Luo Feng nodded. "You fought cleverly. You kept probing your opponent's limits and only unleashed your full power at the end."
"Mostly just luck," Luo Wen said with a modest smile, his gaze already drifting toward the center of the arena. "The spotlight battle in Sector Nine is about to begin."
At that moment, the enormous holographic screens flickered to life, displaying the upcoming duel:
Manka Star, Blood Axe Paro VS Sky Empire, Starblade Ares
"Blood Axe Paro?" Hong furrowed his brows. "I heard this guy is the top talent of Manka Star's younger generation. They say he has already mastered the third secret of the Earth Origin."
"Starblade Ares isn't weak either," Thunder God added. "He's the Sky Empire's prodigy swordsman. His sword techniques are said to contain the embryonic form of Space Law."
The starlit arena fell silent, every eye fixed on the center of the battlefield. Two figures emerged at opposite ends.
Paro towered over two meters, his bronze skin etched with mysterious totems. He wielded a massive blood-red battle axe, the blade flickering with a dark crimson glow. His bare chest revealed explosive muscle, each corded and sharp as forged steel.
"A bloodthirsty gaze," Luo Wen whispered. "This Paro has probably killed a lot of people."
Ares, in contrast, was a study in elegance and precision. He wore a sleek, silver-white battle armor, golden hair flowing freely, and held a slender Starblade. The blade was studded with countless tiny points of light, like a sky full of stars.
"Begin!" the referee shouted.
Boom!
Paro exploded forward, his body like a cannonball, the Blood Axe slicing a streak of crimson through the air.
"So fast!" Luo Wen's eyes narrowed. "That kind of explosive power is approaching the peak of a ninth-rank stellar warrior."
Ares remained eerily calm. With a gentle flick, his Starblade's tip produced a tiny spatial vortex.
"Space Law!" Hong exclaimed. "He really has a grasp of the basics of Space Law!"
The Blood Axe collided with the Starblade but, strangely, slid aside as if deflected by some invisible force. Paro's first strike missed, and he adjusted, swinging the axe again.
"Wrath of the Earth!"
The axe smashed into the ground, sending shockwaves across the arena. Waves of earthy energy rippled outward from Paro, cracking the terrain and sending debris flying.
"Third secret of Earth Origin Quake," Luo Feng analyzed. "This area attack is hard to dodge."
Ares disappeared in a flash, reappearing ten meters away in an instant.
"Not teleportation!" Thunder God exclaimed. "He's using supreme speed combined with Space Law!"
"Falling Stars!" Ares finally counterattacked. He raised his Starblade high, and countless points of light detached, raining down like meteor showers on Paro.
"Come!" Paro laughed maniacally, swinging his Blood Axe in a deadly arc. "Blood Moon Rebirth!"
The axe carved a massive crimson circle, intercepting every falling star. Each impact erupted in violent energy waves, painting the arena red with reflected light.
"Both are extremely powerful," Luo Wen observed, eyes tracking every move. "Paro's Earth Origin is highly advanced, and while Ares's Space Law use is still basic, combined with his speed and swordsmanship, he's extremely threatening."
They had already exchanged hundreds of blows. Paro's attacks were broad and crushing, each strike carrying overwhelming force. Ares, meanwhile, moved with grace and precision, evading lethal hits at the critical moment.
"Paro is at a disadvantage," Hong remarked. "His fighting style consumes too much stamina, and Ares is clearly waiting for him to make a mistake."
Sure enough, as the battle wore on, Paro's movements slowed. Sensing the opening, Ares struck, his Starblade stabbing straight for Paro's chest.
"Is it over?" Luo Wen murmured.
"No, not yet!" Thunder God suddenly said.
A sly grin appeared on Paro's face as a layer of earthy crystallization surfaced on his chest. The Starblade struck the crystal, clanging with metallic resonance.
"Fourth secret of Earth Origin Crystallization!" Hong gasped. "He had another trick up his sleeve!"
Taking advantage of Ares's shock, Paro swung his axe backward toward a vital point.
At the last moment, Ares's body twisted unnaturally, the axe grazing his armor and sending sparks flying.
"Space Distortion!" Luo Feng's eyes lit up. "His control of Space Law runs deeper than we imagined!"
"Interesting," Luo Wen mused. "Both are hiding strength. The real battle is just beginning."
They pulled back to adjust their breathing.
"You're strong," Paro said, licking his lips, eyes blazing with combat intent. "You're worth my full power!"
A golden glow exploded from Paro's body, merging him with the earth itself.
"Earth Origin Full Awakening!"
Ares refused to be outdone, raising his Starblade higher. The starlight on his blade blazed brighter than ever.
"Secret of the Stars Power of the Galaxy!"
The audience held their breath.
"Both are giving everything," Hong said gravely. "This strike will decide the winner."
Luo Wen observed intently. He knew that watching a duel between top-tier prodigies would benefit his own cultivation. Although Fire Law differed from Earth Origin and Space Law, the principles of law mastery were fundamentally similar.
"Earth Crumble!"
"Galactic Collapse!"
The two terrifying energies collided, engulfing the arena in blinding light. Even with the protective barrier, the spectators felt the pulse of heart-stopping power.
When the light faded, cracks and craters scarred the battlefield. Paro knelt on one knee, the Blood Axe planted for support, blood trickling from his mouth. Ares was half-kneeling, his Starblade split in two, chest armor shattered.
"A draw?" Thunder God said in surprise.
Just as the referee was about to announce, Paro coughed up blood and fell backward.
"Winner: Sky Empire, Starblade Ares!"
