Wei Buhuan's voice sounded like a vengeful spirit rising from a mass grave, his entire body smeared with dazzling crimson blood, his spine hunched like a shrimp. He was in a grotesque state, yet no one dared to underestimate him in such a condition. His eyes, blazing with an ethereal blue light, radiated a chilling aura that could freeze the very marrow of anyone who dared to look. In the briefest of moments, a layer of cyan-black miasma spread across Wei Buhuan’s relatively clean cheek, and then, even those with lesser sight could see that the skin beneath the gore was also coated in a dusky, dark hue.

The few students standing near Wei Buhuan suddenly staggered, their previously ruddy complexions instantly turning cyan-black. Their eyes rolled back, and they pitched backward, continuously spewing white foam from their mouths.

Poison!

In an instant, Wei Buhuan snatched a clay jar from the pouch at his waist, extracted two pitch-black scorpions, and stuffed them directly into his mouth, crushing them between his blood-soaked teeth.

In the silence of the dance floor, listening to the crunching and grinding as he chewed the scorpions, the saliva, once a mixture of white and red, had long since turned black. His pair of cerulean eyes grew even bluer—an indescribably bizarre shade of blue.

"Kid! Die for me!"

Wei Buhuan dropped low to the ground again, surging forward like a striking scorpion. Everywhere he passed, it was as if dozens of Fireball spells had detonated in succession. His legs and feet, acting as a scorpion's tail, swept towards Qian Jin’s head, trailing a pungent, noxious wind and striking with alarming speed. A dark arc suddenly materialized in the air, as if the very space had been torn apart by the ferocity of his poison.

A pungent stench invaded Qian Jin’s nostrils, accompanied by a suffocating sensation in his chest, as if his body’s reactions were instantly slowing down.

Wei Buhuan had never suffered such a loss as he had today. Even when defeated by Tian Lian Lingguan, no one around had witnessed it. Yet now, he had been severely injured by a young warrior who had only recently enrolled, and worse, he couldn't dispel the internal injuries within his body.

This humiliation could only be washed away by the death of his opponent! Even if it meant expulsion from the Academy! Even if he were banished to the Man-Demon Battlefield—he would slay this kid!

The Dou Qi within Wei Buhuan spun wildly, his meridian channels approaching the point of shattering. Boundless pain surged from every corner of his body to his brain. Skill, Poison Reigns Supreme, activate and shatter!

A cloud of black smoke mixed with fetid blood instantly engulfed Wei Buhuan’s fist. The acrid, nauseating odor intensified tenfold in that second! The students slightly farther away showed grayish-black tints on their faces from the poisoning, each enveloping themselves in defensive magic and Dou Qi to shield the warrior and mage students.

"Hmph…"

From the section reserved for the Gryphon King bloodline warriors, Tian Lian Lingguan let out a faint, cold snort. Lingguan’s eyes instantly flared, and a golden radiance burst forth from his body. A roar, like that of a lion, shook the entire dance floor. Above his head materialized a Gryphon King Dou Soul, fully three meters in size!

Two snow-white wings unfurled with a rustle behind Lingguan's back. His body rapidly began the transformation into his bloodline battle form. The Gryphon King Dou Soul hung suspended in the air for a moment before its form shifted, appearing directly above Wei Buhuan. A massive lion’s paw slammed downward, kicking up an oppressive aura—as if the very air were being crushed by the impact.

Bang! The colossal Gryphon King Dou Soul pinned Wei Buhuan to the ground, like a tortoise pinned beneath a lion's shell. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not advance a single fraction further. His eyes, filled with frantic desperation, were locked onto Qian Jin, but he could not move an inch closer.

A Dou Soul! It was a Dou Soul! The students on the floor stared in shock at Lingguan. The third-ranked warrior on the Hundred Battles List possessed a Dou Soul! With just a single strike, he had incapacitated the desperately struggling Wei Buhuan, rendering him unable to move.

A Dou Soul? Qian Jin’s eyelids twitched violently several times. So this was what a bloodline warrior was capable of! None of the Ten Great Bloodline Warriors could be underestimated. They were only five years older than him, yet they had already condensed a Dou Soul!

And this was merely the third-ranked warrior student on the Conquest Academy’s Hundred Battles List. Qian Jin looked past Lingguan toward Tian Lian Lingguan, who had just stood up again. How formidable, then, must the Gryphon King bloodline warrior who ranked first among the academy's warriors be?

In the shadows, Tian Lian Lingguan finally turned fully and stepped out of his seat. His height of nearly 1.9 meters did not match the sheer bulk of Titan Iron Curtain, yet he gave the impression that Titan Iron Curtain was half a head shorter than him.

Titan Iron Curtain, standing beside his seat, looked toward Lingguan with undisguised disdain. He just had a few more years head start. If I were his age, my strength would surely surpass yours! So what if it's a Dou Soul? A Dou Soul is nothing difficult! I, Titan Iron Curtain, can condense a Dou Soul too!

Qian Jin felt Tian Lian Lingguan's gaze sweep over him and took in the academy’s number one warrior for the first time. His golden hair fell smoothly over his shoulders; his large hands were slender without appearing overly bulky. Looking only at those hands, one might suspect they belonged to a pianist rather than a killer.

