Nova and the rest found Mira's tenacity and adaptability respectable. She didn't back down when things got tough and constantly looked to overcome the wall that was before her.
While Nova's Sunfire Sphere Spear techniques weren't the most powerful in her repertoire, they weren't something an average person could handle. If she were to fight against anyone in the same Realm as her that wasn't part of the Top Sects, she'd be able to defeat them 80% of the time with just her Sunfire Sphere Spear Shots.
So, the fact that Mira was still fighting proved she wasn't ordinary and that, if nothing else, she has a strong mind and body, which is what the Battle Maiden Sect looks for, beyond just talent.
"I take back what I said before. Your talent certainly is impressive, but even if that's the case, I don't believe you're ready to be the Sect's Prime Disciple. There are only 20 years left until the Central Continent Competition. In twenty years, you'll have to become a completely different person if you want to even think about winning!" Nova gave her honest opinion without a hint of jealousy. She only wanted the best for the Sect.
Mira nodded, not refusing her sincerity. She could feel Nova only had good intentions.
"I understand it'll be difficult, extraordinarily so. But I wouldn't have accepted Sect Master Aelina's offer if I didn't think I could do it," Mira said casually as if she really believed she could do it.
Nova and the Elders were speechless! Although they couldn't feel any arrogance and only confidence in her voice, they couldn't help but become a little angry.
Nova's eyes narrowed, and despite the flames surrounding her, her voice seemed much colder than before, "Then prove it! Prove you have the capabilities!"
With that said, Nova jumped up in the air and dashed at Mira!
Stab!
Stab!
Stab!
She launched three consecutive Sunfire Sphere Spear Shots, one at her head, heart, and abdomen, and dove at her!
Mira turned her head to the side, dodging one, and created Ice-Yin Magma bowls to block the other two. This time, she put a bit more Qi into them.
Bam!
Bam!
The shots hit her skin again but didn't penetrate quite as deep.
With a slight smirk, Mira thought, 'I'm making progress!'
However, she couldn't get excited yet as Nova had already appeared above! However, this time, a sphere about the size of a watermelon appeared around the blade of her spear.
"Sunfire Sphere Spear Shockwave!"
Mira raised her scythe to block the attack.
Clank!
BOOM!
The sphere blew up as soon as the two weapons collided, sending Mira flying! She hurriedly used her tails to stabilize herself, but she wasn't fast enough as Nova was already on top of her.
Nova fired a few point-blank Sunfire Sphere Spear Shots at Mira, which she could not block or dodge, and thrust her spear. Mira hurriedly brought her scythe and Golden Tail around to block it, but,
BOOOM!
The strength behind that attack was too much, sending Mira flying again. She ignored the pain in her arms, which she was sure were at least fractured and jumped in the air to take away the high ground from Nova.
However, the latter sneered at her decision, "Hmph! Do you really think you'll be able to do anything against me in the air? A newbie cultivator like you?"
She created jet thrusters on her feet and shoulder blades, then shot at Mira at supersonic speeds!
"Sunfire Spear Surge!"
Flames coated her entire spear, and when she was only a few meters away, she swung!
SWOOSH!
An intense wave of golden-red flames burst out of her spear and crashed into Mira, who was caught unprepared by such a powerful attack and hastily formed a set of ice armor around her entire body, hoping to protect her from the boiling flames.
*Tssss!*
Unfortunately, the attack was much more powerful than Mira expected, and the flames quickly burnt through her armor, scalding her skin! But that wasn't the end!
Nova appeared above Mira and hit her shoulder with the blunt end of her spear!
Bam!
Mira shot to the ground, but fortunately, she positioned it so her Golden Tail would take the brunt of the fall!
*Boom!*
She crashed onto the ground with an extraordinary force that would've normally created a small crater, but the floor in this room was so durable that she couldn't even make a dent.
"You should just stay on the ground if you don't know how to fight in the air properly," Nova said, hovering above Mira.
Nova could tell she had broken Mira's arms and shoulders from that attack, and most of her skin was seared. She probably even had some internal damage as well. Most people would call it quits after seeing the difference in power between them.
Her body is broken, she doesn't have momentum in the fight, her experience in these kinds of high-level fights is severely lacking, and she has no abilities that can compete against Nova. There's literally no chance of her winning!
However, when she looked down and saw Mira standing up without a change in her expression, she became perplexed.
'Why is she still fighting? Does she not feel pain? Or maybe she has something up her sleeve.' Nova thought, but she couldn't figure it out.
All she saw when she looked down were a pair of glowing crimson eyes that looked at her like she was a fat piece of meat waiting to be devoured. Nova felt uncomfortable under Mira's gaze as she could feel the fox woman's murderous intent rise.
Nova could tell Mira wasn't directing it at her, but that didn't make her feel any better. On the contrary, it seemed that instead of killing intent, what leaked out of Mira was a will for battle.
Once Nova understood this, she smiled, and her respect for Mira grew by another notch.
'Hehe~ I'm starting to like this girl more and more!' She thought, but she couldn't help but shake her head ruefully, 'Unfortunately, she was born a few decades too late.'
Suddenly, Mira's icy blue tail glowed, and she used her Paragon Wings ability. Massive multicolored ice wings appeared above Mira. Nova raised an eyebrow at this, and her body tensed. She could tell those wings were unique and dangerous, even for her.
Although they were essentially just sharp shards of ice full of power, if there's one thing Mira doesn't lack, it's power.
*Swoosh!*
She flapped them and immediately appeared before Nova. Although most of her skin was burnt and charred, Mira's vitality worked overtime to heal her broken body, causing patches of dead skin to fall off her body continuously.
"The other people I've faced in the past were all weaklings who could barely control their bodies, much less their Qi. You're the first opponent I've fought who wasn't completely useless." Mira said, and although everyone assumed that was the case, they couldn't help but be surprised.
Mira continued, "I've never seen techniques like those before, and that's got me curious."
Then, with a distorted smile and her eyes shining in a crimson light that threatened to swallow Nova whole, she said in a demonically charming voice, "I wonder what else you're capable of!"
She raised her scythe and a bloody pressure exuded from her body, enveloping Nova and everyone else in the room. Nova gulped as she'd never felt such vile, disgusting, and terrifying pressure in her life.
While most pressures weighed down on the physical body, the bloody aura around Mira weighed on their minds.
"I want to know what else you can do!"
"Show me!"
"Show me what one of the Sect's top disciples is capable of! This can't be everything you're capable of! I refuse to believe you're so weak that you can't even take down a newbie cultivator like me!"
"Hehehehe~"
Mira's words grated against her skin, making it feel like tiny ants were crawling around inside her body, but she quickly regained her composure. She was an extraordinary talent in the Soul Transformation Realm, after all!
She wouldn't be so easily intimidated by someone in a lower Realm than her.
Fighting off the bloodthirsty pressure weighing on her mind, she smiled back at Mira, "You want to see what I'm capable of?"
Slowly, a golden sun began appearing behind Nova, sucking in all the surrounding Qi, converting it into a fire called the Heavenly Sunfire, and sending it straight into Nova's body, empowering her!
"I don't mind showing you a taste of what true power looks like," Then, with a contorted smile, she asked, "The only question is: can you take it?"
The two hovered in the air, staring face-to-face with one another, ready to initiate perhaps the final phase of their battle.
They, and everyone else, knew who would win. That fact was clear, but they couldn't help but be eager for the upcoming few minutes! Everyone wanted to see where Mira's limits lay and how long she could last!
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!