Chapter 64- Something dangerous awakens (3)
The atmosphere within the Ascension Arena pulsed with a mix of awe and anticipation. Thousands of cultivators filled the floating stands, their spiritual awareness locked on the next battle. Whispers spread like wildfire as the next contestant stepped onto the battlefield: Ignis of the Blazing Phoenix Sect.
"That's him... the Flame Sovereign Prodigy."
"He hasn't used his full power once since the tournament started."
Jin, standing at the edge of the arena with Lyra and Gorr, narrowed his deep blue eyes as he watched Ignis step forward, his crimson robes flickering like fire in the wind. Jin had heard of Ignis, a dual-element wielder with mastery over Fire and Wind—a rare and deadly combination. Thus far, all of Ignis's opponents had surrendered before the first blow. But today was different.
A cultivator from the Howling Storm Sect stepped out onto the other side of the arena. He wore a slate-blue robe streaked with white symbols, his silver hair tied back tightly. His name was Riven, a mid-stage Adept Realm cultivator known for his precise wind control and iron discipline.
Jin folded his arms, curious. "This should be interesting."
The bell rang, and in a flash, Ignis was gone.
A swirl of flame burst forward like a comet, arcing toward Riven with a roar. But Riven spun to the side, a spiraling burst of wind deflecting the inferno in a circular gust. He danced back, never planting his feet, maintaining a constant motion. His response was elegant—a stream of razor-sharp wind blades twirling like leaves in a cyclone.
Ignis twirled midair, his feet grazing the ground as a ring of fire erupted beneath him, vaporizing the wind blades. He landed smoothly, then thrust both palms forward. Twin phoenixes made of molten flame burst outward, screeching as they homed in on Riven.
Jin's eyes glinted. "Those are real flame spirits. He's fused his elemental will into them."
Riven didn't falter. He raised both arms, and a dome of compressed air formed instantly, shaped like a conch shell. The phoenixes collided with the shield, exploding with radiant force. The entire platform trembled, yet when the smoke cleared, Riven remained inside his defensive cocoon, untouched.
But Ignis wasn't done. He stomped down, causing a rippling wave of flame to flow outward across the field like a lava tide. Simultaneously, he raised his hand and formed a fire spear wrapped in wind, then hurled it with terrifying speed.
Riven narrowed his gaze, exhaled, and raised both hands to summon a gale wall. The spear slammed into it with a thunderclap, but the wind shield buckled, then shattered, knocking Riven back.
He skidded to a halt, his boots carving grooves into the arena. The crowd gasped, but Riven was smiling.
With a snap of his fingers, the skies above the arena grew dark. Cloud wisps coiled into a hurricane that suddenly centered above Ignis.
"He's trying to suffocate the flame with high-pressure winds," Lyra whispered.
A barrage of micro-slicing gusts spiraled toward Ignis like needles. But instead of dodging, Ignis lifted both hands and drew in a deep breath. His body glowed red, then gold. The winds scorched his clothes but didn't pierce the blazing aura that formed around him.
Then, Ignis clapped once.
From the center of his chest, a lotus of fire bloomed. The petals spread wide, each a layer of condensed flame. It spun in place, generating a vortex of burning wind that met Riven's hurricane head-on.
The resulting clash shook the skies.
Jin took a step back instinctively. The pressure was immense, and this wasn't even a fight at the Peak of Adept Realm. It was finesse, not brute force, that made it spectacular.
Riven launched forward, his body cloaked in wind. With a twist, he fired off six cutting arcs, all converging toward Ignis. Ignis countered by dispersing them with fiery gusts from his sleeves, then met Riven mid-air, their fists clashing in a shockwave that cracked the very arena platform beneath them.
The tempo escalated. Each strike was matched by an elemental counter—flame and wind dancing in a volatile ballet. Riven rotated mid-air, kicking at Ignis with spiraling wind talons. Ignis parried with flaming limbs, blocking and responding with blazing kicks of his own.
After over a hundred exchanges in less than a minute, both fighters slid apart.
Breathing heavy, Riven smirked. "I see now why they call you the Phoenix Heir."
Ignis grinned. "And you? Worth every second. But I'm done holding back."
He extended his arms to the sides, and a fiery sigil blazed to life behind him. His wind element surged, turning the fire into a burning tornado.
Riven didn't retreat. He pulled all his wind essence inward, concentrating it into a sword-shaped construct of compressed gales.
The crowd held its breath.
Then came the clash. Ignis's blazing twister met Riven's sword of wind in a monumental crash that warped the very space around them. A pulse of raw energy exploded outward, shaking the floating arena stands and causing several weaker cultivators to stumble.
When the dust settled, Riven was kneeling, his clothes in tatters, his essence drained.
Ignis stood tall, surrounded by flickers of residual flame. He bowed respectfully.
The arena exploded into cheers.
Jin nodded thoughtfully. "That was a fight worth watching."
Gorr yawned. "Took them long enough."
Lyra smiled. "Even you were impressed."
The tournament continued, but all eyes now looked forward to one thing:
Jin's next match.