Mana from the air rushed towards Keira, forming a visible blue vortex.

Realizing her intentions, Elder Marcus immediately spoke up with urgency.

"Keira Valaine, do you wish to forfeit?"

"No, Elder," she replied decisively.

Marcus frowned, glancing up at the high-ranking leaders for support.

"Let the girl proceed," Alaric calmly ordered. "If anything happens, we're here."

Marcus sighed in relief, glad to avoid this responsibility. He left the two disciples on the field to their own devices.

Keira retrieved a pill from her spatial ring and swallowed it along with several mana stones. They automatically orbited her, ensuring a continuous mana supply.

"Damn," Zeryn exclaimed. "A spatial ring and a Condensed Essence Pill? She's loaded."

"Aren't you the same?" Nathan questioned.

"Joke's on you, I'm rich but still poor. Remember, I had to reach Tier 2 and become an inner disciple to get a spatial ring. Not to mention she has a bunch of mana stones to use."

Indeed, Keira’s financial backing seemed substantial. The Condensed Essence Pill, as Nathan recalled from the sect point exchange list, was worth about ten thousand points, over 33 times the value of an 'Initial Advancing Pill', largely due to the concentrated essence within. It was too potent for disciples to absorb, suitable only for breakthroughs.

"Anyway," Nathan spoke up. "Are the elders really not intervening?"

“They probably think she needs this,” Zeryn replied. “Breaking through without being in a meditative state, and without a master’s supervision, is highly unusual. It requires complete understanding of one’s body and incredible focus. But sometimes, cultivators hit a bottleneck, like a cork in a bottle, preventing advancement. Keira’s likely been stuck at Tier 1 Phase 9.9 for a while, and the Elders are letting her push herself to the edge to break through.”

Nathan focused on the slender figure enveloped by mana on the field, truly admiring her determination. In fact, he admired all the disciples present, including those he had defeated. Each possessed a daring spirit in their hearts, striving towards their goals. His respect also stemmed from Keira risking her foundation. Any major breakthrough, if not executed well, could render previous cultivation efforts futile. Recultivation was possible, but reaching the same heights would become a hundred times more difficult.

One of the mana stones surrounding Keira shattered. The mana smoke was inhaled into her body through her breathing. Everyone could observe it passing through the mana focal points in cultivation. The blue light traveled from her chest down to her abdomen, then back up to her shoulders, down to her knees, and finally reversing once more to move to three points on her head.

"The Novem Nexus Path," Nathan muttered, unconsciously placing a hand on his stomach where he remained stuck.

After completing one cycle, a wave of energy emanated from Keira's position, kicking up a cloud of dust from the ground. The mana smoke no longer moved chaotically but formed a cloud that hovered beside her.

Zahra stood there, watching the process with interest, showing no intention to attack. But this irritated Keira.

"Attack," her voice brooked no refusal. "I don't ask for leniency while breaking through."

Zahra blinked, surprised by Keira’s resolve. She had misjudged Keira as one of those boring outer disciples with superior looks. It was she who needed to reevaluate herself.

"Sorry," Zahra replied sincerely.

She understood that if it were her, she wouldn't allow it either. Choosing to break through here meant fighting as usual. Enemies outside the sect wouldn't show mercy but would rejoice at this state. Waiting for Keira wasn't respect.

For Keira, it was exactly that. If she forced others to yield during her breakthrough, even a victory would be shameful. Her psychology had pushed her this far, and she hoped to fight. And in battle, truly take another step on the path of cultivation. Keira proved her words by attacking first. She glided gracefully, her feet barely touching the ground. Mid-air, she drew an aesthetic circle, dispersing mana to attack her opponent.

Zahra ducked her head to dodge, then somersaulted forward into a four-limbed stance on the ground. She moved around her opponent, eyes intensely focused to avoid any mana slashes or bullets from the sword's tip.

The Novem Nexus Path required nine refinements. Keira had completed one and entered the second. But her expectations were met; Zahra didn't stay idle. After circling once, Zahra leaped into the air, somersaulting to swing her claws at Keira. With abundant mana, Keira controlled it to form a shield.

Zahra's claws pierced the somewhat weak barrier. Then, she grinned mischievously, using the shield as a springboard to leap higher, her flexible body curling into a ball before falling to unleash a barrage of kicks and scratches that left her opponent staggering.

Sweat poured down Keira's face; she could break free with another mana blast, but her condition wouldn't allow it. The essence from the pill demanded she channel mana for the fusion process. Blue veins bulged on her temples as she struggled to maintain the shield while guiding mana through the nine points.

