Chapter 18 - Duel between Element Adepts

A large explosion of spirit energy erupted as a trail of sand-colored spirit energy collided with gold spirit energy, their weapons connecting with a thunderous clash. The ground cracked beneath Guo Yang's feet as he blocked Shen Dong's great sword. Great swords, also known as heavy swords, were designed for overwhelming power, usually requiring two hands due to their immense size and weight. These were weapons built for strength, not the speed and finesse of a light sword.

"Impressive! You might be the first to block my sword besides my brother," Shen Dong praised, slashing again, the wind propelled forward by the force of his swing. Guo Yang's eyes narrowed as he employed the Snake Specter Art, vanishing and reappearing behind Shen Dong, thrusting his spear forward. But Shen Dong, showing impressive reflexes, released his grip on the sword and slashed downward with lightning speed.

Guo Yang quickly shifted tactics, using a poison practitioner art: **Paralysis Mist Breath Art.** This art created a temporary paralyzing mist to escape sudden danger. It was one of the few practitioner arts he had developed specifically for his human body, mimicking the innate abilities of poisonous creatures he'd studied over two lifetimes. While only one of his arts was a true snake practitioner art, the rest were his original creations born from his extensive knowledge of herbs and magical beasts.

"Ugh," Shen Dong grunted, breaking free of the paralysis, but Guo Yang had already moved out of range. "What kind of element practitioner art was that?"

"None," Guo Yang grinned. "It's not a basic practitioner art either. It's a poison practitioner art."

"He finally used one," Guo Jing muttered from the stands.

"What's a poison practitioner art?" Ji Ting asked, mirroring the curiosity of the crowd. The two boys circled each other, each imagining the next move.

"Only those who practice a poisonous cultivation method can use poison practitioner arts," Guo Jing explained. "Each practitioner who can is considered a peerless genius. It’s extremely difficult to create your own practitioner arts, but it’s relatively easier to create poison practitioner arts—though dangerous. One must build up resistance or immunity to various poisons. These arts are highly flexible but also have many restrictions. For example, the mist you saw Guo Yang use—**Paralysis Mist Breath Art**—can be countered by wind practitioner arts. Poison practitioner arts have as many weaknesses as they do strengths, but they are undoubtedly lethal. Even a practitioner's spirit energy becomes poisonous."

"So it's like that," Ji Ting said, nodding along with the crowd.

"Have you seen him use many of them?" another spectator asked.

"I have," Guo Jing admitted, his voice tinged with fear. "And it terrifies me. He uses poison practitioner arts more than his three element arts. No one has survived them, so he lacks a true challenge."

"Why would you cultivate such a path?" Shen Dong asked.

"Let's just say I was once a being above the elements," Guo Yang said mysteriously. "Now, prepare yourself. Since you've overpowered me, you must be at the middle Element Adept stage. I'll show you why I chose poison cultivation."

"Sorry, but I don’t take risks," Shen Dong grinned and raised his hand, a golden symbol glowing between his eyes. Guo Yang's gaze followed, and what appeared in the sky made his blood run cold.

A golden phoenix emerged from a bright rune circle, standing over twenty feet tall with azure feathers adorning its head like a crown. Its beak and talons gleamed white as snow, exuding an aura of majesty and power. Even Red Death shrank back, recognizing the creature and slithering behind Guan Hai for protection.

"Behold my magical beast: the Heaven Swallowing Phoenix," Shen Dong declared, pausing as Guo Yang's reaction was far from what he expected.

"YOU! YOU FUCKER! KILL! I MUST KILL! KILL. KILL. KILL!" Guo Yang roared, exploding with jade-colored spirit energy, his bloodlust surging uncontrollably. Concerned, Guan Hai stepped forward, standing between them.

"Come! Come to your master!" Guo Yang bellowed, summoning four snake magical beasts to his side as Red Death slithered to him. The crowd was thrown into chaos—Guo Yang controlled four magical beasts without a soul contract. How could he have tamed so many, all of them more powerful than Guo Lin's?

"Restrain him, and make sure he stays out of my way. I... will kill that fucking bird!" Guo Yang snarled, sending his snakes to attack Shen Dong.

"What are you doing?!" Shen Dong cried, stunned, while Guo Lin and Shen Hua stood frozen in shock.

"Shut up! You have no idea why I hate that bird. That... feathered freak! I need vengeance. I will have vengeance!" Guo Yang roared, the ground trembling under his immense spirit energy.

"I cannot interfere," Guan Hai said, stepping aside as the five snakes attacked Shen Dong.

"Cousin!" "Yang!" Shen Hua and Guo Lin cried simultaneously, rushing forward.

"Stay out of this!" Guo Yang bellowed, stomping on the ground and unleashing a giant wave of earth and rock—the **Pulse Rock Wave Art**—at them.

"You know human practitioner arts?!" Guo Lin shouted in disbelief as the wave of earth and stone surged toward him and Shen Hua. Shen Hua, being closer, took the brunt of the impact and was knocked unconscious, while Guo Lin managed to avoid most of the attack but still collapsed from its force.

"Shen Hua is defeated. She ranks fourth. Guo Lin is defeated. He ranks third," Guan Hai announced calmly, his keen eyes judging the situation.

"You hurt your own brother?" Shen Dong cried, struggling to fend off the snake attacks while the phoenix soared towards Guo Yang.

"Silence, human! You know nothing of my power! I'll deal with you after I kill that thing!" Guo Yang snarled, toxic jade mist seeping from every pore of his body. It coalesced into an armor of jade that covered him from head to toe.

"Spirit Armor!" Guo Jing shouted, rising to his feet along with other powerful practitioners. They stared at Guo Yang in shock. How was he able to create spirit armor? Who was his master? Many among the elite began to consider slaying him before the Guo Clan's power grew too immense.

"I don't care if my body can’t handle this—I will kill you!" Guo Yang roared, a memory flashing through his mind as he leaped at the phoenix, his spear crackling with poisonous spirit energy.

"I did it, mommy! I killed my first prey!" a small golden snake with jade eyes and sand-colored feathers on its head hissed as it returned, a bulge in its belly.

"Good job, little one. Remember, hunting requires patience and a single, focused strike," a larger snake, 300 feet long, praised it, tapping the small snake's head with its forked tongue. Suddenly, the sky darkened as three massive phoenixes, each as large as mountains, appeared.

"This giant snake will feed us for days," one Heaven Swallowing Phoenix cawed.

"What about the tiny one?" another cawed back.