"Everyone, the Four Great Righteous Sects are done, so I assume that all the other hegemons have also picked their young experts. Soon, the Eighth Stage Segment will start."
As Honorable Elder Julian Kruse spoke, he waved his hand, and a projection lit up, displaying a few hundred names. It kept rising for a few seconds until it reached a total of two hundred and forty names.
People were shocked to see the Emperor of Death participating, heaving a cold breath, but they also blinked because the Emperor of Death and the other participants from the Alstreim Family were last in the ranking projection.
Was there some kind of undercurrents moving without them coming to know even now?
Davis didn't bother about the ranking projection as he understood what could've happened. However, he noticed Myria's name in it, causing him to narrow his eyes as he turned to look towards her as his sapphire eyes flashed with scrutiny.
Myria also sensed his gaze and looked at him, but despite being pressured by his sharp gaze, her eyes didn't even blink, allowing him to cement the fact that this woman was certainly an exceptional Soul Empress. Her concealment was also deep that he couldn't measure her Soul Forging Cultivation, but it didn't matter to him as it made him wonder why she was participating in the Eighth Stage Segment.
Was it because she broke through to the Law Sea Stage as he could sense her Essence Gathering Cultivation undulations, but it still wasn't enough as it was in Low-Level. Could it be because she had a reasonable Body Tempering Cultivation?
He couldn't tell unless he probed her.
Nonetheless, Honorable Elder Julian Kruse also belatedly noticed as he saw the crowd's silence, understanding this happened because of Alstreim Family giving their participants list the last. He delayed only a second before he quickly spoke.
"These are the young experts that our sixteen hegemons have chosen. The names are in the order of their legitimacy of participation as given by the hegemons, but as soon as the battles begin, the ranking will rearrange in accordance with the wins and losses."
"As you all may know, the Eighth Stage Segment has three rounds, and the first round will full be five-way battles, and the way the competitors will be chosen is precisely through this projection which will randomly bring in five names from the rankings!"
After speaking, he saw the crowd roar with cheers of excitement, but he had to practically wipe the sweat off of his forehead secretly as he checked and confirmed that the Emperor of Death wasn't angered. In fact, the piercing gaze he felt was from Evelynn, the Hex Demoness, who certainly wasn't amused with the ranking projection.
"Before we move on, I want to remind that people who have a Ninth Stage Cultivation will have to prohibit themselves from using it, or they will be disqualified."
He moved his lips and waited for two seconds, and seeing that the Emperor of Death didn't have any complaints, he continued.
"In this five-way battle, you can do whatever you want to within the set limits of grades, that is, you can't use a treasure of High-Level Emperor Grade and above, but you can team up with others to defeat a strong opponent or even back-stab them until you are the last person standing."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"On the other hand, unless you received a serious injury, you can't admit defeat because only the truly young below hundred years of age can be pampered and shaped but not you cultivators who are above hundred years of age. You all need to know the limits of your own strength!"
"The first five-way battle is going to begin, and let us pray to the heavens that it would summon the mightiest, allowing us to witness and attest to the strength and valor of the young experts of our human race!"
"Yesss!!!"
Honorable Elder Julian Kruse spoke without a pause and received thunderous roars from the millions of people, eliciting intense excitement. At the same time, they all turned to look at the projection lighting up with a glorious golden light before five names shot out of it, hanging in mid-air as they exuded immense pressure.
[Abal Skywind]
[Lazar Skycloud]
[Sceler Yorn]
[Davis Alstreim]
[Baolo Zwo]
"…"
The excitement slowly died down as silence became prevalent in the New Era Battle Arena.
The outcome of the selection was a battle between the extraordinary pillar of the Alstreim Family, two disciples of the Vast Sky Emperor Palace, and the participants from the Twilight Physician Hall.
Even the two arbitrators were dumbfounded by this scene, unable to believe it.
"This is randomized, right?"
"They probably rigged it..."
"No way…"
Murmurs began to echo waves in the New Era Battle Arena.
They asked for the mightiest alright, but how can it be the Emperor of Death? They felt it was ridiculous as the Emperor of Death had just recently perfected his domain and entered the Law Sea Stage, so how far could he have reached with his Essence Gathering Cultivation?
'Could it be his Body Tempering Cultivation?' They all couldn't help but think as they recalled the information that his Body Tempering Cultivation rivaled that of the Zlatan Family's Patriarch.
Although the young experts from the Twilight Physician Hall were chosen from other powers, they still clenched their teeth because the Twilight Physician Hall appeared as though it had a beef with the Emperor of Death, or specifically, the Alstreim Family.
How were they going to survive this? Even their strong will that they had built up for hundreds of years came down crashing like a pillar that had turned to dust, making them realize that their efforts were nothing but laughable in front of absolute power.
What's worse… they couldn't give up without getting injured, and there had never been a worse day in their life to get injured.
The Emperor of Death wouldn't suddenly use his Death Laws for Essence Gathering Cultivation, right?
Just envisioning that kind of dark scene alone gave them nightmares!
While they were slowly making their way to the battle stage with their heads lowered, Davis didn't seem to look at them but had his chin up in the air, looking arrogant and indifferent.
However, his gaze was still on Myria, trying to elicit some sort of response from her, but no matter what, she still didn't blink once as though she wouldn't lose this staring contest with him.
In the end, as he laid foot on the battle platform, he had to take his gaze away from her and look at the others.
Myria's lips curved as her beautiful eyelids fluttered once.
"Heh, little brat. I've matched gazes with people way more powerful than you, and you want me to look away? So naive-"
"Myria, thank you for gazing so intensely at him. I loved it~"
"…"
While Myria inwardly mocked, Ellia's ecstatic voice echoed, causing the former's expression to freeze as her body trembled. Nevertheless, knowing that she should not deal with kids or lose sanity, she returned her focus to the battle stage, wondering what kind of prowess he possessed with his Essence Gathering Cultivation.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHonorable Elder Julian Kruse saw that the participants were all in place, maintaining a distance of thirty kilometers in a pentagonal alignment. The barrier came up, and all was set, but he was shaking ever so lightly, wondering what was going to happen because if anything happened, he was practically powerless to stop it.
There was no meaning in being an arbitrator at this moment.
Nevertheless, he prepared himself, raised his hand, and brought down the signal to commence the battle.
"Let the battle begin!"
"Now!!!"
Davis looked at the four cultivators around him rush towards him with immense speed, intending to take him down before he could make any moves. Their bodies surged with the immense power of space, wind, and fire.
However…
*Bang!~*
A strand of black lightning pierced through each and one of their bodies, making them suddenly stop in their tracks as their expressions froze before it crazily began to twitch.
They all saw that it was just a single small strand, yet, how could they be all pierced?
However, the ones with capable eyes saw that that one small strand abruptly separated into four tiny strands of black lightning and shot towards the four of them, piercing through their bodies, sundering them as they crazily trembled.
It happened so fast that people were reeling in confusion, but the competitors started feeling their flesh burn, and the meridians were also experiencing unbearable pain spreading throughout their bodies, making them feel tortured. They couldn't do anything against that tiny strand of black lightning as it rampaged in their bodies!
"Nooooooo!!!"
But suddenly, a participant screamed as though he was slaughtered like a pig.
Everyone's gaze fell on that person and recognized that he was Lazar Skycloud, but the sight that they saw left them gasping for breath.
Wind essence energy was discharging from his body in large amounts, and it didn't take people much to be aware that he had become crippled!
Everyone became aghast when suddenly a booming voice echoed just as they expected!
"You…! You dare to cripple my son!?"
The Vast Sky Emperor violently stood up and pointed at Davis, his expression furious!