"Jiang Chen, be careful — that's Yuan Force True Fire, nothing like the true fire of the Spirit Realm!" From outside the arena, Patriarch Qianye couldn't help but call out a warning.
Although Dan Chi kept his face perfectly composed, inwardly he still harbored some worry.
The fact that Chzhuiyang the Old Freak had obtained Feng Beidou's treasure meant his strength had undoubtedly received a powerful boost. Without it, the likes of Chzhuiyang the Old Freak using this technique would never have produced such terrifying power.
If this had been an opponent at the Xuan Realm, Jiang Chen absolutely would not have dared to pit the Ice Fire Demon Lotus head-on against Yuan Force True Fire.
However —
After his breakthrough to the Xuan Realm, the Ice Fire Demon Lotus had also undergone a qualitative transformation.
By its very nature, the Ice Fire Demon Lotus was a spiritual treasure on the level of the Myriad Heavens Planes. Even the Ice Fire Spirit Pearl was far inferior to it in terms of grade.
It was just that the Ice Fire Demon Lotus had still not evolved to its ultimate form by a long shot.
But after breaking through to the Xuan Realm, Jiang Chen had managed to unlock even more of its formidable potential.
In this battle, Jiang Chen was dead set on crushing Chzhuiyang the Old Freak.
No matter what treasure Feng Beidou had given the old man, Jiang Chen refused to let his own momentum falter.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
In the next instant, whoosh whoosh whoosh — seventy-two vines erupted from around Jiang Chen's body almost simultaneously, like seventy-two rampaging dragons rising from an abyss.
Thirty-six fire lotus vines stood on the outer ring, while thirty-six ice lotus vines formed the inner ring, wrapping around Jiang Chen and shielding him at the core.
The evolved Ice Fire Demon Lotus radiated an even more uncanny aura.
Its petals fluttered, layer upon layer overlapping. The ice lotus petals swiftly formed thirty-six concentric defensive rings around Jiang Chen.
The fire lotus vines, meanwhile, shot higher into the air, each one thrusting upward like a crowd of eager dragons racing to be first to take flight.
The fire lotus petals bloomed wide, like the gaping maws of ancient predators, and with lightning speed — one snap after another — they devoured the streams of Netherfire.
The scene was like a flock of birds systematically plucking locusts out of the sky: each fire lotus closed its petals with a clean, decisive snap, and another stream of Netherfire vanished without a trace.
The fire lotus vines twisted and swayed with startling agility. All thirty-six fire lotuses operated in concert, and the spectacle was breathtaking — the hundred-plus streams of Netherfire simply could not break through the fire lotus blockade.
"Oh?"
Seeing this, Feng Beidou's face showed open shock, and a thought flashed through his mind: "These lotuses are extraordinary — what on earth are they?"
"This lotus possesses dual attributes of ice and fire!" Dan Chi murmured, equally surprised but with a hint of elation. "This young man truly has great fortune upon his side."
Watching Jiang Chen withstand Chzhuiyang the Old Freak's attack head-on, every onlooker was stunned.
Chzhuiyang the Old Freak's attack, empowered by the Ice Fire Spirit Pearl, was absolutely double his peak-level power.
Such a strike could have challenged even an expert at the Earth Yuan Realm.
Yet a twenty-year-old youth — Jiang Chen — had neutralized it with such overwhelming dominance.
"What?!" Chzhuiyang's eyes shot open in disbelief. He knew about Jiang Chen's miraculous lotus, which was why he had unleashed his strongest attack in a single burst.
But even under that kind of assault, the Yuan Force True Fire had been completely swallowed. The psychological blow to Chzhuiyang the Old Freak's confidence was devastating.
This was his proudest technique — the one he had counted on as a guaranteed kill.
If Jiang Chen had barely managed to block it through sheer effort, Chzhuiyang might not have been so shocked.
But having everything devoured by fire lotuses — it felt like throwing his full-force punch into empty air. Like tossing a stone into the ocean and not raising a single ripple.
Jiang Chen had activated the Ice Fire Demon Lotus at full power out of sheer caution.
Seeing the fire lotuses devour every last trace of the Yuan Force True Fire, leaving his thirty-six ice lotus defensive formations completely untouched, even he was secretly surprised.
Jiang Chen knew that the Ice Fire Demon Lotus had grown far more powerful after his breakthrough to the Xuan Realm.
But he hadn't expected the fire lotus's devouring capacity to have increased by so much in one leap. He had originally assumed the fire lotuses might not have enough power, that some of the true fire would still get through and his thirty-six ice lotus defenses would come into play.
Instead, the fire lotuses had given him a tremendous surprise.
In that moment, Jiang Chen's confidence surged.
Having sussed out Chzhuiyang the Old Freak's trump card, Jiang Chen let out a hearty laugh.
"Chzhuiyang, you old dog — if that's all you've got, then this time next year will be your death anniversary!"
Having devoured the Yuan Force True Fire, the thirty-six fire lotus vines swelled even further in size. Every fire lotus was like a ravenous beast, channeling vast torrents of flame as they hurtled toward Chzhuiyang the Old Freak like rivers of fire.
The last time Chzhuiyang had fought Jiang Chen, the young man had still been at the Spirit Realm. In just a few short months, Jiang Chen's strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and Chzhuiyang simply had not had time to adjust.
Watching the fire lotuses surge toward him and feeling the overwhelming presence of the vines, Chzhuiyang the Old Freak drew a sharp breath. This time, the difference was unmistakable.
Last time, a single sweep of his great sword could sever several vines at once.
This time, no matter how he looked at them, those vines had grown several times more powerful.