Chapter 268: Ascending to Dou King
Canaan Academy, Inner Academy, Central Plaza.
As the largest venue in the Inner Academy, this plaza is usually closed off to the public. It only opens during major events, and today, it is the site of the most exciting competition—the Strong Ranking Tournament.
Although the Central Plaza was vast, today it was packed with countless people, forming a sea of black as they gathered to witness the event. The crowd buzzed with excitement, their voices merging into a deafening roar that reached the sky.
Boom!
As soon as Elder Su Qian's words echoed from the sky, the strong-ranking students began to take the stage. A figure like a black iron tower descended, accompanied by a sharp wind, and landed heavily on the ground with a thud.
Everyone turned their curious eyes toward the figure, and when they saw who it was, they understood.
It was Liu Qing, known for his dominating and fierce presence. In the entire Inner Academy, only he could exude such a powerful aura.
Liu Qing stood tall and straight, like a spear, with no trace of weakness. On his back, he carried a black spear as tall as himself, radiating a heavy, imposing aura.
Right after Liu Qing landed, Lin Xiuya appeared with a light smile, lightly tapping the ground with his toes, and floated down like a leaf.
Not far from Lin Xiuya, a small girl wandered onto the stage. Despite her young, innocent appearance, no one dared to underestimate her. This was Zi Yan, ranked number one on the Strong Ranking list, often called the "King of Strength."
Though Zi Yan looked harmless, everyone in the Inner Academy knew that her monstrous strength was enough to make even people like Liu Qing wary of her. She had become a legendary figure on the Strong Ranking list, defying all common sense.
As Liu Qing, Lin Xiuya, and Zi Yan took the stage, the rest of the strong-ranking students followed suit.
In an inconspicuous corner, a calm young man in a black robe slowly stepped onto the stage. As he glanced around, not seeing the familiar figure he was looking for, confusion flashed across his dark eyes. "Strange, why hasn't Cousin Mo Yu come?"
He wasn't the only one wondering. In another part of the high platform, a group of seven or eight people stood, all of them exuding an imposing aura, with each wearing a black spear insignia on their chests.
The other strong-ranking students cast respectful glances at these people before quietly stepping aside to avoid them.
The black spear insignia marked them as members of the Ink Gang, the most powerful faction in the Inner Academy.
Even though the Ink Gang had only been established for less than six months, thanks to Mo Yu's overwhelming defeat of Liu Qing and the gang's expertise in weapon crafting, the Ink Gang had quickly gained wealth and influence, making it a force to be reckoned with.
Even the academy elders had taken notice of the Ink Gang's rise, not to mention the ordinary students.
At the forefront of this group were Lin Yan and Qian Mo, with Fu Ao and others standing on the outer edges.
"Where is the boss? Why hasn't he shown up yet?" Lin Yan frowned, not seeing Mo Yu's figure.
"Uh... the boss said he had something important to do. He hasn't shown up for a month, and he probably won't participate in the Strong Ranking Tournament," Fu Ao scratched his head and replied.
"Something important? What could be more important than securing a spot in the top ten of the Strong Ranking? This would qualify him to be considered as an elder's successor and give him the opportunity to undergo the heart flame body tempering on the ninth level of the Sky Flame Qi Refining Tower. Everyone in the academy would kill for that chance. With the boss's strength, getting into the top ten would be a breeze, yet he's giving up this opportunity. I don't know what to say..." Lin Yan shook his head in exasperation.
Hearing this, Fu Ao and the others could only smile bitterly. Their boss had always been unpredictable.
Becoming a potential elder and receiving the heart flame body tempering were incredibly coveted honors. Based on past academy experience, anyone who underwent the heart flame tempering was almost guaranteed to break through to the Dou King level.
A Dou King was a true powerhouse on the Dou Qi Continent.
Though Fu Ao and the others believed they had decent talent and strength, they weren't confident they could break through to the Dou King level on their own. But the heart flame tempering gave them a real chance to achieve this goal.
It was a pity that, despite participating in the tournament, they knew they were unlikely to make it into the top ten. In the Ink Gang, besides their boss Mo Yu, only Lin Yan and Qian Mo had the strength to contend for a top ten spot.
Still, having three members in the top ten was a testament to the Ink Gang's power.
"Do you think the boss has a way to break through to Dou King?" Qian Mo, rubbing his belly, squinted and asked.
Everyone was stunned by this suggestion.
Elsewhere, Liu Qing scanned the crowd, frowning when he didn't see the silver-eyed youth. Yao Sheng, standing beside him, noticed and asked, "What's wrong, Brother Liu?"
"Mo Yu... he's not here," Liu Qing said, his tone serious.
"Oh?" Yao Sheng looked around, and when he didn't see the silver-eyed youth either, he let out a sigh of relief and chuckled, "Such an important competition, and the leader of the Ink Gang doesn't show up? Does he think he's invincible?"
"I was hoping to fight him again, but it looks like Mo Yu decided to skip the Strong Ranking Tournament," Liu Qing shook his head, sounding disappointed.
Yao Sheng smirked but didn't comment. In his opinion, it was a good thing Mo Yu didn't show up. With Mo Yu's terrifying strength, Liu Qing might lose again.
Ehem!
A soft cough infused with Dou Qi reverberated through the air, silencing the crowd. Everyone turned their gaze toward the central high platform, where Elder Su Qian stood, his presence commanding respect.
"Hm? There's one person missing from the fifty participants. Where is the third-ranked Mo Yu?" Su Qian's sharp gaze swept the crowd, but he didn't see the silver-eyed student he had been keeping an eye on.
