The Jian Solitary Kingdom was a beautiful island country located west of the central continent.
The kingdom's ruler was the Rune Sword Immortal, Guang Fu Wen Jian, a rank nine powerhouse. He was known to be ruthless but highly righteous.
He built the country for his family, believing familial love was necessary, and cultivated a suitable environment for people to thrive.
The kingdom's citizens were happy, common folk or runic masters. It was a peaceful region where war or battle was strictly prohibited unless you participated in a sparring match or a tournament.
For that reason, many schools and academies were built to facilitate the need for battle. Be it martial arts dojos for mortals or cultivation schools for rune masters, and the kingdom thrived when it came to this aspect.
Events commemorating their state also existed, and rules were set for wages and taxes. Especially after the Rune Sword Immortal acquired Rui's memories, he utilized the more technologically advanced world's information to progress his own country.
He emphasized mortals, especially those driven to progress humanity, already initiating something similar to the Industrial Revolution.
Utilizing his advanced cultivation, he could use his clones in multiple areas, already making countless prototypes of many different modern earth innovations, though with the twist of runic energy.
However, this powerful ruler faced his worst adversary inside the palace.
"How often did I tell you not to allow Ren's children to participate in the Clan tournaments? You already know that they aren't in the best shape compared to the others, especially since they arrived not too long ago!"
Lianhua scolded, her face seething with rage. She had warned him not to do anything stupid, but he always did whatever seemed fun.
The Sword Immortal sat on his knees, apologizing to his wife while a slight mischievous grin couldn't help but appear on his lips.
"You! I can see you're enjoying this! Did you want to see Ren's descendants get humiliated by the main and branch clans?"
Lianhua couldn't help but raise her voice higher, scolding her husband for his behavior.
"Lianhua, you are mistaken about that,"
Guang Fu Wen Jian interjected, his voice calm yet firm as he rose to face his wife.
Lianhua's expression softened slightly, though a hint of frustration still lingered in her eyes as she regarded her husband.
"Explain yourself. I fail to see how allowing Ren's descendants to participate in the Clan tournaments serves any purpose other than putting them at risk."
She said, her tone demanding an explanation.
Guang Fu sighed, his gaze meeting hers with unwavering sincerity.
"I understand your concern, but there is more to this than meets the eye. Ren's descendants have been through a great ordeal, and I believe they deserve the chance to prove themselves. Besides, this is an opportunity for them to integrate into our society and find their place within the kingdom."
Lianhua listened to her husband's words, her expression softening as she considered his perspective. While she still harbored reservations about the situation, she couldn't deny the validity of his argument.
"I see your point, but you must promise me that you will ensure their safety. I will not stand for any harm to come to them."
"Harm? Those fools couldn't possibly harm them. I may not have trained Rui and Jian long, but with their current strength they should be able to sweep through everyone in their age bracket."
The Sword Immortal cockily spoke, his eyes showing an extraordinary hint of pride. He also allowed them to participate in the yearly clan battles.
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"So, why do we have to fight again?"
"Don't know, the ancestor said we should expand our horizons here."
"Well, that is true. Although we have some monstrous geniuses in our clan, that doesn't mean other branch clans don't have the same talent."
The younger generation of Ren's Guang Clan spoke amongst themselves, their eyes examining the enemies they were about to encounter.
Rui and his younger brother, Jian, stood amidst the crowd while the clan's elders interacted with the other branch clan elders.
It had already been two weeks since they arrived and their time was quite enjoyable till now. They were treated like royalty by all the citizens, and they could train and increase their strength with no worries.
Of course, since their branch was originally a hidden clan that grew assassins, they had an edge on other branches since the start.
They gathered intelligence about all the important people in the kingdom and made a list of groups they could engage in friendly relations with.
While the clan elders were busy, Rui had spent this time traveling around the capital with Jane, enjoying his time with her in a new environment.
However, just yesterday, he was informed by the sword immortal that he would be participating in the yearly rune master tournament. This tournament was hosted for the Guang family and its branches and main clans.
