“Mu Chen is stronger than we anticipated,” Ling Mei added, her brows knitted together in concern.
Shen Yuan observed silently. “Liu Fei is skilled; don’t underestimate her just yet. She has also comprehended Light Intent, but Mu Chen’s defense is impeccable. She needs to find an opening for her offense to be effective.”
On the stage, Liu Fei leaped back, creating some distance.
She began to channel her spiritual energy, a shimmering aura enveloping her. “Radiant Lotus Dance!” she softly declared, her swords leaving trails of radiant light as she spun toward Mu Chen.
Mu Chen smirked, planting his spear firmly into the ground. “Ironwood Fortress!” A barrier formed around him, absorbing the impact of Liu Fei’s attack without budging from its place.
The collision sent shockwaves through the arena, dust swirling around them. As it settled, Mu Chen remained unscathed behind his barrier, while Liu Fei breathed heavily.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Mu Chen taunted, his voice echoing throughout the arena.
Liu Fei gritted her teeth. “I’m not done yet!”
She clasped her hands together, her aura intensifying. “Lotus Blooming Strike!” A giant lotus made of pure energy materialized above her, its petals unfolding gracefully before shooting toward Mu Chen with incredible speed.
Mu Chen’s eyes narrowed. He raised his spear, channeling his energy. “Ironwood Barrier Breaker!” He thrust forward, his spear emitting a powerful force that collided with the lotus.
An explosion rocked the arena, causing the spectators to gasp in astonishment. When the dust cleared, both fighters stood their ground, but Liu Fei was visibly strained, her energy waning.
“She’s reaching her limit,” Zhao Lian said softly, worry evident in her tone.
Wan Ling clasped her hands together. “Come on, Liu Fei!”
Shen Yuan’s eyes focused intensely. “Her stamina is not enough to sustain those Heaven Rank Techniques; she needs to change her strategy.”
Mu Chen chuckled darkly. “Your techniques are impressive but futile against me. You don’t have the raw strength to break my defense.”
Liu Fei’s eyes flashed with resolve. She took a deep breath, firmly standing her ground. “I didn’t want to use this, but you leave me no choice.”
She began to perform intricate hand seals, the air around her reverberating with energy. “Light Lotus Ascension!”
A towering lotus formed beneath her feet, lifting her into the air. The petals glowed with ethereal Light Intent, and her swords merged into a single blade radiating immense power.
Mu Chen felt his heart sinking. “What is this?”
Liu Fei descended swiftly, her blade aimed straight at Mu Chen. The lotus petals spiraled around her, creating a vortex of energy.
Mu Chen roared, channeling all his energy into his spear. “You are not the only one with an ultimate move! Ironwood Dragon Strike!” A colossal dragon-shaped energy burst forth, meeting Liu Fei’s attack head-on.
The collision of their ultimate techniques created a blinding flash. The crowd shielded their eyes as a deafening boom echoed throughout the arena.
When the dust settled, the arena floor was scarred and cracked. Liu Fei stood on one knee, her breathing ragged.
Mu Chen was pushed back to the edge of the stage, his spear shattered and a trickle of blood running down his lip.
He tried to stand straight up but stumbled. “Impossible…”
Elder Yun Lan stood up, her voice clear with a hint of approval. “The winner is Liu Fei!”
Cheers erupted from the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect disciples, relief and joy evident on their faces.
“She did it!” Wan Ling exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight.
“That was truly an incredible technique, and even more impressive was she herself. Managing to perform that technique at her level is simply unheard of,” Chen Yue added, her eyes shining with admiration. Your next chapter is on empire
Shen Yuan smiled softly. “She gave it her all. That technique is only for the core disciples of the sect to train in, yet she has such high mastery over it. No wonder the sect made an exception and let an Inner Sect disciple like her learn it.”
Across the arena, the elders of the Ironwood Mountain Clan exchanged dark looks. One of the core elders stepped forward with an ugly expression on his face.
Elder Yun Lan noticed and approached the center. “Hmm? Do you have any problem with my sect’s disciple?” she asked calmly.
The Ironwood elder sneered. “It seems our disciple underestimated yours. However, it is too early to say who will win.”
“Sure, you still have one more disciple to send after all,” she said before glancing back at the area where the participants were seated.
Her face bloomed with a beautiful yet relieved smile as she looked at Shen Yuan, who nodded back to assure her that everything was fine.
Just then, the Ironwood Mountain Clan’s elder raised his hand, and a young man stepped forward from their ranks. Clad in dark robes with silver accents, he exuded an eerie aura.
His eyes held a mysterious glint that unsettled those who met his gaze.
“This is Lei Ming, a Core Disciple from the Thunder Cloud Sect,” the elder announced smugly. “He will represent us in the final match.”
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. The Thunder Cloud Sect was a formidable force boasting might parallel to the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. It was one of the Divine Grade sects of the Eastern Desolate Region.
Shen Yuan’s eyes narrowed as he observed Lei Ming.
There was something off about him—a strange, almost eerie energy that he couldn’t quite place his finger on. It wasn’t just arrogance in his gaze; it felt… unnatural, to say the least.
Wan Ling leaned in close and softly asked, “Why is someone from the Thunder Cloud Sect participating? Isn’t this competition between our sect and the Ironwood Mountain Clan?” freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Chen Yue frowned. “They must be desperate to win at any cost.”
Ling Mei whispered, “Be careful, Shen Yuan. Lei Ming is rumored to have mastered multiple Earth Grade lightning techniques, and he might even have a Heaven Grade technique up his sleeve.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Worry not, I sense… something off about him as well.”
Elder Yun Lan’s eyes narrowed as she saw the foreign disciple participating, yet there was nothing she could do, as they had already discussed this happening with the sect leader.
Sighing slightly, she said, “Very well,” she declared. “Who will face Lei Ming?”
Before anyone else could respond, Liu Fei, who hadn’t stepped down from the arena, stepped forward and said, “I will fight him.”
Elder Yun Lan looked at her with concern. “Liu Fei, you’ve already expended much of your energy. Are you sure?”
She met the elder’s gaze firmly. “Yes, Elder. I can handle this.”
Shen Yuan felt uneasy at her request to fight, but to not belittle her, he let the fight continue as his gaze rested on her with approval.
The arena was cleared, and Liu Fei faced off against Lei Ming. The atmosphere grew tense as the crowd watched intently, awaiting the intense battle that would follow.
Lei Ming smirked arrogantly. “You should have stepped down. This won’t end well for you.”
Liu Fei drew her swords, their blades shimmering with residual light energy. “We’ll see about that.”
The referee signaled the start of the match.