<h4>Chapter 100: Fire-Advantaged</h4>


    Zhang Lie smiled. "Best of three, then?"


    Although he would be able to escape on his own, he had ended up embroiling the Yun and Chu ns in his affairs. Furthermore, it would be somewhat more difficult with Fang Yi, Sun Mengmeng, and the rest of Team Zenith in tow.


    Settling the dispute with a match would be the cleanest resolution, and one that was overwhelmingly in his favor.


    "As you will," the Zhou elder replied, having nced all around him to see if there were any objections.


    "Count me in!" Chu Feng patted Zhang Lie''s shoulder. At this key juncture, he was the first one to step up and support Zhang Lie.


    "I, as well." Yun Bing did the same.


    The Yun and Chu elders stared even more curiously at Zhang Lie; meanwhile, Zhang Lie cast a grateful nce at Yun Bing and Chu Feng. Except for him, none of the members of Team Zenith were qualified to take part: he would be facing off against the other ns'' equivalents of Yun Bing and Chu Feng, the best hunters of the younger generation.


    If the two of them hadn''t volunteered, Zhang Lie would have had to fight all three matches by himself.


    "Thank you for your assistance," Zhang Lie murmured. "I''ll owe you both a favor for today''s events."


    A favor was a precious thing indeed, especially from someone like Zhang Lie.


    "I''ll take your word for it, Zhang Lie! In that case, leave the first match to me!" Chu Feng stepped forward, wind-attuned gic energy surging all around him.


    Hispetitor followed: Zhou Hong, from the Zhou n.


    The younger generation of the major ns of the capital all knew each other, but few of them had ever exchanged blows. The reason Zhou Hong stepped forward was because of his elemental attunement. Everyone knew that the Chu n favored wind-attuned techniques, whereas the Zhou n favored fire-attuned techniques.


    While the two elements weren''t in direct opposition, fire would have an advantage over wind.


    "Chu Feng, we''re both members of the five major ns of the capital. Shouldn''t we stand united? Who would have thought that you would oppose everyone here on behalf of some hunter with nothing to his name? Are you really that righteous, or are you just a fool?" Zhou Hong mocked Chu Feng confidently.


    From his perspective, he had already won the match.


    "We''ll just have to see, won''t we?" Chu Feng activated his footwork technique and dashed toward Zhou Hong. A gale of wind blew by, caressing the strands of his hair. For a brief moment, he seemed untethered to the mortal world.


    His opponent, Zhou Hong, surged with gic energy, as though he were smothering himself in a denseyer of smoke. Zhou Hong was a careful hunter, and the first thing he did was to protect himself against attack.


    In contrast, Chu Feng''s offense seemed far more impactful. The onlookers were left with the sensation that Chu Feng was a strong hunter indeed.


    The moment he vanished from sight, Zhou Hong felt a devastating gale blowing right toward him so strongly that he couldn''t even keep his eyes open. However, his defense wasn''t for naught.


    Chu Feng was certainly a strong opponent, but Zhou Hong wasn''t weak, either. He punched forward with a ming fist, shooting jets of me into the air and forcing Chu Feng back.


    Zhou Hong''s dull-looking defense actually empowered his mes significantly, fortifying him and protecting him as though he were encased within a live volcano.


    Fortunately, Chu Feng''s reflexes were quick enough to dodge the blow; if he had been hit by the roiling waves of fire and downed by Zhou Hong''s very first attack, his reputation would have been ruined.


    The twopetitors had each gained a measure of the other''s strength.


    Green gusts of wind and fiery bursts of me filled the field. Neither party used a weapon; this fight would solely be determined by framework and technique, strength and constitution, and their reserves of gic energy.


    "[Wind Palm]!"


    "[Fists of me]!"


    With an explosion of gic energy, palm and fist met each other, shaking the entire castle. Amidst the dense smoke that resulted, bothbatants stumbled a few steps back, neither having gained the advantage from the sh.


    Zhou Hong, sessor to the Zhou n and the strongest among the Zhou hunters of his generation, was at the top of the Maple settlement''s gene leaderboard, and it was only natural that he would have true skill.


    Chu Feng''s gaze filled with excitement. Ever since he had advanced to the second position on the cksteel settlement''s gene leaderboard, he hadn''t had such an enjoyable fight.


    mes surged all around the battlefield, as did gusts of wind so sharp they felt like des.


    The two hunters within tangled together. With another huge explosion, they stumbled apart, a few superficial injuries marring their skin. Neitherbatant had yet disyed their true strength; they were simply warming up and testing the other party.


    After yet another sh, they grew tired of dancing around each other, and each began to gather gic energy around them. Around Chu Feng swirled a whirlwind; around Zhou Hong, a storm of fire. Both were rapidly growingrger by the second, and as they nced at each other, their masses of gic energy reaching a peak, they shouted almost simultaneously,


    "[Hallowed Winds]!"


    "[Primeval Fire]!"


    A blinding green light and a frightening st of fire impacted against each other, causing a massive quake. The gathered hunters lost their footing, and the clocktower and nearby buildings crumbled into oblivion.


    Clouds of dust and grit scoured the battlefield, swirling without end. The hunters nearby were all astounded by the strength of thebatants.


    Because this was only a match, and not a fight to the death, neither of them used their weapons or soulshards—but even with bare hands and fists, with technique alone, they had wrought such devastation!


    So these were the sessors to the major ns of the capital!


    The mes and whirling wind dissipated in a matter of moments, but silence filled the battlefield. Everyone craned their necks, trying to discern whaty at its heart, at the intersection of green and red.


    "They... couldn''t have both perished, could they?"


    "I doubt it, it''s only a match! Would the sessors of the great ns die so easily?"


    The smoke finally cleared, revealing a lone figure.


    "It''s Chu Feng!" someone shouted, and everyone focused their attention on whaty ahead of them.


    Much of Chu Feng''s garments had been swallowed up by the me, and he looked quite the worse for wear, but, most importantly, the tip of his pointer finger was touching Zhou Hong''s throat.


    A small jab would be all it took to kill Zhou Hong.


    "Not bad, Zhou Hong. It''s a pity that your opponent was me—you''ve lost!"


    The Yun and Chu delegations erupted in cheers.