The girl rushed forward to engage Zack in hand-to-hand combat, just as he had anticipated. As a dual cultivator proficient in both spiritual and body techniques, Zack was not afraid to face a demon in close quarters.

Their initial exchanges were fairly evenly matched, neither able to gain a clear advantage as they traded blows. Zack utilized his quick footwork and agility to avoid the girl's vicious strikes, while looking for openings to counterattack.

"Not bad, little bat," Zack quipped, deflecting a palm aimed at his chest. "But you'll have to try harder than that!"

The pale-skinned girl said nothing in response, her expression remaining cold and blank.

Suddenly, her next palm strike was wreathed in coils of sinister looking black qi. Zack's eyes narrowed as he barely sidestepped the attack, the corrosive miasma leaving a hissing trail along his sleeve. He countered with a Thunderclap Palm aimed at her shoulder, but the girl nimbly darted backwards, avoiding the blow.

Zack eyed the death qi coming off her palm with a frown. Getting hit by that would be bad news. He felt a phantom pain spike in his shoulder at the thought.

Unlike the other Black Death disciples who had refrained from openly using their spiritual techniques during the tournament, this girl clearly had exceptional control over her qi, enabling her to utilize spiritual techniques without fully revealing her identity as a demon.

Zack had already suspected as much from their brief clash during the first stage of the tournament. It seemed this vampire bat was not merely here to compete, but to kill specific targets - with him being at the top of her list.

As for why that was, he still had no clue.

Caitlyn suddenly launched a long-range death qi attack, firing a spear of swirling miasma straight at Zack's heart.

"Whoa, easy there!" He yelped, lightning wings bursting from his back as he took to the air, narrowly avoiding the strike. The death spear dissolved a chunk of arena floor where it landed.

Zack appeared behind the girl in a flash, palm cocked back. "Thunderclap Palm!"

She spun around, meeting his attack with a death qi palm of her own. Their qi collided in an explosion of lightning and miasma, both combatants skidding backwards from the force.

Okay, time to kick things up a notch! Zack thought.

"Dragon Roar of the Thunderous Sky!"

Soundwaves and lightning bolts surged towards the death cultivator. She crossed her arms, black qi coalescing to form a shield that managed to blunt the force of the technique. Still, the attack clearly staggered her.

Not wasting the opening, Zack instantly flickered behind the girl in a flash of golden light.

"Sunrise Slash!"

His sword carved a blazing trail aimed at her back. Sensing the danger, the girl spun around, grabbing a hold of the sword with a claw of death qi.

"Aww man, I liked that sword!" Zack clicked his tongue as the corrosive energy began eating away at his weapon. Before it could spread, he released his grip, allowing the dissolved sword to fall to the ground with a metallic clang.

That had been a little too close for comfort. He couldn't afford to take many direct hits from those death claws.

The Black Death disciple pressed her advantage, unleashing several more ranged death attacks that forced Zack on the defensive. He zipped around the arena using his lightning movement techniques, but the miasma barrage was relentless.

Then with a cold smirk, the girl made a pulling motion with her hands, condensing and shaping the scattered death qi into an enormous, black spectral dragon. It hovered above her, jaws gaping wide as it prepared to swallow Zack whole.

"Oh shi-" was all Zack had time to utter before the monstrosity pounced.

The death dragon struck the arena with earth-shaking force, blooming into an enormous cloud of swirling miasma that obscured everything from view.

The audience members murmured nervously, wondering about the battle's outcome. Had that devastating attack landed on Zack? If so, then he was certainly dead.

Up in the stands, the elders were not so easily fooled. Their spiritual sense pierced the veil of death qi with ease.

"Hmph. That's the end of that match," Supreme Elder Astrid scoffed.

“I didn’t expect a Foundation Establishment cultivator to have such a trump card,” Zofia’s eyes narrowed at Slifer.

“A technique at the Nascent Soul Realm..” Leontius sighed, glancing between Vowron and Slifer's impassive faces.