The atmosphere crackled with energy as rune masters from various branches of the Guang Clan gathered, each eager to showcase their skills and prove their worth.
Rui glanced around, his eyes assessing the competition. He could sense the raw power emanating from some participants, their auras pulsating with formidable strength.
Since the tournament was for the younger generation, those who exceeded the age of thirty weren't allowed. Most of the younger generation of the other branches possessed the Fehu rune.
As Rui stood among the crowd, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement coursing through him. The prospect of testing his skills against other rune masters of the same age filled him with anticipation, and his competitive spirit ignited.
Beside him, Jian stood tall and resolute, his eyes gleaming with determination. Despite being younger than Rui, Jian possessed an innate talent for swords that exceeded that even of the Rune Sword Immortal, not to mention he possessed the ancestral rune. He exuded confidence, ready to face any challenge that came his way.
Their presence in the tournament had stirred curiosity among the other clans, whispers of their lineage circulating through the crowd. Many eyed them with interest, intrigued by the arrival of Ren's descendants and eager to see what they were capable of.
The arena was extensive, with a coliseum-style audience stand, giving the viewers a thrilling sight.
Soon, a gong was sounded, prompting everyone to glance towards its direction.
The Sword Immortal and his family stepped into the arena, and a peaceful silence fell over the crowd, their attention thoroughly captivated by the esteemed guests. All eyes were fixed on the legendary figures, their presence commanding respect and admiration.
Guang Fu Wen Jian, clad in splendid robes, exuded an aura of power and authority as he strode confidently across the arena. His wife, Lianhua, walked gracefully by his side, her elegance and poise garnering admiration from all who saw her.
Behind them, their two sons, Guang Mo, and Guang Yuan, followed suit, their expressions unreadable as they surveyed the gathered participants with keen eyes. Despite their outward appearances of civility, there was an underlying tension in the air.
The Sword Immortal cleared his throat and gave an announcement.
"Today we have gathered for the yearly power ranking tournament among the younger generation of our Guang Family. However, this time there is a special situation, which is the inclusion of a new branch clan, belonging to my deceased son, Ren. I'm not giving any bias towards them, so you can beat them however you like."
The crowd murmured in response to the Sword Immortal's announcement, their curiosity piqued by the mention of Ren's descendants participating in the tournament. Whispers rippled through the audience as they exchanged speculative glances, intrigued by the sudden twist in the proceedings.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
When the Sword Immortal was done with his announcement, his eldest son, Guang Mo, stepped forward to announce the upcoming matches and the bracket listings.
"Just like every previous tournament, battles will be held in brackets, with multiple fights going on at once. This year we have 2000 participants, a lot more than the previous years so the tournament will be extended by two more days."
The participants listened intently as Guang Mo outlined the tournament structure, his voice clear and authoritative as he explained the rules and regulations. He gestured towards a large display board that showcased the bracket listings, indicating the order of the upcoming matches.
"Each participant will be assigned a designated arena and opponent. The battles will be one-on-one, and the winner will advance to the next round. Any use of prohibited techniques or excessive force will result in immediate disqualification."
"After each battle, you will be given ten minutes to return to peak condition, as well as medicine to accelerate healing and runic energy recovery. When the number of participants reaches 125, one will automatically advance two rounds, allowing for the number to be even. Once the remaining participants reach 8, there will be a multi-battle round, where they will all fight each other once, making the one who has the most wins the champion of the tournament."
"Of course, the prizes for the top ten are better than last year, now with the greatest inventions by our ruler. The winner of the tournament gets the main cultivation technique of the clan as well as a secret manual directly created by the sword immortal, with abundant resources to advance their cultivation further. They will also be able to test any new technology that has come out without worry."
Taking a slight pause, Guang Mo pulled out a thin piece of black glass that shone in a blue hue, displaying many different things and prompting the crowd to stare in a daze.
"The second and third place get a mid-rank cultivation technique and the newly created 'Black Glass' created by the kingdom's greatest scientists with the Sword Immortals ingenious ideas and knowledge."