The arena erupted in applause. The fight's brilliance rivaled that of Luo Wen versus Adol.
"Ares won thanks to Space Law," Luo Feng analyzed. "At the final moment, he used space distortion to absorb part of the impact, while Paro took the full force."
"Space Law is amazing," Luo Wen said thoughtfully. "If I could combine Fire Law with space…"
"Don't overthink it," Hong said with a smile. "First, master your own Fire Law to its peak."
The holographic screens now displayed the next match:
Sector Ten, Black Dragon Empire, Thunder God VS Sirius Domain, Gale Saro
"Finally, it's my turn," Thunder God said, standing slowly. Excitement radiated from him, his eyes crackling with faint lightning the natural overflow of the Thunder Law.
"Be careful," Luo Wen warned. "Gale Saro is notorious in Sirius Domain. He's mastered the fourth secret of Wind Origin Void Storm."
"Void Storm?" Thunder God smirked confidently. "Good. Let's see whose element is stronger, his wind or my thunder."
Hong said gravely, "Saro's danger isn't just his attack it's his shadow-like speed. Wind Origin users excel in speed, and he has perfected it."
"Speed can't outrun lightning," Thunder God said, cracking his neck. "Watch carefully."
He strode to the arena, each step intensifying the storm of lightning around him. By the edge, his body was enveloped in a faint blue electric glow.
The spectators focused on the Black Dragon Empire's Thunder Warrior.
"Thunder God! Thunder God!"
"Black Dragon will win!"
"Defeat him, Thunder God!"
Cheers surged. Clearly, Thunder God had great popularity.
From the opposite tunnel, a slender figure emerged, clad in flowing cyan robes. His silver hair lifted lightly in the wind. Sharp, eagle-like eyes scanned the arena.
In his hands were two uniquely curved swords, streamlined and glowing pale cyan, wind seeming to flow within them.
"Wind Blade Chasing Clouds, Wind Blade Pursuing Moon," Luo Feng recognized. "Legendary treasures of the Sirius Domain, capable of perfectly channeling Wind Origin power."
"They're taking this seriously," Hong nodded. "Even bringing out such treasures."
The two combatants assumed their positions. Thunder God wielded a massive lightning hammer, arcs of electricity crackling along its surface. His thunder-armor radiated pale blue light, each plate brimming with destructive energy.
Saro stood quietly, swords crossed over his chest, wind swirling around him, robes floating as if alive.
"Begin!"
In an instant, Saro vanished like a gust of wind.
"So fast!" the crowd gasped.
Almost simultaneously, Thunder God raised his hammer, summoning a bolt of lightning that struck precisely where Saro would reappear.
Boom!
Lightning erupted, arcs dancing violently, but Saro shifted at the last moment, striking from another angle.
"Wind Shadow Triple Step!"
Saro's form changed direction three times midair, dodging Thunder God's lightning blockade. His swords traced cyan arcs, aiming at Thunder God's throat.
"Thunder Shield!"
Thunder God calmly raised a lightning barrier, sparks flying as Saro's strikes clashed against it. None broke through.
"Wind Origin Cutting!"
Saro's eyes gleamed cyan. Wind energy condensed into invisible blades, slicing a path through the lightning shield.
"Interesting," Thunder God grinned, sweeping his hammer to unleash a storm of lightning.
Saro shifted again, drifting like a falling leaf through the storm. His speed was so extreme that spectators only saw streaks of cyan across the battlefield.
"Wind Shadow Step of Sirius Domain?" Luo Wen marveled. "It's like dancing."
"Not just Wind Shadow Step," Luo Feng said. "He manipulates air density with Wind Origin, making his body lighter."
Saro's attacks became a relentless torrent. Swords transformed into countless cyan blades, striking from every angle.
"Annoying flies!" Thunder God roared. "Thunder Domain!"
Boom!
Within a hundred meters of Thunder God, lightning instantly covered the area. Sparks leapt across the air, forming a massive electric cage.
Saro's speed was immense, but he struggled inside the dense thunder net. He slowed, focusing on avoiding lethal arcs.
"Got you!" Thunder God's eyes gleamed, hammer raised. "Thunder Strike!"
A thick pillar of lightning crashed down, aimed directly at Saro. The destructive force shook even the audience.
"Wind Origin Void!"
At the critical moment, Saro's body became ethereal, vanishing like a wisp of wind. The lightning struck only empty air.
"What?!" Thunder God's eyes widened.
In the next moment, Saro reappeared behind him, swords crossed in a lethal downward slash.
"Wind Origin Sky Split Slash!"
Two massive cyan arcs tore through the air with a screeching cut.
Thunder God instinctively dodged, the blades grazing his armor and leaving deep trenches in the ground.
"Close!" Luo Wen breathed. "If that hit, Thunder God would have been in serious trouble."
"Saro's Wind Origin is exceptional," Hong said. "His Void technique already touches the fifth secret Elementalization."
Thunder God's expression turned serious. He realized this opponent was no simple match.
"Time to get serious," he inhaled deeply, lightning surging around him. "Thunder Law, Third Secret Descent of the Thunder God!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sky darkened, clouds roiling with lightning. Thunder God's massive frame grew even taller, wrapped in blinding arcs of electricity, like a deity of storm incarnate.
"Finally going all out?" Saro's eyes sparkled. "Exactly what I wanted! Wind Origin, Fourth Secret Void Storm!"
Whoosh!
The wind around Saro suddenly roared, forming a massive tornado. Countless tiny wind blades whirled within, each razor-sharp.