The sky above the arena now resembled a battlefield where tongues of fire and streaks of lightning were trying to devour each other. Yan Kai Long parried a lethal strike from the phoenix with his sword and retreated into the air to take a brief moment of respite.
A deep smile rested on his face—the kind of smile a warrior only displays upon finding a worthy equal. He looked at Ye Fang and said in a calm voice, "Junior Brother, you are truly extraordinary! To be honest, the joy I am finding in fighting you is beyond words. But this strength of yours... it cannot be the result of mere training alone. I am certain you possess either an ancient and powerful physique or a Martial Soul that has remained hidden from the world's eyes. Because a 'Qi Refining' cultivator, no matter how much of a genius, cannot stand against a 'Golden Core' warrior like this."
The spectators were stunned. City Lord Wang Long's elder daughter, Wang Mei, gripped her younger sister Wang Ling's hand tightly.
"Sister, did you hear that?" Wang Ling asked in a trembling voice. "Young Master Yan Kai Long is saying that Ye Fang possesses a secret power. But he looked like just a stray wanderer!"
The City Lord stroked his beard and said in a heavy tone, "Mei, Ling... perhaps you both don't realize it, but we are witnessing history in the making today. Until now, Yan Kai Long was using only 10% of his power and his Dragon Veins. He was merely testing him."
In the arena, a blue lightning flashed in Yan Kai Long's eyes. He pointed his sword directly toward the sky and declared, "Junior Brother, you have earned my respect, and a warrior's honor lies in putting forth his full strength against his opponent. Until now, I was holding back at 10%... but no more. Forgive me, but now you must witness the true power of the 'Long Tian Sect'!"
"50%—Dragon Soul, Body, and Vein Activation!"
A thunderous explosion shook the ground. Waves of blue energy erupted from Yan Kai Long's body so violently that the people in the front row were blown back from their seats. His stature seemed to grow larger in an instant. The white dragon behind him became solid, its eyes filled with true life. Due to his Blue Dragon Body, a protective aura formed around him that began to neutralize the phoenix's heat.
As he swung his sword, the dragon let out a roar that cleared the clouds from the sky. Ye Fang's double-boosted phoenix, which had seemed dominant until now, began to look small in the face of this overwhelming energy.
The phoenix unleashed its full fire, but a single strike from the dragon's claw scattered its flames. The phoenix shrieked in pain and began to retreat. The atmospheric pressure increased so much that the ground beneath Ye Fang's feet began to cave in, and a thin trail of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"What... what terrifying power," Ye Fang thought, gritting his teeth. His physique was enduring the pressure, but Yan Kai Long's 50% power was enough to crush him.
The crowd erupted, "Look! The phoenix is losing! In the end, only the true power level matters. A first-stage cultivator can never defeat a Golden Core Peak!"
Ye Fang felt the air pressure exceeding his endurance. Yan Kai Long's 50% strength had turned the entire arena into a zone where even breathing was difficult. Glowing blue dragon scales emerged on Yan Kai Long's body, showcasing the true resilience of the Blue Dragon Body. This armor was so powerful that not just ordinary weapons, but even the magical attacks of great cultivators would shatter against it.
Ye Fang called out from the depths of his mind, "System! No more waiting. Release the remaining four attack talismans right now!"
In an instant, four glowing slips of paper appeared in Ye Fang's hands. He poured all his remaining energy into them. "Activate!"
Suddenly, the scene in the arena changed. The first and third talismans were of Thunder, from which crackling purple lightning lunged from the sky to the earth. The second was an Ice talisman, which froze the scorching soil of the arena in a second, raising sharp icy mountains all around. And the fourth, the most powerful, was the Deep Black Fire talisman. Its flames were so dark and dense that they seemed to swallow the sunlight itself.
These four cataclysmic attacks surged toward Yan Kai Long simultaneously. It felt as if the four elements of nature had risen together to erase him.
But not a single wrinkle of worry appeared on Yan Kai Long's face. He drove his sword into the ground and shouted, "Dragon Vein Manifestation!"
