Brian had too many phantom bodies. Despite Lin Yuan's desperate defense, several of the remaining phantoms broke through the protective mountain and thrust their silver swords straight at him.
Lin Yuan quickly activated Ten Shadow Steps to retreat, swinging the giant axe in his hand to strike them down.
"Bang! Bang! Pfft—!"
One of the silver swords swept past and pierced Lin Yuan's left arm. Blood welled out instantly.
Lin Yuan struggled to destroy all the remaining phantom bodies, but his protective mountain had already shattered completely. He had managed to fend off Brian's fierce assault.
At that moment, the silver-haired young man in the distance spoke. "Impressive! Your understanding of the Law of Fire Origin is astonishingly profound. I have to hand it to you."
"For my next move, I'll give it everything I've got, to show you the respect you deserve."
A sharp glint flashed in Brian's eyes. In an instant, a freezing domain of ice and snow formed around him, and piercingly cold winds began to howl through it.
Inside the Ice-Sealing Domain, Lin Yuan felt the Origin Force within him constantly draining away. His movements grew increasingly stiff, and powerful gusts of icy wind repeatedly battered his body, making it hard for him to break free.
Lin Yuan felt that if he stayed in the Ice-Sealing Domain much longer, he would lose all ability to fight.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Brian's figure flashed, and hundreds of phantom bodies appeared once more. These phantoms were even more fearsome than before.
Within the Ice-Sealing Domain, the hundreds of phantom bodies moved like fish in water, incredibly fast. Each one held a silver sword and could thrust from any direction.
Brian was the master of the Ice-Sealing Domain, moving through it with an uncanny speed like the wind.
"Kill!"
Brian shouted. Hundreds of phantoms appeared throughout the domain, slashing at Lin Yuan with their swords.
Lin Yuan activated the Earth Tremor Secret Technique again and swung his dark-red giant axe with all his strength, using Scorching Flow to fend them off with difficulty. Injured, his defenses were no longer as strong as before.
"Bang!"
A combined attack by hundreds of phantom bodies left a momentary opening in Lin Yuan's defensive stance.
Brian's eyes narrowed. He seized the opening, and his figure appeared right in front of Lin Yuan. Moving too fast for the naked eye to follow, he thrust his silver sword forward with all his strength.
"Now!"
Lin Yuan raised the Burning Universe Flame Wild Axe high into the air.
"Rumble—!"
The surrounding space burst into blazing flames, and energy infused with the Law of Fire Origin spread through every corner of the area.
This was the third stage of the Burning Universe Flame Wild Axe: Burning Sky!
The hundreds of phantom bodies were instantly consumed by the flames and vanished.
Because they were so close, Brian's real body was caught in the flames as well, his body gradually burning to ash.
"What power..."
Brian was shocked, but reacted quickly.
With a furious shout, he poured all his Law Power and energy into his silver sword, then hurled it with all his strength.
"Pfft—!"
Just as Brian's body was about to burn away completely, the silver sword pierced Lin Yuan's head.
Lin Yuan slowly fell, while Brian's body burned to ash in the flames.
"The battle is over—"
A mechanical voice rang out in the Battle Space.
"Draw!"
"Student Lin Yuan, your current record is '222 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses.'"
A flash of light appeared, and Lin Yuan's fallen body was transported out of the Battle Space.
Virtual Universe, Spectator Hall.
The Immortal Experts remained silent for a moment before recovering from the thrilling battle they had just witnessed.
"Teacher," Marquis Golden Sword said. "Does Junior Brother actually focus on cultivating the Law of Fire Origin?"
Marquis Yuankun's expression was delighted, yet tinged with complexity. He replied:
"He really is gifted in the Law of Fire Origin, far beyond what I expected."
Marquis Yuankun had known Lin Yuan was talented in the Law of Fire Origin, but he hadn't expected his understanding to have already reached such a profound level.
Marquis Huanyu couldn't help saying, "Your young disciple is quite the anomaly. He's made some progress in the Law of Space Origin, has a fairly deep understanding of the Law of Earth Origin, and yet his grasp of the Law of Fire Origin is even deeper."
"On top of that, his Soul Will is strong, and he's even cultivated some kind of Secret Technique related to Soul Will."
Marquis Huanyu shook his head, his tone full of disbelief.
"Where did you find a disciple with such talent?"
Before Marquis Yuankun could reply, a crowd of Immortal Experts had already gathered around him.
"Lord Yuankun, your young disciple really amazed us. He'd been hiding his strength from the very beginning."
"That's right, my lord. The disciples you take on are truly exceptional. Perhaps he'll become another powerhouse like Lord Golden Sword one day."
"Enough! That's enough." Marquis Yuankun raised a hand to stop them.
"My young disciple only managed to draw with that young man from the Desolate God Race. The main reason he succeeded was that he hadn't revealed his trump cards before."
"If that young man from the Desolate God Race had known Lin Yuan's methods from the start, he certainly wouldn't have rashly closed in. He could have simply worn Lin Yuan down with the Ice-Sealing Domain and his phantom bodies."
"This time, he just got lucky. If they fought again, my disciple would undoubtedly lose," Marquis Yuankun said calmly.
Some of the Immortals nearby still wore flattering expressions.
"Why be so modest, my lord? Lin Yuan is absolutely among the top ten in the next Peak Warrior Tournament. He'll be the second disciple under your tutelage, after Lord Golden Sword, to achieve that. Our Holy Land has gained another true genius. This is cause for celebration!"
Some Ordinary Immortals seemed to have found an opportunity to curry favor with Marquis Yuankun and showered Lin Yuan with praise. Seeing this, Marquis Yuankun no longer tried to stop them. He felt rather pleased as he listened.
In the corner, Mentor Moke rarely let a smile show. Lin Yuan's performance had pleased him as well.
Although Lin Yuan wasn't truly his disciple, Moke had guided him many times in the Law of Fire Origin during this period.
Lin Yuan was talented and quick to improve. He was also always respectful and modest, which made Moke quite fond of the young man.
Virtual Universe.
Lin Yuan and Brian were transported out of the Battle Space at the same time, returning to the towering palace.
As soon as Brian returned, he walked straight over to Lin Yuan.
"Are you Lin Yuan?" the silver-haired young man asked politely.
"That was an excellent battle. You're very strong, far beyond what I imagined at first."
"I just got lucky and used a little trickery. In terms of true strength, I definitely wouldn't be your match," Lin Yuan replied politely, seeing how courteous and composed Brian was.
"We drew this time. The Ranking Tournament is held once every hundred years, and there'll be another one before the next Peak Warrior Tournament. I look forward to fighting you again then," Brian said solemnly. There was no hostility in his eyes, only a trace of admiration and respect.
Lin Yuan nodded. "I look forward to fighting you again, too."
The two were soon transported back into the Battle Space to begin their next match.
Before you continue