Dozens of sword lights slashed at Yang Tianyi from all directions, each strike bursting forth with a magnificent arc of electricity. Wang Lan's figure flickered around Yang Tianyi, his shimmering form like Thor descending upon the world.

After a barrage of Thunderbolt Sword strikes, Wang Lan instantly retreated, maintaining a safe distance for evasion. The spreading arcs of electricity gradually dispersed, revealing the figure within.

No, to be precise, it was a large, bell-shaped golden barrier. It was semi-transparent and emitted a faint golden glow. And Yang Tianyi stood within the barrier, arms folded, quietly sizing up Wang Lan with a defiant glare.

The barrier slowly opened and began to rise into the air.

Online, Yang Tianyi's fans instantly erupted with excitement.

"He's summoned the Sun Wheel! Yang Tianyi is finally going for the counter-kill!"

"With the Sun Wheel out, who can even compete!"

"Trash! All you know is how to cheat. If you have any guts, fight the Wolf King fair and square. What kind of skill is winning with an artifact?"

"Huh, it's just like paying in a game. He owns the artifact through his own capabilities, so why can't he use it? The Provincial Martial Arts Tournament rules don't even prohibit it, so why are you all complaining?"

"Once a cheater, always despised."

This time, the multitude of fans from Suzhou City was no match for Yang Tianyi's fans from Tai'an City. After all, they also knew the power of the Sun Wheel. As long as that artifact was used, Wang Lan's chances of winning were slim.

The Sun Wheel slowly rose. Even before displaying its formidable power, its terrifying presence alone was enough to send shivers down one's spine.

In the stands, the headteacher was so angry his face turned a shade of green. Was Wang Lan's performance strong? It had far exceeded his expectations. He had anticipated a one-sided affair, but instead, Wang Lan had been perfectly suppressing Yang Tianyi.

Although he couldn't understand the Star Martial Skill Wang Lan was using, he was certain that without the Sun Wheel, Wang Lan would definitely have made it to the third round.

"Even if Wang Lan loses this match, I will protest to the Education Bureau! We can't allow things that compromise the fairness of the competition in the future!"

"Director, a Star Palace Artifact is also a part of one's strength. Strictly speaking, this isn't cheating. Since the Provincial Martial Arts Tournament aims to simulate actual combat, any means used are reasonable," Mu Shaoyun said with a faint smile.

"Will you still say that when you're the one facing Yang Tianyi?" Xu Xiangwen retorted, clearly annoyed, a sneer on his face.

"Being helpless against the Solar Wheel only proves one's lack of strength. Although a Star Palace Artifact is powerful, it is, after all, just a weapon. How much power it can unleash still depends on the person wielding it."

The Solar Wheel ascended rapidly, and in an instant, the sky brightened, becoming twice as luminous as before.

A beam of light descended from the sky, nearly covering the entire tournament arena. Wang Lan was inevitably enveloped by the light. Looking up, the Sun Wheel resembled a newly risen sun.

Wang Lan moved to dodge, but instantly sensed something was wrong.

A powerful restraining force descended from above, feeling like a mountain pressing down on Wang Lan. The unbearable weight made Wang Lan's movements stiff, even under the effects of Thunder Activity.

Wang Lan raised his hand, pointing towards the new sun in the sky.

Flames surged around him, and a pair of wings burning with purple fire unfolded from his wrists. In an instant, a purple Fire Arrow, as thick as an arm, shot out from Wang Lan's fingertip.

BOOM!

A terrifying explosion erupted in the sky, and the arena momentarily plunged into darkness.

"Impressive… another brand new compound Star Martial Skill."

"Can he shoot it down?"

Many hearts leaped into their throats. Only Yang Tianyi remained with his arms folded, a cold sneer on his face.

A Star Palace Artifact... If a mere Star Shine Stage Star Martial Warrior could bring it down, how could it still be called an artifact? Besides, my Sun Wheel holds a significant place among Star Palace Artifacts.

"Die!" Yang Tianyi's eyes glinted with murderous intent. With a light wave of his hand, the Sun Wheel descended from the sky like a colossal mountain.

As the Sun Wheel pressed down, the area of light it cast rapidly shrank. Wang Lan saw an opportunity to escape the Sun Wheel's coverage, but just as he was about to move, a terrifying pressure assailed him once more.

Wang Lan's figure paused minutely, and in that fleeting moment, he missed the optimal window to escape the Sun Wheel's range. The Sun Wheel hovered above Wang Lan's head, and golden flames, propelled by the wheel's rotation, surged towards him.

"Wang Lan—" Jiang Xinyu cried out, jumping to her feet, her face instantly turning deathly pale.

Once engulfed by True Sunfire, how could Wang Lan's mortal body possibly endure it? And at the moment Wang Lan was engulfed, many who recognized his strength could only shake their heads helplessly.

It was over. Not because he wasn't strong enough, but because he was unlucky enough to encounter this cheater.

Engulfed by the flames, Wang Lan immediately felt a terrifying heatwave. Fortunately, Yang Tianyi had no intention of killing him. Although flames spread around the periphery, the center where Wang Lan stood was not being directly scorched. However, once the oxygen was depleted, Wang Lan would surely die.

So, in Yang Tianyi's view, Wang Lan's only chance was to surrender obediently before the oxygen ran out.

But at that moment, Star Power flickered around Wang Lan. At his summons, the Star Palace above him opened instantly, and immense Star Power surged forth.

"Wang Lan, are you still not surrendering? If you don't surrender soon, you'll be nothing but ashes under my True Sunfire…"

His words had just reached that point when he suddenly stopped.

