People in Doupo: The beginning of the game intercepts the rich woman Xun'er

"Such a fierce and ruthless spirit is quite interesting."

Sensing the ferocious roar surging within the shadow of the gun, Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow slightly, but there was still little seriousness in his eyes, as if the howling attack in front of him was nothing more than a gentle breeze.

With just a light swing of his right arm, he parried the attack. The purple and blue dragon scales gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and he actually managed to withstand the ancient demon's spear strikes that could shatter rocks and collapse mountains.

But with each clash of gun and fist, the bluestone beneath Xiao Ling's feet would crack, the spiderweb-like cracks spreading more than half a meter, and even his soles would gradually press two deep imprints into the ground. The power that Gu Yao had poured into his entire body's fighting spirit was also dissipated through Xiao Ling's body and transmitted to the ground.

"Ten Thousand Beasts Spear Technique, Beast King's Roar!"

Seeing that Xiao Ling maintained an impregnable defense and had a nonchalant air about him, Gu Yao's eyes grew even colder.

In an instant, his spear technique suddenly changed, and countless spear shadows gathered like a tide. The fighting spirit on the ice crystal spear surged violently, rolling like a flood bursting its banks, and in the blink of an eye, it condensed into a phantom of a ferocious beast with bared fangs.

Immediately afterwards, the spear drew an extremely tricky arc, as fast as lightning, and the spear tip went straight for Xiao Ling's throat. Even the air was frozen by this fierce aura and made a soft "crunching" sound.

The chill emanating from his throat grew ever clearer, and the icy mist on the phantom fangs of the ferocious beast had already touched his collar, yet Xiao Ling remained calm.

A faint, almost imperceptible wave of soul energy suddenly emanated from his body, spreading out like a fine net. In an instant, it clearly revealed the trajectory of the ferocious beast phantom and the flaws hidden beneath its malevolent aura.

Thousands of eyes around the square were fixed on the center of the field. Gu Yao's pupils shrank to pinpoints. This move, "Beast King's Roar," was his trump card. Even Dou Zun of the same level could hardly find a flaw in it. Even the clan elders who had reached the peak of Dou Zun praised his move. Could Xiao Ling really withstand it?

But the next second, all that remained in everyone's eyes was shock.

Xiao Ling slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers first gently closing together, then suddenly flicking out his index finger, the tip of which glowed with a faint golden aura, seemingly casually pointing towards the center of the beast phantom's brow.

The movement was so slow, as if he were toying with an object, that it created a stark contrast to the phantom's swift advance.

"puff!"

The moment the fingertip touched the phantom's brow, the ferocious beast that had been roaring and tearing at the phantom suddenly froze, and the surging battle aura on its body dissipated rapidly like a punctured balloon.

In the blink of an eye, the phantom carrying the force of collapsing mountains turned into countless ice-blue light spots, and even the energy on the ice crystal spear weakened by more than half. The ancient demon's hand holding the spear shaft trembled violently, and a recoil force spread along his arm, making his throat taste bloody.

Xiao Ling merely withdrew his finger, his clothes not even swaying slightly, as if what he had just defeated was not a fatal blow, but merely a speck of dust brushed off his shoulder.

The recoil surged upwards along the gun barrel, causing the ancient demon's figure to freeze in mid-air, and a trickle of blood immediately spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He suppressed the surging blood and qi within his body, and tapped his feet three times in the air. Each tap created a faint blue ripple. With this brief momentum, he managed to stabilize himself and then floated lightly onto the bluestone of the square like a falling leaf.

As soon as he landed, he could no longer hold on. He gripped the ice crystal spear tightly with both hands and leaned on the ground. The spear tip was deeply embedded in the crack in the stone. He was only able to stay upright by leaning on the spear shaft.

He slightly raised his lowered head, his gaze fixed on Xiao Ling. The figure remained standing in place, his clothes fluttering lightly, without the slightest trace of dishevelment. That deep-seated ease and composure, however, was more humiliating to Gu Yao than any mockery.

"How is this possible..." Gu Yao's voice trembled slightly, the surging of his blood making it difficult for him to speak.
"My 'Beast King's Roar' can severely injure even a peak Dou Zun, so why is it not a threat to you at all? How could you break it so easily... Xiao Ling, just how high has your cultivation level reached?!"

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, and the square instantly fell silent.

All eyes turned to Xiao Ling, filled with curiosity and inquiry. Even the ancient clan elders who had remained calm around the square sat up straight, their fingertips rubbing their sleeves, their doubts barely concealed.

Although they had heard of Xiao Ling's reputation before, they mostly thought it was an exaggeration by outsiders. However, after just a few rounds of fighting, this perception has been completely overturned.

