The day of the inter-continent tournament had finally arrived, and Daemon could feel his heart pounding in his chest with anticipation. He had been chosen along with Kiara and Lukas to represent Celestial Academy. The three of them arrived at the location of the tournament, a massive arena filled with spectators from all over the world.

As they entered the arena, Daemon couldn't help but feel a sense of nervous excitement. He had never been in a tournament of this magnitude before, and the thought of facing off against the strongest cultivators from other schools was both thrilling and intimidating.

Half of the participants were to draw lots to determine their opponents. The number of geniuses that came to participate in the inter-school tournament this year totaled to one thousand three hundred and sixty-two people this time around.

Thus, six hundred and eighty-one people were arranged to draw lots, and Daemon was divided into the group that did the picking. After the drawing concluded Daemon was told he would be fighting in around 30 minutes, while Kiara and Lukas would fight far later in the day.

It was finally time for Daemon’s first match. The sun was beating down on the arena, casting a harsh glare on the fighters as they took their positions. The audience's murmurs and whispers blended together into a cacophonous buzz that echoed throughout the arena. Daemon could feel the heat emanating from the ground as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, preparing himself for the fight ahead.

As the referee signaled the start of the match, Daemon's opponent charged forward with a flurry of strikes. Daemon dodged and weaved, his movements fluid and graceful. He retaliated with a barrage of lightning-fast punches and kicks, each one landing with a satisfying thud on his opponent's body.

The opponent wasn't easily defeated though, summoning his qi, his opponent created a gust of wind that sent Daemon flying back several feet. Daemon quickly regained his footing, and with a flick of his wrist, summoned a bolt of qi lightning that streaked towards his opponent. The bolt hit his opponent square in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

But the opponent wasn't done yet. He stood up and unleashed a series of powerful qi strikes. Daemon countered with his own qi, creating a swirling vortex of wind and lightning that tore through the arena. The crowd gasped in awe and fear at the display of power.

The two fighters continued their intense battle, trading blow for blow. The sound of their attacks echoed throughout the arena, each strike causing a shockwave that reverberated through the ground.

Finally, Daemon decided to finish toying with his opponent. Summoning his qi once more he formed a twisting vortex of wind, lightning and fire that concentrated into a missile shaped construct, before firing it at his opponent.

The qi construct shot off like a bullet, before slamming into his opponent. The impact caused his opponent to fly to the opposite end of the arena and form a crater in the wall. As he fell, Daemon could see his clothing and hair were burning and sparking with leftover lightning. His entire body was charred a deep black.

Standing in the center of the arena Daemon raised an arm victoriously, chest heaving, while his opponent lay defeated on the ground.

Stepping off the stage Daemon smirked at the anger he could read across many of the contestants. Choosing to ignore them for now he focused on finding his teammates.

As he made his way towards them, Daemon could hear the whispers of other participants discussing his victory. Some were in awe of his power, while others spoke of his arrogance and overconfidence.

Finally, he spotted Kiara and Lukas waiting for him, both wearing expressions of pride and admiration. Kiara hugged him tightly, a huge smile on her face. "I knew you could do it, Daemon! You were amazing up there," she exclaimed.

Lukas nodded in agreement, "Yeah man, that was some impressive display of power. You had the crowd on their feet."

Daemon grinned back at them, feeling a sense of camaraderie and friendship that he hadn't experienced before. "Thanks, guys. But we still have a long way to go in this tournament. We need to stay focused and keep working together."

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As they made their way to the designated waiting area for the next round, Daemon couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation.

Finally it was time for Kiara’s match, the trio walked towards her stage whilst giving words of encouragement.

Daemon watched as Kiara stepped onto the stage, her opponent already waiting for her. The blonde girl sneered at Kiara, clearly underestimating her opponent. As the match began, Kiara moved with a grace and speed that caught her opponent off guard. The girl tried to attack Kiara with a flurry of punches, but Kiara easily dodged them and countered with a powerful kick that sent the girl flying across the stage.

However, the blonde girl quickly recovered and started to channel her qi, unleashing a powerful blast of energy towards Kiara. Kiara quickly summoned a wall of ice, blocking the attack and using the opening to unleash a flurry of ice attacks. The girl was caught off guard, unable to evade or block the freezing attacks. Soon she was encased in a block of ice, defeated.

