“What a domineering technique—like a wildfire rolling in.”

“What kind of art is that? Its power’s terrifying, like a volcano breaking its seal.”

Around the arena, disciples stared wide-eyed. Their gazes on Zhao Zhan were like seeing a demon at noon.

On Majestic Peak’s stands, System and Blue Magpie sat calm as winter ponds, eyes wandering, not a hint of worry for their Peak Lord.

“Didn’t expect Zhao Zhan to hide this deep. If not for this duel, I wouldn’t know Boundless Peak had this kind of trick up its sleeve.”

Du Fei Yu, seated with Shen Zhan Kuang, lifted his chin for another look. A blade’s gleam flashed in his eyes, battle intent kindling like sparks under dry leaves. If the stage weren’t occupied, he’d have already leapt down to clash with Zhao Zhan.

“Heh. I’ve been waiting for the moment you throw your big move.”

The fire-red sphere roared in like a charging chariot. Nana Toki stopped her flight, swung her arm, and several Amber Talismans whisked from her sleeve, streaking for Zhao Zhan’s blazing trick.

Sizzle-sizzle-sizzle—

The amber paper met the burning orb and crisped to ash in a heartbeat. Then the air seemed to freeze, like ice sealing a pond. The sphere’s terrible aura swelled toward a limit, expanding like a lung at full breath. Just as everyone braced for the explosion, the swelling halted. The vast pressure scattered like a storm breaking. That meteor-small sphere shrank like a punctured skin and vanished, straight out of a thousand shocked eyes.

“Uh…”

Boundless Peak’s disciples gaped. Their Peak Lord’s hard-forged ace had been erased by a few unknown amber slips. What on earth were those talismans?

“That’s the move you thought could beat this Peak Lord?”

On the stage, Zhao Zhan, his ultimate offset, spoke through a tight jaw. His face was dusk-dark, drained pale by spent Spirit Energy—chilling in full daylight.

“Foundation is Foundation. When you’re weaker than me, you hunt for tricks.”

“Thanks for the compliment. This isn’t child’s play, so I did my homework.” A cold line touched Nana Toki’s mouth. At some point, pale ripples of Spirit Energy spread from her like rings in a lake. “You poured a lot of Spirit Energy into that technique. Add what you burned before—can what’s left carry you to the end?”

Zhao Zhan didn’t answer. Frost in his eyes pinned Nana Toki. He knew his reserves better than anyone. What gnawed at him was how many of those strange amber talismans Azure An still had tucked away.

If she had plenty, the rest of this bout might have to be decided by pure body arts.

“What’s wrong? Playing the silent master?”

Before Zhao Zhan found a flawless plan, Nana Toki blurred forward. Her fist, brimming with Spirit Energy, drove for his face like a hammer from an ironworks. Azure An’s original manuals were mediocre—mostly street-worn internal reinforcements. These past days, Nana Toki hadn’t picked up flashy spirit techniques, only a few self-buffs. The effect was thin, but something beats nothing.

Vmmm—

In a blink, her fist-wind sliced the surrounding energy and pounced at Zhao Zhan like a hawk stooping.

“So fast!” His face changed. He launched backward, robe snapping. She’d trained body arts!

“Interesting.” On the stands, Shen Zhan Kuang watched like he’d found a clever toy. From the start, everything was in Azure An’s calculus. The head-ducking retreat and the talisman counter weren’t chaos; they forced him into a brawl, shaving down her Spirit Energy disadvantage. A neat little mind.

But after this? Body refiners are rare stars. From ancient days to now, few have climbed to the summit. Azure An’s road… you can almost see where it ends.

On the stage, the clash raged. Zhao Zhan couldn’t freely unleash techniques, and Nana Toki couldn’t crush him in an instant. The winner was still fogged. If she drained the energy shielding his defense, the result would speak itself. Zhao Zhan knew that truth. But her blows came like a spring tide, dense and relentless. Just holding his guard was a mountain on his shoulders; there was no room left to think.

