Chapter 245: Reunion and Reward
"Three-Star Dou Ling!"
When Mo Yu's aura suddenly surged, everyone—whether it was Elder Hu Qian and Elder Su on the platform or the audience below—was visibly shocked.
They had seen breakthroughs during battle before, and many had experienced it themselves. However, seeing someone like Mo Yu break through two stars at once was almost unheard of and extremely rare.
"Haha, it seems this kid was already on the verge of breaking through. He's been honing himself, deliberately suppressing his Dou Qi. After this intense battle with Bai Cheng, he broke through smoothly, jumping two stars in one go," Elder Hu Qian said with a glint of light in his old eyes, then chuckled lightly.
"Interesting young man. It looks like the Inner Academy is going to see another rising star. He, along with Xiao Yan, both have a chance to make it into the top ten of the Strong Ranking," Elder Su nodded with a smile.
The top ten of the Strong Ranking in Jia Nan Academy were the academy's true prodigies—every one of them potential Dou Emperor or even Dou Ancestor seeds. If word got out that Mo Yu was evaluated in such high regard, his reputation would certainly soar even higher.
Although Mo Yu's breakthrough during battle surprised Xiao Yan and his group, they weren't overly shocked since they were familiar with Mo Yu's abilities. However, the rest of the audience was in awe.
A Three-Star Dou Ling was already considered a strong fighter in the Inner Academy. More importantly, Mo Yu had already defeated Fu Ao, a Three-Star Dou Ling, when he was still just a One-Star Dou Ling.
Now that Mo Yu had broken through to the Three-Star Dou Ling level, his chances of defeating Bai Cheng were extremely high.
If Mo Yu beat Bai Cheng, he wouldn't just take Bai Cheng's 34th place on the Strong Ranking, but he'd also take control of Bai Cheng's powerful faction, the Bai Gang.
Considering that Mo Yu had only been in the academy for a few days, his rapid achievements were already far greater than many students who had been there for years. It was only natural for them to feel humbled by him.
Even Xiao Yan couldn't help but shake his head with a bitter smile.
Although he had made a name for himself by becoming the top of the Outer Academy during the selection tournament and by leading the freshmen to defeat the seniors in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, which had made history, he still felt slightly overshadowed by Mo Yu.
In the arena, Mo Yu could feel the powerful Dou Qi coursing through him, which had more than doubled in strength. A smile crept onto his face.
Originally, defeating Bai Cheng wouldn't have been too difficult for Mo Yu. Whether it was his hidden trump cards or his terrifying soul power, once unleashed, Bai Cheng would stand no chance. However, Mo Yu didn't want to reveal all his abilities in front of so many people since he was still new to the academy.
Coincidentally, Mo Yu had already been on the verge of a breakthrough. Thanks to the battle with Bai Cheng and the energy of the sealed Xuan Thunder, he successfully jumped two stars in one go!
Seeing Mo Yu's sudden surge in strength, Bai Cheng's face turned grim. If Mo Yu was already difficult to deal with as a One-Star Dou Ling, now that he had broken through to Three-Star Dou Ling, the pressure was even more overwhelming.
Mo Yu's elbow shot down fiercely, the sharp force forming at its tip making a piercing sound that hurt the ears of those nearby.
Bai Cheng, gripping his yellow spear tightly and using it to stabilize his body, quickly raised his left hand to block Mo Yu's incoming strike. As their energies clashed, a faint crackling sound of bones could be heard.
When Bai Cheng's fist met Mo Yu's elbow, he fully realized how much stronger Mo Yu had become—more than twice as powerful as before. His face paled slightly from the pressure.
Under the overwhelming force, Bai Cheng was slammed hard into the ground, causing cracks to spread from the point of impact.
Mo Yu's face remained calm as he followed up swiftly, his silver Dou Qi gathering at his feet. He launched another fierce kick towards Bai Cheng's head. If the kick connected, Bai Cheng would likely be knocked unconscious on the spot, even with his strength.
Feeling the sharp wind from the incoming kick, Bai Cheng broke into a cold sweat. Desperately, he rolled on the ground to narrowly avoid the strike.
From the moment Mo Yu threw his black spear to now, only about a minute had passed, yet the turn of events was completely unexpected, leaving the audience dumbfounded.
After rolling to dodge the attack, Bai Cheng quickly leapt to his feet, glaring at Mo Yu coldly. "The fight isn't over yet!"
Letting out a chilling snort, Bai Cheng knew he had to go all out. His deep yellow Dou Qi surged from his body, forming a solid yellow armor around him. Earth element Dou Qi was renowned for its defensive power, and the armor Bai Cheng had now formed was exceptionally strong.
It took Bai Cheng less than ten seconds to condense the armor. As it neared completion, Mo Yu's figure flashed toward him, launching a fierce punch.
"Boom!"
Mo Yu's fist landed heavily on the thick yellow Dou Qi armor, which rippled like a yellow liquid. The armor absorbed most of the impact, and a small portion of the force was even reflected back at Mo Yu.
"Step, step…"
Mo Yu took two steps back, steadying himself. Bai Cheng's face briefly turned pale before returning to normal. Looking up at Mo Yu, Bai Cheng sneered, "Your strength and speed are impressive, but don't you know that Earth-type Dou Qi has the best defense? You may be strong, but defeating me is impossible!"
"Is that so? Then let's see how I break your turtle shell!"
A mocking gleam flashed in Mo Yu's silver eyes. With everyone watching, he stepped forward again, clenched his fist tightly, and the fifty lightning patterns on his right arm all lit up simultaneously. In an instant, terrifying energy surged as a cold smile grew on Mo Yu's lips.
"Thunder Strength!"
