100: Chapter 100: Are We Going to Lose?

The bluestone floor was scorching hot from the heat waves, and on Zhou Tong's bare arms, dark red patterns writhed like living creatures.

Every circulation brought forth tiny sparks that scorched small, charred black spots upon landing on the stone slabs.

He stared at the slowly approaching Zhang Wen, his lips curling into a contemptuous arc, his voice sounding as if it were wrapped in sparks.

"I heard you defeated Lin Shuang? A pity, he didn't even have the qualification to make me get serious."

Zhang Wen gripped the handle of the divine resonance piercing thunder spear; the ebony-wrapped rope provided a warm sensation, yet the spear tip was already vibrating slightly with a low hum from the gathering thunder power.

He didn't respond, merely tapping the butt of the spear lightly on the ground—with a dull "thud," a faint purple thunder mark rippled out from the spear's end.

It instantly blasted fine cracks into the stone slabs, and the parched air around them was forced back several inches by this surge of thunder power.

"Interesting."

Zhou Tong raised an eyebrow, his shoulders sinking slightly.

In the next second, the stone slab beneath his feet suddenly exploded! Crimson-gold flames erupted from his body.

It wasn't scattered sparks, but a wave of fire pouring out like a waterfall, instantly enveloping him in a ball of burning sun.

When Heaven Burning Flame Breath was fully activated, even the air was scorched into distortion, and the wooden railings at the edge of the arena crackled, charring and curling from the heat even from several feet away.

"Spirit power fluctuations at the Peak of the Penetration Realm..."

Someone in the stands gasped.

The pressure contained within those flames was more than twice as strong as an ordinary Late Stage of the Penetration Realm.

Every wisp of flame carried a domineering force that could tear through Meridians; just looking at it from afar made one's spine go cold.

Zhang Wen's pupils constricted as the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder within him suddenly roared.

"Indestructible Thunder Body!" He gave a low shout, and faint purple Lightning Radiance surged through his entire body like a tide, weaving into a fine lightning net on the surface of his skin.

The Lightning Radiance and the waves of fire faced each other from a distance, and a "sizzling" sound immediately rang out in the air—a sign of the two extreme powers eroding each other.

He could clearly feel a needle-like burning pain on his skin; the lightning net was actually fading bit by bit under the intense heat of the flames.

"Can you dodge it?"

Zhou Tong's voice came from within the flames, tinged with mockery.

His figure blurred, turning into a streak of crimson light that instantly crossed a distance of several yards, his fist carrying Heaven Burning Flame Breath as it struck directly toward Zhang Wen's face.

Before the wind from the punch even arrived, Zhang Wen could already smell a scorched scent—the stray hairs on his forehead had been ignited by the wind of the fist.

At the critical moment, Zhang Wen slammed his left foot onto the ground!

"Tremor Step Treading Thunder Marks!"

This step was extremely heavy; the bluestone slab shattered in response, and five purple thunder marks exploded outward in a radial pattern centered on him.

Using the counter-force, his figure was like a launched arrow, shifting three feet to the right.

This movement seemed simple, but it perfectly brushed past the edge of Zhou Tong's fist; the crimson wave of fire passed almost flush against his sleeve.

It instantly burned that piece of fabric to ashes, leaving a cluster of fine red marks on his exposed arm where the Lightning Radiance and fire energy collided.

"Good reaction."

Zhou Tong's momentum hadn't faded; using his forward inertia, he spun and swept horizontally. The flames condensed on his arm into a yard-long fire blade, which slashed toward Zhang Wen's waist with a sharp whistle that tore through the air.

The thunder marks beneath Zhang Wen's feet flashed again as his body suddenly dipped, while he gripped the spear with both hands and thrust the tip upward at an angle.

"Ten Thousand Thunderous Coiling Dragon Break!"

The spear shaft suddenly straightened, and the faint purple Lightning Radiance surged violently, transforming into a lifelike thunder Dragon at the tip. The Dragon's head was held high, its fangs bared, as it coiled toward the fire blade with thousands of lightning threads.

This strike concentrated all the thunder power of his Late Stage Inward Observation; along the trajectory of the spear's shadow, the air was torn apart, leaving distorted white streaks.

"Clang!"

The thunder Dragon and the fire blade collided with a roar.

Amidst the ear-piercing sound of clashing metal, countless sparks and electric snakes splashed out like a violent firework display.

