Junai and Azreal, standing ten feet apart, sizing each other up and searching for a weakness or misstep to abuse. The crowd of disciples and Elders has become deafening, cheering, jeering and screaming. But Junai and Azreal are so focused on their death match that they cannot hear anything but the heavy breathing of their mortal enemy. All of the outer disciples are amazed by the sword skills of Junai and Azreal, left wondering if it was them, would they be able to put up this kind of fight? The more Senior Disciples and Elders are silent, each of them well aware that this is the moment the duel really begins. Fatigue and pain, who has the experience to push through and ignore these aspects, Junai or Azreal? The answer to this question will determine the outcome of this life and death duel.
The duelling platform stands amidst a sea of disciples, the mountain breeze carrying the scent of anticipation and the metallic tang of blood. The sun beats down mercilessly, casting harsh shadows across the faces of the onlookers, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of fear and excitement.
As Junai lunges forward, his sword aiming to pierce Azreal side steps, countering with a swift, upward sweep of his blade that aims to disarm his opponent. Junai deflects the strike as anger has become ingrained on his face. Junai's expression further contorts with frustration as his usual swift, snake-like strikes are continuously parried and deflected by Azreal, whose calm demeanour begins to slip as his Venomous Qi is not taking effect.
Junai recoils as his strikes are deflected, his expression twisting into a snarl, as he executes a skill taught only to high-ranking members of the Crimson Sword Pavilion, 'Crimson Serpentine Strike'. Junai's sword, dripping with Venomous Qi, engulfs in earthly green flame. Junai's posture changes to one of a snake ready to devour its prey; he launches forward with a sick smile as his sword slithers towards Azreal with deadly accuracy.
Azreal thought to himself, This is more than just technique; it’s a battle of wills. As Junai's blade arced toward him, enveloped in that sinister green flame, Azreal's own resolve flared brighter within him. With a fierce yell, Azreal advances to match Junai's Crimson Serpentine Strike, his sword aligned with his fierce determination, meeting Junai's Crimson Serpentine strike with a powerful storm-infused slash. The two strikes collide with a burst of Qi, visibly clashing and holding for a tense moment before the force of each strike sends them reeling back several metres, causing Azreal and Junai to break their onslaughts and put some distance between each other.
Azreal stands across from Junai and notices that the Qi within his opponent's body has begun to run wild, a far cry from the paralysing effect he was aiming for. Is my Venom Qi being absorbed and utilised to empower him? Azreal can only come to this conclusion, as his knowledge of cultivation and Qi is limited to his conversation with Xiara and his Master Juhee. Deactivating Tempest Venom Blade, Azreal, who converted only a sliver of his Qi into Void Qi, channels the tiny drop of Void Qi while activating Stormblade Surge's second form, "Lightning Infusion!" he screams. Where there were once tiny Lightning crackles around him, they are replaced by small strikes of Lightning hitting the ground around him and causing the air to be filled with static.
The air pressure surrounding the duelling platform drops immediately, unprepared onlookers finding themselves shivering at the cold, the static causing the hair on their arms to stand up. Azreal, leaning forward, charges towards Junai, his body morphing with the lightning, increasing his speed to double his previously displayed max speed.
Everyone watching, including his Master Juhee's eyes, goes wide. Azreal's speed is beyond what a Martial Adept should be able to exert and far beyond the second form of the Stormblade Surge technique she had given him. Junai, unable to react at all, feels a cold, sharp pain shoot through his stomach. He looks to where Azreal was supposed to be and can't find him. Confused as to what happened, he looks down towards the pain and sees Azreal's hand on the hilt of his sword, Calista, with the sword's crossguard firmly pressed against his stomach.
Junai wonders to himself, Where did the rest of Azreal's sword go?
The disciples cheer and the Elders look on in slight disbelief; the Great Elder Nilxan's legacy is being destroyed in front of their eyes. The man they all feared has his legacy crushed by a child none of them knew. Word of Azreal spreads between the Elders of the Heavenly Root Sect, each informing their underlings to gather information on the young man standing before them.
Azreal, unable to understand why his abilities have increased so much, has only added the tiniest manner of Void Qi into his Lightning Qi, yet it has caused an explosive increase in power. Before Azreal can understand what happened, he runs his sword through Junai's stomach until the hilt. No wonder the system told me to keep this a secret; look at the fucking power! Azreal screams inwardly before returning his attention to Junai.
Azreal notices Junai is confused at what occurred, and a tiny speck of pity flashes through Azreal's heart, for he has no idea what happened either. "Junai, you fucking coward. None of this needed to happen if you weren't a spoiled brat who bullied those beneath him for no reason," Azreal says with a calm tone.
"The strong bully the weak," Junai spurts in response while blood is dripping from his mouth and his weak hands feebly grip Azreal's hand in an attempt to remove the sword from his stomach.
"Well, I am definitely stronger than you," says Azreal, his eyes returning to a crystalline blue. Most of the disciples present had been aggrieved by Junai, Shon, or the Great Elder Nilxan, and each of them stands still, staring at Azreal in admiration. He has achieved what they couldn't in such a short amount of time; a few of the weaker outer disciples begin to see Azreal as a hero.
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"Enjoy your death, Junai. It's the kindest thing you've ever given to the world," Azreal whispers these final words to Junai. Azreal begins furiously channelling his Qi into his sword, causing the Qi to flare out from his sword and tear Junai's stomach apart. Junai screams in agony as more blood pours from his stomach wound and splutters from his mouth. With an increased amount of Qi, the sharpness of his sword Calista, and all of his strength, Azreal begins to scream. As his scream becomes louder, he rips his sword upwards, tearing Junai clean in half from the middle of Junai's stomach until his blade splits his skull open.
