Chapter 444: Playing with Life

"Novel: Domination Over Nine Heavens ()" Find the latest chapter!

Winnie was panting heavily, her eyes showing not the slightest intention of giving up. Instead, the roaring blue flames seemed to burn with even greater fighting spirit.

She had worked so hard, pushed herself to the limit, endured inhuman training on Dark Demon Island, and gone through so much to become strong. Yet in everyone's eyes, she was still the Lee family's pampered princess who needed to be taken care of and handled with kid gloves. Everyone treated her differently from the other members of the Rose Squad—showing her leniency and restraint out of fear for the Lee family...

To be honest, Winnie had long grown sick of all this. Some might call it pretentious complaining, but the feeling of being chained by her family name, forever unable to break free—that seemingly free yet never truly free life, where all her efforts were ignored—was something only those who had experienced it could truly understand how heavy it truly was.

Her demands were actually simple. She just wanted to stand side by side with her friends in the Rose Squad, as a member of Old Wang Squad, to live and die together, to forge her own path, and to earn respect that belonged solely to her!

Boom!

The swirling blue flames erupted like a volcano. Her hair, which had been floating behind her head, now stood on end, wildly flaring above her under the surging blue flames.

Winnie's eyes were completely obscured by the raging blue fire, making it seem as though her pupils and whites had vanished. The hem of her pleated skirt flipped upward, revealing the cute little bear-patterned underwear beneath...

But clearly, no one had the slightest indecent thought at this moment, because the murderous aura radiating from Winnie Lee was like that of a death god from the abyss, chilling all who saw it.

"To hell with my identity!" The demonic loli, her eyes blazing with blue fire, hissed through clenched teeth, instantly shattering the arena's casual mood and igniting it with fury. "Amogan, this fight ends only when one of us dies!"

Winnie suddenly crouched slightly, bringing her hands together in front of her chest.

Boom!

A massive blue flame gathered between her palms, then began spinning wildly. The high-speed rotation stretched the fire into thread-like strands, coiling and compressing until the basketball-sized blue flame was condensed into a tiny, rice-grain-sized spiral point.

Some among the ordinary Heavenly Peak's supporters in the stands chuckled dismissively. It looked flashy, but what could such a tiny spark possibly do?

But among the top disciples of the Holy Sanctuary and the VIP seats filled with dignitaries, many expressions subtly shifted.

Though the spiral point appeared minuscule, it was anything but ordinary. The compression of volume was secondary—what stood out was that the blue flame, when concentrated to its core, revealed a hint of white, faintly displaying characteristics of White Flame.

Red fire was 'mortal flame,' the lowest and most basic level of fire energy. Blue fire, also known as second-tier fire, was vastly more powerful. And white fire... that was Celestial Fire! Third-tier soul fire, the strongest flame of its level!

Third-tier soul fire was undoubtedly the pinnacle of fire magic. In fact, even after breaking through to ghost level, mastering Celestial Fire was exceedingly rare. Aside from a few prodigies, most fire practitioners could only achieve this at Tiger Peak level.

"It's not third-tier Celestial Fire—far from it," Zhao Feiyuan's gaze was locked onto the tiny point. "This is the extreme compression of second-tier fire. The white tinge in the fireball isn't due to qualitative change but quantitative..."

"Whether qualitative or quantitative, mastering second-tier fire at Tiger Peak is already impressive. To reach this level..." Even Fu Changkong couldn't help feeling a surge of admiration. Among Holy Sanctuary disciples, there were those who could achieve this, but this girl wasn't even fourteen yet. Such talent could rival even Tianzhe Yifeng in his prime.

Hawkland clenched his fists, oscillating between shock and elation. Frankly, the current score had long dashed his hopes for this challenge against the Heavenly Peak Holy Sanctuary and his 'grandiose boasting scheme.' But if Winnie could win a match and defeat the long-renowned Amogan, that would still be something to celebrate.

The spiral fireball, tinged with white, quickly condensed to the size of a fist under Winnie's frenzied control.

Now, the blue-white fireball radiated terrifying energy and heat, like a miniature supernova!

The lingering water arcane energy Amogan had left around Winnie, waiting to strike, was instantly evaporated by the scorching heat of the miniature sun. Not even a drop of moisture remained on the ground—half the arena around Winnie had become parched in an instant!

The violently spinning fireball even generated cyclonic winds, lifting Winnie slightly off the ground as swirling gusts raised her toes a few inches into the air.

Terrifying power. Staggering killing intent.

The previously buzzing arena fell silent in an instant. Everyone stared in shock at the homicidal loli in the center. Many big shots felt as though they were witnessing the youthful incarnation of the God of Assassination—the Butcher who had once struck fear into countless hearts in the Alliance, and the father of the Lee siblings—Lee Locke!

