Chapter 112: The Ice Crystal Mirror and the Young Fox

Behind Vinigo, the blood-red character for “Heaven” flickered and vanished. He extended his hand, beckoning toward the mysterious merchant.

Immediately, a fierce wave of energy surged forth from his fist, propelled by his gesture.

“Let’s start with the lowest level,” Vinigo said in a low voice.

The mysterious merchant let out a hoarse chuckle. Suddenly, multiple layers of interlocking hexagonal magic circles materialized around him, spinning to form a protective barrier. The savage energy punch struck the magic circles, effortlessly shattering the outer two layers. It roared upon the third layer before dissipating, absorbed by the other magical wards.

At that moment, the vanished two layers of magic circles reappeared, shimmering with eerie light.

“Magic, wondrous magic...” Vinigo murmured, stepping forward abruptly and swinging his hand downward.

Skull Crusher!

Though slow in speed, this move was swift enough for a spellcaster. Vinigo knew that with the divine power mode activated, Skull Crusher could break defenses to a certain extent.

Let’s see if the magic circle’s defense can withstand it.

With a thunderous boom, five of the six magic layers disappeared in an instant. The mysterious merchant’s expression shifted slightly. Before he could restore his defenses, Vinigo unleashed a brutal, finishing Rising Dragon Uppercut infused with roaring intent, blasting the last magic circle and the merchant through the roof. They crashed onto the open ground below.

Fortunately, the merchant’s humble dwelling lay on the outskirts of the city, surrounded only by garbage heaps and impoverished shanties.

At the sound of the commotion, the poor residents—accustomed to dealings with smugglers and thieves—naturally kept their distance, bolting their doors and ignoring the chaos.

“No, it didn’t hit...” Vinigo frowned slightly.

“Water-element magic is not merely offensive; it has the marvelous ability to manipulate space and time,” the mysterious merchant’s strained voice slowly came. “The most famous example is the Roy Indicator. Mine is derived and transformed from that magic—it allows me to become intangible, slipping through the cracks of space and time.”

“Very useful,” Vinigo praised. “Such powerful attacks are meaningless if they don’t land.”

Vinigo assumed an extreme stance, eyes locked on the merchant. Behind him, the blood-red ‘Heaven’ character shimmered again, waves of murderous intent rising like purple flames, leaping behind him.

Suddenly, he dashed forward, his afterimage appearing behind the merchant, spinning to deliver a sweeping kick.

Asura Flash Strike! The most practical technique of Haohki—without equal...

“Whirlwind Slash Kick!”

His electrified whip-like leg struck heavily against the hastily conjured protective magic, sparking electric flashes and shards of ice. The merchant slid back several meters as if gliding over water, then turned and flicked his fingers lightly. A rain of ice spikes rained down, pelting Vinigo’s head from all directions.

Asura Flash Strike...

Like teleportation, Vinigo appeared by the merchant’s side and landed a solid punch on the ice shield. In an instant, the ice shield shattered, and the merchant’s body rippled like water waves before returning to normal.

“Troublesome magic,” Vinigo snorted, taking a deep breath.

Annihilation Wave!

The long-gathered murderous intent burst forth in an instant, forming a purple dragon that roared as it tore toward the merchant with overwhelming killing power.

Indeed, the merchant’s fluid magic could evade all attacks in an instant—but only for a moment. The Annihilation Wave raged for a full two seconds.

The merchant bowed his head slightly. At last, he deployed his full strength.

With several soft bangs, gemstones in the necklace around his neck shattered, releasing potent magic. Under his low chant, seven interlinked petal-shaped nested magic circles rapidly formed.

This set of magic circles was like an incredibly resilient special adhesive. Though the Annihilation Wave dented it severely, nearly piercing through, it clung tightly to the final thin layer.

Thanks to its remarkable elasticity, the Annihilation Wave compressed its core to less than a finger’s thickness but could no longer penetrate this utterly compressed “water.”

In the next moment, water splashed outward, scattering into countless ice shards, transforming the entire battlefield into a frozen world.

“This is my domain,” the mysterious merchant murmured.

“Everywhere is my domain. Right now, I am the strongest under heaven,” Vinigo replied bluntly.

To wield Haohki’s fists meant to embody Haohki’s fierce and domineering aura.

“Arrogant, but I like it,” the merchant responded.

The ground, once an endless expanse of frost, gradually became clear—like countless irregularly shaped lenses of varying size, reflecting faint light and creating a mesmerizing white glow.

“Ice Crystal Magic Mirror?” Vinigo wondered.

“A fitting name, though I rarely name my magic,” the merchant said indifferently. “I’ve yet to find a name that satisfies me.”

“Same here,” Vinigo muttered. “Luckily, some names are already out there.”

The ice mirrors grew clearer. Within them appeared countless images of the merchant himself. He raised a finger, and a cluster of azure light formed at the fingertip.

So, all those ice mirrors were clusters of light.

In the next instant, countless ice spikes shot forth from the mirrors, forming an impenetrable net. Within this net, even a flying insect would be pierced by hundreds of spikes, shredded into invisible bits of flesh and blood.

But most of these spikes were illusions. The problem was, it was nearly impossible to discern which were real and which were false.

Unless one had an extremely high sensitivity to magical fluctuations and could judge their authenticity in the blink of an eye, it was futile.

Vinigo had no intention of distinguishing truth from illusion. He had no affinity for magic, and Haohki was purely a martial artist, not a mage.

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