303: You're a Dou Huang?!

On the arena stage, Jiang Donghua effortlessly defeated the two experts, Liu Qingsi and Lei Lie. His breathing was steady; he had merely warmed up.

His gaze calmly swept across the audience below, asking, "Next?"

Although his tone was flat, it carried an invisible pressure that made the remaining qualifiers exchange glances, none daring to respond easily.

For a moment, the scene fell into an awkward silence.

Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned toward the figure at the edge of the field—arms crossed, face grim, with faint fluctuations of Thunder Fire aura around him: the second place on the strong ranking list, the thunder fire asura, Qin Xiao!

Feeling the gazes converging from all directions, Qin Xiao's expression grew even darker.

He knew that if he retreated now, his title as the thunder fire asura and his dignity as the second place on the inner academy strong ranking list would be utterly reduced to a joke!

"Hmph!"

Qin Xiao let out a heavy cold snort, suppressing the unease that Jiang Donghua's unfathomable display had sparked in his heart, and abruptly stood up.

He took a step, a flash of Lightning Light appeared beneath his feet, and his figure materialized on the stage, facing Jiang Donghua from afar.

He stared intensely at Jiang Donghua, his tone carrying forced arrogance and fighting spirit.

"Jiang Donghua! It seems you haven't wasted the past six months!"

"However, merely bullying Dou Lings doesn't count as true skill!"

He clenched his fists hard, his knuckles cracking, and Thunder Fire Dou Qi began to surge uncontrollably around him, filling the air with a violent aura.

"Let this great one personally test your mettle! Let's see how much strength you've gained!"

Jiang Donghua looked at the battle-ready Qin Xiao, still wearing that placid smile, and nodded slightly.

"Senior Qin Xiao, please begin."

On the high platform, the Great Elder, looking at the two men confronting each other on the stage, a complicated expression flashed in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and announced loudly.

"Challenger, Qin Xiao! Defender, Jiang Donghua! The match—begins!"

"Boom—!"

The Dou Qi Qin Xiao had accumulated for a long time erupted violently, like a volcano suppressed for a thousand years!

He was well aware of Jiang Donghua's strangeness and power, so his first move was an unreserved killing blow, intending to seize the initiative!

"earth rank low-tier Dou Technique—Thunder Fire World-Ending Spear!"

He struck out with both fists; his left hand flashed with Lightning Light, transforming into a fierce silver lightning dragon, while his right hand surged with flames, condensing into a violent crimson fire dragon!

The lightning dragon and the fire dragon intertwined, letting out deafening roars, tearing through the air with the terrifying might of destruction, and lunging toward Jiang Donghua with lightning speed!

This time, the Di-rank Dou Technique he unleashed was clearly of a higher quality and more skillfully controlled than the previous Thunder Fire World-Ending Spear!

Its power was many times greater than when they last fought!

Where the twin Thunder Fire dragons passed, the arena floor was scorched by the scattered energy, the temperature of the entire stadium suddenly rose, and the air was filled with violent lightning factors and scorching fire elements!

In the stands, all the students held their breath, their hearts pounding, frightened by the horrifying display!

"A Di-rank Dou Technique! Senior Qin Xiao is serious now!"

"It's too terrifying! This power is much stronger than last time!"

"Can Senior Jiang block it?!"

Facing this terrifying attack, which would require any Peak Dou King expert to treat seriously, Jiang Donghua's eyes finally showed a subtle change.

It was no longer the previous calmness, but rather a hint of seriousness.

He still did not retreat, nor did he use any flashy Dou Techniques.

He simply raised his right hand slowly, fingers slightly spread, and gently pressed toward the roaring twin Thunder Fire dragons.

"Buzz—!"

An invisible yet vast and majestic power suddenly spread out from the center of his palm!

It was neither scorching flame nor chilling cold, but a deeper, more fundamental power that drew upon the surrounding Heaven and Earth energy!

The next moment, under the gaze of countless shocked eyes, the fierce and unparalleled twin Thunder Fire dragons collided with an invisible yet indestructible barrier three feet in front of Jiang Donghua.

"Rumble!!!"

A deafening explosion sounded! Lightning Light and flames raged wildly, enveloping half the stage in blinding light that made it impossible to look directly at.

However, when the light dissipated and the energy subsided, everyone saw a sight they would never forget.

Jiang Donghua was still standing in the same spot, completely motionless.

Not even the corner of his clothes had fluttered.

In front of his raised palm, space was slightly distorted, and all the explosive energy was confined to that three-foot area, unable to cross the boundary!

Qin Xiao's pupils constricted, his face filled with extreme disbelief and horror!

"Impossible!"

