In the past, Ma Hongjun had stepped on Yu Feng, acting with arrogant abandon:
"Is that it?"
"Is that it?"
"So this is all Heaven Dou City's got?!"
And now—
Those echoes were shattered.
The Evil Fire Phoenix was reduced to mere background noise.
A white-robed figure walked calmly through the flames, returning the words with cold disdain:
"Is that it?"
"Is that it?"
"Evil Fire—is that it?!"
—
For the audience below the stage, this scene of extreme contrast was as refreshing as chugging ice water on a sweltering summer day. It was a comfortable feeling that spread from the top of their heads all the way to their feet.
"Good, good, good! Hahahaha! Is that all the Evil Fire can do?!"
No one knew who shouted it first.
But that single voice sparked a wildfire.
Within moments, the entire Spirit Arena thundered with the chant:
"Is that all the Evil Fire can do?"
The sound was so powerful, so united, it sent chills down spines.
"Cough, cough!"
Yu Feng's face flushed red with excitement. The yelling pulled at his wounds, making blood seep from the corner of his mouth—
But he didn't care. With a hoarse voice, he shouted along at the top of his lungs.
Osler hurried to steady his trembling body.
"Yu Feng! You're gonna drop dead if you keep yelling! Cut it out!"
Yu Feng's eyes burned with a mix of humiliation and catharsis.
"You don't get it, Osler."
"This was the first time in my life I've been stepped on and trampled on the ground.""
"And today—Sword Wine paid it back for me in full."
"From this day on, he's my idol."
—
In the VIP box, Dugu Bo overlooked the roaring crowd.
The white-robed figure on stage was undeniably the focus of it all.
For once, a rare smile touched his stern, weathered face.
"Well done, Li Zhexian…"
In his long life, he had met countless people.
He knew—some people were simply born with charisma.
Every gesture, every breath, could shift the world around them.
Li Zhexian… was one of them.
"Grandfather…"
Dugu Yan's bright eyes were glued to the white-robed youth onstage.
"Can I beat Zhexian-ge now?"
"No."
Dugu Bo realized he'd answered a bit too bluntly.
Worried he'd hurt his granddaughter's pride, he was about to add something—
But Dugu Yan's voice came, filled with glee:
"That's great then!"
Dugu Bo: "..."
He stroked his beard, frowning.
Maybe he should ask Li Zhexian whether the detox last time had any lingering side effects on his mind..
—
Ye Clan's VIP box.
Lady Ye's gaze was fixed on Ye Lingling.
"Lingling, you must win Li Zhexian over."
"Whether our Nine Heart Begonia can surpass the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda depends on him."
"Understood, Mother."
Ye Lingling replied, but her mind was wandering.
She wasn't really thinking about how to cling to Li Zhexian—
She was thinking…
Knowing him, while he looked like a cold and aloof swordmaster onstage, he was probably already planning which restaurant to raid afterward.
Mm.
That was just the kind of person he was.
—
In the Imperial Box.
"Young master," the Snake Lance Douluo said excitedly, "Once you take charge of the Spirit Hall, this boy will surely become your strongest asset! At that time, our Spirit Hall—"
"Silence."
Xue Qinghe cut him off coldly.
Her voice was soft but held absolute authority.
"From now on—"
"I won't allow any of you to tie Li Zhexian to the Spirit Hall."
In her heart—
Someone like Li Zhexian—
Should be riding a horse beneath the stars, roaming the great rivers and lakes, or wandering moonlit brooks and clear streams.
Not sinking with her in the muddy swamp of power and politics.
He… was too good for that.
—
"Impossible!"
Zhao Wuji's eyes bulged, his rough face full of disbelief.
"He came out of the Evil Fire Phoenix completely untouched?!"
Even he, Zhao Wuji, couldn't endure that flame so effortlessly—let alone this junior.
Qin Ming let out a long sigh, his tone bitter:
"Teacher… let Hongjun admit defeat."
"Shrek's little monsters are strong…"
"But Sword Wine… he's a monster among monsters."
