Lin Qi returned to the resting area and announced the next match. "Second bout: Bella versus Thunder God."
At once, Thunder God's eyes lit up. He rolled his shoulders, loosening his joints. "Finally, my turn. That blue-skinned lady looks like she knows what she's doing."
Not far away, Bella heard her name and offered him a confident smile. A faint blue glow shimmered across her body, and the air around her carried a subtle hint of moisture, like the breath of the sea.
"She's a master of water-based energy," Lin Qi reminded in a low voice. "Her strength lies in fluid combat and ranged attacks. Lightning has a natural advantage against water, but don't forget that water conducts electricity."
Thunder God nodded, a spark flashing in his eyes. "Understood. This should be an interesting elemental clash."
As Lin Qi signaled the start, the atmosphere in the arena grew even more charged. The spectators leaned forward, eager for another spectacular battle.
Thunder God stepped into the center, faint arcs of electricity already dancing around him. He knew this fight might be tougher than expected, but that only made it more exciting.
Bella moved with effortless grace to meet him. A soft mist of water gathered around her, her deep blue eyes calm and unfathomable, like the depths of an ocean.
They faced each other in silence.
Lin Qi raised his hand, scanning the arena to confirm everything was ready.
"Second match, begin!"
The moment his hand dropped, both fighters moved.
Bella struck first.
Her hands traced an elegant arc through the air, and the surrounding moisture instantly condensed into dozens of slender water whips. They lashed forward like living tendrils, twisting and shifting mid-flight, forming a dense web that sealed off every possible escape route.
Thunder God did not meet the attack head-on.
He lowered his stance slightly, crossing his arms before his chest as brilliant violet-blue lightning erupted from his body. In an instant, he transformed into a streak of electricity, slipping through the narrow gaps between the water whips and reappearing at Bella's flank.
"Lightning Flash!" someone in the crowd shouted.
Bella's eyes flickered with surprise, but her reaction was just as swift. Her body flowed like water, twisting as a curtain of liquid formed in front of her, intercepting Thunder God's incoming punch.
A sharp crack split the air.
Lightning met water, and the arena exploded in blinding blue light. The water barrier vaporized instantly, turning into a dense cloud of steam that engulfed the battlefield.
Gasps rose from the audience. Many stood, straining to see through the mist.
Seconds later, the steam thinned.
Both fighters reappeared, each pushed back nearly twenty meters. Neither was injured, but their breathing had grown heavier. That single exchange had already consumed significant energy.
"Impressive reflexes," Bella said with a soft smile, her voice flowing like a stream. "It seems Earth's warriors are more capable than I expected. But this is only the beginning."
With that, she tapped lightly against the ground.
Her body dissolved into a surge of deep blue water, rushing forward at incredible speed. The flowing mass shifted constantly, forming sharp spikes one moment and massive hammers the next, making her attacks unpredictable and relentless.
In the resting area, Hong frowned. "Not good. Water conducts electricity, but it also disperses it. She's deliberately drawing out his power and redirecting it."
Rowan nodded. "She's controlling the battlefield, forcing him into her rhythm."
On the arena, Thunder God remained calm.
He took a deep breath, tracing a strange sigil with his hands. The lightning around him began to reorganize, weaving into a complex network.
Lin Qi's eyes widened slightly. "Lightning Chains? That's a high-level technique. I didn't expect him to grasp it so quickly."
When Bella's flowing attack collided with the electric net, something unexpected happened.
Instead of exploding, the lightning clung to the water like living threads, winding along its currents and forming countless fine chains that bound the flow in place.
Bella's attack stalled.
She was forced to disperse her form and reconstitute herself, but by then, thin arcs of electricity already crawled across her body, restricting her movement.
"What incredible control!" someone exclaimed. "He's manipulating lightning at a microscopic level!"
Thunder God did not hesitate.
He stomped forward, his body surging like a bolt of lightning. His right fist gathered a spiraling mass of electric energy, forming a rotating vortex.
