Volume 1 Chapter 42

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Volume 1 Chapter 42: Golden Fire

"Could you warm up with me?"

In that incredibly quiet moment, Feng Qingtian suddenly broke the silence and said with a gentle smile. His tone and demeanor felt as if the host of the room was inviting a guest to dinner.

"I would be happy to," Jin Qinghan said calmly.

As Jin Qinghan spoke, the bright red light around Feng Qingtian slowly dimmed, but fierce flames began to rise around him. Then, the sweet chirping of small birds filled the air, and the fierce flames transformed into lively little firebirds that soared into the sky, circling above the competition ground like they could cover the whole sky.

It was the mid-level fire technique—"Firebird Technique."

Jin Qinghan watched calmly as Feng Qingtian used his technique, then looked up at the little firebirds fluttering above him, seeming ready to dive down and deal a fatal blow. A hint of disdain crossed his face, and with a graceful motion of his fingers, golden light began to gather around him, transforming into golden spears, all standing tall and aimed at the firebirds hovering in the sky, like an ancient army’s spear formation.

This was Jin Qinghan’s favored gold-type technique—"Golden Spirit Spear."

Almost at the same moment, Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan both smiled. Feng Qingtian gently pressed his right hand down, and the firebirds, with their crisp calls, dove toward Jin Qinghan in droves. Meanwhile, Jin Qinghan flicked his right index finger upward, and the golden spears suspended in the air shot toward the diving firebirds like arrows. In that instant, the world seemed to be painted in shades of red and gold.

Although Feng Qingtian’s firebirds were quick and nimble, Jin Qinghan’s golden spears were even faster and sharper. Even if a firebird could dodge the first golden spear, it couldn’t escape the second. Ultimately, the firebirds could only get within three feet of Jin Qinghan without posing any real threat.

As the golden spears pierced the firebirds one after another, the air was filled with the deafening sound of explosions, creating clouds of smoke that blocked everyone’s view, surrounding the area in mist.

Just as the onlookers anxiously guessed the situation, the temperature in the square suddenly soared, and through the smoke, flickers of flames began to shine. It was Feng Qingtian launching another attack.

When Feng Qingtian saw his spirit qi-formed firebirds being hunted down by Jin Qinghan’s golden spears without any threat to him, there was no hint of regret or surprise on his face. Instead, he moved his fingers, and fierce flames burst forth beneath him. The fire spread quickly, filling the area and turning the stone stage into a sea of flames.

Under the blazing flames, the smoke and dust in the arena were burned away, and the people below finally saw the scene on the field clearly.

The flames twisted the light. The crowd saw a sea of fire appear, with towering waves of flame rushing towards Feng Qingtian. For a moment, all they could see was a sky full of fire, strong and powerful.

Facing the overwhelming waves of fire, Jin Qinghan remained calm. In front of him, a glowing golden leaf, as wide and long as several yards, floated quietly. Then, under Jin Qinghan’s control, the leaf began to flap wildly at the waves of fire, creating strong winds that blew towards the flames. The wind fueled the fire, making it even stronger. But the wind could also push the flames, and under the fierce gusts, the waves of fire began to turn back, no longer controlled by Feng Qingtian.

Seeing Jin Qinghan’s quick thinking, a flash of admiration crossed Feng Qingtian’s eyes. However, he did not confront Jin Qinghan again; instead, he let go of his control over the flames. As a result, the fire that spread throughout the arena quickly vanished without Feng Qingtian’s spiritual power. The flames that were about to turn back towards Feng Qingtian also vanished in an instant before they could reach him.

It was only then that the crowd below reacted to the exciting battle, erupting in loud chatter. Few low-level disciples present could handle such intense attacks, but unexpectedly, for Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan, it was merely a warm-up.

"Very good, you have made a lot of progress over the past ten years." Feng Qingtian gently clapped his hands, hardly noticing the waves of fire that had surged towards him, and said softly to Jin Qinghan.

"You too. I thought I could easily defeat you this time. It seems I will have to put in more effort," Jin Qinghan replied calmly.

"But don’t you have any other tricks besides this ‘Golden Spirit Spear’? Using just this one move is quite dull, isn’t it?" Feng Qingtian said with a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Aren’t you only using the ‘Firebird Technique’? I think the ‘Golden Spirit Spear’ is enough," Jin Qinghan replied coolly, not getting angry.

"It seems that both of us need to use some new tricks," Feng Qingtian said with a gentle smile, though his hint of disdain made people feel uncomfortable.

"So, are we done warming up?" Jin Qinghan asked.