When the death cloud settled, Zack was nowhere to be seen. Caitlyn nodded in satisfaction. The annoying gnat was finally dead. His arrogance had left him completely unprepared for the full power of her techniques. After all, it was rare for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to attack with the power of the Peak Core Formation Realm!

Suddenly, the girl froze. A subtle sound behind her was the only warning before her head detached cleanly from her shoulders, bouncing along the ground with hollow thuds.

Behind her headless body stood Zack, wearing a smoky grey armour and holding a black greatsword. His eyes were hard and cold.

"You shouldn't have underestimated me," he whispered as the Nascent Soul armour dissipated.

For a brief moment, the arena was dead silent. Then cheers erupted from the Black Rose disciples, celebrating their sect brother's victory.

"The winner is Zack of the Black Rose Sect!" Elder Fred roared over the crowd.

Zack's shoulders relaxed slightly as he flicked blood from his blade. Glancing up at the Supreme Elder's booth, he exchanged a brief look with the Main Body.

During the first stage of the tournament, he had played things cautiously to avoid being ganged up on. But for these one-on-one battles, he knew he had to eliminate any serious threats.

The special interest towards him and the Main Body from the girl and her companion had been obvious. They needed to be dealt with, so he had decided to fool around to lower their guard. It usually worked for those protagonists, so he figured it’d work for him too.

And that it did!

Still, as he shook his head and gave a wry smile, Zack had to admit he enjoyed playing the obnoxious, goofy protagonist a bit more than he should have.

As the Black Rose Sect members rushed forward to remove the corpse from the arena, Vowron made a subtle motion with his hand. Caitlyn's lifeless body and severed head silently flew through the air into his outstretched palm before being stored away into his storage ring.

The other elders gave him bemused looks at this action, but he offered no explanation.

Turning to Slifer, Vowron stated. "That death was unnecessary, Elder Slifer."

Before Slifer could respond, Zofia intervened with a scoff. "You had no issues when disciples of other sects were killed during this tournament." She gave Vowron a pointed stare. "Why the concern now, I wonder?"

Vowron's eyes narrowed slightly but he did not bother to respond.

Ding!

Your Avatar Zack Won His Battle!

Reward: 350 Karmic Credits

Slifer continued to stare at his avatar. He had instructed Zack to finish her, though it had hardly required much convincing.

With the Black Death Sect's suspicious activities, it seemed wise to get rid of any dangerous elements among their members when the opportunity presented itself. Even if she was only a Foundation Establishment, it never hurt to be too careful in the world of cultivation.

If only we could have interrogated her but knowing these types of people, we wouldn’t get anything out of it. Maybe I should buy a soul-searching technique, even if it is demonic, it’d be worth it…

"The final match of the Intersect Tournament," Elder Fred announced. "Amelia of the Black Rose Sect versus Ironius of the Black Death Sect! Competitors, take your positions!"

The two disciples stepped into the arena, sizing each other up. Amelia gave her opponent a predatory smile, licking her lips. Ironius stared back impassively.

"Begin!" Fred shouted.

Amelia inclined her head in an exaggerated mocking bow. "I hope you'll prove more entertaining than that worm I just disposed of."

Ironius said nothing, settling into a combat stance.

With a smirk, Amelia brought out her black dagger. "Not much of a talker? Doesn’t matter, it’s the quiet ones that squeal the most."

She dashed forward, feinting high before sweeping the dagger at Ironius's midsection. He reacted instantly, pivoting on one foot as her blade narrowly grazed his robes. Not sparing a moment, his leg snapped out in a brutal roundhouse kick.

Amelia flipped backwards, the heel of his boot missing her chin by inches. Ironius pressed the attack, closing the gap with a flurry of palms strikes.

Light on her feet, Amelia ducked and wove between the blows. She caught his wrist as it shot past her shoulder, angling the dagger for his neck. But quicker than she could react, his other hand came up, grabbing her elbow and stopping her strike cold.

"Tch." Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Amelia dissolved into a wisp of purple smoke, reappearing a few feet away.

