Erwin's movements were a blur as he dodged the incoming techniques, weaving an intricate net of golden barriers above his head. He didn't hesitate—he surged forward, charging directly toward Rainie Nangong.
It was his only option. Her mastery of magic was truly outrageous, far beyond what Erwin had anticipated. This wasn't just about raw power; it required an impossible level of imagination and absolute confidence in her casting.
Within the range of the billowing steam, Erwin felt his strength draining. He needed an escape route, and fast.
As the old saying goes, if you can't solve the problem, solve the person behind it. Erwin gritted his teeth against Rainie Nangong's assault and retaliated. Fireballs and lightning bolts rained down on her position.
At this moment, Erwin was unleashing his full arsenal, casting techniques as rapidly as possible. But Rainie Nangong remained eerily calm. With a flick of her wrists, she conjured her own Golden Barriers.
Crack.
The barriers shattered under Erwin's relentless assault. The attacks closed in on her. Erwin's eyes gleamed—this was his chance!
He swung his hands, denying her a moment to breathe. A continuous barrage of ice spikes, fireballs, and lightning sealed off every possible escape route.
Just as the crowd prepared to witness her defeat, a flash of icy blue enveloped Rainie Nangong's palm. She didn't retreat; instead, she lunged into the storm of ice spikes.
The moment her skin touched the jagged ice, it melted instantly into water. Erwin stared, bewildered, as she slipped through his trap.
Rainie Nangong repositioned herself, the techniques colliding where she had just stood with a deafening boom. Before the water droplets could even hit the ground, she caught one in her hand. It condensed instantly, reforming into an ice spike—mimicking Erwin's own magic—and shot back at him.
Erwin stood still, seemingly stunned.
The spectators gasped.
"Why isn't he moving?"
"Has he given up?"
"Senior Nangong is just too terrifying!"
High above, the Elders leaned forward, their eyes fixed on Erwin. The Headmaster's face was alight with anticipation.
"Do you think he can grasp Rainie's technique?" one asked.
"This child defies ordinary standards," another replied. "I think he might just do it."
"He closed the distance," a third noted. "If he still can't learn it after seeing it up close, then he simply isn't suited for it."
"I give him credit," the Headmaster mused. "He might not master it instantly, but he will grasp the concept."
While they debated, the ice spike reached Erwin. Rainie Nangong held back, confident the duel was over. For anyone else, it would be.
But Erwin was not anyone else.
A second before impact, Erwin moved. He raised his hand, and the ice spike pierced his palm.
Sunny shot up from her seat, eyes wide with terror and hope. A trickle of blood dripped from Erwin's hand—but then, the ice spike dissolved into water.
The disciples below erupted.
"What happened?"
"He's bleeding! But the spike... it vanished?"
"Did he just use her own technique?"
Even the proctor was dumbfounded. He knew how difficult this ability was; he had tried and failed to learn it himself. Yet, Erwin seemed to have grasped it in a single observation.
Across the field, Rainie Nangong's figure began to dissipate like mist. It seemed her sole purpose had been to witness this moment.
Erwin looked at the cut on his palm, a slow smile spreading across his face.
Just as he suspected, he understood. Rainie Nangong's methods were unconventional, but they weren't magic without logic. Her ability to melt ice and reshape it wasn't impossible—it was an advanced application of Qi control.
Simply put, she used only partial energy. She mobilized the Qi but never released it completely. It wasn't just a combination of techniques; it was the manipulation of energy without full expulsion. That was the true revelation.
The reason this technique was so difficult was the sheer level of control required. It was a paradox: the more power you channeled, the more defined the technique became, yet the less energy you actually needed to expend. It required years of experience to refine one's control to this degree.
It was like a master butcher carving an ox—a display of supreme expertise.
And, like all powerful magic, it carried immense risk. When mobilizing elemental power, one had to sever the connection at the perfect moment. Fail, and the uncontrolled energy would consume the caster.