Big. Broad forehead, wide cheeks, a high nose bridge, full lips, and broad shoulders. Tian Lian Lingguan gave an overall impression of size! This was not merely physical size, but an immense aura! He seemed like a born leader on the battlefield!

Sensing Tian Lian Lingguan’s approach, the people on the dance floor subconsciously backed away, as if afraid of being crushed by the Gryphon King. Suddenly, one person remained prominent in the center of the floor: Mu Nian Tiance. He held his folding fan until Tian Lian Lingguan was three paces away before stepping aside, a humble and polite smile perpetually fixed on his face.

Tian Lian Lingguan gave Mu Nian Tiance a faint nod and smile, then continued toward Qian Jin. The surrounding crowd watched Mu Nian Tiance with curiosity. The number one on the Hundred Battles List was greeting the last-ranked? What was going on? This 'Thunderous Lion King' never proactively greeted even those in the top ten of the Hundred Battles List!

"What you showed just now demonstrated your strength and courage," Tian Lian Lingguan said, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked down at Qian Jin. "I exempt you from the formality of kneeling, and I offer you the opportunity to be my personal retainer for one year..."

Qian Jin gazed quietly at Tian Lian Lingguan. The confidence inherent in the man’s tone made everything he said sound like a king’s decree, easily compelling others to submit. If Qian Jin were just an ordinary warrior…

If it weren't for his father still remaining within the Qian family… Qian Jin smiled faintly. Perhaps he truly would have been swayed by the man’s kingly aura?

"I apologize. I do not wish to be anyone’s retainer."

Tian Lian Lingguan’s pupils contracted sharply. A faint, mist-like surprise flickered in them before vanishing. Years of cultivating the Gryphon King's imposing aura, coupled with Lingguan’s shocking Dou Soul strike just now, had still failed to win over this person?

"Do you wish to live an ordinary life?" Tian Lian Lingguan placed his hands behind his back again, tilting his chin up slightly, his peripheral vision sweeping over Qian Jin, subtly heightening that air of superiority. It was as if the legendary God of Stars were dispensing a divine miracle to his follower: "The Submerged Thunder Dou Skill, while a Saint-tier skill, cannot unleash its true power in your hands. It is like a luminous pearl kept in darkness."

The onlookers unconsciously nodded, and many eyes glared at Qian Jin with resentment, as if he had committed a grave error by keeping the Saint-tier skill for himself instead of gifting it to Tian Lian Lingguan.

"I possess a secret Dou Qi method that allows one to train seventy-four Dou Acupoints," Tian Lian Lingguan said, bringing his chin back to its original level, maintaining that condescending, downward gaze. "Its value to you is far greater than the Submerged Thunder Dou Skill. Your aptitude is passable; with this secret method, you might even condense a Dou Soul in the future."

The quiet dance floor suddenly erupted in chatter. A secret Dou Qi method for seventy-four Dou Acupoints! Many wished they could instantly accept on Qian Jin’s behalf. Compared to Dou Skills, secret Dou Qi methods were the true key to everything.

Not only could he obtain the secret method for seventy-four Dou Acupoints, but he would also become a personal retainer for a year! Learning beside Tian Lian Lingguan for a year—that rate of improvement would likely far exceed a year spent within the academy.

Currently, within the Conquest Academy, only the theoretical knowledge of the four Professors and the Principal surpassed Tian Lian Lingguan; many instructors sought him out to discuss and seek guidance on various matters.

"Coincidentally, I also possess a secret Dou Qi method for seventy-four Dou Acupoints," Titan Iron Curtain slowly descended the steps from his perch, walking step-by-step into the center of the dance floor. Those standing nearby looked up at him, instantly feeling the pressure emanating from the giant up close was in no way inferior to Tian Lian Lingguan’s.

Size—sometimes, it was power itself! Titan Iron Curtain wielded his 'bigness' with perfect ease: "Furthermore, I also have a guaranteed kill Dou Skill here. While it may not compare to a Saint-tier skill, it is still worth exchanging. If you dislike being someone else's retainer, you can also proceed according to your own wishes. If you wish to become the retainer for a major power, I can recommend you to the patriarch of our Titan bloodline warrior family—Lord Titan Tianzhu..."

The patriarch of the Titan bloodline warrior family! One of the paramount strongholds in the current Zhence Dynasty, Titan Tianzhu!

The noisy murmuring instantly ceased. Most students on the floor didn't know whether to envy Qian Jin or not. If he could truly become the retainer of Titan Tianzhu, his status would far surpass anything Tian Lian Lingguan could offer.

After all, Tian Lian Lingguan was merely a powerful warrior with immense future potential, whereas Titan Tianzhu was already a truly top-tier powerhouse of the present day! Whenever he appeared on the Man-Demon Battlefield, the Demon Race had to dispatch top-tier warrior Mages from the Giant Troll bloodline to counter this god-like monster.

And he would receive an additional guaranteed kill Dou Skill! Dou Skills were categorized into five tiers—one through five. Six-tier skills were called Advanced Skills, and Ninth-tier skills were considered guaranteed kill skills. Twelve-tier skills were the rumored Saint-tier skills. Thus, a guaranteed kill Dou Skill was a super skill, second only to the Saint-tier!