Gu Yao was a top prodigy among the younger generation of the ancient clan, yet he was utterly powerless against Xiao Ling. Such strength far exceeded their expectations.

Many of the younger generation present, regardless of their background, wore expressions of disbelief. Most of them considered themselves inferior to the ancient demon, and seeing Xiao Ling easily suppress the ancient demon, they were filled with shock.

What surprised the elders even more was that they had secretly used their soul perception to try and probe Xiao Ling's cultivation level, but as soon as their probing power touched Xiao Ling's body, it disappeared without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea, and they couldn't detect even the slightest fluctuation in his cultivation level.

In such a situation, either Xiao Ling's cultivation or soul power far surpasses theirs, or he possesses some top-tier secret technique that can conceal his cultivation level. Either way, it is enough for them to take him seriously.

Faced with the ancient demon's resentful questioning, Xiao Ling did not press forward. Instead, he slowly raised his hand and stroked his chin. As his fingertips traced the jawline, a thoughtful languor lingered in his eyes. After a moment, he said calmly:
"Actually, I'm not that much stronger than you. I'm just about to start compressing my battle qi. In terms of cultivation, you are indeed a bit weaker right now..."

These words sounded casual, yet they still made most people around gasp in shock. Only Xiao Ling himself knew how much exaggeration was behind those words.

After absorbing that red lotus karmic fire, his internal fighting spirit had already been condensed to the extreme, and he had even faintly touched the threshold of the Dou Sheng realm. How could he really be "a little bit higher" than Gu Yao, a nine-star Dou Zun?
However, in this situation, he naturally wouldn't reveal his true cultivation level. If everyone knew that he was only one step away from becoming a Dou Sheng, they would probably be so shocked that they wouldn't be able to stand up straight.

What's more troublesome is that those hostile forces that were already eyeing him covetously, especially the Soul Clan, will definitely focus all their attention on him, which will only attract more open and covert attacks and increase the variables.

Of course, Xiao Ling was also aware that although his soul power was strong, it was not yet at the point where he could perfectly conceal his aura in front of all the powerful figures.

He had never truly tested the strength of this facade, and he harbored some uncertainty about it.

If it weren't for the fact that the visitors were from an ancient clan, and that he didn't have that connection with Xun'er, he wouldn't be so composed.

In Xiao Ling's view, even if the ancient clan patriarch Gu Yuan could see through his true cultivation level, he probably wouldn't have any ulterior motives towards him. On the contrary, he should value him even more because of his exaggerated potential that far exceeds that of his peers.

To make his words seem more genuine and to prevent others from noticing that he was concealing his cultivation level, Xiao Ling changed the subject and added casually, "Of course, the reason you are so hesitant and vulnerable in front of me is not because you are too weak, nor is it entirely because your cultivation level is slightly lower than mine. Ultimately, it's just that I am too strong."

He raised his right hand, covered in purple and blue dragon scales, his fingertips gleaming with a faint golden aura. His tone held no hint of boasting, only a statement of fact:

“My physical strength is in no way inferior to my cultivation level, and my soul perception is far beyond my current realm. In my eyes, your moves are full of flaws from beginning to end. Dealing with them is naturally easy.”

These words, though seemingly arrogant, actually explain why he could easily suppress the ancient demon. It wasn't that his cultivation level was ridiculously superior, but rather that he completely suppressed both the physical body and the soul.

In this way, the true strength required to reach the threshold of Dou Sheng would not be exposed, and the public would be convinced. Even the doubts in the eyes of the ancient clan elders were somewhat diminished.

Moreover, Xiao Ling's words were not untrue. Throughout his battle with the ancient demon, he only used the level of Dou Qi required for a nine-star Dou Zun realm.

However, he possessed a profound understanding of higher realms, and his soul power could only be described as terrifying. Even though Gu Yao was already at the top level among the nine-star Dou Zun and could be considered invincible among his peers, under Xiao Ling's response of "fighting a low-level battle with a high-level perspective," all his attacks seemed to have their trajectories seen through in advance, naturally making him appear to be restrained at every turn and simply not up to par.

Taking advantage of the moment Xiao Ling was speaking, Gu Yao's fingertips swiftly swept across the storage ring at his waist, and several pills with a lustrous sheen appeared in his palm. Without the slightest hesitation, he stuffed all the pills into his mouth.

The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and a gentle aura of battle energy spread throughout his body. His originally pale face gradually regained some color, and his aura even became stronger.

While taking pills during a break in the fight wasn't exactly honorable, it was, after all, the home ground of the ancient clan. The spectators around the square just watched silently, and no one uttered a word of discussion.

