The duel between Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er had officially begun.
The audience's cheers rose and fell like waves, the atmosphere both tense and electrifying.
Huo Wu had watched Shui Bing'er's previous matches and was already familiar with her three spirit abilities.
Thus, she took the initiative to strike first.
As her first spirit ring lit up, her first ability—Flame Meteor—was unleashed.
A blazing fireball rapidly condensed in the air, whistling as it shot toward Shui Bing'er.
The meteor burned fiercely as it flew, radiating waves of intense heat.
This was Huo Wu's main control ability—capable of locking onto opponents whose spiritual power was no more than ten levels above her own. Once it struck, the burning flames could induce dizziness.
Facing the oncoming fiery meteor, Shui Bing'er remained calm.
Taking a deep breath, she instantly activated her second spirit ability—Ice Ring Armor.
A layer of crystalline blue armor swiftly enveloped her body, as if she were clad in an unbreakable suit of frozen battle armor.
The meteor crashed hard against the icy armor with a deafening explosion.
The searing flames were rapidly cooled by the chill radiating from the armor.
The impact caused cracks to spread across the Ice Ring Armor, but the meteor's flames were quickly extinguished under the freezing cold.
Huo Wu frowned slightly.
She hadn't expected Shui Bing'er's defensive ability to be so strong—to neutralize her Flame Meteor in such a short time.
But she didn't lose heart. Adjusting her stance, she prepared to launch an even fiercer assault.
Having successfully defended herself, Shui Bing'er did not remain passive. She moved seamlessly from defense to offense.
Her eyes sharpened, and her first spirit ring suddenly shone as she released her first ability—Ice Seal.
Ice Seal was an instant-cast ability, a highly threatening area-control technique.
Under Shui Bing'er's precise spiritual lock, the ability could freeze multiple targets in an instant.
At this moment, Huo Wu was her sole target—making her that much easier to lock onto.
Though Huo Wu sensed what Shui Bing'er was about to do and reacted swiftly, she was still a split second too late.
The Ice Seal was triggered in an instant. Huo Wu barely managed to move before her body was encased in solid ice.
She was trapped inside a massive block of ice, completely immobilized.
A bone-chilling cold engulfed her, and she could feel its terrifying power.
Once frozen, a person had to burn their own spirit power to resist the freezing force—otherwise, their body would suffer severe damage.
Without hesitation, Huo Wu gathered her soul power, summoning flames to melt the ice imprisoning her.
The flames quickly melted through the frost, but doing so drained a great deal of her energy.
When she finally broke free, her face was pale, her breathing uneven.
Though her spirit power was severely depleted, she refused to give up. Fixing her gaze on Shui Bing'er, she leapt high into the air.
Seeing this, Huo Wushuang's heart clenched. He knew exactly what his sister intended to do.
She was about to unleash her most powerful technique—Fusion Ring.
This was Huo Wu's unique talent—she could merge several spirit rings into one, focusing all her spirit power into a single, devastating strike.
But the cost was immense. The Fusion Ring consumed nearly all of her spirit power. If it failed to defeat her opponent in one blow, she would be left defenseless.
Shui Bing'er could feel the overwhelming pressure, yet she remained calm and alert, ready to respond at any moment.
When Huo Wu began gathering power midair, Shui Bing'er understood that this would decide the match.
Rather than retreat into the sky, she chose to face Huo Wu's attack head-on.
As Huo Wu released her Fusion Ring, Shui Bing'er simultaneously unleashed her third spirit ability—Resisting Ice Ring.
An icy blue ring instantly expanded around her, gleaming with frigid light—like an indestructible barrier.
At that moment, Huo Wu's three spirit rings had already fused into one. A massive flaming ring erupted from her body and surged toward Shui Bing'er.
The spectators gasped in awe—they had never seen anyone fuse their own spirit rings before.
All eyes were fixed on the arena.
The two forces collided violently, the explosion echoing like thunder.
The fiery ring and icy ring clashed, each refusing to yield. Their powers intertwined, threatening to tear the entire arena apart.
Then suddenly—an immense shockwave burst from the point of impact, hurling both Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er backward.
Yan and Bing Lan immediately rushed forward.
They caught their respective teammates just before they hit the ground, safely returning them to the stage.
By now, Huo Wu had completely exhausted her spirit power. She was gasping for breath, her face deathly pale.
Shui Bing'er, too, had poured all her remaining energy into her Ice Ring. She was nearly drained.
Supported by Yan, Huo Wu looked toward Shui Bing'er, unwilling but sincere.
"Shui Bing'er… you're strong. I lost."
Shui Bing'er shook her head. "No. My spirit power is completely spent too—I can't fight any longer. At best, this is a draw."
Huo Wu froze for a moment, surprised by her opponent's humility.
"No, you still won. If you had chosen to spread your wings and fly, my Fusion Ring wouldn't have touched you."
"This battle was one between fire and ice," Shui Bing'er replied softly. "If I had escaped into the sky, it would've lost its meaning. Besides, your final strike came when your spirit power was nearly gone. Had you used it from the start, I wouldn't have been able to withstand it."
Hearing this, Huo Wu was deeply moved. She not only acknowledged Shui Bing'er's strength but was also impressed by her character.
The audience, too, was shaken by what they had witnessed.
Though both young women were merely Soul Elders, they had delivered a truly spectacular performance.
The crowd rose to their feet, showering them with thunderous applause and cheers.
When Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er began their duel, Yan and Bing Lan had sensibly stepped aside, allowing them to face each other one-on-one. What was supposed to be a team battle had turned into two separate one-on-one duels.
After their match ended with mutual respect, the other two still had yet to fight.
Such a situation had never occurred before on this arena. Even the host was momentarily stunned.
Then he raised his voice and announced loudly:
"Just now, Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er gave us a magnificent match! Since both have exhausted their spirit power and can no longer continue, the round will be declared a draw for now! But the battle between Team Blazing and Team Ice has not yet concluded—let's look forward to the clash between Yan and Bing Lan, both Soul Ancestors!"