The reason Tommy could fight this long despite his damages became known only on the third day.

Nearly half of the barbarians in the promotion trial are out of the fight by then, but they pressed Tommy to the edge with their persistence, until a ferocious roar erupted from his throat in the middle of heated combat.

As Tommy’s injuries were reaching a breaking point a slumbering power stirred for the first time in years, drawn out by a desperate need for healing.

A fearsome energy followed closely by a staggering amount of pain flooded into his meridians. This energy is filled with vibrant life but compact and powerful, it is wild like a thrashing serpent in his veins.

The power has a unique signature that is unforgettable for any cultivator that touched it before, a pure unaltered life energy.

Those that consumed an Yggdrasil fruit will know of it intimately and the overwhelming benefits it brought.

The fearsome life energy contained in the fruit of the tree of life is a significant boost for cultivation, but it’s most important feature is its ability to alter the body by improving cultivating talents thought to be inherent.

Of course, such earth-shaking effects only takes place the first time that the fruit is consumed. The second round onwards will only provide the user with life energy but no one is so extravagant as to use an Yggdrasil fruit for such purpose.

Unfortunately for Kairos and his gang, after consuming the fruit the life energy it immediately became dormant after strengthening their foundation. The reason is because only after breaking down the old could something be rebuilt.

That’s why, for Kairos who had gone closer to death than any of his friends, he had gained the most at the earliest and his cultivation speed was as fast as any of them despite having lesser cultivating talent at the start.

To reawaken the life energy of the Yggdrasil sleeping in him, Tommy had been fighting with such serious wounds.

He felt a violent throb from his body, a sign he had been looking forward, and a euphoric feeling started bursting in his heart.

The Peak S cultivation that he had been suppressing for so long had finally been forced open, pushing him towards entry SS.

At the same time, his Xuan Grade Titan physique also shown signs of significant improvement, drawing him into the next level, Earth Grade.

Although they will gain much from stacking up their Ki before entering the next tier, it must be done with moderation. If the gates to the next rank shows signs of cracking, it will be better to break through and right now it has happened for him.

“Finally! I’ve long awaited this,” Tommy bellowed in triumph.

A look of great joy appeared on his face as his eyes flashed with battle lust. The power of the Yggdrasil’s life force instantly renewed his strength and blew away his mental fatigue at one go.

The Yggdrasil’s energy wasn’t the only thing drawn out by Tommy’s horrible injuries. As it had just resurfaced, it obviously wasn’t what sustained him throughout the long and intense battles when even a healthy person would’ve been worn out.

All these while within his body, there are incredible changes happening. As he receive injuries, his Dharma Constitution worked overtime to heal and adapt to the damage.

Little by little, each cut and bruise made him tougher.

The wonder of his constitution lies at its ability to identify what is a threat and tries to nullify it so that in the future that same danger will be rendered impotent.

It includes more than physical hurt - elemental attacks, mental assaults, and even poisons could be made powerless against him.

His body will recognise any lack and remedy it.

If Tommy faces a certain form of attack frequently enough, after enough time to adapt, he would’ve develop enough resistance to completely ignore it in the future.

If he was cut, his flesh will toughen. If he was scoured by flames, his body will learn to regulate temperatures until he become unburnable.

Of course, the damage he could resist depends on the level of attack he faced. If he meets something stronger, he will still be wounded, but given enough time, it will make Tommy into a true monster on the battlefield.

However, the Dharma Constitution is not exactly miraculous.

How many times he needs to be cut before he could become impervious is largely in the air. At least Tommy knows that after all the injuries he suffered from battling without stop for the past three days, he is still far from becoming impenetrable.

“Just ten percent tougher and things will get harder from now. Well, I guess I’ll take it.”

The barbarians who heard what Tommy said felt like crying. He is already at Titan physical rank and even a marginal increase in defence would make him a thing of nightmares but this is a whole ten percent.

Furthermore, it is before considering the physical power he gained after reaching Earth Grade.

He is over fifty percent stronger from his breakthrough, and stacking with the ten percent from his Dharma Constitution, there is an overall increase of sixty-five percent in his defences.

Needless to say, the tides of battle turned the moment Tommy rejuvenated. The leftover barbarians will fall sooner or later if nothing special occurs.

The Snowdrifts were all smiles seeing the hard-fought victory arrive. Once the promotion trial concludes properly, they will gain an army over a hundred thousand.

