To prepare against someone like Silvas, Rieren would need to pull out something new. The important part of their match was that they were both aware of each other’s original timeline abilities. Silvas knew what Rieren was capable of just as much as Rieren knew his powers.

So, Rieren worked on her Domain. After every match she observed in the Trials of Ascendance, a part of her mind busied itself figuring out counters to the various powers that were on display. Rieren was likely to face some of them eventually, so she had to be ready to overcome the variety of abilities that her opponents would throw at her.

Of course, she couldn’t prepare for anything she hadn’t seen. Doing so would be exceedingly difficult.

But at least she could be ready to tackle everything she had observed.

In the case of Silvas, the most difficult parts of fighting him was his control over his sand and sound Aspects. He was skilled with that sword of his—he wasn’t called the Sword Saint of the East for nothing—but Rieren was confident about her own blade-wielding capabilities.

Thankfully, there was one easy counter to both his sand and his sound. Her Domain.

Rieren summoned it. Water bubbled around her feet, little waves rippling across its dark surface. This was going to require finer control and application than she had used so far in this timeline.

She summoned her inherent power. At the same time, she concentrated. This had the dual effect of expanding her Domain and making the water’s stormy fury intensify, while also raising her control over every area all over the field of devastating water.

It was always strange to consider that her meridians were blocked off when advancing through the ranks of cultivation, but Essence definitely moved through them when she was channelling her techniques and skills. Even now, as she exerted a greater degree and depth of authority on her Domain than ever before, her Essence coursed through her like river rapids.

Rieren decided not to think too much about it. Focus. Perfect control needed perfect concentration.

Her goal was simple. Sound travelled with ease through air, and even through solid matter at times, depending on the solid matter’s consistency. But water was different. Distorting the sound Silvas unleashed would shatter his control over it, essentially nullifying his sonic abilities entirely.

The same went for his sand, to a lesser degree as well. Sand against water would simply be a direct collision of wills, seeing who could exert greater force and override the other’s hold over their Aspect.

That was also where attaining greater control over the minutiae of her Domain would assist Rieren. She could exert greater force, but more precise application of said force would certainly assist her in overcoming her opponent’s Domain.

So, Rieren tried various methods to enhance her connection to her Domain.

The first bit involved creating as many different shapes as she could. She attempted to create orbs that floated by themselves, little streams of water that curved in on themselves, blocks that rose like stepping-stones, and so on.

Increasing the precision of the shapes she crafted increased the difficulty. Rieren could create basic spheres and blocks and even pyramids with ease. Javelins, blades, whips and other smaller-scale objects were harder to maintain for long. But the hardest was when she tried for something quite complicated, like a bird or a tree. That was where the water failed her entirely.

Rieren shook her head. She didn’t need that level of precise shape-building. Living organisms made of water wasn’t going to help her when she couldn’t exactly imbue them with life.

Using Domain Summons bypassed that, but she wasn’t getting a Domain Point to enhance her Domain anytime soon.

Instead, Rieren focused on what she needed to overcome her opponent. Pillars of water, columns large enough for her to insert herself inside, spheres that could swallow her whole.

It was no small a blessing that she didn’t need to breathe in her Arisen form.

Rieren spent the majority of the day simply practicing and refining her ability to create those various, major shapes as quickly and efficiently as she could. A single day’s training with them wasn’t going to be enough, of course. So it was a good thing she had perhaps nearly a week before her match came up.

Another couple of days before the fourth round began, then another few days to go through the first and second matches before hers came up. Maybe the administrators weren’t completely terrible.

Then she remembered that the Emperor wanted her to win. If that was all the advantage he could grant her, she would take it with open arms.

Rieren focused entirely on her training for the next few days. It was actually good she had no disturbances. Even if she wanted more information from Mercion and Silomene about the monster’s murderous incident, she did need to focus, at least until her own bout was done. All she had to do in conjunction with her training was spar with the Stifling Nebula.

“I will not allow a defeat this time,” the Arisen said.

It was attacking her with ever-increasing fury. Rieren was actually needing to put in all her concentration on her mock battle against the monster. Her mind kept trying to pull her back on her own recent advancements and how she could further add to them. But it seemed she needed to pay attention to her sparring partner.

“Give it your all.” She blocked several rapid strikes with the flat of her blade, before finding an opening to hammer the Arisen back. It recovered quickly, but it was enough for Rieren to get her last words out. “And if you are satisfied with your efforts, it will never be a defeat, no matter the outcome.”

The Arisen actually paused at her statement. She could sense the confusion coming from it. “Is that what humans say to each other to bear their defeats?”

“Perhaps. It rings true, nevertheless.”

The Arisen made a disgruntled noise, then continued attacking. Rieren was happy to spar more rather than spend time chatting. She didn’t want a conversation about the Arisen’s chances again. The truth had made it act out in its last match. Clearly, it couldn’t handle it.

The other thing Rieren needed to attend to besides her own training was the other matches. She arrived on time to spectate Kalvia’s fight against Cerill.

Rieren stared down at the arena as both competitors took to the field. A part of her wished she could have spoken to both of them before their battle. They were her comrades from Lionshard Sect. That had to mean something.

Stolen story; please report.

Then again, hadn’t she sacrificed her memories of the sect? She could recall almost nothing of her previous life there, at least from the past timeline.

“The first match of the fourth round of the Trials of Ascendance is about to be underway,” the commentator yelled, stoking the crowd’s excitement. “Please give a warm round of applause for today’s contenders for the progress they have made in the tournament so far! An effort worthy of praise!”

The cheering crowd doubled their applauding efforts at the commentator’s urging. Both competitors raised their hands in acknowledgement of the audience’s clapping and yelling.

It was the same procedure that was growing ever familiar. The match official said some words to Kalvia and Cerill, before stepping back with his hand raised high. Rieren noted him as carefully as she could from the distance. He wasn’t Starloper. She had to wonder if Starloper had intentionally only officiated her matches. She was yet to see him in any of the other bouts.

“I wonder if the woman will win again,” the Stifling Nebula said. “That is the one you will be laying your bet upon, yes?”

Rieren didn’t answer. She knew that both Kalvia and Cerill had grown much stronger. It was impossible for her to tell which of them might prevail. She hadn’t seen their true peaks in the last timeline. Had they exceeded their past limits already?

“Begin!” the commentator yelled, the crowd roaring in anticipation of the fight they were about to witness.

Both combatants activated their Domains to start the battle. Kalvia materialized her Domain Summon tree, the massive plant rising as its trunk thickened and leaves sprouting from its many branches. Cerill’s Domain was less expressive. All he had was a golden shimmer around himself, twisting yellow light sparkling around him.

Rieren frowned. She hadn’t seen the full extent of his Domain before. But that energy was familiar. That wasn’t the sunlight-coloured, auric shimmer of Divine Aspect.

No, that was life Aspect.

She wondered if Kalvia knew. If she had prepared countermeasures for the various abilities Cerill could manifest through life Aspect.

Kalvia unleashed a violent technique. More branches sprouted off her tree, but not at the top. They burst out of the centre and arrowed at her opponent with pointed ends like a storm of spears. This had to be the strongest Domain-related technique of hers Rieren had seen yet.

Cerill’s Domain grew in response. The golden energy grew and intensified. As the charging branch-spears reached his vicinity, his first technique materialized.

When Cerill shot out his hand, the golden Essence concentrated into the shape of a gigantic claw. It swiped the area before him, crushing the wood to a shower of splinters that bounced off his armour and shield.

Kalvia kept throwing the same technique in an unending stream of rending, ripping wood, but they failed before strength of Cerill’s response. His golden claw kept crushing anything that got close. It turned worse when he added a second claw to the mix. Then a third. They countered together, not only crushing the wooden spikes, but attacking Kalvia’s summoned tree as well.

It took only seconds before the claws were bringing the entire tree down.

Kalvia wasn’t done, of course. She landed safely from her falling tree and pulled up more of her Domain’s powers. Roots and vines burst out of the ground to attack Cerill.

That looked like the technique Zhalen had attempted to pull on Rieren. It made her smile.

But Cerill had an answer to that too. His Domain thickened even more. The roots and vines might have been able to swerve between the claws that appeared to only be capable of crushing and swiping. But Cerill had an appropriate counter. None of Kalvia’s latest attacks could stand against the barrage of tentacles and tails forming from the golden Essence.

Kalvia’s face had darkened. She should have seen this coming, however. This was exactly how life Aspect tended to manifest its powers. Creating various parts of life itself.

Rieren had seen more powerful cultivators summon entire, flesh-and-blood living beings, stronger than any regular Domain Summons could hope to be. Life Aspect Domains were powerful.

Kalvia continued attacking. She knew that giving Cerill any breathing room to properly attack her wouldn’t be great. Her initial attacks were easily dealt. All of Cerill’s living Essence creations tore through the shooting vines, branches, and anything else Kalvia pelted at him.

