Volume 3: Global Vanguard & The Advanced Pinnacle
Chapter 226
Opening of the Historic Grand Finals
Venice, 10:00 AM.
The sky over the Adriatic Gulf was as clear as a giant piece of jade freshly washed by a ferocious thunderstorm. Brilliant golden sunlight laid a shimmering layer of metallic lacquer upon the ancient bell towers of San Marco Square, reflecting down upon the canals which were now completely cleansed of deathly aura and blood-filth. The nightmare of the Underworld Church and the underground Blood Sacrifice altar had officially vanished into thin air, leaving the water city with an unprecedented, intense burst of revived vitality.
Yet, that peace did not last long, because the grandest festival, the most brilliant pinnacle of global magic civilization, had officially sounded its horn of battle: The Grand Finals of the World Magic Tournament!
At the Venice Marine Arena, the atmosphere at this moment was not merely bustling—it was boiling to the point of imminent explosion!
To accommodate the supreme blood-battle between two superpowers, the International Magic Grand Council and the Venice Magic Association had to activate an ancient spatial formation, expanding the surface of the floating sea arena to three times its size compared to the previous rounds. The entire combat stage was a gigantic octagonal artificial island composed of thousands of Demonic Steel blocks weighing hundreds of tons, surrounded by a three-layer thick God-Grade defensive barrier, robust enough to withstand the destructive power of early Super-tier destructive magic.
The four steep, bowl-shaped stands were packed to capacity with over one hundred and fifty thousand spectators. Cheers, drumming, vuvuzelas, and slogans chanted in dozens of different languages blended into a sonic wave that shook the clouds, causing the Adriatic waters outside the barrier to continuously churn up white-crested waves.
Not stopping there, high above the arena, thirty-six magic crystal recording spheres flew like a flock of falcons, transmitting every breath-stopping moment directly to over two billion viewers glued to magic crystal screens in Beijing, Shanghai, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo... Across all five continents and four oceans, every human gaze was fixed upon this stone island nestled between the blue waters and skies of Italy.
“Respected viewers all over the world!”
The sonorous, bronze-bell-like resonant voice of the lead commentator boomed through the multi-dimensional magic-audio amplification system:
“After three weeks of fierce competition with unprecedented surprises in history, we have reached the final milestone! On one side is the reigning three-term champion—Team United States, those who carry the pride of cutting-edge magitech and absolute overwhelming power! On the other side is the miracle of the East—Team Shenzhou, the great dragon awakening after millennia of slumber, those who just saved the entire city of Venice from annihilation! Who will ascend to the peak of glory? Who will touch the magnificent World Championship Trophy? The decisive hour has arrived!”
“O-RAAAAAAA!”
“SHENZHOU UNDEFEATED! LIN FENG UNDEFEATED!”
“USA! USA! THE UNBEATABLE GOD OF WAR!”
Roars resembling a tsunami erupted from both opposing stands, nearly tearing apart the eardrums of anyone present.
At the western entrance of the arena, the heavy magic steel gate slowly lifted.
Team United States strode out.
Leading the charge was Alexander—known as the “God of War of the Western Frontier,” a man holding a record of annihilating top global powerhouses in the group stages. Completely different from traditional mages wearing silk robes, Alexander wore the Fifth-Generation Titanium Magitech Mecha—a top-secret military masterpiece of the Pentagon.
The cold, matte titanium-gray armor tightly hugged every contour of his bulging muscles, with intricate networks of blue and red magic energy channels intertwining across the armor like artificial blood vessels. On his back were two turbofan-type magic jet propulsion nozzles, continuously puffing out strips of blinding white steam carrying terrifying pressure. In one hand, he held a dual-barreled heavy magitech cannon nearly two meters long, and on the other, he wore steel gauntlets crackling with lightning.
Every step Alexander took onto the Demonic Steel stone floor produced crisp metal-on-metal clangs of `clang... clang...`, carrying a cold, ruthless mechanical oppression reeking of gunpowder.
Walking closely behind Alexander were the four main members of the United States:
Jessica—a female mage holding the dual Wind and Sound elements. She wore a pitch-black tight leather outfit accentuating her voluptuous hourglass figure, her platinum blonde hair tied into a high ponytail, wearing a teardrop-shaped acoustic directional device on her ear, and spinning a pair of silver short batons inlaid with Wind Spirit Crystals in both hands.
Billy—a giant standing two meters and ten centimeters tall, an Earth-element defensive mage likened to the “Indestructible Fortress.” On Billy’s shoulder rested a massive shield crafted from magitech alloy mixed with millennial volcanic rock, weighing half a ton. Each of his steps caused the ground to tremble slightly.