The crowd erupted into excited chatter as Guang Mo revealed the enticing prizes for the tournament winners. Whispers of anticipation filled the air as participants and spectators alike eagerly discussed the rewards and speculated about their chances of victory.
Rui couldn't help but stare strangely at the 'Black Glass,' having a feeling of deja vu.
'Don't tell me that insane old man used my memories to remake modern-day smartphones? Well, that wouldn't be impossible, since he made first-class buses for us to ride on our way here, but isn't he way too fast?'
Rui doubted his thoughts at this point since technology was advancing too fast. Since the Sword Immortal had only memories worth of knowledge from Rui, Jane, Silas, and Maverick, he could understand modern Earth quite well, but his understanding speed was far beyond what Rui had expected.
He could reverse engineer things he had no sound knowledge of by just going through their memories.
'Are rank 9 rune masters similar to super-efficient A.I. or what?'
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A visual projection was created using runic arrays, displaying the bracket listing with every participant's name.
Rui was up against a branch clan member named Guang Pia Lao, whom he defeated in a single move thanks to the massive difference between their cultivation levels.
Although he wasn't yet at the middle rank of the rune core stage, he was very close to it. Paired with his extremely pure and vast runic energy, as well as his incredibly unique core and refined body, he was invincible in the same cultivation level.
He used these early bracket fights to refine his newly acquired skills from the [Heavenly Demon Mantra]. Although he had trained with the Rune Sword Immortal, most of his training was on his [Beginning Sword] since it was his primary skill when it came to fighting.
When it came down to it, Rui realized he was a sword user, having adapted to using [Sun Cutter], his weapon. Since the sword had been bound to him, neither the Sword Immortal nor his wife wanted to take it from him, even though it was the precious sword they had gifted their son.
Rui was carrying their son's legacy at the moment and countless expectations from those around him. Adding the inter-dimensional federation to the mix made the situation much more severe.
He had already rechecked on the mission, and the news he got wasn't good. The time for the invasion significantly lessened, becoming 15902 years. Although that was still a lot of time, this didn't mean the time wouldn't decrease even further.
Rui worried that he wouldn't have the time to grow if things continued this way.
Since the fights were random, at least at the start, Rui met individuals he thought were pretty powerful for their age; sadly, they were facing him and ended up losing.
After roughly eight hours of battles, the crowd was tired, and people retired for the day.
The bracket battles continued the next day when most people had already been eliminated. From the original 2000 participants, there were only 125 left.
Since battles lasted longer due to the longevity and martial progress of the rune masters participating, some fights lasted hours, which slowed down the process drastically.
This time, the one to announce on the second day was Guang Yuan, with a brilliant smile evident on his face.
"On the first day, we witnessed our youngest geniuses fail and succeed in their battles. The last year's winner, Guang Arlo has failed this time to pass into the top hundred, which is surprising to everyone!"
He said, bringing his attention to the loss of the previous year's tournament winner.
Hearing the name of the ex-champion, Rui couldn't help but stare blankly.
'Wait, that guy was the winner of last year? Wasn't he way too weak?'
This was the only thought in his mind, as he had defeated him with a single strike without even utilizing any special techniques. His pure runic energy was enough to suppress him despite their similar cultivation level.
Thankfully, the subject was glossed over since no one cared about someone who had been eliminated early.
Guang Arlo, who was standing in the audience, could not help but feel underestimated.
"These guys don't know… I guarantee that the winner of the tournament will be that Rui guy.."
Guang Arlo muttered to himself, trying to calm his raging emotions. Guang Arlo was 29 this year, being his last year participating in the tournaments. He had short black hair that shot up as if he was electrocuted, paired with bright yellow eyes, and the Tiwaz rune on his forehead glowing with enthusiasm made him stand out from the rest of the descendants.
Compared to Rui, Jian had a more challenging time advancing, and he suffered some injuries during his battles. The top hundred left were those who were either at the border of the third rank or already at it.
