Chapter 319: Final Phase (9)

The sun was already high in the sky, shining brilliantly over the floating city.

The Central Plateau was more crowded than ever. Cultivators from all domains had gathered to witness the semifinals. The floating wooden stands creaked under the weight of the crowd. Even the farthest branches of the giant trees were occupied by spectators who didn’t want to miss a single moment.

The four finalists stood at the center of the arena, beneath the imposing shadow of the great ancestral tree.

Kyrian, of the Verdant Sword. Huo Ling, of the Flaming Sword. Mu Qing, of the Ancient Forest. Yin Xue, of the Shadow Valley.

Four youths. Four styles. Four talents.

The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect raised his hand, and silence took over the plateau.

“The moment everyone has been waiting for has arrived. The semifinals of the Gathering of Domains. The rules are simple. Win and advance. Whoever is thrown out of the arena or can no longer fight will lose.”

He raised his right hand, and four golden leaves floated down from the great ancestral tree, gently spinning in the air before drifting toward each competitor.

Kyrian caught his. He looked at the number engraved in gold. Number 2.

Beside him, Mu Qing held a leaf with the same number. Their eyes met. The disciple of the Ancient Forest gave a slight nod, a gesture of respect.

Huo Ling raised his leaf. Number 1. Yin Xue, also number 1.

The match list appeared in the sky, formed by bright golden characters.

First semifinal match. Huo Ling (Flaming Sword) vs. Yin Xue (Shadow Valley).

Second semifinal match. Kyrian (Verdant Sword) vs. Mu Qing (Ancient Forest).

Immediately, murmurs arose across the stands.

“Fire Qi against shadow Qi! This one’s going to be good!”

“Yin Xue is terrifying. He drained Mo Sun’s Qi like it was nothing.”

“But Huo Ling placed second in the first phase. Aside from Kyrian, he’s clearly the strongest in this competition. He won’t go down easily.”

“Can shadow extinguish fire? Or will fire illuminate the darkness?” a young man commented with a grin.

“Very philosophical for just a fight, friend,” another replied, shaking his head.

“And the second match? Kyrian versus Mu Qing…”

“Mu Qing is strong. He defeated the Verdant Sword disciple yesterday.”

“But Kyrian is Kyrian. The guy has won every fight so far with just a few glances.”

“Three glances against Huo Jiao.”

“I don’t know… but Mu Qing has the advantage of wood. Wood can better resist cuts. Maybe we’ll see Kyrian fight differently.”

“Resist Kyrian’s eyes? I doubt it.”

“We’ll see. We’ll see.”

The buzz continued for several minutes, until the Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect raised his hand again.

“Silence!”

The plateau quieted.

“The participants of the first match, step onto the arena.”

Huo Ling walked to the center with firm steps, his flaming sword already in hand. The dark-red blade glowed faintly, like slumbering embers.

Yin Xue glided into the arena like a living shadow. His feet barely seemed to touch the ground. His black and gray robe seemed to absorb the light around it, and his coal-black eyes did not blink.

The Leader of the Ancient Forest positioned himself between them. He himself would be the judge of that fight.

“You know the rules. No external treasures. No pills. Only your own strength. When I give the signal, begin.”

He raised his hand.

“You may begin!”

Silence exploded into action.

Huo Ling did not hesitate. His sword cut through the air in a flaming arc, sending a wave of fire toward Yin Xue. The heat was so intense that the air warped around the blade.

Yin Xue vanished.

The wave of fire passed through the empty space where he had been an instant before, striking the arena floor and leaving a scorched mark on the protective runes.

Huo Ling spun quickly, his sword tracing a circle of flames around him.

“Hiding won’t help!”

Yin Xue reappeared behind him, his pale hands extended like claws. A dark mist wrapped around his fingers, the Devouring Shadow technique that had drained Mo Sun’s Qi the day before.

Huo Ling felt the cold touch on his back and reacted instantly. An explosion of fire burst from his body, a defensive technique that burned the air around him.

Yin Xue retreated, the ends of his sleeves singed. For the first time, his impassive expression shifted slightly. A spark of surprise.

“My fire burns even shadows,” Huo Ling said, turning to face his opponent.

“You won’t drain me like you did the other.”

Yin Xue did not respond. He simply bowed his head slightly and vanished again, but this time, it wasn’t just a disappearance.

Multiple shadows emerged around the arena. Five. Ten. Twenty. Each one in Yin Xue’s form, each extending dark hands toward Huo Ling.

“Multiple Shadow Technique,” someone murmured in the stands.

“But far more advanced than the one Luo Hei used.”

Huo Ling narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t just unleash fire in all directions, that would consume too much Qi.

Instead, he closed his eyes.

The crowd murmured, confused.

“He closed his eyes? Now?”

“Madness! Yin Xue will take advantage!”

But Huo Ling wasn’t giving up. He was sensing.

Fire was not just sight. It was heat. It was energy. It was life.

The shadows had no heat. Only one of them did.

Huo Ling opened his eyes and swung his sword toward a specific point in the arena, a point that was empty, where there was no shadow at all.

“Found you.”

The flaming blade cut through the air. At that exact moment, Yin Xue was forced to materialize, his shadow technique broken by the precise strike.

The shock in Yin Xue’s eyes was evident.

“How…?”

Huo Ling did not answer.

He advanced. His sword danced like a living flame, each strike faster than the last. Yin Xue retreated, dodged, and used his dark mist to cushion the impacts, but Huo Ling’s fire was relentless.

The disciple of the Shadowed Valley tried to counterattack. His dark hands moved in a complex pattern, and a wave of darkness expanded from him, swallowing the surrounding light.

“Shadow Void Technique!”

Darkness enveloped Huo Ling. For a moment, he could see nothing. Feel nothing. It was as if he had fallen into a bottomless pit.

The crowd held its breath.

But then, a light.

A red point at the center of the darkness. Then another. Then ten.

Huo Ling raised his sword above his head, and a bird of fire emerged from the blade, not an ordinary bird, but a blazing creature so bright it seemed like a second sun.

“Supreme Technique of the Flaming Sword. Celestial Bird!”

The phoenix burst outward, burning through the darkness like paper. Yin Xue was struck head-on by the shockwave and overwhelming heat. His body was hurled backward, crossing the arena’s boundary and crashing heavily onto the plateau floor.

His robe was burned in several places. Blood trickled from his lips. But he was still conscious, just unable to continue.

The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect raised his hand.

“Huo Ling wins! Advances to the final!”

The plateau erupted in applause and shouts.

“What a fight!”

“Fire really defeated shadow!”

“Huo Ling is a monster!”

“But Yin Xue fought well… very well…”

Huo Ling stepped down from the arena with heavy strides. He was breathing hard, his shoulders rising and falling quickly. That fight had consumed a great deal of his Qi.

Now, only one fight remained before the final.

Kyrian versus Mu Qing.

Silence once again took over the plateau as the two warriors prepared to step onto the arena.

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