Gunfire and Dai Mubai once again locked eyes, both now harboring some wariness toward each other.
'I must avoid prolonged contact with his Martial Spirit,' Dai Mubai calculated silently as he stared at the increasingly flaming spear in Gunfire's hands.
Gunfire, meanwhile, felt the dull ache still lingering in his chest and thought to himself that he could no longer risk clashing head-on with Dai Mubai—he had to rely on skill and precision to resolve this fight.
After a brief standoff of a few seconds, the two of them once again charged at each other.
This time, both were cautious, sticking closely to the strategies they had worked out in their minds. Overall, however, Dai Mubai was at the disadvantage. No matter how careful he was, he still had to make contact with Gunfire's spear. Unlike an agility-type Spirit Master, he didn't have the nimbleness to completely evade each and every strike.
Yet Dai Mubai didn't panic. He was waiting. Waiting for that one chance. He believed that if his opponent couldn't finish him quickly, Gunfire would inevitably grow anxious and resort to using a spirit skill. And when that happened, the situation might just flip in his favor—granting him the perfect chance to counterattack!
Sure enough, as time dragged on without being able to put Dai Mubai down, Gunfire began to lose patience. When another strike failed, he immediately unleashed his second spirit skill.
"Flames to Scorch the Heavens!"
Gunfire swung his blazing spear, and countless tongues of fire erupted from it, surging wildly toward Dai Mubai.
"Good timing! White Tiger Barrier!" Dai Mubai roared. Instead of retreating, he pressed forward, charging directly into the sea of flames. Beneath the scorching blaze, the golden light of the White Tiger Barrier flickered brilliantly, refusing to break.
Gunfire was stunned at the sight. His second spirit skill had two functions: one, to incinerate his enemy with waves of flame; and two, to obscure vision with the fiery veil. Under normal circumstances, without a defensive spirit skill, an opponent would be forced to spread their soul power across their body for protection, eyes tightly shut to avoid the searing light—or else retreat beyond the skill's range, granting him the perfect moment to strike.
But he hadn't anticipated Dai Mubai possessing such an all-around defensive skill. Just as Dai Mubai's bare hands were restrained by his spear, his own "Flames to Scorch the Heavens" had now been countered by Dai Mubai's "White Tiger Barrier."
In that instant of hesitation, a wave of radiant energy suddenly pierced through the flames, streaking straight toward him. By the time Gunfire reacted, it was too late to dodge. He could only raise his blazing spear to block in front of his chest once again.
''Boom!''
The White Tiger's Intense Light Wave—Dai Mubai's second spirit skill—wasn't something that could be stopped so easily. Even Qian Jue himself wouldn't dare take it head-on without calling upon his Wolf Spirit to block.
Sure enough, the white orb of light exploded against Gunfire's chest, blasting him heavily into the air. Dai Mubai followed up instantly, surging forward to deliver a palm strike that sent Gunfire crashing off the stage completely.
''Ding!''
The bell of victory rang, and the host swiftly stepped onto the stage, raising Dai Mubai's arm to announce his win.
Gunfire lay coughing for quite some time after hitting the ground, clutching at his chest. His clothes were torn open to reveal scorched flesh, his hair was a mess, and his left ankle twisted upon landing, now throbbing with pain.
But he paid little attention to the injuries. He knew Dai Mubai had shown mercy. Forcing himself upright, Gunfire gave a slight cupped-fist salute toward the stage before limping away.
Dai Mubai, too, didn't linger on the stage. After the host lifted his hand to declare him the victor, he immediately sought out Qian Jue in the audience, raising a fist in acknowledgment before stepping down.
Still, Dai Mubai didn't look much better. His body was covered with charred patches, his whole figure blackened and smoking—evidence of how many times he had clashed with the flaming spear.
"Boss Dai, you'd better go wash up. Just look at yourself right now," Qian Jue said with a grin as Dai Mubai approached.
Rolling his eyes, Dai Mubai replied, "Don't underestimate that Gunfire. His Martial Spirit was truly formidable. I only managed to win because his second spirit skill happened to be countered by mine. If not for that, today's fight could have gone either way. His Martial Spirit puts heavy pressure on someone like me who fights bare-handed—I hardly dared touch it."
"Alright, alright, go clean yourself up. Otherwise you might miss my match," Qian Jue urged him with a laugh.
"Fine! I'll go freshen up." Dai Mubai agreed and hurried off to the restroom.
"Alright~! Up next, we have the fifteenth match in the Arena of Sixteen's one-on-one battles!" the host announced.
The following three duels featured spirit Elders of around level 30, and their matches were intense, showcasing several intriguing spirit skills. Qian Jue watched with great interest from below, until he suddenly heard the host call his number.
"Next, let's welcome the contestants for our eighteenth one-on-one match! On one side, we have the spirit Grandmaster Qing Ling, whose Martial Spirit is the Azure-Feathered Swallow! And on the other side, the The Eternal Hunter, spirit Grandmaster Qian Jue, whose Martial Spirit is the Kindred! Both are agility-attack spirit Masters—this will be a battle of speed! Let's invite our two contestants onto the stage!"
As usual, the host briefly introduced Qian Jue and his opponent before calling them up.
Qing Ling turned out to be a young woman of seventeen or eighteen. Her outfit was quite revealing, exposing her midriff and even the sides of her ribs, displaying her toned frame. She was tall too—at least 1.7 meters, taller even than Dai Mubai at the moment.
Stepping onto the stage, she immediately noticed her opponent: Qian Jue.
She frowned slightly upon seeing his much smaller stature and younger age.
"Little brother, are you really sure you want to join in the Arena battles? This isn't a place for playing games," Qing Ling said crisply.
It wasn't that she looked down on him. On the contrary, she understood all too well that spirit Masters who could reach this level at such a young age were usually prodigies. And prodigies often possessed strange and powerful Martial Spirits.
Still, she had her own advantage—age. Already a rank-27 spirit Master, she surpassed most at this stage. No matter how gifted her opponent was, she didn't believe she had no chance against him.
But it was precisely such full-effort battles that carried the greatest risk. Not only could she get hurt, but her opponent as well. And while the Great Spirit Arena forbade private revenge, if some highly-favored genius from a powerful clan were injured, what guarantee did she have that she wouldn't suffer retaliation later?
So Qing Ling voiced her warning, hoping Qian Jue would reconsider.
"Don't worry, big sis. I know exactly what I'm doing. Just go all out—no need to hold back on my account," Qian Jue replied with a smile, oblivious to her deeper concerns.
"Contestants, release your Martial Spirits!"
Qing Ling wanted to say more, but the referee's command had already been given. With no choice left, she summoned her Martial Spirit.
A faint phantom of a swallow appeared behind her, its body dark with a hint of greenish sheen, a lone tuft of white feathers upon its crown. Azure light flickered between her arms and ribs, gradually forming a thin pair of feathered wings. Her eyes darkened entirely, the pupils expanding until they swallowed her whites. Two yellow spirit rings rose at her feet.
Qian Jue also released his Kindred. His Sheep Spirit descended, and the ancient, mysterious mask of the Kindred appeared upon his face. Two yellow spirit rings glowed beneath him, slowly revolving.
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