As the countdown ended, a streak of starlight gathered ten meters in front of Lin Chan and formed into a human figure.
This Illusory Dharma Body was slightly shorter than Lin Chan's, with a pinched, hedgehog-like face that looked downright unnerving.
The Hidden Star Rank Ladder Combat arena was a spherical area one hundred meters in diameter.
The hedgehog-faced man saw Lin Chan and, without a word, circulated his mana. With a flick of his head, he fired countless spikes like porcupine quills.
Though Lin Chan had not experienced many fights, he still reacted in time. Mystic Frost flew from its sheath and spun into a sword shield, blocking the spikes.
But at that moment, the hedgehog-faced man had already rushed before Lin Chan. He gripped four spikes in each hand as weapons and attacked Lin Chan at astonishing speed.
Even though Lin Chan's reactions were somewhat faster than an ordinary person's, compared to the hedgehog-faced man—and as the defender—he was at a severe disadvantage. He was still one step too slow, and the man's spikes slashed his arm.
Lin Chan felt something within his body, seemingly representing his health, drop by a considerable amount.
He guessed that this battle would only end once it reached zero.
However, he had no time to let his thoughts run wild. His mind was filled entirely with how to deal with the hedgehog-faced man before him.
The moment he tried to cast a spell, it was immediately interrupted.
Watching others cast spells had always seemed easy enough, but when it came to himself, even the slightest delay gave others an opening.
If one was not proficient with spells, they had to be used with caution in battle.
Understanding this, Lin Chan abandoned his spells, gripped the Xuan Shuang Sword, and began fighting the