242: Is this a freshman?

The four Dou Ling Experts on Jiang Donghua's side each entangled an opponent, with the roar of Dou Qi collisions, angry shouts, and the crisp clang of weapons clashing ringing incessantly.

However, the remaining dozen or so One-Star and Two-Star Dou Ling Senior Students, like tigers entering a flock of sheep, directly pounced on the twenty-odd Peak Great Dou Shi New Students!

The gap between Dou Ling and Great Dou Master was undeniably clear at this moment.

Although the New Students had a numerical advantage and had formed simple defensive formations, in the face of absolute power suppression, they still appeared incredibly fragile.

The Senior Students' attacks were swift and vicious; often, a single move could break through the combined defense of several people, and with a sweep of Dou Qi, New Students would spit blood and fly backward.

In less than a minute, four or five New Students had already screamed, lost their combat ability, collapsed to the ground, their faces pale, their eyes filled with unwillingness and terror.

"Senior!"

"Senior Jiang! We can't hold on!"

Some New Students shouted anxiously in panic.

Jiang Donghua looked at the almost one-sided situation, frowned slightly, and let out a soft sigh.

"Sigh, it seems I have to make a move."

He had originally wanted his companions to get more practice, but it seemed the chasm of strength truly couldn't be easily filled by numbers alone.

Just as his words fell, and he subtly moved, seemingly preparing to intervene in the battle, a Senior Student named Hong Tao, who had been lurking nearby and had a cultivation of Peak Two-Star Dou Ling, and had been eyeing him, saw a glint in his eyes, believing he had seized the perfect opportunity for a sneak attack!

"Water Serpent Bind!"

Hong Tao mentally roared, his water-attribute Dou Qi surged out, and he formed hand seals. Two deep-blue water serpents, condensed from pure Dou Qi, carrying the power of entanglement and restraint, shot towards Jiang Donghua like arrows from a bowstring, attempting to control him before he could intervene in other battlefields!

He calculated well; Alchemists usually have strong Soul Power, but their close-quarters reaction and speed are weaknesses.

However, facing this sudden sneak attack, Jiang Donghua didn't even turn his head.

He merely casually slapped out with a backhand.

There was no dazzling Dou Qi radiance, no earth-shattering momentum.

Just a light, airy palm strike.

But it was this light, airy palm strike that was so fast it exceeded the limits of Hong Tao's visual capture, taking less than half a second!

It struck later but arrived first, precisely landing on the 'seven-inch' vital points of the two roaring water serpents!

"Puff! Puff!"

The two seemingly fierce water serpents were like they had met their nemesis; they couldn't even stir a ripple and were instantly shattered, turning into a sky full of moist vapor.

And Jiang Donghua's palm strike, its momentum undiminished, seemed to penetrate space, and in the reflection of Hong Tao's suddenly constricted pupils, it gently landed on his chest.

"Bang!!!"

A muffled thud.

Hong Tao only felt an utterly irresistible, overwhelming, terrifying force penetrate his body!

His protective water-attribute Dou Qi was easily torn apart like paper.

"Waaah—!"

He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his entire body, like a giant rock thrown by a trebuchet, uncontrollably flew backward, violently and extremely awkwardly smashing through a large tree that required two people to embrace!

Crack! Rumble!

The tremendous sound of the tree breaking roared, wood chips flew, and a cloud of dust billowed!

This sudden loud noise and alarming commotion instantly made both sides, who were fiercely fighting, involuntarily look sideways, their actions slowing by half a beat.

Everyone's eyes turned in horror towards the dusty area, only to see Hong Tao slumped like a pile of mud in the broken wood debris, already having lost his combat ability, merely coughing there.

And Jiang Donghua, standing in place, slowly withdrawing his palm, didn't even have a single fold in his clothes.

The Senior Students who had just mocked him as a medicine jar, thinking he relied on pills and was a weakling in close combat, were now dumbfounded, like ducks whose necks had been squeezed, their faces filled with incredulous shock.

Someone, with a trembling and highly doubtful voice, murmured what was on everyone's mind.

"Is this still the medicine jar they know?!"

Jiang Donghua's understated yet terrifying palm strike instantly intimidated the entire battlefield.