Three immensely powerful and massive blue dragons emerged from his Thunder Dragon Veins. These dragons were not made of ordinary energy but of pure celestial lightning. They absorbed the lightning from the two thunder talismans in mid-air and ground the ice mountains into steam with the friction of their bodies.
Meanwhile, his main White Dragon Martial Soul stood firm in the center. When the torrent of Ye Fang's powerful Black Fire collided with that white dragon, it didn't bother the dragon in the slightest. The white dragon neutralized the black fire with its holy light.
The dragon scales on Yan Kai Long's body glowed even more intensely. At 50% power, his physical durability had become like that of a divine mountain. He took a step forward, and the mere pressure of his stride caused the energy of Ye Fang's four attack talismans to dissipate.
Silence fell over the crowd. The experienced elders of Sanmiao City rubbed their eyes and said, "Impossible! An attack of such powerful talismans, and Yan Kai Long doesn't even have a scratch? This Blue Dragon Body is beyond the imagination of ordinary cultivators."
City Lord Wang Long stood up and told his daughters, "Look! This is the difference between true talent and mere hard work. Yan Kai Long has pushed his Dragon Veins and body to a level where external attacks are mere entertainment for him."
Ye Fang saw that his four strongest attacks had gone to waste. Yan Kai Long was now advancing toward him, the arena trembling with every step. Yan Kai Long said in a very slow and elegant tone, "Junior Brother, your magical weapons are truly unparalleled, but after a certain level, only pure physical and spiritual strength can endure. Do you still have any moves left?"
The echo of the explosion that had turned the previous four attacks to ash still lingered in the air. The glow of the blue dragon scales around Yan Kai Long was so potent that he looked like an invincible god. On the other side, Ye Fang's massive phoenix was turning faint, its fire being suppressed under the weight of Yan Kai Long's 50% power.
The crowd roared, "That's it! The game is over! Yan Kai Long has shown what real cultivation is."
But there was no sign of defeat on Ye Fang's face. He clenched his fist and looked toward his internal inventory. He still had 3 Boost Talismans left—which were now going to become his final and greatest move.
He moved his hand with the speed of lightning, and the three talismans began to float in the dusty air of the arena. As he channeled his energy into them, the pressure of the entire arena suddenly changed. This pressure was even more ancient and heavy than Yan Kai Long's energy.
The three talismans surged toward the phoenix together and merged into its body.
First Talisman: 'Ultimate Speed Burst'—As it hit, the phoenix's form became so fast that it appeared in ten different places in the arena simultaneously. Its speed was now only a blurred line to the human eye.
Second Talisman: 'True Essence Power Boost'—The color of the phoenix's flames changed to a deep golden. Now its fire wasn't just heat; it had become solid energy capable of melting Yan Kai Long's dragon scale defenses.
Third Talisman: 'Soul Resonance Boost'—This was the most lethal. It connected the phoenix's soul directly to Ye Fang's willpower. A cold and dangerous glint now appeared in the phoenix's eyes, ready to strike directly at the opponent's Martial Soul.
As these three boosts activated simultaneously, the sky above the entire city cleared completely. Yan Kai Long narrowed his eyes and gripped his 'Dragon Breath Sword' even tighter. He realized that everything that had happened so far was just a prelude—the real match had only just begun.
"Incredible..." a low voice escaped Yan Kai Long's throat.
The phoenix let out a roar so powerful that Yan Kai Long's three thunder dragons retreated for a moment. Now, only two powers remained in the field—on one side, Yan Kai Long's impenetrable dragon defense, and on the other, Ye Fang's triple-boosted phoenix.
City Lord Wang Long stood from his seat, his eyes fixed on the arena floor, which was now beginning to crack like glass under the pressure of their combined energies.
Ye Fang locked eyes with Yan Kai Long and said in a low voice, "Senior Brother, the time for holding back has passed. Now, let's see if your Dragon Body can withstand these flames!"
In the next instant, a collision so fierce occurred that its echo was heard for miles. The phoenix, like a burning arrow, struck directly at Yan Kai Long's dragon armor. Now there was no noise, no conversation—there was only the struggle of two great powers that was to decide who would become the true king of this arena today.