Chapter 37: Pure domination in the battles!

Tense, silence, anxiety... The entire arena was consumed by these three emotions. The previous match, dominated by the terrifying display of Xiao Yanrui, had left a deep impression upon every spectator. It was an exhibition of sheer, indifferent dominance. Even now, the faint, elegant scent of the Seven-Tailed Fox still lingered throughout the academy grounds. The air felt heavy, suffocating, reminding everyone that the Headmaster himself had been forced to personally intervene to stop the battle before a true tragedy occurred.

The disciples in the competitors’ stand are trembling from the slight killing intent, unconsciously glanced toward Xiao Yanrui. The red-haired youth had already returned to the competitor’s stand, moving with a graceful elegance that defied the bloody nature of his victory. He sat quietly with his arms crossed, his spine perfectly straight, his expression calm and utterly cold. His crimson hair fluttered slightly in the breeze, but his eyes remained closed. It was as if the previous battle, which had an immense pressure, had nothing to do with him.

In the shadows of the competitor pavilion, Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a flicker of genuine intrigue crossing his features.

’Interesting,’ Lin Yuan thought, leaning back against a stone pillar.

The brutality itself wasn’t what surprised him. Having been involved in the path of cultivation, Lin Yuan knew all too well that every corner of this world was wholly filled with cruelty, ruthlessness, betrayal, and sins. Blood and fear was the currency of the strong. What truly interested Lin Yuan was the expression Xiao Yanrui showed after the battle had concluded. It wasn’t the manic anger of a psychopath, nor was it the ecstatic excitement or arrogant pride of a young genius lounging in victory.

Xiao Yanrui seemed like he was entirely detached and not bound to any human emotion. It was a terrifying indifference compared to the other disciples. As though beating Chi Ruyan half to death, shattering his cultivation, and humiliating his clan carried no more significance to Xiao Yanrui than stepping on a passing insect. Such a mind was far more dangerous than that of an impetuous berserker.

Lin Yuan sensed a shift in the wind, slowly darted his eyes away from the Xiao Clan’s monster and toward Luo Zhen. The assistant master, wearing a solemn expression that mirrored the pressure of the academy’s elders, stepped onto the fractured stone battle stage once more. Seeing his arrival, the arena sluggishly held its murmurs, the collective whispers of many spectators deliberately dying down until an eerie silence consumed the arena.

"The next battle..." Luo Zhen’s voice, enhanced with the energy of pill, echoed with a precise clarity across the academy grounds. "Teng Haoran versus Huo Luo Ren."

The moment the names left the assistant master’s mouth, the suffocating tension in the air immediately plummeted. A collective sigh of relief seemed to ripple through the stands as many of the spectators released the breaths they had been holding for the past quarter of an hour.

Compared to Xiao Yanrui’s disturbing and unfair battle, this upcoming match seemed much more normal, a traditional clash of established pathways.

Thud! Thud!

Two distinct thuds of footsteps echoed against the stage of the arena as two figures stepped onto the arena from opposing sides.

Huo Luo Ren appeared first. The young man carried himself with a sturdy, disciplined posture, wearing dark-green traditional robes with faint silver patterns that caught the reflection of the midday sun. As he walked, silver-white beast essence flowed gracefully around his body like a structured mist, while the faint phantom of a Fire-Deer lingered behind him, its crystalline antlers shimmering with a prideful authority.

And, directly opposite to him, stood Teng Haoran. He was a prideful member of the Teng Clan, his luxurious robes fluttering gently against the howling wind across the arena. He was not like most participants who stood rigid with pre-battle tension; Teng Haoran looked utterly relaxed. His shoulders were drooped in a casual way, his hands loosely lingered in sides, and his expression was akin to sheer boredom. Yet, despite his seemingly disrespectful demeanor, nobody among the spectators dared to underestimate him.

They couldn’t. Because he came from the Teng Clan — one of the strongest, most terrifying authority clans throughout the Qinglin Continent. There is a rumor about the Teng clan that existed from the First Cultivator’s age. But it was still unknown, because only higher-ups in the clans and sects knew about the First Cultivator’s story; despite them no one was allowed to read the inscriptions of the First Cultivator.

"Teng Haoran..." Huo Luo Ren clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his face twisting solemnly.