Feng Qingtian smiled, neither confirming nor denying, but suddenly, dozens of towering flames appeared around him, each roaring fire transforming into nine fire snakes that swayed their bodies, staring coldly at Jin Qinghan with fierce eyes.

"Hmph…!" Jin Qinghan scoffed disdainfully, but he also moved his fingers in a gesture, and suddenly, golden light burst forth from him, slowly taking the shape of a ten-foot-tall golden guardian. This guardian had bulging muscles, three eyes, and six arms, holding various weapons like swords, spears, and shields, silently hovering above Jin Qinghan’s head.

In an instant, the crowd below felt an overwhelming pressure.

"’Nine-headed Fire Snake’! It’s actually the ‘Nine-headed Fire Snake’! Isn’t it said that this Taoist spell is lost to history?"

"’Diamond Protector’! It’s the ‘Diamond Protector’! They say even Jin Qinghan’s master, Elder Weichi, cannot use this Taoist spell!"

The crowd below erupted in a clamor, discussing the Taoist spells cast by Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan.

Seeing the spells being used by the two, the elders sitting high above, who had been still like mountains, also showed shock on their faces. Many of them could not hold back their emotions and stood up from their seats. Although all the elders knew that Feng Qingtian and Jin Qinghan were rare talents, they had not expected their abilities to be this remarkable.

Zhang Hualing’s expression was complicated, showing a hint of surprise and strange concern, as he said to Jin Qinghan’s master, Elder Weichi, "Junior Martial Brother Weichi, you are hiding your true feelings so well. Qinghan has actually mastered the ‘Diamond Protector’, and my Junior Brother didn’t even tell me, the sect leader."

Elder Weichi, however, remained calm, though his constantly darting eyes revealed his inner unrest. After a long pause, he said, "I also did not know that Qinghan had learned the ‘Diamond Protector.’"

"Oh? Is that so? Regardless, having these two remarkably talented disciples is a blessing for Jiuhua," Zhang Hualing said cheerfully, not bothered at all.

"Senior Brother, with greater ability comes greater danger. This Feng Qingtian…" Zhou Huahai spoke hesitantly.

"The Feng family’s glory is a thing of the past; one Feng Qingtian cannot stir up much trouble. Junior Brother Zhou need not worry," Zhang Hualing said firmly, but the worry in his eyes became more apparent.

Below the stage.

"The real competition is about to begin," Bai Qingfu said with a faint smile. He seemed to be the only person on stage who did not show any shock, always wearing a cheerful expression, no matter what happened.

"’Diamond Protector’, ‘Nine-headed Fire Snake,’" Xu Qingfan murmured to himself, unable to hide his deepening worry.

"Junior Brother Xu, are you worried about Junior Brother Jin?" Bai Qingfu asked, noticing the concern on Xu Qingfan’s face.

"Yes, both of their attacks are very impressive. If they lose control, it can be fatal." Xu Qingfan said worriedly. "Junior Brother Jin’s personality is too competitive. So, I’m afraid if something goes wrong…"

"Yes, I heard from my senior brother that in the past, when there was an inner sect competition, the elders who served as judges would not only judge the winners and losers, but would also help the disciples if they were in danger. But since the sect leader took office, this has not happened again. They say it is to train the lower-level disciples’ combat ability, but strangely, none of the other elders opposed this. Since then, each competition has started to see more injuries and casualties." Bai Qingfu said.

However, Xu Qingfan did not say anything more and just focused on the scene, looking more and more worried.

On the stage.

"You surprised me." Feng Qingtian said faintly, looking at the giant shadow behind Jin Qinghan. Strangely, he still managed to smile.

"You too." Jin Qinghan kept his eyes on Feng Qingtian and didn’t even glance at the hideous fire snakes around him.

"Since that’s the case, let me see if your ‘Diamond Protector’ can really withstand my ‘Nine-headed Fire Snake’." Feng Qingtian said with a slight smile.

"I’m in it to the end."

As he spoke, the fire snakes that had been watching closely suddenly opened their huge mouths and shot out thick pillars of fire at Jin Qinghan. Countless fire pillars came together to form a wide net of fire, crashing down towards the golden figure above Jin Qinghan’s head.

At the same moment the fire snake spouted a pillar of flame, the three-eyed gorilla behind Jin Qinghan suddenly opened its eyes wide, erupting with three dazzling golden lights. Six massive arms swung various weapons fiercely at the fire net falling from the sky.

"Body Protection Diamond" and "Nine-headed Fire Snake," two legendary and powerful Taoist spells. Who will win in this battle?

With eager eyes watching, the six differently shaped golden weapons clashed fiercely with the enormous fire net blazing with fierce flames, creating a bright golden-red light that dazzled everyone.