David—the secretive Shadow-element assassin. He was tightly draped in an ash-gray cloak capable of absorbing light. Seen from afar, his figure was hazy like a flickering black smoke in broad daylight, with only his narrow eyes flashing with the cold sharpness of a venomous snake.
And finally, Sarah—the world’s top-tier Light-element support mage. She wore a pure white robe embroidered with golden threads, holding a white jade scepter radiating a warm halo, yet her lips held a hint of the arrogant, haughty demeanor characteristic of those standing atop Western power.
When reaching the edge of the combat stage, Alexander raised his head, his gaze piercing through the amber visor of his helmet, sweeping across the arena before resting on the opposite side. The corners of his lips curled into an arrogant smile, his deep voice booming through the mecha’s loudspeaker:
“Shenzhou? Heard you guys were playing circus savior in the square last night. Don’t think getting rid of a few cultist sewer rats puts you on the same level as the United States. Your antiquated Eastern magic... today will be crushed beneath the wheels of our technology!”
Alexander’s insulting declaration instantly ignited the section of stands housing overseas Chinese and Shenzhou supporters, with endless boos and protests erupting.
And right at that moment, the eastern gate slowly opened.
No roaring engines. No cold iron armor.
Five figures clad in deep red combat uniforms embroidered with undulating golden dragon patterns leisurely stepped onto the arena.
Leading the crimson army was Lin Feng.
He wore a short-sleeved dark red combat jacket, its tails gently fluttering in the sea breeze. His handsome face featured resolute lines, a straight high nose bridge, and obsidian-black eyes as deep as an ancient thousand-year well. After the fierce battle that incinerated the Arch-Cardinal and cleansed Venice, Lin Feng’s aura did not weaken; on the contrary, it became even more condensed and composed, resembling a colossal volcano dormant at the bottom of a deep ocean.
Beside him was Ye Lengtian—Shenzhou’s Vice-Captain, an extraordinarily handsome magitech sword cultivator, the Azure-Glaze longsword at his waist radiating wisps of delicate chilling frost; Han Yue—the ice goddess with flawless porcelain-like skin, her long black hair fluttering amid tiny snowflakes automatically condensing around her body; Ye Qingwan—the delicate Wood-element maiden, her soft hands containing surging life force; and Xie Zhaoyuan—the robust young man, his arms crossed over his chest holding a sturdy dark-green basalt tortoise heavy shield.
The appearance of Team Shenzhou swept across the Marine Arena like a crimson hurricane. The entire eastern stand simultaneously rose to their feet, tens of thousands of red flags fluttering brilliantly, and roars shook the heavens:
“LIN FENG! LIN FENG!”
“LONG LIVE TEAM SHENZHOU!”
“SMASH THOSE MECHAS! SHOW THEM WHAT EASTERN MAGIC IS!”
Lin Feng stopped at the center of Shenzhou’s half of the court, raising his head to stare straight at Alexander. Facing the pitch-black heavy cannon and the fierce oppression of the American mecha, his expression remained as calm as a mirror-like lake without a single ripple. He gently brushed an invisible speck of dust from his shoulder, speaking indifferently:
“Empty barrels always make the loudest noise. Wearing a ton of scrap iron and thinking you’re gods descending to the mortal realm? Those patchwork mechanical toys of yours... smashed into pieces under my feet later, I hope you won’t cry for your mommy.”
“You’re courting death!”
Alexander’s eyes bulged wide, fury blazing furiously. The energy core on his back instantly let out a piercing shriek, dark-blue lightning arcs snapping around his titanium finger joints.
“Everyone take your positions!”
The authoritative roar of the Chief Referee, reaching the Peak Super-tier, cut through the fiery verbal sparring. He hovered mid-air, holding up two magic signal spheres:
“The Thirty-First Venice International Magic Tournament Grand Finals: Team Shenzhou versus Team United States! Match format: Life-or-death melee according to international rules, the team that loses combat capability or is entirely knocked off the arena shall be declared defeated!”
One hundred and fifty thousand people in the arena suddenly held their breaths. The sound of sea waves crashing against the distant Demonic Steel cliffs was clearly audible. The space seemed drained of oxygen, tension thickening to the point where a falling match could detonate the entire atmosphere!
The two teams retreated fifty meters, forming standard tactical formations.
Alexander stood at the vanguard, his eyes locked onto Lin Feng like a wild beast smelling fresh blood.
