Ultimate Against Ultimate

At that thought, Li Qingxun sighed. Just as he had expected.

As Wu Changkong stepped back, Gu Yue strode forward and planted herself squarely in the middle of their match.

Wu Changkong watched her cut in. A hint of amusement crossed his cool features as he calmly took two steps back.

"Gu Yue, what do you mean by this? I'm fighting Li Qingxun. Do you want to join in too?"

Wu Changkong's question was blunt, but anyone who wasn't a fool could tell why Gu Yue had come.

He was clearly stirring up trouble. Even Gu Yue was taken aback by his reaction.

She shot Wu Changkong a glare, but when she saw his cool expression, she said nothing. Instead, she turned to Li Qingxun.

"You hurt Tang Wulin. You seriously injured his arm." As Gu Yue spoke, she pointed toward Tang Wulin's arm.

Tang Wulin's injury was not that severe. After all, Li Qingxun had not attacked him directly; Tang Wulin had stepped in to block Li Qingxun's attack.

But the Snow Empress's extreme cold was terrifying. Even with only the Snow Empress remaining here of the two ice-and-snow empresses, her power was still formidable.

The extreme cold lingering in that wound could not be dispelled at all.

If Tang Wulin had not possessed the god-tier Golden Dragon King Bloodline,

and if he had not already been able to use the Golden Dragon Claw, that blow would certainly have destroyed his left arm.

So Gu Yue's words were not unfounded. Hearing them, Tang Wulin opened his mouth.

He wanted to stop her. This was his own fault—he had stepped in to block the attack, and no matter how he looked at it, he had no ground to stand on.

But seeing Gu Yue stand up for him, he could not say a word.

Li Qingxun stood where he was, turning a deaf ear to Gu Yue's accusation.

He merely tilted his head and looked toward Tang Wulin behind her.

There was a calm, almost curious look in the boy's eyes as he watched Tang Wulin say nothing and offer no defense.

Li Qingxun only smiled.

"What the hell does it have to do with you? So what if I hurt him? If you want revenge for him, come and get it." Li Qingxun looked at Gu Yue and raised a hand.

Extreme cold gathered in his palm, and a sword of ice and snow appeared in his hand once more.

Gu Yue gave a cold snort at the sight of the sword. A chill flashed through her eyes.

She was the Silver Dragon King, born with command over seven elements, including ice—or rather, ice and water were two sides of the same element.

She possessed both Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Water. But because she presented herself as an elemental user, she usually kept her elements below the ultimate level, at a somewhat weaker grade.

She might use high-grade or mid-grade elements, but she rarely revealed an Ultimate Attribute. Now, though, Li Qingxun's words and the disdain in his eyes had truly enraged her.

She did not know why she was so angry. Still, she fixed her gaze on Li Qingxun and took a step forward.

Two enormous fireballs formed behind Gu Yue. Scorching flames churned within them, and she immediately swept out her hand.

The fireballs hurtled at Li Qingxun from either side.

They came fast and hard. Their elemental power had not reached the ultimate level, but it was already high-grade.

Their heat was terrifying. As the two fireballs rushed toward him, Li Qingxun raised his hand.

He gripped the sword of ice and snow that had been floating above his palm and stepped forward.

The boy moved as lightly as a banished immortal drifting through the air. His foot touched the ground, and a lotus of ice and snow bloomed beneath it.

He took a second step. As another huge lotus appeared, both lotuses shattered with a thunderous crash.

Cold spread through the surroundings. Ice crystals swept across the entire arena, and the approaching fireballs hissed as the low temperature enveloped them.

Mist rolled outward, born where fire and ice met, obscuring the sight of many onlookers.

Even Gu Yue retreated when she saw the mist spreading toward her.

Wind gathered around her hand. With a light sweep, she sent out a mighty gust.

The wind caught the mist and blew it apart. But the instant it cleared, a sword tip shot through, followed by a figure.

Li Qingxun stepped forward, thrusting his sword of ice and snow straight at Gu Yue without pause.

In a single exchange, he had turned their long-range duel into close combat.

Seeing him charge, Gu Yue swung her hand sharply. The ground suddenly collapsed, opening into a massive pit.

But Li Qingxun's advance did not falter.

His foot came down over the pit, and a layer of ice formed beneath it, carrying him safely across.

His sword drove on toward Gu Yue without slowing. The thrust was fast and fierce.

Gu Yue gritted her teeth as she watched the boy close in.

Unless she was willing to reveal greater power, even she would struggle if someone wielding such ultimate ice got close to her in her current state.

Normally, she would have retreated. But the boy's provocation had made her too angry.

After a moment's hesitation, she snapped her hand up. Ice, fire, and wind gathered in her palm in an instant.

She thrust her hand forward, and Ice-Fire Windstorm, the strongest technique she could currently wield, swiftly took shape.

The sword pressed relentlessly ahead and struck the ice-fire tornado.

The terrifying storm dragged at everything around it. Its powerful pull surged straight toward Li Qingxun.

Ice spread through the storm, while the raging winds shattered the ice rushing into them.

Their powers clashed, sending terrifying waves of force outward. Both fighters were displaying strength far beyond that of an ordinary Soul Master with three soul rings.

Xie Xie stood to the side, stunned. He knew Gu Yue was strong, but he had never imagined she was this strong.

And this new student could fight her to this point.

As their powers clashed, Li Qingxun's eyes remained unnaturally calm. A pale golden glint flashed through them.

His reality-warping ability activated. The ice, which should never have been able to withstand Ice-Fire Windstorm,

pierced through it in an instant. The sword drove on without pause and plunged straight into Gu Yue's shoulder.

Gu Yue knew the limits of her own abilities.

In their final clash, she had secretly raised her ice, fire, and wind to the level of Ultimate Attributes.

Three Ultimate Attributes against one—Gu Yue had been supremely confident.

Yet right before her eyes, just when she thought she had won,

that terrifying sword pierced through Ice-Fire Windstorm and drove deep into her shoulder.

Agony struck. As the sword was pulled free, Gu Yue dropped to one knee, a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.