A monster might still be within human limits.
A freak—has already stepped beyond the realm of mortals.
Zhao Wuji's expression darkened.
His fists clenched so hard they cracked.
He had brought Ma Hongjun here himself. He couldn't afford to let anything happen to the boy.
He swallowed hard and was about to speak—
BOOM—!
The duel reignited onstage.
"I don't believe it!"
Ma Hongjun roared, stomping forward.
His second Spirit Ring flared to life beneath him.
"Second Spirit Ability — Bathing Fire Phoenix!*"
A pillar of violet Evil Fire erupted skyward—
Behind him, the fire condensed into the form of a giant phoenix, its wings spread, screeching toward the heavens.
The heatwave swept over the arena like a tsunami.
Even with protective barriers, the front-row audience felt like they were suffocating.
Spirit Masters around the arena quickly poured Spirit Power into the shields to keep them stable.
But it wasn't over yet.
Ma Hongjun's third Spirit Ring—his only purple ring—lit up suddenly.
"Third Spirit Ability — Phoenix Wing Ascension!"
SCREECH—!!
A deafening, violent phoenix cry tore through the arena.
Ma Hongjun was engulfed by blazing purple fire.
A massive pair of wings, forged from Evil Fire, exploded from his back.
Each wing stretched over four meters wide.
Every flap fanned a scorching storm, making the soul barrier creak and hiss under pressure.
VMMM—!!
The fiery wings pounded the air.
Ma Hongjun shot skyward—
Leaving behind a blazing arc of purple.
"Sword Wine!"
"Let's see how you handle this!"
He hovered midair, looking down at the white-robed swordsman below.
With a savage flap of his flaming wings—
A storm of fire rained down like a torrential monsoon.
Countless flame lances crashed toward Li Zhexian's side of the stage, drowning it in a tide of destruction.
The crowd was stunned—
Many jumped to their feet in fear.
In the center of it all—
Li Zhexian's white robes whipped in the searing wind.
He lifted his head slightly.
His pitch-black eyes reflected the storm of fire descending from the sky.
"Fire…"
He opened his mouth. His voice wasn't loud—
But it cut through the roaring inferno with eerie clarity.
"You're doing it wrong."
As the words left his lips—
His right hand slowly rose.
Fingers spread wide—then clenched.
ZING—!!
A crisp, clear sword cry echoed.
An ancient, unadorned hilt appeared in his grasp—
And inch by inch, a sword of pale jade light pulled itself from the void.
The Qinglian Sword.
Its blade gleamed cold and pure as jade.
Twelve blooming lotus marks unfurled down its length.
"Qinglian Sword Song, Second Move—"
Li Zhexian's gaze sharpened like a drawn blade.
"Two Forms: Sword of Blaze."
In that instant, the twelve lotus marks blazed brightly.
Molten-red flame—thick as lava, yet radiant and pure—burst from the sword's core.
In a flash—
The three-foot-six-inch Qinglian Sword transformed—
Its edge extended into a ribbon of searing light, trailing a crimson blaze.
The blade shimmered with wild heat. Its tip flickered, wrapped in flowing red flames.
Each swing left behind a burning afterimage meters long.
Shhh—!
Shhh—!
Shhh—!
Heat and steel fused into one.
The Spirit Masters maintaining the barrier turned pale.
The shield trembled violently, groaning under the pressure, spiderweb cracks appearing here and there.
And then—
A dense purple Spirit Ring coiled around the flaming sword.
"Second Spirit Ability — Three Swords of Elegance."
In that moment—
The Qinglian Sword seemed to want to break through the limits of its current realm and step into another, more unfathomable one,
Li Zexian felt an inexplicable tingling sensation on his back, as if something was about to pierce through his skin.
But—
There was no time.
He raised the sword burning with crimson flames—
And with its razor edge, carrying both divine brilliance and hellish heat, he slashed toward Ma Hongjun in the sky.
"Today—"
"The Blazing Sword shall cut down the Evil Phoenix!"
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin