"Wang Mingling... of course, I remember." Eld Di's expression was complicated, conflicted for a moment before he seemed to accept it. He let out a gentle sigh and slowly raised his hand to roll up his sleeve.

"Since you're here to assassinate this old man, then come."

Wang Lan stood in front of Eld Di. "Xiao Zi, protect Eld Di and retreat! Wang Mingling, your plot has been exposed! With so many teachers here, you don't stand a chance!"

"There's still a chance. I'm only five meters away from Eld Di now, close enough to strike before they can reach us. Kid, do you really think that just because you beat me once, you can stop me now? If I hadn't been trying to avoid attracting the Tianjian Bureau's attention, killing you would have taken but an instant."

As her voice fell, Wang Mingling's figure vanished in an instant.

"Phoenix Form, activate!"

In a flash, a bright red Phoenix Tail Flower insignia appeared on Wang Lan's forehead, and fiery flames erupted around him. The flames billowed like a fiery mist as a terrifying aura surged forth.

He swung a fierce punch, hammering it towards the ground.

"BOOM—"

The ground instantly cracked and buckled, stones soared into the air, and the ten-meter radius around his feet violently caved in.

"BOOM—"

Less than two meters in front of Wang Lan, a figure erupted from the ground, as swift as a phantom.

The moment the figure shot out from the ground, Wang Lan's fist, carrying the force of myriad lightning bolts, thundered down upon it.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—

Countless Thunder Snakes struck the dark silhouette, arcs of electricity rampaging and roaring. Amidst the exploding clouds of dust, a figure swiftly retreated, creating distance.

This exchange of blows, all completed within a single second, was so fast that no one present, except for a few Star Sea Stage teachers from the Star Martial Academy, clearly saw what had happened.

Metallic, shell-like fragments clinked as they fell, layer upon layer, from Wang Mingling's body. The sudden exchange left Wang Mingling with a palpable sense of trepidation; the Wang Lan before her was no longer the one she had faced previously.

"SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH—"

Led by Ni Yushu, several Star Sea Stage experts quickly arrived, encircling Eld Di and protecting him at the center.

"Eld Di, are you alright?"

"With Wang Lan here, what could happen to me? Heh heh heh... It seems this old man was underestimated. Back in the day, I too fought on bloody battlefields where rivers of crimson stained the mountains..."

"Teacher Yang, please escort Eld Di to safety. We'll handle this," Ni Yushu said to a male teacher beside her.

"Alright. Be careful."

"Don't!" Eld Di suddenly interjected. "Everyone, step back a bit. Leave this fight to Wang Lan. Show me your strongest abilities; let this old man see what you're truly made of."

Wang Lan's mouth twitched slightly. This old man behind me is a bit unhinged, he thought. Why insist on a one-on-one duel when we could easily overwhelm her together? And why am I being pushed into this duel? Shouldn't everyone be teaming up to take Wang Mingling down right now?

But he's Eld Di; he's the boss. Even if I'm reluctant, I have to listen to Eld Di. Besides, with him giving the order, the powerful teachers behind me will only provide support from the sidelines; they won't intervene directly.

A duel it is, then. Even if I can't win, the teachers surely wouldn't just stand by and watch Wang Mingling escape, right?

The teachers escorted Eld Di to the side, though not too far—twenty meters was close enough for them to intervene if necessary. The students in the stands departed in an orderly fashion under the teachers' direction. Only aerial drones and cameras, positioned in every corner, remained fixated on Wang Lan and Wang Mingling.

"Eld Di, Wang Lan's current state... is it the Phoenix Form?" Ni Yushu asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Indeed, it is the Phoenix Form. In just one year, he has cultivated the first aspect of the Phoenix Form to the second stage. This child might truly be able to inherit the mantle of the Little Phoenix..."

Although this was the first time Ni Yushu had heard the title "Little Phoenix," it didn't stop her from guessing that "Little Phoenix" referred to the Flame Emperor.

"But... Wang Lan is just an ordinary student from Suzhou City. How did he learn the super S-class forbidden technique, the Phoenix Form? Furthermore, as I understand it, the Phoenix Form has extremely stringent cultivation requirements. It requires a pure fire attribute and, at minimum, the Galaxy Stage. Even if those two conditions are met, the chances of successfully cultivating the Phoenix Form are one in ten thousand. Wang Lan... he clearly possesses both fire and thunder attributes, not even meeting the basic requirements to practice the Phoenix Form. How did he learn it? Where did he get the chance...?"

Ni Yushu asked excitedly, her question echoing the primary reaction of most people upon learning Wang Lan had studied the Phoenix Form. It simply... defied all logic.

"Wang Lan's performance has already proven his capabilities. He should no longer need to hide," Eld Di said, his expression uncharacteristically solemn. "He is the son of the Little Phoenix. It's time for him to step forward. As for how he learned the Phoenix Form... the Little Phoenix once took a fragment of his soul and, within her own body, used it to nurture the Phoenix Form. Only after the Phoenix Form's Star Power stabilized did she imprint that soul fragment and the Phoenix Form together into a Soul Bead. His Phoenix Form was specially crafted for him by the Little Phoenix. But even with such conditions, one would normally need to be at the Galaxy Stage to utilize it. Yet he… the very first Star Martial Skill he successfully learned was the Phoenix Form."

Eld Di's words caused the complexions of the surrounding Star Sea Stage experts to change drastically. Their gazes towards Wang Lan grew even more fervent.