"Thunder Fist!"
Bella's expression shifted. She quickly formed hand seals, condensing a thick ice shield in front of her.
But just as the punch was about to collide, it changed direction.
It curved around the shield and struck her from the side.
"So fast!" Luo Feng gasped. "That's the curved attack technique Instructor Lin taught us. He's already applying it at full speed!"
Caught off guard, Bella barely managed to form a thin water barrier at her side.
It shattered instantly.
The punch landed, and a surge of electricity exploded through her body.
She cried out as she was thrown back, tumbling across the ground before regaining her footing. Her clothing was scorched, her breathing uneven.
The audience erupted.
Yet Bella quickly straightened, a faint smile still on her lips. "Not bad. It's been a long time since someone hit me head-on like that. I suppose I should take this more seriously."
Her eyes turned a deep, luminous blue.
A brilliant aura flared around her, and the temperature in the arena dropped sharply. Frost began to form in the air, and even the spectators could see their breath.
"Ice?" Rowan said in surprise. "She controls both water and ice?"
Lin Qi nodded. "On her homeworld, water and ice are considered different expressions of the same energy."
Around Bella, countless tiny ice crystals formed, swirling into a storm with a radius of ten meters, enclosing both fighters within its frozen domain.
"Careful!" Hong shouted. "Those crystals conduct electricity. She's trying to disperse his power!"
Thunder God adjusted instantly, drawing his lightning inward, reducing outward leakage.
Bella thrust her hands forward.
The ice crystals shot out like bullets.
To anyone else, it would have been impossible to evade.
But Thunder God became lightning once more, darting through the storm at blinding speed while weaving a net of electricity to intercept the barrage.
The crowd held its breath.
Even seasoned fighters could see that this battle had far surpassed the level of an ordinary spar.
Still, no one was perfect.
A few crystals struck Thunder God's shoulder and leg. Instantly, electricity surged back through them, jolting him. He grunted, his footing faltering as he dropped to the ground.
Bella seized the moment.
With a sweeping motion, the surrounding ice gathered into a massive dragon that roared as it lunged toward him.
A wave of alarm swept through the audience.
At that critical moment, something changed in Thunder God's eyes.
He did not retreat.
Instead, he steadied himself, forming rapid hand seals as he shouted, "Heavenly Ninefold Thunder!"
The air froze.
An overwhelming surge of power erupted from his body, forming a towering pillar of lightning that shot upward like a divine spear. The sheer force caused even the arena's protective barrier to tremble.
Luo Feng shot to his feet. "A forbidden technique? When did he learn something like that?"
Hong's eyes widened. "His breakthrough on the Lightning Planet, combined with these two weeks of training. His understanding has reached a new level."
The lightning pillar collided with the ice dragon.
A deafening explosion followed.
Shockwaves rippled outward, forcing the arena's barriers to flare brightly as they struggled to contain the impact.
When the light faded, the battlefield had transformed.
A massive crater stretched across the center, its surface partially vitrified from extreme heat.
Thunder God and Bella stood at opposite edges.
Both were exhausted.
Frost clung to Thunder God's arm, while Bella's shoulder bore clear burn marks. Their breathing was heavy, their energy visibly drained.
They met each other's gaze.
Respect passed silently between them.
"A remarkable fight," Bella said, her voice softer now. "I underestimated you."
Thunder God smiled faintly. "You're one of the strongest opponents I've faced."
Then, both of them felt it.
A new fluctuation.
They turned at the same time.
The scattered ice crystals and lingering arcs of electricity were beginning to move, drawn together by an unseen force.
Lin Qi rose abruptly. "Elemental resonance?"
At the center of the crater, ice and lightning intertwined, forming a spiraling vortex.
Two opposing elements, instead of canceling each other, began to harmonize.
A new kind of energy was being born.
Even Thunder God and Bella could only stare in astonishment.