Seizing the advantage, Zahra concentrated her power into a mighty kick on the barrier. Her kick focused on her toes, concentrating the force to a point. The shield shattered, pushing Keira back.

Keira suppressed a groan, blood trickling from her left nostril.

Elder Marcus looked to Alaric, receiving only a head shake in response.

The second cycle of mana and essence was complete.

Zahra landed, her spirit high. This time she attacked by spinning vertically. With her strong legs, she became a vortex crashing into Keira. Amidst her scratches, she didn't forget her trademark small explosions.

Keira forgot all pretense of image, focused solely on Zahra before her and the remaining mental capacity to regulate the two energies in her body. With a roar, she responded with similar sword swings. Between them, only sparks flew as metal clashed. In response to Zahra's explosions, Keira also used mana bullets to hinder her opponent.

Sometimes Zahra would be blasted away, but she always recovered and returned. Her persistence impressed both her opponent and all onlookers.

Nathan was drawn into the battle, from the psychology of combat to the movements and reactions. Everything was precise. He had overestimated himself in thinking he could relatively match Zahra. She might not possess his regenerative ability, but her flexibility and endurance were certainly not inferior. Add to that her speed, and there was no need for further discussion. As for Keira, it was indisputable; he lacked the confidence to completely dodge her slashes and mana bullets. Evidence was in his match with Qingfeng, where he seemed to have taken all the arrows head-on.

The third cycle of the Novem Nexus was successful. Keira attempted to regulate with three consecutive mana slashes, forcing Zahra to retreat.

As the fourth cycle began, Zahra launched her frenzied assault, engaging in close-quarters combat with Keira. Her scratches and finger strikes all sounded alarms.

Keira managed by utilizing her sword's hilt and flat side. Her free hand also worked tirelessly to deflect some dangerous attacks. Unable to focus fully, she still allowed Zahra to scratch across her chest. The small wound bled, revealing sensitive skin beneath. Undisturbed, she controlled the surrounding mana to cover it, preventing prying eyes from seeing.

The fifth cycle began. Zahra was now sweating profusely. She couldn't believe someone dividing their attention could still receive her speed. On the surface, she held the upper hand, having wounded her opponent. Normally, Zahra would have won by now, but the looming threat of Keira’s breakthrough pushed her into desperation.

Keira noticed the shift in her opponent's attitude, what she had been waiting for from the start. Attacking her without maintaining composure was like falling into a trap, sinking deep into the muddy waters she had set. Even with the bloodline in use.

Zahra didn't realize this; what had kept her rhythm from the beginning was gradually slipping away. As long as she remained alert, thinking, analyzing, she wouldn't be affected. But she had already fallen into the trap. She changed her attacks, focusing more on damage than defense.

Keira responded with a gentle sword technique. She appeared to move slowly with fluid grace, but each dance-like movement could neutralize her opponent's attacks while simultaneously etching bloody lines on the enemy's skin.

"It's over," Zeryn shook his head.

“Why? Zahra still looks fine to me,” Nathan said, confused.

"That's why you guys need guidance from high-level masters. Keira is in a breakthrough state; applying pressure is enough, no need to be reckless. Just a few more times, and she'll either have to abort the process or surrender to test her ability to break through the wall blocking her from Tier 2."

"Isn't Zahra still doing that?"

"Oh, not at all. Zahra's bloodline might make her immune to Keira's Mana Aspect. But letting herself get sliced up like that, what do you think will happen?"

"Mana infusion," Nathan's eyes lit up.

"Bingo. Keira's mana entering the bloodstream will greatly reduce resistance. I don't know her channeling method, but mana in the blood only makes it easier."

"So what exactly is Keira's Aspect?" Nathan couldn't hold back his curiosity.

This time, Zeryn didn't play mysterious.

"Illusion."

Illusion?

Before he could ask, an explosion on the arena floor caught Nathan's attention.

Keira had entered the seventh cycle. She had just used another mana blast to push Zahra away. Only a few mana stones still orbited her.

Zahra let out an angry roar, her body leaping into the air. When she reached the apex, she pulled her legs tight to her thighs. Muscles and tendons bulged, tearing her tight pants. Then she kicked upwards, creating a counterforce propelling her straight down. Two raised fists descended like hammers towards Keira.

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Keira didn't flinch. Using her right foot as a pivot, she stretched upwards, mana flowing along her body like a stream. Her sword tip met the metal of Zahra's gauntlets. Both gauntlets and sword tip shattered, accompanied by a shockwave in the air. Once again, both were thrown back.

