Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

The two new Shadowfangs entered the arena, their eyes flicking between Mira and the gruesome remains of their kin. They realized that the impossible happened before their very eyes – a junior cultivator eviscerating a Rank 9 beast. 

Mira stood her ground, scythe in hand, with a mix of anticipation and bloodlust. Although the last fight was good, it wasn't enough. She needed more!

Aelina gave Mira a nod, and with that, the entire arena was sealed with a heavier Formation, bolstering its defenses.

"Begin!" The command echoed through the arena.

The two Shadowfangs immediately dashed forward with a synchronicity that the others lacked, circling Mira. Their forms were blurry as they traveled from shadow to shadow, yet their approach was different; they did not rush in recklessly. 

Mira's expression didn't change. Her scythe twirled effortlessly in her fingers as her body swayed lightly, ready to act at a moment's notice. Her eyes, however, betrayed her calm demeanor as they tracked the beasts' movements.

Suddenly, the beasts pounced simultaneously from opposite directions, attacking with full power right off the bat.

But Mira had expected this. She spun, swinging her scythe through the air. The first Shadowfang met the blade with a clang, its attack deflected, while the second found only empty air where Mira had been a heartbeat before.

Her tails flailed around, closing in on the one behind her, but it had already bounced away. The same went for the other one. Leaving Mira there, they dove back into the shadows.

The plan was simple. Don't engage Mira head-on until they learn her limits and weaknesses.

Unfortunately for them, Mira wasn't having it. 

"I can see you, you know?" She turned her head, staring at the ground. Before the Shadowfang could react, Mira stomped on the ground, creating a fissure where the shadow was followed by a beam of light. 

Its beastly form was revealed for a split second before the fissure started to close, crushing it. 

'Tch.' The Shadowfang clicked its tongue and hopped out, dashing to another location, but Mira had predicted this with hundreds of thick ice and earth spikes launching out of the ground before it landed. 

The beast let out a yelp of pain as it was encased in a makeshift Iron Maiden, slowly dying. Luckily for it, a barrier formed just in time, saving it but also disqualifying it from the rest of the round. 

Its buddy stared at the scene wide-eyed, but it soon faced a similar fate. Now that Mira had fought two Low-Stage Rank 9s twice, the third time was much easier. 

Nova, Seraphina, and the others all watched with narrowed eyes at how quickly she dispatched them. Although Mira made it look easy, they all knew that if it weren't for her incredible senses, she'd be having a much harder time. 

Shadowfangs, as their names suggest, are more like assassins. Their strength lies in their stealth, but since Mira can spot them without much issue, a majority of their power is useless. And although they are Rank 9 beasts, their physical strength isn't top-tier, while Mira's is. 

Thus, they can't hide, and attacking her head-on is sub-optimal. All they can do is, well, wait for death.

About a minute later, another Low-Stage Rank 9 Shadowfang was added to the mix, making the number of beasts in the arena 15, but all of them were defeated. To Mira, it was even easier than the last time.

'I guess it's time for her to bring out a Mid-Stage Rank 9 beast?' Mira thought as she sat on one of the Low-Stage Rank 9 Shadowfang's body. 

In the aftermath of the one-sided battle, a hush fell over the arena as the formation barriers faded away, only to reform stronger than before, ready for the next challenge. The crowd, previously raucous with excitement, now held their breath in anticipation.

Would Mira be able to fight more than a full major Realm above her? Or would this be her limit?

Aelina's gaze swept across the field of defeated beasts before resting on Mira. She raised her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, the next combatant was released into the arena.

This time, the beast that entered was unlike the previous Shadowfangs. It was smaller, the size of a large kitten, but its presence was far more substantial. The creature's coat was a glossy obsidian, muscles rippling beneath the skin with a density that made its little paws sink into the ground. It moved with a bounce in its step, exuding a carefree yet confident aura.

Its amber eyes fixed on Mira as it surveyed its new environment.

Mira, still seated on the defeated Shadowfang, who was about to be released from the barrier, watched the newcomer with interest. This Mid-Stage Rank 9 beast was different; it demanded her full attention.

The little Shadowfang began to pace around the arena with an almost regal gait, unbothered by the audience's eyes upon it or the corpse of its lesser kin. Its tail swished elegantly, and it looked to Mira, narrowing its eyes as if to say, 'You are the prey, and I am the predator.'

Mira rose to her feet, her previous indifferent demeanor gone. She gripped her scythe with both hands, her eyes narrowing in response. "Finally," she murmured, "a worthy opponent."

The two stared at each other, and for a moment, it was as if time had stopped. 

This was no ordinary beast, and Mira knew it. It was a true Rank 9 beast—a being that had refined its power to such an extent that size and bulk were meaningless.

Suddenly, without any discernible signal, the Mid-Stage Rank 9 Shadowfang moved. It didn't rush forward or fade into the shadows as its predecessors had done. Instead, it simply shifted, and the air around it seemed to warp, becoming dense with oppressive energy.