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Slifer sighed softly from his seat in the stands. This match-up did not bode well for his disciple. Styles made fights after all, and Ironius was the worst possible opponent for a soul cultivator like Amelia.

As a demon, Ironius possessed far greater natural soul strength compared to a human at the same cultivation level. Not to mention his mastery of physical techniques and powerful physique. Trying to overcome such advantages with her soul attacks alone would be an uphill battle.

Still, he had faith that Amelia could pull through. She was a pseudo-protagonist, even if her sadistic tendencies could be rather...troublesome at times.

Down below, Amelia circled her opponent slowly. "Not bad. But let's see how you handle this!"

With a pulse of her qi, purple wings unfurled from her back. Ironius narrowed his eyes, dropping into a lower stance.

In a blur, Amelia shot forward, afterimages trailing behind her. She zigzagged around Ironius, dagger striking out from all angles too fast to properly track.

But somehow, the Black Death disciple managed to counter every blow. Swaying and twisting his body like a reed in the wind, Ironius avoided or deflected each strike.

Amelia's smirk slipped. Flitting backwards, she dragged her tongue along the dagger. "Soul Shockwave!"

Rippling waves of violet qi cascaded off the blade, barrelling towards Ironius. Crossing his arms, he weathered the direct hit. The soul attack forced him back a step, but otherwise left him unharmed.

"What?" Amelia stared, dumbfounded. That was one of her strongest techniques! How could this nobody endure it so easily? Just what was his soul made of?

Just as I expected, a direct soul attack had failed to significantly harm the demon, Slifer shook his head. This just might be the first loss for one of his disciples…

Wasting no time, Ironius shot forward like an arrow. Amelia barely raised her dagger in time to parry a hook punch aimed at her head. The force still sent her skidding backwards.

With a surge of desperation, Amelia melted into smoke once more. She reappeared above Ironius, condensing qi into her palms.

"Twin Soul Lances!"

A brace of glowing purple spears flew from her hands. But Ironius displayed uncanny reflexes, twisting and swaying impossibly to avoid both projectiles.

Capitalizing on her distraction, Ironius lunged upwards and seized Amelia's ankle before she could flee. Whipping her down viciously, he drove her into the earth like a sledgehammer.

The impact knocked the wind from Amelia's lungs, leaving her stunned. Ironius pressed his advantage, stomping a heel down towards her face. At the last second, she regained her senses and rolled away. The blow gouged a hole in the arena floor where her head had just been.

Stumbling to her feet, Amelia backed away hastily. This guy was reading all her moves and manhandling her like she was an amateur!

"Don't get cocky just yet,” Amelia gnashed her teeth angrily. “I'm just getting started!"

Her beautiful features began morphing, skin paling as she activated her Ghoul Transformation. Smoky wings extended from her back once more, except this time lined with sharp spikes. Her speed and power doubled instantly.

Ironius narrowed his eyes, widening his stance.

Like a violet comet, Amelia shot straight for his chest. But at the last second, she dissolved into smoke, reforming poised at his back for a sneak attack.

"Too slow!" She hissed as she struck with her claws.

Spinning rapidly to avoid the blow, Ironius lashed out with a back kick, his heel catching Amelia right in the stomach.

All the air expelled from her lungs at once. The arena tiles cracked under her as she was driven into the ground like a nail.

Before she could rise, Ironius's foot came down hard on her back, pinning her. He grabbed one of her wings, ignoring the spikes digging into his palm. Slowly he began twisting it at an unnatural angle.

Amelia bit her tongue holding back a scream as the joints in her wing wrenched and popped. Thrashing violently, she tried to dissolve into smoke to escape, but Ironius just applied more pressure.

Up in the stands, Slifer rubbed his chin as he observed Amelia getting utterly demolished down below.

"Hmm...this one-sided thrashing is a bit unfortunate," Vowron murmured. "But your disciple does tend to play with her food. I suppose turnabout is fair play."

