Chapter 752 - 752: The Finalists
The spectators were truly astonished not because of the result of the battle, but because of how fast it had ended. The fist technique that Kang Yongjin displayed was the first time they had ever seen it, and even the demon cultivator seemed shocked by it. For the demon cultivators, they knew that technique from Sect Master Kang, as it was one of his fist techniques, but they had never seen Kang Yongjin use it before.
The technique, said to be complex and difficult to master, was actually unleashed by Kang Yongjin at his stage.
In one of the VVIP rooms, the three sect masters of the three great sects of the Barisan Continent's Demon Territory watched the tournament. Sect Master Ryu, upon seeing it, glanced at Sect Master Kang near him, who could not hide his grin. At this moment, he was truly satisfied with Kang Yongjin's performance.
"To think he could use the Fist of Void, I have to admit that I'm surprised," Sect Master Ryu said.
Sect Master Kang was still grinning. "Well, that is the least he must be able to do. As my successor and the one who comprehended the Heavenly Demon's Black Dragon Scripture, he cannot bring shame to the sect."
Sect Master Ryu then smiled as he looked back at Kang Yongjin's figure. "That is true, but the final winner is still uncertain. That mysterious swordsman also seems to be holding back his full power. Kang Yongjin will have a tough time facing him."
Sect Master Kang's grin slowly receded, but then he shrugged. "I still believe Kang Yongjin will take care of him. That mysterious man is indeed strong, but Kang Yongjin also has something that will bring him victory. If he unleashes his trump card, I believe even you will be shocked."
Sect Master Ryu glanced at Sect Master Kang for a moment. "Is that so? Then I would like to see it," he said before turning his gaze back to the arena.
In another VVIP room, the three sect masters of the three great sects of the central continent were also discussing Kang Yongjin.
"That young man is truly worthy of his status as the successor of the Heavenly Demon's Black Dragon Scripture," Sect Master Han said with a nod of approval. "At least he did not bring shame to the name of the Heavenly Demon."
Sect Master Jang snorted. "Do you think someone who could comprehend one of the three scriptures of the Heavenly Demon is just trash? If that were the case, anyone could have comprehended it since ancient times."
"With his potential, he might even surpass me if he reaches my stage of cultivation," he added, before letting out a sigh. "If only he were my successor, I would not have to worry about the future of the sect."
"Well, we cannot change the past. The three scriptures are in this continent because of the revelation our god gave to our ancestor, which led them to move the three stone tablets here. Although we still do not know the reason, I believe it has something to do with this continent itself. This place is special," Sect Master Baek said.
The other two sect masters remained silent, while the others in the room, such as the Sword Maiden, her friends, and the twin siblings, only listened to their conversation. They already knew that Kang Yongjin was the successor of one of the Heavenly Demon's scriptures, but they had never known the history of how the scriptures ended up in this continent. Hearing that it was because of a revelation was new to them.
In the arena, Kang Yongjin had already returned to the waiting area. As he leapt back into the section, the other participants made way for him. Kang Yongjin ignored them and instead glanced at the Zander. He then continued walking in the opposite direction to put some distance between them.
He could hardly wait to fight Zander. His sharp eyes carried a hidden battle intent.
For the next battle, because the number of contestants was odd, there would be someone lucky enough to get a bye.
"Alright, we will decide who gets the bye. Pick a ball from the box," Orlav said as he brought out a box.
The participants then picked the balls in turn, and in the end, the one who got the bye was number ten. He was supposed to fight number twelve, who was the winner between the battle of number eleven and number twelve. The moment he realized he had drawn the bye, he was stunned. At first he felt happy, but then the realization struck him, and frustration followed.
His supposed opponent felt the same frustration. That was because the moment number ten got the bye, he would eventually have to face Kang Yongjin. According to the rules, since the odd-numbered participant was the winner of the last battle—which was Kang Yongjin—the position of number ten was taken by Kang Yongjin, which meant that number twelve would have to fight him.
