Close combat magic is a type of magic that mages must use when forced into hand-to-hand combat, and everyone knows this. However, using close combat magic to slice through a formal attack magic is indeed a spectacular sight.
The audience was astonished, but only Chongyang understood the full implications.
Close combat… Most mages regard it as insignificant, and even if they do learn it, they merely do so half-heartedly. For Zhuoyang, who has fought against beasts on the border, it is a life-saving skill that must be mastered.
Against the tall and powerful beastmen, even the strongest human warriors cannot compete. As a mage, if a beast gets within a few meters, the only magic that can protect their life or even eliminate the beast is close combat magic. Mages are not warriors, but close combat magic allows them to unleash power tenfold or a hundredfold compared to that of a warrior.
The Liyang army places great importance on the mastery of close combat magic among mages, and Zhuoyang has killed countless beast warriors using this very magic. One mistake could lead to losing one's head! Now, using the Lightning Slash to cleave a Wind Elemental Eagle is quite simple.
Moreover, this is all happening after Zhuoyang has consumed a body enhancement potion.
"Scythe Wind Blade!"
Dao Ensi cast another spell, this time a fifth-level magic, creating a massive wind blade that stretched two meters long and shot toward Zhuoyang.
Should he use a defensive spell this time? Or resist as he did before with close combat magic? Some members of the audience were beginning to realize that this country bumpkin, whom they had ridiculed, was employing a combat style quite different from that of the formal, scholarly mages of the capital.
What shocked them further was that Zhuoyang remained unfazed, pulling out another potion and drinking it, disregarding the rapidly approaching massive wind blade.
Just when everyone thought the wind blade would slice Zhuoyang in half, he finished the potion, tossed the bottle aside, and leaped into the air, easily jumping nearly two meters high, allowing the giant wind blade to fly beneath him.
A deathly silence fell over the arena.
"Are you enjoying yourself? Now it's my turn." Zhuoyang smirked coldly, raising his staff and beginning to chant a spell directed at Dao Ensi.
"Whirlwind Storm!" "Spiral Cross Wind Blade!" Dao Ensi did not pause, continuously casting two fifth-level spells that conjured towering whirlwinds and two cross-shaped, rotating wind blades, charging toward Zhuoyang from both front and back.
The audience gasped in awe. These two wind-based spells were well-known combination attacks. The "Whirlwind Storm" would first obstruct the enemy's movements, while the "Spiral Cross Wind Blade" would shred the trapped foe into pieces!
However, as Zhuoyang chanted his incantation, his powerful legs, enhanced by the body strengthening potion, propelled him into motion with astonishing speed, racing along the edge of the arena.
"This…" As he saw his opponent gradually escape the attack range at an unbelievable speed, Dao Ensi was filled with horror.
The Whirlwind Storm ultimately fell a moment short, barely brushing past Zhuoyang, causing only the sound of his robes to billow in the wind. The following Spiral Wind Blade didn't even touch the hem of Zhuoyang's robe.
What was even more astounding was that while Zhuoyang was sprinting to evade, he continued to chant his spell. With the fluid movements of his staff, he smoothly formed matching magical seals and finally aimed at Dao Ensi, unleashing a spell of tremendous power!
"Dragon of Thunderstorm!"
A seventh-level intermediate thunder-type magic! A dragon-shaped lightning entity composed of purple lightning descended from the sky, bearing down on Dao Ensi with claws bared!
In that instant, Dao Ensi realized he needed to dodge, but his feet felt paralyzed with fear. He could only instinctively cast a momentary defensive spell in front of him, but how could a mere fifth-level defense withstand a powerful seventh-level thunder magic known for its strength!?
Boom!
The sight of the Dragon of Thunderstorm hitting its target and exploding was truly spectacular; under the bright day, the purple lightning flickered like countless poisonous snakes, dazzling to the point where it was nearly impossible to keep one's eyes open.
"Beautiful!" Zhuoyang sighed. He wasn't praising himself but rather acknowledging his brother Chongyang's foresight. If it weren't for the body strengthening potion allowing him to narrowly evade that instant combination of spells, and if it weren't for the mana-enhancing potion enabling him to chant and cast spells smoothly while running, the battle wouldn't have concluded so swiftly.
The opponent barely managed to cast a momentary defense, but it was of no use against the Dragon of Thunderstorm.
As the purple lightning dissipated, the audience indeed saw Dao Ensi sprawled on the ground at the edge of the arena, looking as though he had already lost consciousness…
Chongyang observed carefully and noticed that Dao Ensi's robe showed little signs of damage!
"Ten, nine, eight, seven…" The referee's voice was flat as he began the countdown, and when he reached "four," Dao Ensi stood up again, grabbing his staff and returning to the arena.
"What… that robe…" Zhuoyang was taken aback.
"It's a high-quality item; I overlooked this point," Chongyang frowned slightly.
Magic equipment, compared to potions and scrolls, was not his area of expertise. Initially, he could only confirm that the staff and robe Dao Ensi wore were within the limits defined by the duel rules.
Magic equipment, if categorized as gear, is primarily divided into five tiers based on magical power: Basic, Domain, Essence, Saint Spirit, and Legendary, with each tier further divided into low, medium, and high grades. Generally speaking, most people can only obtain low-grade items, while the powerful can acquire medium-grade ones; high-grade items are typically rare.
Zhuoyang and Chongyang, along with the majority of the spectators, instinctively thought Dao Ensi's robe should be of medium quality, but they never expected it to be high-quality, which had absorbed the impact of such a terrifying seventh-level magical attack.
However, relying on equipment was not considered honorable in this context. Thus, Dao Ensi's expression did not show pride; instead, a hint of self-satisfaction flickered in his gaze as he looked at Zhuoyang.
