Battles Between Element Master Realm

Then, in a single instant, her saber ignited.

Whoosh!

Brilliant flames erupted from the blade, the blue and orange hues dancing wildly as they devoured the surrounding air. With a burst of speed, she shot forward, becoming nothing more than a streak of light that left a blazing trail in her wake.

Lu Zhe barely had time to react.

His scolding was cut off as his instincts screamed at him. Eyes widening, he hastily raised his sword—

BOOM!

Their weapons clashed with earth-shattering force.

A thunderous explosion rang out as a shockwave of flames and razor-sharp wind blades burst outward, tearing through the battlefield. The very ground beneath them cracked and shattered, forming a crater dozens of meters wide.

The force of the impact sent massive chunks of stone and debris flying in all directions. Students unfortunate enough to be too close were thrown back like ragdolls, some sent sprawling to the ground, others outright flung into the air by the sheer force of the unleashed energy.

Dust clouds billowed violently, obscuring the battlefield.

Lu Zhe gritted his teeth as he staggered backward, his boots skidding against the cracked stone. The sheer power behind Ye Qianying's strike had forced him to retreat several steps—an outcome he had not expected.

When the dust settled, the battlefield revealed its devastation. The ground where they once stood was reduced to ruins, scorch marks and deep fissures spreading outward like veins.

Lu Zhe's grip on his sword tightened, his fury simmering beneath his composed exterior.

He had intended to finish or crippled Ye Xian—to ensure the humiliation of the Ye Clan was complete and marriage between Xuan lingshuang and Ye xain would cancel.

But now, plan has ruined and standing before him, radiating overwhelming killing intent, was a prodigy he had not accounted for.

Ye Qianying.

Her eyes, colder than the deepest winter, locked onto him with unwavering resolve.

"You talk too much," she said, her voice carrying a deadly calm. "You dare harm Ye Xian without any proof ? You dare to dictate justice while bending the rules to serve your own agenda?"

She took a step forward, and the flames around her saber roared even fiercer.

"Then let's see if your so-called righteousness can withstand my blade."

Lu Zhe's expression twisted in anger.

"You have breach rule by intervening. Do you think you would be safe after this. You will also be punished. Your punishment will now be delivered."

As Lu Zhe's words echoed, his sword gleamed under the sunlight, and a fierce wind roared around him.

Hundreds of wind blades materialized in midair, their razor-sharp edges reflecting a cold light. With a flick of his sword, the storm of blades howled forward, tearing through the battlefield toward Ye Qianying like a hurricane of death.

Ye Qianying's eyes narrowed. She lifted her hand, and a surge of crimson flames erupted around her, forming a protective barrier. The wind blades crashed into the fire, causing bursts of steam and shockwaves to ripple through the air.

Some of the blades managed to slip through, slicing past her clothes and leaving faint cuts on her arms, but her expression remained composed.

With a swift step, she retaliated. A fiery lotus bloomed in her palm before she swung it forward, sending waves of searing flames toward Lu Zhe. The heat distorted the air, forcing Lu Zhe to leap back while slashing his sword in a defensive arc, generating a powerful gust that temporarily quelled the fire.

The battle intensified. Lu Zhe moved with incredible speed, his figure flickering like a phantom as he unleashed wind-infused sword strikes.

Ye Qianying countered each attack with flames, her movements fluid and precise. The battlefield turned into a chaotic dance of wind and fire, each element clashing violently.

Lu Zhe steadied himself, narrowing his eyes as he raised his sword. A surge of wind ki erupted from his body, and a colossal wind blade, towering twenty meters high, materialized in the air.

The pressure from the blade distorted the surroundings, sending violent gales ripping across the arena. With a sharp swing, he slashed downward, the massive sword howling as it descended with unstoppable force.

Ye Qianying's eyes flickered with intensity. She gripped her saber tightly, and a torrent of flames burst forth, roaring into the sky like an inferno.

The searing fire coiled around her weapon, rapidly expanding until it formed a gigantic flaming saber, nearly matching the wind blade in size. The intense heat twisted the air, warping space around it, making it appear as though the saber itself was melting reality.

BOOM!

