With eight ember remains at his disposal, Zhao Mu had every confidence in facing Shao Han's Second-Tier Guardian Jinhai head-on.
Gripping the Extinguish Ember in a reverse grip, Zhao Mu took the initiative and charged forward.
Empowered by the enhancement of multiple ember remains, both his speed and strength increased dramatically as he rushed straight toward the towering Silver Guard.
Shao Han clenched his teeth.
Since things had reached this point, there was only one outcome he would accept.
Victory.
He shouted loudly,
"Silver Guard... kill him!"
A crimson glow flashed in the Silver Guard's eyes.
After locking onto Zhao Mu, the enormous puppet sprang into action.
Despite its massive frame, it wasn't sluggish in the slightest.
With arms extending nearly ten meters, it swung a gigantic fist toward Zhao Mu.
Powerful spiritual energy wrapped around the punch, roaring through the air like a falling meteor.
Zhao Mu didn't dodge.
Instead...
He chose to meet it head-on.
The Extinguish Ember swept forward in a fierce arc, colliding directly with the giant iron fist.
Clang!!
A deafening metallic explosion echoed throughout the arena.
A violent wave of spiritual energy burst outward, sweeping away every trace of frost covering the battlefield.
The resulting shockwave blew back the hair of everyone sitting in the nearby stands, drawing gasps of astonishment.
Holding only his halberd...
Zhao Mu actually blocked the Silver Guard's attack without taking a single step backward.
"Hegemon's Formation-Breaking Halberd!"
Laughing heartily, Zhao Mu immediately launched his counterattack.
Although the Guardian Jinhai possessed overwhelming strength, it was still a puppet.
Its greatest weakness was its lack of flexibility.
Empowered by eight ember remains, Zhao Mu wielded his hundred-jin Heavenly Halberd with astonishing ease, smashing it forward again and again.
The Silver Guard showed no fear.
It swung both arms relentlessly, unleashing one devastating strike after another.
Its massive body resembled an unstoppable engine of destruction.
Meanwhile, Shao Han refused to remain idle.
Standing at a distance, he raised his combat saber and continuously unleashed Frost Moon Flying Stream, launching wave after wave of icy attacks toward Zhao Mu.
Zhao Mu merely sneered.
Instead of confronting both enemies at once, he cleverly used the Silver Guard's enormous body as a shield.
His footwork was swift and precise.
He constantly repositioned himself so that the Silver Guard remained between him and Shao Han, preventing them from attacking him simultaneously.
At the same time, the Extinguish Ember struck the Silver Guard again and again.
At this point, the strength of both sides had become nearly equal.
The enhancements from Zhao Mu's ember remains completely erased Shao Han's advantage in Combat Level.
Ordinarily, the Silver Guard relied on its overwhelming durability and destructive power to crush its opponents.
Unfortunately...
It had encountered Zhao Mu.
A monster whose physical strength defied common sense.
Not only could Zhao Mu withstand every frontal collision, but thanks to his superior agility, he continuously carved new scars into the Silver Guard's armored body.
Watching this unfold made Shao Han's heart ache.
Although Jinhai were incredibly powerful spiritual weapons, they were far from indestructible.
Every scratch meant expensive repairs.
But at this point...
He had no choice but to continue.
The battle had completely changed.
Earlier, Zhao Mu had been chasing Shao Han.
Now...
Zhao Mu was skillfully circling around both Shao Han and the Silver Guard, constantly denying them any opportunity to coordinate their attacks.
---
Outside the arena, Zhang Yuan couldn't help clapping in admiration.
"What an incredible strategy."
She smiled as she analyzed the battle.
"Shao Han originally planned to rely on his Private-Rank Launch ability to wear Zhao Mu down from a distance."
"But Zhao Mu cleverly turned the Silver Guard itself into a shield."
"Now, if Shao Han wants to land an effective attack, he'll have to approach."
"And the moment he gets close..."
"He'll expose himself to Zhao Mu's counterattack."
Even the spectators could clearly understand the situation.
But what choice did Shao Han have?
