As a thunderous impact echoed across the battlefield, all eyes turned toward Arena No. 3.
Standing in the center was Alice—the third-ranked disciple in this tournament, and the only competitor specializing in both support and mental combat techniques!
Facing her was a tall, armored warrior clad in black battle armor, wielding a massive greatsword. His aura was fierce, exuding a violent battle intent.
His name was Fengni—a master of Stormblade Swordsmanship, boasting an impressive Level 32 power!
Fengni smirked coldly, his sharp gaze fixed on Alice. "Alice, your mental techniques are indeed powerful, but against a close-combat warrior like me, you'll have a hard time fighting back."
Alice simply smiled, raising her delicate hand. With a subtle motion of her fingers, a faint glow gathered in her palm.
—For a mental combatant, words are unnecessary.
BOOM!
Fengni launched the first attack! With a powerful stomp, his figure shot forward like a raging storm, his greatsword unleashing a violent burst of sword energy!
"Stormblade Slash—Sky Rend!"
A devastating sword strike tore through the air, slashing toward Alice like a hurricane!
Yet, Alice remained motionless, her blue eyes shimmering with a mysterious light, a faint smile playing on her lips.
—Mind Disruption!
In an instant, Fengni's body froze, his consciousness flickering for a split second!
"Damn it!" Fengni's mind screamed in alarm, but it was too late—Alice flicked her finger, sending an invisible mental shockwave rippling outward!
"Psychic Impact—Starburst!"
HUM—!
A powerful mental blast struck Fengni's mind, causing his movements to stutter—his sword swing faltered for just a moment!
—And that moment was enough.
Alice took a graceful step back, raising her hand as a soft holy glow enveloped her body.
"Winds of Restoration!"
A gentle flow of energy surged around her, instantly restoring her stamina and accelerating her mental energy recovery!
Watching from the sidelines, Veil stroked his chin and chuckled. "Heh… Alice is definitely a tricky opponent."
Roy nodded. "Fengni made a mistake—he assumed Alice was just a support fighter. But in reality, she's far more dangerous than that."
Fengni gritted his teeth, forcing himself free from the psychic impact. With renewed fury, he swung his greatsword once more!
"Stormblade Barrage!"
Three blades of energy howled through the air, intersecting to cut off Alice's escape routes!
This time, Alice didn't dodge. Instead, she gently rotated her wrist, summoning a transparent psychic barrier around her!
"Mind Shield!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The three sword strikes crashed into the shield, only to be completely nullified!
Fengni's expression darkened. "What?!"
Alice chuckled softly. "Your attacks are too straightforward. Against a mental combatant, they're meaningless."
She raised a single finger—
"Mind Shackles!"
HUM—!
An invisible chain of psychic energy coiled around Fengni, slowing his movements once more!
From the audience, the observing disciples gasped.
"This is insane… She's completely controlling the fight!"
"Fengni can't even take advantage of his speed!"
"So this is a mental combatant's true power?! It's way scarier than I thought!"
The Finishing Blow!
Fengni clenched his jaw, realizing he was running out of time. He had only one choice—go all in!
"RRRAAHHH!!"
With a roar, his spiritual energy surged, pushing his power to the absolute limit!
"Stormblade Final Art—Void Rend Slash!"
Burning his inner energy, he accelerated beyond his limits, transforming into a streak of light as he shot toward Alice at full force!
But Alice's smile never faded.
She calmly whispered:
"…You've already lost."
HUM—!
In the instant before Fengni could strike, Alice's eyes erupted with brilliant blue light!
"Mind Collapse!"
BOOOOM!!!
A devastating mental shockwave crashed into Fengni's mind like a bolt of lightning, completely shattering his focus!
In that frozen moment, his thoughts blurred, the battlefield spinning into a haze…
When he finally regained clarity, he was already kneeling on one knee, his greatsword embedded into the ground.
—He had lost.
The Arena Falls Silent.
The entire crowd stood in stunned silence, struggling to process what they had just witnessed.
A moment later—
"Alice wins!"
The elder's voice boomed across the arena, and the crowd erupted into cheers and gasps!
"Unbelievable… She completely dominated Fengni!"
"This wasn't just a fight—it was total battlefield control!"
Veil grinned. "Heh… that girl's got some serious skill."
Roy smiled faintly, murmuring, "She's been hiding her true strength all along… Alice is much stronger than we thought."
Alice turned toward Roy and Veil, playfully winking. "So? Wasn't my performance impressive?"
Veil shrugged. "Fine, fine, I admit you're good. But when we get the chance, we're definitely sparring."
Alice smirked. "Tch."
Roy chuckled softly. "Alright, now it's my turn. If I win two more battles, I'll have the right to refuse further challenges."
As time passed, the number of challengers dwindled.
On the arena stage, Roy stood motionless, his aura as steady as a mountain. The very air around him seemed frozen under the pressure of his sword intent.
Standing across from him was a young man in a deep blue robe, his gaze as sharp as a hawk. He was one of the top outer disciples, known for his talent.
