The Third Elder continued his heavy advance toward the First, his gaze terrifying enough to chill one's very soul. This lethal technique exerted by the Third possessed extraordinary power, especially since its foundation had been forged by his father in collaboration with an immortal.
Yet, because the Third was still young and in the prime of his youth, summoning such a technique inflicted a heavy toll upon his mortal consciousness, plunging him into darkness. His awareness would only return after his physical body completely collapsed, and the technique remained sealed to him until he fully recovered.
Nevertheless, the Heavenly Severing Melody possessed strict stages that had to be fulfilled.
"Melody of Silence!"
Before delivering his decisive strike, the First Elder unleashed his inner sharpness—a wave of spiritual energy that silenced every sound across the arena, suppressing the dark thunder vortexes and causing the Third to completely lose his sense of balance.
Farkan thought internally, [Why can't I hear anything?]
"Harmonious Slash!"
The First raised his sword with absolute fluid mastery, delivering a single invisible strike that severed the spiritual frequencies in the air, causing the black vortexes to disintegrate into nothingness.
After a few breathless seconds, expressions of shock and awe spread across the crowd. Even the King stood astonished by the display.
"All the vortexes in his surroundings shattered in an instant... astounding," Yan Yue remarked, standing in awe before everyone.
"Heavenly Severing Melody!"
The First Elder's aura turned a deep, blood-crimson. He gradually raised his head, inhaling and exhaling with rhythmic calm...
He assumed a rare martial stance mastered only by those who had attuned their very souls with their blades. His body leaned forward steadily, like a meteor about to launch across the heavens, his sword drawn back at a precise angle that cut through the airflow.
His front foot was planted confidently into the earth, while the other slid back like a tiger's tail preparing to pounce. His right shoulder shifted fluidly with the direction of the blade, his muscles swaying calmly with every breath.
The First Elder whispered softly, "In this stance... I do not merely attack. I declare the end of existence."
When the strike landed, the echo of the melody reached the Third Elder's ears belatedly, forcing him to endure the full brunt of the temporal delay. The full impact hit him—a spiritual and physical strike simultaneously that cleaved his chest!
Seconds passed, and though the Third did not fall immediately, his lethal technique dissolved due to the physical collapse it inflicted upon his body.
Turning his head toward the First, the Third charged at him with insane speed, his right hand gathering the remaining strength of the Dark Thunder technique!
The First smiled faintly. "I thought it was over... so why do you still resist? You are a terrifying opponent indeed."
The First assumed the exact same stance and charged forward as well. It was an epic scene representing the absolute peak of strength and willpower from both warriors.
Only centimeters remained between them, but the Third Elder's body could endure no more. He collapsed directly onto the arena floor.
Shocked by the sight, the First Elder sheathed his sword in silence.
A heavy stillness fell over the arena, until the silence shattered into thunderous cheers!
"Amazing!" "Incredible!!!" "Thank goodness I attended this fight!" "Both of them are absolute monsters!"
The referee stepped to the center of the arena, grabbed the First Elder's hand, and raised it high.
"The winner of this match is the First Elder!!!"
All the spectators, realm commanders, and grand elders erupted in applause.
The First knelt down, checking the Third Elder's pulse at his neck, his expression darkening with grave concern. "Hurry! Take the Third Elder to the royal medical headquarters at once!"
Farkan analyzed the fight in his mind, [Indeed, they need to treat him before it is too late. I caught a glimpse of that slash—it pierced right near his heart.]
The medical team rushed forward, employing movement techniques to transfer him swiftly to the royal medical facilities.
. .
Two Days Ago (In the Central Continent)
In a lavishly decorated, massive hall, Yi Mushen summoned one of his trusted deputies.
"You have a short trip ahead, Wan Shu."
"My Lord, how may I serve you?" Wan Shu knelt on one knee.
"To the Eastern Continent... that kingdom—what is its name again? Remind me."
"The Dragonis Kingdom, my Lord."
Yi Mushen let out a dark laugh. "Well done. Go there, deliver my greetings to their King, and slaughter one of their Elders. Hahaha!"
Yi Mushen grabbed a piece of meat beside him and tore into it greedily. This meat was the severed arm of a righteous fairy cultivator from the Central Continent. He had offered her the chance to submit and become his servant, but she had refused, declaring she would rather die than serve under his command.
So he killed her, dismembered her corpse, and sold most of her spiritual organs in the Market of Torn Shadows.
"By the way," Yi Mushen shouted, devouring the meat voraciously, "tell me how that white-haired Elder fares... I am eager to tear him apart with my own hands! You may go."
. .
The Intrusion of Deputy Wan Shu
Among the cheering and shouting spectators celebrating the First Elder's victory, a solitary figure moved through the crowd with deadly indifference.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" "Hey, what's wrong with this guy?"
The intruder pushed past the crowd unbothered until he reached the barrier protecting the spectators, the King, and the royal court.
With a single tap of his finger against the barrier... Bam!
The defensive array vanished into thin air. Stepping forward, the stranger began to clap mockingly.
He pulled back the scarf covering his head, revealing his face. He appeared to be in his nineties in cultivation age, yet possessed the youthful countenance of a man in his forties. His features were sharp, his skin fair, with one obsidian eye and one amber eye, framed by short black hair.
Ignoring the guards advancing upon him, his aura gradually surged into the sky, suffocating the air around them.
It was Wan Shu, one of the deputies of the Ghost Organization!
He declared before the entire realm, "What is the value of a tournament hosted by someone who cannot even protect his own throne?"
The King rose from his seat in a fury. "Identify yourself before you meet your demise!"
"I am Wan Shu, deputy commander of the Ghost Organization from the Central Continent!"
The King stared at Wan Shu, thinking cautiously, [If I strike him down here, I will be declaring open war against the massive Ghost Organization...]
The First Elder gripped the hilt of his sheathed sword, glaring at Wan Shu. "Do you comprehend what it means to bring chaos into our kingdom, you filthy fool?"
Wan Shu turned his gaze toward the First Elder with disdain. "Is a mere bug speaking to me?"
The First Elder's face flushed with intense fury at the insult. "I shall slay you where you stand!!"
"Triple Sword Melody!"
The First Elder advanced instantly, delivering three lightning-fast strikes toward Wan Shu.
"Do you think I am that fool you just fought?" Wan Shu remarked casually, dodging the attack effortlessly.
In the next instant, Wan Shu struck the First Elder directly between his chest and stomach!
The First Elder stumbled backward, coughing up large amounts of blood, his breathing labored. Wan Shu followed up with a ruthless kick to his face, launching him across the arena to crash violently against the stone wall.
"Doomsday Blaze!"
Wan Shu unleashed a roaring torrent of fire in the shape of a winged dragon. It burned slowly at first, but upon making contact with the First Elder's body, it exploded with catastrophic force!
The King leapt into the air, his eyes blazing with rage as he targeted Wan Shu.
"Scale Hammer!"
Heavenly energy condensed into a massive celestial hammer, striking down at Wan Shu with devastating force. However, Wan Shu dodged the blow with terrifying speed.
"You are indeed strong. It would be unwise to fight you now," Wan Shu smiled slyly at the King.
He placed the scarf back over his head, returned to his starting point, and cast a fleeting, cold glance at Farkan.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from everyone's sight.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, the King's voice boomed across the plaza: "Clean up this mess and treat the First Elder immediately—he is on the brink of death! Spectators, clear the grounds and return for the next match!!"
. . . . .
End of Chapter