A fearsome wave of thunderous energy formed on Mo Yu's fist, and the sonic boom from it was so loud that it echoed across the entire arena.
At that moment, Bai Cheng's confident sneer was replaced by terror.
As the Thunder Strength gathered on Mo Yu's fist, the air in front of it was forcibly driven away, leaving a faint trail of heat behind. The power of the punch was undeniable.
Before the punch even touched Bai Cheng, the compressed air struck the thick yellow Dou Qi armor, creating a sharp cracking sound. A fist-sized dent appeared in the armor, but it was quickly repaired by the circulating Dou Qi.
With no way to avoid Mo Yu's devastating punch, Bai Cheng could only stare in terror, watching as the massive fist grew larger in his eyes.
As Mo Yu's punch, containing nearly as much power as Xiao Yan's strongest strike, approached, the entire arena fell silent. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the fist as it moved.
"Boom!"
In that moment, Mo Yu's thunderous punch finally connected with Bai Cheng's dense armor. For a brief second, everything was quiet, and then an explosion like rolling thunder erupted, shaking the arena.
At the moment of impact, the most terrifying shockwave of the entire battle rippled out from the point of contact between Mo Yu's fist and Bai Cheng's energy armor.
The shockwave was visible to the naked eye, spreading rapidly from the center of the fight and expanding outward. In just a few blinks of an eye, the shockwave had spread to tens of meters away before slowly dissipating.
"Boom!"
A few seconds later, the battlefield looked as if a bomb had gone off. The stone slabs shattered, thick cracks snaking out in all directions. Fist-sized stones flew through the air, forcing the spectators to duck for cover.
As the explosion's dull roar faded, the crowd's gaze followed the sound to its source, stopping in shock at the sight of Bai Cheng.
Bai Cheng's Dou Qi armor had completely shattered, and the clothes underneath were in tatters.
"Pfft! Y-you…"
A mouthful of blood sprayed from Bai Cheng's lips, staining the rubble-strewn battlefield. His eyes fixed on Mo Yu, his finger shakily pointing at him, but no words came out. After stumbling back a few steps, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
With Bai Cheng lying completely unconscious, the entire arena fell into a strange silence, and many people were still trying to comprehend what had happened.
A six-star Dou Ling from the Strong Ranking had been defeated by a student who had only been in the academy for a few days? This was surely unprecedented in the history of Jia Nan Academy.
As the crowd remained in stunned silence, a group of beautiful girls suddenly rushed up from the stands.
"Yu'er, it's been two years. Sorry, I'm late."
Mo Yu's voice softened as he spoke to the tall, purple-clad woman with long, sexy legs at the front of the group.
Xiao Yu stood tall, her long legs gracefully poised as she stared at Mo Yu's slightly more mature face. A breathtaking smile lit up her face before she did something that left everyone in the arena utterly shocked.
The woman, who had never shown anything beyond friendly behavior toward any man at the academy, spread her arms wide and, with her long, graceful legs, ran straight into Mo Yu's warm embrace.
The sight of Xiao Yu diving into Mo Yu's arms left the entire arena in stunned silence. It was as if the sound of countless hearts breaking echoed through the air.
The members of Xiao Yu's Moon Gang were just as shocked. The usually reserved Xiao Yu had just made such a bold gesture in front of everyone. After a moment of surprise, they laughed enviously.
Who wouldn't be moved by such a handsome, talented young man like Mo Yu?
Mo Yu's heart, usually calm, stirred as he hugged Xiao Yu's slender waist tightly. This fiancée, arranged by his family, had now earned a special place in his heart.
After embracing for a while, Xiao Yu finally pulled back. Her beautiful eyes reddened as she said, "I heard about Grandpa Mo from the family. I'm sorry. My parents couldn't protect him."
As Mo Yu's fiancée, Xiao Yu regarded Mo Yu's grandfather as her own, so she felt deep guilt over his death.
Xiao Yu knew how important the Mo family's old butler had been to Mo Yu, and she understood the grief he must have felt.
Hearing her words, Mo Yu's silver eyes flickered with coldness as he remembered the blood feud he carried. But when he saw the guilt and sorrow in Xiao Yu's eyes, a warmth filled his heart.
"My grandfather's death isn't the family's fault. Don't worry, those responsible will pay with their blood."
Xiao Yu was taken aback by his words, but then she nodded quietly, gazing at the determined youth in front of her.
She knew who Mo Yu's enemy was—the Yunlan Sect, the most powerful force in the Jia Ma Empire. Moreover, the sect had recently produced a Dou Zong, making their reputation soar even in the Black-Corner Region.
But for some reason, when Xiao Yu looked into Mo Yu's calm eyes, she felt that one day, the Yunlan Sect would face retribution.
"Brother Mo Yu!"
After chatting for a while, Xiao Yan and Xun'er approached, greeting him warmly.
Hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Yu's face flushed slightly. She quickly stepped out of Mo Yu's embrace and stood beside Xun'er, her long legs moving gracefully.
Seeing Xiao Yu's uncharacteristic shyness, Xun'er couldn't help but smile, taking Xiao Yu's hand in hers.
"Hehe, Brother Xiao Yan, Sister Xun'er, long time no see. It looks like you're doing well here at Jia Nan Academy," Mo Yu said with a smile as he noticed the large group of students wearing the badge of the Heavy Xuan Sect following behind them.
"Haha, not as well as you, Brother Mo Yu. You've just arrived and already taken the 34th spot on the Strong Ranking. Soon enough, Bai Cheng's White Gang will be yours too," Xiao Yan said with a laugh, scratching his head.
Mo Yu smiled at this, about to respond when Elder Su's voice rang out.
"Mo Yu, as the victor in the Strong Ranking challenge, it's time for your reward."
(End of chapter)
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