One by one, the battles in the round of thirty-two were concluded. Now, only the final duel of the day remained.
It was a match between Mu Rulan and Zhao Heng, both of whom had already opened their meridians. A large crowd still filled the stands, eagerly waiting for this long-anticipated clash.
In the beginning, Instructor Jianhong hadn't revealed the pairings. But after the quick battle between Ren Ming and Mo Tian, he finally made them public, and this was the duel everyone had been waiting for the most.
Mu Rulan was widely acknowledged as the second strongest female disciple after Zhao Mingyu in the current batch. Proud, direct, and fiercely competitive, she pursued the path of weapon mastery rather than elemental attributes, which was a rarity in itself.
Opposite her, Zhao Heng, a branch member of the Zhao Clan, was known for his carefree, humorous personality. He treated everyone equally, earning him popularity not only within the Martial Division but also in the other divisions, especially among the girls.
In the southern stands, many female disciples still lingered. Most of them were students from the current batch.
Suddenly, a chorus of shouts erupted as they called out a name.
"Zhao Heng!"
"I love you, Zhao Heng!"
"My dear Zhao Heng!"
A little further from the commotion, Brother Chen and Brother Guo were still seated.
Upon hearing the cries, Brother Chen's face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead. "These bitches… are they blind? Can't they see how handsome I am?" he muttered bitterly before deciding to leave the stadium.
Brother Guo nearly burst into laughter but barely managed to suppress it. Honestly, he never quite understood his friend. He knew Chen was mostly acting, but sometimes it really felt like he wasn't.
"Well, at least we made a killing in profits today," Brother Guo sighed, choosing to stay behind. He still needed to watch the battle carefully to adjust the betting odds for the coming days.
Elsewhere in the stands, Bai Tian and Wen Yu had been sitting in the same spot since morning. They left once to eat but quickly returned, as Bai Tian insisted on watching every single match.
"Who do you think will win? Both of them are formidable. I honestly can't decide," Wen Yu asked, glancing at Bai Tian. He'd noticed that Bai Tian was surprisingly good at predicting battle outcomes.
"This is probably the closest match today," Bai Tian replied thoughtfully. "Mu Rulan excels in prolonged battles, while Zhao Heng's fighting style is wild, fast, and efficient. If she can hold out long enough, Mu Rulan should win."
"I disagree," Wen Yu countered. "As carefree as he seems, Zhao Heng's a smart guy. He knows his own limits and wouldn't lose to Mu Rulan so easily. And Mu Rulan's too competitive to just defend without counterattacking."
....
In the wide arena, Mu Rulan and Zhao Heng faced each other.
Mu Rulan wore a simple, flowing azure dress. In her hands was a long spear, its tip gleaming under the sun.
Across from her, Zhao Heng stood lazily, a carefree smile on his lips. Twin swords rested in his hands, his stance loose yet unmistakably dangerous.
From the stands, cheers rose, most of them shouting Zhao Heng's name.
Mu Rulan frowned slightly, glancing at him.
He caught her gaze and gave a helpless, apologetic smile.
Instructor Zhao raised his hand and called out, "Begin!"
The instant the word fell, Zhao Heng shot forward like an arrow from a bow.
His twin swords blurred, launching an endless barrage of strikes. Sparks flew as the blades cut through the air, their edges subtly ignited with fire, leaving faint orange streaks in their wake.
Clang! Whoosh! Swish!
Mu Rulan moved gracefully, her footwork light and precise. She sidestepped, twisted, and swayed like a willow in the wind, narrowly evading each strike. Her long spear danced in her hands, sometimes blocking, sometimes deflecting, and often simply staying out of harm's way.
The battle continued in this pattern for a while. Zhao Heng's attacks were fierce and relentless, while Mu Rulan's movements remained calm, measured, and controlled. It quickly became clear to the audience that while Zhao Heng was fighting wildly, Mu Rulan was the one in control.
Frustration flickered in Zhao Heng's eyes. Gritting his teeth, a crimson flame burst to life along the length of his twin swords.
"Crimson Sword Dance!" he roared.
The blades flared with fire, his strikes growing even faster, each slash trailing searing heat. The temperature in the arena spiked as fiery arcs filled the space around Mu Rulan.
