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**
Jia Nan Academy, Inner Academy, Central Plaza.
As the largest venue in the Inner Academy, the Central Plaza typically remained closed to the public, opening only for special events such as academy tournaments. Naturally, the highly anticipated Strong List Tournament was held here.
Even with its vast size, the Central Plaza was still packed today, with countless heads forming a dark, dense sea of people. The noisy crowd created a cacophony that reverberated up to the skies.
With a loud "bang!" the voice of Elder Su Qian fell, and participants in the Strong List stepped onto the stage one after another. One of them, a figure as solid as a black iron tower, made a thunderous sound as he landed heavily on the ground.
The crowd turned to look curiously, recognizing the imposing presence as the "Domination Spear" Liu Qing. This powerful, domineering aura was something only he could exude.
Standing tall and firm, Liu Qing's body was as straight as a spear, with a massive, black spear strapped diagonally across his back, radiating an imposing aura of weight and power.
Not far from Liu Qing, Lin Xiuya landed softly, his feet barely touching the ground, moving with a light, leaf-like grace. Nearby, a small girl sauntered onto the field, her youthful face belying her terrifying strength as the number one on the rankings, known as the "Brute Force Queen" Zi Yan.
Despite her harmless appearance, everyone knew her unmatched raw power, a strength even Liu Qing couldn't easily contest. Zi Yan had become a legendary figure on the Strong List.
As Liu Qing, Lin Xiuya, and Zi Yan took the stage, other participants followed suit.
In an unassuming corner, a young man in a black robe stepped onto the platform calmly. Looking around, he noticed that a certain familiar figure was missing, prompting him to mutter in puzzlement, "Strange, where's Cousin Mo Yu?"
He wasn't the only one searching. On another high platform, a group of seven or eight stood in close formation. Each of them bore a fierce aura and wore a badge adorned with a black spear, a symbol of the Mo Gang.
Despite its recent establishment—barely half a year ago—the Mo Gang's influence grew rapidly, largely due to Mo Yu's decisive victory over Liu Qing. Their wealth and status skyrocketed, drawing attention from even the academy elders.
In this group of Mo Gang members, Lin Yan and Qian Mo stood at the forefront, with Fu Ao and others flanking them.
"What's going on? Why hasn't the boss shown up yet?" Lin Yan asked with a frown.
"Uh... the boss mentioned something about being busy. He hasn't been around for a month, so he probably won't be attending the tournament," Fu Ao replied, scratching his head.
"Busy? What could be more important than making it into the top ten on the Strong List? This is a chance to earn the elders' recognition and gain access to the ninth level of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower for a Heart Flame body-tempering session. Anyone would jump at the opportunity. With his strength, the boss could easily claim a top-ten spot, but he just let it slip by…" Lin Yan said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Hearing this, the others around him chuckled wryly, shaking their heads at their boss's unpredictability.
The opportunity to temper one's body with the Heart Flame was especially enticing. Those who had undergone it were almost guaranteed to reach the Dou Wang stage—a coveted advancement that established one as a true expert on the Dou Qi Continent.
Although Fu Ao and the others believed in their talent, they lacked confidence in breaking through to Dou Wang on their own. This chance offered a shortcut to their goal.
Unfortunately, they knew their current strength was insufficient to compete seriously in the tournament. Aside from Mo Yu, only Lin Yan and Qian Mo had a realistic chance of securing a top ten spot.
Meanwhile, Liu Qing scanned the crowd but saw no sign of the silver-eyed youth. His brows knit slightly, prompting Yao Sheng beside him to ask, "What's wrong, Brother Liu Qing?"
"Mo Yu… why isn't he here?" Liu Qing replied with a somber tone.
"Oh?" Yao Sheng's eyes flickered with surprise. After scanning the crowd and confirming Mo Yu's absence, he exhaled in relief, chuckling, "The head of the Mo Gang didn't show up for such an important competition. Does he think he's unbeatable?"
"I was hoping for a rematch with him, but it seems Mo Yu won't be participating in the Strong List Tournament," Liu Qing said with slight regret.
Yao Sheng merely smiled, thinking Liu Qing's defeat might have repeated itself had Mo Yu been present.
Suddenly, a faint cough, amplified by Dou Qi, resounded in everyone's ears. The murmurs quickly faded, and a respectful hush fell over the crowd as all eyes turned toward the black-robed Elder Su Qian at the center of the stage.
"Hmm, there are only forty-nine participants in the top fifty? Where is Mo Yu, ranked third?" Elder Su Qian's sharp gaze swept over the crowd, his brow furrowing in confusion.
In the academy's history, it was unheard of for a top fifty participant to skip the Strong List Tournament. Attending was not just about winning but also about the honor of participation.
"Reporting to Elder Su Qian, the boss… he's busy… so he might not be able to participate," Fu Ao said, stepping forward and bowing awkwardly.
"Not participating?" Elder Su Qian's question sparked a wave of shock and murmurs across the crowd. It was the first time anyone could recall a top-ranked student skipping the tournament.
