Chapter 27: Fire Duel
As Cao Ying's blood red flames entered the arena, they morphed into a humanoid figure. Its movements exuded an eerie sentience, almost as if it were alive.
"Is this… the innate beast flame of an eighth tier magical beast, the Blood Demon Ape?" Xiao Yan murmured to himself, nodding slightly.
The Blood Demon Ape Flame was the core ingredient in forming the Blood Demon Blaze, a terrifying flame the Cao family would undoubtedly help Cao Ying cultivate. By collecting beast flame essences, it would one day rival the beast flames of ninth tier magical beasts.
For now, however, the Blood Demon Ape Flame was merely an eighth tier beast flame, no stronger than Xiao Yan's own Blue Lion Flame.
With a calm thought, Xiao Yan manipulated the azure flames in the arena to condense into the shape of a winged azure lion.
"It's the beast flame of an eighth tier Azure Winged Sky Lion," muttered Dan Yangzi and the Cao family elder in the gallery. They exchanged glances, impressed but unsurprised.
As the disciple of Yao Chen, possessing an eighth tier beast flame was expected. What stood out, however, was the rarity of the Azure Winged Sky Lion itself.
"Blood Demon Ape Flame, tear that lion apart!" Cao Ying commanded, forming hand seals with an air of authority.
The humanoid flame rapidly swelled, transforming into a massive, fiery ape.
"Roar!" The fiery ape thumped its chest and lunged at the azure lion with terrifying momentum.
"Petty tricks," Xiao Yan remarked, his tone calm as he brought two fingers together. The azure lion, under his precise control, began to clash ferociously with the flaming ape.
The two fiery beasts bit and clawed at each other, their violent struggle sending sparks flying. While Cao Ying's previously confident expression turned more serious, Xiao Yan's face remained composed, a faint smile of confidence playing at his lips.
"Ha! You've piqued my interest. Among my peers, you're the first to make me work this hard in a fire duel. What's your name?" Cao Ying's voice carried excitement, her initial pressure now fueling her exhilaration.
"Xiao Yan," he replied, his tone steady, his expression calm as if the duel required no effort on his part.
In truth, it didn't. No matter how extraordinary Cao Ying's talent, she was still only a fourteen or fifteen year old girl.
"If this is all you've got, you're about to lose," Xiao Yan said, his smile turning faintly mocking.
At his command, the azure lion launched a sudden barrage of attacks, forcing the flaming ape onto the defensive.
"'All I've got'? Ha, Xiao Yan, I admit you're strong, but in a fire duel among peers, this mistress has never lost!" Cao Ying retorted with a cold smile.
A surge of Dou Qi erupted from her body, revealing the strength of a Dou Wang (Battle King).
"Boom!" The force of her Dou Qi caused the Blood Demon Ape Flame to grow explosively, its body swelling to several times its original height. It now towered over the azure lion, threatening to crush it.
If not for the ceiling limiting its growth, the flaming ape could have reached dozens of meters tall.
"She's already reached the Dou Wang level?" Xiao Yan thought, carefully gauging the intensity of her aura. She seemed to have just stepped into Dou Wang, likely at the one or two star level.
Although it was only the beginning stage of Dou Wang, Cao Ying's age made her achievement astonishing she wasn't even fifteen yet. Such talent was enough to rank among the finest geniuses of the ancient clans. With a bloodline level likely in the eighth or even ninth tier, she had the potential to become a Saintess of her clan.
"She truly deserves the title 'Cao family's demoness.' But unfortunately for her, she's up against me. Heh!"
Xiao Yan's lips curled into a sly grin.
This moment, where Cao Ying basked in her peak strength and pride, was the perfect time to strike her down. A decisive defeat now would leave an indelible mark on her mind and if he played his cards right, he could use that impression to his advantage.
"You've reached Dou Wang at such a young age. Truly remarkable," Xiao Yan praised, his smile still calm and assured.
Cao Ying, who had always been confident in her abilities, suddenly felt a pang of unease as she met Xiao Yan's gaze.
