As Nie Li's aura surged, enveloping the arena with the powerful presence of blood resonance, Yan Jin could feel the vast gap between the purification realm and the resonance stage. The overwhelming energy made it seem as though he was facing a colossal, prehistoric flame lion rather than a human opponent.
For the first time, Yan Jin truly understood what had been eluding him—the essence that separated him from the blood resonance stage. But in this moment, his priority wasn't to dwell on the revelation; it was to shut Nie Li down completely.
Without hesitation, Yan Jin tossed his bow into the air, his hands moving with fluid precision as he rapidly formed a series of intricate hand seals. The sound of a bird's cry echoed through the arena, cold and piercing.
From the ground beneath him, a massive bird of ice began to emerge—its wings spreading wide, talons clutching the earth, and its majestic form towering over the stage. It was a phoenix, crafted entirely from crystalline ice, and it radiated a menacing chill that froze the very air around it.
Its eyes glowed with an icy blue light, and frost trailed from its wingtips as it levitated, carrying Yan Jin gracefully into the air.
Standing tall atop the phoenix's head, Yan Jin reached out with perfect timing and caught his falling bow in one smooth, stylish motion. He faced down at Nie Li, his expression cold and detached, as if the fiery opponent before him was nothing more than an insect in the presence of a god. Behind Yan Jin, nine halos shimmered brilliantly, marking him as a Purified Celestial.
The sight of those nine halos sent a ripple of shock through the spectators. .net
"He has nine halos!" a spectator shouted, their voice trembling with disbelief.
"That means he's a Purified Celestial! And he hasn't even reached resonance yet!" another gasped in awe.
" He is definitely the strongest rookie"
The crowd erupted in excitement, their cheers growing louder with every second. Seeing a Purified Celestial with nine halos was a spectacle in itself, but the fact that Yan Jin was able to stand against Nie Li, who had reached blood resonance, made the moment even more incredible.
The energy in the arena was electric, the audience now fully invested in the outcome of this historic battle.
"You are weak," Yan Jin's voice echoed from atop the phoenix, cold and biting. "You have always been weak."
"It was really stubborn," Nie Yang remarked coldly. "No matter how much I tortured it, it wouldn't let me examine its Celestine bones."
As Nie Yang seated himself comfortably on the Throne of Pride, Yan Jin deactivated the ice cage and rushed to the eagle's side. It was Scara, his loyal companion. Seeing the bird in such a tragic state, something inside him snapped. His body trembled with barely contained rage, and the temperature around him dropped sharply as his icy aura flared uncontrollably.
"You've succeeded in antagonizing me, Yan Jin," Nie Yang continued, his tone casual yet venomous. "You killed twenty of my men, humiliated my brother repeatedly, and now you disrespect me. Unfortunately, I cannot act against you inside this tower."
The throne beneath him glowed as Nie Yang spoke, and a radiant light bathed Scara, mocking Yan Jin's pain. The bird's injuries shimmered eerily under the light of the Throne of Pride.
"You possess some intriguing secrets—celestial pets, celestial movement techniques, celestial attacks." His eyes narrowed. "But you've sealed your fate. The moment you leave this tower, every mercenary and Golden Warrior will be coming for you. Including me. I swear upon the Throne of Pride." His voice resonated, chilling the crowd.
The spectators, who had been stunned into silence, erupted into whispers.
"Did he just swear on the Throne of Pride?!" one gasped.
"That's a death sentence. No one has ever escaped once a vow is made on that throne," another murmured.
"He's declaring war on Huang the moment he steps out of the tower!" a third exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief.
"It's about to be another, pride hunt?" a skeptical voice asked, though their tone carried a note of fear.
Yan Jin, cradling the barely alive Scara, walked toward the still-sprawled Nie Li, whose body remained motionless on the floor. Without a second thought, he kicked Nie Li with enough force that his broken form was sent flying across the stage, colliding with the base of Nie Yang's floating throne.
"The Nie family really has a problem with education if they raise brats like you who have no sense of respect for others," Yan Jin sneered, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. He turned his gaze to Nie Yang, unfazed by the looming threat. "Since we've made a deal, I'll honor it. But if you think hiding behind that broken chair will stop me from leaving this tower..."
With a surge of energy, a towering pillar of ice erupted from the ground, raising Yan Jin to meet Nie Yang at eye level. His icy blue eyes pierced through the space between them, cold as the frozen hell he commanded.
"You're dead wrong," Yan Jin growled. "I go where I want. When I want. Because I am Huang."