Many of the participants already put their arms down. They are observing the situation while confirming how many likeminded people are in the group.

After all, there might be someone who could still defeat Tommy.

However, more of them are secretly panning for defeat.

The reason they wanted him to win isn’t to survive. No matter which of the five tribes they are from their culture places importance on having an ‘honourable death’.

The moment the step foot on the battlefield, as soldiers, they already consider their lives forfeit.

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The reason many of them resigned themselves to defeat is out of heartfelt respect for Tommy and wished to follow after him

Of course, there are still many that charged at Tommy.

Some that had not realised that the battle is lost, and others believed that losing with a fight is shameful.

The fight carried on, but more and more started joining those watching.

Very quickly only less than five thousand are still facing Tommy and by nightfall the promotion trial should be concluded.

At this time, one of the fighters who had been quietly watching appeared right next to Tommy and shocked everyone.

Tommy jumped back two steps and looked warily at this new challenger.

Covered from head to toe in plain white fur coat, it is hard to tell his appearance except that he was a very tall and robust man with a frightening amount of fighting spirit.

“I did not plan to participate at first,” he mumbled quietly like the whispers of winter, “But, you are now strong enough.”

“My hand itches for a fight.”

“My blood burns for battle.”

“Tommy Styrkur, you will be a worthy opponent.”

A terrifying bloodlust rolled out from him, chilling everyone in his presence.

The barbarians looked at him as though he wasn’t one of their member. They couldn’t recognise such a person in their midst, meaning that he must’ve hid himself since the Frosthral and Saint Empire frontlines clashed.

“A Triple S ranker?” Tommy asked. He noticed a weapon slung behind the man’s back, and could feel that this person is powerful. Not yet at Syriong’s level but close.

“Inner Cultivation ranking? No, I am an External Practitioner at the Heaven Titan stage,” he said with a smile.

There are twenty seven stages of inner cultivation and twelve stages of external cultivation, Heaven Titan physique is the physical equivalent to SSS rank.

“Who are you?”

“I am the one who seeks the strong.”

“And your name?” Tommy said with a frown on his brows.

“Name, is that important?” he tilted his head without understanding however replied, “I am known by those who fought me as Red Blade.”

*Hiss*

Frosthral and Saint Empire troops alike, everyone sucked in a lungful of cold breath when they heard his name.

This is one of the youngest practitioner to reach the pseudo immortal level, and although his cultivation is weaker than Syriong and other Triple S rankers, his genius allowed him to challenge those stronger than him.

But talent is relative.

At F rank, those considered prodigies could challenge five to ten minor stages above because of how varied and assorted are their peers.

But consider those at Triple S ranking who were all prodigies to have climbed to this tier, their level of talent had become the benchmark for their cultivation level.

Therefore, to still be called a genius at the final threshold before the immortal ranks is a rarity.

Moreover, there are fewer External Cultivators making their practitioners more famously known.

“Will you follow after me if I win?”

The Red Blade nodded, “Such is our tradition.”

“Then let’s start.”

“Shall we?”

The man attacked immediately, with a single step he is already before Tommy cleaving downwards with a large red weapon.

Tommy dodge swiftly, flickering as his image disappeared, leaving only a black line in his wake.

The Frosthral warriors gasped at the sight. After all, this is the first time Tommy had used his full speed.

Red Blade’s figure suddenly disappeared in mid-strike as a red line chased after him.

Unfortunately, speed isn’t Tommy’s forte, and even with the Lightning Flicker Body he couldn’t safely disengage but at the same time the Red Blade couldn’t catch up.

His opponent sent out violent slashes with his oversized weapon at an unbelievable speed. However, every hit missed as Tommy steered right angle whenever an attack came.

“This man is a Blade Master!”

Just like Sword Slave and Swordy, he could tell that every strike was further than the eye could see. There was blade intent in the air, and they are far more ferocious than the sword counterpart.

The blade focused on power while the sword had both speed and versatility. Tommy dare not be hit, but the choice was not up to him.

After Red Blade missed a few times, he finally found a chance and attacked swiftly with a martial technique.

“Wind Slash!”

A grim look flashed across Tommy’s eyes as he felt a razor-sharp gale swept over horizontally. Twisting his body in an acrobatic manner, he jumped past the dangerous swipe, but before he could land, another attack came.

“Vorpal Cutter!”