As Xiao Yan's words fell, an aura far more powerful than Cao Ying's erupted from him. Both Dan Yangzi and the Cao family elder, who had maintained their calm demeanors until now, visibly faltered.
"Two star Dou Huang! How is this possible?"
A teenager barely over fifteen had already achieved the rank of Dou Huang.
"This boy… has the potential to become a Dou Sheng!" The two elders exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes.
"How can this be? How can you be a Dou Huang?" Cao Ying's charming yet prideful face turned pale.
Among her peers, there were indeed those whose Dou Qi surpassed hers. However, these individuals were solely focused on cultivating Dou Qi, with their advantage being marginal at best none more than three stars ahead.
But now, before her stood someone who not only bested her cultivation but did so while practicing alchemy, a feat she had never encountered. His Dou Qi level wasn't just slightly higher it completely eclipsed hers.
Even with her exceptional talent, reaching Dou Huang would take her until at least the age of seventeen or eighteen.
"Hehe, little miss, let me show you how I handle things!" Xiao Yan smirked, his Dou Qi surging as he channeled it into the Azure Lion Flame.
"Boom!"
To everyone's surprise, the Azure Lion Flame rapidly expanded only to explode in a sudden burst.
"Sigh, the flaws of a Yellow tier technique are painfully obvious." Xiao Yan couldn't help but lament internally. A wave of weakness washed over him. The Dou Qi generated by his Yellow tier technique was unstable, incapable of withstanding the full extent of his power. The flame's sudden detonation was a stark reminder.
As the azure flames scattered, Cao Ying seized the opportunity, commanding the blazing ape to crush the remnants of the Azure Lion Flame.
"Miss Cao, sometimes, less is more," Xiao Yan quipped.
With a calm demeanor, he began forming hand seals. The azure flames, initially scattered, began to condense once more, this time into a smaller, sharper lion. Compared to its previous form, it was now only half its size, appearing diminutive next to the massive flaming ape.
"He's… condensing a Fire Spirit!"
The spectators gasped in astonishment. Although the azure lion had shrunk, it was now far more compact, radiating a refined intensity. Its lifelike movements demonstrated an exceptional mastery of flame control a skill typically possessed only by six star alchemists.
"Azure Lion Sky Demon Slash strike!" Xiao Yan commanded.
The azure lion spread its wings, which gleamed like blades, and sliced through the flaming ape with precision. Each movement left searing azure trails across the ape's massive body, inflicting deep, flaming wounds.
"Xiao Yan, you're strong, but I will defeat you!"
Cao Ying's voice trembled with determination as she infused her vast soul power into the flaming ape.
However, her efforts were futile. Xiao Yan's soul power was like an expansive lake compared to her modest pond. No matter how much strength she poured in, he remained effortlessly in control.
"I refuse to lose!"
For the first time in her life, Cao Ying found herself completely suppressed by a peer. Her blood red eyes brimmed with frustration as her hands formed a complex series of seals. Her desperation drove her to the brink, tears of blood trickling from her eyes.
"Ying'er, stop!" The Cao family elder's face darkened.
He recognized the seals she was forming an ancient forbidden art that could temporarily amplify her power at the cost of leaving severe, long lasting damage to her foundation.
"Xiao Yan, I must defeat you!" Cao Ying cried out, ignoring the elder's warning as she prepared to unleash the technique.
"Enough."
Xiao Yan's calm voice resonated across the battlefield.
The azure lion, which had been mercilessly tormenting the flaming ape, suddenly froze mid air before dissipating into harmless flames.
Cao Ying's forbidden technique was abruptly interrupted as a strand of Dou Qi neutralized her attempt.
"For a minor duel, is it worth compromising your foundation?"
Xiao Yan's gentle voice reached Cao Ying's ears, breaking through her haze of desperation. She looked up to see his serene smile.
In that moment, something shifted within her. Unlike the countless men she had encountered, there was something different about Xiao Yan something that left a deep imprint on her heart.
"Let's end today's match here," Xiao Yan declared. "We'll settle this properly at the alchemy competition in seven days."
With those words, the white robed figure turned and walked away, leaving behind a dazed Cao Ying and a crowd too stunned to speak.
(Chapter End)
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