The arena buzzed with anticipation as Wu Rui and Wu Xuan faced each other. Both warriors stood still, their eyes locked, tension thickening the air between them. Wu Zheng sat quietly among the spectators, his gaze calm, a deep understanding flickering behind his composed facade. He knew why they fought with such ferocity—it was a struggle he'd felt once before, a battle for survival, ambition, and honor. But now, Wu Zheng simply observed, knowing they had to find their own path.
Wu Rui made the first move, his figure a blur as he dashed forward, leaving afterimages in his wake. His sword flickered with sparks as he activated Spark Blade, lightning qi enhancing his strikes. The sound of crackling electricity filled the air as he swung his sword, aiming directly at Wu Xuan's chest.
Wu Xuan anticipated the attack, his body reacting almost instinctively. He sidestepped just in time, the Frost Edge coating his sword in a layer of ice qi. Their blades met with a sharp, ringing sound, a clash of ice and lightning. The harsh clang echoed through the arena, sending shivers through the audience as the sharp contrast of frost and crackling lightning battled for dominance.
Gasping and murmurs filled the crowd, each viewer reacting differently to the intensity before them. "Unbelievable," one person whispered in awe, their eyes wide. "He's actually keeping up with Wu Rui!" Meanwhile, a young disciple shivered in his seat, eyes darting around nervously. "I can barely keep track of their movements. They're too fast!"
Wu Rui pressed harder, frustration creeping into his attacks. Sparks flew as he unleashed a barrage of strikes, each swing faster, more reckless. But Wu Xuan met him head-on, parrying each attack with precision, his frost-covered sword leaving a biting chill in the air. The contrast of lightning and ice clashing repeatedly sent cold blasts and hot sparks spiraling into the air, creating a symphony of hissing sounds.
One woman in the audience clutched her robes tightly, her face pale. "They're going to kill each other at this rate," she whispered, her voice shaking. Next to her, a man leaned forward in excitement, his eyes gleaming. "This is the fight of a lifetime! I've never seen anything like this!"
The elders exchanged tense glances, unease clear on their faces. They had felt the danger from the start, but now that the fight was escalating beyond what they had expected, regret gnawed at them. They should have stopped it before it had come to this, but now, they could only watch as the consequences unfolded.
Wu Rui gritted his teeth, pushing his frustration aside as he gathered qi at the tip of his sword. The air hummed with tension, a growing storm of power. The moment he unleashed Thunder Strike, a deafening roar of lightning erupted, crashing toward Wu Xuan like a bolt of divine punishment.
Wu Xuan barely managed to react in time. He raised his sword, summoning every bit of his qi to counter. Pain shot through him as the bolt struck his body, sending shockwaves of electric agony through his limbs. But his resolve never wavered. Gathering his energy, he retaliated with Icy Wind Slash, a gust of freezing wind slicing through the air.
The blast of cold air swept over Wu Rui, causing frost to form on his armor. His breath became visible in the icy air, muscles stiffening as the cold began to seep into his bones. A tremor of fear swept through the audience as they watched the frost spread unnaturally fast. "Is this still a duel?" someone whispered, terror evident in their voice.
But Wu Rui shook off the frost with a surge of qi, the lightning in his veins burning away the ice. He refused to fall behind. His eyes narrowed with a fierce determination as he lunged forward again, this time aiming for Wu Xuan's weak points, each strike calculated, relentless.
Both fighters were now bleeding, bruises and cuts appearing with every clash of their swords. Neither showed any sign of backing down. Wu Xuan's movements became more rigid, but his grip on his sword remained strong, his knuckles white from the pressure. He wasn't going to lose. He couldn't.
Storm Surge.
Wu Rui growled as he unleashed his next technique, his sword surrounded by a torrent of electricity. Sparks flew as he swung, the lightning cutting through the air with a sharp crack, heading straight for Wu Xuan.
Wu Xuan felt the jolt of energy hit him like a hammer. His body convulsed as the electricity coursed through his veins, but he remained on his feet, barely. With all his remaining strength, he called upon his own qi, summoning the freezing power of Frozen Blade. His sword glowed an icy blue as he swung it, a bitter cold wind swirling around him. The ground froze beneath him, frost crawling over the stone.
The audience's reactions varied—some leaned forward, barely able to breathe, mesmerized by the spectacle, while others gasped in horror. "They'll tear each other apart before this ends," a man said, his face pale. Others could only watch in silence, unable to tear their eyes away from the brutal dance unfolding in the arena.
Both fighters now moved with heavy limbs, each strike slower, but no less determined. Wu Rui's eyes blazed with fierce determination. He refused to lose, his pride driving him forward. Wu Xuan's eyes mirrored the same resolve—defeat wasn't an option.
And then, their ultimate techniques clashed.
Wu Rui's Lightning Slash tore through the air, a brilliant arc of electricity slicing toward Wu Xuan with the roar of thunder. At the same moment, Wu Xuan unleashed Glacial Impact, an icy shockwave rushing forward to meet the lightning.
The collision was catastrophic. The ground beneath them shattered, cracks spreading as lightning and ice crashed together in a blinding explosion of light and sound. The formation meant to contain their power began to splinter, unable to hold the force of their attacks.
The crowd erupted into chaos. "The formation—it's cracking!" someone screamed, their voice lost in the deafening sound of the explosion. "This is too dangerous!" Another spectator, trembling, muttered, "They'll destroy everything…"
As the dust began to settle, the audience fell into an uneasy silence. When the haze cleared, both fighters were still standing—barely. Bloodied, battered, and broken, they swayed on their feet, their bodies at the very edge of collapse.
The elders' faces were pale with regret. "We should've stopped this before it even started," one of them murmured, his voice thick with guilt. Another elder shook his head, muttering, "Fools, both of them. They'll be lucky if they survive this."
Wu Rui and Wu Xuan, despite their condition, tried to continue the fight, fists weakly swinging at each other as if they were children. But before they could collapse, the elders rushed forward, stopping them just in time.
The crowd watched, speechless, as the elders carried the two warriors toward the alchemy hall. Some were still in shock, unable to process what they had just witnessed. "I've never seen anything like this," one whispered in awe. "They fought like monsters…"
Others, trembling, turned away. "They were too close to killing each other," someone muttered, still shaken by the battle's intensity. "It was madness."
As the fighters were escorted away, the arena remained in a stunned silence, the spectators left to grapple with the aftermath of the duel that would be remembered for years to come.