Three days later, round two dawned beneath a cloudless sky. The field, tempered by the first eliminations, now consisted of the brightest blades each sect could boast, every fighter a full tier stronger than before.
Jared drew a lot against Kurt Deleon, an Earthly Immortal Realm Level Four disciple from the Blaze Sect. Kurt‘s Blazing Sword Art was said to smelt wrought iron, and the rippling heat that clung to his crimson blade made that rumor easy to believe.
“I’m amazed you made it this far, brat, but your luck ends with me!” Kurt lifted a scarlet sword wreathed In tongues of fire. Evidently, it was a fire-type mystical weapon.
Unmoved, Jared answered by slowly drawing the Dragonslayer Sword. The blade left its scabbard without a thunderous shriek, only a low, thrumming hum, like a leviathan murmuring in its sleep.
Off to one side, Flaxseed felt a shiver skate down his spine, alone understood how much violence lurked Inside that modest note.
“Aha, so you finally decided to draw your sword,” Kurt drawled. “Enjoy the sight while you can, after I’m finished, your precious blade will be nothing but warped scrap.”
He lunged forward, the flaming arc of his sword bursting forth like a dragon erupting from the sea. A tide of heat came crashing across the platform toward Jared.
From the stands came a collective gasp as the wave of heat rolled outward, lower-rank cultivators found themselves staggering back, hands reflexively shielding their faces from the sudden furnace wind.
“Such power! The Blazing Sword Art lives up to its legend!”
“Jared is finished. The spiritual energy of a Wandering Immortal Realm cultivator won’t survive that flame!”
Yet Jared stepped forward instead of retreating. his boots striking the boards with a soundless confidence.
A subtle flick of his wrist sent the Dragonslayer Sword carving an impossible, hook-shaped path, so quick it seemed to vanish between heartbeats.
Blade met fire, and the roaring dragon unraveled like smoke in rain, half of Its fury gone in an instant.
“What?” Kurt’s eyes blew wide, never, in all his brutal fights, had anyone shredded his Blazing Sword Art with such deceptive ease.
Before Kurt had time to blink, Jared’s blade slipped from its scabbard on a hiss of steel and air, more serpent than sword, striking for the thin bones just above Kurt’s wrist.
The angle of the thrust was so wickedly precise it left no room for evasion, so Kurt abandoned his own weapon with a startled grunt. He bailed his free hand, kindled raw energy until it shimmered red-hot around his knuckles, and hammered straight for Jared’s chest.
Jared’s eyes flashed with winter light. In one seamless breath, spun like a top, the hem of his tunic snapping, Kurt’s flaming fist slipping past empty air. The Dragonslayer Sword swept out on the turn, razor edge glimmering.
Swoosh! A single silver arc, then cloth parted as neatly as paper, and a bright line of blood bloomed across Kurt’s forearm. Had retreated an instant slower, that single stroke would have severed the arm entirely.
Kurt staggered back, shock and fury wrestling across his face as clutched the wound. “You… What is that sword technique?”
Jared only grounded the sword and let it whisper still. “Do you still want to continue?”
Kurt’s gaze flicked from the ordinary-looking iron blade to the blood soaking his sleeve. Jaw tight, spat, “I concede…”
Snatching up his fallen sword, limped from the arena, every step a bruised surrender.
The arena answered with a roar big enough to shake banners from their poles.
“Another victory in a single stroke. Jared is unbelievable!”
“A Wandering Immortal Realm Level Eight defeats an Earthly Immortal Realm Level Four? That’s madness!”
“At this rate, I’m starting to believe might go all the way!”
High in the guests’ pavilion, Lester’s brow furrowed deeper. He leaned toward Jayson and muttered, “His footwork looks plain, yet his technique is powerful… When you face him, do not underestimate that blade.”
Jayson shrugged, unconcerned. “Relax, Mr. Lester. Tricks are still tricks. If we cross swords head-on, he’s no match for me.”
Lester’s voice dropped. “It’s more than footwork. His sword intent cuts as sharp as the steel, I’ve felt it before. Stay cautious, or the gutter will swallow you whole.”
Those words pulled Kael’s memories back to the city gate, when Jared’s unseen sword intent had sliced between Kael and Lyra like a sudden storm, forcing them apart.
