222: Jiang Donghua, first place in the Foreign Languages ​​Department competition

"Man Shan! It's Man Shan!" A commotion mixed with gasps and disdain erupted from the viewing stands.

The figure, built like a bear, stepped onto the arena stage one step at a time, his heavy footsteps causing the specialized stone slabs to emit dull thuds.

The muscles on his exposed arms were knotted and rippled, gleaming with a faint metallic luster. That was the Metal-attribute Dou Qi being utilized to its extreme. The powerful aura of a One-star Dou Ling spread out undisguised, enough to make many students below the stands hold their breath.

"Senior Brother Man Shan! Beat him up!" A small number of male students cheered him on, but their voices were quickly drowned out by a larger wave of noise.

"Senior Brother Donghua! Knock him down!" "Yeah, yeah! How can this clumsy bear be worthy of fighting Senior Brother!" "He's annoying just to look at, hurry up and make him get lost!"

The female students were screaming in support of Jiang Donghua almost unanimously, casting undisguised disdain upon Man Shan, who possessed astonishing strength but a rough appearance.

In their eyes, Jiang Donghua's effortless, handsome, and powerful demeanor was the true style of a strong practitioner.

Man Shan turned a deaf ear to the clamor below the stage, his bell-sized eyes fixed intensely on Jiang Donghua, revealing his stark white teeth in a grin.

"Jiang Donghua, your reputation doesn't scare me! It's not the style of Man Shan to settle for second place without challenging you!"

He roared, and the earthy yellow Dou Qi erupted, covering his entire body like thick armor. The terrifying giant axe, the Earth Splitter, in his hand also hummed, emitting an incomparably sharp golden glow.

Although the axe blade hadn't moved, the fierce momentum almost seemed to cleave the air.

"Take my axe strike! Mountain Cleaver!"

Man Shan stomped his foot violently, causing the arena stage to tremble fiercely. His massive body surprisingly burst out with a speed inconsistent with his size, charging toward Jiang Donghua like a cannonball, the giant axe descending fiercely, carrying the terrifying might capable of splitting mountains and severing peaks!

The golden light was dazzling, and the Dou Qi tore through the sky, emitting a sharp sonic boom!

The power of this single axe strike caused many of the previously clamoring female students to subconsciously hold their breath, a trace of pallor flashing across their faces.

Facing this ferocious attack, which was enough to severely injure an ordinary Two or Three-Star Dou Ling, Jiang Donghua's eyes remained as calm as water.

He didn't even show any intention of using a weapon.

Just as the giant axe was about to land, he moved.

He was so fast that he only left behind a blurry afterimage.

There was no earth-shattering Dou Qi collision, nor the complex and brilliant light of a Dou Technique.

Jiang Donghua merely turned sideways and raised his hand seemingly casually, not meeting the attack head-on, but rather curving his five fingers slightly and tapping the side of the ferocious axe blade with incomparable precision!

Clang---!!! A deafening sound of metal striking metal exploded!

Man Shan only felt a massive, utterly irresistible, and extremely cunning force suddenly transmit from the axe handle, instantly shattering all his balance of power and Dou Qi circulation!

The web of his hand throbbed painfully, and he nearly lost his grip on the giant axe. He was thrown forward into a stumble, leaving himself wide open!

And just as his body lost balance and his guard was down, Jiang Donghua's other hand, swift as lightning, landed on his chest.

The movement was feather-light, as if it contained no power whatsoever.

"Pfft—!" The ferocious grin on Man Shan's face instantly froze, turning into extreme shock and pain.

His massive body was struck head-on by an invisible giant mountain. His protective Dou Qi shattered instantly, failing to resist even for a moment!

He was sent flying backward, tracing a pathetic arc through the air, accompanied by a spray of blood mist, before crashing heavily onto the ground outside the arena stage with a dull thud. The giant axe clattered onto the ground beside him.

From Man Shan's fierce charge to his defeat and ejection, the entire process took only a flash of lightning.

Above and below the arena stage, there was dead silence.

Everyone widened their eyes, staring in disbelief at the figure on the stage who remained calm and composed.

It was over just like that?

Man Shan, the One-star Dou Ling and the strongest power in the Outer Academy, couldn't even withstand a single move?

He didn't even force Jiang Donghua to use a Dou Technique?

After a brief silence.

"Ahhhh—!! Senior Brother Donghua!!" On the viewing stands, especially in the area occupied by the female students, screams and cheers erupted instantly, sounding like a tsunami, the volume almost threatening to overturn the sky!

Their cheeks were flushed with excitement, and their eyes were fervent.

"Too strong! He's too strong!" "I knew it! How could that clumsy bear be a match for Senior Brother!" "A flick of the finger! Just a flick of the finger! Senior Brother, I love you!"

