SUPREME ARCH-MAGUS

“Prepare yourselves! Fourth round, first duel—Kent King versus Ling Long! This is the first call.”

The colossal Skyfire Arena loomed like a fortress suspended between sky and earth.

Its emerald-tiled floor stretched as wide as a modern stadium, yet the entire structure hovered in the clouds, ringed by countless floating platforms where tens of thousands of spectators gathered.

Above them, banners of different sects and families rippled in the wind, glowing faintly with inscription runes.

In the center of the arena, two figures slowly approached from opposite gates.

From the east side, Kent King floated in calmly on companion, Sparky. The beast’s golden eyes sparkled as it soon took Kent to skies and looked over the Arena with indifference.

Kent’s cape swayed with the breeze, his expression as calm as an untouched lake, his face still half-covered by the beast veil mask that had already become infamous among the crowd.

From the west side, Ling Long stepped forward, riding atop a massive Lava Hound. The beast was a living furnace, its body made of jagged volcanic rock with veins of molten fire running through it, every breath radiating waves of heat.

Ling Long herself wore a crimson robe embroidered with earth and flame sigils, her black hair tied in a tight warrior’s knot. Her sharp eyes glinted with scorn the moment they landed on Kent.

The floating platforms trembled with noise.

“That’s Ling Long of the Long family! Ranked 500th only because she chose fighting over collecting treasures—her actual combat strength is top fifty!”

“Heh, against her, that masked brat’s luck ends here.”

“Did you hear? The gambling odds against him are insane already—1:50! Bet once, and you’re set for life!”

Even on the highest VIP platform, elders of various sects leaned forward with interest.

On the central judge’s seat, the Sixth Elder of the Syndicate rose. His long jade wand gleamed under the arena’s formation lights. He raised it high, and the entire arena grew silent.

“Contestants,” his voice boomed like rolling thunder, “you know the rules. Victory is by kicking out of Arena, Killing or surrender. Use any spells and treasures within your realm limit. Begin when the heavens roar!”

He thrust the wand upward. From somewhere high in the sky, a deafening BOOM cracked through the clouds, followed by a rain of golden sparks descending like meteors.

The match had begun.

Ling Long moved first. With a gesture, the Lava Hound reared back and released a barrage of molten boulders, each the size of a carriage, hurtling toward Kent like flaming meteors.

Kent moved Sparky in a lazy curve, his robe fluttering as if caught in a gentle breeze. He didn’t counter. He didn’t defend. He simply… moved out of the way, letting the attacks crash into the arena tiles with explosive force, sending fountains of molten rock spraying.

“Is he running away already?”

“Tch, so all that treasure gathering was just luck after all!”

“Look at him! Doesn’t even have the guts to fight head-on!”

Ling Long’s lips curled. “A coward wearing a hero’s mask.”

She raised her arms, and the entire arena shuddered. From beneath the jade tiles, earthen spikes as thick as tree trunks erupted upward in waves, trying to impale Kent mid-flight. Sparky zigzagged in dizzying patterns, arcs of golden lightning flashing briefly to accelerate at the last second, always just narrowly escaping.

From the stands, the gambling house members grinned. Every dodge Kent made only solidified the image they wanted—a weakling avoiding combat. The more timid he looked, the more mana stones poured into the betting pools against him.

The Red Face watched the fight with amusing smile.

But to the sharp-eyed few—elders and veteran magi—Kent’s evasions were too precise, his movements almost lazy, as if measuring Ling Long’s patterns.

Ling Long failed to win the fight in 3 moves like she declared. The anger consumed her and she began using treasures to finish fight faster.

After ten moves, Kent still standing and she failed to catch even his shadow.

In frustation she began chasing him to land the attack precisely. So, the cat and mouse chase began.

After her thirteenth attack, Ling Long’s brows furrowed. Her breathing had quickened, heat shimmered off her robes. She slammed her palms together, and a massive Earthen Dome encased the arena’s center, locking Sparky’s flight within a narrow space.

“This ends now!” she declared, her voice echoing. The Lava Hound lunged forward, claws wreathed in molten rock, aiming straight for Kent’s chest.

Kent’s body jerked ever so slightly. The moment Ling Long’s mount closed in—barely three meters away—Kent’s lips curved under the mask.

In a blur, Sparky burst forward, the fire breath exploding like a miniature storm. Kent raised his hand, releasing a compressed lightning spear that detonated near Ling Long’s path—not to wound, but to disrupt her balance mid-charge.

In the same instant, the shockwave tilted the Lava Hound sideways, forcing it dangerously close to the arena’s glowing boundary line.

Kent’s heavenly sword moved in arc, forming a crescent of crackling azure light—Lightning Moon Slash. It wasn’t aimed at Ling Long’s body; instead, it struck the very edge of the arena floor beneath her mount.

The tiles shattered. The boundary runes flared.

The Lava Hound roared in panic as its balance gave way. Ling Long’s eyes widened in disbelief, her control faltering for a single breath. That was all it took—the combined momentum of her charge and the tilt sent both her and her beast toppling over the edge.

Before she understood what’s happening, she was standing just one tile outside the Arena boundary line. Basically she was kicked out of Arena!

A gong rang out, the arena’s formation catching her fall and big aurora glass displayed the result to every spectator.

For a heartbeat, the crowd went silent. Then—

“Wha—?! Did… did he just win?”

“Impossible! She was dominating the entire fight!”

“That masked devil was running away this whole time?!”

Up on the floating platforms, the gambling house owners’ smiles froze, their hands gripping the railings until knuckles turned white.

Ling Long stood below, chest heaving, staring up at Kent in disbelief. “You…” she murmured, unable to finish the sentence.

Kent only inclined his head politely, Sparky crackling with gentle lightning beneath him, before turning to the Sixth Elder.

The Elder raised his wand once more. “Victory— 1st Rank Kent King!”

The arena exploded in chaos—cheers, curses, laughter, and the sound of countless mana stones changing hands. Some were wailing their losses, others shouting Kent’s name like a war chant.

And high above, behind the privacy screens of a VIP platform, the heads of several gambling houses exchanged grim looks.

They had just lost millions.

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Tq guys for the great support!