The two titanic forces collided, wind and fire crashing together in a violent explosion. A deafening shockwave erupted outward, sending ripples of ki surging across the battlefield. The force of the impact tore through the air, expanding over a hundred meters in radius. Students in the audience screamed and fled, but many were caught in the aftermath, their bodies flung through the air, vomiting blood from the sheer pressure.

A massive dust storm engulfed the arena, obscuring vision. The stone platform beneath them cracked and fractured, countless fissures spreading like spiderwebs. Entire sections of the platform shattered, breaking apart as rubble tumbled into the void below. Flames still burned fiercely across the battlefield, their flickering embers painting the air with an ominous glow.

Amidst the destruction, Lu Zhe moved.

Channeling wind ki into his body, he amplified his speed to its absolute limit. The air wrapped around him, making him light as a feather and swift as a hurricane. Using the dust and flames as cover, he vanished, weaving through the chaos like a specter. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Ye Qianying, a malevolent smile stretch across his face as his palm surging with concentrated wind ki.

"Gale Shattering Palm!"

He thrust his palm forward, aiming straight for her back. The attack connected—but in that instant, Ye Qianying's figure exploded into a blazing lotus!

"What?!" Lu Zhe's smile broke and expression twisted in shock.

The fire lotus expanded rapidly, several meters wide, engulfing him in a sea of raging flames. The intense heat seared his skin, the flames clinging to him like a living entity.

The real Ye Qianying stood several meters away, her gaze calm yet sharp.

She had baited him into attacking her afterimage, using a fire mirage technique to deceive him.

Before Lu Zhe could react, the flames erupted violently. A fierce gust of wind burst outward from the center as he desperately rushed out of the inferno, his figure barely visible through the flames. His hair was scorched, his robes tattered, with patches of his clothing burned to blackened crisps.

Soot and ash covered his face, and several scorch marks marred his skin. His breathing was ragged, but despite his injuries, his eyes still held a determined glint.

Had it not been for his last-second wind ki barrier, dispersing the flames, he would have been completely incinerated.

The Element Master Realm signifies a cultivator's complete mastery over their elemental ki, granting them both refined control and the powerful Elemental Ki Barrier.

Unlike the Ki Armor of lower realms, which relies purely on raw energy, the Elemental Ki Barrier is directly infused with the cultivator's element, greatly enhancing its defensive capabilities.

The strength and nature of this barrier vary depending on the element. Earth and Metal barriers are the most resilient, capable of withstanding immense force, while Fire and Lightning barriers possess offensive properties, burning or electrocuting attackers upon contact.

Water and Wind barriers excel in adaptability, either absorbing impact or redirecting incoming attacks, while Ice barriers can freeze opponents and weaken their strikes.

Through training, combat experience, and breakthroughs in cultivation, the barrier's power can grow, allowing a master to negate damage, counter enemy attacks, and even turn their defense into a deadly weapon.

Yet, as Lu Zhe staggered, it became clear—Ye Qianying now had the upper hand. He was at the late stage of the Element Master Realm, whereas Ye Qianying stood at the peak of the mid stage.

Though there was a gap in cultivation, the difference in talent and battle prowess was undeniable.

Lu Zhe had spent nearly a decade consolidating his foundation at this realm, believing his experience made him untouchable.

But in front of him stood a young prodigy, barely twenty years old, who had reached a level of mastery that had taken him twice as long—forty years.

His pride shattered, replaced by a bitter mix of jealousy and fury. His face twisted in rage, veins bulging along his forehead as he clenched his sword tighter.

"You've angered me, girl! Not only have you destroyed academy property, but you dared to attack the Head of Academy Law Enforcement! There will be no mercy for you. No one will save you from my wrath!" he roared, his voice laced with murderous intent.

Ye Qianying, unshaken, responded coldly, "You're all talk. I will slice your head from your body as compensation for your crimes. You attacked Ye Xian with the intent to kill—abusing your authority to serve your connections to the Lu Clan. That alone is unforgivable."

Lu Zhe's fury boiled over. He no longer cared about the consequences or what the Ye Clan might do in retaliation. All he wanted was to crush this arrogant brat! His grip on his sword tightened until his knuckles turned white.

With a furious battle cry, he gritted his teeth and unleashed his full power. His aura surged violently, sending sharp gusts howling across the battlefield.

"Earth-Destroying Tornado!"