique. He needed to cultivate a battle technique that focused on
physical strength. (End of Chapter)