252: Solo run of the White Demon Team

Deathly silence!

The entire arena was plunged into an extreme, pin-drop silence.

All the Senior Students stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, unable to utter a sound, only gazing blankly at the white steam rising everywhere, and the figure within the steam wreathed in pale, cold fire.

Only now did they suddenly awaken, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over their heads.

All their previous discussions, guesses, and doubts—even Chen Ming's inference regarding the human wave tactics and pills—had overlooked the most fundamental, yet terrifying, fact.

Jiang Donghua, he is a Fourth-Grade Alchemist!

A Master Alchemist capable of refining a fourth-grade pill possesses Soul Power and control over flames that are far superior to those of ordinary experts.

More importantly, Alchemists often possess a trump card unimaginable to ordinary people: powerful flames!

Previously, they had assumed Jiang Donghua might possess a Beast Fire originating from some powerful fourth or fifth-tier fire-attributed magical beast.

Although precious and fierce, it was still within the realm of understanding.

However, the pale, cold, and bizarre flame before them, capable of instantly vaporizing their combined flood dragon attack, possessed power and characteristics that completely exceeded the scope of a Beast Fire a Fourth-Grade Alchemist could produce, reaching an unimaginable level.

Above the high platform, the astonishment in Great Elder's eyes slowly receded, replaced by deep admiration and a hint of comprehension.

He stroked his beard and sighed softly in a voice only he could hear.

“It seems it's not the Outer Academy that cultivated this kind of monster, but rather that this monster himself arrived bearing world-shaking opportunities.”

His gaze deepened.

“Possessing sixth grade beast fire, coupled with his innate Nine-Star Dou Ling strength... the White Fiend Squad probably won't be able to stop him.

Clearing the trial alone is no difficult task either.

Truly, heroes emerge in youth!”

In the center of the battlefield, the pale, cold flame flowed slowly around Jiang Donghua, flickering erratically as if alive.

The aura it emitted was extremely bizarre; those who approached it simultaneously experienced two completely opposite sensations: one was an extreme cold that penetrated the bone and froze the soul, and the other was a terrifying, scorching heat that seemed capable of incinerating everything!

This contradictory sensation of ice and fire blending was extremely unsettling, causing their minds to waver.

The five members of the White Fiend Squad, who bore the brunt of the attack, felt it most intensely.

Chen Ming fiercely bit the tip of his tongue, forcibly snapping himself out of the shock.

He glanced at his four teammates behind him, whose faces were pale and auras were already somewhat disordered, knowing that the forceful destruction of their combined strike had caused considerable backlash and consumption to each of their Dou Qi and mental states.

But they are the White Fiend Squad!

They represent the final dignity of the Inner Academy Seniors!

“It's not over yet!”

Chen Ming roared furiously, forcibly boosting morale.

“Form a defensive formation!

That kind of flame must consume an extreme amount of Dou Qi; he cannot possibly use it continuously!

We haven't lost yet!”

The other four, upon hearing this, had their eyes flash with resolve, forcefully suppressing the physical discomfort and the lingering fear in their hearts.

The five figures flashed rapidly, their Dou Qi connecting once more.

Although it was not as vast and overbearing as the previous flood dragon formation, it quickly transformed into a smooth, solid defensive formation.

Thick ice walls and water curtains condensed layer upon layer in front of them, shimmering with a resilient light.

They intended to use their last remaining Dou Qi to construct the most solid defense, betting that Jiang Donghua could not continuously drive that terrifying, bizarre flame!

The victory had not yet been decided!

However, facing the five men's swift reaction and tenacious fighting spirit, the pale, cold fire around Jiang Donghua merely flickered slightly.

He looked at the five men standing ready, and the confident curve of his mouth had still not disappeared.

“Senior Students, you truly are tenacious.”

He said softly, as if praising them, but the words that followed caused Chen Ming and the four others' hearts to sink heavily.

“However, you seem to have misunderstood something.”

“Who told you that my Dou Qi is also running low?”

Jiang Donghua's voice was clear and calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness.

“Heavenly Stellar Overlord Fist!”

However, this time was completely different from before!

As his voice fell, he did not throw just one punch, but both fists simultaneously!

Boom! Boom!

Two incomparably condensed silver fist auras, shimmering with a cold metallic luster, ripped through the air like two silver pythons emerging from a cave.

Carrying a sharp whistling sound, they fiercely slammed into the defensive formation hastily formed by the five members of the White Fiend Squad, one from the left and one from the right!