A near instantaneous downward slash smashed into Tommy’s hastily thrown up arms and flung him backwards.

Fresh blood spurted out from his forearms as the heavy slash sliced apart his armguards and injured him.

He fell into a heap by the impact and struggled with the pain, but as a veteran in life-and-death situations he recovered in less than a breath. However, that split second delay was all that was needed for the Red Blade to catch up with another assault.

He jumped into the air and spun down at Tommy with his naked blade.

“Cyclone Burst!”

A ferocious roar of wind deafened everyone as chaotic gusts blasted outwards from where Tommy had fallen.

The gales flew out in all directions, exploding in sonic snaps and minced even the frozen ground into sand.

Tommy who was directly below the assault, shielded himself with the Eternal Empyrean technique, but a mouthful of blood still raced up his throat.

The impacts were tremendous, enough to cause an aftershock powerful enough to send the onlookers back a hundred metres from the two.

The Cyclone Burst technique was a purely physical attack made with countless strikes at erratic angles, and despite its rapidness, it lasted a couple of breaths.

However, even a second felt like eternity for Tommy… until, he realised his precious armguards were broken.

“You… You destroyed Snow’s armguards! You will pay for that!”

“Formless Style: Defensive Stance – Greater Parry!”

In unchained fury, he aimed at the violent winds and struck the parts where they gather. With his Soul Perception, his fists precisely pierced through the invisible attacks and dispersed them before they explode.

Over a dozen strikes went out in a single breath, each causing the air to crackle loudly.

Tommy looked at the Red Blade who had retreated slightly after using such an exhausting attack, then he smiled fiercely as he retaliated.

“Formless Style, crushing the mountains, striking the moon!”

He charged forward like a cannonball while the ground quaked by his steps.

A single fist like a landing lightning bolt fell upon his victim’s head. It smashed Red Blade headfirst into the ground like a ragged doll with his legs still in the air.

But before he could land, another strike came viciously at his spine.

The attack was a two-hit strike and the second one was far more dangerous than the first.

*PANG PANG*

In an unreasonable speed, Red Blade deflected both strikes with his weapon and was hurled a hundred paces away by the raw power but otherwise unharmed.

He had defended both his head and spine in the nick of time, but he recognised succeeded only because of his Heaven Titan physique.

If he had been an internal cultivator, the first punch would’ve broken past his grip and turned his head into a smashed tomato.

Red Blade nodded at Tommy with respect, then raised his blade in preparation for the next incoming attack.

He is a man of few words, but could tell the type of person that crossed blades with him, and as expected, Tommy is already in the midst of a charge.

“Aetnaeus, lend me your strength! Metal Art: Rail Cannon!”

His broken armguards shot forward at speeds that nearly broke physics and instantly caused Red Blade to discard the notion to guard with his weapon and jumped to the side.

His body was covered with blade-like Ki needles as a fearsome clump of metal hurtled into him. He spun in the air as blood spluttered from his mouth.

Landing in an unseemly manner, the blade master was sprawled out on the ground.

It took him a while to snap out of the shock his body felt and he steadily lifted himself to his feet; the attack was powerful, but far from enough to send him out of commission.

It was the strongest attack yet, and even the onlookers that was standing behind the Red Blade flew away because of the Rail Cannon. Fortunately, they are all external practitioners and not so easily killed.

The Frosthral troops finally saw the assortment of techniques of the one taking the promotion trial and their respect for Tommy raised up another bar.

However, if the Red Blade defeated him, then all will be for naught, and they will revert back to be enemies.

Somehow, their hearts pounded in their chests as they secretly rooted for Tommy.

Tommy did not attack recklessly. He stood across Red Blade motionlessly.

Something felt out of place, a feeling that he had overlooked something important.

“Tenfold Vorpal Cutter!”

His thoughts were scattered as Red Blade sent him his fastest attack so far. Ten almost simultaneous frontal strikes came at him and he decisively dove to the side.

The attacks tailed him, exploding at the places he was at moments ago.

The blade master is indeed one of the most destructive fighting style. In a little while, great rifts opened up in a line as Tommy fled. He had avoided all but the last strike that gently brushed against him.

Yet, it was enough to send him flying backwards.

His body sailed helplessly across the broken battlefield under everyone’s gaze, until he bumped into something and a frightening scream erupted as his throat.

Lingering in the air was a phantom attack trying to cleave him in two.