Chapter 1026: Breaking the Cycle, Performing the Celestial Dance

As the circle was closed and the five-phase cycle continued for so long, Nan Xuewei's domain had already surpassed the peak power of her cultivation. The pressure she exerted on Mei Gongzi was indeed immense, but who could have foreseen that at this very moment, the domain would suddenly collapse because one-fifth of it had been abruptly removed? And with its collapse came consequences Nan Xuewei could no longer control.

Instant backlash.

The remaining four elements erupted chaotically. Though Nan Xuewei tried with all her might to restore fire to the cycle, it was far too little and too late.

Thunderous explosions rumbled across the stage like peals of lightning. Mei Gongzi, meanwhile, seemed to have vanished into thin air. Only a silver phantom swayed gracefully on the stage, utterly unaffected by the destruction around it.

She could use space control to avoid the residual blasts of the collapsing domain. But Nan Xuewei couldn't. All elemental energy was tied to her divine consciousness, and all she could do was struggle to regain control. Failing that, she had to bear the backlash of this terrifying elemental storm.

The arena was left in ruins by the blast. And when the once-dazzling five-colored light faded, Nan Xuewei was huddled in a corner. To avoid severe injury from the backlash, she had been forced to use a defensive divine item to shield herself. It barely saved her, but the treasure was now as good as ruined, at least in the short term. As for her Five Phase Domain, it had been entirely shattered.

She touched the cracks in her skin, then looked across at Mei Gongzi, who stood ringed in silver light, as beautiful as ever. Complex emotions filled Nan Xuewei's eyes. Even now, she didn't understand how Mei Gongzi had done it. Her cultivation was clearly weaker, so how had she managed to break the Five Phase Domain?

Meanwhile, around Mei Gongzi, space energy gathered rapidly. Silver ribbons drifted through the air as she began to dance gracefully—stepping upon the void, moving with the Celestial Dance, the Peacock Demon clan's secret art.

In Nan Xuewei's eyes, those silver ribbons grew larger and larger, like the Milky Way spilling from the heavens. Everything felt strangely unreal, and she could no longer lock onto Mei Gongzi's figure.

One after another, silver-black space rifts lashed out like whips toward Nan Xuewei.

She sighed.

She knew she no longer had any chance. When her Five Phase Domain was broken, she had already lost. Unless she was willing to risk her life, there was no hope. And in a round-robin's first match, was that worth it? Besides, she couldn't shake the feeling that Mei Gongzi had not yet shown her full strength—that she still held something in reserve. This girl from the Peacock Demon clan was stronger than anyone had imagined. She truly had the strength of a seeded contestant, and her spatial power was the perfect counter to Nan Xuewei's abilities.

Thus, before the rifts could strike, Nan Xuewei chose to surrender. "I concede!"

The space power dissolved into the void, silver light drawing inward to heal the cracked space. Mei Gongzi nodded to her gracefully, calm and composed.

The Undying Demon Emperor descended, his expression blank as he declared, "Mei Gongzi of the Peacock Demon clan is victorious. Two points awarded."

Mei Gongzi bowed respectfully to him.

Unable to contain herself, Nan Xuewei asked, "Was that Star Shift you used to break my Five Phase Domain? Your Star Shift can actually isolate a single element from my domain?"

That was what baffled her most. How could Mei Gongzi sever one single type of energy from the five-phase cycle that was so perfectly chained? Such precise control and so perfect application of power... How was it possible?

And yet, Mei Gongzi had done it.

Mei Gongzi nodded slightly, then shook her head without explaining. With a flicker of silver light, she teleported away, returning to her rest area.

She certainly wasn't about to explain that she possessed the bloodline of the Immortal Flame Phoenix lineage, and since she'd been working on it for a long time, her mastery over fire was nothing to scoff at. That, combined with Star Shift, had let her extract the fire energy from Nan Xuewei's domain.

The tournament had only just begun. Whatever strength she could conceal, she would, until she had no other option.

In the city lords' rest area, Ning Chen'en stared at Tang San in surprise. "You really called it. Phase suppression, huh... Honestly, I didn't expect space power to be so overwhelming. A single element countered a complex mix? How did she do that? This City Lord Mei is not to be underestimated!"

Tang San simply smiled and refrained from answering.

Watching the match filled him with pride. Mei Gongzi's growth had surpassed even his expectations as a former God King. Her exquisite control of space, her deep comprehension, her mastery of Star Shift, her seamless use of Immortal Flame Phoenix power, and her impeccable tactics all revealed that she had truly become a top-tier powerhouse.

Yes, phase restraint had played a role; Mei Gongzi's tactics had caused Nan Xuewei's domain to collapse on its own and backfire on her. But to win like this against a seeded opponent, without using the Asura Sword and without even fully unleashing her Celestial Dance was proof that her strength was not inferior to that of any main city's lord.

This first appearance by Mei Gongzi had undoubtedly captured the crowd's attention. Among them were many who had cheered for her when she won the Ancestral Court Elite Competition. Their cheers now shook the arena.

Even the male contestants refocused. Up to now, their sights had been set on the Emperor seats, but now, they were made acutely aware of why this tournament had been initiated to begin with. If they could marry Mei Gongzi, they'd gain not just a city's resources, but a wife of incredible strength.

The Empyrean Dominion's Emperors nodded secretly. Even the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor hadn't seen how Mei Gongzi had used Star Shift to separate the fire element, so they had no idea about that, but her display had left them all pleased. The female contestants' side seemed clearly dominated by the nymphs, so if Mei Gongzi could beat some sense into them, it would be a welcome surprise.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor, unable to hide his joy, grinned from ear to ear. Mei Gongzi was his granddaughter, and unlike the Undying Demon Emperor, he could boast about that in public. He had been in a good mood lately; he had never liked the Savage Tiger King, who'd always coveted his position, but now, that little pest was gone. His remaining focus in this tournament was on Mei Gongzi and Tang San.

The first two matches of the round-robin had ended. Anyone with eyes could see that in this first round, most contestants were just probing their opponents. Faced with unfavorable matchups, neither Jin Anguo nor Nan Xuewei had chosen to go all out. It was better to conserve strength for the battles ahead; this was the real tournament, after all.