Weapon seller in the world of magic

”Petal Shatter.”

The ice lotus beneath her cracked and bloomed at once. A burst of snow petals shot into the air, sharp as blades. They met the dragon in midair, tearing through it like silk. The dragon shattered into fine particles.

”What!” Bai Longwei’s expression faltered.

Lan Xia was already upon him.

She reached forward to tap the air.

From her fingertip, a chain of crystalline ice shot forward, smooth, glass-like. It wrapped around Bai Longwei’s arm before he could move.

”Frozen Bind.”

Ice crawled rapidly over his limbs, locking him down. He roared, struggling, his qi surging wildly. ”Don’t underestimate me!”

”Frost Pillars, Rise!”

Spikes of ice erupted around him, seeking to break the chains. But Lan Xia merely lifted her hand.

Her eyes flashed. ”Glacier Queen’s Descent.”

From the sky above the arena, a massive lotus of pure, silver-white ice materialized. The air plummeted in temperature. Even the sect elders leaned forward, some casting defensive auras over themselves.

Mark also couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows, his lips slightly widened. ”I didn’t expect her to make a breakthrough to the immortal realm.”

The lotus slowly descended.

Bai Longwei’s defiance broke in surprise. ”Wait! You… when did you break through?”

BOOM.

The ice lotus landed. It didn’t explode, though. Unlike Mei Changsu’s exploding lotuses, this one froze.

The moment it touched the stage, everything within a twenty-meter radius turned to crystal. Bai Longwei was encased in a pillar of translucent ice, wide-eyed, mouth open mid-protest.

The arena fell into stunned silence as a faint breeze brushed past.

Lan Xia stood at the center, untouched. Her robes fluttered gently. The battlefield around her was encased in crystallized ice.

She finally spoke without a shred of emotion on her face. ”You were too loud.”

The Proctor, who had been frozen in awe, took a shaky breath.

”Winner: Lan Xia!”

Cheers erupted in waves, but Lan Xia had already turned, walking off the stage with the same calm grace she had entered with. Not a single strand of hair out of place. Not a scratch on her robes. And behind her, Bai Longwei remained frozen in shame.

People expected her to return to her spot, but instead, she turned and walked toward Mark.

The murmurs grew louder as she stopped before him, her piercing gaze locked onto his. ”So, what do you think? Am I worthy enough in your eyes now?”

”Wha…”

As people couldn’t understand how they should interpret this, Mark’s lips curled into a smirk. ”I’ll test that myself.”

Lan Xia’s eyes glimmered as she stepped back, her voice carrying through the coliseum. ”I’ll wait for you in the finals.”

The crowd erupted into chaos.

*

Now, the next semifinals: Lei Fengyun vs Lan Zhen.

A descendant of the throne, 17th prince of the Heavenly Ocean Empire, Lei Fengyun carried himself with the arrogance of one born into greatness and authority as he stepped into the arena.

He was 114 years old, though his youthful appearance suggested otherwise. As a peak-stage Immortal realm, and the disciple of a Grand Elder, he is no doubt one of the favorites to win the tournament.

Most importantly, everyone in the clan was aware that he fancies Lan Xia.

Lei Fengyun stepped onto the battlefield with an easy smirk, his long silver hair tied loosely behind his back. His robes were embroidered with the azure insignia of the Lei Clan, a silent declaration of his status, even though he is part of the sect. His gaze settled on Mark with an unmistakable condescension, as if he were addressing a mere inconvenience, perhaps because Mark had only defeated lower-level opponents so far and the higher one was defeated with the help of weapons instead of his own power.

Mark, on the other hand, remained impassive. His posture was relaxed, his hands resting casually by his sides.

The referee raised his hand to commence the fight, but Lei Fengyun lifted a single finger.

”Before we begin,” he said, his voice carrying across the coliseum, ”there is something I must share with everyone.”

Mark’s brow furrowed slightly.

The audience fell silent, wondering what it was.

With a triumphant smirk, Lei Fengyun spoke aloud. ”This man, Lan Zhen, is the grandson of Lan Gengxin, the exiled Lan clan heir, whose daughter married the descendants of the Phoenix. Yes, He carries the bloodline of our bitter enemies.”

Murmurs spread like wildfire.

”My heavens! He is a descendant of the Phoenix?”

”How dare he come to our sect?”

”Wait a second. Does that mean that Lady Shang is also the descendant of Phoenix?”

”I thought he was from the Mortal Realm… isn’t he?”

”Disqualify him.”

”No, kick him out of the sect.”

”Kick him out.”

”Kick him out.”

”Kick him out.”

As Mark’s facial expression slightly darkened by the chants suddenly produced by a section of the audience, pre-arranged by his opponent, Lei Fengyun drank in the reaction of the audience, his smirk widening as he continued. ”As if that wasn’t enough, he claimed to be here to take over the clan instead. Every Lan Clan Elder can attest to that. The Sect Leader can attest to that fact, too.”

His eyes then locked onto Mark’s, summoning his soul weapon, a halberd. ”Today, I’ll get rid of this evil for the sect and bring peace to the sect.”

For the first time in the tournament, Mark reacted a bit seriously.

As soon as the Proctor gave the signal to begin the battle, the air around him distorted as a sudden shift in energy swept over the coliseum. The frozen platform beneath his feet cracked.

The audience felt it before they saw it.

A sudden, invisible force weighed down on everything.

”Gravity Dome, 500x.”

Lei Fengyun’s smirk faltered as his knees buckled. His breath hitched, his body suddenly feeling as though it had turned to stone. The pressure intensified, forcing him to one knee. ”Ugh… The hell is this…”

He struggled, trying to muster his strength, but his movements were sluggish, as if he were being crushed by a mountain on his head.

Mark stepped forward.

His movements were effortless, untouched by the weight pressing down on his opponent. His eyes, once calm, were now burning with intense cold that sent one’s chill down the spine.

In an instant, he closed the distance between them.

Summoning his soul weapon, the Anti-matter gun, he pointed it at Lei Fengyun’s forehead and spoke as he poured his ether energy into the gun. ”You were quite good at painting me as a devil. But you have forgotten that it needs a hero, the symbol of righteousness and strength, to defeat a devil, not a scheming politician who is merely good with his words.”

The gun’s barrel was glowing as if it were about to shoot an anti-matter beam at any time.

Mark, however, held himself from clicking the trigger in the last second. He put away the gun and said to the one struggling to move. ”You know what… destroying a pebble like you will not bring any happiness to me. Humiliating would bring satisfaction, though.”

He put away the antimatter gun and took out the adamantine Desert Eagle that was loaded with adamantine bullets. ”This is going to sting you a lot… but don’t worry, I won’t hit any vital spots…” Mark grinned as he released the safety lock and loaded the magazine.

Lei Fengyun’s facial expression changed instantly, seeing a sadistic grin on his opponent’s face.