288: It's rare to meet an opponent.

“Begin!”

The two words were like a lit fuse!

On the arena stage, Qin Xiao moved first!

He knew well the overbearing nature of his Thunder Fire Dou Qi, which gave him an absolute advantage in close-quarters combat.

His foot stomped heavily on the ground, and his figure shot out like a flash of red and silver lightning, charging straight at Jiang Donghua with a piercing sound of tearing air!

Lightning Light flickered and flames wrapped around his fist, which he threw out without any flourish!

Although he had not used a Dou Technique, the savage Dou Qi contained in that punch was enough to easily inflict heavy damage on any Peak Dou Ling!

Facing this fierce and unparalleled strike, Jiang Donghua’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not dodge, meeting the attack with a punch of his own!

The force of his punch did not look as terrifying as Qin Xiao’s, appearing even somewhat plain, yet wherever the fist passed, the air emitted a low hum, unable to withstand the intensely condensed power.

Boom!

The two fists collided without any fancy maneuvers!

Instantly, a visible ripple of energy spread rapidly from the center of their fists, striking the surrounding energy barrier with a dull thud!

Thump, thump, thump!

After a single strike, both figures swayed slightly and retreated half a step.

But anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Jiang Donghua’s half-step retreat seemed slightly more hurried than Qin Xiao’s.

Furthermore, a faint spark of electric arc and a tiny flame flickered subtly on his fist, clearly indicating that a trace of Qin Xiao’s strange Thunder Fire Dou Qi had invaded him.

"What overbearing Dou Qi!"

On the viewing platform, many students cried out in surprise.

"Senior Student Qin Xiao's Thunder Fire Dou Qi truly lives up to its reputation! The mixed attack is impossible to guard against!"

"It looks like Jiang Donghua is at a bit of a disadvantage!"

"It seems that in a head-on clash of pure Dou Qi, Senior Student Qin Xiao is still superior!"

Below the stage, Lei Lie watched nervously, unable to resist nudging the composed Mu Chen next to him with his elbow, asking in a muffled voice.

"Old Mu, do you see? Brother Jiang seems to be slightly suppressed. Who will win?"

Mu Chen's gaze remained calmly fixed on Jiang Donghua. Hearing Lei Lie's words, he smiled faintly, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty.

"Just watch. Donghua, he hasn't even started yet."

As if to confirm Mu Chen's words, Qin Xiao on the stage, sensing the slight upper hand he had gained in the previous clash, couldn't help but reveal a triumphant smile.

He shook his wrist, looked at the arc of electricity on Jiang Donghua's fist that hadn't fully dissipated, and spoke with a mix of arrogant advice and boasting.

"Jiang Donghua, how does it feel? The taste of my Thunder Fire Dou Qi isn't pleasant, is it?"

"I advise you to just use a Dou Technique directly!"

"Just relying on the depth and attributes of Dou Qi, within the same rank, I truly haven't met many who can compare to my Dual Cultivation of Thunder and Fire! If you insist on clashing head-on, you're the one who will suffer the loss!"

He spoke with immense confidence, already believing victory was within his grasp.

After all, the previous probing strike had proven that in a basic Dou Qi confrontation, the dual attributes indeed provided a significant advantage.

However, faced with Qin Xiao's "kind" advice, Jiang Donghua merely flexed the wrist he had used in the clash, silently dissolving the last trace of invading thunder and fire energy.

He raised his head, looking at the triumphant Qin Xiao. Far from showing any frustration, the smile on his lips deepened, and the fighting intent burning in his eyes grew even fiercer.

"Dual Cultivation of Thunder and Fire truly lives up to its reputation; it is indeed overbearing."

Jiang Donghua nodded, seemingly acknowledging Qin Xiao's strength.

But immediately after, he changed the subject, and his entire aura suddenly transformed!

If he had resembled a bottomless Gloomy Spring just moments ago, now that Gloomy Spring began to boil, radiating a heart-stopping sense of oppression!

"However..."

Jiang Donghua slightly bent his body, adopting a peculiar starting stance. His previously restrained aura surged, climbing steadily like a primordial beast released from its seal!

"If your reliance is only on the advantage of your Dou Qi attributes, then I'm afraid you will be disappointed."

"Warm-up over. Now, it's my turn!"

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Donghua's figure suddenly blurred. The next moment, he appeared ghost-like on Qin Xiao's flank!

His speed was more than double what it had been before!

The triumphant smile on Qin Xiao's face instantly froze, and his pupils contracted sharply!

"So fast!"

Qin Xiao's arrogant advice was still echoing in the air, but Jiang Donghua's momentum had already surged dramatically!

