Sophia took to the arena, facing off against her cousin Blaze Yew, the third son of Shawn Yew.
Unlike his notorious brothers Yehky and Quinn, Blaze was less renowned and did not hold a prestigious position in the royal palace.
Instead, he had remained within the family, notoriously known for being the most ruthless tormentor of Eddie when he was considered the weakest.
Despite Blaze's cunning and sly nature, he had always underestimated Eddie and never imagined his rise to power.
Now, although hesitant to face Eddie, Blaze was overly confident against Sophia, believing he could easily manipulate her guardian tree spirit, deeming plant-based beasts the weakest of all.
Eddie, observing from a distance, noted Blaze's resemblance to his father Shawn was minimal. With his thin lips, narrow eyes, and hooked nose, Blaze's appearance and demeanor exuded slyness and unlikability.
Known for his pettiness and vindictiveness, Blaze was the least popular among the Yew family's young masters.
Blaze:"Little sister, please be gentle with your poor brother. I may not be as talented as you."
"I made a promise to my brother. I will fight with all my strength, regardless of who my opponent is. I will show no mercy," Sophia replied coldly, unwavering in her resolve.
"Do you really think you can defeat me?"
Blaze scoffed, his laughter echoing in the arena. His demeanor suddenly shifted to a serious tone, "Don't be delusional. Do you think your pathetic tree spirit can stand a chance against me? You're a joke!"
Sophia ignored his taunts, focusing on her meditation.
Determined to show her best performance, she was ready to astonish everyone, both for her brother and as a surprise for her mother.
Despite her talent, the audience doubted her chances of victory, considering her guardian tree spirit's perceived weakness against Blaze's fire-based creatures.
Even Grandpa Five, a supporter of Eddie's family, had his reservations about Sophia's ability to win.
As Blaze Yew quickly summoned his Silver Tome and unleashed a rapid attack towards Sophia, he failed to anticipate her calm and precise response.
Sophia effortlessly deflected the ambush with her high-grade Bronze Tome, sending Blaze's fiery fox soaring into the air.
Unfazed, Blaze commanded his fire fox to unleash a blazing inferno, aiming to scorch Sophia's guardian tree spirit upon its emergence.
Confident in his strategy, Blaze's lips curled into a sinister smile, envisaging his imminent victory.
But the arena was suddenly rocked by a deafening explosion. A massive shadow loomed, its arms spread wide, nearly eclipsing the sky.
Blaze's fire fox, caught off guard, was crushed beneath a gigantic palm, hammered into the stone with a resounding crash.
The audience gasped as they witnessed a towering six-meter-tall tree spirit, its robust trunk-like arms and fierce green eyes emanating a wrathful glow.
"What is this monstrosity?" many in the crowd exclaimed, unable to recognize the beast. It resembled a guardian tree spirit but was of an unprecedented size.
"It's a Centennial Tree Guardian!" some knowledgeable warriors in the audience recognized, their shock evident.
"Bronze Level Five!" even the true powerhouses, like Emperor Alexander and Haye Yew, were visibly shaken.
Shawn Yew, Blaze Yew, and the representatives from the other major families stood in disbelief, staring at the formidable Centennial Tree Guardian.
The audience understood the rarity of such a powerful plant-based beast. Plant beasts were known for their slow growth and weakness in the early stages, often outmatched by creatures of other types.
But Sophia's summoning of this colossal guardian defied all expectations, showcasing her extraordinary talent and determination.
Previously, when Sophia had elevated her War Tree Spirit to Bronze Level Three, she was already regarded as a prodigy due to the notorious difficulty of advancing plant-based creatures. Their evolution was slow, but once leveled up, their combat effectiveness far surpassed beasts of other types at the same level.
In an astounding leap, Sophia not only advanced her War Tree Spirit two more levels but also transformed it into a Centennial Tree Guardian, now set on the path to becoming a Millennial Tree Warrior and ultimately the Ancient Tree King.
The audience pondered in awe, "How did she achieve this incredible feat?"
"It's impossible, absolutely impossible! Just a month ago, her tree was still at Bronze Level Three. How could it have advanced two levels and transformed into a Centennial Tree Guardian in just one month?" Blaze Yew stood up, agitated and in disbelief. Eddie Yew remained silent, but his expression was equally perturbed.
Sophia had always been an underdog, with little support from her family and frequent sabotage. Yet her War Tree Spirit's rapid transformation was a miracle. Could Eddie, the so-called 'worthless weakling,' have assisted her?
Eddie Yew, ignoring the attention, casually cleaned his ear and feigned ignorance, as if to say, "Don't be ridiculous, it's all her own doing." Blaze Yew grunted and refocused on the arena, contemplating his next move against Sophia.
Meanwhile, Sophia's Centennial Tree Guardian, towering at an impressive six meters, elicited gasps from the audience. Even the most powerful spectators, including Emperor Alexander and Haye Yew, were visibly moved by the guardian's immense stature and power.