Xiao Ling did not say anything to stop him, but simply stood there with his arms crossed, his pale golden gaze fixed on Gu Yao, his expression as calm as if he were watching an insignificant interlude.

A moment later, the fluctuations of the ancient demon's fighting spirit gradually stabilized. He slowly straightened up, tightened his grip on the ice crystal spear, and the spear tip left a grating scratch on the bluestone ground.

He looked up at Xiao Ling, the madness and resentment in his eyes fading considerably, replaced by an almost stubborn seriousness: "Before... I underestimated you too much."

He took a deep breath, his voice slightly hoarse but unusually firm: "I always thought that by possessing the bloodline of a Dou Di and cultivating the true teachings of an ancient clan, I would be invincible among those of the same level. I was too arrogant. I didn't go all out in our previous encounter, which is why I suffered such a great loss at your hands."

At this point, Gu Yao clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. His gaze swept over the somber faces of the ancient clan elders in the stands, and his tone suddenly became firm and resolute:

"But this is the territory of the ancient clan. I am not only fighting for myself, but also for the honor of the ancient clan! I will fight with all my might. Even if I lose, I will never lose in such a humiliating way."

Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and before Gu Yao could finish speaking, he waved his hand, his tone full of impatience.

He didn't even bother to maintain his previous composed posture anymore. He shifted his weight to his left leg, casually placed his right hand at his side, and didn't even bother to look at Gu Yao properly again.

"Alright, alright, stop nagging. I'm getting impatient." He drew out his voice slightly, with a hint of nonchalant perfunctoriness. "If you're going to use your strongest move, hurry up. I'll give you one more chance, so that no one will say I didn't give the ancient clan any face later."

Seeing that Xiao Ling was still indifferent, Gu Yao was no longer provoked to anger this time, and only a deep look remained in his eyes.

He knew that any further words would be futile at this moment; only by revealing his trump card could he salvage a sliver of hope.

"The Ancient Sage's Treasure Mirror, encompassing heaven and earth!"

The moment the words fell, the ancient demon's hands moved swiftly, forming hand seals, and his fighting spirit surged dramatically as his fingers moved.

Above the sky, the originally clear clouds suddenly churned and turned into a pitch-black cloud that instantly covered the entire square.

The dark clouds contained a terrifying suction force, forcibly tearing apart the fighting spirit and energy between heaven and earth, converging towards the dark clouds like a tide, and finally condensing into a thick golden pillar of light, which fell straight down from the clouds and precisely poured into the body of the ancient demon.

As this energy continued to pour in, the ancient demon's battle aura fluctuations rose at a visible speed. Its already restored aura instantly became even more powerful, and the cold light on the ice crystal spear became even more ferocious. Even the surrounding air was slightly distorted by this ever-increasing power.

"Xiao Ling! Today I will show you what a true Heaven-Rank Battle Technique of the Ancient Clan is!"

Dark clouds obscured the sky and the sun. The ancient demon slowly floated up, golden pillars of light wrapped around his body like ribbons. His gaze toward the ground was cold and sharp as ice. His shout, carrying immense battle qi, resounded throughout the world, and even the protective shield around the plaza hummed.

"Let's see if you have the strength to withstand this move!"

Before he finished speaking, his hands suddenly moved, his fingers flashing and leaving afterimages, so fast that no one could see the trajectory.

As the hand seals changed, the howling wind in the sky suddenly stopped, and even the rolling dark clouds seemed to be frozen, completely ceasing their movement.

Immediately afterwards, an overwhelming aura of annihilation slowly emanated from the ancient demon's body. The aura was icy cold and seemed capable of devouring all life in the world. Wherever it passed, even the air seemed to lose its temperature.

Around the plaza, the expressions of most people changed instantly. This aura of annihilation spread like a tide, and when it landed on them, everyone felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. An indescribable sense of despondency quietly arose, and even the circulation of their battle qi became sluggish. Many young disciples even subconsciously clenched their fists.

High above, the three ancient clan elders who presided over the ceremony also had solemn expressions, their brows furrowed as they gazed at the ever-rising aura of annihilation in the arena.

The three exchanged a glance, and without the slightest hesitation, they shouted in unison, unleashing their battle qi without reservation. The golden battle qi poured down like a torrent, completely merging into the pale golden light shield that enveloped the square.

The originally thin light shield instantly became several times thicker under the enhancement of battle qi, and the halo flowing on the surface became more and more solid. Even the air was pressed down slightly by this force.

Clearly, they had also sensed the terrifying power of the ancient demon's attack, and had reinforced their protective barrier in advance, making thorough preparations for the earth-shattering showdown that was about to unfold. (End of Chapter)