With furrowed brows, Su Qian was puzzled. In the academy's history, no one had ever missed the Strong Ranking Tournament unless there were exceptional circumstances. Even if a student couldn't reach the top ten, just participating in the event was an honor.
"Honorable Elder, our boss... he has something important to do and might not participate this time." Fu Ao stepped forward, awkwardly bowing to Su Qian.
"Not participating?"
The crowd erupted into whispers. This was the first time anyone had ever heard of a top-ranking student skipping the Inner Academy's Strong Ranking Tournament.
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes flashing with understanding. Knowing Mo Yu well, Xiao Yan realized that Mo Yu was probably planning something big. Though no one else knew, whatever Mo Yu was preparing would surely shake the world when it was revealed.
As the crowd discussed Mo Yu's absence, Zi Yan, the King of Strength, suddenly turned her gaze northward, toward the Sky Flame Qi Refining Tower. She seemed to sense a familiar spatial fluctuation coming from that direction.
"What is Mo Yu doing there?" Zi Yan blinked her big, black eyes, curious.
"Since that's the case, the fifty-first ranked student will take his place." Su Qian sighed, shaking his head. Mo Yu was a talented seed he had high hopes for. If Mo Yu had undergone the heart flame tempering, he would have likely broken through to the Dou King level. Unfortunately, he would have to miss this opportunity.
With Mo Yu absent, there was a chance that Liu Qing, Lin Xiuya, and others would surpass him after their heart flame tempering.
As Su Qian spoke, a tall, lanky red-haired man excitedly ran onto the stage, bowing respectfully to Su Qian.
The crowd looked enviously at the red-haired man, who had unexpectedly taken Mo Yu's spot. Such a rare occurrence, one that might only happen once in many years, was truly lucky for him.
"With all the participants here, the tournament can now begin," Su Qian announced loudly.
Hearing his words, the atmosphere in the plaza surged with excitement. The competitors nodded eagerly.
The Strong Ranking Tournament was a battle for honor, and making it into the top ten was the dream of every student in the Inner Academy. Even the fifty-first ranked student, who had just taken the stage, was determined to give it his all.
"The rules are the same as before. Draw lots to determine your opponents." Seeing the excitement on the participants' faces, Su Qian didn't waste any more time. With a wave of his sleeve, a large wooden cylinder filled with bamboo sticks appeared on a stone platform.
As the cylinder appeared, the strong-ranking students stepped forward one by one, drawing lots to decide their matchups.
While the tournament was heating up in the Central Plaza, far away in the deepest level of the Sky Flame Qi Refining Tower, a young man sat quietly, almost as if forgotten.
The fatigue in Mo Yu's silver eyes slowly faded as he quietly surveyed his body. Even though he wasn't actively cultivating, he could clearly sense everything within himself.
After a month of training, the once withered and twisted meridians inside him had transformed into wide, crystal-clear channels, faintly glowing with a soft light.
Although Mo Yu hadn't moved yet, he could clearly feel the drastic improvements in his meridians' flexibility and capacity compared to before. It was as if his entire body had undergone a miraculous transformation.
His body, which had been pushed to its limits, now seemed immeasurably stronger. He even suspected that his physical strength alone might now surpass the power he had once achieved by using Dou Qi.
And then it hit him—Dou Qi!
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and his consciousness dove into his Qi vortex. As he looked at the empty vortex, he was momentarily stunned.
"Huh? Where's my Dou Crystal and Dou Qi... Could it be..."
Just as he realized something, his body rumbled, and torrents of Dou Qi suddenly surged from every part of his body, rushing into his crystal-clear meridians.
As the Dou Qi flowed, the meridians, like well-prepared dams, expanded and contracted, filling with the powerful energy, as if they were rejoicing.
"All this Dou Qi..."
Mo Yu blinked in disbelief, but he soon understood what had happened. He pulled his consciousness out of his body and slowly extended his hand. As he clenched his fist, a surge of silver-white energy burst forth, floating eerily in his palm.
His silver eyes glimmered as he examined the energy in his hand. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he dissipated the energy and gave a slight shrug.
Suddenly, a massive wave of Dou Qi erupted from his body, following a strange meridian path before bursting out from his back.
Boom!
Scarlet thunder wings, about a meter long, sprang from his back, resembling the wings of a majestic Vermilion Bird. They were both beautiful and awe-inspiring.
"Dou Qi Wings..."
Mo Yu glanced over his shoulder at the scarlet thunder wings extending from his back. He hadn't used a flight technique, nor had he borrowed anyone else's power. He had achieved Dou Qi Wings all on his own!
"Dou King!"
A trace of surprise flashed across his face, the red lightning reflecting on his now more mature and handsome features. Slowly, a smile crept across his lips.
He knew exactly what it meant to be able to form Dou Qi Wings with his own power—it meant that Mo Yu had finally stepped into the ranks of true powerhouses on the continent!
Feeling the overwhelming surge of power within him, Mo Yu's heart surged with excitement. After a month of arduous training with the Fallen Heart Flame, he had finally broken through to the Dou King level.
After a moment of excitement, Mo Yu quickly calmed himself. He had been given a second chance at life, and he knew that becoming a Dou King, though powerful, was not his final goal.
Closing his eyes, Mo Yu formed hand seals and resumed the long process of refining Xuan Thunder energy.
As he continued to absorb the energy from the Xuan Thunder, Mo Yu's strength slowly grew, his power increasing from a one-star Dou King… and continuing to rise.
How far would he go? Mo Yu was filled with anticipation.
(End of Chapter)
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