Zhao Mu charged straight toward Shao Han without hesitation.
A flash of panic crossed Shao Han's face. He swung his blade repeatedly, trying to cut through the tough silk wrapped tightly around his arm.
Unfortunately, the tough silk was a First-Grade Ember Relic, and even with his strength, it wasn't something he could sever so easily.
Forced into a corner, Shao Han suddenly unleashed a surge of Spiritual Power from his arm.
Boom!
The powerful burst stretched the tough silk to its limit.
Taking advantage of the opening, Shao Han broke free and immediately retreated, desperately widening the distance between himself and Zhao Mu.
But by then, Zhao Mu was already within twenty meters.
With a flick of his wrist, the tough silk instantly recoiled and wrapped itself neatly around Zhao Mu's fingers.
At the same moment, his left hand reached into the tactical pouch at his waist and drew out a flying knife.
Blue Spiritual Power flowed across the blade, covering it with a chilling aura.
Whoosh!
The knife shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
It was even faster than Zhao Mu's arrows.
A streak of blue light flashed through the air, racing toward Shao Han.
The speed caught him completely off guard.
Cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
There wasn't enough time to block with his sword.
Just as the blade was about to strike, a flash of silver appeared in his hand.
A shield materialized before him.
Clang!
The flying knife slammed into the shield with tremendous force before falling harmlessly to the ground.
It was another First-Grade Ember Relic—
A Guardian Shield.
The spectators couldn't help exchanging strange looks.
Using powerful relics wasn't against the rules.
However, the sight of a Battle Rank Ten genius relying on expensive equipment simply to defend against a Battle Rank Six opponent was undeniably embarrassing.
Zhao Mu wasn't surprised in the slightest.
He had already known Shao Han possessed this shield.
Although the knife had failed to land, the distance between them had grown much shorter.
Zhao Mu slowly raised the index finger of his left hand.
The tough silk was forged from the tendons and bones of powerful exotic beasts.
Though it usually appeared as a single thread, it could instantly spread apart like countless strands of spider silk.
The fifty-meter-long filament unfurled into countless loops, dancing gracefully through the air.
Wrapped in blue Spiritual Power, it looked chaotic at first glance.
In reality, every strand was moving precisely toward Shao Han.
The attack alone wasn't enough to seriously injure him.
But it couldn't be ignored.
Once the silk reached him, it would wrap around his body and severely restrict his movements.
By now, Shao Han's battle rhythm had been completely disrupted.
He had lost the initiative.
Even so, he continued retreating while launching long-range attacks at Zhao Mu.
"My Spiritual Power is at least five times greater than yours!"
"If we continue fighting like this, you'll run out first!"
Shao Han shouted through clenched teeth.
Just as he expected...
Zhao Mu was every bit as troublesome as ever.
But strangely enough, that pleased him.
If the rival who had suppressed him for more than a decade could be defeated so easily, it would only leave him disappointed.
Only by crushing a truly powerful opponent could he prove his own strength.
The audience gradually understood Shao Han's strategy.
Although it wasn't exciting, it was extremely stable.
It resembled a marksman fighting a swordsman.
There was no need to approach.
Simply maintaining distance while attacking continuously would eventually secure victory.
Even if Zhao Mu's tough silk was troublesome, Shao Han only needed to dodge carefully and drag out the battle.
Eventually, Zhao Mu's Spiritual Power would be exhausted.
Hearing those words, Zhao Mu laughed.
"Do you really think this tough silk is nothing more than a stronger rope?"
Shao Han frowned.
He had no idea what Zhao Mu meant.
The next second—
Zhao Mu's fingers moved gracefully, as though plucking the strings of a zither.
The fifty-meter strand of tough silk instantly came alive.
It spiraled through the air before lashing toward Shao Han at incredible speed.
Shao Han immediately poured Spiritual Power into his long blade.
A blade aura more than three meters long erupted from its edge.
"As long as I never touch your silk..."
"You can't do anything to me."
He swung his sword.
Yet just before the blade made contact, the tough silk drifted aside like willow catkins carried by the wind.
It effortlessly avoided the strike.
Then...
It curved back.
The moment it neared Shao Han, dark blue Spiritual Power erupted along its surface.
The flexible thread instantly transformed into an unimaginably sharp blade.
Screech!
The tough silk slashed against the Guardian Shield.
Instead of snapping, it produced the piercing sound of metal grinding against metal.
Even the instructors watching from the sidelines were stunned.
Xie Yingxue stared in disbelief.
"He can manipulate Spiritual Power with this level of precision..."
"...on a thread fifty meters away?"
Spiritual Power Control — Proficiency: 97
Among Spirit Ability users, this level of mastery was virtually unparalleled.
It allowed every ounce of Spiritual Power to be utilized with perfect efficiency.
Moreover, Zhao Mu already possessed twice as much Spiritual Power as an ordinary Battle Rank Six ability user.
When it came to endurance...
The gap between him and Shao Han wasn't nearly as large as everyone believed.
Only now did Shao Han fully understand how terrifying the tough silk truly was.
It wasn't simply a thread.
It was a flexible sword.
A fifty-meter-long soft blade capable of attacking from any direction.
Never before had Shao Han encountered such a bizarre weapon.
For the first time in his life, he found himself struggling to respond.
The two exchanged attacks continuously.
Shao Han's offensive gradually slowed.
Meanwhile, Zhao Mu effortlessly blocked the incoming Frost Moon Flying Stream attacks using only one hand while wielding his great halberd.
The display left everyone speechless.
The battle continued.
Both fighters raced across the arena.
Zhao Mu relentlessly pursued.
Shao Han retreated without pause, refusing to engage in close combat.
Unfortunately...
Whether he wanted to fight up close was no longer his decision.
After exchanging more than a hundred moves, Zhao Mu had completely analyzed Shao Han's attack patterns.
The tough silk suddenly accelerated.
Whoosh!
The single strand split and twisted through the air.
It attacked like dozens of razor-sharp steel blades simultaneously, striking from every conceivable angle.
Although the silk was no thicker than a strand of hair, its cutting power rivaled that of the sharpest sword.
Even the Guardian Shield struggled to defend against it.
After all...
The silk could change direction in midair.
The spectators stared in amazement.
No one had ever imagined a weapon could be used in such a way.
It was a brilliant method of eliminating the range advantage between the two fighters.
Compared with Shao Han's straightforward Spiritual Power attacks, Zhao Mu's strange and unpredictable silk techniques were far more difficult to defend against.
A faint smile appeared on Zhao Mu's face.
"It seems..."
"...you're not going to impress the Royal Family today."
Shao Han's expression stiffened.
He suddenly remembered why this duel mattered so much.
His true goal wasn't simply defeating Zhao Mu.
He wanted the Royal Family to recognize his talent.
If they witnessed him struggling against a mere Battle Rank Six trainee with an E-Rank Talent, what conclusion would they reach?
They would think he was nothing but a fraud.
Everything he had done...
His years of planning.
His relationship with Shen Moran.
His countless schemes.
All of it had been for one purpose.
To leave Lujiang City and earn the opportunity to enter Ironridge City.
He absolutely could not fail here.
Shao Han's eyes became bloodshot.
"Zhao Mu..."
"You forced me to do this."
"I don't even know what will happen next."
"If you die..."
"Then blame no one but yourself."
As soon as the words fell, the silver buckle fastened around his waist suddenly began to shine.
Its dazzling brilliance grew brighter and brighter.
Within moments, it resembled a miniature sun rising in the center of the arena.
The blinding light forced countless spectators to shield their eyes.
Someone in the audience gasped.
"What... is that thing?"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)