Vermilion Bird Blaze-Burn!!

As one "Xiao Feng" after another vanished, Ximen Qing stood before Xiao Feng, his palm slowly closing... The ice on the arena was gradually disappearing, but it was not melting—it was gathering!

"He's condensing the ice! He wants to freeze Xiao Feng to death!" Qi Panjian roared.

This ice was formed from Ice Crystals created by the Ice Soul Art. How could it compare to ordinary frost? The cold it released alone required those with low cultivation to circulate their mystic power to resist it, much less the bone-piercing chill within the Ice Crystals.

And now he was compressing the Ice Crystals. When that happened, not only would their hardness increase exponentially, but so would their coldness!

"Patriarch Qi, Xiao Feng has already lost the ability to resist. Why not save him?"

"That's right. He's clearly unconscious now. Why not bring him down?"

"A life-and-death duel is just children acting on impulse. Surely we can't really let one of them die? Wouldn't that be a loss for Flowing Wind City?"

"Yes, yes!"

Qi Yunlong looked toward the Ximen Family. Seeing that Ximen Ding neither objected nor agreed, he knew Ximen Ding had left the decision to him...

Just as he was about to head onto the arena and take Xiao Feng away, Ximen Qing formed an ice wall to block him. "Patriarch Qi, what are you doing?"

Qi Yunlong frowned. "Xiao Feng has already lost consciousness. I'll take him off the arena, and this match will naturally count as your victory."

"No, no, no." Ximen Qing shook his head. "Before the match began, we already said that blades and swords had no eyes. If any accidents happened, there was nothing to be done. Besides... can't you see that Divine Doctor Xiao's eyes are still open? What makes you say he's unconscious?"

Everyone looked over and indeed saw that Xiao Feng's eyes were open. His dark pupils were deep, and even under the Ice Crystal's confinement, they seemed exceptionally bright.

Xiao Feng: "..."

Qi Yunlong: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Ximen Qing continued slowly, "And perhaps Divine Doctor Xiao not only has consciousness right now, but is even trying to break through the ice wall I created and challenge me again."

"If Patriarch Qi takes Xiao Feng away just like that, what if Xiao Feng could have gotten out on his own? He's merely—gathering strength right now. Wouldn't you instead be depriving Divine Doctor Xiao of the chance to fight me? Perhaps Divine Doctor Xiao would even resent Patriarch Qi for being so meddlesome!"

Though he spoke, his hands never stopped moving. He continued controlling the merging ice layers, making the frost release a soul-stealing chill.

"Bullshit!" Qi Panjian shouted. "He couldn't break free before, and now that you're constantly condensing the ice, it'll be even more impossible! Wouldn't I know what Brother Xiao is capable of?"

Qi Yunlong looked embarrassed at those words, but he could not forcibly take Xiao Feng away now. Ximen Qing was blocking him, and what if things truly turned out as Ximen Qing claimed?

Of course, everyone knew Ximen Qing was talking nonsense... but at least his words sounded reasonable.

Qi Yunlong secretly glanced at Qi Qingyun. She was staring intently at Xiao Feng inside the ice, her brows tightly furrowed and her expression anxious, yet she did not send him a voice transmission...

Seeing this, he could only sigh helplessly and slowly leave the arena...

Xiao Feng, I can feel the intense confidence in your eyes. You... must have a way... right...? Qi Qingyun spoke within her heart. The divine light in Xiao Feng's eyes was far too familiar to her...

Ximen Ding watched Ximen Qing refuse to show mercy. His brows were tightly furrowed, but in the end, he still spoke up to persuade him. "Qing'er, you've already proven yourself and thoroughly defeated Xiao Feng. We're all from the same city. Let Patriarch Qi take Xiao Feng away..."

If this had happened in the past, Ximen Qing would certainly have listened to Ximen Ding and spared Xiao Feng's life, even displaying his own magnanimity. But Xiao Feng had caused him to lose so much face. How could Ximen Qing possibly swallow this anger after merely defeating him?

He turned a deaf ear to Ximen Ding's words and continued condensing and compressing the ice, intending to freeze Xiao Feng to death!

"This... why is Ximen Qing acting like this?"

"Exactly. I always thought he was quite easygoing."

"Could Du Kongpo have been telling the truth? Has Ximen Qing always been this kind of person, merely pretending before?"

"Sigh... Ximen Qing has truly disappointed me."

"..."

Had anyone else done this, it would not have drawn such criticism. But the one doing it was Ximen Qing!

Ximen Qing had always been gentle and refined in their eyes, treating others kindly. How could he do something as cruel as taking another person's life?

Thus, this single "stain" made everyone deeply disappointed in him...

Ximen Qing no longer cared about what others thought. He had only one thought now: Xiao Feng had to die!

Watching Xiao Feng inside the Ice Crystal, he revealed a faint smile. It was all over. He had completely gathered the ice from a hundred li into one place. All that remained was to continue compressing it! The temperature within the ice had undoubtedly reached a level beyond ordinary imagination!

But it was not enough. He had to keep compressing it!

Only one final Ice Crystal, several dozen square meters in size, remained... Yet even this single piece released a cold might no weaker than the Ice Crystals that had once covered the entire arena!

