After the battle between Krieger and Li Chun ended, a heavy tension settled over the gathered disciples.
The air was thick with awe, disbelief, and curiosity.
The sheer display of Krieger's sword aura had shaken everyone to their core.
Murmurs quickly spread through the crowd.
"Whoa… what a fight! With just that white aura, he shattered her weapon like it was nothing!"
"Yeah! Just what kind of power was that?!"
"I've never seen anything like this before. Or even heard of it!"
It was clear,none of them truly understood what had just happened.
In response to their ignorance, Yuan merely snorted in his heart.
How foolish.
Sword Aura was not something one simply "had."
It was an awakening,a manifestation of one's connection to the sword itself.
To achieve it, one had to train relentlessly for years, forging an unbreakable bond with their sword.
Or
One had to be a heaven-defying genius in aura cultivation.
And with Krieger's age of just fifteen years, his awakening of Sword Aura was nothing short of monstrous.
To think a mortal kingdom could produce someone like this… Yuan mused, his expression unreadable.
In Basilisk's memories, he too had an Aura, but it was not a Sword Aura.
His was Raw Aura, a force that strengthened his body's durability to unnatural levels.
But he had even reached a higher realm of aura, something beyond what these disciples could even fathom.
The Aura cultivation followed a simple path of advancement
Beginner aura stage,Intermediate aura stage,Advanced aura stage,Peak aura stage and Master aura stage.
Once one reached the Master Stage, they could then ascend into a higher realm of Aura,The Intention Realm.
This higher realm also followed the same progression
Beginner stage Intention ,Intermediate stage Intention,Advanced stage Intention,Peak stage Intention and Master stage Intention.
The Basilisk had reached the beginner Stage of the Intention Realm, a level few could dream of achieving.
Even among the ancient, terrifying cultivators who had lived for 80,000 years or more, most had only reached the Advanced or Peak Stage,but none had ever reached the Master Stage of the Intention Realm.
This alone spoke volumes about how unbelievably difficult it was to advance in Aura and Intention cultivation.
Most cultivators who sought to awaken Aura could only do so at the Bone Forging Stage.
This was because Aura required immense bodily refinement, and most cultivators lacked the necessary endurance before that stage.
However, Yuan had other plans.
He wanted to awaken his Aura earlier,at the Blood Purification Stage.
because this was the perfect moment for awakening aura,for him.
During the Blood Purification Stage, a cultivator's body underwent a qualitative change, the first pushing out the remnants of mortal weakness.
If he could use that moment of change to his advantage, he might reach the awaken his aura and reach the beginner aura Realm.
Yet, no matter how deep his thoughts ran about cultivation, time did not wait for him.
The tournament continued.
And then
His name was called.
The moment arrived.
"The next round begins with Junior Scholar Felix and Junior Yuan! Please step forward!"
The blond haired judge's voice echoed throughout the training ground, signaling the start of the next match.
At the announcement, a white robed figure stepped forward with an easy smile on his face,Scholar Felix.
Yuan, with his usual calm expression, also stepped forward, acting as if he were preparing for a real fight.
But in reality, he already knew the outcome of this match.
Without hesitation, the blond-haired judge tossed them both their respective weapons,swords.
Both Felix and Yuan caught their blades effortlessly.
Taking their stances, they stood opposite each other, waiting for the fight to begin.
The atmosphere was quiet.
Tension built.
Even though Yuan already planned to lose, he had to make it look real.
"Start!"
The blond-haired judge didn't waste time before giving the signal.
And immediately
Yuan charged forward recklessly, running at Felix without any strategy or technique.
His movements were sloppy. Untrained.
He made no attempt to defend, no attempt to predict Felix's moves, no attempt to do anything but throw himself straight at his opponent.
It was a deliberate act.
He wanted to lose. And he wanted to lose badly.
Felix blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting such a ridiculous opening.
Still, with perfect composure, the scholar calmly blocked Yuan's attack.
It was effortless.
And then
With just a simple movement of his foot
Felix tripped Yuan.
Yuan stumbled, falling face first into the ground, and his sword flew out of his grip.
Before he could react
Felix, still confused but instinctive, pointed his sword at Yuan's neck.
The match was over.
The fight had lasted mere seconds.
Two moves.
Block. Trip.
That was it.
Even Felix looked confused, blinking as if struggling to process what had just happened.
The surrounding disciples murmured in disbelief.
"That… that's it?"
"Wait, did Yuan just throw the match?"
"That was way too fast!"
The blond haired judge himself seemed at a loss for words.
This wasn't how these fights were supposed to go.
But he couldn't ignore what was right in front of him.
