Arthur began testing his new abilities by granting Jing Liu a buff from his second Spirit Ring skill, "Solaire Blessing." Since Jing Liu was not injured, the only active effects were a 60% increase in Spiritual Energy and a 35% Crystal Attribute bonus based on the giver's peak stats. Lumy also received the blessing, and whenever Jing Liu entered Battle Mode, the blessing would be doubled.
After receiving "Solaire Blessing," both Jing Liu and Lumy underwent visible changes. The fusion of Ice and Crystal elements transformed their armor and swords, creating a harmonious combination that felt far more natural and powerful than pairing Ice with Fire. To better understand the effects of this fusion and Arthur's second awakening, Jing Liu and Arthur decided to have a sparring match.
"Amazing… I can feel the blessing doubling in strength the moment I enter Battle Mode. But I still need real combat to understand the details," Jing Liu said enthusiastically, her eyes shining as she looked at Arthur, who clearly understood what she meant. Arthur himself wanted to test his new powers, knowing they would completely change how he fought from now on.
"Alright then. Let's test it out. I also want to get used to this new body of mine," Arthur replied calmly. Suddenly, the dimensional space transformed into a vast open field of green grass stretching as far as the eye could see.
A wide meadow unfolded beneath a clear blue sky. The green grass swayed gently in the breeze, yet the air was already thick with tension. Arthur stood calmly on one side, while Jing Liu faced him from the opposite side, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Lumy, who had also received Solaire Blessing, stood at the edge, feeling the strengthening energy flowing through her body as well.
"Alright, I'm starting!" Jing Liu shouted as she activated her Frost Domain. The air around her instantly dropped in temperature. Within a 5-meter radius, freezing mist spread from her body, creating a chilling battlefield. Because their levels were evenly matched, Arthur immediately felt his movements slow by 35%, the cold seeping into every joint. But that wasn't all—within that same 5-meter radius, Jing Liu's attacks gained a 65% boost. Thanks to the doubled effects from Solaire Blessing in Battle Mode, everything was amplified: Jing Liu's Spiritual Energy surged by 120%, and the Crystal Attribute she received from Arthur now reached 70% of his peak stats. Her ice-crystal sword gleamed with a perfect blend of frost and crystal, emitting a mesmerizing blue-red shimmer.
Arthur felt the 35% slow starting to hinder him. Without wasting time, he immediately activated Solaire Blessing—this time on himself. A golden light enveloped his body, and waves of healing energy flowed from within, cleansing all abnormal effects attached to him. The slowdown from Frost Domain vanished instantly, along with the creeping cold. With the blessing active on himself, Arthur could now move freely without any hindrance.
"Smart," Jing Liu said with a smile. "But that won't be enough!"
Jing Liu shot forward at incredible speed. Her sword flashed as she slashed at Arthur, who activated Lunar Eclipse Tide. Silvery moonlight began radiating from his body, alternating between warm healing energy and piercing cold. Arthur dodged nimbly, but the first strike was only the beginning. Jing Liu immediately followed with a rapid series of slashes. On the fifth strike, Arthur activated Tide of Eclipses—a silvery lunar wave swept across a 10-meter radius, healing Arthur by 15% while suppressing Jing Liu with a 10% attribute reduction. Yet Jing Liu remained unfazed; her eyes only grew more excited.
"Just the beginning! Shadow Guardian Army!" Shadow energy burst from Jing Liu's body. Four shadowy figures—Shadow Guardians—materialized around her. Each possessed 60% of Jing Liu's attributes, and more terrifyingly, they could all use Frost Domain and every one of her skills simultaneously without consuming Spiritual Energy, though at only 30% of the original power. The air froze multiple times over. The overlapping Frost Domains from Jing Liu and her four guardians created a vast frozen zone. Thanks to Battle Mode doubling everything, each guardian also received the amplified blessing, making them even more effective.
Arthur once again felt the heavy slowdown from the layered Frost Domains pressing in from all directions. But this time he was ready. He reactivated Solaire Blessing on himself, instantly cleansing every negative effect that had just taken hold. The golden light wrapped around him once more, making him immune to slowdown and freezing effects for as long as the blessing remained active. With full freedom of movement, Arthur dashed between the guardians.
"Excellent… now it's my turn!" His Lunar Eclipse Tide pulsed powerfully. Every attack launched by Jing Liu and her guardians actually triggered his abilities. Arthur moved with fluid grace; each punch and slash created a dual effect—on one hand, lunar waves healed his minor wounds, while on the other, Celestial Pierce energy embedded itself into the guardians. Three seconds later, explosions rang out one after another. The guardians took heavy damage, and because they only had 30% of the original power, two of them immediately shattered into shadows.
Jing Liu didn't stay idle. She closed the distance in a flash, capitalizing on the 65% attack bonus from her Frost Domain, now further amplified by Battle Mode. Her ice-crystal sword clashed against Arthur's lunar energy. Every collision sent out small shockwaves. It was here that Arthur truly felt the power of the Solaire Blessing he had given Jing Liu earlier. The 70% Crystal Attribute from his peak stats made every strike from Jing Liu feel incredibly dense and heavy, far beyond just freezing cold. Her sword momentarily shifted shape, and her armor adapted as well. The fusion of Ice and Crystal elements created a new, beautiful yet deadly glow.
Arthur gathered his energy. Tide of Eclipses activated once again—this time at full power. The lunar wave swept through, disabling the two remaining guardians and causing them to shatter into shadows, while also knocking Jing Liu back several steps and reducing her attributes by another 10%. However, the same blessing she had received earlier immediately activated, sending healing energy to cleanse the attribute debuff and restore her depleted Spiritual Energy.
Jing Liu stood up again, a wide smile on her face even as her breathing grew heavier. Solaire Blessing in Battle Mode had reached its peak: her Spiritual Energy surged by 120%, Crystal Attribute at 70%, and all effects from Frost Domain and Shadow Guardian Army were massively amplified. The guardians that had been destroyed couldn't be resummoned for another 12 hours, but Jing Liu herself was already a formidable threat. She charged forward with speed that surpassed even her normal limits, her ice-crystal sword slashing in increasingly wild and unpredictable patterns.
And who emerged victorious in this sparring match?
TO BE CONTINUED....