A scorching dark red current surged forth.
Sharp golden light clashed with Abel's and the Mandarin's magic, creating a spectacular explosion that scorched the ground or left long, thin cuts.
Boom!
The two energies canceled each other out, and Abel landed on the ground, waving his magic wand. The metallic debris scattered across the ruins lifted into the air, transforming into dozens of chain-like spirit snakes that slithered toward the Mandarin from various directions.
The Mandarin, agile and fast, skillfully evaded the rushing chains, utilizing not only his ten super rings but also the benefits of his immortal body and superior physical prowess gained from his extensive training.
As he dodged the chains with remarkable fluidity, the Mandarin stepped back slightly, waved his hand, and the chains that approached him disintegrated into iron powder, scattering harmlessly away.
At that moment, Abel emerged from a swirling vortex, pointing his wand directly at the Mandarin. An invisible blade sliced through the air, narrowly missing the Mandarin's lower body and severing a portion of his hair, leaving one long strand free.
Seeing his shorn hair, the Mandarin's expression darkened with anger. He raised his right hand, unleashing a wave of icy cold air that rapidly descended toward Abel, chilling the air to near-freezing temperatures.
Yet Abel showed no inclination to evade. He faced the oncoming icy blast, unperturbed by the Mandarin's abilities.
Raising his left hand, Abel activated the Frost Ring, which glowed with an icy blue light. As the Mandarin's frigid air approached, it dissipated, splitting apart before reaching him. However, the ground around Abel froze solid, encasing everything in ice, while he remained unaffected.
"I also have a ring; let's see how you handle this."
With a snap of his fingers, slender, sharp ice spears materialized around Abel, appearing in an instant. They filled the space around him and, controlled by his magic, shot toward the Mandarin like a torrential rain of ice.
Before the ice spears could reach him, the Mandarin used his ring to transform them into harmless snowflakes, dispersing them into the air, just as he had done with the chains.
However, Abel was undeterred. He snapped his fingers once more, causing the scattered snow to converge into a massive ice hand that plummeted toward the Mandarin.
Caught off guard, the Mandarin was struck by the colossal ice fist, which smashed him into the ground. But before Abel could capitalize on this advantage, the ice fist exploded, igniting the air around it with flames that surged toward him.
With a subtle lift of his wand, Abel whispered a spell, sensing the flow of water in the pipes beneath him. Drawing on his magic, he shattered the underground pipes, causing a torrent of water to burst forth, rising to meet the flames.
Zizizi...
The flames were quickly extinguished, the water evaporating rapidly into scalding steam that filled the area.
Meanwhile, the ground behind Abel softened, and the Mandarin silently emerged from below, attempting to strike from behind without activating his rings to avoid detection. He intended to catch Abel off guard.
Yet, even as he moved stealthily, the mask on Abel's face alerted him. The moment the Mandarin launched his attack, Abel sensed the threat.
As a multitude of plants erupted from the ground beneath him, their roots and vines ensnaring the Mandarin, he activated his ring, turning the vines into dust.
However, Abel's plan had succeeded. He quickly turned and waved his wand at the Mandarin. Despite the latter's best efforts to retreat, Abel's curse found its mark—a silent, transparent blade that sliced through the Mandarin's right hand, severing his ring finger, middle finger, and index finger.
Though the rings on the ring and pinky fingers remained, losing his fingers was a significant blow. The Mandarin valued his ten rings, essential to his identity within the Ten Commandments Gang. Though he had means to regenerate his fingers, the loss of a ring was unacceptable.
Seeing the ring fall, the Mandarin exploded with fury. The ring on his left middle finger radiated a green light, releasing a storm of electricity that swept violently toward Abel, attempting to drive him back.
For Abel, however, he didn't need to engage with the Mandarin directly to reclaim the ring.
With a flick of his wrist, a palm-sized portal opened in his hand, the other end aligning with the ground where the ring had fallen. In a swift motion, Abel extended his hand, grabbing the severed finger, quickly extracting the ring, and slipping it onto his right index finger.
Abel then waved his hand toward the oncoming lightning storm, creating a massive shock wave that shattered the approaching storm and struck the Mandarin directly.
The impact sent the Mandarin flying, crashing into the crumbling walls of the palace and colliding with the building behind him!