Winnie's eyes were an eerie, pupil-less blue. Her finishing move was ready.

Boom!

The blue-white spiral fireball shot from her hands, transforming midair into thirty-six soul needles, alternating blue and white. Arranged in an orderly, spiraling cone formation—scattered yet united—they mirrored the Lee family's Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars formation.

Bzzzzzz~~~

Those blue-and-white Soulfire Needles were not stationary in the air. Each one trembled and hummed, spiraling with self-rotation, as if each needle pulsed with boundless energy, nearly overflowing!

"Die!"

Winnie suddenly roared, and all the spiraling Soulfire Needles were finally let loose. In an instant, the fiery needles shot forth!

The sky was filled with a blinding web of light trails, yet utterly silent. Each needle's attack speed surpassed the speed of sound the moment it launched.

—Realm-level·Celestial Spiral Soulfire Needles!

The Li Family's Heavenly Star Rune Formation was undoubtedly a premier offensive array. Its unique arrangement not only amplified the energy of any attack but also allowed it to track and lock onto enemies.

Now that the Heavenly Star Formation was complete, the thirty-six spiraling flame needles not only multiplied their force but also firmly locked onto Amogan's aura, leaving him no possible escape.

Many of the dignitaries in the stands wore expressions of hungry anticipation. Compared to Rose simply losing, a bit of suspense made things far more entertaining for them.

These hypersonic flame soul needles were no simple matter. Their inherent power was already formidable, and when combined with the Li Family's Heavenly Star Formation to further amplify their strength, this move was undeniably a 'Realm-level' combat skill. Ordinary members of the Holy Sanctuary Top Ten would be instantly obliterated by such a lethal strike—just like how Hei Wukai had annihilated the Blood Demon Manku in one strike in the Dragon City ruins!

Had Winnie already reached Hei Wukai's level from back in Dragon City?

Amogan clearly recognized the danger, yet his face showed no trace of panic. Instead, he merely smiled faintly. "Pity. If you'd had a few more years, your desperation might have actually been dangerous."

Old Wang frowned slightly at the edge of the arena as a spiritual detonation echoed.

Boom!

Amogan's soul power underwent a drastic transformation. His originally cyan soul power turned violet, and his figure, previously locked in place by the Heavenly Star Formation, effortlessly broke free from the energy lock. He floated lightly into the air.

Immediately after, the mutated violet aura expanded violently, sending shockwaves like a hurricane in all directions. His entire aura underwent a metamorphic shift in an instant.

A Ghost-ranked fighter!

The entire audience gasped. Rose's supporters instantly sank into hopelessness. They had always assumed Tianzhe Yifeng was the only Ghost-level fighter, but now Amogan had revealed himself as one too!

This was the true depth of the Holy Sanctuary's strength, the source of its pride.

From start to finish, Amogan's expression remained calm—not arrogant, but confident in his absolute dominance.

The surging Ghost-level soul power rushed toward Winnie and her flame soul needles like a hurricane, while the crushing pressure of Ghost-level soul energy bore down endlessly on her Tiger Peak-level strength.

Yet, this was a Realm-level combat skill, and the soul needles were highly penetrative. Combined with Winnie's unyielding resolve to fight to the end...

The Ghost-level soul pressure did nothing to shake Winnie's will. The thirty-six Celestial Spiral Soulfire Needles pierced through layers of spiritual gale, spearing relentlessly onward.

But Amogan merely waved his hand lightly. The three energies of 'Hydric, Pyric, and Arcane,' which normally required multiple conversions, merged seamlessly in an instant.

—Arcane·Water-Fire Yin-Yang Shield.

The perfect fusion of the three energies resulted in neither hardness nor softness. The prismatic Yin-Yang Barrier possessed a terrifying devouring power.

With a series of *thup-thup-thup* sounds, the seemingly indestructible soul needles were all swallowed by the Water-Fire Yin-Yang Shield, consumed utterly—not even a ripple left behind.

Winnie was stunned, but before she could regroup for another attack, a figure flickered before her.

The speed of a Ghost-level fighter was beyond anything a Tiger Peak could imagine. In a blink-step, Amogan appeared right in front of Winnie. He calmly extended his right hand, pressing his thumb against his middle finger, leveled at Winnie's brow.

Bang!

A crisp sound rang out as Amogan flicked his middle finger. Winnie felt like her head was exploding, a searing pain as if her skull was about to split open. The sheer force from that single flick sent her, who had been charging forward at high speed, flying backward.

Boom!

Winnie crashed into the ground behind her like a cannonball, instantly motionless.

