Chapter 18) Confrontation 2

Bai and Qian Daoliu remained suspended in the air, ready to engage in combat. The situation had escalated quickly and unnecessarily, but Qian Daoliu was defending the honor of the Spirit Hall, while I fought for the honor of my clan and my wife.

A minor misunderstanding had sparked this conflict, but at our level, avoiding conflicts was not an option. That's why both of us summoned our spirits. Behind him appeared 6-winged seraphim, while an ice giant materialized behind me. The clash of their spiritual powers alone began to inflict damage on the environment.

On his side, the grass ignited and the temperature noticeably rose, while on my side, the temperature dropped, and the ground became covered in a layer of ice.

"Heavenly Domain!"

"Permafrost Domain!"

Golden light radiated from the Seraphim, dispelling any spiritual force except fire and holiness. Meanwhile, my spirit domain carried the power of ice and frost. The confrontation of our domains began to warp space, causing the other elders who had gathered to watch our confrontation to move even farther away to avoid harm.

Realizing that neither of us wanted to enter the other's domain, we came to the same conclusion - to fight from a distance. He made the first move, and his third spirit ring ignited.

"Incineration!"

A fiery beam flew toward me with great speed, but I remained composed. "Ice Fortress!" My fifth spirit ring activated, conjuring an ice palace around me, shielding me from the attack. But I wasn't done yet; I used the power of my eighth spirit ring. "Ice Clone!"

Several copies of myself materialized, surrounding me, and together we unleashed "Annihilation." A ray of icy energy shot toward my opponent, and the power of the attack intensified within my domain.

"Hmm."

White wings sprouted from Qian Daoliu's back, increasing his speed. With minimal effort, he skillfully evaded my attack. This fight could go on indefinitely at this rate, so I tapped into the spiritual power of the world and compressed my domain to a few meters around me. Using the ninth ability of my spirit ring, "Ice is Eternal," I froze the space.

My clones and I swiftly closed the distance to Qian Daoliu, launching attacks from all sides. In rapid succession, blows landed, and the space began to thaw.

Qian Daoliu's domain disappeared, and he found himself on the ground, bearing numerous injuries. However, I knew I couldn't afford to hesitate, so I immediately employed "Ice Imprisonment."

The chains of ice-bound him, gradually absorbing his spiritual force. "Alright, I admit I underestimated you a bit, but let's begin the second round," he said, and I could feel the chains melting rapidly.

"Angelic Descent!"

Multiple golden silhouettes appeared and swiftly vanished. No, they moved with incredible speed, annihilating my clones. Simultaneously, Qian Daoliu wasted no time and activated "Angelic Restoration."

With remarkable speed, his wounds healed, and he appeared completely rejuvenated. "Sacred Sword!" A fiery sword materialized in his hands, and he closed the distance between us, launching his attack. I didn't hesitate and summoned the ice blade.

Our confrontation transformed into a sword fight. His blade surpassed mine in quality, but I compensated with skill. Strikes, parries, blocks, and counterattacks unfolded in a rapid exchange. Each of us sought to find a weakness in the enemy's defense and exploit it.

With each clash of our swords, copious amounts of steam billowed forth, obscuring our duel. However, it hindered Qian Daoliu too, as his burning sword shone brightly in the mist, allowing me to discern his location while he remained unable to locate me.

Taking advantage of my concealed presence, I struck from behind, inflicting wounds that quickly healed, and he retaliated. Each block produced even more steam infused with spiritual power, preventing him from pinpointing my location and launching a successful counterattack.

Agility and quick reactions were paramount in this fight. We had to be flexible and swift to evade attacks and launch our own. I had to remain elusive and agile enough to block his counterattacks.

It would have been much simpler if we fought with the intent to kill. One precise strike to the heart or head, and our duel would have concluded. But neither of us wished for the other to die, for reasons that were currently irrelevant.

"Avatar of the Seraphim Spirit!"

Golden radiance enveloped him, rendering him invisible and beyond my spiritual sense. Wonderful, this fight was becoming more tiresome at the moment.

"The Explosion of the Seraphim!"

For an instant, his spiritual force concentrated and unleashed a directed explosion toward me. Although I remained unharmed, my defensive barrier dissipated, and I lost my advantage.

"Avatar of the Ice Giant!"

An ice sheet covered me, and I immediately sensed an improvement in my control over ice and cold. Not to mention enhanced protection.

The battle raged on, transitioning between close combat with swords and exchanges of spirit abilities. It seemed like an endless cycle, but my unique cultivation method and the creation of spirit cores granted me a significant advantage. My recovery of spiritual energy was swift, and the quality and density of my spiritual power allowed me to unleash powerful attacks with less expenditure. As I noticed Qian Daoliu growing fatigued, I pushed even harder, determined to bring an end to this fight.

"I believe we can conclude this and have a civilized conversation," I suggested.

"Hmm, it has been quite some time since I last engaged in such a battle. The last one I remember was on that island in the sea. But that's of no consequence now. Tell me the purpose of your visit to the Spirit Hall, and I will consider it," Qian Daoliu responded, his breathing labored.

With that, our duel came to a close, and we decided to make our way back to the city. Though our fight had been relatively short-lived and restrained, the consequences on nature were evident. The remnants of burnt vegetation and melted ice lay scattered around us. Puddles formed in the deep depressions, creating new lakes, while the constant release of steam and temperature fluctuations resulted in the formation of clouds in the sky.

It was clear that rainfall would soon grace this location, and the climate would change due to the newly formed lakes. Had this battle taken place in a more populated area, the death, and destruction wrought upon the surroundings would have been immeasurable.