He sensed a powerful force emerging from the starry sky above. Before he could comprehend what was happening, the phantasmal image of a phoenix flickered in and out of existence amidst the True Sunfire.

The Phoenix Saint Cloth appeared above Wang Lan's head, instantly disassembling and encasing his body. The moment the Phoenix Saint Cloth was donned, the scorching heat around him immediately dissipated. Even the flames now felt strangely familiar and almost welcoming to Wang Lan.

The undying bird from the underworld, the phoenix reborn from ashes—how could it fear mere flames?

He clenched his fist and punched towards the wall of flames formed by the True Sunfire. Feeling almost no resistance, Wang Lan burst out.

"Holy shit! What did I just see?"

"A phoenix?"

"No… it's Wang Lan! Wait, what's he wearing? Is that armor?"

"Where did that come from?"

In modern society, armor was long a thing of the past. In the era of firearms, its protective function had become nil. Even Star Martial Warriors, who fought with cold weapons, wouldn't wear something that hindered movement and offered no substantial protection. Thus, Wang Lan appearing in a full suit of armor was indeed eye-catching.

The azure armor was adorned with brilliant patterns. After breaking free from the Sun Wheel, Wang Lan didn't launch a sneak attack on Yang Tianyi. Since Yang Tianyi had previously shown him a sliver of mercy, Wang Lan naturally reciprocated by allowing him to maintain his dignity.

Normally, Yang Tianyi should have immediately manipulated the Sun Wheel to attack again. But at that moment, he just stared blankly at the armor on Wang Lan's body, an incredulous expression on his face.

"A Star Palace Artifact? You have one too?"

Wang Lan smiled and nodded. "How about we both put away our Star Palace Artifacts? This is called the Phoenix Constellation Saint Cloth. It's born from flames; your Sun Wheel is ineffective against me now."

"Is that so?" Yang Tianyi regained his composure. "Even among Star Palace Artifacts, there are differences in power."

As his words fell, Yang Tianyi waved his hand. The Sun Wheel in the sky instantly ignited and plummeted, transforming into a meteor hurtling towards the earth.

That locked-on sensation washed over Wang Lan once more. But this time, before he could even adjust to it, the Phoenix Constellation Saint Cloth on his body suddenly pulsed with a mysterious energy, and the locked-on feeling vanished without a trace.

Electric arcs danced around him, rapidly enveloping his body. In an instant, Wang Lan moved. His figure flashed, transforming into a streak of light as he rushed towards Yang Tianyi.

"Damn it!" Yang Tianyi furrowed his brows, his Star Power somewhat depleted. His tactics against Wang Lan had failed; one wrong move had led to a cascade of errors.

But if you think I can only stand here because of the Sun Wheel, you are sorely mistaken!

Instantly, flames erupted around Yang Tianyi, similar to the Leopard King's fire acceleration. His figure suddenly sped up, the flames behind him forming a fiery trail, and in the blink of an eye, he was before Wang Lan.

Yang Tianyi skillfully dodged Wang Lan's Thunderbolt Sword and hammered a punch towards Wang Lan's chest.

But Yang Tianyi seemed to have forgotten that Wang Lan was the man wearing the Phoenix Constellation Saint Cloth.

BOOM! Flames erupted, like a brilliant firework exploding against Wang Lan's chest. Wang Lan's body only paused for a moment. Then, his figure flickered strangely, vanishing like a ghost before Yang Tianyi's eyes.

Not good! Yang Tianyi's expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to move, his body froze. Wang Lan's Thunderbolt Sword rested gently on his shoulder.

The scene froze—a moment of breathtaking beauty.

BEEP!

"Second round, Wang Lan versus Yang Tianyi! Wang Lan wins!" the referee announced, his voice booming.

It was an exhilarating battle, one that invigorated everyone in Suzhou City who had witnessed it. The seemingly unbeatable Yang Tianyi had actually lost, defeated by Wang Lan, who also possessed a Star Palace Artifact.

As the referee declared the victor, a system notification sounded in Wang Lan's mind: "Successfully advanced to the second round of the Provincial Martial Arts Tournament, becoming one of the top thirty-three. Reward: 5,000 experience points, 400 skill points."

Four hundred skill points, that's great.

A knowing smile touched Wang Lan's lips. The Phoenix Constellation Saint Cloth on his body instantly disassembled, then reformed above his head into a proud phoenix with wings outstretched. Finally, Wang Lan's Star Palace opened, and the Phoenix Saint Cloth transformed into a stream of light, entering the Star Palace.

This scene was broadcast live to countless households.

"So cool! This armor... it's simply... it's like something out of a myth!"

"It can assemble into a phoenix and also transform into armor he can wear? I just had an idea! I have to create a manga series about these transformable armors… It'll be called… hmm, let's see…"

"To the guy above, looking forward to your new work!"

"The Wolf King is truly invincible! Hey, Tai'an City's paid commenters, come on out and try to spin this!"

"Tch, and here I thought the Wolf King won with his actual strength. Turns out he also relied on a Star Palace Artifact."

"Wow, I've never seen anyone so shameless! Didn't your Tianyi use a Star Palace Artifact first?"

"I'm merely rebutting your earlier statement that relying on a Star Palace Artifact doesn't count as real skill. Didn't your Wolf King use one too?"

"You don't know squat! Why do you think the Wolf King didn't use his Star Palace God Soldier from the start? It shows he has a bottom line. This time, he was just giving your guy a taste of his own medicine. Unlike your Tianyi, who has no shame from beginning to end."

"Damn it, are you looking for a flame war? Brothers, let's show them what the Suzhou City fans are made of!"

"Scared? Bring it on—"

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