The male students were collectively silenced, only the sounds of sharp intakes of breath and nervous swallowing remaining. Their gazes toward Jiang Donghua held nothing but deep awe and powerlessness.

On the high platform, Fat Elder rubbed his hands, smiling so widely his eyes crinkled shut.

"Hehe, Old Yan, what do you think? Isn't this hidden strength terrifyingly profound? His control over power is simply freakishly exquisite!"

Elder Yan's face twitched slightly, and he finally just let out a grunt through his nose.

"He didn't disgrace himself."

In the center of the arena stage, Jiang Donghua slowly withdrew his hand, his gaze sweeping once more over the top fifty students below, who were pale-faced and subconsciously retreating.

His voice was still calm, yet carried an undeniable sense of absolute power, clearly spreading throughout the entire venue.

"Next."

Upon the arena stage, Jiang Donghua stood with his hands behind his back, his calm gaze sweeping over the few Outer Academy experts below who also possessed considerable auras and had already stepped into the Dou Ling realm.

Zhao Ming, a peak One-star Dou Ling, whose spear technique was like a dragon, always managed to secure a spot in the top five in previous competitions.

Lin Xiu, a One-star Dou Ling, possessed elusive movement techniques, and his Shadow Dou Technique caught people off guard.

These few were originally the strongest contenders for the championship in this competition. They had been competing fiercely for several years and were well aware of each other's hidden strengths and limits.

However, at this moment, when their eyes met Jiang Donghua's, they all involuntarily flickered, and they either lowered their heads, shifted their gaze, or pretended to look elsewhere. Not a single person dared to meet his eyes!

Tidal waves had already surged in their hearts. That slight competitive spirit was crushed into dust before the gap of absolute strength.

"What a joke. Man Shan's strength and defense were top-tier even among us."

Zhao Ming's hand gripping his spear shaft tightened slightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

He asked himself, perhaps he could defeat Man Shan by half a move if he went all out, but it was absolutely impossible to crush him in one strike so effortlessly.

Go up and challenge him? It would only be inviting humiliation, becoming yet another backdrop to highlight the opponent's power.

Lin Xiu forced a bitter smile. No matter how good his movement technique was, or how elusive his attack was, he still needed to be able to break through the opponent's defense and keep up with his speed.

But the speed and timing control Jiang Donghua had just demonstrated made him feel like a toddler learning to walk.

"The gap is too big. Going up there is just a joke." He completely abandoned any thought of luck.

Stepping stones? Which one of them wasn't an arrogant genius?

Who would be willing to be casually swatted off the arena stage like a fly under the eyes of the crowd, becoming a footnote to complete the opponent's invincible reputation?

No one was willing!

Thus, the scene fell into an extremely rare silence.

The Elders on the high platform exchanged glances, finding the situation both unexpected and reasonable.

"These little brats are more sensible than I thought." Fat Elder stroked his chin and chuckled.

Elder Yan grunted, saying nothing, but his expression indicated his approval of their sensibility.

Dean Lei Tian looked at the top students below, who were staring straight ahead as if Jiang Donghua on the stage were invisible, and then looked at the figure on the arena stage who seemed slightly bored due to the lack of challengers. He couldn't help but shake his head.

One hour slowly passed in this strange and oppressive atmosphere.

During this time, the competition on the other ranking stages remained fierce and explosive. The sounds of Dou Qi collisions, shouts, and cheers were endless, yet all this clamor seemed deliberately to avoid the central arena stage.

On that arena stage, only one person stood alone the entire time.

It was as if an invisible boundary had divided the area into two worlds.

One was the mundane, noisy world of competition for fame and profit; the other was the transcendent, silent world where only the king stood alone.

"Clang—!" The bell symbolizing the end of the competition finally rang.

The Law Enforcement Elder stepped forward, his gaze sweeping the entire venue, pausing especially on the faces of the few Dou Ling students. Seeing that they remained unresponsive, he announced loudly.

"Time is up! No one challenged the number one arena master, Jiang Donghua!"

Dean Lei Tian of the Outer Academy stood up, his voice booming and echoing throughout the square.

"I announce that the first place winner of this Outer Academy Selection Competition is—Jiang Donghua!"

As the announcement fell, the entire venue was briefly silent, followed by an unprecedented wave of cheers, especially from the female students supporting Jiang Donghua, whose voices nearly pierced the clouds!

Jiang Donghua stood in the center of the arena stage, bathed in countless gazes, cheers, jealousy, and awe. His expression remained unchanged; he merely nodded slightly, as if this were a trivial matter.

Winning without fighting, crushing his peers with absolute deterrence, he ascended to the pinnacle of the Outer Academy.

At this moment, his invincible image was deeply imprinted in the hearts of all Outer Academy Students.