Chapter 149: An Exchange of Blows

The empty room fell into complete silence after Cao Dou’s words landed, the atmosphere around them instantly stiffening. Yet Cao Dou remained utterly unfazed. Of course, he noticed the dark expression clouding Su Yi’s face, but so what? Was he, a formidable Dou cultivation master, supposed to fear a frail youth without a trace of Dou Qi?

At the outset of this mission, Cao Dou had been cautious, expecting a tough opponent. But all that changed once he saw Su Yi. Although Su Yi’s earlier reactions were decent, they were utterly insignificant in the face of such a vast power gap.

Cao Dou thought to himself: if the other party were a peak level ten Dou cultivator, perhaps this reaction might have allowed for some stalemate. But not even a Dou cultivator? Then there was no room for mercy! Otherwise, all his years of cultivation would have been in vain!

As soon as he entered the room, Cao Dou had detected, with some surprise, that Su Yi bore no trace of Dou Qi—meaning he was not even a Dou cultivator. This immediately made Cao Dou question why such a great warrior was assigned this seemingly trivial task. Yet a quiet pride soon filled him. No matter what, this mission would be a guaranteed success!

This was why Cao Dou had revealed his name so readily; in his eyes, Su Yi was no different from a corpse.

“Who sent you?” Su Yi furrowed his brow, his voice cold and stern. He didn’t know Cao Dou and had no grudge against him. If someone came to kill him without cause, it could only mean he was sent by someone else. More importantly, this was Su Yi’s first time in Lunluo City, and he had behaved properly without offending anyone. Usually, no one would just try to kill him outright.

Given the recent troubles in Changling City, it wasn’t impossible that someone from there had sent an assassin. But judging by the current situation, that possibility was minuscule, almost negligible. If not them, then the only other faction Su Yi had encountered since arriving in Lunluo City was one that instilled in him an inexplicable sense of threat. Could it be…

“So what if I tell you?!” Cao Dou sneered disdainfully at Su Yi. “It was the deputy leader of the Ji Medicine Workshop who sent us to kill you! Heh, do you still think you have a chance for revenge?”

Ji Medicine Workshop! Su Yi’s heart stirred slightly. Though he had sensed this faintly before, he hadn’t expected the workshop to dispatch someone so swiftly. He had only recently left the Ji Medicine Workshop—why would they send an assassin so quickly?

Questions and wariness surged within him. From his detection earlier, Cao Dou’s power was slightly above his own, likely a level eleven Dou cultivator, and possibly a difficult opponent. At his current strength, Su Yi knew he would be at a disadvantage against such a foe, but that didn’t mean he was doomed.

Su Yi thought silently, “It seems the Ji Medicine Workshop hasn’t truly grasped my real strength. They only see that I lack cultivated Dou Qi on the surface… Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent just one level eleven Dou cultivator…” He tensed his entire body, pondering Cao Dou’s use of “we.” Could there be more than one assassin? “I’ll stall for time and wait for the right moment…”

Exhaling slowly, Su Yi fixed his gaze on Cao Dou, frowning slightly. “This is my first time in Lunluo City. Have I really offended the Ji Medicine Workshop somehow?”

Cao Dou nearly laughed aloud at Su Yi’s alert stance. What was this? Did Su Yi think he stood a chance of resistance? To fight to the death? Absurd! On a continent where Dou Qi reigned supreme, how could someone without a trace of Dou Qi stand against a Dou cultivator? If that were possible, then all these strict hierarchical rules would be pointless. Cao Dou had never heard of anyone without Dou Qi defeating a Dou cultivator.

Completely dismissing Su Yi, Cao Dou grinned with the smugness of a cat toying with a mouse. “Offended? Ha! Don’t talk about offending or not. When the Ji Medicine Workshop wants someone dead, do they need a reason?”

“So, you’re dead!” With that, Cao Dou’s gaze darkened, and a surge of Dou Qi instantly erupted from him. Raising his hand, he lunged toward Su Yi. With a dull sound slicing through the air, his right hand, crackling with fierce energy, slammed down toward Su Yi’s face.

“So fast!” Su Yi’s heart skipped a beat. The speed was unexpectedly swift; the strike reached him in the blink of an eye, leaving no time to dodge. The force of the attack was palpable; if it landed, it would cause serious harm. But retreat was no longer an option.

No retreat meant attack.

A ruthless glint flashed in Su Yi’s eyes as he bit his lip. His body bent slightly, and he stomped the ground hard. The earth cracked loudly beneath his feet. Using the recoil, Su Yi sprang forward like a cannonball, evading Cao Dou’s strike and crashing into his chest.

“Huh?” Cao Dou was momentarily surprised by Su Yi’s bold move but quickly scoffed. Was this desperation? Su Yi was practically delivering himself to death. Considering the power gap, even taking such a blow head-on should be trivial. Yet, in the next instant, Cao Dou felt a terrifying burst of power explode from Su Yi’s body. The mocking smile on his face instantly froze.

“Bang!” The heavy impact echoed through the room. The two figures collided and then separated instantly. Cao Dou staggered back several steps before barely regaining his footing. Looking up in disbelief and shock, he stared at Su Yi. Su Yi had retreated even further, but though he was at a disadvantage, he was far from defeated.

“How is this possible?!” Cao Dou clutched his still-aching chest, eyes wide. Though he hadn’t unleashed his full strength, this attack should have been enough to kill a level seven Dou cultivator. Attacks from level seven or eight cultivators didn’t affect him much, yet Su Yi’s strike had pushed him back!

Su Yi smiled coldly, unsurprised. Without any Dou Qi aura, his true power only revealed itself in close combat. Back in Changling City, how many could truly gauge his strength? Even the Dou Luo masters had failed to see it.

From that skirmish, Su Yi gleaned some understanding. This wasn’t his first encounter with Dou cultivators. In Changling City, he had tested himself against Qin San, also a level eleven Dou cultivator. Though their fight was interrupted by Captain Yuan, it was clear: Su Yi’s raw physical strength was slightly superior; Qin San’s Dou Qi gave him an edge; and his Dou techniques made Su Yi temporarily outmatched.

Now, facing Cao Dou again, Su Yi seemed still outmatched. But after his recent training since leaving Changling City, he was somewhat stronger than before. Victory might not come easily, but dying wasn’t guaranteed either.

“You really are strange…” Cao Dou’s expression darkened as he regained composure, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his lips. “No wonder they sent me… But do you think this little strength is enough to take me on?” Though he had suffered a minor surprise, he hadn’t yet used his full power. He didn’t know how Su Yi managed this strength, but as long as he stayed alert, he still had the advantage.

With those words, a stronger burst of Dou Qi exploded within Cao Dou. His fists clenched tightly, now completely enveloped in fierce Dou Qi energy. His body surged forward with even greater speed, the roar of the wind accompanying his punch as it smashed toward Su Yi’s chest once more.

“Want to go head-to-head? Fine, I’ll give you that!” Su Yi’s face hardened with resolve as he charged forward with the sound of rushing wind. Though Cao Dou was stronger, Su Yi planned to disrupt him before seeking an escape. Mere punches and kicks wouldn’t suffice; he chose to turn his entire body into a weapon, crashing forward like a wild beast to maximize his power.

Their second clash was brutal—fists and bodies colliding with raw force.

The deep thud of impact rang out as both men briefly staggered, each groaning lowly under the shock. Cao Dou stepped back a little, while Su Yi retreated four or five paces.

Seeing this, Cao Dou chuckled darkly, rubbing his hands with a fierce look. “See that, Su Yi? You’re no match for me!”

“Prepare to die!”

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Nine: Clash

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