Keira coughed blood, her channeling process falling into chaos. Closing her eyes to focus, she forced her mind to clarity by biting her lip. Blood sprayed like flowers clinging to her cheeks. Her cycle was complete. The eighth began.

Zahra also coughed blood. She didn't realize her vision was becoming blurry. Keira was just a small dot in a world of vague things as if everything was moving too fast. Trying to steady herself, she didn't stop. Repeating her previous attack method, this time she let herself fly parallel to the ground, arms and body stretched towards her opponent. Her calves contracted, propelling her forward. Midway, she contracted again, causing her blood vessels to burst, spraying blood trails. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she rotated her center of gravity in the air, forming a deadly drill.

Keira smiled, impressed by the ferocity of the attack. That drill must have broken through level 10 in terms of power, possibly reaching 11 with Zahra's proficiency. Taking it head-on would be foolish, especially when her defensive mana was just a sham, not truly Tier 2. But she wasn't a fool. She was too tired to dodge. But her move had been completed long ago.

Zahra charged forward, the wind around her seeming to twist along. She kept charging and charging. But the target she should have hit made no contact. Only when the resistance completely negated her momentum did she sprawl on the ground. She looked up, still seeing Keira there. With her determination, she stood up to attack.

Keira looked up at the sky, her face breaking into a happy smile, initiating the final cycle.

"What is Zahra attacking?" a disciple in the stands questioned.

"So the rumors were true. Keira's Mana Aspect is Illusion."

"Heavens! The goddess possesses one of the rare Aspects?"

People gradually called out Keira's name. The calls, mixed with intense fervor, created an echo that seemed to tear at the ears.

The battle was decided. By risking advancement to gain more mana, Keira had made her opponent fall into an illusion. The Keira that Zahra saw wasn't real; what she was attacking was just air. Keira’s satisfaction was palpable as she neared the final moments of her breakthrough. She had been stuck at the bottleneck for months, but this battle—this gamble—had paid off. For glory, for her future, she had taken the risk, and now she would reap the reward.

The blue light gradually moved to the final stations. It went from left to right, then concentrated in the center. The remaining mana stones exploded, forming a vortex that flew straight into Keira's forehead. Immediately after, her body levitated off the ground, surrounded by a coat of pure energy. After a moment, the blue color gradually changed to a soft pink. A wave originating from Keira spread outwards. Everyone inadvertently smelled flowers, but each person smelled a different kind. Keira Valaine's Mana Aspect left everyone in awe and fear.

Keira slowly descended, her feet lightly touching the ground. She had successfully broken through.

The screen in the middle of the field immediately updated her information. Keira Valaine - Tier 2, Phase 1.

The roars calling her name grew louder, to the point where Marcus had to project an energy screen to reduce the volume.

"What just happened?" Zahra looked around bewildered as Keira dispelled the illusion.

"You lost!"

With that, Keira released her aura. The power of Tier 2 weighed down on Zahra. She could still function if she tried. But she understood that in her current state, she couldn't win. If her opponent wished, with the freely projectable mana of a Tier 2, she would fall into illusions again. She needed to become stronger to face this strange Aspect once more with her bloodline.

"Yeah," Zahra smiled in response, "I lost!"

"The victor, Keira Valaine. Disciples, let's congratulate her on advancing to the finals."

Marcus announced upon hearing this, having been tense watching these two disciples. Although reassured beforehand, if he had been careless and ruined the future of a disciple like Keira, he would certainly be held accountable.

Keira smiled, not staying to receive praise but descending from the arena. Though somewhat disheveled, with her new power and status, her gait gained even more authority than before. Passing by Xander, she nodded respectfully and expectantly. As for Nathan, her calm gaze suddenly showed a slight movement. Without nodding or saying anything, she turned her head straight towards the rest tent to change clothes.

"You've been marked, Nate!" Zeryn teased.

"Wonder whose fault that is?" Nathan punched his friend's shoulder.

Zeryn quickly dodged, retreating a distance.

"Your punches hurt now, stay away, my friend."

Nathan shook his head, refocusing on the stage. He absorbed everything around him: the enthusiasm, the excitement, the anticipation. It was still hard to believe he was one of the disciples who would meet the inner sect elders and sect leader. He could stop here, but he didn't want to, didn't want to just take the easy path. If he chose that, what would the next path and the one after be like? It could only get harder from here. He might fail, but he absolutely must have the courage to try. The pain from broken bones and injuries over two years, along with accidents with higher Phases, had tempered him into someone who could take hits. But now he could fight back, so he would fight back to the end.

