As soon as the host's voice fell, thunderous cheers erupted from the stands.
Tonight's battle was unlike any before.
What was supposed to be a team match had turned into two separate one-on-one duels.
The audience had bought one ticket—yet they were getting to watch two spectacular fights.
The duel between Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er had been breathtaking, and now the crowd's anticipation for the next match—between two Soul Ancestors—was at its peak.
Amid the roaring cheers, Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er quietly stepped back to the edge of the arena, leaving ample space for Yan and Bing Lan to unleash their full strength.
Even before the match began, Yan had already analyzed the situation carefully.
His first spirit ability, Infernal Magma Rush, possessed devastating single-target power—but against Bing Lan, it would be nearly useless.
Her martial spirit, the Ice Sparrow, granted her incredible speed.
On a fifty-meter-wide arena, his Magma Rush would never be able to land a direct hit.
Using it rashly would only waste his spirit power.
His Blazing Sand Prison would also be difficult to land, since Bing Lan herself was a control-type spirit master with spiritual power nearly on par with a Spirit King's.
Still, if the right opportunity presented itself, that ability remained a deadly threat—its temperature was unimaginably high.
The duel officially began.
As Bing Lan's first spirit ring lit up, she opened with a probing attack—Ice Spike Assault Array.
In an instant, countless razor-sharp icicles shot toward Yan at high speed.
It was a group-attack technique, though it could also be concentrated for a single powerful strike.
Faced with Bing Lan's test attack, Yan reacted immediately.
His second spirit ring flared to life as he activated his defensive skill—Granite Crush.
A layer of rock, hard as forged steel, rapidly encased his entire body until he stood upon the arena like a towering stone monument.
Bing Lan's eyes glinted slyly.
Under her precise control, the storm of ice spikes grew denser and faster, striking against Yan's rocky shield.
A sharp clattering—ding ding dang dang!—rang out as the icicles collided.
They didn't simply bounce off; each spike shattered upon impact, scattering shards of ice in every direction.
But then something strange happened—the broken shards clung to the rock surface, as though guided by invisible magic, spreading rapidly along the cracks in the stone.
Under Bing Lan's control, the freezing energy within the shards seeped outward, quickly encasing the entire rock armor in frost.
Within moments, Yan had become a massive sculpture of ice.
The crowd gasped in amazement.
Such terrifying power—who would have thought that the petite Ice Sparrow could possess such a domineering frost force?
Yet Yan remained calm within the ice.
For most spirit masters, being frozen like this would force them to continually burn spirit power just to resist the cold.
But Yan was different.
After consuming the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Fiery Apricot, his body had undergone a complete transformation.
He was now immune to cold.
Solid ice might restrain his movement, but no chill could harm him.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the frozen statue at the center of the arena, waiting to see how Yan would break free.
Suddenly, his third spirit ring blazed to life—he unleashed Infernal Flames.
His entire body ignited at once, torrents of fire surging outward as though a beast had awakened within him.
Under the scorching heat, the ice surrounding him melted rapidly, the cold air vanishing in a hiss of white steam.
Seeing this, Bing Lan's heart trembled slightly.
She hadn't expected Yan's flames to be so fierce—to so easily break through her ice seal.
But rather than dishearten her, the setback only fueled her fighting spirit.
She knew that against a powerhouse like Yan, she would have to give it everything she had.
Without hesitation, she launched her next attack.
Her second spirit ring glowed brilliantly, and from her back sprouted a pair of icy blue wings, shimmering with cold light.
These Frost Wings dramatically enhanced her speed.
Almost simultaneously, her fourth spirit ring flared as well.
The two abilities worked in tandem—using the Frost Wings to empower her fourth ability, Frostlight Blades.
Bing Lan darted through the air at incredible speed, releasing countless blades of light from her wings.
Each one glittered with freezing energy, streaking across the sky like icy-blue meteors—swift, dense, and impossible to evade.
Facing her relentless assault, Yan chose not to defend.
Attack was the best defense.
In an instant, his dark red hair and eyes turned bright crimson, as though set ablaze.
Fiery patterns reappeared across his skin, glowing with molten intensity.
Flames and sand surged around him, fusing together in the air to form burning magma.
The molten droplets rained upward like liquid fire, colliding with Bing Lan's icy blades in midair.
A hiss filled the arena—chi chi chi!—as the magma's heat instantly melted the ice blades, turning them into plumes of vapor that vanished into the air.
Watching this sight, Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang were utterly stunned.
They, too, were fire-attribute spirit masters, yet they had never imagined flame power could reach such terrifying intensity.
The audience was completely captivated, their cheers echoing across the arena like thunder.
Although shocked by Yan's strength, Bing Lan did not back down.
She adjusted her movements, darting through the air with even greater agility, using her Frost Wings to dodge the molten attacks while searching desperately for an opening.
But Yan was unrelenting.
Controlling the rain of magma, he pursued her with ferocious precision, driving her further and further into a corner.
Before long, the entire sky above the arena seemed to be filled with a storm of molten fire.
Bing Lan, relying on her Frost Wings for sustained flight while enduring the scorching heat, found her spirit power draining rapidly.
Despite her efforts, she still couldn't find a single weakness in Yan's defense.
The Flame Lord was simply too formidable—his fiery power was beyond comprehension, and his earthen defense made him nearly invincible.
As the prolonged battle took its toll, Bing Lan began to feel her spirit power waning, her mental focus thinning.
She knew she couldn't continue this battle of attrition. She needed to change tactics.
So she decided to retract her Frost Wings temporarily—to conserve energy.
But that subtle movement did not escape Yan's keen perception.
Without a moment's hesitation, he unleashed his Blazing Sand Prison.
A storm of fire and sand erupted, swirling violently and closing in on Bing Lan in an instant.
In desperation, she activated her third spirit ability—Ice Shield.
It was a powerful defensive skill, forming a layer of solid ice that completely enveloped her body.
Yet almost immediately, she realized that the power of the fiery sandstorm was far more terrifying than she had imagined.
Under Yan's control, the Blazing Sand Prison began to compress inward.
The scorching grains of sand sliced into the Ice Shield like countless blades, producing a piercing screech.
Bing Lan could clearly feel her shield melting under the blistering heat.
Her heart tightened—panic beginning to rise.
PS: Access advance chapters at