He, a Golden Core first rank cultivator, was being pressed by a Foundation Establishment fifth rank body-refining woman. If this doesn’t end cleanly today, he won’t be able to lift his head before the Peak Lords of the sect.

“Hah!”

Lightning quick, Nana Toki turned her fist to a claw. Her five fingers spread, loosing five slashing bands of brutal pressure. Zhao Zhan’s guard lagged; the five lines cracked like whips. Violent energy residue lanced out, and he was rocked back more than dozens of steps.

“You’re courting death!”

Staggering to a stop, Zhao Zhan felt the insult burn like hot iron. Spirit Energy flooded both arms. In that heartbeat, he chose to cast defense to the wind for a kill-or-be-killed clash. “Azure An, you’d better pray you win. Otherwise next round, I can’t promise Tianqi Yu won’t cripple your dim-witted, handicapped sister, Nesting Phoenix.”

“Try it.” Nana Toki’s voice came cold as sleet. Killing intent surged up like a black tide. Threaten her once, fine. But dragging Nesting Phoenix into it? Zhao Zhan really thought himself someone.

She’d planned to leave him a dignified way down. Turns out, she’d been too kind.

“Die!”

Her eyes flared with hard killing will. She flipped her right hand from claw to palm, and a terrifying Spirit Energy palm print drove straight for Zhao Zhan’s chest like a falling mountain.

Crack!

In an instant, the savage imprint slammed home. The air howled, a torn banner in wind. Zhao Zhan spewed a mouthful of bright blood and reeled back several dozen steps.

“You—”

“Enjoy this one-way ticket to the Ghost Gate. You only get this chance once.”

She didn’t wait for him to speak. Her fists fell again, winter hail on a tiled roof. The cold leaking off her made disciples on the stands stiffen; not a soul shouted to stop. Elder Whitebrow at the judges’ table saw it go wrong. Nana Toki was nearly astride Zhao Zhan, pinning him, pounding like he was a human sandbag. Elder Whitebrow jolted up and called halt. “Azure An! Enough. Zhao Zhan’s lost the ability to move. Majestic Peak wins this wagered duel!”

“Reporting, Elder—this duel isn’t over. I suspect Zhao Zhan’s faking. Give me a few more exchanges. If he truly can’t handle me, he can say he concedes then.”

Elder Whitebrow: “…” Say he concedes? His face is already pulped bloody. Wait any longer and you’ll beat Zhao Zhan to death!

“Azure An! The Elder spoke. Mind your manners!”

From Boundless Peak’s stands, Tianqi Yu realized if he didn’t move now, his Peak Lord might actually be beaten to death by this woman. He vaulted down, Spirit Energy surging, and charged Nana Toki, aiming to tear Zhao Zhan out from under her hands.

However—

“Scram.”

Jarringly, as Tianqi Yu flashed in, he met the woman’s eyes. Her face was frost, lips parted, the voice a knife of cold that made the bones chill.

Tianqi Yu felt something off, wicked and sharp. He didn’t dare hold back. He went all out, Spirit Energy roaring as he lunged for Nana Toki.

Swish!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Thud—

The dull impact echoed in the Heavenly Ascent Sect’s arena for a long breath. A figure dropped from the stands. System blocked Tianqi Yu’s strike and clamped his wrist. Her expression was complicated, like rain over distant hills.

By rights, as the System, she couldn’t directly interfere with a Child of the Plane. But necessity overruled rules; Nana Toki’s and Blue Magpie’s safety stood above the law. In duty and in feeling, she could only intervene.

“Azure An, won’t you cease?”

Elder Whitebrow had leapt down by now, his face dark as thunder. First Ningyi, then Azure An—since when did Majestic Peak’s disciples grow so brazen, tossing sect rules aside?

“Why so angry, everyone? He’s not dying. Our sect has its rules—how would I dare break them?”

Nana Toki rose from Zhao Zhan’s body without sparing him a glance. A faint smile touched her lips, her eyes flat as a still lake, like she hadn’t been the one throwing those punches.

“Now I’m certain he’s truly lost the ability to move. Elder Whitebrow, shall we say Majestic Peak has won this wager?”