Jian was sure he wouldn't be able to advance further than this, and he considered himself lucky for even reaching this stage at his age. The battles had refined his swordsmanship further, which was enough for him.
Soon, Guang Yuan finished his speech and showcased the upcoming brackets.
Looking for their names in the brackets, both Jian and Rui smiled.
“Guang Rui, Guang Jian, stage 10!”
The coach of stage 10 shouted, prompting the two participants to enter their arena.
The two vanished from their spot, silently entering the arena without attracting attention.
Both of them bowed their heads in respect and awaited the starting signal from the overseer. Recognizing that they were ready, the overseer gave the sign for the battle to begin, prompting Jian to unleash his runic energy to its maximum.
"Big brother, I don't think I can hold back while fighting you, so I'll just use everything!"
Jian shouted, his sword clad in dark red runic energy. The ancestral rune on his forehead shone brightly while the image of a faceless swordsman with long black hair manifested behind him, resembling the Rune Sword Immortal.
"Beginning Sword: Second Form, Youth!"
Jian compressed his body, every muscle condensing, ready to unleash its strength. The technique was familiar, being the very same technique Rui used often. However, there was a massive difference in performance and sword aura.
Despite Rui's higher level, the refinement of his technique was nowhere near as good as Jian's.
Jian swiftly unleashed his body, moving at an incredible speed that shouldn't have been possible for his cultivation level, performing multiple sword slashes in just a fraction of a second. His body moved fluidly and dynamically, not losing any energy.
Rui couldn't help but laugh at this sight. He didn't use [Sun Cutter] in the fight since he didn't think it was fair.
[Rune Celestia
Tier: Heavenly
Combat Grade: Yet to be determined.
Forms: Cloak, Buff, Shred
Mastery: Creator
A technique created by Guang Rui after his understanding of celestial energy reached a certain point.
Description: An energy manipulation method that merges runic and celestial energy to enhance attacks and all techniques, able to be paired with any existing method.]
Extending his arms forward, Rui activated [Rune Celestia] and [Heaven Shattering Fist], coating both of his fists with [Cloak], [Buff], and [Shred]. The Ansuz rune on his forehead released a blinding light, his celestial and runic energy merging into his fists.
Since the [Heaven Shattering Fist] was a formless fist technique with incredible destructive power, by adding [Rune Celestia] to the mix, Rui could increase its destructiveness even further.
Rui didn't say anything and just punched forward with his right fist. The air in front crackled and compressed, the runic energy in his fists taking a dark purple hue while tendrils of sparking celestial energy shot everywhere, almost damaging the other arenas if it weren't for the protective arrays.
As Rui's fist surged forward, Jian's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the immense power emanating from his brother. He raised his sword with lightning speed to intercept the attack, his runic energy flaring in response.
The clash between their energies sent shockwaves rippling through the arena, causing the ground to tremble beneath their feet. Spectators watched in awe as the two brothers engaged in a fierce battle of strength and skill, their movements a blur of motion.
Despite Jian's formidable technique and speed, he struggled to keep up with Rui's overwhelming power. Each strike from Rui seemed to carry the weight of a mountain, threatening to break through his defenses with each blow.
Sweat beaded on Jian's brow as he poured all his energy into his swordsmanship, his determination unyielding. He utilized the Rune Sword Immortal's technique to its maximum, with his physique avatar giving him more strength with each strike.
Meanwhile, Rui couldn't help but smile, feeling proud of his little brother's growth.
"That should be enough."
Rui said while backing off, the runic energy covering his fists dissipating while his entire body shone in a bright blue hue.
As Rui withdrew from the confrontation, Jian stumbled backward, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to regain his composure. Despite his best efforts, he knew he was no match for his brother's overwhelming strength.
"Big brother... you're too strong."
Jian panted, his voice tinged with admiration and exhaustion.
"Then why don't you forfeit?"
Rui recommended, a teasing expression on his face. Jian's face soured at the provocation, but he agreed to surrender.
"I give up!"
He shouted, knowing fully well that his brother wouldn't go all out against him no matter what.