What the hell? Nathan silently screamed.

Could this bizarre skill really do that? Only now did he realize that the embarrassing sound was coming from him, directed at the disciples sitting on the eastern side of the arena. So until now, because he always had a specific target, the credit was only for the affected individual. But this time, it acknowledged an entire crowd.

His face flushed crimson to his ears, not knowing where to hide.

And which bastard was intrigued? He shuddered.

The audience erupted in hearty laughter.

"Did we hear that right? That Nathan fellow didn't cry out in pain, did he?"

"Haha, truly no one can entertain like Nathan. I'd vote for him to win first place just for his shameless comedy act alone."

"Surely he wouldn't refuse my cooperation offer, would he?"

The panel of elders furrowed their brows. Verdant Spire Sect was an organization that always paid attention to appearances and conduct.

"If he makes it to the top 4, nobody better accept him!" Esme grumbled.

Only the outermost elder, who had been silent from the beginning, was laughing so hard he nearly fell off his chair.

"Darkan, it's rare to see you so jovial," Alaric turned in his seat, smiling gently.

"This disciple is truly interesting. Whoever takes him as an apprentice, I'll owe them a favor."

Darkan's words made Esme frown. He was clearly aiming at her.

"Let's continue watching the match," Alaric said, changing the subject.

On the arena floor, no one was more stunned than Nathan. He covered his face with both hands, hoping that when he opened his eyes, everything would be a dream.

"Ummm," Gideon's skeptical voice rang out, "you enjoyed it?"

Nathan immediately spun around, hastily exclaiming.

"No, no, no! It's not what you think!"

Goddammit, it still sounded wrong, his mind reeled.

He resolved to grind for 5000 credits and delete that damned [Bad Mouth] skill. It was truly incomprehensible why the system would possess such an outrageous ability. Indeed, it had just brought him a substantial amount of credits, but the risk was far too great. And it had to activate on its own; if he were to deliberately produce that cringe-worthy sound, it would be ineffective. The system was, after all, still a passive system. To think that a skill requiring such methodical pathing didn't exist – how frustrating.

Taking a deep breath, Nathan said through gritted teeth.

"Let's continue!"

Gideon obliged, not wishing to dwell on this crude detail any longer.

The fight fell into a stalemate as Nathan found a way to counter, using speed against speed. Especially when he constantly maintained close combat distance, limiting the versatility of the three-section staff. More importantly, what frustrated Gideon was his opponent's ability to take hits. Nathan accepted the blows and seemed unaffected.

So he indeed enjoys it? Gideon silently wondered.

On the other side, Nathan was unaware that he couldn't wash away the misunderstanding of being seen as a pervert. In truth, he was in pain all over. If he were to lift his shirt, one would surely see bruises covering his entire body.

The inexplicable discomfort within Gideon grew increasingly intense as the duration of the match extended. He could sense that in certain strikes, Nathan suddenly attacked much harder than in previous blows. Initially, he thought it was just random, following no particular rule, but gradually he began to perceive a vague pattern.

[Martial Art Mastery] had granted Nathan not just the strength to endure but a tactical understanding of combat. He could sense that Gideon was catching on, which pushed him to alter his strategy again. This time, Nathan added in some deceptive feints—attacks charged with mana that deliberately missed, meant to break Gideon’s focus and force mistakes.

The battle between the two seemed to be the most boring of the top 8. But those who understood were quietly praising. The combat instructors all felt proud as the two disciples on the field executed techniques to the point of fluency, as well as demonstrating keen perception. This showed that they had trained and paid close attention to lectures and analysis, rather than like other disciples who always aimed to overpower opponents through level differences or using superior items. However, when encountering exceptions like Nathan or Gideon, both of whom had defeated higher Tiers in the previous round, those advantages became meaningless.

Outstanding disciples like Xander, Zahra, Keira, and Milo all became engrossed in the match on the field. They rarely found themselves in prolonged stalemates during their own fights, so there was much to learn.

Gideon gradually began to feel uneasy. He had thought that a drawn-out fight would be a safe move rather than exhausting himself. Receiving enough damage would eventually cause Nathan to fall. But unlike Roran, Nathan didn't constantly use all his strength. There were times when Nathan would regulate the energy he released, thereby conserving his stamina to continue. Gideon bitterly realized that he was the one creating an advantage for his opponent. Without a doubt, Nathan's formidable weapon was his recovery ability, not just being good at taking hits. Having analyzed enough, Gideon unleashed his trump card.