Although both youths currently stood at the Baby Beast Realm Mid Stage, everyone present understood that raw cultivation numbers were a deceitful measurement in the world of beast cultivation. The purity of one’s beast bloodline, the depth of clan resources, the tier of cultivation techniques, and the actual combat experience — all these hidden factors probably dictated the outcome of a battle. And the Teng Clan possessed them all in overwhelming amounts.

"Begin!" The moment Luo Zhen announced the start, the atmosphere fractured. Huo Luo Ren did not hesitate. Because he knew that against an opponent from a prestigious clan, hesitance was equal with defeat. He attacked first.

BOOM!

An immense, burning aura burst out around his body, spraying up a storm of dust. The Fire-Deer phantom behind him let out a shrill, piercing cry that synchronized with his soul as the silver-white essence concentrated around his legs, igniting into a pale looking flame. Huo Luo Ren instantly leapt forward, his speed increasing maniacally with every stride he took.

WHOOSH!

His figure became a blur of silver-white. Seeing this display of speed, some spectators frantically nodded their heads in approval, while others leaned forward, intensely urged to watch the upcoming battle with wide eyes. The Fire-Deer pathway was famous for a reason — it is specialized in explosive movement and high speed burst attacks.

As he closed the distance, a faint, highly condensed beast essence started to flicker and crystallised around Huo Luo Ren’s shoulders. A brink fraction of a second later, using the sheer momentum of his explosive thrust, Huo Luo Ren appeared before Teng Haoran like an obscure beast essence.

"Flame Horn Charge!" Huo Luo Ren roared, his voice booming across the arena. The silver-white beast essence around his shoulder gathered into the physical, razor-sharp shape of a deer’s antler, burning with intense heat before slamming toward Teng Haoran’s chest frenziedly. It was a precise, direct, and powerful attack, capable of shattering iron.

Yet, Teng Haoran’s expression didn’t even flicker. At the last possible second, when the burning antler was mere inches from his robes, ready to thrust open his ribs brutally, he merely tilted his body slightly to the left.

It was the brink of a movement. With that single, effortless tilt, the burning antler pierced past his sleeve, missing him. He had dodged the powerful charge instantly, using the slightest amount of energy inside him.

The audience widened their eyes in disdain for Huo Luo Ren’s missed strike and shock at Teng Haoran’s precise vision.

"Such a simple dodge..."

"Damn... perfect timing. He didn’t even look at the attack!"

Huo Luo Ren looked utterly flabbergasted, his eyes squinting slightly as his momentum carried him forward. Before his mind could even understand how his powerful charge had pierced empty air, a sudden, howling gust of wind rumbled under Teng Haoran’s feet.

In an instant, the Teng clan youth’s figure vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a hazy afterimage. The next instant, before Huo Luo Ren could adjust his footing, a palm swirled with a terrifying pressure struck his exposed right shoulder hard.

BANG! 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The crushing impact struck him like a flying cannonball, launching him backward across the stage. Huo Luo Ren’s boots caught the stone battle stage, biting vehemently into the reinforced rock as he desperately tried to halt his momentum. The abrupt impact of the palm strike carved deep, splintering trenches through the solid stone stage as he slid over thirty paces, a brilliant, screeching rumble of friction echoing across the arena.

The spectators immediately erupted into a wave of collective murmurs, the speed of the exchange leaving them breathless.

"Fast!"

"What insane speed! I couldn’t even trace his movement!"

"The Wind-Falcon pathway really lives up to its terrifying reputation."

"He didn’t even use a named technique!"

Meanwhile, Teng Haoran remained perfectly calm where he stood, ignoring the faint murmurs of praise that barely reached his ears. The silver-white beast essence whirled around him like a raging blizzard tamed by an immortal’s talons, flowing with the terrifying, suffocating grace of a thousand-year celestial python. It seemed like simple breathing to him, sprawling the raw Qi of heaven and earth into a flawless, crystalline armor of dominion around his skin.

Up on the grand VIP stand, master Mo Qinghe nodded slightly, his wise eyes darting through the flow of essence.

"Excellent essence control for his age," Mo Qinghe acknowledged, a warm, polite smile lingering across his lips. "He does not waste a single drop of Qi."

"The Teng Clan spent plenty of rare resources raising that brat, hiding him away until this tournament," the alchemy master Dan Zhenren smirked from his seat, analyzing the Teng clan youth with his sharp instincts. "Though, he’s a lazy one."

Back on the battlefield, the dust was still not cleared. Huo Luo Ren gritted his teeth so hard they bled, a mixture of humiliation and desperation rattled in his chest as he launched forward again, refusing to accept the massive gap between them.

