The look in the old man's eyes told Chen Guan one thing: this was someone spoiling for a fight.
Hai Bodong ceased his idle chatter and leapt from behind the counter. Mist swirled rapidly around him, and an ice-blue fighting spirit manifested, centering on his form.
Chen Guan's heart leapt with excitement. He put away the map, and a broadsword materialized in his hand. Unlike a longsword, the broadsword was heavier and better suited for wide, sweeping attacks.
At the same time, he noticed the mist in the room had a strange effect—it disoriented those within, causing them to lose their sense of direction.
An interesting tactic. But it had no effect on him.
The naked eye could be deceived, but the soul's perception, brushing close to the spiritual realm, was far more reliable.
A Dou Qi armor condensed over Chen Guan's body, dark blue flames flowing along his meridians and evaporating all moisture within three feet.
"Junior Chen Guan," he announced, "I would like to ask for your guidance, sir."
"A three-star Dou Shi who can condense a full-body Dou Qi armor," Hai Bodong grunted, eyes narrowing. "You truly surprise me. But if you think you can take away what I've worked so hard for so easily, you are dreaming!"
Hai Bodong advanced step by step. When he raised his hand, dozens of cold, white ice spikes shot forth—Dou Qi condensations only achievable by a Dou Ling. Their lethality was considerable, making them perfect for testing an opponent.
Chen Guan met the incoming ice spikes without fear. He launched a frontal counterattack, wielding his broadsword in one hand. Simultaneously, dark blue flames ignited in his left palm, swelling against the wind. The intense heat was the natural nemesis of the ice spikes, melting them into droplets of water almost instantly.
Clearing the path, Chen Guan directed the flames to sweep toward Hai Bodong. He gripped the sword with both hands and activated a familiar Dou Skill, slashing with sharp sword energy that moved like a tidal wave.
"Ice Mirror!"
"Ice Spirit Armor!"
Hai Bodong was a seasoned veteran. Having faced countless battles, he remained composed.
He mobilized his ice-attribute Dou Qi, forming an ice mirror over a meter in diameter before him, blocking the first wave of fiery attacks. As the ice mirror dented and melted under the flames, he quickly formed another defensive skill, condensing a thick layer of ice armor around his body.
Simultaneously, an ice spear appeared in his hand. Defense without offense was never his style.
"Mysterious Ice Spin Kill!"
Crescent-shaped ice blades materialized around him. Hai Bodong pushed the ice mirror forward with his spear, advancing to meet the wave-like sword energy head-on.
In the blink of an eye, they closed the distance of over ten meters. Sword energy raged, broken ice scattered, and broadsword clashed with ice spear. Fierce Dou Qi radiated outward like ripples, shaking the wooden floor and covering the fragile shop in spiderweb cracks.
Hai Bodong's expression darkened—not only due to the destruction of his shop, but because the young man had only retreated a few steps before regaining his footing.
This was unacceptable.
He, a Dou Ling fighting against a mere Dou Shi, couldn't decide the outcome with a single strike? Didn't this make him look weak? Though he hadn't unleashed his full power, it was enough to prove the extraordinary talent before him.
At such a young age and with such combat prowess, this is definitely not a genius the Jia Ma Empire can produce!
"Mysterious Ice Fourth Level Kill, Break!"
Hai Bodong attacked with his spear in one hand while forming a seal with the other. Nearly a hundred ice blades emerged, coalescing into an ice dragon that charged toward Chen Guan.
The already fragile shop collapsed completely under the devastating assault.
Chen Guan's face grew serious. He activated his Wandering Cloud Steps to evade the falling debris. Simultaneously, he slashed wildly with his broadsword, so fast that phantoms followed his movements. Each wave of sword energy was stronger than the last, stacking up to thirty waves. The deep red sword energy spread out like a sea of fire, unleashing its violence.
Using his mental power, Chen Guan condensed an invisible needle and shot it at Hai Bodong's forehead—a simple application of soul skills.
Caught off guard, Hai Bodong suffered a secret wound. A sharp pain stabbed his mind, and the threat of his ice spear attack diminished.
Boom!
Thirty waves of sword energy collided with the ice dragon formed by four layers of black ice. Water and fire clashed violently, eroding and consuming each other, stirring water vapor into the air. The spectacle was breathtaking, drawing the attention of countless onlookers in the dry desert city.
After a few breaths, Hai Bodong's quadruple killing skill prevailed. It shattered the sword energy and charged at Chen Guan with its remaining power.
Though its power was reduced by more than half, Chen Guan remained unafraid. He clenched his fist, channeling beast fire, and smashed the attack to pieces.
"Boy, you're looking for death!"
The stabbing pain in Hai Bodong's head eased, but he knew he had suffered a loss. His face beneath the ice armor twisted in anger.
"Ice Blade Storm!"
Discarding his cracked ice spear, Hai Bodong quickly formed hand seals. Hundreds of tiny ice blades floated behind him, filled with murderous intent, raining down like a storm.
Seeing this, Chen Guan put away his broadsword, stepping into his Wandering Cloud Steps to quickly distance himself while forming seals to counterattack.
In an instant, hundreds of deep red sword energies appeared behind him, falling like meteors against the storm.
Though clearly a duel between two, the scene gave the onlookers the illusion of hundreds fighting in unison. The spectacle was magnificent, leaving the distant mercenaries in awe.
Just as Chen Guan had expected, Hai Bodong's massive Ice Blade Storm was just as powerful as his Fleeting Moment's Splendor!
So terrifying!
This battle between ice and fire raged for more than ten breaths before it ended.
What surprised the crowd was that throughout the process, both the handsome young man and the strange old map seller watched each other in tacit understanding, neither taking any further action.
The scene returned to silence, a rainbow arching overhead. Chen Guan and Hai Bodong looked at each other from a distance, with thoughts in their eyes that outsiders could not understand, but they both knew implicitly.
So you're a show-off, too.
A silent confirmation passed through a single glance: they were the same kind of people.
***
(End of Chapter)
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