<strong><u>Chapter 548: Initial Exchange</u></strong>


    The spacious resting area had be a little quieter due to the ferocious aura that had suddenly erupted from the two people. Immediately, over ten human figures around them took a couple of steps back while wearing faces that showed that they were going to enjoy the show. Although one could raise one’s training speed by cultivating in the tower, it was also extremely dull and boring. They were naturally extremely happy to watch such amusing activity now that someone had started a fight.


    Lin Yan was also startled when he saw Xiao Yan who had directly received Yao Sheng’s challenge. He was just about to stop the fight when he mused a moment. However, he did not speak. Although Xiao Yan’s strength was only that of a two star Dou Ling on the surface, he clearly knew that this fellow’s true fighting ability far exceeded this level. Hence, it was not an easy matter for Yao Sheng to defeat Xiao Yan even with the former’s strength.


    “It is also good for him to sense a little of the fighting strength of the top twenty in the ‘Strong Ranking’.” Lin Yan thought in his heart as he took a step back. He smiled as he spoke to Xiao Yan, “Send this sissy rolling and see if he still dares to make noise toward you.”


    Xiao Yan smiled and once again stepped forward. His hands shook and arge Heavy Xuan Ruler carried a sharp sound from the tearing of air as it appeared in his hands from out of nowhere.


    Xiao Yan waved the heavy ruler and pointed it at Yao Cheng from a distance. The fighting intent in Xiao Yan’s body surged without resting in this kind of situation, causing his Qi to rise repeatedly.


    Under Xiao Yan’s increasingly stronger aura, the faces of some of the people around revealed a faint shock as they quietly spoke in their hearts, “This fellow is indeed simr to what is said in the rumors. He has a powerful fighting strength that totally does not match the strength on the surface.”


    Yao Cheng eyed Xiao Yan’s repeatedly climbing aura in a dense and cold manner. His hands rotated and an extremely rich dark-blue Dou Qi seeped out. Following the appearance of this dark-blue Dou Qi, threads of mist agglomerated around him. In merely a moment, a cluster of water barriers that carried threads of dark-ck color appeared. They wrapped Yao Cheng within from top to bottom. Ripples repeatedly circted on the surface of the water barrier, much like a moving body that was rotating unceasingly.


    “Be a little careful. This is this fellow’s forte, ‘Secluded Whale Water Wall’. It specializes in dealing with a physically strong opponent like you. This fellow appears to understand you very well. His first attack is a skill that restrains you.” Lin Yan lifted his brows and spoke loudly when he saw the dark-ck water barrier that Yao Cheng had agglomerated and formed.


    Xiao Yan was surprised when he heard this. He immediately nodded. It appeared that this fellow did indeed have quite a strong ability in order to be the seventeenth rank on the ‘Strong Ranking’. However... the other party was a water affinity expert. Xiao Yan had never had the slightest bit of fear when faced with an opponent of this affinity.


    The corner of Xiao Yan’s mouth lifted with a coldness. Threads of extremely faint-green fire seedlings wrapped around the heavy ruler while being enfolded by Dou Qi. With the support of the ‘Green Lotus Core me’, an ordinary water affinity Dou Qi would merely be able to disy seventy-percent to eighty-percent of its strength in front of him.


    “What is the use even if you know about it?” Yao Sheng was not anxious despite having everything pointed out by Lin Yan. All the former did was speak with a dark, coldugh.


    “That may not be the case.” Xiao Yan smiled and corrected. His feet abruptlynded on the ground and a slight sound of rolling thunder reverberated. His body turned into a blurry, ck shadow in front of the numerous stunned gazes around him as he shot explosively toward Yao Cheng while moving like a ghost.


    The dark coldness in Yao Cheng’s eyes grew even denser as he narrowed them and watched the thunderbolt-like ck line. Unceasing amounts of powerful Dou Qi swiftly flowed and moved within his body.


    Two powerful auras grew increasingly strong within the arena. A ferocious collision instantly erupted within the area of this sixth level of the tower interior.


    For Xiao Yan’s speed, the distance of a couple dozens of meters merely took up the time to blink an eye. However, the people present were not ordinary people. Therefore, their eyes were able to firmly follow him despite his extremely fast speed.


    “Chi!”


    Xiao Yan’s figure suddenly appeared in mid-air. He eyed Yao Cheng below and a ferociousness surfaced on his face. The strength of the heavy ruler in his hand soared explosively once again. In an instant, an ear-piercing sonic boom sharply sounded throughout the entire sixth level as the heavy ruler was swung down and took shape.


    Sensing the strength of this hack by Xiao Yan, a seriousness also surfaced in the eyes of Yao Sheng, who had been feeling some disdain within his heart. Both of Yao Sheng’s hands danced and threads of ckish moist Dou Qi swiftly surged out. Finally, they swiftly agglomerated into a water above his head fed by unendingyers of Dou Qi.


    “Bang!”


    The heavy ruler carried arge strength as itnded on theyers of the dense Dou Qi water. Immediately, force fluctuations visible to the naked eye came rippling out like a water wave from the point of contact.


    Xiao Yan’s brows frowned slightly as the two collided. He could sense that the numerous threads of water forming a that contained a strange adhesion force... Although its adhesion force was not weak, the strength of the heavy ruler had still destroyed nearly a hundredyers of the Dou Qi water within a few minutes as though it was cutting through some weak and decayed things. However, the destruction rate may have been fast, but the rate at which Yao Sheng agglomerated the water was not slow either. His hands danced rapidly even revealing numerous afterimages. The water swiftly regained shape under the dancing of the afterimages.


