Alm and Bruno watched their two disciples exchange penetrating glances with slight smiles on their faces. ’Ruri has always been competitive, but Corin has never shown this side of him so strongly,’ Bruno reflected mentally.
This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.
’The century they spent together amidst war awakened competition in them. They had to find motivation to hone themselves, everything they could do to encourage each other was used,’ Alm responded calmly before analyzing seriously. ’But currently, Corin is acting... as if he’s trying to show us something.’
The two in the arena moved to the center and stood facing each other a few meters apart. Everyone in the stands chattered excitedly, placing bets and giving their opinions about the two. Ruri had already demonstrated being on an abnormal level, but Corin had shown little in this competition; his victories were simply overwhelming. Soon, some said she would win quickly, while others claimed that ’elf’ hid many cards.
Bruno sighed. ’Corin has always had to live on the edge and suffer many losses. We understand well what it’s like to live like that... but he’s still very young.’
’He has many friends and close people to support him; even Calirer is with him. The problem is that Ruri and Rehvka stand out too much, and we end up giving them too much attention. Thus, the pressure for him to rise is too extreme,’ Alm commented emotionlessly.
"BEGIN!" The elder shouted, echoing through the arena and inflaming the hearts of those present.
Ruri took a deep breath; suddenly, the world seemed to freeze around her. She gracefully floated a few meters above the ground, and a violet aura enveloped her, expanding throughout the arena.
A sensation of supreme power hung in the air; the minds of the people in the stands were flooded with an unknown tremor, but all members of the Moonlight family felt a connection resonate with them, leaving them stunned.
With a gentle gesture of her hands, Ruri conjured a large ethereal lotus around her. In the center of that spiritual flower, she hovered like a transcendental fairy, while the lotus began to spin slowly, enveloping the arena in a hypnotic veil. A second lotus, even larger, materialized above it, the two merging into a cosmic dance of energy.
Ruri’s mental power reached its peak, capturing the gazes of everyone in her direction. Meanwhile, Corin watched calmly, that imposing presence emanating an aura of undeniable authority.
A smile spread across his lips; suddenly, a thunderous crack echoed, and a wave of Qi swept through the arena, shaking the very foundations of reality.
Ruri’s mental power was shaken as a rival presence emerged, unleashing a power struggle. Spectators clearly felt the epicenter of this new power; they turned in shock to Corin, witnessing space distort around him as an overwhelming pressure emanated from him. It was as if a Fiend God had descended to earth, his hegemony making even the laws of nature bow before him.
Alm and Bruno watched the scene attentively, understanding what was happening. They wouldn’t use everything they had, as they ordered; it would be a fair contest, each using the maximum power their masters granted them: mental and physical cultivation.
Both would compete only with their understanding in these cultivations, not using anything more. Ruri began her mental cultivation studies long before Corin’s physical cultivation. However, he didn’t need understanding, only resources to advance. Corin had always been good at fighting directly, and physical cultivation multiplied his abilities several times, putting him on par with her.
Neither of them drew any weapons, just stared at each other for a few seconds. Corin clenched his fists, producing a powerful sound, while Ruri waved, making the lotus spin and a violet mist spread.
BOOOM!
Corin disappeared in a leap propelled by his physique and delivered a punch. A thunderous explosion of space separating resounded, causing everyone in the arena to instinctively step back in astonishment. There was no Qi or laws involved, just the physical power of a living being.
However, the punch didn’t find its target; Ruri disappeared as if she had never been there. It wasn’t spatial laws or techniques; her mental power permeated the entire environment, creating a domain where she could move freely within the violet mist. But the consumption of her powers was extreme in return.
Only the lotus continued to spin overhead, while all the violet power tried to spread slowly. The Nine God-Slaying Lotus was the name given to this method of mental cultivation; it wasn’t something exaggerated intentionally. With this power used to the maximum, a god or any being would be in danger.
The power of the mind was part of the most primitive celestial energies granted to all forms of life by the heavens. This technique fused the mind with the world, using the power of the heavens against the opponent. With each passing second, the power grew and grew... it had no real limit, so even a god should fear and try to end everything before the worst happened.
Ruri was still in the early levels, and before, the true power of this cultivation wasn’t apparent. But after completing the second level completely; this was certainly her biggest hidden card in battle.
If everything went wrong, she could rely on it to turn the tide... but after starting to use it, it was either complete victory or defeat and death. Even if she had all the available Qi still, the energy of her mind would be consumed, and she would faint powerless regardless of the outcome.
A large-scale fight, for example, was very risky to use this; with many targets, the power would be smaller and hardly defeat them all. Focusing on the commander was a good choice, but she would have to have allies to protect her during and after, or it would be a Russian roulette. Thus, Ruri always fought using her other methods and saved mental cultivation for an opportune move.
The lotus in the sky was an ethereal energy, but for everything to happen, it had to condense almost physically, merging with the world. For Corin to win, the technique was simple: Knock down Ruri and interrupt, or destroy the lotus.
BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!
The battle reached a new level of ferocity as Corin surged with powerful punches and kicks, aiming at the ethereal lotus. Each blow was like thunder echoing through the heavens, while Ruri moved, dodging at imperceptible speed. She could move the lotus and herself, but clearly, this cost her a lot.
