Li Kai's expression darkened. Li Xiaoyao had already exceeded his expectations today. While he felt a sense of pride for his son, he knew Li Batian wouldn't make such a suggestion unless he had a plan. Even if Xiaoyao could hold his own against Li Yang, what about the next round against Li Xin? It was clear Li Batian intended to push Xiaoyao to his breaking point, maybe even worse.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me that as the head of the Li family, you lack the guts to let our young ones truly show their strength." Li Batian pressed on, seeing Li Kai hesitate, smirking as he tried to force his hand.

"Father, accept it," Xiaoyao suddenly said. His tone was cold as ice. There was no love lost between him and Li Batian's family, despite their shared bloodline. Batian's ambition for the clan leader position and his murderous intent toward Xiaoyao had long been clear. If they want a fight, so be it. No need for hesitation.

Li Kai caught the look in his son's eyes. They were clear, unwavering, and filled with confidence. He hesitated a moment longer before speaking. "Fine."

"Good!" Li Batian roared with laughter, sensing victory. "The family head has spoken! Since he's agreed, let's get this started. Elder Six, why don't we begin with the match between Li Xin and Li Hen?"

"Very well," Elder Six nodded in approval.

"Just give up now, you're no match for me," Li Xin sneered, stepping into the ring with an air of absolute arrogance. Her robe trailed behind her like a phoenix's tail, signaling her superiority.

"Even if I'm not, I'll fight!" Li Hen replied, his battle spirit igniting as his flame martial spirit surged around him, heating the air.

"Your martial spirit has awakened too, not bad," Li Xin said coolly, unimpressed. "But it's still just a flame. No mutations during your awakening, huh? You don't stand a chance."

She raised her hand, and a shadowy figure formed behind her—an elemental blend of fire and ice, two forces that shouldn't coexist, yet somehow did. Flames blazed with a white frost coating the edges, shifting between fiery heat and freezing cold, leaving the air around her in a strange, unstable state.

"Her martial spirit really evolved during her awakening, becoming both fire and ice. No wonder the elders are backing her so much; she's leagues beyond that waste Li Xiaoyao," someone whispered in awe from the crowd.

"damn, no kidding. With a martial spirit like that, she can practice both fire and ice techniques. She's bound to be unstoppable in the future."

Hearing the murmurs from the crowd, Li Batian's smile grew even broader. Several elders beside him also looked quite pleased.

"Icy Heaven." Li Xin spoke coldly. Instantly, the air chilled, and white mist rose, as if the heavens themselves were about to snow. Ice naturally had an advantage over fire, so she opted to unleash her ice techniques first.

"Lava Palm!" Li Hen shouted, thrusting his palm forward with burning force, a faint flame flickering at its center.

"Frozen Flow," Li Xin responded calmly, meeting his fiery attack head-on. A sharp hissing sound filled the air as her icy palm collided with his. In an instant, a layer of frost spread over Li Hen's hand.

"Burn," she uttered coldly. The frost turned to mist, and an indescribable pain shot through Li Hen's palm. With a cry, he staggered back, clutching his hand, now charred and blackened.

"Li Hen!" the Sixth Elder cried in alarm.

"I'm fine," Li Hen gritted through clenched teeth, though the grinding sound of his jaw revealed the intense pain he was enduring.

"I'll challenge you again," he said, casting a defiant glance at Li Xin before walking off. The Sixth Elder sighed deeply, knowing that although his son lacked innate talent, his determination might someday lead to greatness if he was given the right opportunity.

"You'll never defeat me," Li Xin declared arrogantly. Her future was destined to far surpass anyone in the Li family. No one could ever match her strength.

"Ice and fire together—using two opposing forces at once amplifies her power several times over," Li Kai muttered, his brow furrowed in concern. The stronger Li Xin became, the greater the danger his son Li Xiaoyao would face.

"Your turn." Li Xin sneered as she glanced at Xiaoyao before stepping off the stage.

Xiaoyao looked up at the sky. The sun had reached its zenith, hanging high above the cloudless sky.

