In the arena skies, the violet tablet radiated intensely until the two hundred spatial areas dissipated. Forty youths representing four families converged to the center of the arena, capturing everyone’s attention. The long-awaited moment of the true competition was about to begin, with the families facing off before an expectant audience.
Ruri joined satisfactorily with the other four women from the Moonlight Family; initially, her recruitment ability was limited only to women, and those approved formed the first group that joined her.
In turn, Corin led a diverse group in terms of gender; his prowess as a versatile fighter allowed him to teach a variety of skills to people from different backgrounds.
On the other hand, it surprised no one that Loeus had exclusively attracted a group of women; even among non-humans, he radiated an aura of seriousness and protection particularly captivating to young females.
Neither Langrum nor his two daughters viewed this with disdain; they recognized that his seriousness was such that he would not be seduced. The two green girls only acted as the absent mother, casting cold looks to convey a clear message. No other woman would dare to play around.
"Let’s start the finals of the family competition," declared the responsible elder, his voice echoing through the arena and stirring excitement in the audience. Most of those present in the stands were cultivators who failed to qualify in the competition or talented and influential members seeking to broaden their horizons.
"The rules remain the same. The tablet will draw the matchups, which may result in fights between members of the same family or not. However, all battles will be among the elite youth of the four families. Watch closely and learn as much as possible while you watch!"
With these words, the elder concluded his speech, causing a commotion in the audience. Immediately afterward, the tablet vibrated, and two names from the Yangta and Grimstone families were revealed, represented by two women associated with Loeus and Vuard.
The fight began instantly, with a four-meter divine beast roaring in the arena against a small red-haired dwarf, clad in plate armor and wielding a green hammer.
In the blink of an eye, white flames of pure Yang energy spread in all directions, blocking all possible escape routes for the dwarf. Everyone in the arena gasped, impacted by the intense heat of these flames, capable of causing severe damage from the inside out just by breathing them in.
Everyone present found themselves imagining facing that threat. Even without being directly hit, a battle against those flames represented a race against time, where they would quickly feel their strength being drained.
However, witnessing the exquisite control of the Yang flames by that beast, they felt a chill run down their spines.
She manipulated the environment around her, sealing space and distorting natural laws; even techniques or abilities focused on speed would be neutralized, leaving Yangta at an advantage. Loeus, with his Yang tattoos, had taught this woman to properly manipulate her power, and she had become a formidable creature regardless of the situation.
At the epicenter of the action, the eyes in the arena fixed on the small red figure. She observed her surroundings without showing any signs of fear. With a roar, she seemed to find a key point; then she hurled her hammer into the air, which carried a pulsating rune in its center.
The artifact advanced with ruthless speed and determination, opening a gap between the flames and creating a direct route toward the beast. It was the Repulsion runic seal.
Then, the small figure erupted with all the power of her ancestral bloodline; her body turned into pure, gleaming metal. Simultaneously, the storage seal in her armor was activated; a dense power from the laws of lightning emerged from the void, enveloping her completely.
The laws of metal and a variation of earth’s laws. Just like the laws of wood and many others, they were considered non-natural elements because only a specific bloodline or rare methods would allow their manipulation.
The weight and power of the laws of metal were comparable to those of earth, but more flexible, able to be adapted for defense or a more aggressive attack as needed. Although they were inferior to earth’s total defenses, they could be used in various ways, which represented a fair trade.
In the arena, space seemed to distort, and taking advantage of the speed granted by the laws of lightning combined with the power of metal, the dwarf shot like a metal bullet through the opening created by her hammer.
BOOOM!
It all happened in a matter of seconds, and the Yangta was violently hit without a chance of defense, being thrown several meters away before fainting. Internally, she was perfectly intact, without spilling a drop of blood. The dwarf’s victory was achieved through the combination of two runic seals, allied with her bloodline.
The storage seal was for one-time use, and she knew it would lose its effectiveness in the next battle. However, the small red-haired figure smiled happily, not caring about that. Just a year ago, she was considered a nobody in the family, but now, the glow of this single victory was enough to demonstrate her worth to everyone.
This display of power evidenced for all the impressive strength of the weapons of the forge god’s disciples. By combining this terrifying power with the bloodline skills of the families, they were able to create a terrifying and virtually unbeatable combination.
A defeat meant elimination; without delay, the next fight was decided. A high dwarf would face a high elf woman not linked to Corin.
The confrontation boiled down to a single move: the dwarf activated her bloodline along with an axe enchanted with an enchantment seal. The very laws of metal were infused into the axe, which descended upon the elf like a final judgment. If the dwarf hadn’t controlled the force, she would have turned the elf into a mist of blood instantly. But in the end, the woman only fell unconscious without serious injuries.
