FINAL MATCH… BEGIN!
The atmosphere in the arena exploded—
Haoran dragged his sword across the ground, sending a blazing crimson flame wave surging toward Zeravon.
But before it could land, Lian Tianyu spun his blazing spear, summoning a golden flame dragon that dove straight into the wave.
From the collision, a strange stillness pulsed outward—
Yan Ya raised his jade flute to his lips, and instantly the flow of air changed.
An invisible sonic wave spread through the arena, slipping directly into Haoran and Tianyu's ears.
And yet…
Zeravon simply stood there.
A faint energy shield shimmered around him, so solid that the sonic wave could not even pierce it.
---
Haoran fought like a beast—every strike carrying such heavy killing intent that a few disciples in the crowd turned pale.
Tianyu was measured, each spear thrust a display of control and precision.
Yan Ya moved like a phantom, vanishing and reappearing to attack from impossible angles.
Zeravon? Still on the defensive.
But his defense felt like an invisible fortress.
Haoran unleashed a full-power strike, flames roaring—Clang! The strike tried to pierce the shield for a moment… and then bounced away.
Even Tianyu's spear couldn't scratch it.
> "What kind of defense is this?! The energy flow is completely stable… not a single fluctuation!"
---
For a while, they broke and remade formations over and over.
Sometimes Haoran and Tianyu would work together, sometimes turn their weapons on each other.
Yan Ya kept disrupting them both with sonic waves and afterimages.
Then came a heavy clash—
Haoran conjured a tornado of flame with his sword, Tianyu drove his spear through it, and Yan Ya's sonic burst struck over the top.
Three techniques landed on Zeravon's shield at once.
For a single microsecond… Crack!
A thin fracture appeared in the shield—the crowd erupted in shouts.
---
Zeravon narrowed his eyes.
A faint smile.
Then his entire body blurred from sight.
> "What the—?!" Tianyu's eyes went wide.
Zeravon was moving so fast it looked like he was in three places at once.
He appeared before Haoran—BAM! A punch to the ribs shattered his flame barrier.
In the next instant, he was behind Tianyu—an elbow strike broke his balance.
Then he slipped through Yan Ya's sonic flow—one kick sent him flying ten feet away.
---
Now Zeravon was fully in close combat—each strike short, precise, and lethal.
His speed was so great that lower-realm disciples in the stands saw only afterimages.
Haoran tried to block with his sword, but Zeravon caught his wrist and twisted—
The blade fell to the ground and vanished in a spark of crimson flame.
Tianyu spun his spear, but Zeravon stepped onto the shaft and delivered a crushing knee strike to his shoulder.
The spear slipped from his grip.
Yan Ya attempted an ultra-sonic burst with his flute—
Zeravon's palm slammed into his chest, reflecting the sound back into Yan Ya's own body. His face turned pale.
---
It looked like Zeravon would end the match right there—
But suddenly Haoran unleashed his hidden technique.
A black-red demonic aura surged from within, sealing his wounds in seconds.
Tianyu summoned his spear once more—now blazing with white light.
Yan Ya's flute glowed with a strange blue radiance, the arena's air currents shifting violently.
They exchanged a silent glance—an unspoken pact:
> "All that matters now… is bringing Zeravon down."
The three charged together, each unleashing their ultimate techniques.
Every strike shook the hearts of the spectators.
---
Up in the stands, the Leaders and Elders were watching with intense focus.
Heavenly Lotus Sect Leader
A faint smile played on her lips as she watched Yan Ya.
> "His control remains flawless… but Zeravon's defense… I've never seen anything like it."
An elder whispered beside her:
"Sect Master… it feels like Zeravon still isn't showing his true strength."
Her gaze deepened.
---
Obsidian Moon Sect Leader
Watching Haoran's fury and technique mix, he leaned forward.
> "Good… but he hasn't opened his Seventh Gate yet. Why so cautious?"
The Vice Leader murmured:
"Perhaps he sees no way to break Zeravon's shield."
The leader gave a cold chuckle.
"If he can't break it… then Zeravon is a real opponent for him."
---
Doom of Heaven Sect Leader
His eyes shone with pride at Tianyu's glowing spear.
> "That technique took me twenty years to teach him…
Yet Zeravon blocks it directly, without injury. Something isn't right."
An elder shook his head.
"Not wrong… perhaps this boy is a walking fortress."
---
The disciples in the stands shouted, some cheering, others fearful.
> "Yan Ya! Haoran! Finish him!"
A quieter group muttered in awe.
"If it were us… we wouldn't land a single hit."
"He's just… watching. Like he's waiting for something."
---
In one shadowed corner of the arena, cloaked figures observed in silence.
One whispered:
> "These movements… I've seen them only once before… in the Beyond War Archives."
The other asked in shock:
"You mean…?"
The first only shook his head.
"The Fortress awakens… after a thousand years."
---
From above, Arbiter Wuji XieJun's crimson eyes shifted from the battlefield to the leaders.
His low voice brushed directly against their minds:
They exchanged uneasy glances, an unshakable tension in their hearts.
When Zeravon struck all three opponents at once—
The roar of the crowd became deafening.
The leaders whispered among themselves.
> "Who… is this boy?"
---
The match reached its boiling point.
Steel clashed, flames roared, and the noise of the crowd fused into a war song.
Zeravon was deep in the melee—
Every move deliberate, every strike decisive.
Tianyu's blazing spear—Clang! Blocked with a single palm.
Haoran's demonic slash—sidestepped, countered with an elbow strike.
Yan Ya's sonic kick—rebounded from the shield, striking his own knee.
---
The three retreated, breathing hard.
Zeravon shook the blood from his gloves and spoke in a calm, deep voice:
> "You've worked so hard… yet haven't even wounded me."
With a burst of speed, he swept Tianyu's legs from under him.
Haoran blocked, but a single punch dented his chestplate.
Yan Ya tried to strike with his flute—Zeravon tore it from his hands and flung it five feet away.
Then he stopped.
A deep breath… his voice cold and steady:
> "Enough…"
His gaze pierced through all three, as if seeing into their souls.
> "I do not hear your strikes… I hear the beating of your souls. And those souls… are not here."
"You came to face me in clones? At least bring your true blood."
"With these bodies… you cannot harm me."
---
The arena fell silent.
Shock froze the leaders' expressions.
The three fighters stiffened, exchanging glances before returning their gaze to Zeravon.
> "How… does he know?!"
Yan Ya's eyes flickered with hidden anxiety.
Haoran's jaw clenched.
Tianyu's grip tightened on his spear.
Zeravon took a step forward, his voice like a blade:
"From your strikes, I can taste your essence… and this is not your true self.
Bring your real bodies… or this match is nothing but a training drill for me."
---
The three shared a glance, their eyes burning with challenge.
Together, they spoke:
> "If you want us to go all out… then we'll oblige."
An instant later, three explosions shook the arena—
Yan Ya's lotus petals dissolved, Tianyu's spear shattered, Haoran's demonic aura dispersed.
Their clones turned to smoke and vanished.
---
A sharp CRACK! split the sky.
A golden spear's glare swallowed the sun—disciples shielded their eyes.
From the radiance stepped Lian Tianyu, in his true form.
Beside the rift, another tear split open—
A massive hand gripped the edges of the sky and tore space apart.
A demonic storm spilled forth, cracking the arena floor—
> "Haoran… finally."
And last… a colossal white-gold lotus bloomed overhead, its shadow engulfing the arena.
At its center stood Yan Ya, white robes dancing in the wind, flute glowing softly.
To Be Continued…
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