Path of the Eternal

Chapter 13: The Battle Begins

The tournament grounds were in complete silence as Jin Wei stepped onto the battle platform. Opposite him, Xue Qing stood poised, her cold blue eyes locked onto him with unwavering focus.

This was it—the final match.

The air between them felt dense, their auras pressing against each other. Even those in the audience who were unfamiliar with cultivation could feel the invisible pressure.

"Azure Sect Tournament—Final Battle!"

The referee raised his hand. "Begin!"

In an instant, Xue Qing moved.

Her foot barely touched the ground before she vanished in a blur of icy mist.

Jin Wei's eyes widened. She's fast!

SHING!

A sudden chill slashed across his cheek as an ice dagger barely missed his face. He twisted his body at the last moment, dodging it by mere inches.

She's using actual weapons this time.

Xue Qing didn't stop.

She reappeared behind him, palm extended.

"Frozen Lotus Palm."

A burst of cold Qi surged toward Jin Wei's back.

But he was ready.

Jin Wei spun, his body surrounded by golden energy as he countered with a palm of his own.

"Titan's Palm!"

BOOM!

The shockwave from their clash rippled outward, sending a freezing wind and golden sparks across the stage.

Jin Wei skidded back, his arm tingling from the impact.

Xue Qing narrowed her eyes slightly. His Qi is different from before… stronger.

But Jin Wei didn't wait.

He stepped forward—then vanished.

Xue Qing's eyes widened. He's using movement techniques now?!

She barely turned in time to see him appear to her left, fist already moving.

"Iron Tempest Strike!"

Jin Wei's punch came like a thunderclap, aiming straight for her side.

Xue Qing reacted instantly. "Frozen Guard."

A thin layer of ice formed over her skin, reinforcing her defenses.

BAM!

Even with her defense, the force sent her sliding backward, cracking the icy floor beneath her.

For the first time in the tournament, Xue Qing's expression shifted—just slightly.

She had underestimated him.

Jin Wei straightened. "I told you before," he said with a smirk. "I won't hold back."

Xue Qing exhaled softly, her breath turning into mist. "Then I won't either."

CRACK!

The temperature plummeted instantly, and a storm of ice burst from her body.

The stage froze over, and the air itself turned into a blizzard of razor-sharp ice shards.

The audience shivered.

"What is this technique?!"

"The entire battlefield is turning into her domain!"

Jin Wei could feel it too—his movements were becoming slower, his breathing harder.

Xue Qing lifted her hand.

"Frost Domain: Absolute Zero."

The storm expanded, trapping Jin Wei inside. The ice on the ground shot up in jagged spikes, forming an arena of frozen death.

Jin Wei exhaled. So this is her real power…

A normal cultivator would be dead in seconds from exposure alone.

But he was not normal.

Jin Wei clenched his fists, and his Qi surged forward like an erupting volcano.

The golden energy around him expanded—violently.

The ice at his feet shattered, unable to withstand the pure heat and force radiating from his body.

Xue Qing's eyes flickered. "What?"

Jin Wei smirked. "Sorry, but…"

"Your cold won't stop me."

And with that—he charged.

BANG!

Their second clash was even more intense.

Fist met palm.

Golden Qi met icy mist.

The arena trembled under their power.

The battle… had only just begun.