He slowly walked toward the stage, where Li Yang was already waiting.

"I've been looking forward to this fight for a long time," Li Yang said, calm as ever as he watched Xiaoyao approach.

"I know," Xiaoyao nodded.

"Don't get your hopes up. You don't stand a chance. Whether it's me or Li Xin, you're going to lose."

Li Xiaoyao chuckled. At this moment, Li Yang exuded an aura of confidence, one that clearly showed he didn't see Xiaoyao as a threat.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?" Li Yang asked coldly. "You think just because you beat Li Wu, you've earned the right to face me? I'll show you how childish that idea is."

"You could've just said you've reached the Spirit Martial Realm instead of wasting your breath," Xiaoyao mocked. After all, he had easily forced Li Wu to retreat without even fighting. Li Yang's overconfidence only made sense if he had reached the Spirit Martial level.

As expected, Li Yang's face stiffened at Xiaoyao's words.

"So what if you know? You're still dead," Li Yang sneered, his voice turning icy as a powerful aura surged from him, and the projection of his Ice Soul appeared behind him.

"He's in the Spirit Martial Realm? Li Yang's been hiding this well," the crowd gasped.

"No wonder the elders are pushing for Li Batian to be the clan head. His children are geniuses, both in the Spirit Martial Realm. If they keep growing like this, the Li family will surely rise to prominence. Maybe it really is time for a new clan leader," some of the Li family disciples murmured, starting to shift their support toward Li Batian.

"This annual tournament was always destined to be about Li Xin and me," Li Yang said, his tone turning arrogant, his polite facade finally falling away to reveal his true nature. "You're just a pitiful side show, unworthy of any real attention."

As the cold aura from his Ice Soul spread across the battlefield, the onlookers could feel its chill. The Snowshadow Manor only accepted those with Ice Souls, and their techniques were powerful. Li Yang, having trained there, radiated a freezing energy that rivaled even Li Xin's.

Frost began to form around Xiaoyao before the battle even started, showing how strong Li Yang's influence was.

"Thunderstrike Sword!" Xiaoyao made the first move. A sudden crack of thunder echoed, drawing everyone's attention. The gleam of his sword lit up the arena, and the crowd realized that Xiaoyao could shine just as brightly as the others. Li Xiaoyao, Li Yang, and Li Hen—they were all Spirit Martial Realm fighters.

Li Yang wasn't fazed. He casually threw out a palm, cold energy surging toward Li Xiaoyao as frost began to creep over his sword.

"Thunderstrike Sword!" Xiaoyao's movements were swift and precise, his wrist flicking as the ice shook off, and the sword cut through the air like lightning.

"Fuck it!" Li Yang sneered, meeting the sword head-on with his bare hand, not even flinching. A powerful blast of icy energy radiated from him, causing the tip of Xiaoyao's sword to tremble and halt its advance.

"Spirit Martial Realm warriors can release their energy externally—it's on a whole different level from the Qi Martial Realm," Xiaoyao thought to himself, feeling the immense power in his sword. But his expression remained unchanged.

"Nine Waves!" Xiaoyao pulled back his sword, his left hand punching forward, unleashing a fierce tidal wave of energy.

"What the?" Li Yang raised an eyebrow, surprised that Xiaoyao could use two techniques at the same time. It was an extremely difficult skill to master, but Xiaoyao executed it flawlessly.

"Get lost!" Li Yang roared, his Spirit Martial energy surging wildly. Snow and ice swirled around him, overwhelming the oncoming waves and preventing them from reaching him.

"Thunder Dragon Sword!" Xiaoyao remained calm and steady, his sword striking again, accompanied by the rumble of thunder.

"Nice." Li Kai nodded approvingly from the sidelines. This is Xiaoyao's true strength. His techniques are sharp, precise, and deadly.

Forced to take a step back, Li Yang's face twisted in frustration. Although it was only a single step, the fact that a Spirit Martial Realm warrior like him, who had arrogantly claimed Xiaoyao was no match for him, had been forced back by Xiaoyao's attack was nothing short of humiliating.