The chaotic battle seemed to have been paused, and everyone's eyes focused on the seemingly slender yet explosively powerful black-haired youth.

Especially the Senior Students of the Inner Academy, the disdain and mockery on their faces had long vanished, replaced by extreme solemnity and suspicion.

Instantly, the five closest and fastest-reacting Dou Ling Senior Students—including two Two-Star and three One-Star—immediately abandoned their original opponents. With flashing figures, they had already surrounded Jiang Donghua, their expressions solemn.

The leading Senior Student, a Peak Two-Star Dou Ling, stared sharply at Jiang Donghua, speaking in a deep voice, his tone no longer carrying any of the previous contempt.

"I never expected that the deepest hidden one among this group was you, kid!"

"We were all mistaken!"

The few of them exchanged glances, seeing the same judgment in each other's eyes.

To be able to so easily heavily injure Hong Tao, a Two-Star Dou Ling, with a single palm strike, his strength was absolutely far beyond what it seemed!

Their rough perception and judgment indicated that this seemingly young New Student's strength was probably at least Peak Three-Star Dou Ling, or even Four-Star Dou Ling!

This was a formidable enemy that required them to be on high alert, and even needed them to work together to contend with!

"Go together! Don't give him a chance to defeat us one by one!"

Another person shouted in a low voice.

So the five guys who surrounded him didn't hold back at all; their internal Dou Qi frantically circulated without reservation, and five streams of Dou Qi, each a different color but equally powerful, shot up into the sky!

"Splitting Wind Slash!"

"Thick Earth Palm!"

"Azure Wood Entanglement!"

"Golden Light Finger!"

"Raging Wave Strike!"

Five Xuan-rank Combat Skills, carrying the sharp whistle of tearing air, blasted towards Jiang Donghua in the center from five different directions, like a violent storm!

The energy fluctuations generated by the Dou Techniques caused sand and stones to fly on the ground, creating an astonishing momentum. Clearly, they intended to kill him in one blow, or at least thoroughly cripple him and make him lose his combat ability!

Facing this combined assault, which would make even ordinary Three-Star or Four-Star Dou Ling flustered, Jiang Donghua, in the eye of the storm, not only showed no fear but instead revealed a smile that made the hearts of the five Senior Students sink.

It was a smile of slight playfulness and absolute confidence, as if he had finally seen all his prey fall into the trap.

It was a pity they only saw Jiang Donghua's smiling face. The moment the five Xuan-rank Combat Skills were about to strike, Jiang Donghua moved!

He stepped back half a pace with his right foot, his body sinking slightly, his right fist clenched, and a surge of crimson Dou Qi, far more vast and profound than anyone present, erupted like an awakened volcano!

They heard him shout loudly, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Heavenly Stellar Overlord Fist!"

The terrifying power of a Profound Rank High-Grade Dou Technique was fully displayed by him at this moment, with his profound foundation at the Peak of Nine-Star Dou Ling!

He fiercely punched out!

It wasn't aimed at anyone, but rather savagely slammed into the ground in front of him!

"Boom—!!!"

A tremendous bang, like a sudden clap of thunder!

An extremely powerful, incomparably domineering crimson fist force, like a tangible shockwave, spread out in a perfect circle from the point where his fist landed, with a terrifying posture of crushing everything!

The five grand Xuan-rank Combat Skills, in front of this crimson shockwave of absolute power, were like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun; they couldn't even resist for a single breath before being directly annihilated and devoured in a destructive manner!

The lingering power of the fist did not diminish, fiercely impacting the five Senior Students, who were completely horrified and had no time to react!

"Pfft!"

"Urgh!"

"No—!"

Five figures, as if struck by a high-speed magical beast, simultaneously spat blood and flew backward, tracing five awkward arcs in the air, then heavily crashed into a clearing in the distant woods or against tree trunks. After struggling a few times, they completely lost consciousness.

The power of one punch was terrifying!

The entire battlefield instantly fell into a dead silence.

Whether they were Senior Students or New Students still fighting, everyone seemed to have been frozen in place, standing rigid and dumbfounded, staring at the youth who slowly withdrew his fist and straightened his body, as if he had only done a trivial little thing.

The sunlight shone on him. Was he really a New Student?!

They were all mistaken!