His voice became sharp and trembling due to the profound shock!

The entire arena fell into a deathly silence!

Everyone was completely petrified by this scene that overturned their understanding!

Jiang Donghua slowly lowered his palm, looked at the pale, thunderstruck Qin Xiao, and softly spoke a single sentence. His voice was not loud, yet it exploded in everyone's ears like a clap of thunder.

"Senior Qin Xiao, transcending ranks is a bit too difficult!"

Qin Xiao stood on the stage, utterly distraught. He looked at the still-calm Jiang Donghua opposite him, then down at his own slightly trembling hands. The scene of his full-strength attack being effortlessly neutralized by the opponent lingered in his mind like a nightmare.

This realization was like a bucket of ice water poured over him, instantly extinguishing all the fighting spirit and unwillingness in his heart, leaving only boundless bitterness and confusion.

He opened his mouth, his throat aching with dryness.

Finally, in a tone that was almost a groan, filled with deep frustration and disbelief, he asked the question shared by all the Inner Academy Students at that moment.

"How exactly did you cultivate, kid?"

"A Dou Huang? Are you really a Dou Huang already?"

"What's the point of fighting then!"

He practically roared the last sentence, filled with powerlessness and a sense of absurdity at being left behind by the era.

He had painstakingly broken through to the Six-Star Dou King after enduring hardships, originally believing he could once again compete with Jiang Donghua, only to discover that the opponent had long stood upon a mountain peak he could only look up to!

This gap was no longer something hard work could bridge!

Facing Qin Xiao's near-breakdown questioning, and the countless gazes below filled with curiosity and shock, Jiang Donghua merely shrugged helplessly, replying in a tone that sounded extremely casual, even somewhat innocent.

"It wasn't anything special, really. I just kept practicing, felt like it was time, and then I broke through?"

The voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly echoed throughout the silent arena.

"..."

The entire venue was dead silent.

Just kept practicing and broke through?

Breaking through from Dou King to Dou Huang?

That sounds as casual as saying, 'I ate breakfast this morning, and then I was full'?!

All the students, including those usually arrogant experts on the strong ranking list, felt a tightness in their chests, a suffocating feeling as if they wanted to vomit blood but couldn't.

How many of them had been stuck at the Peak Dou Ling stage for years without progress?

How many had risked their lives trying to break through to the Dou King realm?

Dou Huang?

That was an Elder-level existence, the lifelong goal of many of them!

Yet, coming from Jiang Donghua, breaking through to Dou Huang was as simple as drinking water or eating a meal?!

"Comparing people really makes one furious!"

Someone muttered softly, voicing the feelings of everyone present.

A huge sense of helplessness and deep envy and hatred permeated the crowd.

Even among the Elders seated on the platform—those whose cultivation was at the Dou King and Dou Huang levels—the expressions on their faces were a sight to behold.

They exchanged glances, all seeing the same shock and a hint of awkwardness in each other's eyes.

The realm they had painstakingly reached after decades or even a century of bitter cultivation was so easily surpassed by a young man; this feeling was truly complicated.

"Cough, cough!"

Amidst this strange atmosphere, the Great Elder could finally bear it no longer. He coughed heavily twice, his voice containing a trace of Dou Zong pressure, pulling everyone back from their state of collective speechlessness.

He glared at Jiang Donghua on the stage and said irritably.

"Alright, alright, kid, say less! Are you trying to discourage people further?"

He quickly changed the subject, scanning the remaining qualifiers below, who were silent with fear and had practically withdrawn their heads into their necks, and asked loudly.

"Does anyone else want to challenge Jiang Donghua?"

As his voice fell, the remaining qualifiers below shook their heads frantically, almost instinctively. Their movements were uniform and surprisingly fast!

They looked terrified that if they shook their heads too slowly, the Great Elder might call their names to challenge that monster!

What a joke!

Fighting a Dou Huang? That wasn't a challenge; that was courting death and abuse!

They certainly didn't have Qin Xiao's courage—or perhaps foolishness—to knowingly head toward a tiger in its lair.

Seeing this scene, the Great Elder understood, and at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He announced.

"Since no one else challenges Jiang Donghua, Jiang Donghua successfully defends the stage and earns three points! Furthermore, he has directly secured a spot in the top ten of this strong ranking list competition!"

No one was surprised by this result; in fact, they felt it was only natural.

Jiang Donghua bowed slightly to the Great Elder, glanced at Qin Xiao and the others below with their complicated expressions, and then gracefully descended from the stage.

The body tempering with the Origin Heart Flame was about to begin.

And after the tempering, it would be time for him to leave Jia Nan Academy and embark on the journey toward the Northern Region of Central State!