Zhang Wen felt a massive force travel down the spear shaft, numbing his arms. The webbing between his thumb and index finger instantly split open, and blood slid down the handle.

That fire blade was actually harder than he had imagined; the Dragon's strangling force was stubbornly blocked, and the thunder power at the spear tip was even being melted away bit by bit by the flames.

"Is this all the strength you have?"

Zhou Tong sneered, suddenly increasing the strength in his arm.

The crimson-gold flames on the fire blade suddenly brightened, faintly showing an orange-red hue as the temperature spiked instantly.

Zhang Wen clearly saw the thunder Dragon at the spear tip let out a pained cry within the orange-red flames, its body fading at a visible rate.

"Retreat!"

Zhang Wen made a split-second decision, using the counter-force of the thunder power to dash backward.

But Zhou Tong's offensive followed him like a shadow; after the horizontal sweep of the fire blade...

He raised his left hand, and dozens of fire spears condensed out of thin air, shooting after him with sharp whistling sounds, sealing off all of Zhang Wen's possible evasion paths.

"Thunder Wrath: Instant Prison Kill!"

Lightning Radiance flashed intensely in Zhang Wen's eyes.

This time, he no longer held back, pushing the explosive power of the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder to its limit.

His figure suddenly turned into a blur of purple electricity, moving so fast that afterimages appeared. The thunder power at the spear tip was also retracted to the extreme, condensing into a point of brilliant purple light.

He didn't meet the fire spears head-on; instead, at a nearly bizarre angle, he threaded through the gaps between the spear shadows, instantly closing the distance to Zhou Tong.

This was his trump card, the ultimate combination of speed and explosive power.

When he dealt with Lin Shuang previously, the other party had been defeated because he couldn't match it.

But Zhou Tong was, after all, at the Peak of the Penetration Realm, and his experience was evident.

Just as Zhang Wen's spear tip was about to pierce his heart, the flames around Zhou Tong suddenly contracted inward and then exploded outward!

"Flame Prison Shield!"

The crimson-gold flames condensed into a yard-thick fire shield in front of him. The shield's surface was covered in distorted flame patterns, each one flowing frantically and emitting an aura capable of burning mountains and boiling seas.

"Pfft!"

The purple-glowing spear tip struck the Flame Prison Shield, producing a dull sound.

The thunder power and flames clashed frantically; the spear tip had only penetrated an inch into the fire before it was stubbornly resisted by a terrifying heat.

Zhang Wen could feel the thunder power at the spear tip being rapidly devoured by the flames. Even the shaft of the divine resonance piercing thunder spear began to grow hot, as if it could melt at any moment.

"Break for me!"

Zhang Wen roared, his thunder power flooding into the spear shaft. The purple glow at the tip suddenly brightened, and the phantom of the thunder Dragon reappeared, pushing forward with all its might.

"It's useless!"

Zhou Tong exerted force with both arms, and the flames on the Flame Prison Shield suddenly surged three inches, pushing the spear tip back completely.

Simultaneously, his right hand formed a fist, smashing toward Zhang Wen's face with crimson-gold flames.

This punch came both fast and fierce. Zhang Wen had no way to dodge and could only release his right hand, crossing his left arm in front of him as Lightning Radiance condensed into a shield on his arm.

"Bang!" Fist and arm collided. Zhang Wen was hit like a heavy hammer, flying backward like a kite with a snapped string and slamming hard into a stone pillar at the edge of the arena.

"Crack," the stone pillar snapped. A sweetness rose in his throat, and a mouthful of blood sprayed onto the bluestone floor, staining the spreading thunder marks red.

The Lightning Radiance shield on his left arm was mostly shattered, and his arm was twisted at an unnatural angle—it was clearly fractured.

"A gap is a gap."

Zhou Tong walked slowly toward him, the flames leaving a trail of burning footprints beneath his feet. "At the Late Stage Inward Observation, to be able to take three of my moves, you should be satisfied."

Zhang Wen struggled to his feet, his left hand hanging limply while his right hand gripped the divine resonance piercing thunder spear tightly, the shaft trembling slightly from his shaking.

He looked up, sweat mixed with blood sliding down from his forehead and dripping onto the spear tip, where it was instantly evaporated by the residual thunder power.

But his eyes showed no sign of retreat; instead, they were like ignited stars, growing brighter and brighter.

"Three moves?" He smiled, his voice raspy yet carrying a sense of resolve. "The good show has only just begun."