    As the two erupted, the adhesion force that was on the dense Dou Qi waterpletely solidified the heavy ruler in mid-air when the heavy ruler was merely half a foot from Yao Sheng’s head. Although the heavy ruler was firmly halted, the force that was contained on it still passed through the space as it shook Yao Cheng’s neat hair until it was spread all over the ce.


    Yao Sheng’s head was shaken by the wind until he was dizzy for an instant. His face instantly became ugly. It was really unexpected that he was in a disadvantage after having just made contact. Although he was not injured, his appearance had be extremely miserable looking. How could he, who valued reputation greatly, endure this?


    A low angry roar was emitted from Yao Sheng’s throat. His right hand abruptly curled into a w shape as treads of ck-colored Dou Qi swiftly covered it. Finally, it cemented into an extremely sharp ck-colored w. The w moved and the sharp nails cut through the air, tearing toward Xiao Yan, who was floating in the air in front of him.


    Xiao Yan’s hands held the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly. The force in his body burst forth and he plucked it out from that sticky water. His body rolled once in mid-air before his feet that were wrapped in green-colored Dou Qi viciously collided with Yao Sheng’s w hand.


    “Bang!”


    A low muffled sound appeared. The two swiftly pulled back under the repulsion of the force. A momentter, Yao Sheng violently stomped on the ground and stabilized his body just as Xiao Yannded from the air. He nced at Xiao Yan’s feet in a dense cold manner and only let out a coldugh when he saw thetter’s shoe had been torn, forming arge hole.


    The nearly instantaneous fight between the two was extremely dangerous. Their attacks were heavy and should any single party be the least bit careless, that party would end up with serious injuries. This kind of exciting fight caused the surrounding audience to involuntarily nod their heads quietly despite all of them being strong. This Xiao Yan did indeed live up to his reputation. He did not actually end up in much of a disadvantaged when facing the seventeenth ranked Yao Sheng in such a fierce fight.


    “This fellow’s water affinity Dou Qi actually possesses a tiny corrosive effect. It is really strange. If it were not for the ‘Heavenly me’ secretly resolving it, it is likely that I would have suffered quite a little disadvantage.” Xiao Yan gently shook his leg as he spoke with surprise in his heart. The instant that they made contact, he had clearly sensed that the other party’s Dou Qi possessed a kind of corrosive effect.


    “Hei, Xiao Yan, not bad.” Lin Yan raised his thumb toward Xiao Yan. Even he could not find much problem with the fight earlier. Lin Yan also felt a little surprise that Xiao Yan was actually able to not lose in this kind of exchange. Although Yao Sheng was merely a seven star Dou Ling, an ordinary eight star Dou Ling would have difficulty defeating him due to his Dou Qi being a little strange. This performance of Xiao Yan had undoubtedly exceeded his expectations.


    “This is only a warm up. What is there to be proud about?” Yao Sheng’s face darkened. His voice was as dark and cold as his Dou Qi, giving people a cold feeling.


    Xiao Yan nced indifferently at Yao Sheng. He did not say any nonsense. With a wave of his heavy ruler, his Dou Qi began to agglomerate once again.


    “Humph! All of you STOP!”


    However, just as Xiao Yan and Yao Sheng were about to begin fighting again, a cold snort suddenly sounded. Immediately, a human figure strangely appeared in the battleground. A sharp overbearing aura immediately surged out explosively in an overwhelming manner. Threads of crack lines swiftly spread out from under the feet of that figure, and they extended all the way until the edge of the resting area before gradually slowing down.


    The familiar sharp overbearing aura caused everyone present to immediately be aware of just who had arrived. A respect and seriousness immediately appeared in most people’s eyes. Clearly, the person who hade did have sufficient weight even in the hearts of these people, who could be called the top experts of the Inner Academy.


    Xiao Yan slowly withdrew the heavy ruler in his hand. His pupils narrowed as he eyed Liu Qing who had appeared in the battleground. His expression did not change even a little and he did not express any respectful or any other emotions.


    “Big brother Liu Qing!” Yao Sheng immediately rejoiced when he saw Liu Qing appearing.


    Liu Qing waved his hand and stopped Yao Sheng’s voice. He nced at Xiao Yan and Lin Yan as he said in an indifferent voice, “I have already said that we should prioritize training now. Any grudges can be settled in the Grand Competition!” Liu Qing stared deeply at Xiao Yan when his words reached the end. Clearly, he had a deep memory for thetter.


    Yao Sheng opened his mouth when he heard this. He could only nod his head. His gaze was dark and cold as he turned to Xiao Yan. He said in a dense manner, “Consider yourself lucky this time. Hopefully, we will not meet in the Grand Competition. Otherwise, you will likely not be as lucky as you were today.”


    Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. He was toozy to be bothered about such vicious words. All he did was merely throw his gaze toward Liu Qing. This fellow was his strongest opponent. Even with Xiao Yan’s current strength, he did not have absolute confidence...


    “Xiao Yan, you have really caused me to feel a great interest in you. Although my opponent is Lin Xiu Ya, I also hope that you will have the ability to squeeze in at that time. However, you should remember that life and death lies with fate in the Grand Competition. Although the Inner Academy has a rule that restricts one from using a killing move, one’s fists and legs don’t have eyes.” Liu Qing said indifferently. His voice faintly carried a warning.


    Xiao Yan frowned. He was naturally able to understand the meaning behind Liu Qing’s words. He was just about to speak when a tender voice suddenly sounded.


    “Xiao Yan is someone I am protecting. Who dares to touch him?”


    The tender voice was clear and moving. However, the moment the voice sounded, the expressions of everyone in the entire resting area, with the exception of Xiao Yan, drastically changed. They moved their gazes before eventually seeing a small human figure standing in the doorway of a training room.