On the other side, Xander stepped onto the first stair, advancing towards the arena with a pressuring gait.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Nathan also moved forward. He no longer trembled, realizing he had nothing left to lose, his mind becoming calm.

"The remaining semi-final match. Nathan Reed versus Xander Caldoran. Let's welcome the two contestants!"

Marcus's call was met with enthusiastic response. The atmosphere was once again heated after the intense battle between the two girls.

"It's funny how just this morning you were hiding and using me," Xander smirked.

"Thanks a lot," Nathan replied nonchalantly.

"No need, knowing to rely on the strong is due to your intelligence."

Nathan's lips twitched; he was already being implied to be a weakling. But it wasn't entirely wrong.

"I'll show you, besides brains, I'm not inferior to anyone."

Xander threw his head back in laughter.

"Smarter than fools, but I never said you were smarter than average. Don't overestimate yourself. Just daring to stand here with your cultivation level is enough for me to judge."

"Judge what?" Nathan's face fell.

"Both stupid and incompetent," Xander replied as if stating the obvious.

This guy who looks like a war god is actually a sharp-tongued bastard, Nathan silently cursed, feeling like his idol had crumbled.

"Contestants, prepare," Marcus announced.

The moment the elder called start, Nathan attacked first, striking preemptively.

The punch he had been waiting to throw was met by Xander's spear, which had spun around from behind his back. The butt end collided with Nathan's fist, causing his arm to fly up. Then, Xander grabbed the spear shaft and thrust forward. Nathan shifted his body's center of gravity mid-air, avoiding the sharp tip. He grasped the spear shaft, pulling it towards himself, closing the distance. Like his strategy against Gideon, he aimed to limit the weapon's strength.

Xander sneered dismissively. It would be negligent if he hadn't thought of and practiced for such situations. Still gripping the spear tightly in his right hand, he used his left to engage Nathan directly. His speed was faster, forcing his opponent to constantly dodge and defend. Simultaneously, with a subtle movement of his right wrist, he pulled his spear back. Gripping the weapon near the head, he used the spear like a short knife, both slashing and stabbing at his opponent.

Nathan silently cursed, knowing Xander was allowing him to show off by not immediately creating distance and attacking as he had with Milo and other opponents. Nevertheless, he didn't intend to let this opportunity slip away, pushing his body to work at maximum capacity. The system continuously popped up notifications of the effects of [Amplifying Strike], [Flowing Strikes], and [Internal Trauma].

Xander was also quietly surprised by Nathan's strange style. His opponent executed strikes in a pattern he had never seen before. Those outside wouldn't notice, but for someone with battle nerves like Xander, he wouldn't miss the details when this close. Nathan's punches, palm strikes, or even finger jabs, though swung through the air, had their own characteristics. They would repeat a few times, then not be used again but undergo a slight transformation. A punch that could cause itching would then change to be so light that if it touched, one would feel nothing. At some moment, when Xander exposed a weakness, those unused strikes would come, but with greater intensity, from bruising to potentially causing trauma, from light as a feather to enough to cause aches. Strange move after strange move made Xander understand why his enemy had meandered to the semi-finals.

Nathan was delighted that [Improved Balance] wasn't as useless as he thought. This skill gave him the ability to control his center of gravity and pivot effortlessly. He felt like Neo in The Matrix, which he had once been obsessed with. His feet were stable, not fearing that his own attacks or his opponent's would cause him to waver. At times, he could even use his opponent's forward momentum to change positions, shift his center of gravity, and then attack from a new angle. Evidence of this came when Xander once again used the spear tip to thrust forward. Nathan tilted his body to dodge but could quickly recover from the inertia, using his shoulder and chest to push up against his opponent's hand and spear shaft. This caused Xander to lose balance momentarily, creating enough space and time for a full-force one-inch punch to the flank.

Xander saw the attack he had analyzed earlier through PsiLink. But because of his contempt and carelessness, he couldn't avoid it in time. He concentrated mana to the target area. The hit sent him flying backwards; he had to spin his spear, carving a small groove in the ground to recover.

"Not bad," Xander said. "But still inferior."

"Are you geniuses delusional? Why does every one of you like to play around before getting serious, like three-year-olds?"

Triggered [Bad Mouth]. One credit given.

Wonderful! Right timing, you goddamn skill.

