Erwin barely managed to dodge another bolt of lightning before he could even catch his breath. Across the arena, Quincy Shen was already forming hand seals again. Two more bolts of lightning shot from his hands, coalescing into dark, crackling clouds. Within moments, three storm clouds hovered ominously overhead, gathering electric charge.
Erwin stared in disbelief. This was absurd. It had to be. He had studied lightning magic before, but this was something else entirely—it was pure, unadulterated advantage.
Before he could fully process the absurdity, the three bolts of lightning struck. Erwin threw himself to the side, the ground where he had stood moments before scorched black.
He breathed a shaky sigh of relief. If that had hit him—even with his robes' protective enchantments—it would have hurt badly.
Erwin watched Quincy Shen warily, bracing for another volley. However, the talisman master simply stood there, making no move to cast again. Erwin realized with a jolt that three bolts seemed to be Quincy Shen's limit. It was still a nightmare to deal with, though. The lightning was too fast; dodging it indefinitely was impossible.
The priority was getting that strange, magnetic aura off his body. Without doing so, he was essentially a lightning rod.
Thinking fast, Erwin cast a purification charm he had recently mastered. It was a specialized technique designed to clear chaotic auras, and though he hadn't understood its true purpose at the time, it was clearly the perfect counter to these talisman tricks.
As the technique washed over him, he felt the invisible tether linking him to the storm vanish. Instantly, the three bolts of lightning slammed into the empty ground where he would have been, failing to track him.
Erwin's eyes lit up. It worked.
Down at the foot of the mountain, the crowd gasped.
"Did you see that? Erwin nullified the Thunderclap Talisman's tracking aura! No wonder he defeated Sunny; he figures things out instantly!"
"He countered it in seconds!"
At that moment, the senior acting as the referee stepped forward. "He is undeniably skilled," the senior noted, his voice carrying. "To analyze Quincy Shen's method and formulate a countermeasure so quickly demonstrates tactical brilliance. However, Quincy Shen is far from simple. Unless one's power vastly exceeds his, preventing him from setting up, he is effectively invincible."
The students looked at the senior curiously, waiting for an explanation. He merely raised his chin toward the stage.
On the platform, Erwin watched as Quincy Shen flicked his wrist. Three fresh talismans appeared between his index and middle fingers.
Erwin didn't hesitate. He wouldn't let Quincy Shen set up again. He launched a fireball directly at the talisman master.
If you can't solve the problem, solve the problem-maker, Erwin thought.
Quincy Shen remained calm. In fact, he deliberately tossed the talismans directly into the path of the fireball.
Erwin braced himself. So what if the aura attached again? The fireball would connect, and Quincy Shen would be neutralized. The clouds would vanish.
But the next moment, Erwin's jaw nearly dropped.
A brush appeared in Quincy Shen's hand, dripping with cinnabar ink. He snatched two sheets of yellow parchment and began inscribing runes at a speed that defied logic. In the blink of an eye, the talisman was complete. He crushed it.
A shimmering golden shield materialized before him.
BOOM!
The fireball smashed into the barrier and shattered into harmless sparks.
"Unbelievable," Erwin muttered.
The crowd below was equally stunned. "Is that... a Vajra Talisman?"
The senior confirmed it. "Exactly. Quincy Shen is a prodigy of Talisman Arts, particularly with Vajra Talismans. He can inscribe them mid-battle. As long as he has parchment, he can theoretically layer them indefinitely, rendering himself invincible. He can outlast ninety percent of opponents. Unless your combat power is so overwhelming he can't breathe, breaking through his defenses is nearly impossible."
The Kunlun students were speechless. "How do you fight that? It requires master-level skill just to make one, yet he's creating them in seconds."
Erwin was flabbergasted. He almost forgot to dodge the incoming lightning.
Is this the Eastern fighting style? It's practically cheating! You buff yourself in real-time? Aren't these supposed to be pre-prepared?
But Erwin never gave up. He sent another fireball.
The golden barrier shattered, but instantly, Quincy Shen crushed another talisman. Another barrier appeared.
Erwin nearly swore. Was he stacking buffs? Infinite buffs?
Looking at the thick stack of yellow parchment in Quincy Shen's hand, Erwin realized the guy could probably draw on every single sheet.
Three more bolts of lightning struck. Erwin dodged, his mind racing.
This opponent was genuinely frustrating. It was an infinite loop of defense; you break one layer, he rebuilds two.
Just as Erwin was scrambling for a solution while weaving through lightning, he looked up at the three dark clouds.
A sudden spark of inspiration hit him.
If Quincy Shen could cast techniques multiple times... why couldn't he?
He didn't know how Quincy Shen was doing it, but as a wizard with advantages of his own, did he really need to understand the principle? He just needed to replicate the result.