What was originally a full-academy challenge ended with two people being knocked out.
And in the subsequent top ten challenge, Mo Fan secured an absolute victory with his terrifying fire-resistant physique.
The Great Demon Head of Mingzhu was truly deserving of the title, whether in Freshmen Campus or Main Campus. This was something everyone had to admit, even if they were unwilling.
Dongfang Lie, ranked first, was also frowning at this moment.
Firstly, the opponent's fire-resistant physique made him helpless; secondly, the opponent's destructive power left him with no temper at all.`Thirdly that freak of a dimensional summon it was basically immune to all elemental energies.
Before the challenge began, very few believed Mo Fan could actually defeat Dongfang Lie. Even after sweeping through the rankings, even after crushing the top ten, there were still those who believed first pce was different. Dongfang Lie was not just ranked first because of cultivation. He possessed Mutated Fire Stars, ranked fourth on the leaderboard. Every Fire Spell he cast was automatically one tier higher.
Yet now, as reality unfolded before their eyes, doubt began to waver.
“A freshman already stormed into the Top Ten…”
“If he beats Dongfang Lie, this will shake the entire main campus.”
“He might reach Advanced Level before graduation.”
The crowd buzzed with anticipation. Their eyes gradually shifted upward toward the elevated ptform where the Institute’s leadership sat.
Dongfang Lie rose from his seat.
He did not rush. His posture was steady, fme-like aura restrained but oppressive. His gaze was calm, yet beneath it y unquestionable confidence. This was the Fire Institute’s chief. The symbol of dominance.
Mo Fan remained standing at the center of the arena, hands loosely at his sides. He peered briefly into his spiritual world. His Fire Nebu was dimmer than before from consecutive battles, Lightning slightly depleted, but still stable. It did not matter.
Even with half his mana, he felt no fear.
Dongfang Lie descended onto the stage without ceremony.
“Recover first,” Dongfang Lie yelled out.
Someone attempted to rationalize what they were seeing.
Regardless, Mo Fan’s momentum was unstoppable. He had swept through generations of top-tier Fire Institute students, crushing ranks that had stood firm for years. Each battle ended faster than the st, and with every victory, the atmosphere in the arena grew heavier.
The moment he defeated his tenth opponent, Mo Fan took a slow breath and lifted his gaze toward the spectator stands, where a prominent seat remained occupied at the center.
Sitting there, fmes faintly coiling around him, was none other than the Fire Institute Chief — Dongfang Lie.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Dongfang Lie’s gaze was calm but sharp, like a bde hidden beneath embers. Mo Fan did not look away.
Then, Mo Fan retracted his eyes, a renewed determination surging through him.
He had broken into the Top Ten.
His Three Step Tower cultivation privileges were extended by three more days, accumuting to a total of four days, along with three Soul Seed Fragments and a considerable allocation of additional resources. The rewards were significant, but no one in the arena believed he would stop there.
The audience noticed the silent exchange between the two and immediately felt a surge of excitement.
No one believed the remaining contenders could stop Mo Fan now.
The battle for the Chief’s Throne was imminent.
Typically, once a student secured the Institute Chief position, it remained unshaken for years, only vacated upon graduation. Many had attempted to challenge Dongfang Lie before, yet all had been crushed beneath his Mutated Fire Stars.
Now, Dongfang Lie had only recently consolidated his dominance as Chief, and he was already facing a challenger who had torn through the rankings in a single storm.
To ensure victory, he would need to rely on Mid-tier Spells in every match from now on — Fierce Fist to overwhelm, Thunderbolt to suppress, Blood Beast Boots to close distance instantly and end battles in explosive bursts. He wasted no excess movement, no unnecessary mana.
After all, every top ten Fire Mage possessed innate talents, powerful Magic Tools, and refined cultivation. Yet none could withstand the yered combination of Lightning and Fire under Mo Fan’s control.
Each match ended decisively.
Each opponent fell.
And with every victory, the silence in the arena deepened.
Only one remained.
Dongfang Lie.
The Chief of the Fire Institute.
And for the first time since taking that seat, his dominance was being questioned.
Dongfang Lie let Mo fan recover saying “If you fall in one strike, don’t bme me.”
After a brief moment
The referee stepped forward, tension heavy in his expression. The uproar from earlier matches had not died down, yet this felt different. This was no longer a ranking climb. This was a statement.
“Begin!”
Buzz.
Both mages traced their Star Tracks instantly.
Dongfang Lie’s fmes ignited first. His Third-Level Intermediate cultivation surged outward, and the Star Pattern formed with terrifying precision.
“Fierce Fist — Nine Dragons!”
Gray-red dragons erupted from him, each dragon denser than an ordinary Mid-tier spell. His Mutated Fire Stars activated naturally, elevating the spell to fourth-tier force. The heat distorted the air. Even the barrier shimmered.
The dragons sealed Mo Fan’s escape from every direction.
Gasps filled the arena.
No one dared confront Dongfang Lie’s Fiery Fist head-on. His spell alone could overwhelm entire teams.
Mo Fan did not dodge.
