Read Novel Full Chapter 315: Final Phase (5)
Chapter 315: Final Phase (5)
The sun rose golden over the floating city among the great trees.
On the third day of the final phase, the Central Plateau dawned even more crowded. The floating wooden stands overflowed with cultivators who had traveled from distant domains just to watch the decisive battles. The buzz was deafening, a mixture of expectation and speculation.
Only twenty-five competitors remained.
Among them were Kyrian and Mo Tianhai, the two representatives of the Verdant Sword who still remained in the competition. Mo Xia, Long Xue, Wu Jian, and Shen Yu had already been eliminated. Shen Yu, in particular, had fallen to Huo Ling the day before in a fight many considered one of the best so far. The young man of pure Qi had fought well, but not enough.
Now, they were in the stands, watching with serious expressions. Shen Yu had his arms bandaged, burns still visible on his neck, but his eyes were fixed on the arena.
The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect appeared at the center of the arena, his voice echoing across the entire plateau.
"Today, twenty-five competitors will compete for thirteen spots in the next stage. Twelve fights will take place. One competitor will advance automatically by draw."
Murmurs spread among the participants. A draw?
The elder raised his hand. Twenty-five leaves of golden light floated from the great ancestral tree, spinning in the air like small suns before flying toward each competitor.
Kyrian caught his.
Number 6. He would fight.
Mo Tianhai looked at his own leaf and frowned. The number 0 was written on it, the symbol of the draw.
"I advanced directly," he said, incredulous.
Kyrian raised an eyebrow.
"You were lucky."
"Lucky?" Mo Tianhai laughed softly.
"This is boring. I wanted to fight."
Around them, other competitors looked at Mo Tianhai with a mix of envy and relief. Some murmured that he was too lucky. Others said it was a shame, they wanted to see more of his destructive sword intent in action.
The list of fights appeared in the sky, formed by golden characters.
Kyrian read quickly.
Fifth fight. Kyrian (Verdant Sword) vs. Luo Hei (Shadow Valley)
The Shadow Valley sect. A sect known for its dark and poisonous techniques. It was one of the strongest domains, its disciples were feared for their unpredictability.
The first fights began. And they were surprisingly balanced.
The first fight was between two disciples at the 10° stage of Qi Liberation. One from the Silver Moon Sect, the other from the Ancient Forest Sect. The exchange of blows lasted nearly ten minutes. The audience cheered at every clash.
In the end, the Silver Moon disciple won by a thread, with a deep hole in his arm and his face covered in blood.
The second fight was even more intense. Two brute-force warriors faced each other, one with a giant hammer, the other with a pair of axes. The wooden arena trembled with each impact. Splinters flew in all directions. The hammer won, but the victor could barely stand.
Fight after fight, the audience gasped, shouted, and applauded. Unlike the previous days, there were no weak opponents left. All twenty-five remaining were the best of the best.
A young man from the Wind Sect used wind techniques to disorient his opponent and win without taking a single hit.
A girl from the Thorn Flower Sect nearly lost but recovered at the last second with a healing technique that surprised everyone.
A cultivator from the Mortal Fist Sect shattered his opponent’s sword with a single blow from his fist covered in spiritual metal.
The crowd was in ecstasy.
"These fights are incredible!"
"Finally opponents worthy of each other!"
"I want to see Kyrian’s fight!"
When the sixth fight was announced, silence once again took over the plateau.
"Kyrian of Verdant Sword against Luo Hei of Shadow Valley!"
Kyrian walked to the center of the arena. His opponent was already there, waiting.
Luo Hei was a thin young man with pale skin and eyes as dark as coal. His black and gray robe seemed to absorb the light around it. He wielded a curved black sword, and an oppressive aura emanated from his body.
He smiled, a cold smile, without warmth.
"I heard you defeat everyone with a glance," Luo Hei said, his voice a rasping whisper.
"But I won’t let that happen this time."
Kyrian did not respond. He simply waited. The judge raised his hand.
"You may begin!"
Luo Hei acted first, not to attack, but to disappear. His figure dissolved into a cloud of shadow, spreading across the arena like poisonous smoke. Multiple dark images appeared in all directions, each wielding a phantom sword.
"Multiple Shadow Technique, the main technique of the Shadow Valley sect," someone murmured in the stands.
"It’s practically impossible to know which one is the real one."
Kyrian looked at the shadows. And his sword eyes blinked.
The first cut was not directed at any specific image. It was a circular cut, an invisible blade that expanded in all directions at the same time.
The shadowy images were torn apart like burning paper. The cloud of smoke dissipated with a muffled scream.
Luo Hei was revealed, retreating hastily backward, his pale face even paler. The sleeve of his robe was torn, and blood flowed from a thin cut on his forearm.
"Impossible..." he whispered.
"You hit them all..."
Kyrian looked again. The second cut was direct, straight, and relentless.
Luo Hei tried to raise his curved sword to block, but the invisible blade passed through it as if it did not exist. The impact struck his chest, and he was thrown out of the arena, falling heavily onto the plateau ground.
He coughed blood, but he was alive. Just unconscious.
"Kyrian wins!"
The plateau erupted once more.
"Two glances! Again!"
"Against the dark techniques of Shadow Valley?!"
"Isn’t that ocular technique... too strong?"
Once again, Kyrian’s fight was the only completely one-sided one of the day. While the other eleven fights were contested to the limit, with winners emerging exhausted and bloodied, Kyrian simply looked twice, and it was over.
In the VIP stands, the envoys of the fourth-level forces exchanged glances.
"He is still holding back," one of them said.
"Very much," another agreed.
"I believe that if he wanted, he could have won all the fights so far with a single glance."
"Why doesn’t he do that?"
"Simply because he would probably kill his opponents. He does not seem to want to create enemies, all his attacks only eliminate his opponents without seriously injuring them."
The other fights continued.
A disciple of the Ancient Forest Sect used wood techniques to bind his opponent and won by immobilization.
A young man from the Blazing Blade Sect engaged in a sword duel that lasted fifteen minutes, both bleeding profusely, until a final strike decided the winner.
The twelfth fight was between two beasts. A warrior from the Purple Rock Sect against a disciple of the Golden Mountain. The combat was so violent that the arena had to be repaired by the protective runes three times.
When the last fight ended, the sun was already setting. The sky was painted in orange and purple, and the spiritual lights of the floating city began to light up.
The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect rose.
"The thirteen spots have been decided! Tomorrow, the fights will continue. Rest."
Kyrian stood up and walked toward the exit. Mo Tianhai joined him, still looking bored for not having fought.
Mo Tianhai laughed.
"Next time, we switch leaves. What do you think?"
The two returned to the Green Sword Tree. Shen Yu was already there, sitting in the central hall with Mei Ran and the others.
Kyrian sat on the balcony, watching the floating city shine beneath the stars. The competition would continue the next day. And it would likely be the last day.