Jin and Min-Su each stood on one platform while the numerous cultivators rushed to the registration office. It turned out that going up on stage wasn't free. They had to pay a small sum of ten golds. Ten golds weren't much to them and, even if you took into account that they would need to pay it ten times in order to accumulate the required ten wins...Well, it was still worth it. It was a technique for a hundred golds. One had to remember that the usual price of a single weakest grade technique was already a thousand gold and a hundred pills. This was a steal.
What's more, it wouldn't be difficult to earn it. Beating these two youths ten times? Easy! They had to restrain their cultivation to the same level? So what! Their techniques were beyond the comprehension of those two kids. They could even use elements if they so desired. What did they have to fear? Loss? Impossible!
As such, the registration was being assaulted by thousands of cultivators screaming at the employees to take their money...
Meanwhile, on top of the platform, Jin was observing the man in front of him. It was Song-Min. A man as strong as Hae-Hyuk. As soon as Hae-Hyuk left the ring, he came up. Song-Min looked at Jin and told him: "From today on, I will be your first opponent every day. It is quite the rare opportunity to milk Hae-Hyuk dry after all"
Jin took a stance with his new spear pointed straight towards the man.
Song-Min did not go to the registration and didn't pay ten golds either. But, being honest, who would dare ask him to? No one! As such, he could do whatever he pleased. And what he wanted was to earn some techniques for his clan from Hae-Hyuk. That guy was nicknamed the 'Martial Encyclopedia' for a reason. And since he said he would give out techniques as long as people 'trained' with his disciples...Even a man like him had to do his best for his clan. Pride? Honor? They weren't worth much in front of new techniques that could help his entire clan grow further.
As she saw him come up on stage, Hye-Ja laughed lightly before jumping on the other stage in front of Min-Su. He had heard of her though it was his first time seeing her. He swallowed his saliva as he witnessed the might of gravity on the twin peaks. Hye-Ja obviously noticed that his gaze wasn't at eye level but she didn't mind it. This was a youngling who didn't know better. She would give him a little lesson soon enough.
She said: "Since brother Song-Min picked the other, you will be mine~"
Min-Su's gaze had never left the great mountains even as he answered her while nodding: "I'd love that"
She became a little angry as he kept doing it though. She was a respected ancestor and had been a respected cultivator for eons... Since when had someone looked at her with such a lecherous gaze? She coldly told him to draw his weapon, efficiently bringing him back to reality. He took out a magnificent grade 5 sword from his spatial ring. It was entirely silver with many teeth-like incursions all over it. It was a treasured blade of the Ryu clan called the 'Razor Edge of Distortion' with obvious inclinations towards the space element. Not like Min-Su could use elements yet...
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He had been given said sword by the Patriarch himself as a gift for breaking through. To him, it felt like a gift that came from the heart and made him feel better about his clan. Not to the point he would forget the betrayal and fall back in love with it but, it made him feel like it wasn't all disgusting. Of course, he didn't know that Hae-Hyuk had spoken with the Patriarch a few days before about how it was a shame that he didn't have a weapon worth being called such...
A gift from his heart? As if! The Patriarch could still feel the pain as he saw this kid brandishing his treasured weapon on the stage...
Anyways, this was their first fight on the arena and they were both facing incredible masters from the start. They remained focused as they prepared themselves. But nothing happened.
Song-Min looked at Jin and told him: "Did you think I, your great ancestor, would make the first move? Come along, kid, show us what you got"
Jin wasn't taunted. He couldn't care less about face. That being said, since his opponent gave him the first move, he would take it. Just because his techniques involved counter-attacking didn't mean he couldn't attack first. After activating his secret eye technique, he propelled himself straight forward while using the spiritual energy to accelerate, making it flow through different parts of his body as he moved, a proof of his diligent training in Fine Tuning.
He arrived in front of Song-Min in seconds, spear straight, aiming for the heart. Of course, Song-Min wouldn't be hit by such a thing. He infused some spiritual energy and side-stepped then extended his hand forward. Using his momentum and more spiritual energy, Jin changed direction to the side, trying to dodge the arm. But he didn't expect to be followed perfectly by the opponent. The hand extended and grabbed his shoulder.
He could see the spiritual energy moving through the man's body. It was near-instantaneous. The energy went from the shoulder to the hand and collided with his own shoulder. Then, it exploded and span upon itself as it kept exploding. He screamed in pain as his entire shoulder exploded and he lost an arm.
Song-Min retreated after kicking him once, powerfully sending him out of the arena. Then, he went to pick the arm he had taken out and threw it outside the arena as well. After that, he jumped down the arena and walked towards Hae-Hyuk. He grinned as he told him: "With this kind of ability, they won't make it. They might even die here"
Hae-Hyuk simply smiled without retorting. His eyes were fixed on Jin. He had gotten up, picked his arm with the one still attached and went to the infirmary area while wincing from the horrible pain. He tried to. Cultivators from the Ryu family hurried to come support him and helped him go there as he passed out after a few steps. A pill and some techniques from the cultivators over there in charge of healing and he went back up on the arena with his body in perfect shape and health, as if nothing had happened. He was ready for the next opponent.
Hae-Hyuk only looked at Song-Min after that and told him: "Don't underestimate their potential, old friend"