What was this? A rising star? One destined to soar to unimaginable heights!

On the battlefield, Wang Lan unleashed his full strength against Wang Mingling, holding nothing back. After revealing her true form, Wang Mingling also completely unleashed her power. With Star Power at the peak of the Galaxy Stage and her sublime mastery of Star Martial Skills, her strength far surpassed that of a typical warrior at the peak of the Galaxy Stage.

Once Wang Lan activated his Phoenix Form, his strength also approached the peak of the Galaxy Stage, and his application of Star Martial Skills was no less than Wang Mingling's. The only disparity, perhaps, lay in combat experience.

Some aspects of combat experience can be compensated for, but certain instincts cannot be developed through shortcuts. These instincts are crucial. For instance, when facing imminent danger or an impending crisis, a subconscious reaction can avert disaster.

This instinct, honed through countless life-or-death situations, was what allowed Wang Mingling to repeatedly evade Wang Lan's terrifying killing blows.

Even so, Wang Mingling's mental state gradually neared the brink of collapse; she became increasingly unhinged and perverse.

Why? Why has Wang Lan's path been so smooth? Why can a mere high school senior fight me on equal terms? Why is it that you, a genius, are adored by thousands, while I, also a genius, am betrayed by my own family? Is my peculiar talent my fault? Did I choose to awaken this insidious ability to control others? Did I ask to devour souls? I didn't... I didn't want to be seen as a monster! I wanted to be like all of you! I never wanted to be an outcast! I researched Forbidden and Secret Skills—was it to harm society? No! I never thought of such a thing! I only hoped to change myself through learning! I just wanted to be a normal person! Why did you all reject me more and more, become increasingly hostile, and even... try to kill me, disregarding our blood ties? You are my closest relatives, my uncles, connected to me by blood! What else could I do? I had to strike first to survive! Betraying my country, betraying humanity... only in battle do I feel alive. By constantly hovering between life and death, I reached the pinnacle of a Star Martial Warrior in thirty years. But that legendary realm... I've been stalled before it for seventeen years! For even a glimpse of that realm, I joined the notorious Paradise Bird organization! What did I do wrong? You forced all of this upon me! It's not my fault! I am what I am today because of all of you! You think you're a genius? I'll kill you! Kill you! I'll make every single one of you regret this!

Wang Mingling's expression gradually twisted, becoming less human and more like a wild beast baring its fangs at the sight of prey.

Their battle raged from the ground to the sky, and from the sky back down underground. At their level, neither the solidity of the earth nor the vastness of the sky could restrict their abilities.

Wang Mingling's most proficient Earth Attribute Star Martial Skills were perfectly countered by the Thunder Attribute abilities of Wang Lan's Phoenix Form. Moreover, the Black Emperor Form, obtained by possessing Mu Shaoyun, could not absorb Star Power from the Phoenix Form.

It was an utterly, evenly matched fight.

The stands were now empty. Those who remained were teachers, at least at the peak of the Star Cloud Stage. The students and the leaders of Suzhou City had all been evacuated, yet the surrounding recording equipment continued to operate, fearlessly capturing the scene amidst the danger.

In front of countless television screens in homes everywhere, people stared, dumbfounded, at the battle unfolding before them. Although the fight wasn't edited and the footage occasionally shook, the thrill of it still made countless people's blood boil.

Previously, one could find videos of high-level battles online, but they were often blurry, fake, or artificially created. What was happening now, however, was undeniably real.

"Oh my gosh... is this how Star Martial Warriors fight? Calling it a clash of gods wouldn't be an exaggeration, right?"

"Do you think this could be an impromptu show by the Jiang Province organizers? Could it be fake?"

"Fake, my foot! Do you think this is some variety show taping? What do you take the provincial martial arts tournament for? It's as serious as the college entrance exams! And it's specifically for top-tier students! Even if this were a drill, they wouldn't dare be so reckless at an event like this!"

"That commenter is right. This is definitely a real, ongoing terrorist attack. But it seems the attack was anticipated, and that terrorist is now a cornered beast."

"I'm wondering, can Wang Lan win? What if he can't?"

"What 'what if'? Chill out! If Wang Lan loses, there's still a whole group of experts behind him, right? If each of them landed just one kick, they'd beat that guy senseless. It's just the desperate struggle of a cornered beast."

BOOM—

A deafening explosion rang out, and a terrifying shockwave swept through the area.

Trading injury for injury, Wang Lan struck Wang Mingling's chest with an Inch Strength Triple Force. In turn, Wang Mingling's sword slashed down from Wang Lan's shoulder, cleaving deep into his chest.

Wang Lan had deliberately initiated this exchange. It happened as quick as lightning, so fast that even the teachers behind him were too late to intervene.

By the time the teachers reacted, Wang Lan had already been nearly cleaved in two.

"AH—"

Almost simultaneously, everyone witnessing the scene gasped in horror. Even Eld Di couldn't help but frown.

A blow that sliced from the shoulder deep into the chest—how many internal organs had it destroyed along its path? Anyone else would undoubtedly be dead after receiving such a wound.

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH—" Wang Mingling stumbled back, spewing mouthfuls of dark blood mixed with chunks of flesh from her mouth.

I won. Even though my ultimate fate is death, I still won in the end. I killed one of your precious geniuses. Do you regret it now? Despair...

Just as a smug look began to spread across Wang Mingling's face, in the very next moment, her eyes bulged wide in shock.

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