Raja Kint waited for Calanthe Cardinal to continue speaking.

“I heard that there’s someone very powerful in the Bisuke Empire. I don’t know who he is. You just need to get on good terms with him.”

“He’ll get me to this event?” Raja Kint nonchalantly asks.

Calanthe Cardinal rolls her eyes. “It’ll be your loss. Knowledge of this event is highly secretive. Just the fact I’m telling you is enough for me to get in trouble.”

Raja Kint pondered, “Getting in trouble for telling me about an event. And you gave me next to nothing about the event too. Must be some event.” Raja Kint began grabbing food with his utensil. “We’ll see if I end up going.”

The two talked about random topics during the rest of their meal. Then they continued walking around the city. He notices the mini-games some stalls have lined up and decides the two of them should give the games a go.

Before they knew it the sky was turning dark. They were sitting on a bench drinking cold, sweaty lemonade. Raja Kint looks up at the stars and points toward a group of stars. “Those stars kinda look like an ice cream cone.”

Calanthe Cardinal looks over. “True.” Her eyes swivel around as she points. “Those stars kinda look like an eye. An eye looking down on us.”

Raja Kint looks at the eye constellation. “I’ll destroy that constellation.”

Calanthe Cardinal glances over while keeping quiet. She looks back up. “You like watching stars?”

“Not really, just kinda thought the stars reminded me of an ice cream cone.” Raja Kint’s eyes reflected the stars.

Calanthe Cardinal yelps, “Over there! It’s flying!”

Raja Kints looks at the shooting star. As the star is flying he feels the pit returning. It’s like seeing my home go up in flames. His eyes were affixed to the shooting star. Suddenly he felt an urge. He imagined himself punching with the fist of a shooting star. Not right. He continued using the image over and over. While burning the shooting star into his mind. I’ll use this to uncover a new technique. A technique that only I can use.

The two began walking back to Raja Kint’s place.

“Why do you always come to my place. I never go to yours,” asks Raja Kint.

Calanthe Cardinal raises an eyebrow. “My place? I guess we could go there. It’s a nice place but you can’t stay.”

The two took a different route through the city. Soon they reached a tall upscale building. She turned to Raja Kint. “Surprised?”

Raja Kint looked at the building. “Lackluster.”

Calanthe Cardinal narrowed her eyes. Turning her head to the building. “You should go prepare yourself. If you’re going to win you need every moment.”

”I could win right now.” Raja Kint watched as she entered the building. He then began walking back to his place. She really isn’t in the competition. From what I can tell she’s more than strong enough to be a top contender.

He reached his place and went into his room. Sitting in his room he frowned. He wrote a letter and slipped it under King Kint’s room. He then went outside and traveled through the forest. He soon reached the boulder where he and Exochos Kint trained before. He climbed the boulder and sat on top. He then looked toward the stars in the sky. The image of the shooting star replayed in his mind nonstop.

Soon, the morning for the top 32 to be decided arrived. King Kint appeared before the boulder. Finding Raja Kint silently cultivating. “Let’s go.”

Raja Kint lightly opened his eyes. Seeing King Kint he expressed his thanks as he hopped down. The two quickly returned and the group set off for the arena. This time Raja Kint, Exochos Kint and Kyoot Kint went to the left side. Leaving Rhode Kint by herself on the right. