Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation Chapter 318: Final Phase (8)

The Wind Sect girl made the initial move.

She vanished.

Not truly, yet her velocity reached such extremes that bare eyes could scarcely track her. She flowed like the wind itself—erratic, swift, and slicing.

Huo Ling stayed motionless. A mere smile crossed his face.

As the girl materialized behind him, unleashing a condensed wind assault, Huo Ling swept his sword in a broad sweep. Flames erupted outward in every direction, compelling the girl to pull back.

"You are fast," Huo Ling said.

"But wind cannot quench fire. It merely fuels it."

He lifted his sword high.

"Flame Sword Technique. Dance of Embers!"

Fiery blades materialized around Huo Ling, whirling like a maelstrom of ruin. They hurtled at the Wind Sect girl, weaving a prison of blazing fire.

The girl sought to flee, deploying wind gusts to parry the blades, yet escape proved futile. The scorching heat overwhelmed her. The surrounding air scorched her lungs with each gasp.

She launched a final frantic assault—a focused wind edge sharp enough to slice through iron.

With the slightest flick of his sword, Huo Ling parried it.

Then, he struck back.

One straightforward slash, pure and unadorned. The fiery edge hit the girl’s shoulder, searing her robe and flesh below. Her scream echoed as she tumbled rearward, beyond the arena bounds.

"Huo Ling wins!"

Thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd. Thus, the seven victors stood determined.

Kyrian of the Verdant Sword. Huo Ling of the Flame Sword. Mu Qing of the Ancient Forest. Mo Sun of the Ancient Forest. Yin Xue of the Shadow Valley. The disciple of the Mortal Fist. The disciple of the Thorn Flower.

Seven champions. Seven prodigies.

The Ancient Forest Sect Leader stood tall, his proclamation booming over the plateau.

"Now, the final phase! The seven will battle for the supreme honor of the Domain Gathering."

With the sun climbing high above the horizon, the Ancient Forest Sect Leader lifted his hand, demanding quiet.

"Seven warriors remain. Seven talents. The final phase commences at once. Rules stay unchanged. A lottery sets the matchups, with one of the seven bypassing to advance."

Whispers rippled across the spectator stands.

Seven golden leaves drifted from the mighty ancestral tree, twirling softly before drifting to each contender.

Kyrian snatched his. His gaze sharpened. Number 0. Direct advancement awaited him.

Next to him, Huo Ling chuckled harshly at Kyrian’s draw.

"Looks like we’re the ones who got lucky." Huo Ling said, picturing how none of them could beat Kyrian in combat. His free pass to the next round was a boon.

Kyrian offered no reply. He pocketed the leaf and retreated to the zone for those already advanced. Still, his stare locked onto the arena. He yearned to observe the others’ clashes.

A list materialized in the heavens.

First bout: Huo Ling versus the Mortal Fist Sect disciple.

Second bout: Mu Qing versus the Thorn Flower Sect disciple.

Third bout: Mo Sun of the Ancient Forest versus Yin Xue of the Shadow Valley.

Kyrian observed intently. Three battles. Three semifinal berths, plus his own.

The Mortal Fist Sect disciple mounted the arena first. A wide-shouldered brute with massive, roughened hands from years of grueling practice. His skin bore a stony gray hue, like buffed granite. No arms he bore—his fists served as arms.

Huo Ling strolled into the arena with languid, unhurried strides. His flame sword shimmered softly under the waning sun’s rays.

"You may begin!"

The Mortal Fist disciple charged ahead. His punch ripped the air with a thunderous roar, spawning visible ripples. A strike mighty enough to pulverize boulders.

Huo Ling evaded not. Up came his sword, slashing down.

Blaze met raw power in clash. The fighter’s knuckles got carved by the fire edge, forcing him back with a stifled yell, crimson spilling from his grip.

"Weak," Huo Ling muttered.

Forward he pressed. Three rapid blows. First scorched the foe’s left limb. Second gashed his torso. Third hurled him beyond the arena.

"Huo Ling wins!"

The crowd clapped, yet tepidly. The duel ended too swiftly.

The next matchup proved more even.

Mu Qing confronted the Thorn Flower Sect disciple. The thorn-armed girl struck with speed and venom. Every blow loosed tiny spines capable of numbing foes.

Mu Qing mastered wood, though. He summoned a barrier of vibrant timber, allowing the thorns to lodge within.

"Your flowers are beautiful," Mu Qing said.

"But my roots are deeper."

His palms clapped, birthing vines from the earth that coiled around the girl’s limbs. She slashed at them with her spines, but for every severed tendril, two more regrew.

She found herself completely pinned down in under two minutes.

"Mu Qing wins!"

The third match kicked off shortly afterward.

Mo Sun from the Ancient Forest versus Yin Xue from the Shadow Valley.

At the arena's heart, the pair stood facing off. Towering and formidable, Mo Sun had green hair and eyes shimmering with wood Qi. Yin Xue stood in sharp contrast, slender and pallid, nearly ethereal like a ghost.

The battle erupted.

Mo Sun launched the first assault, summoning wooden spears that shot toward Yin Xue. The Shadow Valley disciple vanished seamlessly into a veil of shadows.

Reappearing in an instant, he positioned himself directly behind Mo Sun.

A ghostly pale hand pressed against the back of the Ancient Forest cultivator.

Mo Sun stiffened instantly. His eyes bulged in shock. Darkness spread across his skin, as if his very life force was being sucked away.

"Devouring Shadow Technique." A voice murmured from the stands.

"He’s consuming the opponent’s Qi."

Mo Sun dropped to his knees. He struggled to summon a wooden barrier but lacked any remaining power. With a light nudge, Yin Xue shoved him beyond the arena's edge.

"Yin Xue wins!"

Silence gripped the plateau. The triumph unfolded swiftly, quietly, and utterly chilling.

The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect stood up.

"The four semifinalists are Kyrian, of the Verdant Sword! Huo Ling, of the Flame Sword! Mu Qing, of the Ancient Forest! And Yin Xue, of the Shadow Valley!"

Kyrian sized up the other three contenders. Huo Ling radiated bold confidence and fiery aura. Mu Qing projected serene stability. Yin Xue embodied quiet menace.

The tournament drew toward its close, and true to Kyrian's expectations, securing the victory would be straightforward.