Teacher by day, Farmer by passion

Liu Mei, however, remained unfazed. She stretched her arms lazily and smirked.

"Big brother Xiao Ling, you're finally taking me seriously?"

Xiao Ling didn't respond. Instead, he moved.

Boom!

The ground shattered beneath him as he dashed forward, his eagle diving from above at the same time.

A synchronized attack!

The golden streak in the sky moved too fast for Liu Mei to react.

"She can't dodge in time!" someone in the crowd shouted.

But Liu Mei wasn't dodging.

Her small hands clenched into fists, her aura pulsing violently as a thin layer of frost spread beneath her feet.

Then, in the blink of an eye—

She jumped.

Straight into the eagle's attack.

Ace's soul nearly left his body.

"WHAT IS THAT STUPID GIRL DOING?!"

The crowd gasped as Liu Mei launched herself into the air, directly toward the descending golden eagle.

Xiao Ling's eyes widened. Is she insane?

His eagle was faster, larger, and stronger. The impact alone would send her crashing into the ground!

But then—

Fwoosh!

A burst of cold air exploded from Liu Mei's body.

The eagle flinched mid-flight. Its wings stiffened as thin layers of frost crept over its golden feathers.

"What?!" Xiao Ling's expression darkened. His connection with his spirit beast flickered for a moment.

Then—

BAM!

Liu Mei's foot slammed against the eagle's back.

The beast screeched in pain as its massive body plummeted toward the ground, crashing into the arena floor.

Xiao Ling had no time to react—

Because she was already in front of him.

Crack!

A sharp, freezing gust surged from her palms as she delivered a palm strike straight to his chest.

Xiao Ling staggered back, his breath visible in the sudden cold.

Liu Mei landed softly, a playful smile on her lips.

"Big brother Xiao Ling," she teased, tilting her head. "Didn't you say I wouldn't last three moves?"

The arena exploded into an uproar.

The commentator's voice was nearly drowned out by the cheers—

"UNBELIEVABLE! LIU MEI HAS FORCED XIAO LING BACK WITH JUST A FEW MOVES!"

Xiao Ling wiped the frost from his chest, his brows knitting together.

He clenched his sword tighter, preparing to retaliate—

But then—

A chilling aura erupted from Liu Mei's body.

The temperature in the arena plunged, and the ground beneath her feet froze over in an instant.

She raised her hand, and in a blinding flash of icy light, a spirit beast materialized beside her.

A fox.

But not just any fox—

Its fur was pure white, shimmering like untouched snow. Its five elegant tails swayed, leaving behind a faint frost in the air.

The instant it appeared, a frigid wind howled through the arena.

Xiao Ling's golden eagle shrieked in distress, its wings trembling under the oppressive cold.

The crowd fell silent.

The commentator's voice wavered with excitement—

"A F-FIVE-TAILED SNOW FOX?!"

The cheers from earlier had turned into pure disbelief.

Even the old master, Blind, leaned forward in his seat, his voice serious for the first time.

"An infant-ranked Snow Fox… yet it already has five tails? That's an unnatural level of talent."

Xiao Ling clicked his tongue, forcing his spirit beast to shake off its hesitation.

"Just because it's rare," he said, lifting his sword, "doesn't mean it's stronger than mine!"

He swung forward—

His golden eagle flapped its wings, releasing a storm of golden wind blades, each sharp enough to cut through stone.

But Liu Mei?

She simply smiled.

"White Fur."

The five-tailed fox's eyes glowed blue, and in an instant—

A wall of ice erupted in front of them.

The golden wind blades shattered against the frozen barrier.

Then—

Liu Mei vanished.

Xiao Ling's eyes darted around in alarm.

She wasn't behind the ice—

She was above him.

"Too slow," she whispered, her palm radiating freezing mist.

She dove down, her attack aimed directly at his unguarded shoulder.

CLANG!

Xiao Ling barely managed to raise his sword in time, parrying Liu Mei's icy strike. A sharp, metallic ring echoed through the arena as sparks and frost clashed midair.

He skidded back, his boots scraping against the frozen floor. His breath fogged in the air, the cold gnawing at his bones.

His expression twisted in undisguised anger.

A mere disciple of the trash of the Xiao family was forcing him back?

His golden eagle circled above, its eyes burning with rage, but even it hesitated—the cold was unnatural, suffocating, oppressive.

Xiao Ling's grip on his sword tightened.

"A nobody from an unknown village dares to push me back?" His voice was low, laced with venom.

"Do you really think stepping into Gold Rank makes you my equal?!"

Liu Mei tilted her head, unfazed. She flicked her wrist, and frost gathered around her fingers, her breath steady.

"I don't need to be your equal." She smiled, soft but unyielding. "I just need to win."

Xiao Ling's anger flared.

"Arrogant!" He vanished in a burst of golden light, lunging straight at her.

The temperature plunged, and even the spectators shivered in their seats.

A thin layer of frost spread across the stone stage, creeping toward Xiao Ling as he and his eagle descended like a golden meteor.

Liu Mei's expression remained calm.

With a flick of her fingers, White Fur howled, its five tails rising high before whipping forward in unison.

BOOM!

A storm of ice and snow erupted from the fox, colliding with Xiao Ling's attack mid-air.

The impact was devastating.

Golden flames and frozen mist clashed violently, creating a shockwave that rattled the arena. Shards of ice and embers rained down, and in the center of it all—

Xiao Ling burst through.

His golden aura flared brighter, his sword now burning with an intense golden flame. The eagle behind him screeched, reinforcing his power as he swung his blade straight at Liu Mei.

"This is the end!"

Liu Mei's eyes sharpened.

She took one step forward.

Then, she vanished.

FWISH!

Xiao Ling's sword slashed through empty air.

"What—?!"

Before he could react, a sudden chill crawled up his spine.

She was behind him.