With a sigh, he raised his hand and announced the winner.
"Winner,Junior Scholar Felix!"
But Felix looked a bit uncomfortable with the victory.
After all, he hadn't really fought Yuan,his opponent had simply tripped and lost instantly.
Still, maintaining his composure, Felix extended his hand toward Yuan.
"Are you okay?"
Yuan stared at the offered hand for a moment before letting out an embarrassed chuckle.
With a sheepish smile, he took Felix's hand and let himself be pulled up.
"Yeah, I was just too careless and tripped. Haha… That's pretty embarrassing."
Now back on his feet, Yuan quickly patted the dust off his robes, as if trying to brush away his own humiliation along with it.
Felix, seeing Yuan's reaction, couldn't help but chuckle as well.
"Just be more careful in your next fight. If this were a real battle, you'd already be dead."
He gave a lighthearted smirk before adding,
"I'd advise you to train more on your footwork."
Yuan nodded in gratitude, his expression full of sincerity.
"Thanks for the advice. I'll make sure to work on it."
With that, Yuan turned away and walked back toward the other disciples, blending into the crowd as if nothing had happened.
But after the fight was settled, the next match began immediately.
However, there was an issue,one person too many remained in the tournament.
With three contestants left for the finals, only Alex hadn't fought in the previous round.
To resolve this, the blond haired judge turned to Yuan and Li Chun, addressing them with his usual casual smile.
"Juniors, we have an uneven number of contestants. Would either of you like to challenge Junior Alex?"
A moment of silence followed.
Then, Yuan stepped forward and shook his head with a slightly hesitant expression.
"Senior, I appreciate the opportunity, but I'm not really confident enough to fight Alex. I'll step back."
His humble words and calm demeanor made his withdrawal seem natural—nothing unusual or suspicious.
With Yuan stepping down, Li Chun made her decision.
"I'll do it."
She stepped forward with determination in her eyes, ready to fight Alex.
The match began swiftly, but what followed shocked everyone.
Li Chun was completely dominated.
Alex overwhelmed her with sheer, raw power,no refined techniques, no fancy footwork, just brute force and relentless aggression.
His fists swung like hammers, each attack carrying terrifying strength.
Li Chun tried to evade, tried to counter.but it was pointless.
In mere moments, she was knocked out of the fight, unable to withstand Alex's overwhelming power.
A wave of shock rippled through the watching disciples.
Even the blond haired judge, who had seen countless fights, raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
"Just raw strength alone… no finesse… yet completely unstoppable."
Many disciples murmured amongst themselves, their gazes shifting toward Alex with newfound wariness.
"That power… that wasn't normal!"
"No technique, but he still crushed her!"
"What kind of training does he even do?!"
While the others were stunned, Yuan narrowed his eyes, carefully observing Alex.
From the way his muscles tensed, the way his body seemed unnaturally durable, the explosive bursts of strength in his attacks…
A thought formed in Yuan's mind.
Could he have a special body constitution?
The idea made perfect sense.
There exist rare physiques that enhance the physical body beyond normal human limits.
Some granted monstrous strength, some provided unnatural durability, others gave incredible regeneration…
And Alex's overwhelming power hinted that he just might possess one.
If that's the case, then he's even more dangerous than he looks.
But Yuan didn't dwell on it too much,this wasn't his fight.
As the final match was about to begin, all focus shifted toward the three remaining competitors
Scholar Felix.The Knight Krieger.And the brute force warrior, Alex.
The final battle was about to begin.
The air inside the underground cave grew heavy with tension as the three remaining contestants stepped forward.
Scholar Felix, The Knight Krieger, and the powerhouse Alex.
The disciples watched in silence.This was the last match,the battle that would decide the strongest mortal awakened disciple among them.
The blond haired judge, still wearing his casual smile, took a step forward.
"Since we have three competitors left, we will proceed as follows,first, Scholar Felix will fight against Krieger."
He paused for a moment, glancing at both combatants.
"The winner will move on to fight Alex for the final battle."
Felix nodded, adjusting his grip on his sword, while Krieger stood still, exuding an aura of calm confidence.
The disciples whispered amongst themselves, placing their bets in their minds.
"Felix is from a scholarly cultivation clan. He should have a solid foundation."
"Yes, but Krieger has that white aura… If he uses it, Felix is finished."
Yuan stood at the back, arms crossed, watching carefully.
Felix had skill. He was composed. But against Krieger, it wouldn't be enough.
And he was right.
The blond haired judge raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Felix moved immediately.
There was no hesitation in his movements as he lunged forward, his sword flashing with precision.
But Krieger didn't react.
He stood still, almost unmoving, watching Felix's approach with calm eyes.
