Six straight wins, Huo Wu takes the stage

The Royal Hunting Grounds.

After Huo Wushuang stepped past the red flag, Huo Yun entered the arena.

His martial soul was a fire crane. As he spread his wings, dark red flames stretched from behind his shoulders to his wingtips. Four spirit rings rose beneath his feet, then elongated into four elliptical bands of light as he took flight.

Standing in the center of the arena, Tang San first checked Huo Yun's altitude.

Twenty meters.

Blue silver grass would struggle to reach him directly, and the Eight Spider Lances could not launch Tang San that high, either. Huo Yun had clearly studied Tang San's earlier matches. Rather than dive, he simply circled the edge of the arena.

The referee announced the start.

Huo Yun beat his wings repeatedly, sending dozens of fiery feathers drifting down. None fell particularly fast, but their coverage had been carefully calculated. They cut off every direction around Tang San, leaving only a narrow path near the red flag.

Huo Yun had left that path for him.

Blue silver grass rapidly sprouted beneath Tang San's feet, weaving into a curved shield. The fiery feathers struck its leaves. Though the flames could not burn the grass, the impacts still drove the shield steadily downward.

This was precisely the opening Huo Yun had been waiting for.

His third spirit ring lit up. Folding his wings in midair, he dove along the blind spot created by the grass shield. His wingtips joined before him, forming a burning spike.

Tang San did not look up.

His Purple Demon Eyes had already locked onto Huo Yun's landing point through the gaps between the leaves.

Four of the Eight Spider Lances plunged into the ground while the other four braced upward. Just as Huo Yun was about to hit the shield, Tang