Nathan was startled when he sensed the change in mana flow. But his opponent didn't give him enough time to think. The staff was still spinning in front of him. He stepped back. Gideon grabbed the section of the three-section staff closest to him, then in a miraculous way without needing to exert force from his legs, flew in to knee Nathan in the face. Looking up in confusion, he saw that the three sections of the staff had straightened out, with mana flowing through the chain joints, making it rigid. Gideon had transformed his weapon into a deadly spear-like weapon.

Gideon relaxed, allowing the mana to withdraw. He was still at Phase 8.9, with very limited mana release capabilities; he had to conserve. If he had broken through to Phase 9.0, it would have been much better. Taking advantage of the moment of surprise he had just created, Gideon once again hardened the three-section staff, propping it against the ground to launch himself into the air, twisting his body to bring the staff down like a hammer.

Nathan raised both hands to block, hoping to catch the staff. But when it was about to make contact with his hands, the staff became loose again, the connecting chains bending, causing the staff that was supposed to strike straight down to curve into an arc, smashing directly onto the top of his head. Stars exploded before Nathan's eyes. Blinking, he saw the three-section staff once again become a pole, thrusting straight towards his glabella. Reflexively, he used one hand to push the pole upwards at an angle, avoiding the vital point. But Gideon was already two steps ahead. Once more, mana was released, the tail end loosened, and one-third of the staff fell at a right angle onto his arm, right at the elbow.

Gideon advanced, grabbing the section of the staff hanging on his opponent's arm. He glided behind his opponent, then using all his strength, pulled the staff caught on Nathan's shoulder to flip him backwards, resulting in a loud thud as he hit the ground.

Nathan only felt like he wanted to vomit, his surroundings a blur of indistinct scenes. Indeed, these were the best among the disciples. Gideon's excellence was no less than Qingfeng's. The mastery and versatility in using staff techniques would surely develop further in the future.

"Gideon Wight, it seems the direction of his mana is following the wood aspect, isn't it?" Alaric mused.

"Yes," another elder replied. "Well, with the versatility of the wood aspect, short when needed short, long when needed long, and able to make the weapon sharp or blunt simultaneously. Combined with three-section staff techniques, he'll be a formidable individual indeed."

"Exactly! What do you think, Jorran? It's the same system as yours."

"Worth considering," the third elder mentioned replied. "But let's keep watching and see."

In Nathan's ears, high-amplitude long tones rang out, his head still numb with pain, his nose burning and hot. He raised his hand to wipe and saw two red streams of blood flowing out. The head wound seemed more severe than he had thought.

Trying to stand up, Nathan found himself staggering. Although he couldn't think clearly, he still raised his fist in a gesture of challenge towards his opponent. [Self Emotional Support] wasn't activated, so part of him still didn't understand why he could be so stubborn.

Gideon exhaled, continuing to attack. Like before, he still had to be precise with his mana-infused strikes. Not only using this mysterious energy to straighten the three-section staff, he also increased the speed and damage of successful attacks. But his opponent could still strike back.

Unlike the first time, Nathan now sensed the changes, the knowledge and experience of [Martial Art Mastery] guiding him on how to move. His head throbbed, but his mind was gradually regaining clarity. The regrettable thing was that he realized this a beat too late. His physical strength was greater than Gideon's. And that was precisely his opponent's critical weakness. When his arm was locked for that throw earlier, Nathan could have resisted and made his opponent the one taking the hit instead. When the three-section staff changed from a pole back to its loose state, Nathan grabbed the chain connecting two sections of the staff. He had lost count from before, so he had exhausted all his moves and recharged new ones. The Cycle of 12 attacks returned, and surely Gideon couldn't guess that the position where he recharged his attack was the head. With a decisive pull, Gideon was dragged along. He headbutted Gideon right between the eyes, sending a shockwave of pain through his skull but forcing Gideon to stagger backward.

Triggered [Amplifying Strike]. One credit given.

Triggered [Flowing Strikes]. One credit given.

Triggered [Internal Trauma]. One credit given.

Gideon hit the ground hard, his head spinning with flashes of white light. Struggling to get up, he suddenly felt a tightening in his chest, as though invisible hands were squeezing his organs. Not only were body parts like his liver and intestines being compressed, but his mind was also racing. The sudden panic caused his heart to race and his breathing to become rapid. [Internal Trauma] had finally broken through the wall of psychological defenses. When he looked up at his opponent, he suddenly saw bizarre hallucinations. Standing before him was not Nathan, but a blood-soaked creature, its skin slashed to reveal the hidden blood vessels beneath. Its eyes were blood-red, containing all of hell, its feet dragging trails of maggots. His heart beat faster to the point of being uncontrollable. Part of him screamed to stand up, to continue, to win, but most of his mind was falling into a state of loss of control.