Startled by Nathan's sharp words, Xander frowned at his opponent's disdain. He had never been treated like this before. Gripping his spear tightly, he jumped up and swung it towards his opponent.

Like Xander, Nathan had analyzed his semi-final opponent with Zeryn's help. Information truly was an invaluable asset. Without time to observe and analyze, he wouldn't have known how to counter the next attack. Noticing Xander's eyes slanting to the left and his shoulder and abdominal muscles bulging, Nathan sidestepped to the right, just in time to avoid the spear tip slashing down from the left. While the spear tip was still embedded in the ground, Nathan spun like a dancer towards the front, ducking his head to avoid the upward rebound. Then he took a stance, keeping his legs loose and ready to move at any moment. The continuous thrusting technique used against Gideon was unleashed. He stood amidst the rain of attacks, suffering only minor wounds thanks to split-second movements, using his iron gauntlets to deflect dangerous paths or disrupt the spear's trajectory.

At the end of the exchange, Nathan was naturally covered in blood. But importantly, he had withstood the enemy's storm of attacks and speed. His eyes now blinked to ease the strain. [Better Vision] once again provided unimaginable assistance. He couldn't imagine the consequences of constant blinking without it. Thus ended Xander's two types of attacks: swinging and thrusting. What would he do next?

"Not bad, really not bad," Xander patted his spear. "Getting this far without using the trump card makes me itch. Let me show you what it's like when I get serious."

Xander repeated his old attack, jumping forward and swinging his spear. Nathan, out of habit, dodged again, the tip and edge of the spear seeming to graze past him. But the result was a deep, painful groan. Looking down, a diagonal cut had slashed across his thigh.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed.

Nathan didn't realize the entire arena had fallen silent. Even the inner sect elders leaned forward in shock. One of them was even rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

"Haha! Fate smiles upon Verdant Spire Sect!" Alaric said gleefully.

"Sect Leader! We're not seeing things, are we?"

"How could we be mistaken," another person answered before Alaric could. "I've been watching that Zeryn kid constantly, so I recognized the likeliness from the start. It's just that Xander had never used it before, so we couldn't be certain."

"A disciple possessing Spear Intent," Esme said, still in disbelief.

Previously, the sect had felt lucky to have a disciple with Intent like Zeryn at Tier 1. Having Intent so early would make it easier to develop later. And above all, it was very powerful.

"Well, that's it," Zeryn said dejectedly. "My unique position is gone. And my friend is pretty much done for."

Whispers spread across all the stands, the topic of Nathan cheating on PsiLink completely replaced by Xander's Spear Intent.

Wondering what was happening, Nathan overheard people discussing and finally understood. So this was what Zeryn had warned about. A disciple who could pose a threat to Zeryn could only be someone with equivalent ability. Sword Intent and Spear Intent.

Looking again at the wound on his thigh, Nathan knew it was caused by something invisible. Spear Intent or Sword Intent at the initial level was quite similar to the Extended Mana Blade technique. From the outside, others only saw the spear with its small sharp tip, but in reality, it was covered by an invisible spear. What it looked like, only the owner knew. Besides, it could be shrunk or enlarged, making it impossible for opponents to guess.

To prove Nathan’s thinking, Xander thrust his spear. And this time, he didn't even bother to close the distance as before. The spear was a hand's width away from Nathan. But his shoulder was still cut, blood spraying into the sky. Trying to suppress the pain, Nathan stared dazedly at his opponent.

"Well? Does my seriousness meet your expectations?"

Saying this, Xander took a stance, the spear lovingly in his hand like a treasure. Notably, the spears on the weapon racks around them all vibrated, shaking violently as if wanting to be the one in Xander's embrace.

"It really is Spear Intent," everyone was astounded.

Then they called Xander's name with intense anticipation.

They thought the fight was over. They thought the future was decided. They thought Nathan was just there to make up the numbers.

But they didn't see the changing state of the Tier 1 Phase 2.6 disciple. His eyes locked onto his opponent, feeling the Intent through the vibrations of the spears. Sensing his opponent's will pouring out intensely. The invitation of Intent made his body itch all over. A skill within him ignited, from a smoldering ember into a raging volcano. A master cannot be underestimated.

[Martial Art Mastery]'s Hidden Effect Unlocked.

Into the Zone: Under certain circumstances, grants a state of hyper-focus, dramatically enhancing perception, reflexes, and analytical abilities while temporarily increasing pain tolerance. Allows for intuitive optimization of skills and energy flow.