The entire atmosphere of the Flaming sun sect's outer court was bubbling with even more excitement that it was in the last couple of days.
It was finally time for the Mortal lords to exchange moves and who knows, there might probably be changes in the rankings of the Mortal lords this time around.
The entire outer court deciples could be seen flocking to the arena where the tournament was taking place, the long awaited battles are finally at hand and nobody wanted to miss out on it.
Vin woke up feeling refreshed, after a few hours of rest he was obviously in good condition to go all out. After freshening up and putting on his sect robes he walked out of his residence.
He had decided to take his time in walking to the arena today, although everyone was anticipating the battles of the Mortal lords, it was still called the rankings of the top twenty.
So there were still sometime before the Mortal lords fought as the those in the top twenty would still have to challenge themselves.
When he finally got to the arena, the entire place was packed with virtually the entire outer court.
One could even see inner court deciples and not just the scouts but also the important ones.
Today was the start of when the Mortal lords would definitely exchange blows, and it was sure to be a thrilling event.
The event was set to take three days at most, and it was going to be epic.
Vin stood outside the grand arena of the outer court, his eyes fixed on the imposing structure. The arena's entrance, adorned with intricate carvings of Mythical Flaming creatures, seemed to whisper tales of legendary battles past. With a deep breath, Vin steeled himself for the trials ahead, his heart ablaze with determination.
As he entered the arena, the air grew thick with anticipation. The outer court's cultivators, gathered to witness the spectacle, parted to let Vin through. Their whispers and gazes followed him, a mix of admiration and envy. Vin's reputation as a rising talent had preceded him, and many wondered if he would live up to the hype.
The arena's interior was a marvel of ancient engineering, with tiered seating and a vast, circular combat area. At the center stood a pedestal, upon which rested the revered Mortal Lords Rankings stele. This ancient artifact would display the rankings in real-time, as the competition unfolded.
Vin's gaze swept across the arena, taking in the familiar faces of his fellow competitors. There was Daemon Cadmus, an enemy he planned to kill sooner or later; Arinthal Stormbringer , the genius thunderstorm wielder ; and Zeph, the hulking giant with strength rivaling the gods, . Each cultivator possessed unique abilities, honed through years of dedication and sacrifice.
As the competition's commencement drew near, the sect's elders emerged from the shadows. They took their places at the pedestal, their eyes gleaming with a mix of excitement and gravitas. The lead elder, Elder Ling, a venerable figure with eyes like ancient stars, raised his hands, and the arena fell silent.
"The Mortal Lords Rankings shall commence!" he declared, his voice like thunder. "Let the strongest among you claim their rightful place!"
With a burst of light, the stele activated, casting a warm glow across the arena. The rankings appeared, a list of names and corresponding cultivation levels. Vin's eyes locked onto his own name, currently placed Twentieth, but his cultivation was surprisingly at the seventh stage of the Body refining realm.
The first round began, pitting Vin against a lesser-known cultivator named Noah with was ranked seventeenth. The two faced off, their energies clashing in a spectacular display of light and sound. Vin's movements were fluid, his techniques honed to perfection. Noah, though valiant, stood no chance against the young prodigy. With a swift and merciful strike, Vin ended the match, his name rising to eighteenth place on the rankings.
Everyone below him was pushed down, as the competition raged on the other combatants also faced off with each other, the selections was random also, just like in the Round-Robbin but this time only the top twenty were fighting.
Vin also kept on facing other opponents as time went on and some of them were quite formidable which made the battles tests his limits, pushing him to innovate and adapt to the different circumstances.
There were some opponents thats forced him to rely on instincts and and reflexes for example Arinthal Stormbringer, the genius thunderstorm wielder.
Vin didn't use any of his self created skills like ; Hermes Celeration and Fallen Petals, that's because he didn't feel the need to, no one so far had forced him to do so, not yet at least.