Meanwhile, Amogan hovered in mid-air like a ghostly deity, his faintly indifferent gaze making it seem as though he had merely flicked away an ant crawling on his clothes...

Not wanting to offend the Lee family didn’t mean he had to grovel before them. It was merely a matter of respect and caution, making small, controlled concessions within reasonable limits.

But this little girl had pushed too far, repeatedly provoking him, a Ghost-level powerhouse. A little discipline was in order—even the Lee family would have nothing to say about it.

A light punishment to teach a greater lesson. He knew that single strike wouldn’t leave Winnie Lee severely injured or unconscious. But if she dared to stand up again, even he wouldn’t hold back anymore.

"Surrender," Amogan said coolly, his final warning. "You are no match for me. Don’t struggle beyond your means."

His tone was calm, yet radiating absolute dominance.

After a brief silence, the Holy Sanctuary supporters in the stands erupted in wild cheers.

What did defeating Winnie Lee mean? From now on, the Holy Sanctuary’s honor roll would boast another Ghost-level powerhouse!

How many Ghost-level disciples were there among those still enrolled in the Holy Sanctuary? Even across all 108 Holy Sanctuaries in history, the number hadn’t exceeded twenty in the past two centuries. It was a rarity in the entire alliance, occurring perhaps once a decade. Among active disciples, aside from the reclusive Tianzhe Yifeng, there had been none—until now.

Now, there was Amogan!

"A Ghost-level Holy Sanctuary disciple! My god, if Amogan and Tianzhe Yifeng had gone to Dragon City back then, what chance would the War Academy have stood?"

"Even Long Feixue and Hei Wukai—if they really faced Tianzhe Yifeng and Amogan, could they still claim supremacy?"

"All hail Senior Brother Amogan! Long live the Holy Sanctuary!"

The stands erupted in an uproar, cheers ringing endlessly. At this moment, everyone conveniently ignored the age gap—a few extra years meant nothing.

Meanwhile, on Rose’s side, the already low morale plunged into complete silence.

This was Rose’s plight. Frankly, making it to the Holy Sanctuary’s doorstep was already a miracle for them. But what use was a miracle when faced with overwhelming strength?

Rose’s supporters were in utter despair—including Hawkland in the stands.

For a moment, Old Huo even wondered if he was truly bad luck. When he wasn’t around, Wang Feng and the others had swept through every match without meeting any real resistance. But the moment he showed up, Rose couldn’t win a single battle?

And honestly, even if they won this one, it wouldn’t matter. Setting aside the two merely first-rate beastmen, Rose’s real trump cards were Winnie Lee, Mapeier, and Fantaxi—genuine top-tier fighters—not Wang Feng, who relied on gimmicks like the Skyburst Grenade.

Against Tianzhe Yifeng? Forget everything else—just his Ghost-level ability to take flight alone would render Wang Feng’s ice bees useless. Where could he possibly hide?

There was simply no chance of victory. This wasn’t about whether they could show off anymore. Old Huo had no time to dwell on such trivial matters—he knew… Rose was finished.

Realizing this, Hawkland suddenly felt all strength leave his body. He collapsed into his seat, his mind went blank.

"Congratulations, Changkong," Zhao Feiyuan’s laughter sounded beside Hawkland—though not directed at him. "Historically, Ghost-level Holy Sanctuary disciples have always been split evenly between the Holy Sanctuary and the others. But today, history may be rewritten. With Amogan and Tianzhe Yifeng officially registered, the Holy Sanctuary now has more Ghost-level disciples than all other sanctuaries combined."

Fu Changkong smiled faintly but didn’t indulge in gloating. Instead, he gently patted the dazed Hawkland on the shoulder. "Old Huo," he said warmly, "do seriously consider my offer. The Holy Sanctuary can provide you with the best research conditions—including your Zeppelin project. You know, we started a similar project two years ago. We’ve made significant progress in craftsmanship, but the rune aspect still lacks a true master and breakthrough. If you bring over Rose’s rune research data, joining forces could finally overcome the alliance’s greatest technical hurdle, ensuring our place in history."

Hawkland’s heart jolted in realization.

So this old schemer wasn’t after him—he was after Rose’s years of hard-won research on the Zeppelin airship!

Heh, what a clever scheme… Truth be told, it wasn’t that Rose was clinging to its secrets. Hawkland had been actively pursuing partnerships these past two years. After all, Rose’s smithing techniques weren’t the most advanced, and couldn’t keep up with their rune research progress.

But some people in the Holy Sanctuary are just too shameless. They don’t truly care about technological breakthroughs but only about their own career gains and personal profit. Collaborating with such people would mean the Zeppelin would never get off the ground in the League of Blades.

