The night winds howled over the Co Loa sky. Embers from destroyed warships continued to rain down, etching long, crimson streaks against the black void.
In mid-air, two figures faced each other. On one side stood Van Thien, his body radiating a faint, steady cyan light. Opposite him was Duan Thiet, his black cloak fluttering violently, his war hammer pulsing with dark red energy. The space between them, barely dozens of meters, felt as though the air itself had frozen solid.
On the ground, the people within the Co Loa Citadel looked up. Some trembled, clutching their hands in prayer.
"My God... they're flying..."
"Are they... even human?"
By the lakeside, Minh had just run back with two bottles of water, but the sight before him made him freeze in his tracks.
"Brother... Thien...?"
In the sky, Thien's body was still vibrating slightly. The 8% power threshold made every vein in his body feel as if it were filled with molten lead, yet he stood his ground, his gaze locked onto his opponent.
Duan Thiet smirked. "This is finally getting interesting." He gave his war hammer a light twirl, causing the surrounding air to ripple instantly. "Show me... just how strong you are."
In a flash—he vanished.
BOOM!!!
The two figures collided head-on in the center of the sky.
A fist against a hammer.
Cyan and red energies clashed, the shockwave erupting like a clap of thunder, rattling the nearby warships.
Vut!
Thien twisted his body, narrowly evading a hammer swing, and immediately counterattacked.
BAM!
A heavy punch landed squarely on Duan Thiet's ribs, the impact causing the air to combust. Duan Thiet was pushed back several meters, but his grin only widened. "Not bad."
He swung the hammer in a wide horizontal arc. CRASH! Thien blocked it with his forearms, the collision causing another mid-air explosion.
The Golden Turtle God looked up at the duel, its ancient eyes reflecting a deep silence. Then, it turned its massive head toward the armada, where the remaining ships were still rotating their cannons downward.
"Prepare to fire."
The Great Beast slowly opened its maw. A blinding blue light condensed within its throat.
ROOOAAARRR!!!
A colossal pillar of cyan energy shot straight into the heavens. BOOM!!! Three warships were impaled in an instant, detonating into massive orbs of fire. The soldiers on the remaining ships fell into a frenzy.
"That turtle is sniping the fleet!!"
"Retreat—"
But it was too late.
In the sky, Thien and Duan Thiet continued to trade blows. BAM! BOOM! CRACK! Every collision sounded like a lightning strike. An unlucky warship caught between them was punched clean through, exploding instantly.
Duan Thiet suddenly backed off. He spun his hammer, red energy erupting around his frame. "It seems... I have to unleash a bit more."
The hammer began to glow intensely. Crimson energy lines raced along its handle. "Iron Dominion!"
He swung downward. A massive crescent of red energy tore toward Thien, slicing through the air and shredding the clouds. Thien clenched his teeth and charged straight into it.
"HA!"
He threw a desperate punch.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The energy wave shattered, but the recoil sent Thien hurtling back dozens of meters. His body racked with tremors; blood once again leaked from his lips.
8% power... was becoming a heavy burden on his current physical frame.
Duan Thiet noticed this and sneered. "You're killing yourself, boy."
Down on the earth, the Golden Turtle God turned its gaze toward Thien. It sensed something—not just raw power, but an Ancient Essence that had existed since the age of the Gods.
The God's voice echoed in Thien's mind: "Child... you are more than just a Bearer of Essence."
Thien faltered for a second. "You mean..."
But the sentence remained unfinished. Duan Thiet appeared before him in a blur. "Don't lose focus now!"
THE HAMMER DESCENDED!
BOOOOOOOOOOMM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thien was slammed directly into the ground. A massive crater erupted in the heart of the Co Loa Citadel, dust and smoke billowing upward.
Duan Thiet hovered in the air, looking down at the deep pit. He exhaled a cold breath. "Is the battle over already?"
But... the dust below began to swirl. A brilliant cyan light pierced through the haze. From within the crater, a figure stood up. Van Thien's eyes were still burning with unyielding fire.
Duan Thiet smiled, his eyes glinting with a lethal intent.
"Very well. Then let us... fight to the death."