And though his battle with Arinthal was a little bit tough, he wasn't exactly helpless, the only two skills he used ; Tears of Asura, and Sword One were already at the peak great success stage on the cusp of the pinnacle stage.
And besides this was also the best opportunity to train them too, and this battle also made him exhilarating;
Vin stood poised, his gaze fixed on Arinthal Stormbringer, the fourteenth-ranked genius wielder of the Thunderstorm Arts. The air was electric with anticipation as the two opponents faced off in the Mortal Lords Rankings tournament. Vin, determined to test his limits, had chosen to wield only two skills: Tears of Asura and Sword One.
The battle commenced, and Arinthal unleashed a torrent of lightning-fast strikes, his Thunderstorm Arts weaving a tempest of destruction. Vin, undaunted, activated Tears of Asura, his eyes burning with an otherworldly energy. The skill's power coursed through him, before being unleashed and bulleting towards the thunder bolts firing at him.
"Booooooom!!!"
"Swoosh!!!"
With Sword One, Vin danced through the storm, his blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. Each strike was a masterpiece of economy and force, aimed at the briefest openings in Arinthal's defense. The Thunderstorm wielder, however, would not be easily swayed. He countered with a barrage of thunderclaps, each boom shaking the ground and threatening to shatter Vin's focus.
Vin's Tears of Asura-fueled reflexes allowed him to navigate the tumultuous battlefield, his sword flashing in the dim light. He exploited the slightest hesitation in Arinthal's rhythm, landing a series of precise, debilitating strikes. The Thunderstorm wielder stumbled, his footing disrupted by Vin's unyielding assault.
Arinthal retaliated with a desperate, mighty blow, summoning a bolt of lightning to smite his opponent. Vin, anticipating the attack, channeled the essence of the Wordless Sword Manual into a singular, flowing motion. Sword One became an extension of his being, meeting the lightning bolt with a gentle, yet unyielding, touch.
"BOOOOOOOM!!!!!"
The two energies collided with a booming sound, their forces canceling each other in a spectacular display of light and sound. The arena trembled, the air scorched by the released power. When the dust settled, Vin stood firm, his sword still humming with the aftermath of the clash. Arinthal, his strength waning, conceded defeat, acknowledging Vin's mastery.
The crowd erupted in awe-inspired whispers, recognizing the emergence of a new force within the Mortal Lords Rankings. Vin's unorthodox choice of skills had proven a resounding success, his name etching itself deeper into the annals of the tournament. As he walked away from the battlefield, Vin's heart burned with an unquenchable fire, his spirit yearning for the next challenge, the next test of his unyielding will.
****
The sun began to set, casting a golden glow across the arena. The final match of the day approached, pitting Vin against Zeph, the hulking giant. The air was heavy with anticipation, the crowd sensing a clash of titans.
The two cultivators faced off, their energies building to a crescendo before they rushed towards each other with a bang. Zeph's massive fists shook the ground, while Vin's well built form seemed to dance on the wind.
He had decided to use pure physical strength in this battle instead of his sword as a show of respect for his opponent.
The battle raged, a symphony of clashing energies and titanic strength. Although Vin didn't use his sword, he did something even crazier, he decided to use his sword qi to reinforce his entire body.
Especially his hands and feet, although Zeph had great strength, because of his huge physique he wasn't very agile, he was born with a pure inate strength and was naturally very strong.
He was rumored to have descended from the Titan race bloodline, but nobody was sure of the exact details. But Vin wasn't weak either, his body had been evolved by the essence of the Flaming Phoenix, Sedalia El Amari.
And he had also further improved his body with different types of physical strength training so he was plenty strong and didn't loose out much to Zeph, coupled with his smaller stature, his agility wasn't something to scoff at.
Because of the comprehension he got when he created Hermes Celeration, his natural speed was greatly enhanced, and not just that, Fallen Petals also made his sword qi more refined so when you combined this two with his physical strength.
He was truly a force to be reconed with.
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