Hah! This moment! The Thunder Dou Qi instantly surged, enveloping me in a halo of seven-colored light, its intensity boosted to the fourth level—the absolute limit of my current capacity—and the immense energy flooded my entire body.

“Ah! It’s Thunder Dou Qi.” Luo Yan was somewhat surprised!

Outside the arena!

“It’s Thunder Dou Qi,” Qing Long exclaimed in shock. “And it’s reached the mutated, seven-colored variant.”

Among the onlookers were more than a dozen young masters hailing from the Feng family. Seeing this scene, they were utterly stunned. “Seven-Colored Thunder Dou Qi.”

“How is this possible?” Feng Qingyun gasped in horror. “He actually possesses Thunder Dou Qi, and the highest form, the seven-colored variant.”

“Th-this isn’t real,” Feng Qinglan couldn't help but cry out. “Among the younger generation, besides the Young Master, no one has successfully cultivated the Seven-Colored Thunder.”

“Who exactly is he?” Feng Qingwei muttered to himself. “Could he also be one of the Feng family?”

Many people looked towards the stunned disciples of the Feng family, wondering if their own kin didn't recognize one of their own.

“I hadn't expected his Dou Qi cultivation to reach this level in just one year,” Tong Lei was even more aghast. A year ago, Bing He was cornered and almost defeated by Luo Meng; that sight was still vividly imprinted in Tong Lei’s mind. Yet, the blue figure on the field was utterly unrecognizable compared to the youth in his memory. How could this not shock Tong Lei to his core?

“The Path to the Pinnacle—is this the result of cultivating on the Path to the Pinnacle?” Tong Lei murmured, his gaze towards the arena suddenly sharpening, filled with resolve.

“No matter what,” Qing Long echoed with equal tenacity, “we must pass the Path to the Pinnacle!”

“The Path to the Pinnacle?” Lu Zhao whispered, “I will go there too, certainly.”

Taking advantage of Luo Yan’s momentary lapse in concentration, I shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow toward him! Under the effect of the Eye of Deathly Desire, I could clearly perceive that his Dou Qi was stronger than mine. Although both of us were at the peak of the Crimson Moon realm in Dou Qi cultivation, the inherent disparity in our constitutions and age meant that in terms of sheer Dou Qi strength, I was perpetually at a disadvantage against Luo Yan’s level.

After all, he was a man who had lived for many years. To use a phrase from classic Wuxia, his Neili (internal energy) was profoundly deep. Older age and seniority naturally meant deeper accumulation of inner strength.

Engaging him in a direct Dou Qi exchange was clearly unwise. To secure victory, I had to rely on close-quarters combat, utilizing my superior speed to overwhelm him. This was the battle strategy I had devised.

One must remember that this life-or-death duel was entirely different from the assessment back at the Heavenly Demon Sacred Hall. I dared not assume Luo Yan would adhere to fairness and lower his Dou Qi to match my own cultivation level.

With the Eye of Deathly Desire active, I precisely calculated the distance between Luo Yan and myself. Si hour—thirty-five meters, thirty meters!

The astonishing speed caused my body to emit a sharp hiss as it sliced through the air, yet Luo Yan’s eyes, like twin bolts of lightning, remained fixed firmly on my form, entirely unmoved. Only the vortex swirling around his body began to accelerate its rotation.

Twenty-five meters, twenty meters, fifteen meters... ten meters... In the blink of an eye, my lightning-fast figure rushed up before Luo Yan.

Hah! Luo Yan’s eyes blazed with intense light, accompanied by a mere, soft grunt! A massive surge of energy, like a typhoon, instantly rushed out, carrying with it gravel and debris scraped from the ground. It was the energy field generated by the swirling kinetic energy encircling Luo Yan.

The powerful impact forced me back two steps involuntarily. But quickly, this direct frontal force transformed into a strange, almost gravitational pull. I felt as though I were a small boat caught in the grip of a deep-sea vortex, being pulled helplessly along the current’s direction. I began to spiral around Luo Yan, spiraling closer to him. I desperately tried to anchor myself, wrestling with this attractive force, yet my whole body was inexorably drawn toward the center of the vortex. The soles of my Soul-Evading Boots left twin skid marks on the ground, resembling the burnout marks left by car tires.

Ah! What bizarre Dou Qi is this? Does he intend to simply suck me in like this!

Amidst the rushing air currents, Luo Yan’s giant Zhanmadao (horse-slashing saber) moved like a swordfish riding the waves, cleaving directly toward my chest.

Ah! I instinctively wanted to dodge, but my body refused to obey my will!

Damn it! If this continues, forget drawing my sword—I won’t even be able to move. Once I lose my balance, I will surely become that small boat in the vortex, dragged right into its core. And at the center, that gleaming, massive Zhanmadao awaits me.

“Ah, this is bad!” Qing Long cried out in alarm. “It’s Spiral Dou Qi.”

Spiral Dou Qi is one of the hereditary secret arts of the Luo family of Su City. It is a highly specialized method of circulating Dou Qi, using profound energy to establish a unique energy field within a ten-meter radius. This energy rotates continuously like a whirlpool, possessing astonishing power. Once trapped, no one can break free.