"It's over, truly over... The Ice Crystal has fully formed. Divine Doctor Xiao couldn't escape before, and now its hardness and coldness are even greater than before... There really isn't the slightest hope left."

"What a pity... Is a genius like Divine Doctor Xiao really going to perish here...?"

Grief, dejection, regret, heartache... all kinds of unwilling emotions spread through the spectator stands... They had watched Xiao Feng shatter their understanding time and again, and their hearts had surged along with every broken preconception...

But... they had witnessed a genius who would surely astonish the world in the future, only to now watch him fall...

Was this truly where it ended?

Really!!!

Ximen Qing closed his five fingers, carrying out the final compression on the Mystic Crystal imprisoning Xiao Feng. Staring at Xiao Feng's dark eyes, he mocked coldly, "Hehehe—what a pity... I won't get to see your terrified expression when you face death..."

But suddenly, his eyes blinked rapidly. He stared carefully into Xiao Feng's eyes, the smile on his face gradually fading as a powerful sense of unease surged within him...

"Why does it feel... like Xiao Feng is smiling at me?"

"Drip... drip... drip..."

"Look, those are water droplets!" Someone sharp-eyed noticed the falling drops.

"Hiss—it really is water!" That person could hardly believe it and hurriedly rubbed his eyes.

"Wh-why are there water droplets?"

"Didn't you see? They're falling from the ice!!!"

"How... is that possible!!" This ice had been formed by Ximen Qing gathering all the frost together. Even if it were scorched by flames, it could not possibly drip water! Much less when the arena was still shrouded in freezing ice qi. How could there be water droplets..."

"Could Ximen Qing have decided to spare Divine Doctor Xiao?"

"No... look at his eyes!"

Everyone stared at Xiao Feng's eyes...

They were shocked to discover that Xiao Feng's originally deep black eyes had turned crimson gold!

Xiao Feng's eyes were now like a radiant sun hanging high in the sky, dazzling and resplendent!

As everyone looked into those eyes, it was as though a sacred pure land appeared in their hearts. That pure land carried a warmth they had never felt while trapped in the abyss—the warmth of sunlight!

As Xiao Feng's eyes turned golden, what followed was—searing holy flames ignited within those golden eyes. The holy flames... used his eyes as their foundation and his will as fuel!

They sought to break free from the "cage" that bound and imprisoned his body!

"Drip... drip... drip..."

The water droplets fell faster—each drop seemed to land directly upon their hearts.

Goosebumps rose all over their bodies, and an inexplicable thrill surged through them.

"..."

Looking at the dripping Ice Crystal, Ximen Qing's expression changed in shock. Others might not understand the level of cold within the ice, but how could he not know?

At that moment, there were only four words in his heart, words he uttered in a daze: "How—is this possible!!!!"

The holy flames in Xiao Feng's eyes began to spread... The flames spread from his face to his body, then from his body to his legs... until they covered his entire body!

This was the Mystic Skill attached to the eighth realm of the Vermillion Bird Requiem—Vermilion Bird Plume!

It could transform holy flames into armor!

As the flames around Xiao Feng blazed fiercely, his body actually moved within the Ice Crystal!

He raised his right hand. The Vermilion Bird Blaze covering his body began to rage, and crimson-gold flames completely engulfed Xiao Feng, making it impossible to see what was happening within...

The droplets had become a stream! The surging flow quickly spilled from the arena. Ximen Qing's expression turned panicked as he hurriedly controlled the cold qi, trying to freeze it solid, but... it was useless—the small stream became raging waves that burst from the Ice Crystal!

As the rampaging holy flames subsided, everyone finally saw Xiao Feng, who had previously been engulfed by them...

His golden eyes shone brilliantly. Holy flames formed his armor, and behind him fluttered a crimson-gold cape, swaying even within the Ice Crystal!

He pulled back his right hand, and brilliant flames shone between his five fingers. As everyone watched those radiant flames, it was as though an ancient true god, a Vermilion Bird, appeared in their souls and gazed back at them. All evil within their hearts seemed to have nowhere to hide beneath its gaze!

"The ninth realm of the Vermillion Bird Requiem—Godslaying!"

Everyone in the spectator stands stared at Xiao Feng within the Ice Crystal, at his blazing golden eyes, at his figure bathed in flames...

At that moment, three words were branded into the souls of all who watched—

"Break for me!!!"

"Boom!!!"

The Mystic Crystal packed with boundless cold qi exploded beneath the Vermilion God! It transformed into raging waves!

This Mystic Skill was immensely powerful, but it had one fatal flaw: it required time to gather strength. By imprisoning Xiao Feng within the Ice Crystal, Ximen Qing had instead given Xiao Feng ample time to charge it.

As Xiao Feng broke free from the Ice Crystal, the holy flames around him burned as though reborn, blazing magnificently!

The waves around him vanished without a trace beneath the radiance of his holy flames!

Ximen Qing lay on the scorching arena, his pupils filled with disbelief.

The shock in his heart had left him speechless...

"..."

"What... is that?" Qi Panjian turned to Qi Qingyun and asked with difficulty.

Qi Qingyun's eyes shone with a strange light as she softly said, "Vermilion Bird Blaze!"

"Brothers, the new book has entered the top ten of the rankings! It was still over a hundredth place the day before yesterday. I'm excited... There'll be an update at midnight today!

Please help spread the word..."