This Time... We Might Lose

Boom!

Tang Wulin was slammed heavily into the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw, leaving a human-shaped dent in the metal arena.

"—You're simply not suited for battle!"

In the distance, Gu Yue's forehead was already covered in fine sweat. Two-colored elements gathered around her into a dazzling formation. Watching Tang Wulin being suppressed, she gritted her teeth. "Hold on for two more seconds!"

"Cough, cough..."

Tang Wulin climbed out of the crater. More than half the Golden Scale on his right arm had shattered, yet the fighting spirit in his eyes only burned brighter. "Not suited for battle? Then what about this—"

He suddenly crossed both arms before his chest, every muscle in his body tensing to its limit. "Blue Silver Piercing Array!"

Countless stalks of Gold-Patterned Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground, their spear-sharp blades stabbing toward Situ Xuan from every direction.

The move should have caught him off guard, but Situ Xuan seemed to have expected it. He lightly tapped the ground with his feet and spun like a top.

"Hokuto Whirlwind Combo!"

The gale generated by his rotation shredded all the incoming Blue Silver Grass. Amid the fragments, Situ Xuan sneered. "Same old tricks."

"No, this is only the beginning!"

Tang Wulin suddenly roared. The shattered gold-patterned blades unexpectedly reassembled in midair, transforming into dozens of golden chains that wrapped around Situ Xuan!

"Oh?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Situ Xuan's eyes, only to be replaced by even fiercer battle intent. "Now this is getting interesting!"

Bound layer upon layer by the golden chains, he suddenly burst into laughter. "But you've forgotten one thing—"

Crack! Crack! Crack!

A series of teeth-grinding snaps rang out. The Blue Silver Grass chains, strong enough to restrain a two-ring Soul Grandmaster, were broken one by one by Situ Xuan's raw physical strength!

"—Before absolute power, skill means nothing!"

"Not to mention, your skills... aren't much to speak of!"

Just as Situ Xuan was about to break free from the final Blue Silver Grass chain, the temperature of the arena suddenly plummeted.

A thin layer of ice formed over the metal floor. The snowflakes drifting through the air were no longer soft and white, but sharp, hexagonal ice crystals like crystal shards. Every flake reflected a frigid gleam, as though even light itself could be frozen.

"Is that so?"

Gu Yue's voice came from all directions, like whispers across an ice field. Her black hair was now completely enveloped in ice-blue Soul Power, while seven shining soul rings circled her body—these were not her actual number of soul rings, but an anomaly that appeared when elemental resonance reached its peak.

Her eyes had turned completely ice-blue. She lightly pointed forward with a finger and spoke softly—

"End of Ice and Snow."

The entire arena instantly transformed into a prison of extreme frost!

Crack—crack crack—

Frost instantly crawled across Situ Xuan's body, spreading from his ankles to his knees, his waist, and finally freezing both of his arms.

Even more terrifyingly, these ice crystals were not merely formed by low temperatures, but by ultimate Elemental Control—they were visibly eroding inward at a rapid pace!

Situ Xuan's pupils contracted. He explosively unleashed his strength, trying to shatter the ice crystals, yet...

Crack.

The sound of shattering ice did not ring out as he had expected.

Instead, under Gu Yue's control, the ice crystals behaved like living creatures. Every time he exerted force, a layer would crack open in advance, only to instantly refreeze afterward—like shackles that could never truly be broken!

"What?!"

For the first time, alarm appeared on Situ Xuan's face. His physical strength, which he had always taken pride in, was being firmly suppressed by this strange ice element!

Yet Gu Yue's assault had only just begun.

With a gentle lift of her slender hand, countless ice crystals instantly condensed into a three-meter-long crystalline spear that floated in the air.

Cold light flickered from its tip, as if it could pierce any defense.

"You're very strong, but..."

Gu Yue's voice remained cool. Her pale face seemed to reveal just how much this combined technique had drained her, but this time, there was a little more seriousness in her gaze.

"Within my elemental domain, no one can win."

The ice spear tore through the air!

Situ Xuan roared, his muscles swelling once more as golden patterns bloomed with blinding light. The breathing technique of the Fist of the North Star was pushed to its limit, and the terrifyingly solid ice seal finally exploded apart at that moment!

Yet in that brief instant of delay—

Boom—!

The ice spear pierced through his shoulder!

Before blood could even spurt out, the wound had already been frozen by the cold.

Situ Xuan let out a muffled grunt and staggered back. At last, unprecedented battle intent surfaced in his eyes.

"Interesting..."

He suddenly clenched his fist, forcibly shattering the ice crystals around his wound. Then he grinned.

"Then I should get a little more serious too."

The next moment, his figure abruptly vanished from where he stood!

Gu Yue's pupils shrank. A flash of silver light appeared, and she instantly teleported away. However—

Bang!!!

Before she could steady herself, Situ Xuan's fist had already chased after her like a lingering curse!

"Beidou Yanshan Liangzhanbo!"

Two blasts of force tore through the air like massive axes sweeping across the arena. Even more terrifyingly, Gu Yue discovered in shock that he had once again predicted where she would teleport!

Boom!!

At the critical moment, a golden vine erupted from the ground and forcibly pulled Gu Yue away—it was Tang Wulin!

He grinned. Although the Golden Scale on his right arm was already badly damaged, the battle intent in his eyes had not diminished. "Partner, I can't let you steal all the glory by yourself."

Gu Yue lightly pressed her lips together and formed another hand seal. Ice crystals and blazing flames intertwined across the arena at once.

Situ Xuan stood opposite them, his blood-red ferocious eyes reflecting the radiance of the elements as he gave a low laugh—

"Then..."

"Let's see how long you can last!"

As his words fell, his figure charged forward once more, the killing moves of the Fist of the North Star pouring down like a violent storm!

"Teacher Long, Situ Xuan... won't lose, will he?"

Below the stage, Lin Yao of Grade One Class Three had long been too stunned to close his mouth.

They already had Situ Xuan, a monster who seemed like an unbeatable Asura.

Yet Gu Yue, like an empress who controlled the elements, was still able to contend against him by relying on the temporary environmental advantage she had created.

At the same time, Tang Wulin, the legendary king of taking punishment, supported her from the side. For a time, they had actually forced Situ Xuan into perilous situations again and again.

Long Xiuyuan shook his head. His eyes remained on Situ Xuan, who had been relentlessly honing himself day and night since the school term began. The excitement in Situ Xuan's gaze, as well as his body's increasingly rapid adaptation to the elements, all displayed the terror of his martial soul's true body.

"Situ Xuan... is merely treating those two little ones as training tools."

On the other side, among Class One-Five's group, Xie Xie spoke with some excitement. "I never expected Gu Yue to have hidden herself so deeply. Teacher Wu, we'll definitely win this time... right?"

Xie Xie turned to look at Wu Zhangkong beside him. His excited expression immediately froze when he noticed the grave look on Wu Zhangkong's face.

"This time... we might lose."

Like Long Xiuyuan, Wu Zhangkong possessed extensive combat experience. How could he fail to see that Situ Xuan was holding back rather than fighting at full strength, and that his unfamiliar movements suggested he was attempting something?