How was this possible?!
Not a single scratch—the devastating mental assault of Judgment of Holy Light had left Kael utterly unharmed!
Like mud tossed into the sea, the psychic onslaught dissolved without a ripple, silently neutralized by Kael. Einar struggled to process it.
A faint smile played on Kael's lips. What Einar didn't know was that Kael's mental fortitude bordered on the monstrous. While the Judgment's psychic strike was formidable, Kael's spiritual resilience dwarfed it—like a creek's flow vanishing into the ocean, leaving no trace.
Gasps erupted uncontrollably from the crowd.
No one had anticipated this outcome. They all knew Einar's prowess; Judgment of Holy Light was his signature spell, one that even peerless mages could scarcely withstand. Yet this enigmatic Kael had…
The Pontiff of the Temple himself stiffened, his gaze flickering with something unreadable as he murmured, "The Sacred Council's seedling has fangs after all."
The Grand Speaker merely smiled, offering no comment.
Meanwhile, Zorath the Silent exhaled hard in relief. "Thank the abyss. Kael actually pulled it off—blocking Einar's strike. And what the hell was that mutated magic? Since when could he wield something so terrifying?"
To many onlookers, Kael's Thunderflame Gaze was a heart-stopping revelation. Its hybrid power—raw enough to rival Einar's Judgment—left them reeling. Just who is this guy?
"Impressive. More than I expected!" Einar barked a laugh, striding back to widen the gap. "Now for the second strike!"
Tension coiled tighter. With only three exchanges permitted, the first had ended in a deadlock—neither yielding an inch.
The gazes of the major factions gradually focused on Kael. It could be said that he had truly captured their attention now. To withstand Einar's attack completely unscathed was a feat almost no one among the younger generation of these powerful organizations could achieve.
Among the spectators, Gawain and Roland of the Crystal Spire stood out, their faces beaded with sweat the size of peas. They knew full well that they wouldn't have been able to withstand Einar's previous strike. Yet Kael had not only blocked it but emerged without a scratch—highlighting the vast gap between them.
Exchanging glances, cold sweat poured down their backs. Thank goodness we didn't seek revenge against Kael. That would've been suicide!
The Second Strike!
Einar was already in motion. Elemental energy surged through his body, Light Element saturating the entire platform. He seemed to emerge from the holy light itself, his divine power terrifying, the Light Element spilling out uncontrollably...
The intense glare made it impossible to keep one's eyes open, forcing spectators to look away.
"Einar is attacking with his fused Light Element!" Zorath the Silent frowned deeply. "He's actually unleashing the power of fused Light Element... The pressure from this strike is terrifying even to me. Kael, he..."
The fact that Einar was wielding the power of fused Light Element left even Zorath the Silent astonished. Could Kael withstand this blow?
Let's not forget—Einar had also fully fused with the Light Element and was a peak tenth-tier super-genius. Moreover, he had been personally trained by the Pontiffsince childhood, mastering every ounce of the Pontiff's teachings! While Kael's strength was roughly on par with Einar's...
Kael moved too!
Almost the instant Einar released the Light Element, Kael sprang into action.
A scorching power erupted from Kael's body—the violent Fire Element roaring to life like a wild beast unleashed.
BOOM...
Kael's entire form became engulfed in flames, Frostflame blazing brilliantly as temperatures skyrocketed. The platform itself began to melt under the searing heat, the sheer force of it every bit as overwhelming as Einar's display!
Now, wreathed in Frostflame, with the Fire Element honed to its absolute peak, Kael hovered mid-air like a frost-blue sun, radiating an oppressive, all-encompassing pressure.
"Such formidable power. Grand Speaker, shall we join forces to neutralize the magical backlash?" The Pontiff narrowed his eyes, his tone measured.
Both Kael and Einar had fully fused with their primary elements, and the unleashed force of their clash was potent enough to threaten the spectators—easily capable of flattening the entire kilometer-wide area.
The Grand Speaker gave a curt nod. "Agreed."
Almost simultaneously, the Pontiff and the Grand Speaker acted, dissipating the residual magic with effortless precision. The battle's aftershocks never reached the onlookers.
The crowd buzzed with astonishment. All they could see were Kael and Einar summoning overwhelming auras—Light Element and Fire Element surging violently, their clashing energies sending shockwaves rippling outward.
"Damn it, the magical backlash from these two already forced the Grand Speaker and Pontiff to intervene!"
A shadow of concern flickered in Zorath the Silent's eyes. "Both have fully fused their primary elements—in theory, they should be evenly matched. But between the two elements, Light seems slightly dominant..."
Einar and Kael completed their preparations almost in unison. The world itself seemed to shudder as the Light and Fire Elements were vacuumed from the atmosphere. Kael, wreathed in Frostflame, hovered like a blue sun, while Einar stood bathed in Holy Radiance. Then—
A direct collision!
A deafening explosion tore through the air, followed by concussive blasts that ripped space apart. The sky darkened, the sun itself dimmed—for a moment, the world existed only in the duel between Light and Flame.
This was a contest of pure, unrestrained force, both combatants channeling their magic without reservation.
The ground shattered. The arena was annihilated.
Dust and smoke billowed. Every pair of eyes strained to pierce the haze—who had prevailed in this strike?
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three thunderous impacts echoed as Einar staggered back three massive steps. A trickle of blood escaped his lips, his eyes wide with disbelief, his mana in disarray as he stared at Kael.
Yet Kael stood unwavering—rooted like a mountain, his gaze steady and calm as he coolly regarded Einar.
Einar, forced back and bleeding, was visibly injured. Kael? Not a single tremor.
By the abyss—Kael had won this exchange!
Gasps, exclamations, and frenzied whispers erupted around the arena. The gathered factions reeled in shock.
Even the Pontiff's usually impassive face twitched, his eyes flickering with rare surprise. This was the first time he'd witnessed a younger generation fighter outmatch Einar in a direct clash. The collision between Kael and Einar had been uncompromisingly brutal—no tricks, no flukes.
The crowd erupted.
Zorath the Silent's eyes blazed with exhilaration. "Kael actually gained the upper hand! How?! Both are peak tenth-tier, both fused with their primary elements—yet Kael overpowered Einar, who wields the Light Element!"
The truth was, while Einar had fused with the Light Element, Kael's Frostflame—enhanced by his fire fusion and mutated magic—had reached a new tier of potency. It was a revelation from the Water Dragon's teachings: the unleashed potential of mutated magic defied all expectations.
"Well fought, Kael," Einar wiped the blood from his mouth, his expression grim but conceding. "We clashed with fused elements, and you forced me back three steps without flinching. This round is yours."
The initial shock ebbed slightly as all eyes locked onto Kael.
This man's strength was unfathomable—to pressure Einar to such a degree...
"Einar," Kael's voice was calm, his Arcane Crystal Staff in hand. "One strike remains."
The spectators watched, breath held. Regardless of the outcome, these two were freaks of nature—the absolute pinnacle of what tenth-tier mages could achieve. This was a legendary duel, unrepeatable.
Hearts pounded. Blood surged.
The battle of peak tenth-tier!
Einar drew a deep breath. "You're formidable, Kael. But since the day I began mastering magic, I've never tasted defeat. Today will be no exception."
The third and final magical strike!