Chapter 135: Victory in the First Battle

"Could she really be a support? How could she possibly be a warrior? There must be some mistake, right?"

Shen Zaiguo thought to herself, "Just wait and see. I'll show you all my true strength in a moment."

Two mages from the opposing Thunder Family stepped onto the arena stage, and the host immediately drew the audience's attention back to them: "Up next—two lightning-element mages from the Divine Realm!"

The Holy City and the Divine Realm, as the two most highly anticipated teams in this tournament, were the focal point of the audience's debates. Every champion of the previous Mage Duel Tournaments had hailed from either the Holy City or the Divine Realm. Some even said that this competition could be viewed as a clash between the younger generations of the Scarlet Flame Family and the Thunder Family.

Yixin was well aware of this, and he had long since prepared for battle.

Their opponents were clad in thick, ornate metal armor. For mages, who typically lacked strong defenses, this was clearly intended to mitigate damage. But in Yixin's eyes, such gaudy and impractical gear would significantly hinder their movement speed and agility in actual combat. A tactical strategy formed in his mind instantly.

"Shen Zaiguo, lure them into my attack range. I'll finish them off in one strike."

"Understood!"

At that moment, the host shouted, "The match begins!"

The two lightning mages moved almost in unison. As they sprinted, they fired two arcs of electricity that intertwined, forming a brilliant trajectory.

Yixin held back, pacing the arena with his staff in hand, maintaining distance from his opponents. His eyes were fixed on their movements, sharp as a tiger waiting to pounce.

Shen Zaiguo stood in front of Yixin when suddenly, a dark red aura erupted from her body, shattering the incoming electric arcs. Then, two dragon wings unfurled, and she soared away, transforming into a fire dragon that took to the skies, her fierce talons lunging toward the opponents' heads.

The audience was stunned. One moment she was a cute, well-behaved girl, and the next, she had transformed into a giant dragon soaring through the sky. They rubbed their eyes, doubting what they had just seen.

The two lightning mages were also taken aback. Seeing the sky blotted out by a massive dragon shadow, they stopped and assumed a defensive stance. The armor on their arms vibrated, and rings of lightning began to encircle them. It was clear that this armor was not only for protection but also served as a vessel for storing electrical energy, allowing them to accumulate power during combat to enhance their strength. Such precise design must have come from the hands of the mechanics in the Snowy Domain.

"This must be settled quickly, before they have a chance to build up their electrical charge..." Yixin decided.

Shen Zaiguo, now circling above the pair, dove down low, casting an ever-growing shadow of the dragon onto the ground. She opened her talons and struck violently at the electrified fists they swung upward.

*Boom!*

A thunderous sound of collision rang out. The dragon's claws locked onto their fists, and sparks of lightning crackled from their armor. The dragon poured all her strength into pressing down on them. Unable to hold their ground, they collapsed backward. The dragon released her claws, which had been struck by the electricity, and took to the air once more, her shadow sweeping over their heads.

"An absolute eye-opener! It’s the Dragon Transformation of the Divine Dragon Clan!" someone exclaimed from the stands.

The students from the Holy City Magic Academy stood up, cheering, "Go! Bring glory to our Holy City!"

The giant dragon circled back. This time, instead of a direct confrontation, she beat her wings to harass and disrupt their movements. When she dove from the heights once more, the two men had fully charged their armor with lightning, preparing to strike her claws. The dazzling light of the electricity was blinding.

"Shen Zaiguo, pull back!"

The dragon's wings whipped up a layer of whirlwind and dust, obscuring their vision as she immediately beat her wings to retreat.

Just as the two men broke through the hurricane to pursue the dragon, they neglected the person who had been standing on the sidelines all along. By now, Yixin’s attack had been fully charged, and the amplification from the magic potion he had consumed reached its peak.

As the dragon ascended, Yixin’s silhouette emerged from behind her, his fire spell following closely.

"Fire Art—Blazing Wildfire!"

The two lightning mages were completely caught off guard. It was too late to turn and run; their vision had been obstructed by the dragon, and they had ignored the other opponent's preparations.

From beneath the dragon’s belly, a sea of fire erupted like a sudden gateway to hell, pouring out in a scarlet torrent that surged straight toward them. The pair could only adjust their armor to defensive mode, deploying circular shields from their arms and crossing them in front of their chests while crouching down.

But no matter how sturdy the mechanical armor was, it could not withstand Yixin’s flames. A blast of intense fire slammed into the armor; the shields began to crack, and fragments dissolved into ash amidst the dancing tongues of flame.

Yixin’s mana was at its peak, and he gave them no chance to breathe. After shattering their shields, he swung his staff again, unleashing another violent and brutal torrent of fire, as if the inferno within him were inexhaustible. He smashed through their armor and sent them flying out of the arena, crashing into the transparent barrier in front of the spectator stands.

"Yes!" The audience erupted into cheers, rising to their feet to applaud.

The match had been decided the moment Yixin struck, highlighting the vast gap in strength between the two sides.

The host immediately announced, "As expected of the Scarlet Flame Family! Defeating their opponents in a single strike! The winners of the second group are: Yixin and Shen Zaiguo from the Holy City Magic Academy!"

High above the stands, in the contestants' lounge with its panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, Reina stood by the glass, gripping her cup tightly.

"Hmph, relying on mechanical armor and cowering—what a disgrace to our Thunder Family!"

Renault, sitting on a sofa nearby, sipped his black tea and said languidly, "Don't be angry, elder sister. Those two were merely collateral branches of our Thunder Family; they aren't worth the trouble."

For some reason, Reina felt a deep revulsion whenever she saw members of the Scarlet Flame Family. Her eyes flashed with malice as she said, "The strongest family on the continent is ours, and ours alone. To dare humiliate the Thunder Family—they are as good as dead!"

Yixin stepped off the stage calmly; neither he nor Shen Zaiguo had expended much energy.

Heiyu had already downed several large bottles of potions and was sitting in meditation to regulate his breath. Ling Xiaolei stood to the side, head bowed, fidgeting with her staff; she was clearly nervous.

Bai Shengye handed the pre-prepared stamina-recovery potions to Yixin and Shen Zaiguo. After drinking them, they took their seats in the viewing area.

The Mage Duel Tournament consisted of four rounds. The first round was a two-on-two duel. Although all participants were at the late-stage realm, those inexperienced students would soon be eliminated by teams with more refined techniques and greater strength. The second round would be even more intense, with two randomly selected teams choosing representatives for one-on-one duels in a best-of-three format, where the losing team would be eliminated entirely.