The winner from their match would then have to face the one who had drawn the bye. That was why the participant who received the bye could not truly be happy, because in the end, he would still have to face Kang Yongjin.
They could only curse their bad luck in their hearts as the tournament went on.
A few moments later, the next battle was about to start. It was Zander's turn again, and this time he faced Arentinus. Zander looked at Arentinus with a calm expression, trying to predict what he would do. But the moment Orlav shouted for the battle to begin—
Whooosh!
Arentinus suddenly lifted his sword with both hands, and the blade was engulfed in a massive swirl of wind. The gale grew stronger and stronger until a huge tornado had formed around his sword. The storm sucked in everything within more than a kilometer, and even Zander felt his body being dragged toward it.
The spectators were astonished as they watched what seemed to be Arentinus's ultimate technique. This was the strongest move he had ever displayed, one he hadn't even used in his battle against Rick. To think that he would unleash it right at the start of the fight.
"Arrghhh!"
Sword Storm, First Form: Whip!
Arentinus roared as he slashed with his sword, the colossal tornado following the arc of his strike. Its movement resembled a whip of raging wind as it lashed out toward Zander.
The tornado tore apart the surface of the arena, and the power it displayed was immense, reaching the level of the middle marquess stage.
However, Zander looked at the incoming attack with little expression. In truth, he was surprised that Arentinus had unleashed his ultimate technique right at the start of the battle. This rendered every strategy he had prepared useless, forcing him to respond with a stronger technique of his own.
He gripped the hilt of his sword, channeling his sword intent to empower the technique he was about to unleash.
Fourth Movement of the Valiant Sword: Splitting Earth!
Zander swung his blade, and the moment his slash energy met the tornado—
Whooosh!
The tornado was cleaved in two, each half spiraling into separate whirlwinds that tore apart the surroundings. Arentinus's eyes widened in shock as he watched his technique split apart. But he had no time to remain stunned—the slash energy was already racing toward him.
He quickly canceled his technique and chose to block with his sword directly, having no time to cast another skill. A split second later, the slash energy reached him—
TANG!
The slash energy struck his longsword, and instantly he felt a crushing weight press down on both hands as he struggled to hold on. His body was dragged back more than four hundred meters as he roared, desperately trying to stop the slash energy. But in the end, his sword slipped from his grasp, and he was flung away.
Boom!
His body slammed into the arena's ground, skidding another five hundred meters. Pain coursed through him, and before he could do anything, a shadow loomed over his head.
Zander was already standing beside him, pointing his sword down at him. The moment he saw it, Arentinus knew he had lost, and he let out a weary sigh.
"I lost."
"UWOO!"
The moment those words left his lips, the stadium erupted in another uproar, roaring with spirit. The result of the battle was still within their expectations, so it was not truly surprising. Still, the techniques displayed by both Arentinus and Zander were extraordinary, making the fight highly entertaining despite its short length.
Zander simply nodded and left Arentinus for the staff to treat.
For the next few battles, everything went according to everyone's hopes and predictions. Those who faced Kang Yongjin had to admit his overwhelming strength, while those who faced Zander could only admit defeat before his sword.
After more than two hours since the earl stage began, the finalists were finally decided, and just as crowd had hoped, they were Zander and Kang Yongjin.
The round for the earl stage concluded, and the tournament continued into the marquess stage. The battles at the marquess stage were far more destructive and even brutal compared to all the previous ones.
At the peak of the marquess stage, their attacks could reach the level of a duke stage. Every participant was a genius capable of fighting across levels, and each of them could unleash such terrifying power.
In one match, Orlav himself had to intervene to stop the battle, as one participant's attack nearly killed his opponent. Worse still, the technique he unleashed almost killed him as well due to the backlash.
With each battle, the arena resembled a battlefield, its terrain shifting according to the participants' elemental comprehension. A cultivator who grasped earth laws, for example, could shape the arena into rolling hills or even a steep gorge. Every strike or defense left a massive impact on the stage.
After two and a half hours, the marquess stage finally came to an end, and the final round was about to begin!