At that moment, Lin Yan made his move. Fire Armor Gu activated, and crimson-gold flames surged across his body, condensing into a solid armor. Nine flame patterns shimmered across its surface, noble and imposing, while the vortex marks on his palms lit up as both Fire Apertures filled with violent flames.
At the same time, he silently activated Borrow Fire Gu. A faint, translucent sphere flickered, drawing power from one Fire Aperture and channeling it into Fire Armor Gu. The armor instantly brightened, its aura surging again as a second layer of enhancement stacked upon the first, pushing it to the level of Rank 3 defense.
Normally, a Gu Master's body could only withstand the output of one Fire Aperture, leaving the other unused. But with Borrow Fire Gu, that limitation was bypassed, allowing both to be utilized. Combined with the amplification of Fire Pattern Gu, the overall boost approached two and a half times.
Lin Yan might not have many Rank 3 Gu yet, but at this moment, his combat system had already taken shape.
Borrowing the power of the Fire Aperture Gu not only resolved the flaw of the body being harmed by erupting fire energy, it also cleverly bypassed the limitation of Borrow Fire Gu itself, without needing to sacrifice key Gu like Walking Fire Gu or Fire Armor Gu.
Fully armored, Lin Yan chose to take the attacks head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dull yellow explosions burst one after another against his body, firelight flashing violently as the silver primeval sea within his aperture dropped at a visible rate.
His gaze remained sharp. He was never the type to passively endure. With a thought, Fireball Gu activated, and clusters of orange-yellow fireballs shot forward, tearing through the air toward Huang Mo.
The clash intensified instantly, both sides unleashing their methods without restraint as the battle entered a true, heated exchange.
Huang Mo burst into laughter as the ground beneath his feet churned and shifted. His body moved swiftly, dodging each incoming fireball with ease. This was another Rank 3 Gu—Flying Earth Gu.
Its unique trait was that the Gu Master did not move on his own. Instead, a mass of earth carried him, gliding across the ground. It was essentially an upgraded version of Earth Wave Gu.
This Gu perfectly complemented his tactic. While laying hidden fire mines across the battlefield, he could freely maneuver without triggering them himself, making his entire setup seamless.
Rumble!
Lin Yan's fireballs all missed, blasting deep, scorched craters into the arena floor.
"If you want to compete with me in primeval essence, you've already lost," Huang Mo sneered, though inwardly he was shaken. By all logic, Lin Yan was still relying on Second Rank Gu—he should have been easily suppressed. Yet somehow, their power had been elevated to the Rank 3 level. It defied common sense.
Seeing his first exchange fail, Lin Yan's eyes flickered slightly. Huang Mo was no ordinary opponent. As a long-established Rank 3 Gu Master, his combat system revolved around Earth Fireball Gu, forming a complete and polished strategy that steadily tightened control over the battlefield.
With a thought, five Gu flew out from Lin Yan's aperture. The Formation Core Gu hovered above his head, emitting a steady glow as the Four Elements Gu Formation unfolded. Streams of four-colored light intertwined, finally settling into a faint green radiance that enveloped his body.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
An invisible current of wind gathered around him, and the rapid depletion of silver primeval essence within his aperture slowed, even beginning to recover. The flow of primeval essence became smoother, its consumption reduced, while his natural recovery speed was pushed to its limit.
This was the Wind Path variation of the Four Elements Gu Formation, specializing in sustaining prolonged battles.
Huang Mo's expression shifted slightly as he watched from afar. This formation was abnormal—on its own, it was already a complete combat system. In a battle of attrition, he wasn't confident he could outlast Lin Yan.
And that was precisely the flaw in his own setup. Without a Gu that could reduce consumption or restore essence, prolonged combat would only drain him. But maintaining several Rank 3 Gu was already a heavy burden—he simply didn't have the resources to fill that gap.
In the next instant, Lin Yan made his move. Instead of dragging things out, he chose to attack directly. A war of attrition would only put him at a disadvantage. The fire stored within his Fire Apertures was nearly exhausted, and once that reserve ran dry, he would no longer be able to sustain Rank 3-level combat strength.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
He shifted the Gu formation again, and crimson light surged, covering his entire body. Fire Eye Gu, Fire Armor Gu, Walking Fire Gu, and the rest were all strengthened at once. This Flame Path variation focused purely on amplification, pushing all Flame Path Gu to a higher level—one of his true trump cards.
After advancing to Rank 3, not only had Lin Yan's primeval essence become far more abundant, even his mental strength had increased. Activating seven or eight Gu at the same time no longer strained him. Sparks burst beneath his feet as he charged forward, his aura rising sharply.
As he advanced, Huang Mo retreated. Yet the distance between them continued to shrink. The spectators were stunned—was the movement speed of Flying Earth Gu actually being outmatched by Walking Fire Gu?
The watching Gu Masters exchanged shocked looks. Lin Yan's methods were too obscure; it was impossible to tell which Gu formed the core of his combat system.