Daemon watched as Kiara's opponent stumbled back from the impact of the ice wall, her eyes blazing with fury. The air crackled with energy as the girl began to channel her qi, her hands glowing with an intense light. The spectators in the stands gasped as a powerful blast of energy shot towards Kiara. The force of the blast shook the ground, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions.

Kiara acted quickly, summoning another wall of ice just in time to block the attack. The impact of the energy blast against the wall sent a shower of ice shards raining down on the surrounding area. The blonde girl, however, wasn't deterred. She quickly resumed her attack, channeling her qi into her palms once more.

Kiara took advantage of the opening the girl's attack had created, unleashing a flurry of ice attacks. The blonde girl was caught off guard, unable to evade or block the freezing attacks. Soon, she was encased in a block of ice, defeated.

As the crowd cheered and Kiara walked off the stage, Daemon could feel the energy in the air vibrating with excitement. The tension in his muscles increased, and his heart began to beat faster in anticipation of his own upcoming battle.

As Kiara’s first fight concluded, the two decided to meet up with Lukas as his fight would be soon.

As the next match began, Daemon turned his attention to Lukas. He watched as Lukas faced off against a tough opponent, a towering man who seemed to be made of pure muscle. The man charged towards Lukas, ready to deliver a powerful blow, but Lukas dodged the attack and countered with a swift kick to the man's abdomen.

The impact of the kick was thunderous, echoing through the arena as the muscular man stumbled back a few steps, groaning in pain. The man recovered quickly, launching a barrage of punches at Lukas, who skillfully weaved and dodged them. Daemon could see sweat pouring down Lukas' face as he tried to keep up with the man's relentless attacks.

Suddenly, the man stopped and began to gather his qi, his muscles bulging as he prepared for a devastating attack. Lukas, sensing the danger, quickly jumped back, narrowly avoiding the shockwave that erupted from the man's body. The force of the blast shook the arena, causing the ground to tremble and dust to rise up from the ground.

Undeterred, Lukas charged forward, his fists glowing with a brilliant light as he unleashed a flurry of punches on his opponent. The man tried to block the attacks, but each punch landed with a fierce impact, causing him to stagger backwards.

As the fight continued, Daemon could see the toll it was taking on Lukas. His breathing was becoming labored, and his movements were becoming slower. But he continued to fight on, determined to emerge victorious.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Lukas landed a decisive blow, sending his opponent flying off the stage and into the wall behind it. The audience erupted into cheers as Lukas was declared the winner of the match. Daemon breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that his friend had emerged victorious from such a difficult fight.

After celebrating, the trio decided to head back to their instructors as they wouldn't be fighting for a couple more days until the first round had concluded. As they neared the instructors they split and headed to there specific teachers.

Meeting up with instructor Lyra,Daemon walked beside Instructor Lyra, as she led him to an open space outside of the arena. His thoughts are still buzzing with the thrill of the previous fight. He couldn't believe he had won so easily. It seemed like his breakthrough had given him an enormous boost in strength.

Lyra turned to him, a small smile on her face. "Congratulations on your victory, Daemon. You fought very well. But don't let it get to your head. The next round will be tougher, and you can't afford to let your guard down."

Daemon nodded, taking her words to heart. "I understand. What can I do to prepare for the next round?"

Lyra gestured towards the open space they had arrived at. "Let's start with some sparring. I want to see how you handle yourself against someone with a different fighting style than your last opponent."

Daemon nodded, stretching his muscles as Lyra summoned an opponent. The opponent was a tall, muscular man with a fierce expression.

"Begin!" Lyra shouted.

Daemon sprang into action, launching a series of quick jabs and kicks at his opponent. But the man was quick, dodging and weaving around Daemon's attacks.

"You're too predictable," Lyra shouted. "Mix up your attacks and catch him off guard!"

Daemon nodded, taking a step back to assess the situation. He watched his opponent carefully, studying his movements and trying to find a weakness.

Suddenly, he saw an opening. The man had overextended himself, leaving himself open to a counterattack. Daemon didn't hesitate, launching a powerful kick that sent the man sprawling to the ground.

Lyra smiled, nodding in approval. "Good job, Daemon. You're starting to think like a true fighter. Keep up the good work, and I'm sure you'll make it to the finals."

Daemon thanked her, feeling a newfound sense of confidence. He was ready for whatever the next round would bring.