Blaze Yew, in a desperate attempt, commanded his fire fox to launch a surprise attack on Sophia. However, her Centennial Tree Guardian effortlessly swatted the fox away, crushing it beneath its massive limbs. The audience was shocked at the sheer dominance of the guardian over the fire fox.
Sophia's mother, Grace, was overwhelmed with pride and tears of joy. Her children had faced adversity and emerged triumphant. The sight of her daughter's astounding progress brought her immense happiness.
Blaze Yew, frustrated and enraged, exclaimed, "It doesn't matter how big the tree is; it's still worthless!" He directed his fire fox to burrow underground, but the Centennial Tree Guardian countered with a powerful punch, pinning the fox with a giant spike.
Sophia, controlling the guardian with her mind, lifted the fire fox by its tail, showcasing her undeniable strength and skill, much to the amazement of the crowd.
Sophia Yew, with a cold hum, effortlessly countered Blaze Yew's surprise attack on the arena. She summoned a thorny barrier, entangling one of the mammoth war elephant's legs, causing it to stumble and fall heavily to the ground. The elephant, riddled with piercing spikes, emitted a painful roar as it struggled to rise, only to collapse again.
Blaze, in shock, realized his mammoth was fatally poisoned. "It's poison!" Eddie Yew observed, analyzing the situation. "You mean Sophia used her lethal poison talent on those thorns?" questioned Blaze, grappling with fear.
"No, it's the thorns. The poison was already in the elephant's body from the moment the thorns wrapped around it. That's why the elephant's tough skin was so easily penetrated and why it died so completely," explained Haye Yew, advising caution in future encounters.
Blaze, undeterred, employed a high-heat flame attack with his saw wheel puppet, which spewed a dragon of fire and revved up its terrifying saw teeth. The puppet was a specialized counter to tree creatures, nearly invincible in its effectiveness. However, its downside was the need for fuel and saw blade replacements after each use.
Eddie, watching from below, signaled for the end of the fight, impressed by Sophia's remarkable display of strength and strategy.
Sophia Yew masterfully controlled the mighty Hundred-Year Tree Warrior, crushing Blaze Yew's saw wheel puppet with its immense strength.
The puppet lay in ruins, its parts scattered and sparking. The Tree Warrior, extending its massive limbs, tightly wrapped around the puppet, immobilizing it.
With a powerful twist, the Tree Warrior ripped off the puppet's metallic head, causing a burst of sparks and electrical crackling.
Blaze, witnessing his war elephants' defeat and the destruction of his puppet, was overwhelmed with fear. He screamed and fainted, his eyes rolling back as he wet himself in terror.
Sophia, showing mercy, didn't finish him off. Instead, she used the Tree Warrior to flick him off the arena like swatting a fly.
Emperor Alexander of the Great Xia Kingdom, watching the spectacle, laughed heartily, admiring Sophia's skills and jokingly suggesting adopting her as his granddaughter. Haye Yew, the Yew family patriarch, was pleasantly surprised by Sophia's abilities, acknowledging the misfortune in her life's destiny.
Representatives from the other families congratulated Haye, expressing envy over the abundance of talent in the Yew family.
Wind Yew, the Wind family's patriarch, lamented his own son's fate, who had been killed by a Golden Sovereign Beast during training.
Amidst the admiration, several family representatives contemplated the potential benefits of aligning with the Yew family through marriage with Sophia.
Haye Yew noticed their greedy gazes but remained silent.
After her victory, Sophia boldly challenged Blaze Yew, inviting him and his brothers from the major and minor Yew families to face her and Eddie Yew in battle, proposing a group confrontation to settle their long-standing rivalry.
"No, we're the ignorant younger generation. We still need to learn from our elders. Please, Uncle Shawn and Uncle Quinn, join the battle too," Eddie Yew announced, leaving everyone astonished.
Challenging his cousins Blaze, Yehky, and Shawn was one thing, but he was now audaciously challenging his uncles, Shawn and Quinn Yew, who were renowned and experienced warriors.
Shawn was a mid-tier Level 6 Sovereign, and Quinn was an early-tier Level 6 Sovereign. Eddie's proposal to face both seemed like sheer madness.
Spectators wondered if Eddie had lost his mind or if they were going crazy. The notion of him, armed only with combat skills, defeating two Sovereign-level masters was preposterous. Ice Yew, taken aback, couldn't believe Eddie's daring challenge to not just his cousins but also his uncles.
Emperor Alexander and Haye Yew exchanged glances, both amused and reminded of Eddie's father, Quinn Yew. Quinn was fearless, though not as cunning or jestful as his son. They thought that Eddie was truly his father's son, imagining Quinn smiling proudly at his son's transformation from an underdog to a formidable figure.
As Haye Yew contemplated, his usually unflinching eyes moistened slightly. He looked at Eddie with a newfound warmth, proud of his transformation. All eyes then turned to Shawn and Quinn, awaiting their response to this wild challenge from their nephew. The crowd held its breath, eager to hear their decision.