Lin Feng stood at the front, hands relaxed at his sides, but deep within his eyes, six colossal magic Star Oceans had begun spinning at a terrifying speed.
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One... BEGIN!”
“BOOOOOOOM!”
The magic whistle barely faded when an eardrum-splitting explosion instantly erupted from the United States side!
Not a millisecond of hesitation! Not a single redundant probing move!
The battle to decide the world throne exploded at a crazy speed from the very first second!
“Engage all thrusters! Crush them for me!”
Alexander roared like thunder. The twin turbofan jet engines behind his back spewed three-meter-long thermonuclear blue flames, generating terrifying reaction thrust that blasted him straight into the sky at speeds breaking the sound barrier! A conical shockwave exploded mid-air with a `BANG`, scattering surrounding sea water droplets into a misty fog!
At an altitude of thirty meters, Alexander raised his dual-barrel Titanium heavy cannon. The magitech electronic targeting system inside his helmet locked onto all positions of the five Shenzhou members.
“Thunder-Fire Explosive Cannon—TOTAL ANNIHILATION, OPEN FIRE!”
`CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!`
The heavy cannon in his hand spun at a dizzying speed, continuously spitting out dozens of magic cannonballs densely packed with Thunder and Fire elemental energy! Each half-meter-wide cannonball tore through the air, roaring down like a meteor shower blanketing the entire thirty-square-meter area where Team Shenzhou stood!
This was the horror of Western magitech mechas: no need to spend time tracing Star Orbits or Star Graphs, magic stone energy was activated directly through mechanical gun barrels, yielding a firing rate and firepower density completely overwhelming traditional mages!
Yet, Alexander’s attack was merely a feint to open the battle!
The moment the thunder-fire cannon shells left the barrels, Jessica in the rear swiftly slammed her heels into the Demonic Steel floor. The directional headset on her ear glowed brilliantly, her two silver short batons sweeping across in a flawless arc:
“Wind Magic—Swift Wind Boundary!”
“High-tier Sound Element—SOUND WAVE: CHAOTIC SPIRIT DANCE!”
`SWISH SWISH SWISH... VENGGGGGGGG!`
A cyan hurricane churned forth, carrying thousands of razor-sharp wind blades supporting an invisible, bizarre high-frequency sound wave sweeping across the stage! This sound wave did not target physical bodies, but struck directly at the opponent’s eardrums and spiritual sea! Its bizarre oscillation frequency could disrupt brainwaves, causing opposing mages to suffer splitting headaches and breathlessness, severing their thought circuits and completely stripping away their ability to connect Star Nodes to cast magic!
A terrifying combination attack!
On one hand, long-range destructive bombardment; on the other, invisible piercing mental assault!
Simultaneously, the giant Billy slammed his half-ton heavy shield onto the arena floor: “Earth Lock—Ten Thousand Stone Imprisonment!” Earth and rock instantly surged beneath Team Shenzhou’s feet into dozens of rocky claws, attempting to lock down their footing and turn them into living targets for the Thunder-Fire cannon barrage!
As for David—the Shadow-element assassin—he had dissolved into a faint, dim shadow gliding across the water surface at ghostly speed, heading straight for Ye Qingwan in the rear!
A four-layer flawless combination, sharp and ruthless to the extreme! The entire process from the referee signaling the start until the four attacks landed took less than two full seconds!
In the stands, one hundred and fifty thousand spectators held their breath in terror, many Shenzhou fans not even daring to open their eyes!
“Shenzhou is done! At this speed, how could they possibly raise a defense?!” A Western commentator screamed excitedly into the microphone.
Yet right at that life-or-death moment...
“Want to lock down Shenzhou’s footing? You’re still too green, big guy!”
A resounding shout echoed out!
Xie Zhaoyuan stepped half a step forward, his bulging veins gripping the Basalt Tortoise shield tightly, the entire Earth-element Star Graph within his body erupting like a volcanic explosion:
“Basalt Tortoise Earth Technique—BOULDER’S WRATH: ATMOSPHERIC RAMPART!”
“BOOOOOOOM!”
The Demonic Steel floor shook violently! Not a regular stone shield, but a thick slab of rock over one meter thick and seven meters high abruptly surged from the ground, curving into a gigantic tortoise shell shape enclosing all five Shenzhou members inside! On the surface of the dark green stone wall, ancient patterns glowed brightly, tightly interlocking to form a solid mass as unshakeable as Mount Tai!
