“Buzz—!”
The cyan light finally arrived. When it swept over that violet prison cage, it was as if it struck a barrier. In an instant, cyan and violet collided and erupted, turning the entire arena into a sea of light.
“Break!” The cyan light surged, and Lan Ge emerged from within it. He extended his right hand, index finger pointing forward. At his fingertip was a white, cone-like crystal, perfectly clear, with no trace of energy leaking from it.
“Pff—” The moment that white cone touched the Thunder Barrier, No. 58’s body trembled slightly. The cone pierced straight through. In the next instant, white light blossomed, forming a long spear that shot directly toward No. 58.
This was water condensed into ice. This was the Essence of Ice—and also the Law of Water!
Since returning from the Demon Domain, Lan Ge had spent most of his time in the Endless Blue Sea. Immersed in the water element, he had been constantly refining and accumulating.
Among the four elements he controlled, even he hadn’t expected the water element to be the first to grant him a trace of comprehension of Cosmic Law. That insight had come in the very moment Fa Hua became the Divine Envoy of Wisdom.
These past few days, as No. 58 gradually revealed his formidable strength, how could Lan Ge feel no pressure? He represented not only himself, but Thunder City—and his father’s will.
Within the Peerless Pearl’s cultivation space, he had trained tirelessly with Fa Hua, seeking to grasp deeper layers of Cosmic Law.
Water has no fixed form—this is the essence of water. The gentlest water can condense into unyielding ice. Ever-changing—this too is water!
Endless softness can also transform into indestructible ice! The fragment of Cosmic Law he had grasped, he named Water Reversal!
Water Reversal becomes ice—piercing heaven and earth!
Facing the suddenly formed Ice Spear that had pierced his Thunder Cage, No. 58 took a step back. He clenched his right hand into a fist and drove it forward, his palm turning completely translucent blue. At the instant his fist collided with the Ice Spear, time seemed to slow for everyone. Everything around them moved in slow motion.
Everyone could clearly see it—the Ice Spear shattering piece by piece as it collided with No. 58’s fist, while a layer of frost spread along the fragments, creeping toward his body.
“Boom—” The Ice Spear shattered completely. Time seemed to return to normal, but No. 58 had already become an ice sculpture. The surrounding Thunder Cage vanished instantly.
No one had expected the match to turn like this. The audience, who had not favored Lan Ge, watched in shock as he froze his opponent. Could it be that…
Lan Ge did not press the advantage. Cyan light flared as he shot back into the air, rising more than a hundred meters in an instant.
At the next moment, a sphere of blue light detonated below. The explosion bloomed like a massive blue flower, surging upward from the Arena.
Had Lan Ge been even slightly slower, he would have been swallowed by that terrifying thunderlight.
Looking down at the lightning below, a flicker of realization crossed Lan Ge’s eyes. He said to Fa Hua in his mind, This person should be from Thunder City. He controlled the direction of the attack—there’s no risk of it spilling outward. Otherwise, even the judges might not have been able to contain it.
Mm. Fa Hua agreed. That meant No. 58 at least bore no ill will toward Thunder City. That, at least, was good news.
His comprehension of Cosmic Law is stronger than we thought, Fa Hua said.
I’m strong too. I haven’t lost yet, Lan Ge replied.
From a hundred meters up, Lan Ge avoided the lightning entirely. After releasing that terrifying attack, No. 58 seemed to need a moment to recover and did not immediately pursue.
Lan Ge grasped at the air with his right hand. Cyan, red, and blue light immediately surged toward his palm. The three colors pulsed in succession, and behind him a faint projection began to take shape.
It was his own image, an aura condensed from the three elements. In the next instant, a Three-Colored Spear appeared in his grasp.
No. 58 looked up at the sky. He no longer remained where he was. In a flash of blue light, he was already in front of Lan Ge, reaching toward the Three-Colored Spear—clearly sensing the threat it posed.