None.
The Silver Guard...
His greatest trump card...
Couldn't suppress Zhao Mu at all.
---
Clang!
The Heavenly Halberd struck the Silver Guard's massive arm once more.
A loud metallic screech rang through the arena.
Chunks of alloy armor flew into the air before crashing onto the ground.
The Extinguish Ember, forged from the fangs of a Gold-Devouring Beast, possessed the special ability Cleave, making it exceptionally effective against armored opponents.
The Silver Guard suddenly opened its mouth.
Spiritual energy rapidly condensed inside.
A brilliant beam of energy shot directly toward Zhao Mu.
Boom!
The attack arrived almost instantly.
At the same moment, Shao Han launched another Frost Moon Flying Stream from the side.
For the first time, Zhao Mu faced simultaneous attacks from two directions.
Yet he remained perfectly calm.
Another ember remains on his left hand suddenly lit up.
In an instant, it transformed into a waist-high shield.
This was another First-Tier Jinhai.
The Mystic Tortoise Shield, forged from the shell of a Crocodile Armored Turtle.
As Zhao Mu poured spiritual energy into it, the image of a giant mystical tortoise appeared upon its surface, creating a powerful energy barrier around him.
The Silver Guard's energy beam and Shao Han's attack struck the shield at the same time.
The tremendous impact forced Zhao Mu to slide backward five or six meters.
Deep grooves appeared beneath his feet.
Yet...
His body remained completely unharmed.
Both were First-Tier defensive Jinhai.
However, Zhao Mu's synchronization rate with the Mystic Tortoise Shield was an astonishing 80%, while Shao Han's Guardian Shield barely reached 20%.
The difference in defensive performance wasn't slight.
It was overwhelming.
---
Seeing Zhao Mu reveal yet another ember remains, Shao Han completely lost his composure.
"Where did you get so many ember remains?"
"Did Meng Qiuqiu give them to you?"
Zhao Mu laughed coldly.
"So you're allowed to use a Jinhai saber..."
"A Guardian Shield..."
"And even a Second-Tier Guardian..."
"But I'm not allowed to use my own equipment?"
"Shao Han..."
"Don't be such a hypocrite."
Shao Han's face turned red with anger.
He instinctively wanted to argue.
Deep down, he believed that someone born into a powerful family naturally deserved expensive Jinhai.
As for a commoner like Zhao Mu...
He felt Zhao Mu had no right to possess such treasures.
It was a prejudice rooted deep within him.
But with so many people watching...
He couldn't bring himself to say those words aloud.
After all...
It was difficult for someone raised in privilege to accept that a person they once looked down upon had suddenly surpassed them.
---
Zhao Mu ignored him completely.
Holding the Mystic Tortoise Shield in his left hand and the Extinguish Ember in his right, he charged toward the Silver Guard once again.
To defeat Shao Han...
He first had to destroy this enormous obstacle.
Using a heavy halberd with only one hand would have seemed absurd to anyone else.
But Zhao Mu possessed Innate Divine Strength.
He had every right to be arrogant.
The Hegemon's Formation-Breaking Halberd, an Intermediate Battle Technique, flowed naturally through his movements.
Every strike was fierce.
Every attack was relentless.
The Silver Guard, fearless and incapable of retreat, continued clashing with Zhao Mu.
However...
Its every movement consumed Shao Han's own spiritual energy.
The longer the battle dragged on...
The faster Shao Han's reserves dwindled.
Eventually...
He realized the truth.
A battle of attrition was impossible.
He wouldn't exhaust Zhao Mu.
Instead...
Zhao Mu would exhaust him.
Taking a deep breath, Shao Han's expression hardened.
A layer of frost slowly spread across his eyes.
He raised his combat saber.
His spiritual energy erupted.
Ice and storm attributes merged together, forming a suit of pale blue frost armor around his body.
He stared directly at Zhao Mu.
"You want a close-quarters battle?"
"Fine."
"I'll give you exactly what you want."
Because now...
A direct confrontation was the fastest way to decide the winner.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)