`BANG! BANG! BANG! CRASHHHHHHH!`
Alexander’s dozens of Thunder-Fire cannon shells slammed directly into the Basalt Tortoise rampart!
Lightning energy and crimson fire exploded savagely, thick black smoke billowed upward, and shockwaves tore through the air, cracking the surrounding stone floor. The rock rampart trembled violently, rubble scattering in all directions, yet it stood tall and firm, swallowing Alexander’s brutal bombardment whole!
“What?! They blocked it?!” Alexander in mid-air widened his eyes, unable to believe an Earth-element mage’s shield could withstand the compressed magitech firepower of Titanium guns!
“Not yet! My sound wave has arrived!” Jessica screamed loudly.
The invisible sound wave “Chaotic Spirit Dance” pierced straight through the thick rock wall! High-frequency audio was unhindered by physical matter, stabbing like tens of thousands of invisible steel needles straight into the minds of everyone inside the rampart!
Xie Zhaoyuan’s face turned pale, his eardrums aching fiercely, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as the magic in his hands showed signs of dissolving!
Han Yue and Ye Qingwan also groaned softly, their spiritual seas churning violently!
“Hmph, low-class sound magic dares to display its ugliness before me?”
A cold, composed voice echoed right at the epicenter of the sonic storm.
It was Lin Feng.
He stood there, his posture straight as a spear driven into the earth. Jessica’s mental sound wave storm dashed against him like wind brushing past a cliff, unable to shake even a single strand of his hair! With a soul having experienced two reincarnations and spiritual realm touching the Sixth Realm after refining a supreme treasure, a high-tier mage’s slight high-frequency sound wave was mere child’s play to him!
Lin Feng slowly raised his right hand, his index finger flicking lightly into the void:
“Space Star Orbit—VOID DOMAIN: TRANQUIL BARRIER!”
`HUMMMMM...`
A transparent silver ripple like water surface ripples radiated from Lin Feng’s fingertips, instantly enveloping his four comrades!
The moment the silver ripple swept past, Jessica’s entire ear-splitting sound wave fell like fish entering muddy waters, its frequency shattered and completely neutralized by the twisted spatial layer without a single fragment remaining! The agonizing pain in Xie Zhaoyuan, Han Yue, and Qingwan’s minds vanished completely in an instant, their spiritual seas returning to a bright, tranquil state!
“Null... Nullified?! He used Spatial Element to neutralize sound magic?!” Jessica in the distance turned pale, the acoustic measurement device on her ear suddenly sounding a red warning beep before exploding into tiny pieces! She clutched her ears and stepped back twice, her eyes filled with terror!
“It’s our turn to counterattack!”
Lin Feng’s eyes flashed with a cold, sharp glint:
“Han Yue, freeze the sea! Lengtian, shatter the shield!”
“Understood!”
Two thunderous replies rang out simultaneously!
Han Yue strode forward to the edge of the rampart, her delicate hands placing down upon the damp floor. Her eyes turned pure snow-blue, her long black hair instantly frosting over:
“Extreme Ice Element—FROZEN WORLD: FREEZE THE OCEAN!”
`CRACK... CRACK CRACK CRACK!`
A bone-chilling cold wave surged like a flood! The temperature across the arena suddenly dropped by fifty degrees Celsius below zero! The Adriatic sea surrounding the octagonal stone island froze into a multi-meter-thick sheet of ice in an instant, extending hundreds of meters away! The entire Demonic Steel floor was covered by a layer of slippery, razor-sharp ice!
“Ah!”
A choked cry of shock echoed from the shadows near the edge of Shenzhou’s side!
David—the Shadow assassin creeping forward—was suddenly frozen in his lower half by the extreme cold! The vicious ice clamped tightly onto his ankles, forcing his shadow to manifest in broad daylight!
“Found you, little rat!”
Ye Lengtian chuckled coldly, his figure transforming into a wind-splitting sword flash!
The Azure-Glaze Sword in his hand drew from its scabbard, emitting a chilling, crisp sword hum. But his target wasn’t David, it was the giant Billy standing guard before Jessica and Sarah!
“Ice-Sword Convergence—HEAVEN-SHATTERING SWORD FORMATION!”
With a single sword slash, three half-moon-shaped frigid sword Qi waves up to ten meters long shrieked across the floor, carving through the thick ice beneath and carrying peerless sharpness straight at Billy’s heavy shield!
`CLANG! CRASH!`
Earth-shattering metal impact echoed! Billy’s half-ton alloy shield was struck by the sword Qi, leaving three deep gasps billowing with chilling smoke! The terrifying impact force caused the 2.1-meter giant to stagger back five steps, his hands numb, as the ice floor beneath his feet shattered into massive chunks!
