Chapter 31: Liam vs Aurora

Seeing the situation, Liam revealed his element, which was water. He did the same as Aurora, but his water wasn't drowning him; it functioned like a field. It also dispersed the flames and didn't allow them to get near him.

Aurora stood in the middle of a sea of fire, flames covering her body. She put force into her legs, preparing to attack.

"Friction Steps." Aurora used her movement technique and shot toward Liam at a speed far superior to before. The best way to fight a Runemaster was close combat, as they would have a hard time activating already formed formations.

Liam smiled at her approach and brought his right hand forward, muttering, "Water serpent." Numerous small water serpents began forming on the tips of his fingers, which he shot at Aurora. They moved so quickly that they reached her in just a few seconds.

Aurora didn't slow down, zigzagging her way toward Liam. The first water serpent was about to hit her belly, but it evaporated as Aurora focused the flames on the spot it was aiming for. There were many serpents, but with her precise flame control, she managed to avoid most of them.

Aurora had given equal time to flame control as she had to lightning control. She wanted to become an Alchemist, and flame control was essential. She even had the Eight Apertures Exquisite Pill Heart, which helped her manage the flames.

She used her Friction Steps technique for any serpents that remained. Although it was initially a movement technique, she had begun using its concepts in other situations. Aurora typically decreased the friction between her legs and the ground to increase her speed. Now, she did the opposite and increased the friction around her body. This caused her to stop, as she was still in the early stages of mastering Friction.

Liam saw an opening and whispered, "Earth Spike."

Aurora was struggling to deal with the water serpents, sensing the dense water element in them, along with their insane speed. She knew that if they hit her, they would tear her skin apart. As she considered ways to escape the encirclement, her instincts screamed of danger behind her. Without hesitation, she jumped with full force.

'Boom.'

A small explosion occurred where Aurora had stood, as a sharp spike burst from the ground, colliding with the water serpents.

Aurora wasn't unscathed. As she jumped, her defenses weakened, and two water serpents hit her: one on her thigh and the other on her left hand. Blood spewed from the wounds, which were one centimeter deep.

Aurora landed a short distance away, watching Liam warily. She knew she could counter his attacks if she used her lightning, but the instant activation of his formations was problematic. She barely had time to react, and the only reason she avoided the earth spike was because of her instincts.

Ignoring her injuries as if they weren't even there, Aurora thought, 'Why am I overthinking this? I always bring out my full potential when I rely on my instincts. Even Master said so.'

She leaped into the air again, crossing her daggers above her and slashing downward. A cross-shaped wave of Penetrating Flames surged toward Liam at high speed.

At first, Aurora had conserved the Penetrating Flames due to the massive amount of profound energy they consumed, but now she intended to unleash them fully.

She positioned herself, gathering flames from the surrounding area at the base of her legs. Reducing the friction around her body, she shot toward Liam, following the flame wave.

Liam stared at the incoming flames, momentarily stunned. What Aurora had displayed today exceeded his expectations. He had encountered many geniuses while roaming the Starhaven continent, but none compared to Aurora. It wasn't her cultivation level that impressed him—it was her instincts.

The earth spike had nearly impaled her in under a second, yet she managed to evade it. Liam had thought that even if she reacted quickly, she would still sustain damage due to the speed of his attacks.

But he was experienced and quickly snapped out of his daze. With all his strength, he punched forward, forming a large water fist that collided with the penetrating flames. The clash filled the hall with a dense mist.

As the mist swirled around them, Aurora appeared near Liam, thrusting her dagger toward his neck.

'So, the flames aren't invincible. With enough power, even they can be extinguished,' Liam thought as he parried the dagger with his sword.

The two engaged in close combat, their daggers and swords clashing repeatedly.

Though Liam was a Runemaster, he clearly enjoyed combat, a fact that was evident now.

There wasn't much difference between them. Liam had years of experience that Aurora couldn't match with just a few months of training. However, she compensated with her instincts, avoiding most attacks aimed at her vital spots.

After one final clash, they separated, putting distance between them.

Both were covered in slashes and cuts, blood dripping from their bodies. Yet neither groaned in pain—they simply stared at each other.

"You're quite skilled for your age," Liam said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with a chuckle, impressed by Aurora's pain tolerance.

"And you're quite weak for a Heaven Profound Stage artist," Aurora replied, chuckling as she wiped the blood from her face. "What? Don't have any profound techniques to use?"

Contrary to her expectations, Liam laughed loudly and said, "Haha, you're right. I'm at my weakest. As for techniques, it's true—I never really learned them. For me, only two things mattered: Runes and pure close combat. Why would I waste my time on those useless techniques?"

Aurora looked at Liam, speechless.