Mira felt it—a shift in pressure and a tightening in her chest. This Shadowfang didn't rely on brute strength or speed; its very existence commanded the arena. The light dimmed around it, not because it cast any shadow, but because the air around it seemed to thicken, absorbing the light.

As the beast began to circle her, Mira rotated in kind with her scythe at the ready. She had dealt with the fodder; now it was time for the main event.

The Shadowfang stopped its pacing, and for a fraction of a second, its aura pulsed outwards, causing a ripple across the arena. In that pulse, Mira felt the weight of years, of a creature that had fought, survived, and evolved. 

The Formations repelled most of its dominating presence, but a bit still leaked out, causing anyone below the Nascent Soul Realm to faint. Nova and the others all took out their weapons on instinct as they watched with narrowed eyes. 

Unlike the others, Mira twirled her scythe and smirked. "You will do." She declared, and with a swing, she released a wave of ice that covered the entire arena.

The Mid-Stage Rank 9 Shadowfang didn't move as the wave of ice spread across the arena, encapsulating it in a shimmering dome. Mira's ice, although formidable, was like a spring breeze to the creature. It sat there, its eyes fixed on Mira, almost bemused.

With a twitch of its small, rounded ears, the beast's aura changed; the ice around it began to crack. It stood, a tiny figure surrounded by a rapidly growing network of fissures as the ice dome shattered into nothing more than a shower of glittering dust.

Mira frowned slightly but didn't falter. "Impressive," she said. Her voice carried across the now clear arena, a touch of respect woven into the single word.

The Shadowfang seemed to smile, a small, eerie curving of its mouth that made it look almost amused.

Mira charged forward, her scythe slicing through the air with a whistle. The beast countered, not with raw power, but with an elusive grace, dodging with subtle shifts in its stance.

For every strike Mira made, the Shadowfang had a response, not just evading but also positioning itself for a retaliatory move that forced Mira to be on the defensive.

Their battle was a blur of motion, Mira's scythe leaving trails of light and ice while the Shadowfang moved with a shadowy fluidity. The beast's small frame did little to showcase its potent force; each time its paws touched the ground, it left depressions, warping the very stone.

As the fight progressed, Mira began to understand her opponent's strength was not just in its physical form but in the pressure it exuded, a mental force that pushed against her, testing her willpower.

She could feel the eyes of Nova, Seraphina, and the other onlookers upon them, their attention adding an extra layer of intensity to the combat.

The Shadowfang seemed to have an endless well of energy, its small body an inexhaustible spring of refined power. Yet, as the fight went on, Mira found her rhythm against this potent foe.

Her scythe techniques became more fluid, less predictable, and more attuned to the minute shifts in her opponent's movements.

The beast's amber eyes flashed with a glint of respect. It had met few opponents who could adapt as swiftly as this young cultivator.

Sweat began to bead on Mira's brow, not from fatigue but from the intense concentration required to keep up with the Shadowfang's tactics. With a grunt, she accelerated, pushing her Qi to its limits.

The Shadowfang matched her, and the two clashed at the center of the arena with a force that sent a shockwave rippling outward. The Formation that Aelina had put up absorbed the blast, flickering but holding strong.

The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts as the intensity of the battle surpassed anything they had witnessed before.

Mira and the Shadowfang, now at a stalemate, stood mere feet from each other.

At that moment, they both knew it. This was the apex of the battle, where the next move would determine the victor. They could keep going like this for hours, but they wouldn't get anywhere. 

The Shadowfang understood that it was unlikely to die, nor would it be able to kill Mira. All it could do now was adapt to the situation and try to prove useful enough that they wouldn't kill her off after everything was over.

'No point in showing all my cards in a meaningless battle.' The Shadowfang concluded. The same went for Mira. 

She had no intention of showing everything she could do just to win a measly tournament. What she showcased thus far should be more than enough to put her in the Semi-finals. 

Mira's gaze hardened, and she took a deep breath, her Qi surging as she prepared for the final bout. The Shadowfang crouched, its body tensing like a coiled spring, its eyes never leaving Mira's.

Silence fell upon the arena once more, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. And then, as if on an unspoken cue, they both moved.

Mira swung her scythe with all her might, channeling every bit of her knowledge, skill, and willpower into the attack. The Shadowfang leaped, its small body igniting with a dark flame that absorbed all the light around it.

The collision of forces was inevitable, and when it came, it was like the heavens themselves had split. Light and darkness, Ice and Fire intertwined, and for a moment, the outcome was obscured by the cataclysmic energy released.

When the dust settled, the Shadowfang lay on the ground, defeated but with a proud gleam still in its eyes. Mira stood over it with her weapon at her side, a clear victor yet filled with respect for the creature that had pushed her so far.

The Formation barriers lowered, and the crowd's cheers filled the air.

Aelina stood from her seat, a rare, genuine smile gracing her lips. "Mira," she announced, her voice cutting through the cacophony, "would you like to continue?"

Mira looked up and shook her head without hesitation. "No. This should be more than enough."