Sign-In System: Starting With Invincible Physique

Chapter 211: Chapter 211: A Game of Illusions

Chapter 211: A Game of Illusions

"Winner: Rhain Voss! Advancing to the Top 25!"

Octavius’s booming voice spread across the room.

As his voice dropped off, the entire plaza burst into unbridled frenzy.

The aftermath of Gromak’s defeat lasted for a very long time.

Up on the grand stage, Lyra Emberford sat with her arms crossed, her crimson eyes fixed unblinkingly upon the dark-robed figure in the ring below.

For the first time in her nineteen years of life, a question crept in her mind.

Is she really the strongest in the younger generation?

She had always believed herself to be the pinnacle of her generation.

No one in the Inner Province could match her talent. No one could challenge her supremacy.

That belief had been the bedrock of her identity since childhood.

But watching Rhain casually display perfection in two completely different Epic-Grade martial arts, using the exact same techniques as his opponents and utterly overwhelming them with superior execution...

She felt doubts arising in her heart.

In the Gold Badge section, the remaining disciples who had yet to fight sat in various states of mental crisis.

Several of them had turned visibly pale.

"If I’m matched against him..." one Gold Badge disciple muttered, "...should I just surrender immediately?"

"That might actually be the smartest choice," another replied, "At least you’d keep your dignity intact. Better to forfeit than to become the next Navarre."

No one laughed at the comment.

They all knew it was deadly serious.

Not far away, Zane, the undisputed number one of the Inner Palace was in a similar situation.

He had trained relentlessly for four consecutive years, pouring every ounce of his being into a single goal, conquering the Heavenly Ascendent Tower and entering the Core Palace before he exceeded the age limit.

Up to a certain point, his confidence had been fine. Decent, even.

Yet a fact that he was unwilling to admit was hurting him.

His mind refused to process the rest of the thought, but it lingered like poison: he perhaps won’t be able to defeat Rhain.

The atmosphere had fundamentally shifted.

Rhain was now the focal point of the entire tournament.

On the grand stage, Crown Prince Lucius sat rigidly, the charming, magnetic smile that had graced his handsome features throughout the ceremony had now been replaced by a calculating look as he assessed Rhain.

Lucius leaned back against his throne, seemingly relaxed, but he was actually sending a mental transmission to one of his Domain Master subordinates.

"Change of plans,’ Lucius transmitted mentally. ’A talent of this magnitude cannot be simply discarded or turned into an enemy without probing his depths first. If we can bring him under the royal banner, his value is immeasurable."

One of his three grey-robed Domain Master guards tilted his head a fraction, the only indication that he had received the message.

Lucius’s amber eyes drifted momentarily toward Seris, who sat serenely beside Vice Dean Myrielle, her pale purple gaze following her husband’s figure with undisguised affection.

"After the tournament concludes," Lucius continued, "arrange a private meeting. I want to gauge him personally before making any decisions regarding the girl."

High Preceptor Octavius strode back to the edge of the stage, his booming voice silencing the lingering murmurs.

"The ranking duels shall proceed!" Octavius announced, his fierce aura sweeping across the arena. "The twenty-five victors will now fight to determine the Top 12! As the reigning Rank 1, Zane is granted a bye for this round and will advance directly! The remaining twenty-four shall commence their matches!"

The matches resumed at a rapid pace.

Jace stepped into the ring once again. He was matched against a formidable Rank 13 Gold Badge disciple.

Jace fought like a cornered tiger.

His Astral Severing Strike clashed violently against his opponent’s superior Epic Grade martial art comprehension.

Ultimately, the gap in raw cultivation proved too much, and Jace was knocked out of bounds.

But as he stepped off the arena, a thunderous wave of applause rang after him.

"Next match!" Octavius announced, his voice a pitch higher, "Rank 4 Gold Badge disciple, Vanya, versus Rhain Voss!"

The plaza instantly erupted into intense anticipation.

"Vanya! It’s Vanya!"

"This might actually be a real match! Vanya’s fighting style is the perfect counter to raw physical monsters!"

Vanya was a highly dangerous female prodigy.

She possessed a unique physique and was famous throughout the Stormveil City for her mastery over Epic-Grade illusion and stealth arts.

Against her, brutal physical strength and even flawless martial arts were utterly useless if the opponent couldn’t distinguish reality from fantasy.

From the elite section, a slender young woman leaped gracefully onto the arena floor.

She wore tight-fitting violet robes, her eyes sharp and alluring.

Beneath her confident exterior, however, Vanya’s heart was beating frantically.

She had been terrified of drawing Rhain, but now that she was here, she could only fight.

He is strong, but brute force cannot break what it cannot touch,’ Vanya thought, her eyes flashing with a calculating light. ’I just need to catch his mind off guard!’

Rhain stepped into the ring calmly.

"Begin!" Octavius shouted.

The moment the command was given, Vanya didn’t hesitate for even a microsecond.

"Phantasmal Dreamscape!"

Vanya’s eyes suddenly flashed with a purple light.

A wave of invisible essence released from her body in a sphere, enveloping the entire combat ring in an instant.

To anyone watching from outside the ring, nothing had changed.

But if anyone were to be within the ring, they would find that there was suddenly a moonlit lake before them.

Silver mist hung low over the water’s surface, and the sky above was full of glittering stars that seemed impossibly close.

The illusion was so real that even a Spirit Manifestation Realm cultivator’s spritual sense won’t be able to tell the difference between the reality and falsehood.

To Vanya’s absolute delight, Rhain did not move.

He stood perfectly still in the center of the arena, his dark grey eyes glazed over, staring blankly into the empty sky.

"It worked!’ Vanya’s heart soared with ecstatic relief. ’His physical strength is monstrous, but his mental defenses are weak! He’s trapped in the illusion!’

She giggled as she looked at defenseless Rhain, "Rhain, your strength is terrifying. But in my world, strength means nothing. In here, only the strong mind matters."

She didn’t waste her chance.

She dashed forward silently, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

She arrived right in front of him, raising her palm to deliver a concussive blast of essence that would cleanly throw his incapacitated body out of bounds.

But just as her palm was an inch from his chest—

Rhain suddenly moved...

Vanya gasped in shock as Rhain smoothly pivoted on his heel, dodging her palm, and rapidly retreated backward.

He broke free? No, he’s still looking unfocused, and disoriented! I can’t let him recover!’

"You won’t get away!" Vanya shouted confidently.

She chased after him relentlessly, forcing him closer and closer to the arena’s boundary line.

Rhain was desperately trying to evade her blows while looking completely disoriented.

"Just a little more!’

Finally, she cornered him at the very edge of the ring.

Rhain looked completely off balance, his guard wide open.

With a triumphant shout, Vanya unleashed the full reservoir of her Level 6 Spirit Manifestation essence into a devastating palm strike.

BANG!

Her palms connected squarely with his chest.

She saw as Rhain was launched backward, his dark-robed figure tumbling out of the arena and crashing onto the stone tiles outside the boundary line.

"I... I did it!"

Vanya stood there, panting heavily, but an expression of ecstasy appeared on her face.

She had been so terrified of facing Rhain after seeing him defeating Gromak with a single strike.

But she won!

Her illusions had proven superior!

Overwhelmed with triumph, Vanya raised her hand high into the air, cheering at the top of her lungs.

"I WON!"