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The demon's body came closer, its putrid breath seeming to wash over him. This image was one he hadn't seen in a very long time. That mouth, like a bottomless pit, exposed as if wanting to devour him.

Gideon didn't even hear himself mumbling.

"I... I... surrender!"

Nathan stopped abruptly, he was using [Improved Balance] to keep himself from falling after the head collision. Seeing the panicked expression on his opponent's face, he understood that [Internal Trauma] had shown its effect.

Gideon continued to mutter incoherently as staff members rushed onto the arena to carry him off. His defeat was met with shocked silence from the crowd, especially the Inner Sect elders, who were left speechless.

"His psychology seems quite unstable," Esme remarked. Even she wasn't clear on what was happening, but using a bit of her power, she could sense the turmoil and terror emanating from the depths of that disciple's heart.

"Haiz," the wood aspect elder sighed, " still too immature."

No one said anything more about Nathan, who had claimed victory.

The fight ending this way also left the audience confused, so cheers weren't raised.

Some people began to insinuate that Nathan had cheated, but weren't clear on how. A wave of discussion appeared on PsiLink.

Zeryn supported Nathan as they walked to the rest area. The new wound wasn't too serious, so the nurse just checked, applied medicine, and left. It was unclear what side effects the medicine would leave on the disciples after this tournament.

"If you pull this off again, Nathan, you're asking for trouble," Zeryn warned as he helped Nathan sit.

Nathan gestured for his friend to continue.

"You're a Phase 2.6. Cases of fighting above one's level aren't without precedent. But it should be within believable limits. You can understand this logic, right?"

The bloodied head moved up and down.

"But what you just did is creating controversy. Gideon clearly didn't lose the way you beat Roran or Qingfeng. He lost because he was hit with a strange effect. And strange effects are usually..."

"...the result of a Tier 2," Nathan mumbled.

"Exactly! You're exceeding norms in too many categories, in front of everyone. There's no basis to say you're using forbidden techniques, but suspicion can be just as damaging."

The headache subsided, helping Nathan regain clarity. Indeed, he shouldn't have used the rolls just because he wanted to win. The powerful skills were certain, but when not fully grasping their effects and impacts, he shouldn't let others see them. The passive skill meant he couldn't fully control it, but methodical had given him a contingency plan. Strikes with stacked [Internal Trauma] could be thrown into the air. But doing so would disrupt his rhythm, and he wouldn't be able to use [Flowing Strikes]. He had created a dilemma for himself. The positive outcomes of [Titan's Descendant] had made him overconfident.

"So what the hell did you do to make Gideon piss himself in fear?"

"A form of technique that exerts mental pressure," Nathan believed this was the clearest and most concise explanation.

Knowing his friend couldn't explain further, Zeryn thought for a moment then said.

"Then you can still continue fighting. Your next opponent is unlikely to be affected by anything you've done. But of course, I still stand by my initial advice. Don't continue, just surrender."

"My next opponent?"

"Look!"

Nathan, only now squinting his eyes after the concussion subsided, looked up at the board showing the pairings for the two semi-final matches.

Keira Valaine versus Zahra Kinyara.

Nathan Reed versus Xander Caldoran.

"Shit!" Nathan startled.

"Well?" Zeryn laughed. "Did you want to fight with two beautiful girls instead?"

"Not really. But Zahra seems like an opponent worth learning from."

"You'll learn plenty from facing off against Xander too, don't worry. Keira versus Zahra will be much more exciting. You'll see."

Nathan absent-mindedly nodded, his gaze drifting toward Xander, who was standing at the edge of the arena, his muscular frame imposing even from a distance. Almost as if sensing Nathan’s gaze, Xander turned his head, locking eyes with him. The sharp, predatory look in Xander’s eyes made Nathan’s blood run cold.

"Looks like surrendering isn't an option anymore," Nathan said with a wry smile.

Hearing this, Zeryn finally noticed Xander. He burst out laughing.

"That's why I said your psychological special move won't work on Xander. He's a beast."

Both turned back to focus on the arena, where Keira and Zahra had moved up together.