But if Rose were to be disbanded and removed from the Holy Sanctuary today, how could the research continue? Would he, Hawkland, really have to forcibly gather all the researchers from Rose Rune Institute and set up a private research facility? What about funding? What about the support from the foundry industry? Forget the major hurdles—even with his personal wealth, though not poor, he probably couldn’t even cover six months' pay for the high-level personnel working on the Zeppelin project. Even if the Thunder Dragon family were to pour all their resources into it, the financial burden would be absolutely unsustainable. Besides, Thunder Dragon would never agree to that.

In an instant, countless thoughts swirled chaotically in Hawkland’s mind, but suddenly, all these messy ideas vanished in a flash.

Hawkland’s eyes narrowed as he heard the referee An Nanxi’s counting stop. The motionless little figure slowly pushed herself up again.

*Pah!*

Winnie spat out a mouthful of blood. "Surrender? Surrender what? Like hell I will!"

The murmuring crowd in the arena instantly fell silent. Everyone on Rose’s side was stunned, while Li Xuanyuan and his brother went rigid—this was trouble. Winnie stood no chance against her opponent, and the only reason he hadn’t gone for the kill was out of respect for the Li family. If she kept pushing, he wouldn’t hold back.

Amogan’s smile gradually faded. The one thing he least wanted to see was happening.

This little girl from the Li family was actually willing to fight him to the death!

The atmosphere in the arena turned cold—not in temperature, but in silence, filled with shock.

Facing a ghost-level Amogan, Winnie Lee still refused to surrender? Still dared to fight? What gave her the confidence?

The gap between ghost-level and Tiger Peak was an insurmountable chasm, not something willpower alone could bridge. Even if, against all odds, Winnie could break through to ghost-level mid-battle like Fantexi had, how could a newly minted ghost-level compare to a true ghost-level? Besides, such breakthroughs were rare and unpredictable—not something you could just will into existence.

Many wanted to laugh, yet found themselves unable to. The little girl’s expression was icy and resolute, as if she had truly prepared herself to die rather than fail.

There was something indomitable and awe-inspiring about her presence—an intangible aura. Her once-childlike face had transformed under this pressure, making her seem not like a little girl, but a true warrior of iron will and conviction. Faced with such determination, who could still mock her?

The Li brothers’ expressions froze as if remembering something. Li Xuanyuan suddenly stood up from his seat. "Could she be planning to—"

Before he could finish, Winnie Lee pulled out a small transparent vial from her pocket. The vial was no thicker than a finger, resembling a tiny test tube, its mouth sealed with an ornate purple-gold cork. Inside the transparent tube swirled a dazzling, multicolored liquid—a radiant elixir.

The entire arena fell into a hushed silence. Everyone stared wide-eyed. Was this her trump card?

Elixirs were no stranger to anyone in this world—used for combat assistance, healing, even in the daily lives of ordinary people. They were common and versatile. But in high-level duels, elixirs were practically useless. Whether for combat support or healing, their effects were too slow. In the heat of battle, enemies wouldn’t wait for an elixir to kick in before attacking.

Of course, there were fast-acting elixirs, but the quicker and more potent the effect, the greater the side effects. The Li family were absolute experts in this field, and the elixir before them was clearly one of their finest.

*Soul Revenant Elixir*—an ultimate elixir for unlocking potential. It instantly extracted and compressed the life essence from one’s marrow, transforming the user as if reborn. This was a suicide elixir from the days of the Holy War, meant for taking your enemy down with you. In peacetime, only high-risk occupations like bounty hunters or assassins still used it. As for production—currently, the entire League of Blades seemed to have only the Li family holding its formula. Users would, at best, end up crippled; at worst, dead on the spot.

Many in the audience didn’t recognize it—or most ordinary spectators simply assumed it was some kind of spirit-replenishing elixir, feeling only puzzled. But the high-ranking officials in the VIP seats instantly lost their smiles, their expressions turning grave.

*Boom!*

Right beside these dignitaries, a violent surge of soul power erupted, a frenzied killing intent instantly flooding the air.

"Winnie Lee, have you lost your mind?!"

The sudden roar, accompanied by undisguised ghost-level killing intent, instantly shook the entire arena, drawing shocked gazes from all directions.

On the stands, Li Xuanyuan’s hair and beard stood on end with rage, his blue soul power flaring to its peak in an instant. The roar was merely to stall Winnie’s actions—the next moment, he was already leaping toward the arena.

Screw victory! To hell with honor! To hell with ideals! He would stop this, even if it broke the rules, even if he, Li Xuanyuan, had no business interfering in such a setting. There were plenty of figures around him with higher status and greater influence, but so what? To save his sister, he’d take on the whole damn League.

That Wang Feng should die too—what kind of crap had he fed Winnie? No damn honor was worth his sister's life!