Gasps rose from the crowd.
Even senior students leaned forward, their eyes wide.
Instructor Zhao's expression turned serious.
Zhao Heng's face tightened with strain. As a Meridian Opening cultivator with only one meridian, his astral energy reserves were limited. He couldn't maintain this for long.
Just as it seemed Mu Rulan might be overwhelmed, she drew a deep breath, and suddenly, her spear split in two.
A murmur spread through the stands.
"She split her spear?!"
Holding one half in each hand, Mu Rulan's expression sharpened.
She lowered her stance and shouted, "Double Dragon Plays with Pearl!"
Her arms moved like twin dragons, the spear halves weaving intricate patterns in the air. She blocked every blazing strike, matching Zhao Heng's ferocity with impeccable timing and flawless technique.
The arena fell silent, save for the sharp clangs of colliding weapons and the roar of flames.
After a few tense breaths, Zhao Heng's fire dimmed. He staggered back, panting heavily.
Everyone thought it was over.
But then, Zhao Heng's eyes gleamed stubbornly. Gathering the last remnants of his astral energy, he raised both swords overhead.
"Fire Dragon Slash!" he bellowed.
A crimson, dragon-shaped arc of fire surged toward Mu Rulan.
Gasps erupted once more. Even Instructor Zhao's brows furrowed.
But the attack was unstable. Its shape incomplete, its energy flickering. It was clear Zhao Heng no longer had the reserves to unleash it properly.
Still, it came.
Mu Rulan crossed her twin spears before her and braced.
The fiery slash struck, dust and flame swirling around her.
When the smoke cleared, Mu Rulan stood tall, breathing heavily but unharmed.
A moment of silence lingered in the air.
Then, "Mu Rulan wins!" Instructor Zhao declared.
Applause thundered through the arena. Senior students exchanged astonished whispers.
Instructor Zhao approached Zhao Heng and patted his shoulder.
"Not bad. If you'd had enough energy to unleash that technique properly earlier, even Mu Rulan might not have escaped unscathed."
Mu Rulan walked over, a rare smile on her lips.
"Thank you for the fight. That last move was impressive. If you'd used it at the start, you might have defeated me."
Zhao Heng chuckled weakly.
"Next time, I won't hold back."
The crowd clapped even louder.
And just like that, another memorable duel was etched into the academy's history.
....
"I feel so embarrassed now… Compared to this, my fight with Lin Yue was like a circus," Wen Yu muttered weakly.
Bai Tian was also deeply impressed. The earlier fight between Mo Tian and Ren Ming had been one-sided, making this the best match of the round.
He patted Wen Yu's shoulder.
"Don't worry. Real battles won't be like this. Think about it. If Zhao Heng had used that move at the start with all his energy reserves, he might have won. Even if Mu Rulan managed to block or dodge it, she would've been seriously injured."
"Your earlier fight reflects real life. If you're not confident in winning, there's no shame in running. These kinds of flashy duels happen only in the arena."
Wen Yu knew Bai Tian was trying to console him, and it worked, even if just a little. He gave a weak smile.
"You won again, huh? In the end, Mu Rulan still won."
"Not really," Bai Tian replied. "Even before the battle, I believed Zhao Heng could only show his true strength in life-and-death battles because of his crazy fighting style. But even in a duel, it was a close one. I didn't expect him to be this strong. Who knows how powerful Zhao Mingyu is?"
"Aren't you planning to challenge her?" Wen Yu asked with a knowing, sly grin. "You'll find out just how strong your dear Mingyu is after the fight."
During his duel with Lin Yue, Wen Yu had seen Zhao Mingyu sitting next to Bai Tian. He hadn't expected his friend to be this fast and efficient, even managing to hide it from him.
Bai Tian was momentarily puzzled by Wen Yu's odd expression but quickly shook his head. Inwardly, though, he was confident. He believed he could defeat anyone in the current batch of student except Zhao Mingyu, simply because he didn't know the limits of her strength.
Before leaving for Mistveil Island, he still planned to challenge her, even if it meant losing.
After all, he firmly believed that if he could sense astral energy, no one in the current batch could defeat him. It wasn't arrogance, it was simply who he was.
And to turn that belief into reality, he was ready to work hard and endure, no matter what it took.