The next bout ignited a storm of anticipation—this time in the Bronze and Iron Grey Arenas, where the semifinalists were already stepping up.

In the Bronze Arena stood Xue Lan, her Snow Falcon perched gracefully upon her shoulder. A faint mist of frost shimmered around her feet—not from overwhelming elemental power, but from the falcon's natural aura. The true gift of the Moon Rank Snow Falcon wasn't ice—it was speed. Its awakening granted its master heightened reflexes, agility, and instantaneous movement—making Xue Lan a blur on the battlefield.

Across from her, in the Iron Grey Arena, stood Huo Ren. His fiery crimson hair and confident grin made him look like a spark ready to detonate. Behind him, the Crimson Pyre Beast prowled—a muscular creature whose flames flickered like molten steel. Though its name suggested fire, its real strength lay in raw physical enhancement—brute force, explosive acceleration, and monstrous stamina. That, too, marked it as Moon Rank—the level where spirit beasts empowered their cultivators' bodies more than their elemental might.

In this world's hierarchy, Moon Rank beasts emphasized physique and combat potential. Sun Rank beasts, like Tian Lei's Golden Sun Bird, channeled powerful elemental energies. But at the very pinnacle stood Star Rank beasts, like Wu Long's Azure Dragon—creatures of balance, whose power fused both body and element into near-divine harmony.

Here, however, it was two Moon Rank fighters about to clash—Xue Lan of the Third Stage Earth rank, and Huo Ren of the Fourth stage Earth Rank.

The referee raised his hand.

"Begin!"

In the instant his voice fell, Xue Lan vanished. Her form flickered across the arena, leaving streaks of white light—like snow racing through moonlight. Her Snow Falcon let out a piercing cry, its wings slicing the air as Xue Lan reappeared behind Huo Ren, her palm already glowing with condensed spiritual energy.

Huo Ren laughed, turning in a blaze of red heat.

"Crimson Pyre Domain—Ignite!"

A wave of fire burst outward, blasting Xue Lan back. The floor cracked beneath his feet, molten veins spreading like lightning.

Xue Lan steadied herself mid-slide, frost flaring at her heels as she leapt forward again, her speed nearly invisible to the naked eye. "Frost Step—Feather Strike!"

Her falcon dove alongside her, a streak of white against a sea of red. Every movement she made was fast, fluid—her attacks dancing like snowflakes caught in a storm.

Huo Ren roared, his body blazing brighter, the sheer pressure of his physical strength distorting the air. His next punch shattered the incoming frost shards, sending fiery shockwaves that made even the spectators flinch.

Steam rose where frost met flame, the arena becoming a battlefield of boiling mist and gleaming light.

Tian Lei watched quietly from the stands, arms crossed.

"She's fast," he muttered. "But against that kind of brute force… speed alone might not be enough."

Su Liyue nodded beside him, eyes narrowing. "Still—if she times it right, even a volcano can be outpaced by winter's whisper."

Down below, the two fighters charged again—moonlight and fire clashing in a storm of motion, neither side showing any sign of surrender.

The clash reached a fever pitch.

Huo Ren slammed his foot down, shattering the arena tiles. "Crimson Burst!" he bellowed, his aura exploding outward. His entire body became a streak of burning red, lunging forward like a meteor. Every punch he threw rippled with raw power, each strike strong enough to crater stone.

Xue Lan darted around him in blinding loops, leaving afterimages of herself—seven, eight, ten mirages encircling him at once. Her Snow Falcon soared overhead, its wings beating faster and faster, stirring up slicing gusts that turned the air razor-sharp.

"Snow Mirage—Circle Formation!" she called out.

The illusionary figures converged from all sides, their combined attacks hitting Huo Ren's defenses at once. Frost coated his arms and shoulders, ice spreading rapidly up his torso.

But Huo Ren only grinned through the cold. "Nice trick," he growled, his breath steaming. "But I burn hotter than that."

"Crimson Body—Overdrive!"

A burst of red light exploded from within him, vaporizing the frost instantly. His muscles swelled, veins glowing with molten fire as his spiritual pressure surged. The sudden release of power shattered several of Xue Lan's mirages and threw her back across the field.

She hit the ground hard, skidding across the cracked tiles before catching herself with a hand. Her breathing quickened, a faint line of blood on her lip—but her eyes only sharpened.

From above, her falcon let out another cry. It wasn't loud this time—just sharp and focused. The bird's form blurred, merging into a streak of light that dove directly into Xue Lan's chest.

The spectators gasped.

"She's synchronizing!" an elder shouted. "She can do Resonance!"

A brilliant silver aura erupted around Xue Lan. Feathers of light spiraled around her body, her movements becoming impossibly fluid—no, beyond her earlier limit. Her irises turned an icy blue as frost condensed beneath her every step.

In the stands, Tian Lei's gaze hardened. "So that's her trump card."

Huo Ren barked a laugh, unfazed. "Then let's end this!"

He charged again, his fists like falling meteors. But this time, Xue Lan didn't evade. She moved through the gaps between his strikes—so fast it was as if she'd vanished between frames of reality itself.

"Frost Wing—Piercing Gale!"

Her palm struck his chest in a single, lightning-fast thrust. A surge of freezing energy erupted from the impact, coating his body in a layer of crystal frost. The blast sent Huo Ren staggering back several steps before he slammed a fist into the ground to stay upright.

Cracks spread across the frost coating his body—then shattered completely as his flames roared back to life. He was still standing, his breathing ragged but his grin unbroken.

"Not bad…" he huffed. "But it'll take more than that to put me down."

Xue Lan exhaled, her aura dimming slightly. The Resoanance with her falcon was powerful—but draining. She had maybe one final move left in her.

Her gaze steadied. "Then I'll make it count."

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