Instead, he formed his own Star Pattern.
Same spell.
Same move.
“Fierce Fist.”
The crowd froze.
Was he insane?
Dongfang Lie’s dragons swallowed Mo Fan instantly. Fire clouds surged upward, the arena turning into a furnace. The ground cracked under the impact. Even spectators far from the center activated minor defenses to withstand the heat.
The arena had never been this quiet.
Dongfang Lie continued forward slowly, fmes already spiraling around him like a living cloak. His presence alone raised the temperature of the battlefield. Mutated Fire Stars flickered faintly around his Star Pattern — every fme he produced would be a tier higher.
Mo Fan stood opposite him, shoulders rexed but eyes sharp. His Fire Nebu was already partially depleted from previous matches. Lightning remained steadier, but this was Dongfang Lie. If Fire cshed head-on, the margin would be razor thin.
After this first exchange they went in again
Both moved at the same time.
Dongfang Lie’s Star Pattern formed first.
“Fierce Fist — Nine Dragons!”
Gray-red dragons erupted instantly, their density far exceeding normal Mid-tier power. The fourth-tier enhancement from Mutated Fire Stars made each dragon feel like a colpsing furnace.
Mo Fan reacted without hesitation.
“Fierce Fist — Nine Dragons!”
Crimson Rose Fme surged outward. The two sets of fire dragons collided midair. The explosion cracked the arena floor and forced the barrier to hum violently.
But this time, neither side was suppressed.
Dongfang Lie’s mutated fmes did not evaporate.
Mo Fan’s Rose Fme did not retreat.
They tore into each other violently, fire grinding against fire like colliding suns.
The shockwave bsted both men backward.
Dongfang Lie recovered first.
Wind surged around his feet.
“Wind Track!”
He vanished and reappeared to Mo Fan’s fnk, Star Pattern already reforming.
“Fierce Fist!”
At close range, the gray-red punch detonated against Mo Fan’s hastily activated Shield Magic Tool. The shield cracked instantly under fourth-tier pressure. Heat tore through Mo Fan’s defenses, sending him skidding across the scorched ground.
Gasps erupted from the stands.
Dongfang Lie did not give him space.
Another Star Pattern.
“Fierce Fist — Nine Paces!”
Pilrs of enhanced fire burst upward in a tightening formation, sealing Mo Fan’s movement. The mutated fmes were denser than before, compressing the air itself.
Mo Fan’s boots ignited.
“Blood Beast Boots!”
He forced his body through a narrow gap between two pilrs, but the outer edges still clipped him. His sleeve burned away completely. His breathing grew heavier.
Dongfang Lie’s eyes narrowed. He had control now.
“You can’t suppress this,” he said coldly.
Mo Fan wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and exhaled slowly. Fire vs Fire would drag this out — and Dongfang Lie’s innate enhancement meant he had the edge in pure fme durability.
Fine.
Dongfang Lie raised his hand again.
“Fierce Fist!”
This time, he committed everything into one condensed strike.
Mo Fan did not counter with Fire.
He endured it.
The explosion swallowed him whole. The arena floor fractured under the impact.
Smoke filled the battlefield.
For a second, it seemed finished.
Then lightning crackled.
From within the smoke, blue arcs flickered violently across the ground.
Mo Fan stepped forward, body scorched but standing.
Dongfang Lie’s expression shifted slightly.
Mo Fan’s Star Pattern changed.
Not Fire.
Lightning.
“Thunderbolt — Madness Dance!”
Bolts rained down unpredictably, tearing across the arena in chaotic arcs. Dongfang Lie activated Wind Track again, narrowly avoiding the first few strikes.
But Lightning was different from Fire.
It did not csh.
It struck.
Mo Fan forced more power into it.
“Thunderbolt — Yaksha!”
A concentrated bolt descended from above at an impossible angle. Dongfang Lie’s Wind Track faltered for half a second — just enough.
The lightning pierced through his shoulder, breaking his momentum.
He staggered.
Mo Fan moved instantly.
No Fire.
No dramatic Meteorite Fist.
Just precision.
“Thunderbolt — Chain Lightning!”
Blue arcs erupted from his palm and connected directly to Dongfang Lie’s exposed position. His already damaged Armor Magic Tool fred weakly before shattering.
Electric current tore through his body, locking his muscles.
Dongfang Lie attempted to form another Star Pattern —
Too slow.
Mo Fan closed the distance in one final step.
A condensed Lightning strike at point bnk range.
Boom.
Dongfang Lie was bsted backward into the barrier, electricity crawling across his body before dissipating.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Dongfang Lie slid down slowly, barely conscious, smoke rising from his armor fragments.
Mo Fan remained standing, breathing heavy, Lightning fading from his fingertips.
He had not dominated.
He had survived.
And at the very end, he had adapted.
Fire could be matched.
Lightning ended it.
The referee hesitated for a moment before decring, “Winner… Mo Fan.”
The Fire Institute’s Chief had fallen.
And this time, it had not been overwhelming power.
It had been a narrow edge — seized at the st second.
