The crowd, still buzzing from Feng Hao's savage display, now turned its attention to the next battle. This one promised to be just as intense, if not more so. The proctor called out the names: Jiăn Lí of Crimson Spire Academy versus Mù Yǒng of Azure Crest Institute.
Jiăn Lí strode into the arena with an air of nonchalance, but there was a fire in his eyes that told a different story. He was tall and wiry, with a frame that belied his strength. His short-cropped Maroon hair framed a face that was perpetually set in a look of mild irritation, like he couldn't be bothered with anyone else's nonsense. His eyes, a striking shade of amber, gleamed with a mix of boredom and simmering aggression. The aura of his Dawnlight Simplicity pulsed around him like a heartbeat, a warm, golden light that seemed almost gentle—until you saw the cold, unyielding expression behind it. He cracked his neck as he sized up his opponent, and for a moment, the crowd caught a glimpse of a predatory grin. Jiăn Lí wasn't here for any drawn-out spectacle—he was here to end this, quickly.
Across from him, Mù Yǒng walked in with a calm, almost serene demeanor. His medium-length hair, a dark shade of Mulberry, framed his sharp features, while his Honey gold eyes carried an unsettling depth, as if he was always looking past the present moment. The aura of Eternal Vision shimmered subtly in his gaze, rippling like water disturbed by a gentle breeze. He was lean but toned, built like a runner, with the look of someone who could disappear into the shadows one moment and strike like lightning the next. When he activated his power, the faint glow in his pupils took on the shape of a timeless eye, and a halo of ethereal light circled around his eyes, adding an air of mystery to his presence.
The proctor signaled the start, and Mù Yǒng's expression shifted slightly as his Eternal Vision flared to life. His eyes gleamed with that silvery-blue light, searching through possible outcomes of the fight, glimpsing into potential moves. He took a defensive stance, preparing for whatever Jiăn Lí might throw at him.
But Jiăn Lí didn't give him the luxury of time. He exploded forward like a bullet, his movements sharp and brutal, without a single ounce of hesitation. Mù Yǒng barely had a chance to react before Jiăn Lí was in his face, delivering a vicious elbow to his jaw. The impact sent a shockwave through Mù Yǒng's body, staggering him backward.
"You think you've got time to stand around and daydream?" Jiăn Lí sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. He followed up with a powerful kick to Mù Yǒng's ribs, the crack of bone audible as the blow lifted Mù Yǒng off his feet and sent him crashing to the ground.
Mù Yǒng's vision blurred from the pain, but he forced himself to focus, trying to catch a glimpse of a future where he could turn this around. But Jiăn Lí wasn't about to give him any room to breathe. He was on Mù Yǒng before he could even attempt to get up, grabbing him by the front of his collar and dragging him back to his feet. Jiăn Lí's amber eyes flashed with irritation as he slammed a knee into Mù Yǒng's gut, driving the air out of his lungs in a pained wheeze.
"Pathetic. Using fire on you won't be necessary," Jiăn Lí spat, his tone filled with disdain. He didn't even bother to use his element to finish the job—his fists were more than enough. He threw Mù Yǒng back to the ground, then delivered a brutal stomp to his back, pinning him down. The crowd winced at the sickening sound of the impact, but Jiăn Lí didn't care. He was done playing around, and he was done being hungry. His stomach growled audibly, only further souring his mood.
Mù Yǒng gritted his teeth, pain shooting through his body. His Eternal Vision flickered as he tried to muster one last glimpse into a possible counterattack, but the constant, relentless pain shattered his focus. Jiăn Lí noticed this and let out a cruel laugh.
"What's the matter? Vision a little blurry? Maybe you should've seen this coming," Jiăn Lí mocked, his foot grinding into Mù Yǒng's spine. He knelt down, getting right in Mù Yǒng's ear. "Next time, keep your head out of the clouds."
With that, he delivered a savage punch to the side of Mù Yǒng's face, driving his head into the arena floor. Blood spattered across the ground, and Mù Yǒng's eyes rolled back from the sheer force of the blow. His body went limp, the light of his Eternal Vision fading from his eyes as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Jiăn Lí straightened up, looking down at Mù Yǒng's crumpled form with a dismissive snort. He dusted off his hands, as if he had just taken out the trash, then turned to the proctor with a look of thinly veiled impatience. "Hurry up and call it, I'm starving," he snapped.
The proctor, barely able to hide his own shock, quickly announced, "Winner: Jiăn Lí of Crimson Spire Academy."
Jiăn Lí rolled his eyes at the formality and walked off without a backward glance, his Dawnlight Simplicity fading from view. The soft glow of dawnlight around him retreated, leaving only the raw brutality of his actions to linger in the minds of the onlookers. He left the arena without a second thought for Mù Yǒng, whose broken form remained on the ground, the price of underestimating a fighter with zero patience and even less mercy and that's when Xuan Jing's eyes fluttered opened...