Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation Chapter 322: The Final Battle (2)

This was no tiny bird like the previous one. It loomed gigantic, matching the arena's vast size. Its fiery red wings unfurled broadly, radiating such scorching heat that nearby spectators in the stands recoiled instinctively.

The bird soared straight at Kyrian.

Kyrian stood motionless.

He focused his Qi into the sword alone. His eyes gleamed while the ancestral sword’s intent and piercing Qi converged on the blade. A vivid green glow appeared, sharp and vibrant.

Within moments, Kyrian’s sword blazed with emerald light that matched the bird’s crimson flames.

He lifted the sword high. Then slashed down.

The attack held no complexity. No hidden technique or flashy maneuver. Just a simple, straightforward, unstoppable slash.

The green blade cleaved the air.

The white fire phoenix gaped its beak, seemingly ready to devour Kyrian.

The green slash pierced into the phoenix’s mouth and burst out from its tail.

The heavenly bird cleaved cleanly in two.

The phoenix's split halves kept soaring briefly, their fiery forms crumbling into glowing embers that rained across the heavens like falling stars. The intense heat ebbed away. The brilliance dimmed.

Yet Kyrian’s slash pressed onward.

It slammed into Huo Ling’s chest dead center.

The Flaming Sword youth hurtled back like a scorched rag. His form sailed over fifteen meters before smashing hard onto the plateau beyond the arena. Blood trickled from his mouth. His sword clattered from his grasp.

He struggled to rise but failed. His arms shook violently. His chest seared with pain.

Yet he lived. Kyrian had once more reined in the strike's power.

The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect lifted his hand high.

"Kyrian triumphs! The Verdant Sword Sect claims the championship of the Gathering of Domains!"

Silence hung for just a heartbeat.

Then the whole plateau erupted in chaos.

Cheers, claps, whistles rang out. Thousands of cultivators leaped up from their seats, roaring and chanting Kyrian’s name. Even envoys from fourth-level forces joined the applause, some genuine, others deep in thought.

"Champion!"

"Kyrian! Kyrian! Kyrian!"

"He claimed victory without even trying hard!"

"The underdog triumphed! Who imagined a mid-tier sect disciple seizing the crown!"

"Underdog? He was no underdog. He was the true powerhouse all along."

Kyrian slid his sword into its sheath and descended from the arena with calm poise. No wild joy lit his face, just serene contentment.

He walked past Huo Ling, now aided to his feet by Ancient Forest disciples.

"Good fight," Kyrian remarked.

Huo Ling spat blood but grinned through it.

"You’re a monster. I hope I never face you again."

Kyrian nearly cracked a smile.

At heart, he realized this tournament had never truly tested him. His power surpassed all others here by far. Still, he’d met a rival who honored the sword as deeply as himself.

The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect positioned himself at the arena’s heart, his voice booming over the plateau.

"The Gathering of Domains concludes! Kyrian of the Verdant Sword Sect stands as champion! Now, rewards will be bestowed, followed by words from the envoys."

The crowd burst into fresh applause.

Kyrian gazed skyward. The sun dipped low, streaking the horizon in fiery orange.

The tournament had reached its close.

With the sun hanging low, the Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect raised his hand once more, demanding quiet.

The plateau, moments ago alive with cheers and roars, fell into hush. Thousands of gazes locked on the arena, charged with new expectation. The battles were over. Rewards awaited.

"By ancient tradition of the Gathering of Domains," the leader proclaimed, his words thundering across the expanse.

"The elite of elites earn their prizes."

With a wave, Ancient Forest disciples emerged bearing trays of living wood draped in crimson cloths.

"Tenth place, from the Silver Moon Sect!"

A youth with silver locks mounted the stage, weary yet beaming with pride. He claimed a pouch of spirit stones and a vial of healing pills.

"Ninth place, from the Mortal Fist Sect!"

The man with rough, calloused hands hobbled forward. Bandages still wrapped his fingers, but his eyes sparkled fiercely.

The leader pressed on, naming eighth, seventh, sixth. Top ten finishers each grasped their prizes, varying in worth yet all noteworthy.

"Third place, Mu Qing, of the Ancient Forest Sect!"

Mu Qing ascended steadily, wounds still etched across his frame. He accepted an ancestral wooden sword, priceless as any spirit metal blade.

"Second place, Huo Ling, of the Flaming Sword Sect!"

Though clearly bearing wounds, Huo Ling advanced to the arena's center with his head lifted proudly. Into his hands came a white flame housed within a crystal lamp, a priceless treasure capable of enhancing any fire technique.

"And the champion." The leader held a dramatic pause.

"Kyrian, of the Verdant Sword Sect!"

With calm steps, Kyrian moved forward. No wild joy crossed his face, displaying instead a picture of tranquil poise. The leader presented him with an ancient scroll and a pouch brimming with mid-grade spirit stones.

"This scroll holds an ancient sword technique," the leader whispered softly, audible solely to Kyrian.

In thanks, Kyrian gave a nod.

"I thank you." Though of no direct use to Kyrian, it might prove a valuable reference, or he could donate it to the Verdant Sword Sect, or fetch a steep price by auctioning it whenever funds ran low.

Rewards had been fully dispensed. The top ten left the stage behind. Once again, the Leader of the Ancient Forest lifted his hand.

"Now, I invite all one hundred participants of the final phase to gather at the center of the arena."

A wave of motion swept through. The young warriors from battles of days past, countless still marked by evident injuries, headed to the plateau's core. Among them walked Kyrian, alongside Mo Tianhai, Mo Xia, Long Xue, Shen Yu, and Wu Jian.

Toward the VIP stands, the Leader of the Ancient Forest offered a bow.

"The envoys of the 4° level forces have the floor."