Inside the frozen wasteland of the illusion, Rowan felt pressure unlike anything he had ever experienced. The biting wind seemed able to pierce his skin and sink straight into his bones. His Fire Law operated with extreme difficulty, as though he were trying to ignite a flame underwater. Even the Starflare Riftblade had slowed, the starlike points of light on its surface dim and sluggish.
Valendo's figure flickered across the icy plains, appearing and vanishing as if he had become one with the entire illusion.
"Here, I am the sovereign," his voice echoed from every direction. "Your Fire Law is nothing more than a trembling matchstick, ready to be extinguished at any moment."
As his words faded, dozens of massive ice pillars surged upward from the ground. Each was several meters thick and dozens of meters tall. They surrounded Rowan, forming a sealed circular prison that trapped him at the center.
"Ice Prison Thousand Strikes."
The pillars trembled violently. Countless sharp icicles shot outward from within them, raining toward Rowan like a storm. The density and destructive force of this attack far surpassed anything before. There was almost no space left to dodge.
Rowan understood that within a Law Illusion, ordinary defensive measures were no longer enough. He had to find the illusion's core node if he wanted to turn the situation around. But first, he had to survive.
"Fire Intent, Undying."
A restrained orange-red glow emerged from his body. Unlike before, the light did not spread outward. Instead, it condensed tightly against his skin, forming a thin energy shield. Every icicle that touched the shield instantly dissolved into mist.
However, this defense consumed enormous energy. Under the suppression of the illusion, his Fire Law could not replenish itself efficiently. He could not sustain this for long.
Rowan closed his eyes. He began to sense the flow of energy within the illusion. For practitioners of Laws, any constructed illusion always had a pattern. The streams of energy inevitably converged toward a central point.
"There."
His eyes snapped open, locking onto a distant, towering glacier. It appeared ordinary, but within his perception, every trace of Ice Law energy circled around it.
After locating his target, Rowan acted. He commanded the Starflare Riftblade to spin rapidly in front of him, forming a shield while he advanced toward the glacier.
Valendo quickly sensed his intention. The storm intensified, visibility dropping to nearly nothing. More ice pillars erupted from the ground, blocking Rowan's path.
"It is useless," Valendo's voice resounded. "Within my illusion, you will never reach that place."
Rowan ignored him completely. He focused on the obstacles before him. Under his control, the Starflare Riftblade became a cutting engine, slicing through pillars again and again, opening a path forward.
But the cost was staggering. Every step required vast energy to resist the cold and break new barriers. At this pace, he would exhaust himself before reaching the target.
He realized he needed a new strategy. A direct approach was foolish. He had to use his own strengths.
"Starflare Thousand Forms."
He formed seals with his hands. The Starflare Riftblade suddenly shattered into dozens of tiny points of light, scattering across the sky. Each point carried a fragment of his will and Fire Law.
"Go."
At his command, the lights shot out in different directions, piercing through pillars and spreading across the frozen land. Wherever they passed, they left small burning marks.
At first, Valendo did not understand. He continued summoning ice pillars and attacks. But soon he noticed something was wrong.
The scattered lights began to connect, forming lines. A vast Law array took shape across the frozen world. Fire energy surged through it, and cracks spread across the ice.
"You…"
Valendo finally understood. Rowan was not forcing his way to the glacier. He was building a formation to attack the illusion's core from afar.
"It is too late," Rowan said calmly. "Starfire, Wild Blaze."
All the lights erupted at once. Fire Law energy surged through the formation like countless blazing serpents racing across the land. Wherever they passed, the frozen ground melted, revealing endless darkness beneath.
More importantly, all the fiery serpents converged toward the same point. The glacier.
Valendo sensed danger and reinforced the illusion with all his strength. The temperature plunged to an absolute extreme, trying to freeze the flames.
But it was already too late.
The torrent of Fire Law energy crashed into the illusion's core.
A thunderous explosion shook everything. The distant glacier shattered. As it collapsed, the entire illusion disintegrated. The frozen world vanished. The howling wind stopped. The arena returned.
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Rowan had used absolute intelligence and profound understanding to break the illusion.
"Incredible!" Luo Feng shouted, fists clenched. "Brother Rowan actually turned defeat into victory inside a Law Illusion!"
Thor stared in shock. "I have never seen anyone break one like that. His understanding is unbelievable."
At the same time, in the northern VIP section at the highest level of the Virtual Universe Company arena, the second prince of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, Belut Hudson, quietly watched the match replay.
He possessed the royal family's signature dark green hair, sharp golden eyes, and a dignified presence. When Rowan shattered the illusion, a flash of undisguised astonishment appeared in his gaze.
"Remarkable," he murmured, tapping the armrest. "A man barely in his early thirties defeating a veteran inside a Law Illusion. Rowan of the Xia Universe Country is far beyond the records."
A communicator behind him lit up. A hologram of a middle-aged intelligence officer appeared.
"Your Highness, the latest intelligence on Rowan is ready."
"Report."
"Rowan, a rising genius. Thirty-two years old. He rose suddenly five years ago, entered the top ten in a universal martial competition, and later joined the Virtual Universe Company. His Fire Law has reached the late beginner stage, approaching minor mastery. His mastery of the Starflare Riftblade has reached an elite level. Some reports suggest his psychic power has entered the Heavenly tier."
Belut frowned slightly. "Heavenly tier at thirty-two? Is that reliable?"
"Yes, Your Highness. He also possesses a unique method combining psychic power and Fire Law."
Belut nodded. "I witnessed it myself. His combat intelligence is extraordinary. Monitor him and his brother closely."
The projection disappeared.
Elsewhere in the arena, the seventh prince, Imo Hudson, watched from the ordinary seats, disguised among the crowd. He listened to the excited discussions around him.
"That Rowan is unbelievable!"
"He defeated a three-hundred-year veteran!"
"He is a once-in-a-generation genius!"
Imo smiled faintly. Unlike his brother, he did not see rising talents as threats. He admired strength.
He activated a privacy barrier and contacted his teacher.
The old scholar appeared. "I saw the match. His talent is extraordinary."
"I want your evaluation."
The old man pondered. "His Fire Law is close to minor mastery. His psychic control is even more impressive. Constructing a Law formation through a weapon is one of the most ingenious methods I have ever seen."
"So his potential?"
"Limitless. If he survives."
Imo understood. True geniuses often attracted danger.
"I will meet him after the tournament," he said.
The old man frowned slightly. "Your Highness, your status is sensitive. Contact with foreign geniuses may attract attention."
Imo's smile did not fade.
"The universe is vast. If we fear attention, we will never discover greatness."
At that moment, Rowan's name had already entered the focus of countless powerful figures across the cosmos. His victory was no longer just a battle. It was a declaration.