The blood and vitality within him had shed their former faint golden traces and turned a true pale gold. As they flowed, that golden light gleamed warmly, like a river touched by the first rays of dawn.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Feeling the new power within him, he sank his mind into the three converging currents of strength and prepared for the semifinals.
As Li Bufan took stock of the changes his breakthrough had brought, the fierce battles that had raged across the arenas for days finally came to an end. The three arenas slowly trembled amid a rumble.
Moments later, the three arenas transformed into two broader ones, each occupying half the field.
Li Bufan looked at the opponent before him and silently reckoned the time. More than ten days had passed since his battle with Bai Jingcheng ended and he entered seclusion to break through.
Those days had left little mark on his awareness, like pages flipped too quickly to read. But when he saw that the other contenders had finished their battles and restored themselves to peak condition, he knew the Hidden Dragon Tournament was nearing its climax.
He moved his limbs, stiff from days of sitting cross-legged, and brought himself to peak condition.
Across from Li Bufan stood a young man in a crimson robe. His handsome face was composed, and his aura was restrained like ancient wood nurtured over many years, yet a trace of searing heat smoldered beneath it.
The instant Li Bufan sensed his aura, his heart tightened. This man had reached Three Flowers Perfection. The completeness in his aura ran deeper than that of any opponent Li Bufan had encountered in the Hidden Dragon Tournament.
He soon took it in stride. After every round, power of origin had poured