The legendary warrior

Ivan would probably not believe that Ricky got an incomplete spiritual meridian; however, such rumor could not be just some gossip that circulated among the common people. If the rumor was true, then that would mean Ricky's spiritual meridian was definitely damaged before.

Spiritual meridian could be the strongest part of a warrior, yet it could also be the weakest. It could make or break a warrior. On the other hand, the spiritual meridian itself was so fragile that a strike with just a little applied force could destroy it. Over the years, warriors had come up with ways to protect it from getting harmed, though those protective measures would still fail at times.

But Ricky could make it today with his spiritual meridian--despite it suffering from a big blow--together with his mysterious manual thanks to the incredible gift he had obtained. Without it, he would have faced deeper problems and his life would be at stake. Nevertheless, this incredible gift could not be possessed by just anyone.

Knowing how powerful that gift was, Ivan had his eyes on it. He believed that if he took it from Ricky, he would be the best warrior with casting and martial arts skills in the Realm of Wildness. Even the top talents from the Realm of Wildness could not compete with him and should a challenge be issued, he would not break a sweat at all.

'Ivan looks pretty powerful. It seems that he spends as much time and energy on martial arts as he does on casting, ' Ricky thought to himself. 'And the warrior that followed him may be even more powerful than Ivan. This battle is going push us to our limits.'

At this time, the man behind Ivan began to make their move. He walked towards Ricky, Ivan following suit in a steady pace. The two men surrounded Ricky and Ivan made no gesture to stop what was happening.

He had seen Ricky's power. He had felt it within the tremor in his muscles and the air that went through his lungs. Ricky emanated power wherever he went even when he was trying to keep it low. Ivan knew that beating Ricky was an extremely difficult task to overcome, let alone killing him. If he was honest with himself, there was a big chance that it was him who might end up dead.

As cowardly as it might seem to other warriors, Ivan and the other man decided to fight Ricky together. Two against one. It wasn't the most honorable strategy, but if they won, who would care about how they did it? All the people would remember was the fact that they beat Ricky and nothing else. Ivan could care less about his reputation. What mattered was the gift and how he could take it from Ricky. If he could just get his hands on it...

"They have both reached the ninth grade of Blood Purification. And they're not rookies, either. Looks like things are going to get ugly for Ricky," several people commented as they watched the scene unfolding before them.

"Indeed, it is impossible for Ricky to challenge two warriors of the ninth grade of Blood Purification no matter how strong he is now. A warrior reaching the ninth grade is no ordinary warrior, as it means he reached a level that greatly sets him apart from average warriors. The ninth grade isn't an easy feat, after all."

"Yes, there may be only some slight differences between the seventh grade and eighth grade, but it's an entirely different story between the eighth and ninth grade. The gap is so apparent that an eighth grade normally wouldn't stand a chance in a fight."

"Although, I have to say, Ricky is not an easy opponent either. He would still be able to land a strong--possibly deadly--blow to one of his opponents. Sure, he might lose in the end, but he is definitely not going down without a fight. Whatever happens, though, it will be good for us since we won't have to deal with whoever loses here. There will be one less strong opponent to battle."

......

Ivan shouted as he made the first move. He leaped, flames

also struck. He moved as fast as Ivan

directions, Ricky had nowhere to hide. He only had one option and

every inch of his body was reinforced with power. The people watching the fight gasped as they felt sheer power emanating from him while his two opponents gritted their teeth, trying to ward off the

could exchange blows and defend himself from some of the lethal ones, but after a few rounds, his body started to feel heavy with every move. Since

the seventh grade, he was expecting that he would be able to fight two warriors of the

he was,

grade a little too much, ' Ricky thought to

head, making up strategies along the way, trying to figure out the best way to land his blows without suffering a fatal counter. He also had a trick under his sleeve--his trump card. He was not worried about

with eyes as sharp as his resolve.

Boom! Boom!

the Ragged Iron Pagoda transformed again. The windows alight with Beast Fires suddenly opened,

big enough for any warrior

It's open! The Beast Fire is mine

Iron Pagoda. Their eyes were wide with wonder, greed, and everything in between.

pagoda's first floor. It took less than a minute for

fighters were so close to the Beast Fire that they would either succeed in collecting it or end up burning to death with

this time?" Ivan hissed as he

the chance to take the Beast Fire, he must give up his fight against Ricky. But this might be his last chance to kill Ricky and take

however, getting more of something so precious was one of his goals, too. He couldn't settle with just one. The more Beast Fires he got, the more