Other battles ensued, and everyone witnessed the dwarfs triumph over their opponents in a single move. Unfortunately, Ruri, Corin, and Loeus’s allies had no chance at all but were merely knocked unconscious without suffering serious harm. On the other hand, those central members faced painful defeats, spitting blood and suffering severe injuries, making it clear that everyone was aware of their close connections.
When it came time for the top three, they emerged victorious from a quick and overwhelming fight, just like in all the others.
Soon, the first round ended, and only twenty family members remained. All nine dwarfs from Vuard advanced, along with Ruri and two allied women, Loeus and two allied Yangtas, and Corin with four allied high elf.
’We can clearly see who the best commander is now. Master’s specialty is the variety of techniques, and as his first disciple, I learned correctly and transmitted a fraction of his supreme skills to my allies. The results are evident,’ Corin taunted via the array, displaying a look of superiority.
Ruri just spat, furious. ’Shut up! I have three mouths to feed and plenty of other chores, unlike you. I want to see them face my pets and survive a single move.’
Corin and the whale, who were listening, remained silent, but the competitive exchange of glances between them in the arena seemed to spark.
Meanwhile, the whole arena was in turmoil, with fervent voices exchanging conversations on all sides. In a hidden spot within the arena’s grand hall, the four family leaders watched the top twenty competitors in the center, completely incredulous. Among all of them, there was only one official central member: Ruri.
All the other 19 were, until recently, simple and mediocre family members. The four leaders knew perfectly well that they were united and trained by the four who came from the ascending planet, but they couldn’t believe this terrifying realization.
"How the hell did they become so strong?" questioned with incredulity a male voice, belonging to the bearded high dwarf leader of the Grimstone.
Beside him was the leader of the Moonlight, a human man dressed in golden clothes, who smiled faintly before replying, "They survived for a century against those twelve mediocre families and, in the end, still managed to defeat them. That trained them uniquely; the destruction of those families gifted us with these four."
"You can barely contain your idiotic excitement," a female voice echoed accompanied by intense heat, belonging to a human-shaped Yangta woman. "Your family gained one of the four, and as a bonus, their round leader. But it’s true; their potential is limitless."
"If we feed them properly, they could completely change the status of our families in the divine world. With their potential, it’s possible for them to be noticed by heroes and become their companions. We could regain the high status we had in the past," added a male high elf, the leader of the Litharion.
He and all the others maintained a superficial calm, but they were clearly internally agitated thinking about the future and possibilities.
In the arena, the next fights began to be decided. With only twenty competitors remaining, those who won would be ranked among the top ten and receive something that most high elders did not possess: an immoral weapon of holy level.
The first fight was between a human woman and a dwarf. Ruri watched the battle unfold, feeling growing irritation. No matter how much the woman fought, it seemed that Vuard, using the knowledge about mental power from Ruri, had devised several plans to ensure the dwarfs’ victory using their weapons.
He had a considerable understanding of mental power, acquired during the century of war in the city. Vuard knew that Ruri’s main fighters were women, and that they were all likely specialized only in mental power, hardly mastering other skills as well. However, one year was a very short time, so Ruri would first enhance her strengths and then teach other techniques. Thus, a plan to defend the mind and attack with everything else as quickly as possible was put into practice.
As the fights continued, Ruri witnessed with frustration her other ally being quickly defeated by another dwarf.
Seeing this, Corin’s four allies were encouraged to the maximum by him; he realized Ruri’s bad luck and tried to devise countermeasures... but quickly was shocked by the lack of success. Three of them were defeated by the dwarfs, who used up to five weapons with different runic seals.
Vuard proved to be someone who didn’t mess around; he planned coldly and meticulously studied every detail. The dwarfs acted organically, as if everything were already predestined, and thus triumphed in a few exchanges. It was a crushing defeat for Ruri and Corin; but he still had hope, one of his allies remained.
The top three fought shortly after, luckily not ending up facing each other. Their opponents were three dwarfs, but no matter how much the dwarfs used their weapons with runic seals, nothing had any effect. The three emerged victorious without even needing to use their own weapons or runic seals.
The audience was stunned witnessing their fight, as if they were watching a child facing an adult. The three lazily dodged and patiently waited until they cornered the dwarfs to then use the sharpening seal. That was the only thing that posed a threat. After that, everything was resolved in a single move.
Then Loeus’s first ally was called upon, her opponent was the same red-haired dwarf from before. It was the most contested fight, since the dwarf no longer had her storage seal. After almost an hour of fierce combat, it was close, but another Yangta was defeated by the dwarf.
At this point, there was only one fight left. Everyone in the arena was skeptical: was that tablet really impartial? There were nine fights... and no dwarf had fought against another dwarf. It was to be expected that, with nine of them, less than half would pass; but six ended up ranking among the top ten.
