Chapter 1 The Arena

On the arena, the match countdown ticked down, second by second.

The audience in the stands couldn’t help but grow tense, focusing all their attention on the field.

This level of competition was unprecedented in Stone Forest Town’s arena!

Even the grand tournament held every fifteen days couldn’t compare.

After all, one side was Shi Feng, who had instantly killed the champion of today's small tournament—something that would never happen in the fifteen-day grand tournament. And while Xing Huo hadn't yet fought, his equipment, terrifying aura, and the way Tiger Might and the others subtly deferred to him made it clear that Xing Huo was stronger than them.

No one knew what the outcome of their clash would be, but one thing was certain: if they didn't watch closely, they would miss the moment the two exchanged blows.

As the countdown hit zero, Xing Huo suddenly drew the Storm Blade from his back and roared, cyan lightning crackling around his body like a wild beast ready to pounce, drastically boosting his aura.

It was the burst skill, Lightning Beast Rampage!

A super rare burst skill that increased a player's Strength by 100%, Attack Speed by 100%, Movement Speed by 100%, and HP by 100% for 90 seconds.

"Then let's begin!"

Xing Huo's gaze sharpened, a palpable killing intent engulfing Shi Feng, making it feel as though he was the only person in the world. The audience, the buildings, everything faded away.

"How can he have such a strong killing intent?" Shi Feng watched Xing Huo approach in astonishment. His mind warned him of impending death, compelling him to focus all his awareness on Xing Huo.

With his current strength, he could fight even a High Lord, and only Fourth-Order Legendary monsters could pressure him. But Xing Huo, using just a burst skill, exerted even more pressure than a Fourth-Order Legendary monster. It was unbelievable.

It wasn't just Shi Feng on the arena; even the spectators in the stands felt their breathing become labored, their expressions grave.

"So strong, too strong. Just his presence is this overwhelming. Zero Wing is in trouble," many expert players in the audience thought, their eyes filled with apprehension.

On the arena, Xing Huo left behind an afterimage as he activated Charge, his speed soaring, becoming a whirlwind rushing towards Shi Feng, too fast for anyone to follow.

As Xing Huo closed within ten yards of Shi Feng, his footwork suddenly shifted.

Xing Huo, like Tiger Might, abruptly changed direction, circling around Shi Feng. It was the same move, but Xing Huo was so fast that even expert players couldn't react.

In the VIP seats, Tiger Might laughed. "Hahaha, Night Blade is done for! I'm not the only one who knows Ghost Steps. Xing Huo's Ghost Steps are far superior to mine. Even the Guild Leader could fall for it."

His Ghost Steps were just a distraction, but Xing Huo's Ghost Steps made the target unconsciously focus on him, making all sorts of wrong judgments.

Even if their stats were far superior, it wouldn't matter.

After all, only a hit that lands counts. If you can't hit the target, strength is meaningless. Besides, with his burst skill activated, Xing Huo was now far stronger and faster than Shi Feng. As long as Shi Feng made one wrong decision, the fight would be over.

On the arena, Xing Huo appeared in a flash less than eight yards to Shi Feng’s side. His footwork shifted again. Instead of circling behind Shi Feng, he charged directly at his side, the Storm Blade in his hand slashing out, drawing a purple arc through the air, aiming for Shi Feng’s neck.

Slaughter!

As the blade was about to strike, the Holy Sword, Thunder Slay, suddenly appeared in the Storm Blade’s path.

"So fast!"

Xing Huo was shocked to see the Holy Sword, Thunder Slay appear so suddenly. He hadn’t even seen Shi Feng move.

Despite his surprise, Xing Huo didn’t slow down. Instead, a smirk crept onto his face.

Although Shi Feng had seen through his Ghost Steps and managed to block, it was still unexpected. However, Shi Feng’s biggest mistake was not using a burst skill from the start. Now that he was using it, Xing Huo was overwhelmingly stronger.

Even if he blocked, the impact would throw his body off balance.

Then he could attack relentlessly, forcing Shi Feng to use a life-saving skill. Once Shi Feng’s life-saving skill was gone, killing him would be easy.

Clang!

The moment the two famous swords clashed, Xing Huo's expression changed.

"How can this be? Did he use a burst skill too?" Xing Huo was shocked by the sensation in his hands.

Striking the Holy Sword, Thunder Slay felt like hitting divine iron. The force made his hands numb, and his HP dropped by over a hundred, while Shi Feng was unscathed.

Then, before Xing Huo could react, the Abyssal Blade appeared at Xing Huo’s side, almost simultaneously.

"Get lost!"

Realizing he couldn’t block the approaching Abyssal Blade, Xing Huo used Whirlwind Slash, a forced AoE skill, to defend himself.

His Whirlwind Slash was Rank 1, Level 10, just a step away from Rank 2.

Its power was 50% greater than a normal attack.

Shi Feng retreated, and Xing Huo followed suit.

Forcibly using Whirlwind Slash would throw off his movements. Although it could push back the enemy, it prevented him from counterattacking and required him to readjust his stance.

Then, the two stood ten yards apart, silently watching each other.

They had exchanged only two blows, but it had happened in an instant. Before the audience could react, the two were ten yards apart again.

Silence descended upon the arena…

"Impossible! Not only did Night Blade see through Xing Huo's Ghost Steps, but he also blocked Xing Huo's burst attack? Who is he?" Tiger Might was stunned.

Xing Huo once killed a top expert from a super guild with that burst attack, but Shi Feng had casually blocked it and even forced Xing Huo to use Whirlwind Slash.

On the arena, Xing Huo looked at Shi Feng with excitement, as if he had found a worthy opponent.

"Rumors are unreliable. I didn't expect Zero Wing to have such a powerful expert. To block my attack, your strength must rank in the top 100 of the Wind and Cloud Rankings," Xing Huo praised. "But as I said, if you hold back, this fight will end quickly. This is my last warning. This move is the first time I've used it. I originally saved it to challenge Hei Yan, but I'll let you experience it first."

Silver-white divine runes appeared on Xing Huo's hands and forehead, making him seem holy and radiating an aura far stronger than before.

"Divine Rune Warrior?"

Shi Feng was shocked by the silver-white divine runes on Xing Huo's forehead.

In God’s Domain, besides the Holy Ten that he later learned about, there were also the Sixteen Great Top-Ranked Legacies, the most supreme of all Top-Ranked Legacies.

And the Divine Rune Warrior was one of them!

Xing Huo used Ghost Steps again, creating multiple copies of himself in Shi Feng's eyes. To the audience, Xing Huo left behind an afterimage that lingered in place, as if there were two Xing Huos appearing near Shi Feng at the same time.

"Fall!"

Xing Huo gripped the Storm Blade and swung it with all his might. The wind from the swing alone felt like wind blades, and the air on the arena was sliced apart, heading toward Shi Feng.