Genius Martial Artist

Stomp.

Blaze rolled onto the ground before Alistein's foot could hit her.

"You're not getting away!" Alistein followed with a barrage of blows the moment Blaze was back on her feet.

He was pissed. He knew he was better, but a genius martial artist's pre-initiative was allowing Blaze to evade every hit by a hair's breadth as she wished. Speed and strength were all useless if Blaze could read the inception of Alistein's intent, which was too linear, for her opponent lacked hand-to-hand combat experience compared to her.

[Health is reduced to 85%]

Blaze didn't bother to dodge the wave of blows, knowing it had no sense in her close distance with Alistein. She guarded her vitals tightly and utilized the Solidification technique along with the Elite Body Tempering Art to minimize the damages as much as she could.

'What are you doing?' Azurion was confused, and more so, he couldn't accept the sight of his host being thrashed like a sandbag.

'Just sit back and watch!' Blaze sucked in a huge breath of air and gave a sudden sharp glare up at Alistein under her guarding arms, causing him to twitch in alarm.

He pulled back with a leap, but Blaze was not willing to let him go. She waited patiently for an opportunity to strike back, and when Alistein was still suspended mid-air, the lioness of the Ember Tribe's eyes shone with fury.

With the Perspicacious Breathing Art and Liquefication, Blaze erased the distance between them with a single leap. Alistein grimaced, unable to do anything but cover his face, for his superiority in speed and power was nothing if he cannot maneuver in the air. A spear-like hand suddenly pierced through the draconic energy coating covering Alistein's body and stabbed through his skin with hardened fingers, a clean hit. For the second time in this match, blood pooled from Alistein's mouth.

'Did I predict my timing wrong? Or is she becoming faster?' Alistein hit and rolled across the ground, gritting his teeth in pain from the severe injury he suffered from Blaze. He what technique it was, and it was something he could only ever dream to mimic.

Dragon Slayer Fist: Dragon Lance. It was a technique that requires partial training in the user's fingers using all sorts of methods of body strengthening, training the ten fingers to be as tough as steel, tough enough to be able to penetrate even the sturdiest of rocks. Blaze couldn't even remember how many times she broke the bones in her hands to achieve it.

With the Liquefication and Solidification techniques, the Dragon Lance was even more powerful than the Berserker's Jab, as it could pierce through human flesh and bones, a perfect method for assassination or a one-hit kill assault without having to use a weapon. But meshed with a dragon's power, its capabilities have magnified to several levels.

'Fascinating! You finally made some real damage on him, but you are out of breath. Using these many cultivation arts at the same time was straining for you.' Azurion watched Blaze catch her breath. She couldn't even follow up on an attack. Her needed boost of overall power from the Fervent Concentration Emission Art was draining her mental strength more than she had imagined. Performing it while using breathing techniques where she should have control over her ragged breathing to fulfill the minimum requirements for the Perspicacious Breathing Art made her dizzy.

Alistein stood back up and brushed off the dust sticking to his body. The draconic energy around him recovered from the hole Blaze pierced through, but Alistein could still feel the damage done to his body.

'I knew it. Picking the Profound Amalgamation Art was a double-edged sword. She is sacrificing a lot of herself in order to keep up with my power. Once the cultivation art wears her out, she's finished.' Alistein rolled back his shoulders and dropped to a defensive stance, wary of Blaze's dangerous techniques. He knew Blaze had more cards up her sleeve. There was a big pool of techniques of the Dragon Slayer Fist martial art that he might not be aware of yet, especially the secret techniques.

'He is smart,' Azurion said. 'He is not planning to go on the offensive. This method is safer to win against you.'

'Tch. I'm not going to fall to a simple tactic like that. I'm not just going to let him do what he wants. I'll force him to play my game.'

Forthwith, Blaze shut her eyes closed. Both she and Alistein were using the Fervent Concentration Emission Art. The method to produce quality, well-rounded power without depleting the body's stamina would only exhaust the mental strength instead. And so, Blaze decided to disengage with the art to preserve her remaining mental capacity for the rest of this battle.

With eyes still closed, Blaze shifted her attention to the absorption process, detecting the natural energy all around her with every touch by the energy already in her skin. By rapidly fusing the air and the natural energies inside her Dragon Core, she was able to expand her perception once more and unlock a sixth sense more powerful than all her other senses combined. This was the Dragon Danger Sense, available only to Superb Fusion Art users.

Alistein clicked his tongue in irritation upon seeing Blaze let go of all her Cultivation Arts for the Super Fusion Art. 'She realized my intention and responded with another annoying stunt,' he cursed inside his mind. 'Fine, you'll get what you're asking for.'

Alistein retained his Fervent Concentration Emission Art and prepared for his offense. Without wasting more time, he dashed forward. But before he was close enough, he vanished and reappeared behind Blaze. He threw a vicious jab, his green eyes glinting with deadliness.

Although Alistein's normal speed was as fast – if not faster – as Blaze's burst of speed achieved with the Perspicacious Breathing Art, Blaze did not panic. In order to get the most out of her Liquefication technique, she needed to be in her calmest state. The calmer, the better.

Blaze twisted her body to evade the imperfect Berserker's Jab. But even if imperfect, Alistein was still faster, and his fist connected.

Blaze's eyes widened with distress, left in complete misery as she was thrown several meters back before she hit the ground at the Warchiefs' feet. They rushed to help her back up.

[Health is reduced to 75%]

"Blaze $&? $¶#!@!#"

Blaze couldn't hear what the Warchiefs were saying, her hearing momentarily impaired. But that didn't matter. She thought if she meshed Liquefication and Super Fusion Art's Evasiveness together for the Dragon Danger Sense benefit, she could evade Alistein's blows with no problem. But she was not quick enough to respond to what she could perceive coming her way.

If she had imagined her body as water and failed to dodge, the damage she would receive would be significantly greater as it would mean hitting her while in her most vulnerable state.

And that was exactly what happened when Alistein's fist struck her.