The arena had been prepared for weeks, every corner scrubbed clean and every boundary clearly marked. One month had passed since the last round, and anticipation ran thick through the crowd. Today, the organizers had agreed—Xiao Yan would face Xiao Chen. The Misty Cloud Sect had pushed for it, and the Xiao family consented, eager to see the young man removed from their ranks.
Xiao Chen walked into the arena, his face calm, almost indifferent, though the faintest curve of a smile hinted at something beneath. Every step was measured, the cloth of his sleeves barely stirring as he approached the center. Across the arena, Xiao Yan entered. His Dou Qi surged visibly, coiling around his body like a living aura, extending even past the levels Xiao Chen had reached.
They stopped a few paces apart, the space between them electric with expectation. Neither spoke. Neither moved. Their gazes met, and for a long moment, it was just that—two young men, similar in talent yet opposite in temperament, measuring, waiting, calculating. The crowd's murmur faded into the background, replaced by the almost imperceptible hum of condensed Dou Qi in the air.
Time seemed to stretch, each second heavy. Xiao Chen's lips barely twitched as he allowed his eyes to roam briefly, noting the stance, the subtle tension in Xiao Yan's shoulders, the way his aura shifted with controlled breath. Xiao Yan, for his part, held his focus, aware of the calm menace behind Xiao Chen's impassive exterior. Despite their differences, there was an unspoken acknowledgment—they were two forces heading inevitably toward collision.
Then the signal sounded, sharp and clear. The waiting ended.Their initial movements were simple—a melee duel. Xiao Chen's fists moved with precision, each strike calculating pressure points and testing reaction times. Xiao Yan countered, stepping lightly, his body flowing with the training he had accumulated. They danced around each other testing and trying their opponent until one of them upped the ante.
Xiao Chen stepped up and the duel escalated. Energy began to manifest in their hands, and the first weapons appeared. Xiao Chen drew lightning into his palm, shaping it at the center of his palms creating a vortex of destruction.
Xiao Yan responded, drawing on the Green Lotus Core Flame. The energy coalesced into whips of fire, coiling around his arms before extending outward. He lashed at Xiao Chen, flames hissing as they cut through the charged air. And xiao chen deflected then before clawing at the air, where xiao yan stood a moment ago.
Flames and lightning clashed, each trying to dominate others while the crowd hung to every moment with bated breath, listing to the constant clashes that occurred a hundred times per second. The air began stinking of ozone and burnt rock.
"That's good"Xiao Chen admitte as he took a step back." You've grown stronger. And better than most of the rabble here. Its commendable. But I would like to see what you can do now." Xiao Chen's eyes turned green and black, and a male storm of power erupted around him. phantom began to form behind him—a massive, faceless figure, dark energy writhing across its surface, a visible manifestation of the malice he had absorbed from the world. "Show me what you will do, when you face absolute power!" The phantom opened his mouth and the voice boomed.
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. He touched his flame again, this time combining the Chilling Bone Flame with the Green Lotus Core Flame. The result was a different kind of phantom—a giant humanoid, face featureless, adorned with a lotus crown, radiating heat and light. Though smaller than Xiao Chen's massive phantom, the fire figure's presence burned steadily, and its flames gnawed at the shadowy energy of his opponent's creation.
"This is my answer, my light to face your darkness. "Xiao Yan looked directly at Xiao Chen from within his phantom."Don't think that you are the only genius here."
We shall see, the statement went invoices as power built up.
Boom
The two phantoms collided in the center of the arena. Sparks flew, shadows twisted, and the ground trembled. The flame of xiao yans phantom burned the darkness whenever it touched,but it was only a little.
Xiao Chen did not pause; he extended his hand, summoning the Calamity Claw of Shakra. A surge of lightning fused with malice coursed along the claw, slashing into the flame phantom, who responded with a palm strike of flames so powerdul, the entire arena dried up.
Xiao chen moved faster, his phantom moving at a liquid flexibility ad he dodged the remnant flames.
His other hand crackled with lightning he had kept at hand as he moved.
The sword of heavenly punishment.
A massive lightning sword manifested tearing a wedge through its form. Xiao Yan staggered, barely holding the manifestation together.
For a brief moment, both stepped back, breathing heavily. The air around them was thick with heat, the scent of electricity and fire mingling, the audience tense with anticipation. The phantoms shimmered and wavered, yet neither would fall. They locked eyes, exhaustion clear, but both minds already calculating the next move.