Chapter 245: Cloud Empire (65)

Han Xue took a deep breath at the edge of the arena.

The heat around him began to concentrate once again. It was no longer a chaotic expansion of flames. It was an accumulation of controlled heat. Everything that remained of his Qi was being gathered.

A large fireball appeared above his right hand.

Unlike the previous ones, that sphere was dense to the point of seeming almost solid. The surface blazed in overlapping layers, like magma compressed under absurd pressure. The air around it rippled violently.

With his left hand, Han Xue struck the sphere itself. The fireball exploded. But it did not dissipate.

It expanded and reshaped, obeying his will. The flames stretched, curved, and assumed a new form.

A gigantic bow of fire appeared in his hand. Much larger than the previous one.

The ends were like flaming fangs. The string burned like an incandescent thread that seemed to cut through space itself. Han Xue grasped the bowstring.

An immense amount of Qi was released from his body. The edges of his robes began to burn. The stones of the arena beneath his feet turned red.

Then the arrow began to form. It was not merely an arrow. It was a dragon.

The elongated body took shape in compressed fire. Scales of flame vibrated along its length. The head formed, with its jaw open and incandescent fangs.

A muffled roar echoed as the technique stabilized. The temperature of the arena rose drastically. Even behind the barriers, many spectators began to sweat. Some widened their eyes.

“That scale…”

“He’s putting all his Qi into this…”

“How is Kyrian going to defend against that?”

Han Xue maintained the stance for five long seconds. His arm trembled. Veins bulged on his forehead. He was draining every remaining drop of Qi.

Then he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the entire Coliseum.

“Blazing Bow Technique: Flaming Dragon!”

The arrow was released.

The fire dragon crossed the arena like a living calamity, evaporating the air in its path. The ground below began to crack.

Kyrian did not retreat.

A small smile, almost imperceptible, appeared at the corner of his lips. His two eyes shone intensely. The snowflakes in his pupils began to spin.

The icy intent was fully released. It was no longer a subtle pressure. It was absolute dominion.

An immense amount of ice Qi exploded from within his two dantians. For the first time, he held nothing back. In front of him, a giant formation of ice emerged.

Crystalline runes connected instantly. Layer upon layer of ice formed, stacking like infinite walls. The structure advanced, growing as it projected toward the fire dragon.

The impact then happened.

The dragon collided with the formation. A deafening explosion echoed. Steam rose in violent columns.

The fire tried. It tried to melt, tried to pierce the ice. The flaming scales crashed against the layers of ice, melting some and cracking others. But the formation did not stop growing. More ice emerged. More Qi was released.

This was, without a doubt, the moment Kyrian spent the most Qi at once. The ice seemed endless. The dragon quickly began to lose form.

The flaming head deformed. The body began to shorten. The flames lost intensity.

And then… the fire was completely suppressed by the ice.

Steam covered the arena for a few seconds before slowly dissipating.

Han Xue was panting. His body trembled slightly. He had used practically all of his Qi.

On the other side, Kyrian remained standing. He breathed in a controlled manner. His eyes still shone faintly. But Kyrian knew that he would also need to rest after this fight, for he had used a great amount of Qi.

He looked at Han Xue with a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

Han Xue understood. He had lost.

He raised his hand and spoke loudly enough for Tian and the spectators to hear.

“I surrender.”

The silence lasted only a second. Then the crowd exploded.

Shouts, applause, exclamations. That had undoubtedly been the greatest display of strength so far in the Coliseum. Many were on their feet. Others argued excitedly.

The fight had seemed balanced. To those watching, it had seemed that either one could have won.

Kyrian merely nodded slightly and left the arena satisfied, it had definitely been an interesting fight for him.

He collected his spiritual stones from the victory. And, without hesitation, immediately declared a new challenge.

He challenged rank 37 of the Coliseum.

His name rose once more on the golden panel, shining above the arena.

When he returned to the stands, Bai Zhu let out a heavy sigh.

“You really do seem like a monster… just like they’re saying.”

Kyrian did not respond. He remained silent.

Time passed quickly. Other battles took place. But the audience still talked about the fire dragon being frozen.

When the final fight of the day finally arrived, Tian announced,

“Next and final challenge of the day. Kyrian, rank 45 of the Coliseum, versus Wei Jian, rank 37 of the Coliseum.”

Kyrian descended calmly.

On the other side, a middle-aged man appeared. He limped slightly.

As soon as he reached the center of the arena, he raised his arm.

“I surrender.”

Silence fell over the Coliseum.

“What?”

“He just surrendered?”

“Without even trying?”

“Is he afraid of Kyrian?”

Voices immediately rose.

The man’s expression soured. He wanted to retort but restrained himself. He was injured in a previous battle. Facing that aberration in that state would be foolish.

Kyrian also noticed that the man was not in very good condition.

Tian then declared Kyrian the victor. He rose to rank 37 without even fighting.

But even so, rumors were already beginning to spread. Even a cultivator at the sixth stage of the Core Formation Realm had retreated before him.

The Coliseum closed shortly after. The crowd departed slowly, still discussing the battles of the day.

Kyrian and Bai Zhu left the place.

This time, they did not stop at any restaurant. They ate at the inn where they were staying.

The night was peaceful. They went to sleep early. The next day, the Coliseum would open again. And Kyrian’s climb would continue.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep