"If you ever feel yourself losing control over the slaughter law, just use your flames to scorch yourself, it might hurt, but it should keep you conscious."
Ace's eyes were still in a trance, but at least he had regained consciousness as he looked towards the man whom he had almost killed, but by turning away from the man, Ace had already made his stand clear.
Ace believed that he was in the right even though it was his fault for intervening, it might seem ridiculous of him to be doing so, but the man was still at fault for picking on him despite his young age.
"Ace, are you alright?" Malene walked up and asked in concern while Fawkes who had been away rushed towards them anxiously.
"What in the world happened while I was away?" Fawkes asked impatiently, only for Malene to calm him down with a relieved grin.
"It's fine, I just lost to that guy in a battle, but Ace actually stomped on him as though he was nothing but an ant."
Fawkes nodded his head, his eyes widening in surprise as he observed the almost fourteen years old boy.
Wearing a simple black robe and with his hair neatly combed back while his fringe was combed to the side, his defined muscles and looks already stood out. If given a few more years, it wasn't impossible for him to be recognised for his outstanding appearance.
"Ace, thank you." Fawkes thanked Ace once again.
"Alright, all irrelevant cultivators should leave right now." The guardian raised his voice and said while being seated on his throne once again.
"Fawkes, Malene, take care, if there's a chance, I hope that I get to meet your Holy Paladin one day, it's a pity that he isn't here though."
"Don't worry, he has already gotten information on the next segment through his own means." Malene whispered into Ace's ears with a cheeky laughter before hopping away with Fawkes.
"Guardian, must our disciples leave as well?" One of the sect masters from a Wolf Tier cultivation sect asked politely, hoping for a chance that his son could participate and gain experience from the upcoming event.
"Let me rephrase myself, only the cultivation leaders and sect masters can stay behind, all other cultivators are to leave regardless of your identity."
"Father, it's fine, I'll take my leave first." The young man who was the son of the sect master who had spoken up said towards his father before taking his leave.
On his face, all one could see was absolute confidence and even though his father had been rejected for his sake, it was as though it didn't affect him in the slightest.
After all irrelevant cultivators had left regardless of their identity, everyone's attention was pulled to Ace's young appearance and his domineering demeanor which was shunning them away.
"Young boy, you should leave right now." In the end, one of the leaders from a Tiger Tier cultivation force couldn't help but request for Ace to leave.
Knowing that the leader held no harm, Ace replied courteously with a sincere smile, "Thank you for the concern, but as the sect master of my sect, I see no mistake in being present."
"Silence." The guardian demanded from his throne, remaining seated with one leg on the chair without regard for his external impression.
"I'm pretty sure all of you are curious as to why I would gather all of you here while deceiving your disciples or elders or whatever their identity in your cultivation force is. As all of you should know, the cultivation force tournament is of too great a scale to be fully held for all cultivation forces."
"Guardian, has the Nebula Kingdom come up with a solution to this matter?" Another leader from a Tiger Tier cultivation force asked.
Even though there were Wolf Tier and Sheep Tier cultivation forces, none of them have stepped up to speak until now.
"I'm pretty sure most of the Tiger Tier cultivation force sect masters and leaders would have a suggestion going on in your mind, I would like to hear from all of you first."
"Ahem." The moment the guardian stopped speaking, another leader from a Tiger Tier cultivation force stepped out, wrapped around his neck was a scarf made from the skin of a rare tiger species, one of his eyes blinded with a deep scar left behind.
But still, this only added on to the man's aura as a scavenger that hunts wild demon beasts.
"Oh, you have a suggestion?" The guardian got the man to speak up with an interested smile on his face which was pale but unable to hide his refined upbringing and character.
"Yes. I suggest for all Sheep Tier cultivation forces and most Wolf Tier forces except for a particular few such as the Paladin Haven which has yet to be promoted due to external reasons to be eliminated. After all, this is a competition for the strongest among the predators."
"What do you mean by that?" One of the sect masters from a Wolf Tier sect was infuriated as he yelled at the man who spoke up.
"I was just stating the truth, in my eyes, all cultivators of your level are nothing more than prey."
Ace unsheathed his sword, ready to interfere, but before he could even cut in, the guardian had already drawn up a barrier between the two.
"That's enough. Since you are so confident of your own strength, suggest it again after you defeat that young sect master over there." The guardian said with the smile still on his face as he pointed towards Ace who was itching for another battle anyways.
"Young boy, you heard what the guardian said, surrender now and you can walk out of here unscathed under my protection, or else…"
"Nirvana Sect Master Ace requests a challenge against this cultivation force leader."
The leader furrowed his brows, his knuckles cracking as he shook his neck left and right to loosen his body.
"Apex Predator of the Ravenous Predators, Collin accepts the challenge."
Collin accepted the duel with a yell as he took out his weapon, it was a gigantic sword which was most likely a broadsword.
Stabbing it into the ground, it caused fissures as pieces of concrete ground was blown towards Ace who had his eyes wide open, his sword stabbing towards the rock precisely without any additional movement that would waste his stamina.
"Too slow."
Ace smirked without a single trace of fear, frost energy gathering in his sword as he slashed towards the man with a simple and elegant sword wave which was shattered easily with a single swing from Collin.
"Not bad, but can you receive this?" Collin infused his own elemental law which was most likely of the earth element as Ace predicted, his sword raised and surrounded by what resembled wood as he slashed towards Ace who parried his attacks constantly.
Everytime his sword came into contact with Ace's sword, the chill from Ace's sword would always permeate through his sword and wood law to sting him, it wasn't worth much notice initially, but by the time he realised that the pain was accumulating, his movements have become too sluggish to pull back from this heated exchange of moves.
This is it. Confidently, as though the result of this battle was already fixed.
Ace stabbed towards Colln who reflected his sword with a wide parry as expected.
Seizing this opportunity where his opponent made an unintended mistake, Ace stepped in and sealed Collin's intention of following up with a wide slash as he circled behind him, his sword slashing towards Collin's unguarded neck.
*Puchi*
The sword stopped. Just barely on Collin's flash as a faint blood mark was visible on Collin's neck, a single drop of blood dripped onto the floor, marking the end of this battle.
"It seems that things will get interesting from here onwards, a young Martial Spirit cultivator actually defeated a renowned Martial Lord cultivator in the third realm."
The guardian announced in laughter as he got Ace and Collin to return to their positions, but this time around, none of the Tiger Tier forces voiced out their opinions just yet, since there would be a heated battle which was difficult to resolve, it was only wise to allow the guardian to make his decision.
"I'm sure all of you have already heard of the round-robin segment which will be held as the preliminary rounds. But after further consideration, we realised that it was too unreasonable as the strong would only dwindle in numbers while the weak would be barely affected."
"In order to deal with this situation, the Nebula Kingdom has come up with a plan, as for what it is, all of you will know tomorrow morning. Tomorrow early morning will be the time the preliminary round starts."
"If there's nothing else, everyone's dismissed."
As the various sect masters and leaders left, only Ace remained behind.
The guardian paused his gaze on Ace for a moment, thinking to himself that he had seen this boy somewhere before.
"What is it?"
"It's nothing much, I just owed you a sincere thanks. My strength might not be worth anything in your eyes right now, but I possess immeasurable talent, give me time and I'll repay this favour of yours in the future." Ace explained to the guardian briefly.
"I'll take my leave first."
After Ace left, the guardian then recalled who Ace is as he slapped himself on the head. "Isn't he Ultric's disciple based on the portrait he showed me? What is he doing here?"