“Defend with full power!”

Chen Ming's pupils contracted, and he roared sternly.

The five men dared not show the slightest negligence, frantically injecting their remaining Dou Qi into the ice walls and water curtains in front of them.

The thick ice layers rapidly thickened, and the turbulent water currents spun at high speed, attempting to neutralize the peerlessly overbearing force of the punches.

Bang! Bang!

Two muffled, enormous sounds, like giant drums being beaten, exploded almost simultaneously!

Ice shards flew everywhere, and water splashed violently!

The two layers of solid defensive Dou Techniques shook violently under the impact of the two terrifying fist auras, and cracks instantly spread like spiderwebs.

Although they barely avoided completely shattering, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they had reached their limit and were tottering on the verge of collapse.

The five figures within the formation staggered simultaneously, their faces growing even paler.

Clearly, taking these two punches compounded the already massive consumption of their Dou Qi.

However, before they could catch their breath and adjust the surging Qi and blood within their bodies.

All the Senior Students, including Chen Ming and his four teammates, watched in horror as Jiang Donghua's arms, which had just unleashed the terrifying fist auras, lit up again with that heart-stopping silver light without any pause!

That thick, powerful metallic silver covered his arms again.

Majestic Dou Qi surged and gathered like an inexhaustible river, and its might showed no sign of weakening compared to the very first punch!

Those two Heavenly Stellar Overlord Fists, which were powerful enough to kill an ordinary low-star Dou Ling, seemed to him like a casual wave of the hand, having consumed hardly any Dou Qi!

“This, how is this possible?!”

A White Fiend Squad member cried out, his voice filled with unbelievable trembling.

Chen Ming stared intently at Jiang Donghua's arms, which were once again gathering terrifying power.

A thought that made his scalp tingle and his body turn cold flashed into his mind like lightning, making him instantly understand everything!

Such a powerful and overbearing Dou Technique!

Such continuous bursts that almost ignored consumption!

Such youth yet possessing the realm of a Nine-Star Dou Ling!

All these phenomena that defied common sense could only be explained by one thing!

“Earth-Rank Cultivation Method?!”

Chen Ming's voice was incomparably dry, filled with a horror he himself could not believe, as he muttered these four words that weighed a thousand pounds.

Only by cultivating the legendary Earth-Rank Cultivation Method could one possess such vast, majestic, and rapidly recovering Dou Qi reserves!

Only then could he continuously unleash such powerful Dou Techniques with impunity!

“Earth-Rank Cultivation Method?!”

These four words seemed to possess magic, instantly awakening all the Senior Students around who were immersed in shock and confusion.

In that instant, endless horror and despair surged into everyone's hearts.

Earth-Rank Cultivation Method!

That was a legend that the vast majority of Inner Academy students could only look up to but never reach!

The sustained combat ability and Dou Qi quality of a person who possesses an Earth-Rank Cultivation Method simply cannot be measured by common sense!

Facing a monster whose strength already reached Nine-Star Dou Ling, who possessed a bizarrely powerful cold flame, and who now revealed that he possibly cultivated an Earth-Rank Cultivation Method!

How could they possibly fight this?

Should they throw their heads at him?!

All the fighting spirit, all the persistence, and all the dignity of the Senior Students instantly collapsed in the face of this absolute strength and the despairing gap in foundation.

The color completely drained from Chen Ming's face.

He exchanged glances with the four teammates behind him, seeing the same helplessness, bitterness, and a hint of utterly relieved surrender in their eyes.

Continuing the fight was meaningless; it would only invite humiliation, resulting in their defenses being forcefully shattered by the opponent's seemingly endless Heavenly Stellar Overlord Fists and leaving them severely injured.

Chen Ming took a long, deep breath, intending to swallow all the humiliation and unwillingness.

He was the first to disperse the Dou Qi gathered around him, and the cracked ice wall and water curtain in front of him slowly dissipated as well.

He raised his hand, weakly shaking his wrist toward Jiang Donghua, his voice, filled with unprecedented exhaustion and hoarseness, echoed throughout the silent arena.

“Stop fighting.”

“We surrender.”

“The fire crystal cards belong to you.”

As his voice fell, the final barrier, the White Fiend Squad, was declared completely defeated.

At the entrance of the entire Inner Academy, all that remained was the subtle sizzling sound of the pale, cold fire burning, and countless heavy, disbelieving gasps.