In a single breath, Team United States’s flawless formation was shattered into pieces by Team Shenzhou! The assassin was exposed and restrained, the defensive line was pushed back, and crowd control was crippled!
Mid-air, Alexander witnessed the entire scene below, his teeth grinding so hard they nearly fractured.
The pride of a “Western God of War” and the vanity of the United States were dealt a resounding slap to the face by this neat counterattack!
“Useless trash!”
Alexander roared furiously. His eyes were bloodshot, no longer caring to reinforce his teammates below. All his attention, all his fury at this moment was channeled entirely onto the young man standing with arms crossed in the center of Shenzhou’s formation!
“Lin Feng! Die for me!”
Alexander flipped the safety switch on his mecha arm, forcing the Titanium magic energy core to operate beyond 150% capacity!
“OOOOOOOOONG!”
The energy core on his back roared madly, deep red magic flames and deep purple lightning burning fiercely, enveloping his entire mecha into a massive sphere of fiery thunder! He bent his flight trajectory, mecha feet pointing downward, using the mecha’s tons of weight combined with maximum reaction thrust to plunge straight toward Lin Feng’s head like a world-destroying meteor falling from the stratosphere!
“God of War Heavy Hammer—Lightning-Fire Brutal Strike!”
The air was compressed to the point of producing piercing successive explosions! The falling speed was so fast the audience’s naked eyes could hardly keep up, seeing only a blazing red-blue streak tearing through the sky straight down!
The power of this move, if it hit, was enough to crush a multi-story building into flat earth!
“Lin Feng, watch out!” Ye Qingwan cried out in the rear, her hands already prepared with magic life vines to pull Lin Feng out of the impact zone.
Yet Lin Feng calmly raised his hand, signaling her to stop.
He raised his head.
The howling wind carrying scorching heat and stinging electric arcs blew back his dark hair, revealing his delicate forehead and deep, cold eyes like a thousand-foot icy lake.
He did not step back.
Not even half a step!
“Magitech mecha?”
Lin Feng slowly spoke, his voice not loud, but transmitting straight into Alexander’s ears amidst the howling storm:
“Today, I’ll show you... humanity’s true magic is not something patchwork scrap iron can ever reach!”
“BOOM!”
Lin Feng’s right foot stepped forward, planting firmly into the Demonic Steel floor!
From both arms, two completely different magic energies awakened simultaneously:
In his left hand, brilliant golden flames carrying the destructive and divine aura of the Eight Desolations Divine Fire surged turbulently, turning the surrounding air into a void-incinerating sea of fire!
In his right hand, violent purple-black lightning tore through space, letting out roars resembling a giant dragon awakening from primeval times!
Double Thunder-Fire Elements!
Yet not the kind of Thunder-Fire blasted from soulless mechanical gun barrels, but Thunder-Fire controlled by the supreme will of a Peak Six-Element Archmage!
The two energies intertwined, fusing into Lin Feng’s right arm, condensing into a sharp thunder-fire dragon claw tightly wrapping around his fist!
“Let me see if your Titanium alloy... can withstand a punch from me!”
Lin Feng roared, his fist carrying heaven-shaking power lashing straight into the sky, confronting Alexander’s falling mecha meteor head-on!
The moment the two destructive forces were less than half a meter apart, the surrounding space seemed to freeze...
Yet right at that life-or-death moment!
`SWISH!`
An extremely faint, eerily bizarre wind-splitting sound suddenly rang out right behind Lin Feng’s neck!
A hazy figure tore through space, stepping right out of Lin Feng’s shadow beneath the firelight! It was David—the Shadow-element assassin! It turned out Han Yue’s ice binding had only trapped his shadow clone, while his true body had used the high-grade magic artifact “Shadow Escape Talisman” to conceal himself within Lin Feng’s back shadow, waiting precisely for the moment he poured his full strength into counterattacking Alexander to deliver a fatal assassination blow!
In David’s hand, a pitch-black soul-corroding poisoned dagger aimed straight at Lin Feng’s cervical vertebra, the distance closing down to a mere half-inch!
“Die, Eastern genius!” The corners of David’s lips curled into a cruel grimace of the grim reaper!
Above was the Western God of War’s destructive meteor strike!
Behind was the Shadow Assassin’s fatal poisoned blade!
A flawless death trap!
One hundred and fifty thousand spectators in the stands simultaneously held their breath, their hearts threatening to leap out of their chests!