Azreal's furious scream turns into one of victory as he raises his sword, which has returned to a brilliant white meta l, high into the sky. Junai's body, split in half from the waist up, falls to his knees as both of his eyes search for help in the fleeting moment of his death. A loud, squishy thud is the last noise Junai will ever make as his body collapses onto the duelling platform's ground, blood pooling and soaking into his crimson robes.
The atmosphere among the disciples is electric, a mixture of shock and exhilaration rippling through the crowd. Some cheer with extreme enthusiasm, their faces contorted with a savage joy at the sight of Junai's demise. Others, more reserved, look on with a mixture of horror and fascination, their minds grappling with the brutality they have just witnessed.
"Azreal! You're fucking amazing!" a female disciple screams, causing Kayleen and Master Juhee to shoot her a dirty look.
"Did you see that? He split that fucker in half!" a male disciple standing near Darian shouts in disbelief. Darian quickly lets him know that he and Azreal are sworn brothers, claiming to be the one to find Azreal's talent.
"Fuck you, Junai! You get what you deserve!" vindicated disciples begin to shout towards the duelling platform.
<+ 50 Spirit >
<+ 50 Dexterity >
Azreal stands still on the platform, his pristine white metal sword by his side, staring at the top of the mountain. His thoughts race between basking in victory, understanding his new skills, wondering what a physique is, what he should do next, and considering just how much trouble Great Elder Nilxan will cause.
With a heavy sigh, Azreal forces these thoughts out of his mind and focuses on the crowd of disciples cheering for his victory. A new yet exhilarating feeling begins to well within Azreal, a sense of pride and accomplishment. Azreal has never been able to stand above and save others with his own strength. As he scans the cheering crowd, he spots a few familiar faces. Master Juhee's face is filled with pride and a tinge of something Azreal can't place.
Darian is surrounded by other outer disciples who swarm him in an attempt to get any information about Azreal from him. Darian seems to be loving it but catches Azreal's gaze and nods with a kind smile, indicating his approval of Azreal's actions. Kayleen and Bea have mixed expressions; both show happiness, yet Kayleen is still clearly concerned as her smile doesn't reach her eyes. Bea shows a sense of relief; Junai has died, and with him, hopefully, there will be no others who will trash her father's restaurant. Tears begin to form at the edge of her emerald-coloured eyes.
A wave of relief washes over Azreal as he basks in the glow of achieving something he never thought possible. 'This is what it's like when the world doesn't turn against me. Truly enjoyable,' Azreal thinks to himself before walking towards Elder Unearl. "Thank you for watching over the duel," Azreal says as he takes a deep bow. Elder Unearl smiles in acknowledgement and simply gestures towards the stairs. Azreal's vision follows his gesture, spotting his Master standing at the bottom of the duelling platform. Master Juhee's beautiful face lightly flushes as their eyes make contact.
Why does my heart beat so fast every time I see him in action? I've never felt this before, and none of my other disciples render me this speechless. Elder Juhee becomes consumed with her thoughts as Azreal approaches. She is slightly startled when he calls out to her.
"Master, are you okay?" asks Azreal, an exceedingly genuine and charming smile causing damage to every female disciple's heart. I'm not okay, she answers internally before replying, "I'm fine, Azreal. I should be asking you that question. Are you hurt, or do you need any help restoring your Qi?" Her concern is evident as she approaches him, examining his body slowly. Her eyes widen as she watches small wounds across Azreal's body begin to slowly close and fade. "Don't worry, I will explain it to you when we're in private, Master Juhee," Azreal says, noticing her confusion at his rapid healing.
As the excitement from the event fades, most of the disciples begin to move on with their day, as most of the outer disciples are trying to get last-minute training completed before the competition begins tomorrow. The disciples' hearts are filled with the fire of competition, each wishing they were strong enough to do the same as the man who had just split his opponent in half.
Azreal and Master Juhee wait near the platform until they are alone, aside from Darian, Kayleen, and Bea, who move to join them as the disciples leave the area. "That was truly something, Azreal. I'm glad you're on my team for the competition," says Darian with a friendly smile.
"Well, there goes my reason for being here. Good job, Azreal. Junai deserved to die for the wicked things he inflicted on those below him. The Sect and I thank you," Kayleen says, a captivating smile coming across her pristine pale skin and clear blue eyes, making Azreal fall into a small daze with her sincerity and beauty. "I look forward to facing you in the outer disciple competition. You better not disappoint me," Kayleen says, a brief flash of desire coming across her face as she breaks eye contact and departs the Lower Duelling Grounds. Azreal's eyes never leave her petite frame until she fades into the distance of the Sect.
"Stop staring," Master Juhee exclaims, causing Azreal to be slightly embarrassed at his enraptured display. "I wasn't!" a pitiful defence is all he can muster, as Darian and Bea begin to heartily laugh. If one looks close enough, one can see that Master Juhee has a mischievous grin on her face as the three enjoy Azreal's embarrassment.
"With that, I am going to rest until tomorrow. Bea, do you want me to walk you back?" asks Azreal.
Bea shakes her head. "I am going to train. I don't want others to always fight my battles. I need to become strong enough to defend myself before I continue my work with my Father." She flexes her arm in an attempt to show her strength. Azreal says goodbye to Darian and Bea, making his way up the mountainside to his dorm, idly chatting with his Master and filling her in on the day's events since he left her and Great Elder Lu's company only mere hours ago.