Everyone froze when they saw what had happened.
Dao Wanli, with his burst skill activated, was undoubtedly powerful — especially in terms of raw strength.
Yet such a devastating strike failed to reach Ziyan Liuyun, stopping a full inch away without being able to push any further. It was enough to blow anyone's mind.
"Defensive skill?" Canglang Zhantian quickly caught on.
Defensive skills in the Divine Realm came in many forms — a Swordsman's Parry, a Berserker's Block, and so on. Magic users had their own versions too, though such skills were extremely rare. After all, mages weren't front-line fighters and faced relatively less direct danger, so defensive abilities for them were seldom seen.
The crowd suddenly understood.
Defensive skills were indeed rare, but given Zero Wing's strength, securing one for Ziyan Liuyun wouldn't be much of a problem.
"So it's a defensive skill. But how many times can you block with it?" Dao Wanli sneered. "You're just adding to your own pain."
With that, he drew his blade back and swung again in the blink of an eye.
Defensive skills generally had immunity charges — and very few at that, typically just enough to save one's life at critical moments. All it took was a few more attacks to wear them down.
Shi Feng, watching from a distance, shook his head slightly.
The defensive skill Ziyan Liuyun had used wasn't an ordinary one. It was Jue Kong — an exclusive inheritance skill of the Astrologer class.
This first-tier inheritance skill Jue Kong could block all attacks and lasted five seconds. During that time the caster couldn't move, but could still use magic. It was practically an invincible ability.
One after another, Dao Wanli's attacks landed in front of Ziyan Liuyun but never touched a hair on her. Meanwhile, she casually cast a small healing spell and a regeneration skill. Her health points soared back up, recovering over six thousand HP in the blink of an eye. And Jue Kong still had plenty of time left.
Taking advantage of the opening, Ziyan Liuyun began chanting a spell. Her fingers traced through the air, rapidly inscribing a series of arcane runes. Just before Jue Kong expired, she extended her slender hand and pointed at Dao Wanli. An endless burst of black light bloomed from her fingertip.
First-tier spell — Black Coffin!
Dao Wanli sensed something wrong and tried to dodge, but four pitch-black walls erupted from the ground around him in an instant, locking him tight inside.
Ling She gritted his teeth at the sight. That very move was what had defeated him at the hands of Ziyan Liuyun before. Now Dao Wanli had fallen for it too — the tide of battle was about to shift.
Black Coffin trapped its target for three seconds. Ziyan Liuyun calmly closed the distance between them and began chanting again without any rush.
This time the spell was even more dramatic. A black magic circle materialized in midair, and torrential mana flooded into its center like a rushing tide.
The moment Black Coffin dissolved and Dao Wanli stepped out, he looked up to see countless black orbs pouring from the magic circle overhead. One, two… before long, the count had reached thirty-six. Each orb was the size of a basketball, blanketing the entire arena's sky.
"Go!"
Ziyan Liuyun called out softly, and the sky full of black orbs bombarded down toward Dao Wanli.
The attacks came from every direction. Even with a shield to block, orbs would strike from his sides and behind. Dao Wanli had no choice but to move and dodge. But after just five steps, he didn't dare move any further.
Because every step he took cost him over six hundred hit points.