Then,in a single step,he closed the distance.
Felix's sword swung in a graceful arc, aiming for Krieger's shoulder.
But Krieger side stepped, avoiding the attack with effortless precision.
The moment Felix's sword missed, Krieger counterattacked,a swift and controlled strike to Felix's wrist.
Clang!
Felix's sword was knocked from his grasp.
His eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, Krieger struck again,a quick but powerful kick to his chest.
Thud!
Felix staggered backward, barely managing to stay on his feet.
The audience was stunned.
The fight had just started… yet Krieger had already disarmed and overwhelmed his opponent.
Felix gritted his teeth and tried to recover, but Krieger didn't give him a chance.
With a swift dash forward, Krieger thrust his sword toward Felix's chest.
Felix dodged,barely. The tip of Krieger's sword grazed his robes, leaving a faint tear.
He tried to create distance, but Krieger followed immediately, pressing him with relentless precision.
And then
With one final step, Krieger raised his sword, activating his white sword aura.
Felix's expression changed instantly.
"Tch!"
But before he could react
Slash!
Krieger's aura infused sword struck Felix's shoulder.
Though he held back his strength, the sheer power behind the attack sent Felix flying.
Thud!
Felix landed on the ground, gasping for breath.
The blond haired judge stepped forward.
"Winner,Junior Krieger!"
Felix let out a bitter chuckle, pushing himself up.
"I didn't even stand a chance, huh?"
Krieger stepped forward, offering a hand.
"You fought well. But against a knight, you need more than just technique."
Felix sighed, taking the hand with a small smile.
"I'll take that advice."
With Felix defeated, the final battle was about to begin.
As Felix stepped back, Alex finally entered the battlefield.
The air shifted instantly.
Krieger's calm presence met Alex's overpowering intensity.
Two completely different fighting styles.
One was refined and disciplined,a knight trained in the way of the sword.The other was unrelenting brute force,a warrior who fought with sheer raw power.
The disciples murmured amongst themselves.
"This is going to be intense."
"With Krieger's white aura, Alex might be suppressed."
Yuan's gaze narrowed.
This is different from the previous fights. Alex won't go down easily.
The blond haired judge raised his hand once more.
"Begin!"
Alex charged immediately.
Like a raging beast, he lunged forward, his fists clenched tightly.
Krieger remained still, observing him closely.
The moment Alex got close, he swung his massive fists.
Whoosh!
Krieger barely dodged, stepping to the side.
Alex's punch slammed into the ground, sending a small shockwave through the battlefield.
Krieger quickly countered, swinging his sword.
Alex raised his arm, blocking the blade with sheer strength.
Clang!
The sound of metal against flesh echoed through the arena.
Krieger's eyes widened slightly.
"He blocked it… with his bare arm?"
Alex grinned.
"That little light trick of yours isn't enough to stop me, knight boy."
Krieger jumped back, resetting his stance.
Alex attacked relentlessly, throwing punches and kicks with wild aggression.
Krieger deflected most of them, but Alex's speed and strength were forcing him to stay on the defensive.
Then
Krieger saw an opening.
With a quick sidestep, he unleashed a slash infused with white sword aura.
Whoosh!
The blade sliced through the air, aiming for Alex's torso.
But
Boom!
Alex slammed his foot into the ground, using the force to push himself backward just in time.
The attack barely missed him.
Alex gritted his teeth.
For the first time in the tournament… he was feeling the pressure.
The fight continued, both warriors refusing to back down.
Each clash sent echoing impacts across the battlefield.
Krieger's sword aura enhanced strikes.Alex's raw, unrelenting physical power.
Neither side relented.
But then
Alex began to slow down.
His movements became slightly sluggish.
His breathing grew heavier.
Krieger, on the other hand, still had energy left.
"You're strong, Alex."
Krieger stepped forward, sword glowing once more.
"But you can't fight forever."
Alex gritted his teeth, eyes burning with frustration.
"Tch! I won't lose!"
With one final push, Alex charged forward.
Krieger took a deep breath, raising his sword.
Then
In one final clash
Slash!
Krieger's sword landed cleanly on Alex's shoulder.
Alex's body froze,the last of his energy draining away.
Then
Thud!
He collapsed to one knee.
The arena fell silent.
The blond haired judge stepped forward, raising his hand.
"Winner,Junior Krieger!"
The disciples exploded in cheers.
Alex let out a heavy breath, grinning despite his loss.
"Damn… I was so close."
Krieger offered a respectful nod.
"You were the strongest opponent I've faced here."
Yuan, watching from the sidelines, let out a small chuckle.
The Mortal awakened stage tournament was finally over.