20 Chosens promptly proceeded to their respective stages, and after cupping their fists at each other, they began to engage in combat.
Long Chen slightly raised his eyebrows in interest as he examined the various combats that were concurrently occurring.
He could vaguely hear the soft mutterings of the Chosens around him, as some exclaimed under their breaths, while others lightly cried out in surprise.
"Fang Qin has already mastered his Grade 6 Combat Skill to the perfection level! Where has he disappeared off to this past month, for him to progress at such a ridiculous speed?"
"The Stone Destroying Fists Grade 6 Combat Skill! Coupled with his other Grade 6 Movement Skill, his opponent is too weak to deal against that." A Chosen shook his head as his eyes studied Arena 4, where the youth named Fang Qin was fighting against another Chosen.
And as that Chosen had just predicted, Fang Qin had used his movement skill to swiftly dash towards his opponent, and after unleashing a power strike with his fists, his opponent flew back like a broken ragged doll.
Win or loss had already been concluded, and this was even the fastest one yet.
He looked at the scene for a while, before moving on to the other arenas. He had to say that every single Chosen had plentiful combat experience and strong combat abilities.
The skills they used not only looked smooth and practiced, and also elegant and refined. The battles were simply a piece of art for spectators to gawk at.
Comparing the battles here to the battles he had within the Inner Court was like comparing a boulder to a pebble.
The protective defence formation surrounding each arena looked countless times more sturdy and solid than within the Treasury Combat Hall. After all, Sky Realm battles were a completely different concept as compared to mere Elementary Realm ones.
All the 10 matches within the 10 arenas had finished after around 20 minutes, and the bearded Elder stepped forward to declare, "The first round of battle has ended! For those within the second round, please proceed to your respective arenas."
It was at this time, that 20 Chosens, including Long Chen, promptly went up onto the arenas.
Within arena 3, Long Chen lifted his brows as he saw a person floating towards the arena.
His opponent had broad shoulders and a large waist, as well as a robust figure. His hands were holding onto a grey machete about 7 feet tall, and his aura was wild and ferocious.
Unlike the other Chosens, he was lacking a sort of sophistication. Yet, Long Chen did not look down upon him, because his cultivation that he was exuding was firmly within the 4th Sky Realm, an entire Realm above his.
"It's Jie Yan, the Chosen who is proficient in using the machete! His cultivation is now at the 4th Sky Realm, and there is a very low chance of Long Chen being able to defeat him."
"It is really unlucky for Long Chen to pair up with such an opponent in the first round. Although Jie Yan is not one of the strongest, he could still rank within the middle rungs of the Chosens, while Long Chen had only just recently joined as a Chosen."
A few of the Chosens uttered amongst themselves while softly sighing.
"Junior Disciple Long Chen!" Jie Yan, his opponent, courteously cupped his fists as an unrestrained smile spread across his face, "I deeply respect your talent, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to go easy on you."
Jie Yan didn't possess a shred of disrespect or impoliteness, but rather greeted him quite warmly.
And Long Chen could only get this sort of treatment because of his unequalled talent, which granted him with potential far greater than others.
No one would so foolishly provoke somebody with greater talent than themselves, even if that person is currently weaker than them.
As for a 13 year old Sky Realm youth, there was absolutely no reason to offend such a monster, unless there were wishing to be sent to hell.
"Haha." Long Chen lightly chuckled out of good-will, "There is no need to go easy on me, and I will definitely try my best to win."
At the sides, where the Top 10 Chosens lay, Xiao Tian turned towards Feng Xin and asked, "Do you think that Junior Disciple Long Chen will win?"
Feng Xin blinked her eyes, while her small mouth parted, "It depends. If his cultivation is really as I have sensed just now, he has a chance of winning this fight."
"You could sense his cultivation? I don't remember him exposing his cultivation base yet, so how could you---?" Xiao Tian raised his eyebrows in bewilderment.
As you progress in realms, it will become harder and harder to sense the other person's aura unless they intentionally released it.
Of course, if the difference in realms were great, then the stronger one could instantly peer into the weaker person's cultivation.
"I have a special skill." Feng Xin plainly responded, her face expressionless.
On the other hand, Yu Wan, who had been sitting beside them, heard of their conversation. Placing her small hands at her cheeks, she unhappily pouted her mouth while muttering under her breath, "Hmph! Its just a 3rd Sky Realm cultivation…"
Chen Yu Yang glanced at Long Chen with an obscure gaze, his eyes unblinking while his face was emotionless. He slowly placed his hands hidden behind his robes, and if you were to expose his hands, one would find that they had been curled up into a fist, his knuckles turning white from the intense amount of force had placed upon it.
Chen Yu Tian simply looked on with an expression of interest, his lips curled up into a enigmatic smile, as he lazily leaned back.
"Match begin!"
As the bearded Elder's words faded away, the Chosens within each arena began to move.
The blade within Jie Yan's hand was ferociously swung out, carrying a gust of howling wind with it. Looking at Long Chen, his face slightly tensed up, "Junior Disciple Long Chen, receive this strike of mine!"
He rushed forward towards Long Chen with a brisk pace. Although his figure was well-built and though, it did not impede his speed at the slightest. With a low cry, he raised his blade, and slashed down towards Long Chen while using his Elemental Qi.
Jie Yan's blade vibrated with a slight humming sound, before a blade ray about 3 meters tall, and a meter wide, began to rush towards him with ferocity imbued within.
The speed and strength of this alone could send many instantly crumbling to the ground in fear.
After engaging in a few battles, Long Chen had long since evolved from the point of being terrified during combat.
He had caused the deaths of so many that a mere powerful blade ray was unable to deal any impact to his spirit.
As Jie Yan was moving, he had similarly dashed forward, and unleashed a sword strike of his own.
Shadow Sword!
A blue sword ray exited his sword, and powered by his astonishing momentum and dense Elemental Qi, it swiftly advanced towards the blade ray.
There was no dodging of any sorts. It was a direct sword to blade combat.
Both sword ray and blade ray quickly collided together, and a few sparks and shimmers sparkled around the place of impact. The arena floor was tough and reinforced, and these aftereffects of the energy wave did no impact to it.
Yet the hearts of the Chosens had been sole impacted by this one strike, which sent goose bumps tingling up to the tip of their fingers.
The power of the two rays were not strong. It was the fact that Long Chen could equal Jie Yan's strike that did that powerful hit onto their minds.
"The 3rd Sky Realm!" One of the Chosens exclaimed out loud, his eyes widened in wonderment.
That Chosen who had said it out aloud looked around the surrounding Chosens to look at their reactions and see if it was true, and he realized that most of them also had the same expression plastered on their faces.
"A monster…" Xiao Tian muttered under his breath, and involuntarily glanced at Feng Xin, whose expression he saw had flashed in shock and astonishment.
Chen Yu Yang's complexion abruptly turned slightly paled, but he swiftly covered up his change. A light smile appeared on his face to conceal the discomfort he was feeling.
On the other hand, Chen Yu Tian's eyes shined with a mysterious flash of light, and his posture went slightly higher. Cupping his chin with his right hand, he tilted his head while watching Long Chen.
And as Yu Wan noticed the reactions of the people around her, her small delicate face scrunched up yet again as she coldly harrumphed, "Isn't it not just a 3rd Sky Realm cultivation?"
Yet, as she said this, the expression of pride and joy within her eyes could not be concealed as she stared at Long Chen.
It was true that she had previously acted like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
But who exactly...was the chick she was protecting?