The morning sun had barely risen when Feng Xuan made his way to the Spirit Hall's grand arena, where the much-anticipated battle against Yan was set to take place. The arena was a magnificent structure, designed to host battles between powerful spirit masters. Its high walls and circular seating allowed for a large audience, though today, only a select few would witness the clash.
As Feng Xuan entered the arena, he could feel the weight of the challenge ahead. The air was thick with anticipation, and the grandmasters in the stands watched with keen interest. On the other side, Yan, the pride of the Golden Generation, stood with a confident smirk on his face. His tall, muscular frame and fiery aura made him a formidable presence. Feng Xuan knew that this would be a battle that would test every skill he had mastered. He can beat him if he goes all out but he doesn't want to show all of his skill so he will only use the spirit ring ability to win the fight. It will be a little difficult to win against the spirit ancestor while only using the spirit ring ability but he needed to do it.
"I also needed to hide my spirit ring age with the standard available in Doulao." Thought Feng Xuan.
Hu Liena, along with Bibi Dong, watched from a vantage point, their expressions unreadable. Feng Xuan caught Hu Liena's eye, and she nodded subtly, a reminder of the advice she had given him the night before.
The referee stepped forward, his voice booming through the arena. "This battle will be fought between Yan, of the Golden Generation, and Feng Xuan. Both sides, prepare yourselves!"
Feng Xuan took a deep breath, calming his mind. He activated his Phantom Hawk spirit, and the familiar sensation of his spirit power flowed through him. His first spirit ring, the Illusion Arrow, glowed with a soft, ethereal light. Across the arena, Yan's spirit rings appeared, his aura flaring with the intensity of a wildfire.
"Begin!"
Yan wasted no time. With a roar, his first ability, Blazing Flames, erupted around him, sending waves of heat radiating through the arena. He charged forward, his body a blur of motion, closing the distance between them in seconds. Feng Xuan swiftly activated Illusion Arrow, summoning multiple illusionary copies of himself that spread out across the battlefield.
Yan's eyes narrowed as he realized he was surrounded by a dozen Feng Xuans. He growled in frustration, releasing a burst of flames that incinerated several illusions, but the real Feng Xuan remained hidden among them. Yan's Leopard's Agility allowed him to maneuver quickly, but Feng Xuan's illusions made it difficult for him to land a solid hit.
Feng Xuan maintained his distance, allowing Yan to exhaust himself. He focused on controlling his illusions, using them to confuse and mislead Yan, who grew increasingly frustrated as each attack passed through an illusion without landing on the real target.
Realizing the need to shift tactics, Yan activated his second ability, Flame Explosion. The ground beneath him erupted in a wave of fiery energy, spreading outwards in all directions. Feng Xuan quickly leaped back, but a few of his illusions were caught in the blast and dissipated. Yan smirked, thinking he had gained the upper hand, but Feng Xuan was already preparing his counter.
Channeling the power of his second spirit ring, Elemental Enhancement, Feng Xuan combined earth and metal elements to form a barrier around himself. The fiery explosion clashed against the barrier, but the combined strength of the elements held firm, absorbing much of the impact.
Yan snarled in irritation. "Stop hiding and fight me head-on, coward!"
Feng Xuan didn't rise to the provocation. Instead, he focused on his next move. He activated Firestorm Lock, his third spirit ability. A bright, fiery symbol appeared over Yan, locking onto him. Yan felt the pressure of the attack bearing down on him and immediately unleashed his Flame Armor. His body became encased in a protective layer of fire, which burned fiercely as it swirled around him.
The Firestorm Lock attack materialized as a concentrated beam of fire, honing in on Yan. The flames from his armor clashed with the incoming attack, but the focused nature of Feng Xuan's skill allowed it to pierce through the defensive flames. Yan gritted his teeth as the attack struck him, pushing him back several steps. Though his Flame Armor absorbed much of the damage, the force of the blow left him momentarily stunned.
Seeing his opportunity, Feng Xuan activated his Elemental Fusion. Combining fire and earth, he created a wave of molten lava that surged toward Yan. The molten wave moved quickly, threatening to engulf Yan in its fiery embrace.
Yan, however, was not so easily defeated. He unleashed another Flame Explosion, using the force of the blast to propel himself into the air, away from the advancing lava. He landed with a graceful roll, immediately launching a series of fiery projectiles at Feng Xuan, who countered by summoning a wall of water with his Elemental Enhancement. The water clashed with the fire, creating a cloud of steam that obscured the battlefield.
Feng Xuan moved quickly within the steam, using his Illusion Arrow to create more duplicates of himself. Yan, blinded by the steam, lashed out with wide, sweeping strikes of flame, but each attack only dissipated another illusion. Feng Xuan, hidden within the steam, prepared his final move.
He gathered all the elemental energy within him, focusing on a single point. With a surge of power, he unleashed the Five Elemental Illusion Arrow, an attack that combined the five elements into a single, devastating arrow. The arrow shot through the steam, its trail crackling with energy.
Yan barely had time to react as the arrow struck him square in the chest. The force of the impact sent him crashing into the arena wall, where he slumped, dazed and scorched. The steam cleared, revealing Feng Xuan standing tall, his eyes calm and focused. The audience watched in stunned silence as Yan struggled to his feet, only to collapse again.
The referee raised his hand. "The winner is Feng Xuan!"
Feng Xuan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His body was aching, and he knew he had pushed himself to the limit, but the victory was his.
"By only using spirit skill consume much more spirit power." Thought Feng Xuan.
He looked over at Yan, who was being helped up by his teammates. Despite the intensity of the battle, Feng Xuan felt no animosity toward him. He knows Yan doing this due to his jealousy but Yan needs to understand whom to challenge in order to get to the top.
As Yan was carried off the field, Hu Liena approached Feng Xuan, a proud smile on her face. "You did it. I knew you could."
Feng Xuan nodded, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. "Thank you, senior sister. Your advice was invaluable."
Hu Liena patted his shoulder. "Rest now. You've earned it."
As Feng Xuan left the arena, the whispers of the spectators followed him. He had proven himself against one of the Golden Generation, and his reputation within the Spirit Hall would only grow from here. But as he walked back to his room, Feng Xuan's thoughts were already turning to the next challenge, the next test of his abilities. For he knew that this was only the beginning of a much larger journey.