The whale, the top three, and even Vuard were not surprised by this. After all, that tablet was a formation, and those who studied formations in the families were only the dwarfs. They had built it themselves, it was simple to add a subtle bias in their favor.
No young person had the courage to accuse them, and even the leaders of the other families didn’t care. Life wasn’t fair, and it never will be. All those young people needed to learn that lesson, and this was an opportune moment for it.
The last fight was between a Yangta girl and a male high elf; they were the last allies of Corin and Loeus. Ruri clenched her fists with frustrated force. If the high elf won, Corin wouldn’t let the taunting slide.
As soon as the elder authorized, everyone witnessed a fervent duel unlike any other. There was no direct contact; the Yangta attacked with her flames from a distance, while the high elf used the laws of wood to block. Both were long-range combat specialists.
The high elf possessed extreme defensive and regenerative power, also capable of creating roots and wooden spikes all over the arena, cornering his opponent. On the other hand, the Yangta possessed extreme attacking power. A stalemate ensued, where neither could gain an advantage.
Three hours passed and both were completely wounded and exhausted. It was at this moment that the high elf drew his spear, indicating that a direct confrontation was inevitable.
All the youths in the arena imagined in unison that a divine beast should naturally be physically superior, so the high elf would be easily defeated. However, everyone widened their eyes in surprise. With no Qi and energy left to fight, the Yangta couldn’t maintain her true form without fainting; she was forced to return to her human appearance.
A collective sigh swept through the arena. A divine beast fighting in human form, using an illusory body that didn’t match her nature... this granted the high elf an overwhelming advantage.
However, the woman took a deep breath and unsheathed a short saber. Her eyes instinctively turned to a specific direction in the stands. Some observers noticed this. She focused on a green male figure in the audience.
They exchanged glances for a second. Immediately, all the woman’s determination intensified in that gaze. She took the initiative and charged fiercely at her opponent, roaring with fervor and an unmatched will.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal against metal echoed in the arena. It was an intense exchange that lasted for a few minutes. Until the high elf was cut in the chest and his defenses gave way.
The Yangta woman, covered in blood and breathing heavily, amidst the excited cheers of the crowd, released her weapon, and using her last strength, smiled radiantly at the stands; then she passed out.
Loeus stepped forward and caught the woman before she fell to the ground. He sighed lightly and laid her aside after checking her condition. There was no doubt: one of his sons had truly become involved with a Yangta woman, and there seemed to be mutual affection between them.
"It’s decided!" The elder spoke loudly to the entire arena, but even he was confused by the outcome.
This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.
"The top ten, who received the unique prize in history, have emerged! Six from the Grimstone family, one from the Moonlight family, one from the Litharion family, and two from the Yangta family."
The high dwarves in the stands roared excitedly at the outcome, while Vuard smiled joyfully. The Yangta maintained a neutral stance, and compared to the other two families, they did quite well. On the other hand, the humans and the high elves seemed somewhat displeased.
The elder waited a few seconds before speaking again, capturing everyone’s attention. "But it’s not over yet! The prize in Essentia Crystal is still at stake. From first to tenth place, the difference in resources is huge. Having just the weapon is not enough; so everyone will compete to decide their positions!"
The entire arena collectively sighed; they were already aware of this. Despite the numerical superiority of the dwarfs, if one of the other families managed to get first place, it would guarantee them something to maintain their prestige.
At this point, half of the second day had passed; there had been no time for rest since the beginning of the family competition. In a life-or-death fight, resting was not a viable option, and hardly anyone would be in perfect condition to fight. Thus, if someone were truly powerful, they would be lucky to find easier fights and should know how to conserve energy to survive.
A few anxious minutes passed...
Then finally, the next fight was decided before the excited eyes of everyone. Two familiar names emerged:
"Ruri Moonlight versus Loeus Yangta," the elder announced to all.
The two exchanged glances for three seconds, before a slight smile appeared on both their lips. They approached the center of the arena calmly, while the audience waited in silence, anticipating the clash. The information about these two, from the ascending planet, and their overwhelming powers had already been disclosed and witnessed by all.
The elder was also eager to see this fight and quickly authorized the duel.
An aura of battle and extreme concentration enveloped them both, covering the entire arena. Everyone could feel it and forgot to breathe, completely stunned.
At this moment, the whale and the entire audience watched the two figures in silence. They didn’t move, possibly exchanging mental messages.
A feeling of satisfaction hit Alm and Bruno at that moment. In the past, fate made them take care of these two children. Although Langrum was the one who dedicated himself the most to Loeus, they both felt responsible and helped teach and care for him.
They saw these two children grow into teenagers and evolve slowly through cultivation. Later, in the sect, they witnessed both become responsible and reliable. Now, after a century of challenges counting only on themselves, they had become full adults, molded to survive and overcome any adversity.