The Selection Continues

That night, Obsidian City blazed with lights.

At the Crimson Flame Mountain residence in the south of the city,

Huyan Lie stood bare-chested beside a pool of molten lava in the courtyard. The Crimson Flame True Fire roared within the pool, casting his entire body in a red glow like heated iron. He had plunged the Crimson Flame Saber into the lava, and as the blade steadily absorbed the essence of the earthfire, it gave off a low hum.

"Lie'er." An old man with red hair and beard, whose face bore a striking resemblance to Huyan Lie's, approached at an unhurried pace. He was Huyan Lie's father, Huyan Zhuo, the previous Mountain Lord of Crimson Flame Mountain.

"Father." Huyan Lie withdrew his saber and bowed.

Huyan Zhuo studied his son, pride and worry mingling in his eyes. "How confident are you about tomorrow's battle?"

"Fifty percent," Huyan Lie answered frankly. "Shi Gandang's defense is too strong. My Crimson Flame Nine Slashes may be sharp, but the ninth slash takes too long to charge. He won't give me the chance. I can only match speed with speed and decide the victor within the first eight slashes."

Huyan Zhuo nodded. "Shi Gandang's Iron Wall Path has reached perfection. But everything has its counter. His defense may be strong, but it isn't invincible. Do you know his greatest weakness?"

Huyan Lie paused. "Please enlighten me, Father."

"Speed," Huyan Zhuo said slowly. "The Iron Rock Tribe's talents all lie in defense; speed is their weak point. Your Crimson Flame True Fire can melt gold and forge iron, but if you can't hit him, it's useless. In tomorrow's battle, don't match his strength head-on. Use Crimson Flame Escape to circle around him, attack where he has no choice but to defend, and force him to