Keira maintained a state that had something pristine about it, the way she walked, or her gestures all made people feel inferior. On the other side, Zahra with her short hair, showed a wildness, but her eyes were clear and youthful. One tall and slender, one short and powerful. Sword against fist.

The two girls only glared at each other without exchanging words, as if engaged in an invisible battle before the start signal.

"The first match of the semi-finals," Marcus introduced grandly. "The best disciples, and the future of Verdant Spire Sect. Remember, there should be a stopping point. But now, let's begin!"

The audience cheered most enthusiastically since the beginning of the tournament, using all their strength for the two girls on the field.

Zahra knocked her fists together, her excitement reaching its peak. Keira, on the other hand, only indifferently placed her sword at an angle to her body, nodding slightly towards her opponent.

Zahra lowered herself, placing both hands on the ground, then using all four limbs, charged forward like a leopard. In just two blinks of an eye, she had closed the distance. In the final leap, she shot up, her fingernails forming claws raking towards her opponent's chest. Keira lightly deflected. Zahra used her other hand to brace against the ground, with a quick elbow bend, she launched herself high, her legs reaching higher than six feet. Spinning horizontally in mid-air, she kicked straight at the face across the sword, forcing Keira to retreat.

The golden-haired girl frowned, annoyed by her opponent's wild fighting style. She moved her foot back, setting her stance to counterattack. When Zahra advanced once more, she chose precisely the right moment to thrust her sword forward. Each sword jab was not only dangerous but also generated air pressure, causing small explosions of air with each retraction. Although Zahra skillfully dodged, on the final thrust, she couldn't avoid it as Keira had concealed one thrust within another, causing two air bombs to explode in rapid succession.

Zahra was blasted to the side, her hands spinning on the ground to dissipate the force affecting her body, then bouncing back into position. She tilted her head and smiled, thoroughly enjoying herself. Once again, she charged forward. This time, she wasn't too wary of Keira's techniques. She responded with her signature move; when the sword tips were about to create an explosion, Zahra's five fingers, at an uncatchable speed, bunched together to strike the sword's tip.

The collision between two techniques with similar operating mechanisms created a shockwave, the explosion amplified, pushing both backwards. Keira used her sword tip pointed behind her to limit her sliding, while Zahra was like a small cat, her back legs pushing up, her hands like claws drawing a long line on the ground.

Keira was surprised by Zahra's recovery ability and absolute speed when two claws were again coming at her in an upward arc. Using her left hand not holding the sword, she directed mana to push herself aside. Trying to regain her posture, those bunched claws had already struck. In response, two explosions landed on the sword's blade, the vibration spreading throughout her body, pushing her far away. Her insides churned as if she wanted to vomit.

Zahra, seizing the advantage, didn't let up. Still with the superior speed unmatched in this year's top 32, she flew like a bullet, crashing down from above at her opponent's position. Her landing didn't hit directly, but the bricks and stones were blasted up into a cloud of dust. She utilized the chaos she created; the dust seemed not to hinder her vision at all, her five deadly fingers landing on her opponent's waist.

Keira only felt herself flying just above the ground, her shoulder slamming onto the arena floor, rolling several times, her sword falling about two steps away. Coughing violently, she clutched her waist and stood up. Although she had used mana to protect the attacked area, Zahra's force was truly beyond reason. It seemed to carry physical attributes as well, not just pure mana.

Though she had become somewhat disheveled, Nathan felt she was the most dignified disheveled person ever. Standing there with her hair, clothes slightly askew covered in a layer of dust, she still captivated the eyes of the entire school.

Other disciples shared the same thought, expressing sympathetic whistles. Female disciples called out her name to boost her morale.

"Fighting Keira, the audience alone is enough pressure," Zeryn chuckled.

Keira tucked her hair behind her ear, using her hand to dust herself off. Her gait still maintained its gentleness as if no injury had occurred. Retrieving her sword, she changed her stance, ready.

Zahra didn't want to end it quickly, allowing Keira time to recover. When she saw her opponent fully prepared, she continued her style. Attacking like a storm, intricate yet not intricate. The only requirement was effectiveness.

The sword in Keira's hand no longer used the previous type of technique. As Zahra was running towards her, a Mana Slash was slashed out. The skill looked visibly weaker than when a Phase 9.9 was trying to use it. The arc flying over the arena floor was not clear but hazy. But in the end, it still had an effect.