Xiao Yan, who knew Mo Yu well, merely raised his eyebrows with a knowing look. If Mo Yu was missing this, it had to be for something important. Whatever it was, it would surely make a grand impact once unveiled.
While students voiced their disappointment, Zi Yan suddenly looked northward toward the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. She sensed a familiar spatial fluctuation in that direction.
"Mo Yu, what's he up to there?" she murmured, her large, dark eyes blinking in curiosity.
"Then, let the fifty-first-ranked student take his place," Elder Su Qian said, shaking his head with a sigh. He had high hopes for Mo Yu; a Heart Flame body-tempering session could nearly guarantee his promotion to Dou Wang.
Unfortunately, it seemed that opportunity would now pass him by.
If all goes smoothly, the strengthened Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya, who have undergone Heart Flame Body Tempering, might soon surpass Mo Yu once again.
As Su Qian's voice fell, a tall, thin red-haired man in the crowd eagerly rushed onto the stage and respectfully cupped his hands towards Su Qian.
Seeing the red-haired man take the stage, many in the audience showed envious expressions. For the fifty-first rank on the Strong List to unexpectedly gain entry was a rare, fortunate accident.
"Now that everyone is here, the tournament can begin!" Su Qian announced loudly.
With his words, the excitement in the crowd soared. Many of the participants eagerly nodded in anticipation.
The Strong List Tournament is the pride of every Inner Academy student. For many, achieving a spot in the top ten is their ultimate dream.
With the opportunity before them, even the fifty-first-ranked competitor felt a renewed determination to give it his all.
"The rules are the same as before—opponents will be chosen by drawing lots." Noting the eager expressions of the participants, Su Qian spoke without further delay.
With a wave of his sleeve, a black cloth fell to reveal a stone platform. On it stood a wide wooden cylinder filled with bamboo slips for drawing lots.
As the lot-drawing cylinder appeared, Strong List students took turns stepping forward to draw lots and determine their opponents.
While the Inner Academy's Strong List Tournament unfolded in full swing in the Central Plaza, in the lowest level of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, a young man seemed all but forgotten, alone in his secluded space.
With snow-like silver eyes, the fatigue in his gaze faded. The young man, bare-chested, felt his spirit stir. Without entering a state of cultivation, he could already observe everything within his body with crystal clarity.
After a month of intense training, the originally twisted and withered meridians had become translucent, wide channels emitting a faint glow.
Although he hadn't actively done anything, Mo Yu could clearly feel that his meridians had transformed, showing leaps in both resilience and capacity!
Shifting his focus away from his meridians, he scanned his body but found no signs of weakness. On the contrary, his body had become nearly unrecognizable from a month ago!
He thought to himself that the combat strength from his physical body alone now might even surpass his former strength when using Dou Qi.
Wait, Dou Qi!
A sudden thought came to him, and his mind focused inward on his energy vortex. Seeing the empty vortex, he froze in surprise.
"Oh? Where's my Dou Crystal and Dou Qi? Could it be…?"
Just as an idea struck him, he felt a rumbling within. Mo Yu watched as torrents of powerful Dou Qi surged from various parts of his body, flooding into his crystal-clear meridians.
As the Dou Qi flowed, his meridians, like a carefully built dam, filled with rushing waters, contracting and expanding in silent satisfaction.
"These Dou Qi…"
Blinking in realization, the young man seemed to understand something. He withdrew his mind, stretched out his hand, and then clenched his fist sharply.
As he clenched his hand, the space before him fluctuated, and a mysterious silver energy condensed in his palm.
With a glint of excitement in his silver eyes, he dismissed the energy from his hand. His shoulders trembled, and suddenly, Dou Qi surged from his body, following a unique meridian route before erupting from his back.
Boom!
Silver thunder wings sprang from his back, spanning over three meters, majestic and awe-inspiring like the wings of a Vermilion Bird.
"Dou Qi Wings…"
Turning his head slightly, he gazed at the silver thunder wings stretching from his back. He hadn't used a flight Dou Technique, nor had he relied on a secret art or external help. He had achieved Dou Qi Wings entirely on his own!
"Dou Wang!"
A flash of astonishment crossed his face. The crimson thunder reflected on his now more mature, handsome features, and a slight smirk crept onto his lips.
He understood the significance of achieving Dou Qi Wings through his own strength: Mo Yu had officially entered the ranks of the continent's true powerhouses!
Sensing his newfound power, Mo Yu's heart surged with emotion. After a month of grueling training under the Fallen Heart Flame, he had finally broken through to Dou Wang.
Yet, after a moment of excitement, Mo Yu quickly calmed himself. Having been reborn, he understood that, though Dou Wang was powerful, it wasn't his ultimate goal.
Closing his eyes, Mo Yu formed hand seals and resumed his journey of refining the Thunder Soul energy.
With the continued absorption of the Thunder Soul's energy, Mo Yu's Dou Qi gradually began to increase, slowly advancing from a one-star Dou Wang...
How many stars could he reach? Mo Yu was filled with anticipation…
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For exclusive access to 200+ advanced chapters and more, visit my Ko-fi page and support the journey: ko-fi.com/laoyao95
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or Support me at patreon for 200+ advanced chapters :
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