At Level 32 Peak, he specialized in water-based techniques and excelled in spiritual energy manipulation.
The tension in the battle arena surged—everyone's eyes locked onto this crucial match!
Alice sat leisurely with her arms crossed. "Roy shouldn't lose, right?"
Veil grinned. "Lose? You think that's even possible? His progress these past few days has been insane."
Alice blinked. "That guy's power seems decent, but water techniques are versatile… Unlike your brute-force fighting style."
Veil scowled. "…Are you saying I just charge in headfirst?"
Alice smiled. "Isn't that exactly what you do?"
Veil: "…"
On the arena stage, the elder referee raised his voice:
"Round Three: Roy's Third Match! Begin!"
BOOM!
The moment the elder finished speaking, his opponent vanished, transforming into a streak of blue light!
The longsword in his hand shimmered with an eerie blue glow!
"Flowing Water Sword—Thousand Tide Slash!"
Countless sword waves condensed from water energy, surging forward like a raging tsunami, aiming to engulf Roy completely!
The audience erupted in shock.
"He opened with Thousand Tide Slash?! No probing attacks—just straight to his strongest multi-strike move?!"
"He's trying to overwhelm Roy from the start!"
Yet, as the wave of sword energy crashed toward him, Roy stood his ground, his expression utterly calm.
Then—BOOM!
His spiritual energy exploded, unleashing blinding arcs of lightning!
"Thunder Sword—Hidden Thunder!"
CRACK!!
A blazing sword of lightning tore through the air like a raging thunder dragon, colliding head-on with the wave of water blades!
Lightning met water—the entire arena was instantly consumed by a storm of sparks and mist, crackling explosions shaking the battlefield!
Alice rested her chin on her hand and smirked. "Tsk… That Hidden Thunder attack is even stronger than before."
Veil nodded. "Mm. Roy's Thunder Sword style is specialized for breaking defenses. Against water-based techniques, it's the perfect counter."
On the battlefield—
Amidst the mist and flashing lightning, his opponent's figure flickered.
His face darkened slightly. "Your lightning sword is stronger than I expected."
Roy stepped forward, his blade crackling with arcs of electricity. His eyes were calm as he looked at him.
"You're not bad. But that's all. Even if I were still at Level 30 instead of Level 33, I'd still crush you."
His opponent's expression hardened, but he said nothing.
Then—
He raised both hands, and the surrounding water condensed instantly, forming a massive water dragon, coiling around him!
"Water Dragon Bind!!"
With a roar, the water dragon lunged forward, its fangs bared, its body brimming with sealing power!
This was a powerful control technique—if it wrapped around Roy, it would disrupt his energy flow, making him vulnerable to further attacks!
The audience gasped.
"Water Dragon Bind?! That's an extremely troublesome technique!"
"If Roy gets caught, his opponent will slowly wear him down with water-based sword arts!"
Alice frowned slightly. "That guy's playing dirty… but it's useless."
Veil scoffed. "Roy isn't someone who can be restrained so easily."
On the arena stage, the water dragon surged forward—but Roy remained unfazed.
In his eyes, lightning flickered.
"You think I'd just stand here and let you bind me?"
With a single step—
BOOM!
Roy vanished.
A bolt of lightning streaked across the battlefield!
—Thunder Step!
His speed skyrocketed—before the water dragon could wrap around him, he had already disappeared!
His opponent's face paled. "So fast—!"
But before he could react—
"Thunder Sword—Sky Breaking Lightning Shadow!"
BOOM!!!
Roy descended like a lightning storm, his sword leaving behind a blazing trail of destruction!
His opponent barely had time to react—
"ARGH—!"
CRACK!!
A streak of lightning sliced through his robe—electric arcs burst across his body, launching him several meters backward!
He crashed heavily onto the arena floor.
The battlefield fell into absolute silence.
A few seconds later—
"Third Arena—Roy wins!"
The entire crowd erupted into deafening cheers!
"Unbelievable! Roy completely crushed Sens!"
"Water Dragon Bind couldn't even touch him—his Thunder Sword style is unstoppable!"
"So this is the power of lightning swordsmanship?!"
From the stands, Alice clapped lightly, smiling. "Not bad. Barely passable."
Veil burst into laughter. "Hahaha! That guy must be so pissed right now!"
As Roy stepped down from the stage, he heard Alice's remark and smirked. "Passable? Then how about a duel with me next?"
Alice quickly waved her hand. "Ahem. No thanks. I'd rather not fight a lightning-obsessed swordsman."
Veil roared with laughter. "Hahaha! Scared?"
Alice huffed. "I'm not scared. I just don't want to waste energy on a bunch of reckless warriors."
Back on the stage, the elder's voice echoed once more:
"With this round nearly concluded, if no further challengers step forward, the second phase's top ten rankings will be finalized. We will then proceed to the third stage—the battle for the top five!"
Roy, Alice, and Veil exchanged knowing smiles.
—The real battle was just beginning.