Being at too close a range, Zahra couldn't dodge, only able to cross her arms to block. The part that hit her gloves was better, but the rest was enough to penetrate the skin, causing her to bleed from the gash across her clothes diagonally from shoulder to lower abdomen. Springing up instinctively to guard against a follow-up slash, she adjusted her posture.

Nathan's eyes widened as he watched. Now he truly saw what the outer sect elder Kyron had said. Why a Tier 2 had to stand still in a one-on-one fight with him when she could unleash a slash at such a range. Zeryn had once said, with enough practice, one could even make the slash chase after the opponent or imbue it with speed. In any case, if you dodge a Mana Slash, a Mana Bullet will be waiting for you.

Keira had thought her opponent would be more cautious after she unleashed such a move. But not at all. Zahra once again didn't hesitate to attack. On the next Mana Slash, Zahra used her two hands to palm the air, helping her bend her body at an impossible angle, escaping Keira's attack by a hair's breadth. Other instances repeated similarly. Both sides exchanged techniques. The mana Keira used dissipated around them like a fine mist.

"So that's it, so that's it," Zeryn mumbled.

"So what? Stop being mysterious," Nathan urged.

"Keira can use mana aspect now," Zeryn concluded. "And not just like Qingfeng, but at a level of a Tier 2 already."

"What? Really? Just from that Mana Slash? Indeed, Qingfeng didn't use a similar technique against me."

"No, no," Zeryn clicked his tongue. "It's hard to describe, but when you reach Tier 2, you'll be able to sense it. Not to mention that Keira possesses a rather... how to say it, rare Aspect."

Level two of [Martial Art Mastery] helped Nathan sense the flow of ambient mana in the air. He could partially penetrate the veil, but still didn't understand as deeply as his friend.

Just as Zeryn analyzed, Keira's subsequent attacks were intended to influence her opponent with her aspect. But strangely, the success she had experienced from the beginning of the tournament until now still refused to appear. Zahra seemed immune to her Aspect.

"Two interesting girls," Alaric said from the presiding position.

"One carries a rare Aspect, one carries a bloodline," Esme added. "Indeed, the southern disciple group this year is full of surprises."

Zeryn, who had been focused, suddenly exclaimed.

"Bloodline!"

"Huh?" Nathan echoed, understanding his friend's penchant for showing off.

"Haha," he laughed loudly. "I was wondering how Zahra still hasn't been affected by the mana dispersed from Keira. Now I know. As you said, that wild girl is too much like you."

Seeing Nathan's puzzled expression, Zeryn continued.

"You must have a bloodline, right? That disgusting recovery ability of yours can't be human. I won't ask what bloodline it is, and you shouldn't tell anyone, understand?"

Nathan nodded, following along, having learned not to share too many secrets even with the closest people in this world. That was taught in the survival course when first entering sect. He gestured for Zeryn to continue.

"Bloodline, to put it bluntly, is a cheating mechanism. No matter what you say, I'm certain of it. Because bloodlines operate very randomly. Sometimes the parent's generation has it but the child's doesn't. Yet the grandchild or great-grandchild does? Strange, isn't it? Anyway, Zahra and you are two lucky ones to inherit bloodlines. It can start having effects from birth or when maturing, so your condition didn't worry me that much. Back to the fight, I'm not sure what Zahra's bloodline is, but it's interfering with Keira's Mana Aspect. That's why I say it's extremely unfair, a Tier 1 is hindering a technique on par with an early Tier 2."

"Then how can Keira win if there's such natural resistance?" Nathan asked.

"There's one way, but it's extremely dangerous to do it now."

"Damn it, Zer, can you just say it without beating around the bush?"

"Holy cow, she's really planning to do it."

Nathan shifted his gaze following his friend's surprise. Keira and Zahra had been fighting for a while. At this moment, Keira had just gathered energy, releasing mana from her body to create a wave pushing Zahra away.

She glared at her opponent. Her fighting style depended quite heavily on the Mana Aspect she possessed. That was why in the outer sect test, despite being Phase 9.9, her damage output only reached 8 points, lower than Zahra's 9.5 points. She had thought this wouldn't pose any difficulties when facing each other. But she was wrong. With the same judgment as Zeryn, she somewhat leaned towards the possibility of Zahra's bloodline. If so, there was only one way left. Her honor wouldn't allow her to concede defeat; she had to win first place. Although dangerous, she was confident she could do it.

"Damn it, you and all of them are crazy," Zeryn cursed. "She's going to breakthrough right now. Keira Valaine wants to reach Tier 2 in the middle of the match."