Tower of Heaven

Feng Yaohua moved first as if she had a point to prove.

[Phoenix Dominion]

It was a technique with a different name only because it was at a higher level. At its core, it was the same opening move that Feng Jiahui used.

Flames spread from her entire body and filled the battleground as a whole. Back then, Atlas was able to stand still and block these flames with only a basic qi barrier, but that was no longer the case.

Sensing the incoming flames, he was forced to retreat to a corner of the arena and cover himself in a powerful barrier of his own. The fire slammed against his qi with the force of a mountain.

Even through his defenses, he could feel the blazing heat trying to sear away the smallest hairs on his body.

’It is not a matter of technique, but one of individuals.’

That was the point she was trying to prove. Feng Jiahui was not a true representation of what the techniques she used could do.

Atlas grinned. As she said, this would be a truly entertaining battle.

She came down like a flaming comet. Not giving Atlas a single second to react, she followed the same fight pattern as Feng Jiahui.

Only, Atlas could no longer act high and mighty.

Booooom!

Feng Yaohua crashed into his qi barrier and shattered it. She continued to fly with the strength of her momentum and brought forth a sword of flame.

Clang!

Atlas called his chain sickles out. When the two blades met, a wave of energy flew into the barrier around the arena and made it tremble dangerously.

"I thought Divine Beasts didn’t use weapons?"

"I think adapting all kinds of techniques is better than staying stuck in one school of thought."

Feng Yaohua responded with a smile before forcing her blade down. Atlas was pushed back, but he did not allow himself to retreat. He pushed off of the wall behind him and attacked before she could regain control over the battle’s momentum.

[Flow Like Silk]

Whoosh!

Feng Yaohua’s eyes widened. On instinct, she twisted her body and brought the flat side of her blade in front of her face.

Bang!

"Something" impacted it at the same second, sending her barrelling back several steps.

A trail of water qi cut through the burning flames and dimmed their light. Atlas was no longer against the wall, but behind her with his hands in the air.

[Titanfall]

Qi shot from his arms and formed a crack in the sky. From it came an outpouring of water that could swallow a small village easily.

It crashed down into the arena, colliding with the flames in the arena. The two opposing forces began their own fight that would last until their users recalled their qi or allowed them to naturally disperse.

Feng Yaohua was originally standing directly underneath the waterfall, but she retreated and flew into the air in time to avoid any damage.

"Tch."

Atlas clicked his tongue.

’This is the natural advantage of the beast races.’

They had quirks that came from the nature of their main bodies. For instance, those like dragons and phoenixes who could fly using physical means without the support of qi could still fly in the air when they were in their human forms.

Granted, they could not do it for as long, but it was still an ability they had. On the other hand, humans did not gain the ability to truly fly until they reached the World Core Realm.

Atlas could, at most, levitate himself for some seconds or move through the air using movement techniques as a crutch.

’But, I believe it is enough for her advantage to be mitigated.’

Thinking so, Atlas followed her into the air.

[Lightning Shadow Steps]

Using this technique, he was able to gain enough speed to launch himself high in the sky.

[Cloud Step]

With this technique, he made his body as light as a feather and "stepped" on the air. His falling speed was slowed to a crawl, so it was almost as if he was levitating.

And finally…

[Astral Steps]

It was a technique meant for straight-line speed, but it was most effective in the air where there were no barriers blocking his route.

It all happened in a matter of seconds. To the outside world, Atlas jumped into the air, stopped, and then blasted towards Feng Yaohua, arriving in her vicinity at a moment’s notice.

[Presence of the Mountain]

The presence of earth qi filled the air and pressed down on Feng Yaohua. Her face twisted into an expression of surprise as she was forced to the ground.

Thud!

She landed with a thud and looked up just in time to see the attack coming towards her.

[Dominating Fist]

Bang!

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She barely managed to create another flame sword in time to block his fist, however, the residual shock spread through her bones and rattled her body.

A small trail of blood leaked from her lips before she could wipe it away.

Atlas landed in front of her confidently.

"The first victory is mine."

"You have too many tricks up your sleeve."

"That, I do."

It was one of those moments. Feng Yaohua couldn’t see his face, but it was as if their grins connected through their fighting spirit.

Without wasting another second, they charged at each other.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

They turned into blurs that dashed across the arena. The environment faded away around them as they fully immersed themselves in battle.

Atlas did not hold back. His chain sickles flew through the air, following mysterious trajectories before reaching their target precisely. His qi was strong and domineering. It transformed between the elements and Daos, fluidly incorporating them all in an assault that never seemed to end.

However, Feng Yaohua was not a weakling either. She used only the flames of a phoenix, as that was what had accompanied her since birth. With absolute focus on a single Dao, she was able to achieve a different kind of power.

As their battle progressed, her flames became hotter and fiercer. They started to burn away at even the qi around them, forcing Atlas to find other ways to counter her.

The first three battles of this combat circuit had been the appetizer, only meant to show that Atlas was also strong enough to face them.

Now; now that Feng Yaohua was on the stage, the main event had truly begun. This was a fight that made the spectators dangle off the edge of their seats, biting their nails in anticipation of what was going to happen.

BOOM!

A huge explosion filled the entire barrier. Atlas and Feng Yaohua disappeared inside of it, but the sound of explosive force and blades clashing made it clear that their battle was still ongoing.

Even the Elder was feeling a slight sense of excitement from the battle. It could be seen from the way she actively cleared away the dust and debris blinding the audience so they could see better into the barrier.

The festivities in the Feng Clan were reaching an all-time high, and all it took were a few moments of battle from two truly talented geniuses.

Unfortunately, the winner of that battle was not fated to be determined here.

Because before the massive explosion inside the arena barrier could even fully diminish…

…an even larger explosion overshadowed it in the outside world.

Something had gone wrong in Alfros.

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