But he didn’t see the roots coming from underground. The ground shook for an infinitesimal moment before the earth tore apart.

A hundred roots burst out, rising in a convoluted column of twisted roots, taking Cerill with them, quickly separating him from his Domain. At the same time, Kalvia was rising on a different tree. Her tree’s power focused on a single branch, which shot towards Cerill’s ascending position. Kalvia ran along the branch with incredible speed, her knife slashing in for a quick strike.

But Cerill was faster. He raised his shield and smashed it down, right on top of the roots attacking him. A shockwave exploded out at the impact, shattering the column of roots.

It had to be a skill. A strong one.

Kalvia shot in quickly but her attack missed. Cerill tried to strike her with his spear with the twisted horns for spearheads. But Kalvia had already passed by his position, dodging easily. Her other Domain Summons had formed from the end of the branch. The bird Rieren had last seen at the Shatterlands was now carrying Kalvia to safety.

Rieren blinked. Had that wood-and-leaves bird grown bigger than last time? It was certainly large enough to carry Kalvia without difficulty.

She focused on the actual battle. Kalvia’s landing hadn’t actually been safe. The last exchange had allowed Cerill to turn the tide and attack properly. Just what the Empress-to-be had been trying to prevent. His living creations of Essence—claws, jaws, tentacles tipped with razor-sharp fangs—were tearing through all of Kalvia’s defences with ease.

Step by step, she was being pushed back towards the arena’s wall. It wouldn’t be long before she had nowhere to go, and then she’d be in trouble.

Rieren peered closer. Was this it? Had Kalvia finally met her match? The line of her thoughts made her realize that she didn’t particularly care for Cerill. Of course, in her current condition, caring about Kalvia was difficult too, but she still wanted her friend to win.

Kalvia had come to confirm that her match had never been rigged. She valued Rieren enough to do that.

As it turned out, Rieren shouldn’t have worried. Kalvia might have been on the back foot, but she had found a way to counter even then. Instead of bowing under the pressure of Cerill’s attacks or trying to evade them, she charged straight into his Domain.

Rieren wasn’t the only one who was surprised by that choice. The whole arena roared to life.

It was almost as though Kalvia absorbed all the encouragement the crowd was raining down upon her to empower herself. She was swerving past claws swiping at her, jumping over lashing tentacles, and rolling through enormous maws. There had to be some sort of Fray-Passage-like movement skill involved. Whatever the case, she made it to Cerill’s position.

Almost. At the very last second, a tentacle caught her around her foot and made her trip.

Rieren grimaced. So close.

But Cerill didn’t take advantage and attack. He couldn’t. Kalvia had raised her hand, almost as though her palm was going to stop his spear.

Something shifted in the Domain of golden Essence. A second later, the ground split apart again. This time, instead of a tangle of roots, a whole tree arose instead. A gigantic tree with a mottled bark wrapped around its enormous trunk. Higher and higher it rose, taking both Kalvia and Cerill with it.

Rieren needed a moment to understand just what had happened. Why Cerill’s Domain hadn’t countered it with all the claws and jaws and everything else.

Kalvia had used his very Domain against him.

That was normally not supposed to be possible. But when two Domains channelled primary Aspects that were close enough in spirit, the stronger cultivator could attain control of both Domains, at least to some extent.

In Kalvia’s case, she had wrested control of Cerill’s Domain at the last second, using its energy to recreate her own Domain Summons.

A Domain Summons that kept rising still. If Cerill had tried to use his Domain again, all it did was fuel the tree that Kalvia had brought up.

Rieren stared up. She couldn’t even see the competitors anymore. The tree had grown far too tall. So much power. She hadn’t believed Kalvia would have even been capable of something like that.

She wasn’t the only one troubled. The match official was standing at the base of the tree, staring up and scratching the back of his head. Even the crowd’s initial wows had given way to looks of confusion. It looked like the match official was about to ascend the tree.

But then it shifted. Instead of climbing, the tree was now descending, like a pillar sinking into the ground. When its peak came down to eye level again, Rieren stared. The tree’s canopy was a twisted mess, but within them, one thing was clear.

Cerill was caged in branches, wrapped in the wood so that he couldn’t even move. Kalvia stood over him, with her knife poised to strike.

It took only a moment of staring to confirm the winner.

“Our victor for the first bout of the fourth round,” the commentator yelled. “Is Kalvia Zhouven!”