“Is Master losing?!”

“Yōuměi, do not try and go down there.”

“But--”

“Your master is in the middle of a tournament. If you go down there to help, he will be disqualified. Besides, look at him. Does that look like the face of a man who thinks he will lose?”

Sitting in the stands where they always had since the tournament began were the group from the Shang Kingdom, which now included Mei Xilan. Yu Chenguang and his wives were watching Yōuměi argue with Hua Xue warily. None of them could compete with this giant black panther if she decided to get violent. Only Hua Xue remained completely serene. She was like a frozen lake in the middle of a blizzard, perfectly still.

“Mrg…”

It was clear that she didn’t want to, but Yōuměi took another look at Wu Jian. Hua Xue also watched the young man.

Jian Wu was currently on the backfoot. As the name suggested, Phoenix Domain was the domain of those who had the blood of the phoenix flowing through their veins. It was a domain of fire. As a domain technique, it surrounded the user with an area where the very essence of the phoenix reigned supreme, transforming the environment according to the wielder’s will.

It was not dissimilar to Mei Xilan’s Ice Phoenix Domain. Like two sides of the same coin, it worked in a similar way but was the opposite element. With the perfect control over flames granted to him through the domain, Huǒ Pànguó had forced Jian Wu to fight defensively. He launched flames of every manner from every conceivable direction, forcing Jian Wu to expend more chi avoiding them. Jian Wu had already tried to deflect his attacks, but he stopped after the first one struck and left numerous burns on his hand.

And yet despite being forced onto the backfoot…

He seems so joyous.

“Master… looks happy…” Yōuměi said reluctantly.

“Indeed he does. Jian Wu is enjoying himself. You don’t want to interrupt him when he’s having fun, do you?”

“I guess not…”

While Yōuměi looked reticent, she still backed down, settling back onto her seat--which Hua Xue thought looked quite comical. A big panther easily twice the size of a human was sitting in the stands on a chair much too small for her. She was the only one who saw the humor in this. Yu Chenguang and his wives could only breathe sighs of relief.

Hua Xue found her eyes drawn back to Jian Wu. She had seen plenty of passionate young men in her life, many of whom were like him, and yet, there was something different about him from others. It was an insubstantial feeling that she could not quantify. Perhaps it was the strange air of destiny that clung to him. She was not necessarily sensitive to such things, but she could still tell when someone had a powerful destiny. That was why she had first approached him during the auction in the Shang Kingdom. She believed that dealing with him would lead her to many fortunate encounters and might even help her find a way back to the Nine Heavens.

Huǒ Pànguó raised his hands and several pillars of fire erupted around them, twisting like serpents before curving back to slam into Jian Wu, but all they did was pass through his body. That was Nihility. Such a useful skill.

Having been born and raised in the Nine Heavens, Hua Xue knew more about the Dao of Space than the people of this sealed world. She couldn’t claim to be an expert, of course, but she had seen people using it before. The way Jian Wu manipulated space was a thing of beauty. His techniques were so fluid and he had great control despite his low cultivation. She didn’t even know it was possible to manipulate space while still in the Nine Mortal Realms until she met him.

Avoiding Huǒ Pànguó’s flame pillars was not the end of Jian Wu’s problems. The phoenix clansman refused to let up and continued launching more attacks at him. They were avoided, but Hua Xue understood this wouldn’t work forever. Everyone had a limit, and if it came to a battle of attrition, Huǒ Pànguó would win by virtue of having more chi.

What will you do…?

“Head Elder Hua Xue…?”

“Yes?”

“I’m thinking of taking a leave of absence from the Ice Phoenix Sect to go on a journey.”

Hua Xue blinked several times, turned away from the battle, and studied Mei Xilan. The young woman was displaying more emotions than usual. She bit her lower lip as though unsure of whether she was saying the right thing, but there was a fire in her eyes--quite unusual for someone who practiced a yin chi cultivation method like theirs.

“Do you realize that leaving a sect is a serious matter?” Mei Xilan remained silent, so Hua Xue continued. “The Ice Phoenix Sect has poured a lot of resources into your cultivation, more than anyone else your age, and the sect master allowed you to consume drops of precious ice phoenix blood. You are the pride and joy of the sect. However, for that same reason, it will be difficult if not impossible for you to leave.”

While a normal sect member could leave with relative ease because very little resources went into their cultivation, it was harder if not impossible for a genius like Mei Xilan. Too much time, effort, and cultivation resources went into them. This sealed world was also quite small. It did not have that many resources to begin with. How could the Ice Phoenix Sect let Mei Xilan go after letting her consume so many of their precious and very finite resources?

“I understand how my desire might be taken as betrayal, but I do not think of it like that. Rather, I think of this as an opportunity to help expand the sect’s influence,” Mei Xilan began.

Hua Xue held up a hand. “I’m pretty sure I know where you’re going with this, but I’m not the one you will need to convince. We will talk about this with the sect master after the tournament.”

“Yes, Head Elder.”