The Black Death Sect Master wore a faint, satisfied smile as he watched the battle unfold. One of Slifer's pets had just arrogantly slain his disciple, Caityln. Now it was only right that he repays the humiliation.

"Savage creatures," Zofia muttered. "This is the true face of demonic cultivators on full display. No restraint or honour, only mindless brutality."

Beside her, Leontius frowned. "It does seem...excessive," he said carefully. "The match is clearly decided, there's no need to drag it out like this..."

Slifer stayed silent, though a muscle ticked in his jaw. Amelia liked dealing out pain, but how much could she take herself? This was the perfect test of character for her. Either she would break, or she would find a way to overcome. Still, he tensed, ready to intervene if things went too far.

Just when it seemed the wing joint would pop, a desperate idea flashed through Amelia's mind. Focusing inward, she recalled all the spiritual energy bringing her wing back into her core.

The sudden loss of reinforcement caused the wing to dissipate into smoke, allowing her to slip free from Ironius's grip. She immediately scrambled away.

Panting harshly, Amelia eyed Ironius with apprehension. She really didn’t know what to do next, never before had she been so thoroughly dominated.

Scowling, she poured all of her remaining qi into her dagger. The blade released a purple glow.

"I'll crush you!" she screamed, charging recklessly. Every scrap of speed she could muster went into this final attack.

But Ironius evaded it almost casually before countering with a devastating combo. A knee to the gut doubled Amelia over. An elbow to the back of the neck sent her sprawling face down.

Before she could rise, Ironius's foot slammed down on the back of her skull, grinding her cheek into the ground.

Amelia thrashed and scratched at the ground, but she was pinned helplessly. Ironius stared down at her coldly, as if contemplating how to end this.

Up in the stands, Slifer nodded to himself. This was definitely a harsh lesson for Amelia but a necessary one. She would emerge stronger for it. What didn't kill you made you stronger, after all! Or severely maimed you. Either way, character development!

He glanced over at the other Black Rose disciples. Caelum watched impassively, though a glint of understanding showed in his eyes. As Amelia's senior brother, he had long been forced to tolerate her cruel games. This was overdue karma.

Hughie gripped the railing in anger, his body trembling. Every fibre of his being wanted to leap down there and beat Ironius to a bloody pulp for daring to harm his Junior Sister!

These protagonists need to have better self-control, Slifer made a mental note to have a chat later about anger issues.

Dentos shook his head at the gruesome scene. Efficient battling was the way. No point in dragging things out.

Fenlock simply looked sickened as he watched Amelia being thrashed so brutally. Though no fan of senseless violence himself, he knew the world of cultivation was often cruel. Still, this seemed excessive.

That’s enough for now, anymore and this guy might really kill her, Slifer thought as Ironius picked Amelia up by the neck, his hands slowly tightened their grip...

Ding!

Alert! Your Disciple Amelia Is In Mortal Danger

Save Her

Reward: 1000 Karmic Credits

Failure: Death Of A Disciple

To think I got more credits for her losing…

A subtle motion from Slifer drew Elder Fred's attention. The elder's own eyes widened in understanding.

"The match is over, victory to Ironius of the Black Death Sect!" He announced hurriedly before Ironius could continue.

Disappointment flashed briefly in Vowron's eyes. He was surprised that a demonic cultivator that had reached the Ascendant Realm would intervene to save a disciple’s life…how strange. No matter. The humiliation dealt today was enough.

With some reluctance, the Black Death disciple released Amelia and stepped back.

Amelia crawled to her feet, features returned to normal but no less ugly for the hate and humiliation twisting them.

"This…this isn't over..." she hissed before limping off stage.

Ironius watched her walk off before making his own exit. The blank mask never slipped from his face. Throughout the battle, he had never said a word. After all, his words were wasted on lower beings.

Throughout the spectator stands, discussions were still ongoing regarding the shocking fight. But soon enough, Elder Fred descended to the arena once more.

“This is the end of the Intersect Tournament!” He announced. “Will the winners of both divisions come onto the stage…”