This time, intense, volatile flames erupted from both of his arms, turning his hands into twin roaring whirlpools of fire. It consumed nearly half of his beast essence.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Multiple strikes, a barrage of fiery punches and claw swipes, descended toward Teng Haoran like a meteor shower. The beast essence is the most important thing that one should use with great efficiency. And remaining power of the attack depends upon the cultivator’s sheer will and raw power. Huo Luo Ren used it efficiently, but the precision of Teng Haoran’s dodging is magnificent.

None of the punches connected. Every single attack missed by a tiny margin, sometimes only a hair line width away from Teng Haoran’s face. Every movement from Teng Haoran appeared facile, his body moving like a branch in a powerful storm, always predicting the trajectory of the punch.

The profound difference in combat experience and battlefield vision was becoming obvious to everyone watching. A few minutes passed in this agonizing loop. The spectators slowly realized something profound and slightly humiliating for Huo Luo Ren. Teng Haoran wasn’t struggling to survive this barrage, and he wasn’t even attacking seriously. He was just observing, testing the limits of Huo Luo Ren’s attacks and defenses, and studying the trajectory of the Fire-Deer style. His eyes seemed like an apex falcon hovering high in the clouds, lazily watching its prey to exhaust on the ground below.

Eventually, as if bored by the repeated attacks, Teng Haoran let out a soft, solemn sigh. "Finished?"

The simple question, delivered with pure nonchalance in the middle of a barrage of punches, nearly made Huo Luo Ren burst out with pure rage.

"Shut up!" Huo Luo Ren screamed, his pride shattering. The silver-white essence within his core rattled violently; it was near to depletion. Huo Luo Ren didn’t even give the slightest time to replenish the beast essence. The Fire-Deer phantom behind him expanded to twice its original size, its shimmering eyes turning a rageful crimson.

"Blazing Deer Rush!" Huo Luo Ren launched his strongest attack. He plunged his body forward, transforming into a massive swirl of roaring flames that surged across the arena, looking like the swirl was melting the air around him.

The spectators leaned forward, gripping the railings. This would decide everything. Then, Teng Haoran finally moved. His lazy eyes suddenly sharpened, turning into profound concentration. For the first time in this battle, he took a proper combat stance.

WHOOSH!

A raging tempest of wind infused with white-essence exploded around his body. The air pressure in the stadium plummeted as a gigantic falcon silhouette appeared behind his body, its massive wingspan stretching across the sky, blotting out the sun. The phantoms of beasts are the manifestations of the cultivator’s will. Teng Haoran’s will is strong and brutal.

The pressure immediately changed, the atmosphere of the academy grounds warped into something suffocating and sharp. Even Lin Yuan, watching from the competitors’ stand, narrowed his eyes slightly, a smirk lingering gracefully on his lips.

’Hahaha... this academy got some new strongest brats.’ Lin Yuan thought, sensing Teng Haoran’s aura.

This attack was leagues apart, far stronger than any of the previous casual exchanges.

"Falcon Wing Sever." Teng Haoran whispered, casually sweeping his right arm horizontally through the air. A large, crescent-shaped blade of highly dense, vacuum-like wind ripped across the battlefield, humming with an ear-shattering, lethal shrill. The crescent gale met the incoming flames head-on.

BOOM!

The collision of wind and fire exploded with strong force. A powerful shockwave rippled through the arena, and thick smoke of dust instantly filled the entire stage, obscuring the view. The anxious spectators stood up from their seats, craning their necks to see through the haze.

Then, a lone, elegant figure slowly appeared standing from the billowing dust. It was Teng Haoran. He was standing calmly in the center of the stage, his robes pristine, utterly unblemished by a single speck of ash.

And, on the opposite side of the stage, the dust cleared to reveal Huo Luo Ren. He was kneeling on one knee, using his trembling hands to support his weight, and heavily panting. A long, clean slash shimmered diagonally across his chest, splitting his green robes and exposing a wound where blood dripped onto the arena floor. His beast essence fluctuated expeditiously, like a dying candle flame in a violent gust of wind.

He tried to stand, his muscles spasming, but he failed. He gritted his teeth and tried to force his legs to stand again. He failed once more, coughing up a small splatter of blood. Seeing that the combatant could no longer defend himself, Luo Zhen immediately stepped forward, his figure appearing between the two youths.