That ghost-like burst of speed instantly transformed the triumph on Qin Xiao's face into focused solemnity!

"A good move!"

Qin Xiao was extremely rich in combat experience; though startled, he remained calm. He gave a low shout, and the Thunder Fire Dou Qi within him circulated wildly at an unprecedented speed!

Facing Jiang Donghua’s lightning-fast flank attack, he neither dodged nor retreated. On his fists, silver Lightning Light arcs and scarlet flames interwove and compressed in an unprecedented manner, and a destructive fluctuation suddenly erupted!

“Profound Rank High-Grade Dou Technique — Thunder Fire Burning Heaven!”

He launched both fists simultaneously, no longer simply using Dou Qi attachment, but unleashing a genuine Dou Technique!

The Lightning Light and flames intertwined, forming a massive red and silver energy pillar, like a roaring thunder and fire dragon, carrying a terrifying momentum capable of incinerating everything and tearing the sky apart, fiercely meeting Jiang Donghua's attack!

Wherever it passed, the air was completely evaporated, letting out a piercing shriek!

On the other side, Jiang Donghua's eyes were sharp as knives as he faced the roaring thunder and fire dragon.

His charging figure paused slightly, his right fist drawn back to his waist. The muscles in his entire arm instantly tightened, and an aura of unmatched ferocity and absolute dominance condensed upon his fist!

That fist was no longer mere flesh and blood, but had transformed into a giant hammer capable of shaking mountains!

“Profound Rank High-Grade Dou Technique — Heavenly Stellar Overlord Fist!”

He let out a low roar, and the right fist drawn to his waist violently shot out!

There were no dazzling lights or complex elemental changes, only a will of extreme power and destruction!

Where the punch passed, space itself seemed to slightly distort, emitting a muffled sonic boom. A transparent fist imprint, condensed to the extreme, struck the thunder and fire dragon without any fancy moves, like a falling meteor!

RUMBLE—!!!

This collision was far beyond the level of the previous probing strikes!

The fierce dominance of the Heavenly Stellar Overlord Fist and the savage destruction of the Thunder Fire Burning Heaven—two Dou Techniques, distinctly different yet both reaching the peak of the xuan-rank high-tier, slammed squarely into each other!

In an instant, blinding light illuminated the entire arena, and a terrifying energy storm swept outwards like a tsunami from the point of collision!

The energy barrier, set up jointly by three Dou King Elders, emitted a grating, teeth-aching sound at that moment, fluctuating violently, seemingly ready to shatter at any time!

The students in the stands were horrified by the sight and retreated one after another. Even with the barrier separating them, the destructive aura still struck terror into their hearts!

The light faded, and the energy subsided slightly.

In the center of the arena, the two figures still maintained their clashing posture, the specialized bluestone beneath their feet already cracked into pieces!

Jiang Donghua slowly withdrew his fist, looking at Qin Xiao opposite him, who had only swayed slightly and whose aura was slightly chaotic but was clearly unharmed. For the first time, his deep eyes revealed unconcealed surprise and a trace of excitement at meeting a worthy opponent!

"What a tough punch!"

Jiang Donghua praised him inwardly.

"He was actually able to take my fully unleashed Heavenly Stellar Overlord Fist head-on and remain completely unscathed?"

"The physical strength and Dou Qi quality of this Dual Cultivation of Thunder and Fire are truly monstrous! This first on the strong ranking really holds weight!"

On the other side, the shock in Qin Xiao's heart was like a raging storm!

He felt the slight churning of vital energy within him and the numbness in his arms, and he looked at Jiang Donghua with disbelief!

"Is this guy really an Alchemist?!"

Qin Xiao almost doubted his reality.

"How could an Alchemist cultivate the fierce path of the Heavenly Stellar Overlord Fist to such a pinnacle of perfection?!"

"He clearly practiced this Profound Rank High-Grade Dou Technique to the Major Completion stage, just like me, perhaps even touching the threshold of the Perfected stage!"

He had originally thought that relying on the advantage of his Dou Technique and the dominance of his attributes would be enough to quickly secure victory, yet he never expected that Jiang Donghua's mastery of Dou Techniques was in no way inferior to his own!

At this moment, both men completely discarded their last trace of contempt.

Qin Xiao licked his slightly dry lips, the fighting spirit in his eyes burning even more fiercely, like fire.

"Good! Jiang Donghua, you truly qualify to be my opponent! The warm-up is completely over!"

"Next, I'm going to get serious!"

Jiang Donghua twisted his neck, producing a crisp cracking sound, his smile wild and unrestrained.

"That suits me perfectly! Let me see where the limits of you, the thunder fire asura, truly lie!"