The arena buzzed with excitement as the two golden ranks, Fei Zhu and Dei Wi, squared off in the center of the colossal coliseum. Their every move seemed to radiate power, drawing awe from the massive crowd. Yang Feng, seated beside Zhao Lei, watched the scene unfold with his arms crossed, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to cut with a blade. Fei Zhu's spear glinted menacingly under the light as he spun it with practiced ease, while Dei Wi's sword rested confidently in his hand, its edges shimmering with an orange hue as though reflecting fire.
Suddenly, Fei Zhu stepped forward, a sly grin on his face. "Let's make this interesting," he declared, his voice carrying effortlessly over the noise of the crowd. Raising his hand, a surge of icy blue energy swirled around him before solidifying into the shape of an enormous snake. Its scales shimmered like frost-coated steel, and its slit eyes glowed with an eerie blue light. The creature hissed, its tongue flicking out as icy vapor spilled from its mouth, sending a chill through the air.
The crowd erupted in cheers and gasps. But Dei Wi remained unfazed. His lips curled into a confident smile as he responded, "Two can play that game." He raised his hand, and the arena seemed to heat up instantly. Flames erupted around him, coalescing into the shape of a majestic fiery eagle. Its massive wings flapped, sending waves of heat rippling through the stands, and its piercing screech reverberated through the arena.
The audience's cheers reached a fever pitch as the two spiritual beasts circled each other in the air, their respective elemental auras colliding and sending sparks of frost and embers flying in every direction.
The fight began with a burst of energy as Fei Zhu darted forward, his spear gleaming. He aimed a precise strike at Dei Wi, who countered with a swift swing of his sword. The weapons collided with a resounding clang, sending shockwaves through the arena. Meanwhile, the icy snake lunged at the fiery eagle, its fangs bared, but the eagle dodged with a powerful flap of its wings, retaliating with a burst of fire.
Fei Zhu grinned, his eyes narrowing. "Let's see how you handle this!" he yelled, slamming the butt of his spear into the ground. "Ice Spikes!"
Sharp shards of ice erupted from the ground, jagged and glinting in the light, shooting straight toward Dei Wi. The crowd gasped as the shimmering spikes closed in on him, their razor-sharp edges promising devastation.
But Dei Wi was ready. "Meteor Clash!" he bellowed, raising his sword high. Fiery meteors rained down from the sky, crashing into the ice spikes with explosive force. The resulting collision sent shards of ice and fragments of stone flying across the arena. The ground trembled, and cracks spiderwebbed across the stage as the two combatants unleashed their full power.
Yang Feng leaned forward slightly, his usually stoic expression giving way to mild awe. The ferocity of the battle was beyond what he had expected. At first, he had thought the inclusion of spiritual beasts was more of a gimmick than a true display of skill, but now, seeing the seamless integration of their powers, he couldn't help but feel intrigued.
"Fighting with spiritual beasts... Is seemingly Interesting," Yang Feng muttered under his breath, his eyes locked on the arena. His gaze drifted upward to the large billboard above the stage, where information about the combatants was displayed. On the right side was a portrait of Fei Zhu, accompanied by the words "Level 27." On the left was Dei Wi, listed as "Level 28."
However, what caught Yang Feng's attention was the section in the middle labeled Spiritual Readings. His eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher what it meant.
"What is it?" Zhao Lei asked, noticing Yang Feng's distraction.
Yang Feng pointed at the board. "Spiritual Readings. What does that mean?"
"Oh," Zhao Lei replied, leaning back in his seat. "It's a measure of the spiritual energy they're using. Higher readings mean they're tapping into more power. It's a way for the audience to understand how intense the fight is."
Yang Feng nodded slowly, his attention returning to the battle just as a sudden scream from Fei Zhu tore through the air.
"Final skill: Ice Atmosphere!" Fei Zhu roared, slamming his spear into the ground once more.
Instantly, the temperature in the arena plummeted. Frost spread across the stage, creeping toward Dei Wi, while a thick mist of icy smoke began to envelop the entire area. The crowd fell silent for a moment, watching in awe as the arena transformed into a frozen wasteland.
Dei Wi was caught in the center of the icy trap, his fiery eagle struggling to hold back the overwhelming cold. Fei Zhu appeared behind him in a flash, his spear poised at Dei Wi's neck.
"Yield," Fei Zhu said calmly, his voice cutting through the mist like a blade.
Dei Wi sighed, lowering his sword. "You win," he said with a small smile, raising his hands in surrender.
The arena erupted in applause and cheers as the mist began to dissipate, revealing the scene. The announcer's voice boomed, "And the winner is... Fei Zhu!"
The crowd roared, their excitement reaching a new peak. Fei Zhu stood in the center of the stage, his icy snake coiled behind him, basking in the adoration of the spectators.
"What a match!" the announcer exclaimed. "This was an absolute blast, folks! Give it up for our golden rank champion, Fei Zhu!"
The crowd's cheers echoed throughout the coliseum, but then the announcer's watch beeped. He glanced down at it, his eyes widening. "What?" he muttered before his expression shifted to one of disbelief.
Clearing his throat, he addressed the crowd, his voice tinged with excitement and curiosity. "Ladies and gentlemen, you won't believe what I'm about to say."
Yang Feng and Zhao Lei exchanged curious looks, their attention fully captured.
"For our next fight, we have a challenger... a bronze rank,and he's the fresh kind!" the announcer declared.
The crowd erupted into a mixture of laughter and ridicule. Some students scoffed, while others openly mocked the audacity of a bronze rank stepping into the arena. "Are they crazy? What are they hoping to achieve?" one student shouted, eliciting more laughter.
"Welcome our challenger, Ling Yun!" the announcer bellowed.
The laughter subsided as a lone figure stepped into the arena. Ling Yun stood tall and confident, his expression calm despite the jeers from the crowd. His new bronze uniform seemed almost out of place in the grand coliseum, but he carried himself with an air of quiet determination.
Yang Feng's eyes narrowed as he recognized the figure. "Him?" he whispered.
"You know him?" Zhao Lei asked, turning to Yang Feng with a curious expression.
Yang Feng nodded slowly. "Something like that."
The announcer approached Ling Yun, his curiosity evident. "Tell us, who do you wish to challenge?"
Ling Yun raised his hand, pointing directly at Yang Feng. "Yang Feng," he said, his voice steady but firm.
"Willing to give a rematch," he added smiling.
The entire arena turned to Yang Feng, who remained seated, his expression unreadable.
Zhao Lei looked at him in surprise.
Yang Feng smirked faintly, handing his basket of popcorn to Zhao Lei as he stood. "You're on," he said, his voice carrying just enough weight to cut through the murmurs of the crowd.
The two locked eyes from across the arena, their expressions a mixture of confidence and anticipation. The crowd, initially dismissive, began to buzz with interest.
"This will be interesting to watch," the announcer said, his tone laced with curiosity as the two combatants prepared to face off.