Bai Hu Luo Hao’s mastery included three ultimate skills: the White Tiger Dou Qi and the White Tiger Saber Technique.

The White Tiger Dou Qi has always been renowned for its profoundness and sheer brute force! In the world of wandering swordsmen, only the Hunyuan Dou Qi of the Xiong Ba Sect could truly challenge it in terms of sheer power and destructive capability! Both Dou Qi systems follow the same path!

And Spiral Dou Qi is merely a specialized application method for the White Tiger Dou Qi, serving the same function as the Xiong Ba Sect’s Vortex Dou Qi. In his early years traversing the continent, countless masters fell beneath this technique when faced with Bai Hu Luo Hao! Thus, the crowd was stunned to see this legendary secret art reappear.

“Bing He is trapped!” Tong Lei looked on anxiously. “What can be done?”

“If he doesn’t find a way out soon, that kid will be in danger,” everyone exclaimed in alarm!

“Hah! White Tiger must win! Kill him!” The surrounding Bai Hu Alliance members roared like thunder, wishing they could rush up and hack Bing He into a thousand pieces themselves.

“........” Lu Zhao could only clench his fists tightly, powerless to do anything. At this moment, Xing Chen was fighting desperately for the sake of the Lu clan, yet he, the sworn protector, was utterly incapable. Never before had Lu Zhao so intensely despised his own impotence.

............................................................................................

What should I do!

Suddenly, I recalled an episode of The Brothers Haier I watched in my past life. There was a scene that left a deep impression on me: their boat was caught in a whirlpool and they couldn't escape the pull. But instead of fighting it, they moved with the rotation of the vortex, ultimately using its guiding force to slingshot themselves out of the bind.

In a flash of thought, I stomped hard on the ground and suddenly accelerated in the very direction the vortex was swirling!

Whoosh! My speed reached its absolute peak, and my target was squarely Luo Yan’s position. Almost simultaneously, Luo Yan’s massive saber swept toward my chest!

Hah! As I closed the distance at incredible speed, I poured all my strength into thrusting my sword toward Luo Yan’s chest!

Under the Eye of Deathly Desire, I calculated that the speed of my sword strike, combined with the sudden burst of velocity provided by the vortex’s pull, would allow me to strike Luo Yan a fraction of a second sooner. And that was enough.

Luo Yan, who was sweeping his saber horizontally, also showed a slight change in expression, clearly not expecting me to break through his spiral air current so easily. The saber, which was sweeping against the current, smoothly transitioned into a recovery motion—a block!

Clang!

Clank!

Saber met blade, sword qi erupted! The entire arena seemed to explode as if struck by a bomb; the solid ground actually cracked, sending countless fragments of rock and debris flying outward like shrapnel.

The instant the weapons clashed, I employed a soft application of the Dragon Shadow Sword technique; the resilient blade bent into a C-shape under the pressure of the giant Zhanmadao! I then used the rebound force from the Dragon Shadow Sword to propel myself backward, instantly breaking free of that bizarre vortex energy field!

................................................................................ No one saw clearly what had happened! Within the vortex, Bing He’s blue silhouette suddenly accelerated to an unbelievable degree, as if he had vanished from the spiral only to reappear twenty meters outside the vortex energy field the next moment.

“What in the world happened?” Lu Zhao was horrified. “How did he break free?”

“I don’t know,” Tong Lei murmured. “The speed was too fast; I couldn't see what happened at all.”

“So that’s how one escapes Spiral Dou Qi,” Qing Long said, intensely excited. “Everyone who falls into Spiral Dou Qi’s first reaction is to desperately fight their way out. I never expected Bing He to charge with the flow of the vortex toward the center, and then use the vortex’s own pull to fling himself outward! The two forces combined meant his speed was at least doubled. No wonder we couldn’t see his form clearly.”

“Ah! You can actually break Spiral Dou Qi like that,” Tong Lei muttered. “Who on earth is this guy?”

“Hoo!” Lu Zhao’s tightly strung nerves relaxed slightly.

................................................................................... Thump! Upon landing, I still felt a lingering sense of dread. That vortex was terrifying! It seems direct close combat is not feasible!

The first exchange can be considered a draw!

Luo Yan clearly hadn't anticipated I would escape his vortex field so quickly, revealing a flicker of surprise.

“Good lad, you certainly have some tricks,” Luo Yan commented lightly.

“Hmph! The real show has only just begun,” I replied noncommittally, moving back to a distance, unwilling to strike immediately. At least until I devised a way to deal with that bizarre Spiral Dou Qi, rushing in would be foolish. Seeing that I had no intention of engaging up close, Luo Yan...

“Not bad, it’s only just starting.” He suddenly lunged forward, and while rapidly closing the distance, a strand of golden sword qi shot forth with incredible speed, aimed directly at my face.

Ah! This speed was unheard of; even under the Eye of Deathly Desire, I was momentarily caught off guard. My Footwork of the Fencing Sword instantly activated, allowing me to shift two meters sideways in a flash of light and electricity. The sword qi screamed past, grazing my shoulder. Just as I thought I had successfully dodged it, there was a sudden, deafening BOOM.

I felt a bone-grinding tearing sensation across my entire left shoulder, the pain so intense it felt like my body was falling apart.

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