Amidst the swirling dust, a figure slowly stepped out, enveloped in a conspicuous cyan flame. An unusual heat enveloped the square. The figure was almost entirely swathed in the cyan flames, and even its face was obscured. However, the hazy silhouette suggested that it was Xiao Yan. The cyan flames now were more intense and fierce than any previous display by Xiao Yan. The flames roared, and keen-eyed onlookers could see that the cyan flames had formed an extremely sturdy set of cyan flame armor over Xiao Yan’s body. Any attack would seemingly dissolve under the intense heat.
The flame-armored giant marched forward with heavy steps, emerging from the haze. The space around him seemed to twist and contort as he moved. Stunned silence fell over the audience as they witnessed the emergence of the cyan fire-armored giant. Though no one knew exactly what had happened, Xiao Yan’s aura was undeniably stronger than before. Even from a distance, the spectators could feel a wave of heat sweeping over them. They could only imagine the scorching intensity if one were to come into direct contact with the flames.
“Is this the young man’s Mysterious Flame…?” Su Qian’s eyes flashed with interest from the judges’ seat. After a moment, he muttered in astonishment, “I never expected that someone his age could control the Mysterious Flame so skillfully. It’s truly incredible.”
Though Mysterious Flames were rare, Su Qian, with his extensive knowledge, was well-versed in them. He knew how formidable and unyielding they could be. Taming a Mysterious Flame was almost impossible, and even after taming, controlling it was extremely difficult. There was always a risk of backlash. Xiao Yan’s current display showed that he had compressed the flames to an extreme, transforming them into a solid form of armor. This required a very high level of control.
Xiao Yan, at his age, had managed to do this. Su Qian had known many alchemists, but none of them could match Xiao Yan’s control over the Mysterious Flame, despite their impressive achievements. True Mysterious Flames were far more difficult to control than other flames. Moreover, these alchemists were renowned masters, while Xiao Yan was still relatively unknown.
The technique of compressing flames into armor was a high-level skill in the Alchemy Department. Most alchemists could not hope to achieve such a feat. Of course, Xiao Yan’s success was not a sudden epiphany; it was a simple principle, similar to a Great Warrior’s Battle Qi Armor. The durability of the armor depended on the user’s control and the strength of the flame. With Xiao Yan’s formidable soul power and the ferocity of the Mysterious Flame, the defense of this cyan lotus heartfire-formed armor was likely terrifying.
On the high platform, Lin Xiuyan, Liu Qing, and others watched the cyan fire-armored giant with shock. Even with their strength, they felt uneasy. The cyan flames on the armor were undoubtedly terrifying. Though they hadn’t touched it, they could sense the potential for massive trouble. Direct contact was out of the question, and even Battle Qi attacks might not be effective against such robust armor. White Cheng’s powerful “Blood Ground Eight Splits” had barely dented the armor, demonstrating its formidable defense.
With this untouchable and defensively powerful cyan fire armor, Xiao Yan’s combat ability had skyrocketed. Even Liu Qing and others struggled to find a way to counter it.
As the audience fell silent, the cyan fire-armored giant suddenly trembled, and the flames began to retract. The underlying cyan armor faded rapidly until it disappeared, revealing Xiao Yan once again. His clothes were slightly tattered, and his face was pale, but his eyes gleamed with surprise. He hadn’t expected to compress the cyan lotus heartfire into armor. The defense of the cyan fire armor exceeded his expectations, acting as an absolute defense. However, the consumption of Battle Qi and soul power to maintain the armor was substantial. At his current strength, he could only sustain it for less than five minutes. This meant the flame armor was a bottomless pit for Battle Qi and soul power.
“Still, it’s a pleasant surprise. It should be useful in critical moments,” Xiao Yan thought, a satisfied smile on his pale face. He looked at Bai Cheng, who was holding a long spear, his face ashen. Xiao Yan’s smile turned cold, and he gripped his heavy ruler tightly. He could feel Bai Cheng’s lethal intent, and though he could evade the attack with “Three Thousand Lightning Movements,” Bai Cheng’s murderous intent had chilled him to the bone.
Bai Cheng, noticing Xiao Yan’s cold expression, twitched his mouth. He gathered the remaining Battle Qi in his body, his eyes venomous and ruthless. Xiao Yan’s Battle Qi flowed rapidly through his meridians, absorbing energy from the surroundings. Despite being a middle-rank Mystic Rank, the Burning Decision absorbed energy and generated Battle Qi faster than even high-rank Mystic Rank techniques. Combined with the refinement of the cyan lotus heartfire, Xiao Yan’s Battle Qi recovery speed was unmatched among his peers.
As the two faced off, the atmosphere grew tense and confrontational. A low growl rumbled from Bai Cheng’s throat, his eyes bloodshot. He gripped his long spear, and with a slight lean, he slammed his hand onto the shaft. The blood-red spear shot like a crimson streak, piercing the air with a sharp whistle, aiming directly at Xiao Yan’s head!
The spear rapidly approached Xiao Yan’s eyes, and just as it was about to enter his ten-meter range, Xiao Yan stomped the ground. A deep-colored cyan flame shot from his fingertips. The cyan flame wasn’t fast, but its power was shocking. The moment the spear tip touched the flame, it melted into iron water, leaving small craters on the floor.
The spear tip, then the shaft, and finally the handle all melted, transforming the entire spear into a pool of iron water. This sight chilled many to the bone, imagining what would happen if the flame hit a person.
Bai Cheng, seeing the spear melt within three meters of Xiao Yan’s face, staggered. All his techniques were exhausted, yet the brute opposite him remained standing. His icy, murderous gaze sent shivers down Bai Cheng’s spine. Realizing Xiao Yan’s intent to kill, Bai Cheng tried to raise his hand to surrender.
But as Bai Cheng moved, Xiao Yan lightly stomped the ground, and a low thunderclap echoed. A black figure appeared in front of Bai Cheng. “Since you want to kill me, I’ll return the favor,” Xiao Yan sneered, his face twisted and demonic.
His body hovering slightly, Xiao Yan spun in the air, his clenched fist delivering a devastating blow with a sonic boom. “Eight Extremes Collapse!”
The cold command froze Bai Cheng. As the fierce energy in Xiao Yan’s fist expanded, a muffled thud echoed. The audience watched in horror as Bai Cheng, like a sandbag, skidded across the hard floor, leaving a trail of dozens of meters, before crashing into a wall, his fate unknown.
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