The arena was vast, surrounded by a high-quality protective wall to shield the spectators, the king, and the headquarters' leaders.
The competition began with the fight between the first elder and the third elder.
The first elder had an impressive and majestic background, while the third was a kind-hearted person who didn't like standing out.
This fight would prove who would win—strength or talent. The third elder was considered a talent, though his potential was only discovered in recent years. Had it been discovered earlier, he would have been placed in the kingdom's special talent squad.
The first elder drew his sword from his waist and gripped it firmly, but the third hadn't yet drawn his sword, waiting to understand his opponent's moves before attacking.
The first elder was a young man with short red hair, red eyes, and a long black robe.
In contrast, the third elder had short black hair, green eyes, and a long green robe.
Bam bam…
The arena floor cracked due to the power between the two.
The first elder swung his sword toward the third's chest, wounding him. The third grabbed the first's hand, flipped over it, and kicked the first's face with his leg.
Blood flowed from the first's nose, and he looked at the third.
"Not bad."
"Silent Hesitation Strike."
The first activated his ability from the Harmonious Sword Path, performing slow, deliberate movements aimed at the third's body.
Bam bam…
The third was wounded in multiple areas of his body, manipulated by the first. He thought the moves were too slow, but in the end, he hadn't prepared to defend himself.
"Impressive," the king thought internally.
The third looked at his body as if he hadn't been wounded at all, then smiled, moving at lightning speed to strike the first's stomach.
The first flew back from the punch, charged with electricity.
The first stood, feeling slightly dizzy, and charged toward the third with an ancient sword-fighting technique.
The third smiled, and a radiant electric spear formed in his palm.
"Thunderous Bolt Spear."
Bam…
An explosion struck the first's body, but he remained steady. Seconds later, he became disoriented.
"Damn it, I can't see clearly."
The third ran at high speed, his hand brimming with electric energy.
The third entered the first's range.
In the first's mind, he was analyzing—a shadow stood before him, with a range of about 5 meters.
"Don't underestimate me."
"Silent Hesitation Strike."
He used his ability again, directing strikes at the shadow. The third dodged some blows but was wounded near his neck.
Boom…
The third punched the first's temple, and he fell unconscious. The third turned, walking toward his half of the arena.
In an instant, the first rose, sword in hand, his eyes filled with rage.
"Triple Sword Melody."
The first delivered three strikes to different parts of the third's body:
the kidney, the liver, and the area between the chest and stomach.
He withdrew his sword from the third's body and sheathed it…
The third fell to the ground, his body covered in blood.
The referee walked to the arena to raise the winner's hand, but seconds later, Yan Yue stopped him with a single word.
The referee stepped back from the arena. The spectators roared due to the fight, their faces alight with excitement.
"Well done!"
"Congratulations on the win!"
"Well, it's an honor for him since he fought a bit with him."
"Hey, even the third elder had some advantage!"
The entire arena cracked as if hit by a powerful earthquake. The third elder's aura was gradually increasing.
"What's happening?"
"What is this?"
The first looked at the third lying on the ground, "I feel danger."
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Yan Yue rose from his chair and ordered the security personnel to maximize the protective barrier to its fullest.
Farkan was seated among the elders, next to the second elder and Yan Yue.
"This move!"
The third, nearly unconscious, rose gradually, standing upright with his head slightly lowered.
He raised his head toward the first, his eyes glowing blue with a hint of black.
"So this is the move everyone talked about, the lethal move. He always uses it in life-or-death situations or extreme danger."
Small vortexes formed, relatively small, but to anyone approaching, they'd appear massive.
They were black with powerful winds. The third waved his hand toward the first.
"Dark Thunder."
Powerful thunderbolts struck the first, but with his agile speed, he could dodge them.
"At this rate, I'll wi—"
Baaaam…
The third suddenly appeared beside the first, punching him and breaking his left jaw.
The first rose, blood pouring heavily from his mouth.
"If I hadn't put my forearm to my face, my head would've been torn off. He's fighting ferociously."
"But I must face this move and analyze it well."
The first was about to step toward the third, but the third appeared before him, placing his palm on the first's stomach.
He was shocked by the thunder from the black vortexes.
Yan Yue turned to the king, "Your Majesty, should I stop him?"
"He's in a bad state, so approaching him would be dangerous, deputy."
"This lethal move can easily eliminate fifth-rank individuals, but I think he's holding back to avoid killing the first."
Farkan looked at the event before him, "This move is truly terrifying!!"
"This saying reminds me of his father."
"In silence, the curse grows, and in the vortex, your death resides…"
This lethal move was used by the third elder's father and passed down to his son's body when he was near death.
One of the vortexes began to disintegrate, then its core exploded as a bolt that pierced the enemy's nerves.
Bam bam bam…
The first rose, his vision completely blurred, seeing only dust. He used his mental abilities to analyze his surroundings and enemy.
"Lethal Move: Killer Symphony."
It combined all attack and defense patterns in a single moment, delivering nearly invisible strikes that harmonized with the pulse of his sword and spirit, attacking from within and without simultaneously.
He performed three combat moves targeting the third's lung, but they were all dodged.
The third grabbed the first's neck and squeezed. The first gripped his sword tightly and inflicted about 10 deep wounds on the third's hand in just 3 seconds.
The third looked at his hand and pressed it to stop the bleeding.
The first stepped back and jumped, but he didn't notice a vortex behind him. It exploded on his back,
leaving an electric mark. The first looked worriedly at the third, who was walking toward him with slow steps.
The first looked around, "Why are the vortexes moving so fast?"
About eight black vortexes gathered, truly surrounding the first, and exploded on him.
His body became covered in electric marks, and his mind was completely disoriented.
"There's no other hope. I have to do it."
"Heavenly Severing Melody."
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The End