The atmosphere grew slightly colder; a subtle chill began creeping through the area. Anyone with keen senses could feel the temperature dropping with each passing second.
Different auras began to appear around the courtyard. They belonged to those who had left earlier, only to return upon hearing that the young miss had return. None of them had expected to witness a duel the very moment they arrived.
They quickly formed a halo‑like circle, surrounding the two figures, who were poised and ready to strike. For them, Basha's failed conversation was a blessing. They began to stoke the already blazing fire of conflict.
"Who is that red‑headed boy? Looks like he's courting death."
"He dares to talk back to Young Master Basha? Does he wish for his entire family to be annihilated overnight?"
A cautious voice interjected, "Wait… look closely. That guy seems close to the young miss."
Another voice answered coldly, "No matter his identity, he is in Snowflakes City now. He cannot disrespect Young Master Basha and expect to walk away unscathed. That would stain the honor of the Springsteen Clan. He must be dealt with."
Numerous voices echoed through the area, their whispers flooding into Blood's ears, making him frown slightly.
"It seems you've got some friends here," he said leisurely, his tone calm despite the hostility.
Basha ignored the remark. Instead, he roared, "Dual Blade Clash—Ice Shadow!"
A luminous shadow appeared before him, wielding a sword identical to his own. Power surged into his weapon, its aura swelling monstrously.
The Ice Shadow merged with the blade, transforming it into a dual‑edged weapon. The sword lengthened slightly, its aura intensifying until even the ground beneath him began to freeze, ice was spreading outward in a creeping tide.
"It seems Young Master Basha is going all out from the start."
"That kid must have done something that infuriated him."
"That's the core secret technique of the Springsteen Clan from the get-go."
"Stillness." Basha whispered, his voice low before slashing with fury.
A torrent of ice energy erupted, surging forth violently. The surrounding heaven and earth energy was overwhelmed, replaced entirely by the dominance of ice. Within a hundred‑meter radius, only the ice power remained.
Only someone with immense reserves of energy or a trace of elemental comprehension could resist this. Blood realized grimly.
The Primitive stages—Iron and Bronze Realms—were known as the energy‑gathering realms, where heaven and earth energy was harnessed for attacks, or simply infused into weapons or fists.
To advance into the Silver Realm, one had to grasp a trace of elemental power, and once fully mastered, the said power would mark the true step into the Silver Realm.
Basha had indeed comprehended a trace of ice power. Although he had not fully mastered it, his strike shattered a large patch of earth, the air itself was cracking under the surge.
He's only at the fifth stage of the Bronze Realm. To have grasped elemental power at this level is astounding… only those at the peak or close to the peak should be capable of such a feat. Blood's brows furrowed deeper, his heartbeat racing slightly.
As the rampant energy swept in, Blood's trident materialized in his grip, brimming with blood power. The icy domain that had consumed the area began to fracture, corroded by the trident's leaking aura. The ice energy was gradually being weakened by the blood power.
Blood raised his brows in surprise.
It should be noted that only someone who had comprehended a trace of elemental power or possessed a higher comprehension could defeat a peer.
Blood, however, had yet to grasp even a fragment, leaving him helpless before such strike. But the trident in his hand was no ordinary weapon; it was forged entirely from blood power.
The influence of the ice energy upon the surroundings was steadily destroyed, and the trident began to carve out an environment brimming with blood aura.
Still, the torrent of ice energy unleashed by Basha continued to surge forward relentlessly, seemingly unaffected by the sudden change. Only its impact over the environment was diminished; its destructive force remained unhindered.
"Soulless Sweep." Blood called, his voice low, as he slashed.
The trident burst with raw blood power, its energy condensing at the tip of its pointed spikes. The devastating strike moved forward, passing through the torrent of ice energy as though it weren't there. It was as if the ice had never existed.
"How is that possible?" Basha was alarmed, his eyes widening. He quickly summoned multiple Ice Shadows, realizing that although Blood's technique had passed through his own, it had neither destroyed nor slowed it down. His attack was still surging toward Blood with crushing might.
Multiple Ice Shadows appeared, surrounding him. He condensed them one after another, slashing furiously in an attempt to shatter Blood's unusual strike.
Blood Evasive Step!
Runner
Blood, on the other hand, employed another technique, and moved with extreme speed. He evaded the strike effortlessly, while simultaneously activating a skill, darting toward Basha with lightning speed, shortening the distance between them.
He's only at the fifth stage of the Bronze Realm, Blood thought, recalling Shiva, the guard of the Shaffa Clan's young master. That realm is something I can handle.
Basha continued to unleash attacks, desperate to destroy Blood's first move. Yet every strike failed, all his attacks passed through Blood's Soulless Sweep again and again, unable to halt or hit it.
He couldn't even move to dodge until the strike finally reached him. It produced no physical impact, no thunderous noise, but silently entered his head.
Everything fell quiet.
Basha's vision shifted. His body shook violently as his senses were stripped away. He could neither see nor hear—only silence remained. Then, out of nowhere, a colorless streak flashed within his spiritual space, darting straight toward his core.
The streak released a subtle aura, one that could lull anyone into complete relaxation.
This is grave danger. Basha's instincts screamed.
It's a soul attack. he realized, overwhelmed with shock. His face turned cold.
Instantly, he summoned an ice crest in the shape of an elephant. A horrifying pressure descended, nullifying the soul attack before it could pierce his core.
Blood, already within striking distance, had raised his trident to end the fight in one decisive blow. But he froze suddenly, sensing the crushing pressure released by the ice elephant.
His instincts, honed through countless battles with the primitive beasts of the Sand‑Scale Forest roared within him. Without hesitation, he bolted in another direction, attempting to flee.
Still, he wasn't fast enough. The pressure had locked onto him the moment it descended, like prey caught in the gaze of a predator.
The ice elephant released a pressure unlike anything Blood had ever faced. A streak of grey light darted from its eyes, reaching him the instant it appeared.
Blood felt the impending danger and rapidly slashed his trident three times, infusing each strike with blood qi. He knew only a single attack technique, but at this moment it would not suffice.
He was still in the beginner stage of Soulless Sweep, which allowed him to target an opponent's core directly, instantly crippling their energy if successful.
The technique could pass through all attacks without losing its strength, unless it met a solid wall that stopped it. That was why he chose blood qi instead, complementing the strike with Pulsating Beam, a skill unique to the trident.
Boom!
The collision shook the air, but the strength of the grey light was hardly dispersed. It obliterated the blood energy and reached Blood in an instant.
Another thunderous boom followed as Blood was flung violently backward, crashing into a raised board at the far end of the courtyard. He coughed blood instantly; his energy was thrown into disorder.
"What? You can still stand after that attack!" Basha exclaimed, astonished.
That strike had carried the imbued strength of his clan leader, an Entrance Realm cultivator. It should have left the boy dead, or at the very least half‑dead.
Blood straightened, his breath ragged. "Your last move is powerful, but it lacked the strength to make me feel helpless against it." he said, wiping the blood from his mouth.
Only he knew the truth; it was thanks to the trident that he had survived. That power was anything but ordinary. Even now, the weapon's glow had dimmed, its essence had been drained from absorbing the damage on his behalf.
Before the crowd could react, a cold voice rang out, bringing the onlookers back to reality.
"Basha, you've broken the rules of a duel."