The air within the grand coliseum trembled. Dust stirred as Xiao Lian and Jiang Lin's palms met head-on, the collision erupting into a shockwave that blasted outward. Sand and fragments of stone scattered, robes fluttered wildly, and even the protective barriers around the stage shimmered from the force.
The two were hurled back, boots skidding across the cracked tiles. For a breathless moment, silence lingered—then the entire audience erupted in gasps of disbelief, thousands of voices trembling in unison.
A heartbeat later, the silence shattered into thunderous cheers. The crowd roared, stamping their feet and clapping until the stands quaked.
Xiao Lian's eyes burned with determination. She roared, charging forward, her body wreathed in an icy aura that frosted the air around her.