***

It’s getting… hard to breathe…

The effects of the Phoenix Domain were as unique as they were intense. Inhaling the superheated air scorched his lungs, making it uncomfortable and even painful to breathe. The intense flames and heat within the domain had depleted the air. As a result, the air felt thin and lacking, leading to shortness of breath. Flames and combustion had produced smoke, ash, and particles that further polluted the air. To make matters worse, all the moisture had evaporated. The entire domain felt extremely dry. Even the sweat on his skin evaporated within seconds. His skin was beginning to crack.

I guess… I really do… need to use one of my trump cards…

Wu Jian had been hoping to save this trump card for his battle against Huǒ Yulie, who was much stronger than her brother. He had also wanted to test himself against Huǒ Pànguó. This man was hailed as a genius among his clansman. He was one of the few people who had reached the third subrealm of the Deva Realm at the age of twenty-five and was already half a step into the Seeker Realm.

Wu Jian wanted to see how far he could go without relying on power ups.

And it looked like this was it.

[Black Hole]

With resolute focus in his intense dark eyes, Wu Jian clasped his hands together as a surge of potent chi emanated from his being, causing the surroundings to warp and distort as if reality itself was being bent to his will. The air crackled with an electric charge, and the arena floor beneath their quivered as though acknowledging the impending upheaval.

Wu Jian unclasped his hands and stretched them out to act as a conduit for the technique’s immense power. A vortex of darkness materialized before him, swirling with an irresistible gravitation force. It was as if a void had opened within the battlefield, a void that hungered for everything in its path.

All the fire within the Phoenix Domain twisted and cried out as though in terror. Huǒ Pànguó’s face paled as the flames bent, converging on the black hole. His chi surged as he struggled to tear the flames away. However, there was no stopping the inevitable. The black hole swapped everything in its path, including the surging flames of this domain.

It was not just the fire that was consumed either, as large chunks of the arena floor were torn from the ground. They bent and warped, stretching like rubber as it was sucked into the darkness. Sweat beaded Wu Jian’s forehead. He waited until all the flames from the domain were gone, then released his technique.

“What… the… what was that?! What did you do?!” Huǒ Pànguó screamed.

Wu Jian wasn’t listening.

[Body of the Celestial White Tiger]

A profound change came over Wu Jian as he activated the ancient blood inside of his chi sea. The blood of Byakko burned brightly before power surged through his meridians. It was as if the very essence of the mighty celestial beast coursed through his veins, granting him newfound strength that resonated with the ferocity and majesty of the white tiger itself.

His body surged with otherworldly chi, muscles tightening and rippling with enhanced power. The chi flowing through his meridians, infusing every fiber of his being with a surge of vitality and vigor, felt far more primal than it had before. His skin appeared to glisten with an ethereal sheen. It was like a testament to the immense potency of his power.

Wu Jian’s eyes, once vibrant and alive, underwent a remarkable transformation visible through his mask. They took on the gleaming radiance of twin orbs, resembling the piercing gaze of a prowling white tiger stalking its prey under the moonlit sky. Those who beheld his transformed countenance could sense an aura of untamed determination--a silent proclamation of his unwavering resolve.

His hands also underwent a remarkable metamorphosis. The fingers, once human, had elongated, taking on a more feline-like quality. Claws emerged from his fingertips, razor-sharp and gleaming, ready to rend through obstacles and adversaries alike.

The once dark hair adorning his head had also become streaked with white and grown to several times its original length. Now resembling a long mane, it traveled down to his lower back like a primal river.

Beyond the physical transformation, it was the feelings enveloping him that gave Wu Jian a sense of euphoria. All of his senses had been enhanced and his reflexes were beyond what they had been. With each breath he took, he seemed to draw in the very essence of the Celestial White Tiger, harnessing its strength and instincts as if they were his own..

The entire crowd had gone still. Even Huǒ Pànguó had frozen solid like prey who had caught the eyes of a predator.

Wu Jian swayed, his movements fluid and instinctual--a harmonious dance between man and beast. His steps were graceful yet purposeful, each motion executed with a precision that mirrored the grace of a celestial creature. This was the complete version of Body of the Celestial White Tiger, which he had perfected during the three day break.

“What… kind of transformation is that?” asked a shocked Huǒ Pànguó, voice a hushed whisper like he was afraid of being heard.

Wu Jian locked eyes with him.

Then he disappeared.

The ground exploded where he once stood. Huǒ Pànguó was unable to track him, but he was smart enough to not remain standing in place. He took to the sky. Unfortunately, Wu Jian had already leapt into the sky, having assumed someone with the blood of a phoenix would try to gain distance in the air. He was above Huǒ Pànguó, hands clasped together and raised above his head. The man only realized he was up there a second too late.

Wu Jian brought his hands down upon the man’s head.

A powerful shockwave rushed across the arena as Huǒ Pànguó was launched into the ground. The arena floor cracked underneath him, cratering. He staggered to his feet as Wu Jian landed on the ground right next to him.

Wu Jian spread his feet across the broken floor, tucked his elbows into his torso, then thrust out both hands in a double palm that landed on Huǒ Pànguó’s chest. Another shockwave. Huǒ Pànguó was launched through the air, careening in an artless twirl before he slammed into the barrier that protected the arena from stray attacks. Huǒ Pànguó soon fell to the ground.

He did not get back up.

“Haaah… haaaah…”

“The… the winner of this match is… Jian Wu!” Huǒ Yan announced, raising his hand.