In the sky, an epic dance unfolded. No one could comprehend how someone could fight like this with just their body; equally, they were frightened not knowing how someone could use the power of the mind so divinely. Corin seemed like an incarnation of pure strength, determined to destroy the small, shining fairy protecting his treasure.
With each passing moment, violet lines appeared on Corin’s body, indicating that he was being affected by Ruri’s mental power and his forces gradually diminishing. Meanwhile, Ruri exhibited an increasingly tired and worn-out aura, her defenses costing her dearly. This was a war of attrition where each side could lose, thus digging a single opportunity to finish.
Tense seconds turned into agonizing minutes, and it was at this crucial moment that everyone noticed something; the Empyrean rune instinctively appeared on Ruri’s forehead. She didn’t command this; her will to win made the heavens begin to intervene in the fight on their own.
The audience held their breath; the fight was about to come to an end. The influence of an activated Empyrean rune, even if indirectly, was an insurmountable advantage against an ordinary opponent.
However, in an instant, everyone was stunned and the elves jumped. The same rune appeared on Corin’s forehead, and neither of the combatants seemed to care.
Corin had become a hero of the Queen shortly after the whale left his universe. Although he lost his heroic power, his internal rune remained. Although it had never been useful, he always had this power at his disposal.
He kept it secret, and before, it was unknown even to the elves of the Litharion family. Corin didn’t need to reveal it, as his importance to the Litharion family was already consolidated. The original strategy was to make them use everything to make him an Empyrean through their secret methods. This would give him privileged knowledge that Ruri wouldn’t have, and he would hand it to his master firsthand. However, plans changed; defeating Ruri became the priority.
The fight continued, and an hour passed as if it were a mere blink of an eye. The arena floor was cracked and devastated, while the two fighters became mere shadows, leaping and crossing through the air in a dance of fearlessness and determination. They didn’t connect, but the intensity and speed of the battle only seemed to increase, rather than decrease.
Corin lived for thousands of years in the realm of the heavens, most of the time spent trying to improve himself amidst solitude. But he also had rare moments when he fought to survive. Meanwhile, Ruri has the complete memories of her other life; in that life, she lived only a thousand years, but she was fighting all the time in the second war against the three demons and their army.
Added to the fact that the whale trained her personally and gave her a lot of attention. The two were relatively equal in experience, possessed an extraordinary cultivation method, and had the same master.
Alm and Bruno watched the unfolding thoughtfully. ’Each has their strengths, but there’s a big difference between them...’ Bruno murmured, but he was interrupted.
CRACK!!!
A clear cracking sound rang out for everyone in the arena. All eyes turned to the center, where Corin stood motionless. His body was marked by cracks and deep pulsating violet lines. This was his limit, all the meridians created and expanded in physical cultivation were blocked; he could no longer continue fighting much longer.
Meanwhile, in the sky, Ruri abruptly stopped. Her body was trembling, making a superhuman effort. The lotus had already stopped spinning, and her mental power was almost completely drained. Gasping breaths escaped her lips, and her consciousness struggled to remain coherent and awake.
Both were using only their will to persist; they exchanged a last glance and smiles escaped their lips, neither of them wanted to fall.
’Ruri is someone who accepts her flaws without hesitation, confident that her allies will be there to cover them. Despite her imperfections, when she fully launches herself into battle, her pets and all her allies unite with her, amplifying her power in a way that compensates for her weaknesses. Her entire arsenal was shaped to fill the gaps... no, she focused on having everything we didn’t.’ Alm reflected with a snort.
Bruno added: ’Corin, on the other hand, he resembles us more. He has the ability to adapt to any situation autonomously. By joining his allies, he amplifies strengths or fills the weaknesses of his companions. Corin is a guardian who protects and adjusts, while Ruri is a warrior who fights with her own weapons, all shaped to serve her specific purpose.’
The two in the arena drew their weapons; a spear and a katana. They were determined to settle this in a single move.
’Corin doesn’t care about losing. He knows the feeling of defeat and simply refuses to accept being weak, moving forward despite adversity. As for Ruri... in her previous life, she was someone brilliant who achieved the impossible by envisioning the future. And currently, since she began her cultivation journey, every step of hers despite the obstacles; she always emerged victorious in the end. Maybe we spoiled her a bit... and that might be why Corin is so irritated...’ Alm concluded, as both already sensed the inevitable outcome.
Corin lunged forward with his chest open, as if this were truly his last breath of life. Meanwhile, Ruri, although she desired victory, never even considered the idea of losing.
In the war she lived through, Ruri faced the pain of the death of many allies, but she always found a way to repel the enemies and envision a new tomorrow. Even faced with imminent doom, she never doubted that her master would return one day. Even in her death, they would return and avenge her, she would win in the end.
Corin, on the other hand, became a slave and saw all his relatives die when he was a child. Then he found himself dominated by the queen and committed many atrocities while being controlled. And even when he freed himself, he was imprisoned by her. He always lost and lost... what was losing again? Nothing.
However, on the other side, Ruri hesitated. Her eyes trembled, reluctant to severely hurt Corin; quickly her mind became chaos, feeling for the first time the impending defeat.
Clang!
The metallic sound echoed through the arena, and the blade of Ruri’s katana was deflected in the air, almost falling from her hands. Meanwhile, the sharp tip of a spear was mere centimeters from her motionless face. She faltered... and thus, lost...