Chapter Forty: The Clash of Geniuses

Defeat.

Little Black begs for votes.

———

Whether it was because they were moved by Xu Wen's words or influenced by his understated demeanor, the first match for the Seventh Medicine Peak ended in an utterly unremarkable fashion.

Five people ascended the stage, each smoothly pairing off with an opponent. After barely half a minute of small-scale skirmishes, the matches concluded: the five from the Seventh Medicine Peak walked off the stage in unison, while the other five were escorted down, supporting one another.

Even so, the quality of the Seventh Medicine Peak's inner disciples left the elders on the high platform impressed, their eyes bright with admiration, bringing Elder Xu, their master, considerable pride.

"Tch!"

The Blueflame Blaze squad, who considered the five from the Seventh Medicine Peak their greatest obstacle, had been watching Xu Wen and his companions intently from below. Seeing this battle, utterly lacking in spectacle or excitement, the brown-haired girl wrinkled her nose and let out a cold snort:

"Even against opponents like these, it takes them so long."

"......"

Blueflame Lie and the quiet girl beside him, however, uncharacteristically offered no comment.

Both could see that Xu Wen's group was toying with their adversaries; the disparity was unmistakable. Xu Wen had even picked the weakest inner disciple for his duel, revealing not even half the strength he’d shown at Blackwater Mountain.

"What does this even count as?" Blueflame Lie muttered darkly, swiftly leading his team into the second round.

This time, the Sixth Medicine Peak was even more ruthless!

All five simultaneously unleashed Grand Fireball Spells, their superior cultivation allowing them to launch wave after wave, inexorably suppressing their opponents until, thoroughly demoralized, the adversaries conceded and stepped down. Their overwhelming momentum and arrogance sparked another small frenzy among the watching inner disciples.

On the Seventh Medicine Peak’s side...

They maintained their previous style.

Quietly defeating their opponents, all the way to the end!

At last, the Sixth and Seventh Medicine Peaks stood opposed on the tournament stage.

"You should all know the rules by now," a middle-aged four-star fire mage, serving as referee, reminded both sides before the match:

"Anyone who falls from the stage is disqualified from this round. If the judges below deem your life in danger, they will intervene... Until only one remains... The side with someone left standing on stage wins."

"During the fight, you may unleash your full strength!"

"The sealing barrier will be withdrawn in ten seconds! Elemental flow will resume! Prepare yourselves."

With that, the middle-aged referee turned and left the stage.

Ten contestants on each side, separated by fifty meters...

Both sides could feel the oppressive pressure emanating from their opponents. Xu Wen, fully alert, raised his calm face and took his place at the front of his team, his aura locking onto Blueflame Lie in the center of the opposing formation. He dared not relax for a moment, attuning himself to the fire elements around him, waiting... waiting for the moment the barrier would be lifted and the elemental stagnation would end.

He knew!

Blueflame Lie could not be feeling any more at ease than he was.

At two-star, seventh level, Blueflame Lie’s use of the "Blueflame" power was limited. He would need to maximize his strength in the shortest time possible and eliminate Xu Wen, his greatest threat. Otherwise, Xie Zhan and the others would quickly seize the advantage and defeat them—for in terms of summoning magic speed, a novice two-star, seventh-level fire mage was no match for any at two-star, eighth-level. Xie Zhan and his group were generally a cut above the Sixth Medicine Peak as well!

The Sixth Medicine Peak could only rely on Blueflame Lie, and only the "Blueflame" itself. This fleeting opportunity, if missed, meant certain defeat for the Sixth Medicine Peak.

The tension on stage infected the crowd below. Nearly all the newly eliminated inner disciples swarmed over.

After several rounds of eliminations, it was obvious to all: the team to claim the Azure Cloud Academy’s admission spot would come from either the Sixth or Seventh Medicine Peaks!

They were simply too strong!

Both teams boasted high-level, two-star fire mages.

The Sixth Medicine Peak had consistently performed superbly, clearly the strongest contenders for the Azure Cloud Academy’s spot.

Yet, in the eyes of the advanced inner disciples above three-star, the Seventh Medicine Peak’s strength was even greater: two at two-star, sixth-level; two at two-star, fifth-level; one at two-star, eighth-level... If the Sixth Medicine Peak persisted with their aggressive tactics against the Seventh, it would only end in utter defeat.

But rumors of "Blueflame" had already spread among the inner disciples.

Blueflame Lie had yet to unleash the "Blueflame" power—their ultimate trump card, adding both intrigue and unpredictability to the match.

Even the elders on the viewing platform composed themselves, anticipating the upcoming duel between the two greatest young talents of the Hortonklin family’s new generation.

One, an awakened inheritor of the Blueflame bloodline;

The other, a genius gifted in both alchemy and fire magic.

The outcome of this battle would subtly affect the upper echelons of the Hortonklin family, and so they watched with utmost care.

In a heartbeat...

All eyes—thousands of them in the Grand Martial Arena of the First Medicine Peak—focused on a single stage.

With a clang, the dueling platform trembled slightly. The semicircular, seven-colored light shrouding it vanished, and a dozen or so middle-aged fire mages seated around the stage withdrew their hands.

At almost the same instant.

The ten contestants felt the elements around them begin to flow again—the magical restrictions were gone.

Xu Wen was the quickest to act.

Seizing the very moment the barrier fell, he dashed forward without hesitation, the fire elements quickly responding to the incantations spilling from his lips.

Xie Zhan, Jing Yu, Xiang Nan, and Shiya broke into pairs and darted left and right, summoning their spells as they closed in, like three arrows splitting from one bow, their aggressive intent unmistakable!

Seventh Medicine Peak’s resolute offensive came as no surprise to Blueflame Lie and his team, but what they didn’t expect was the group splitting up, activating no defensive magic, and launching straight into summoning attack spells as they advanced.

Xu Wen alone surged forward, deep into enemy lines, giving them all a bad premonition...

A moment’s hesitation, and the initiative had shifted to the Seventh Medicine Peak; Xu Wen’s Grand Fireball Spell materialized rapidly on the stage.

Go!

With a roar, the fireball flew from his hand, swelling in the wind as it hurtled forward, expanding wildly as it sped through the air!

That split-second advantage was enough for the Grand Fireball to grow into a monstrous blaze on the stage.

Below, the many disciples and elders all nodded in unison—this, indeed, was the decisiveness of a two-star, eighth-level fire mage. Seizing the moment, he made a forceful opening move, displaying the Seventh Medicine Peak’s dominance and wielding the authority of an elemental vortex to its fullest!

The Sixth Medicine Peak was instantly on the back foot!

But the four responded decisively, dodging left and right to evade the fireball’s path.

With their retreat, Blueflame Lie was left alone to face Xu Wen’s Grand Fireball!

Blueflame Lie was already shrouded from head to toe in a faint blue, flame-like aura. His fists clenched, eyes cold and fierce as blue light flared, jaw set, looking both strained and disdainful as he glared at the rapidly expanding fireball before him, unmoving, a cold smile curling his lips...