Chongyang frowned deeply, realizing that the existence of that robe meant even a seventh-level intermediate spell couldn't take him down… There was only one option. With a quick thought, he leaped forward, charging at Dao Ensi.
"Lightning Staff Strike!" Zhuoyang shouted, raising his staff, which began to shimmer with layers of purple light, transforming from a tool for connecting elements into a powerful weapon imbued with lethal intent!
That's it. Chongyang nodded internally; since offensive spells had difficulty affecting him, all he needed to do was engage in close combat and knock him out.
The spectators gasped, and Dao Ensi's expression changed as he hurriedly attempted to flee and retaliate with magic.
However, his speed was like a turtle compared to Zhuoyang's swift movements, and his instant-cast spells were evaded or countered by Zhuoyang's Lightning Staff with great skill!
As long as Zhuoyang caught up to Dao Ensi, the outcome would be determined.
In the arena, one person was frantically fleeing while unleashing spells, and the other charged forward with unstoppable momentum, the contrasting energies between them were striking. Chongyang glanced at Miss Fuli Lian and saw her beautiful eyes firmly locked onto Zhuoyang, who was recklessly charging at his opponent, her gaze fixated on him alone.
"Don't think you can run anymore!" Zhuoyang surged forward, although he had skillfully dodged and defended, he had taken some damage—his robe was torn and stained with blood, a trickle of blood flowed from his forehead. Yet, he seemed oblivious to the pain, focused solely on defeating his enemy, resembling a tiger descending the mountain.
As Zhuoyang's staff was about to reach Dao Ensi, a look of panic on Dao Ensi's face suddenly twisted into a cruel and vicious grin.
Is it a trap!? Chongyang felt a chill run down his spine, and Zhuoyang froze for a moment as well.
"Windflower Dance Formation!" Dao Ensi shouted. With a flick of his left hand that had been concealed in his robe, a violent green light burst forth from his body, shooting up into the sky along his staff, then exploding into sparks, showering down countless green lights.
"Fall back!" Chongyang nearly shouted a warning, but before he could utter a word, Zhuoyang instinctively turned and quickly distanced himself from Dao Ensi and the green light surrounding him. Chongyang swallowed the warning he almost shouted.
Bang!
As the numerous green lights fell, a circular green magic array with a diameter of about five meters suddenly appeared on the ground, centered around Dao Ensi. The intricate and beautiful design of the array glimmered, and soon after, the green light seemed to freeze in the air before bursting into countless petals that began to spin rapidly around Dao Ensi.
Whoosh…
Zhuoyang, who had barely taken a few steps away, was lifted by the raging wind, and many tiny wind blades struck his back in succession, penetrating his robe and causing intense pain.
"Howling Wind Guard!" Zhuoyang gritted his teeth and activated the fifth-level wind-based defense spell that Chongyang had carefully prepared for him. Instantly, a swirling green storm surrounded him, blocking the wind blades and propelling him away.
Chongyang breathed a sigh of relief. The wind-based magic scroll prepared for emergencies was proving to be invaluable.
The "Howling Wind Guard" spell not only provided the usual protective effects against wind-based magic attacks but also had a repulsion effect, allowing the caster to evade and distance themselves from danger.
With both defense and evasion… this saved Zhuoyang's life. Otherwise, the barrage of wind blades from Dao Ensi's instant-cast magic array would have caused him significant harm.
Zhuoyang landed some distance away, gritting his teeth as he looked back at Dao Ensi, his anger directed at the large magical array surrounding Dao Ensi that combined both offense and defense.
Dao Ensi, surprised that Zhuoyang had dodged this deadly attack, showed unmasked satisfaction and malice on his face in response to Zhuoyang's anger.
"So those three high-level fifth-grade magic scrolls are carrying this magic array spell?" Chongyang glared coldly at Dao Ensi.
The study of magic arrays is a fundamental aspect of the magical world, with extensive applications across various fields such as potions, scrolls, and spellcasting. A wizard proficient in magic arrays can combine a series of low-level spells to create effects that rival high-level magic. For example, Dao Ensi's two consecutively cast combination spells earlier were a basic application of this theory.
Chongyang had also spent time studying magic arrays, but as a third-level wizard, the combination magic arrays available to him were extremely limited, so he had not achieved significant results. However, with a higher level, it would be different; for instance, several combined fifth-level magic arrays could potentially rival seventh-level magic.
Three fifth-level high-tier scrolls, carrying three fifth-level wind magic spells, culminating in this formidable magic array spell, "Windflower Dance Formation," which could rival seventh-level high-tier magic… Dao Ensi himself was nothing, but the power behind him should not be underestimated.
"Lightning Dragon!" Zhuoyang recited the incantation. Meanwhile, the now-revealed Dao Ensi sneered disdainfully, raised his staff, and began to chant as well.
"My movements will definitely be faster than his, but…" Zhuoyang had a bad feeling, so he chanted while moving quickly along the edge of the arena to evade. Dao Ensi, however, stood boldly in place.
Boom!
Another Lightning Dragon charged toward Dao Ensi. After a flurry of purple lightning, it seemed that the petals of the Windflower Dance Formation diminished somewhat, but Dao Ensi at the center remained unscathed.
The signs of bullying were becoming increasingly evident!
With high-grade robes, high-level magical array defense spells, and the two confiscated bottles of high-grade illegal potions… this guy truly embodied the word shameless.
"Hmph, and what if I'm shameless? I didn't want this either; you're the one forcing my hand..." Dao Ensi said with a smug expression, but when his eyes caught a glimpse of the disdainful look from Feili Lian, anger welled up inside him.
From the very beginning, his dark heart had harbored murderous intent. Now, that intent had intensified. He faintly understood that if he couldn't kill this northern bumpkin here, he might never regain his status in the beauty's heart.