Lan Ge’s combat experience was immense. Though No. 58 placed him under considerable pressure, it was nothing compared to the Ruby Queen.
He retreated, and at the same time swung the spear, carving an arc through the air as it swept toward his opponent.
To wield elements as weapons—and maintain three elements in such a condensed, stable form—perfectly demonstrated his mastery.
But No. 58 was equally extraordinary. His body seemed to flicker, closing the distance in an instant, slipping through the gap in the spear’s swing and driving forward with a shoulder strike.
The surrounding air suddenly became violent. A numbing current ran through Lan Ge’s body, instantly robbing him of mobility. No. 58’s shoulder was already upon him.
Lan Ge’s eyes sharpened as he stared at No. 58 at close range. For some reason, those faintly glowing blue eyes felt strangely familiar.
His Three-Colored Spear exploded at the same moment a layer of snow-white Ice Armor spread across his body, covering him completely.
“Bang!” Lan Ge was sent flying, while the shattered spear detonated behind No. 58, blasting him backward as well.
Mutual destruction?
The audience erupted in excitement. Lan Ge was the first to last this long against No. 58.
The ice armor on his chest shattered piece by piece. Lan Ge felt a tight pressure in his chest. Fortunately, the armor had insulated him from the lightning—otherwise, that blow alone would have ended the fight.
“Be careful.” A low voice sounded by his ear—it seemed to be No. 58.
The next instant, the sky darkened. No. 58 turned into a streak of blue light, shooting into the sky and vanishing into the dark clouds.
Thunderclouds gathered. Lightning flashed wildly. With a deafening crack, a twisting bolt of lightning descended straight toward Lan Ge.
“…Seriously?” Lan Ge’s lips twitched. This was clearly brute force—overwhelming him head-on.
Even so, he didn’t dare be careless. He dropped to the Arena and raised both hands, forming a thick Ice Shield above him.
“Boom—” The Ice Shield shattered instantly. Lan Ge was blasted across the ground, rolling several times before regaining his footing. The second bolt was already upon him.
Gritting his teeth, he condensed a second Ice Shield and shouted in his mind, Fa Hua!
No one noticed that Fa Hua, who had been watching from the crowd, vanished without a sound.
“Boom—” This time was worse. Lightning wrapped around Lan Ge’s body, leaving him completely numb. But as he endured the second strike, he began to understand something.
“Boom—” The third bolt came crashing down, giving him no time to recover. This one carried a faint golden-purple glow.
But at that moment, a flash of white light appeared—then Lan Ge vanished.
The lightning was about to strike the arena. At that intensity, it would have caused a massive explosion. Yet strangely, when it came within three meters of the ground, it suddenly froze in place—then vanished without striking.
White light flickered, and Lan Ge reappeared. The lightning and paralysis were gone. He looked up and shouted, “Grand Summoning Spell!”
The audience heard him clearly—but no one understood what it meant.
Another flash of white light. A cloaked figure appeared behind him, completely obscured. The figure raised both hands and pressed them against Lan Ge’s back.
You’re cheating, Fa Hua said in his mind.
I can’t lose. And this guy is probably Star God level. The Grand Elder set me up—there’s no way he didn’t know, Lan Ge replied angrily.
“Rumble!” The fourth bolt descended, its golden-purple light burning even brighter.
At that moment, supported by Fa Hua, Lan Ge threw back his head and roared!
His voice rivaled the thunder itself. Space above the Arena twisted violently as four streams of light burst from his body, forming four distinct figures.
Each one mirrored him—cyan wind, blue water, red fire, violet thunder.
The instant they appeared, the descending lightning slowed, as if sinking into mud.
“Water has no form, wind is unbound, fire invades, thunder rages!” Lan Ge shouted wildly. In that moment, something in his mind shattered. The four elements that had once stood apart fused together, forming a vast ocean of power. His entire body transformed into radiant, four-colored light.
“What is Cosmic Law?” Fa Hua murmured. “The Origin.”
Yes. The Origin.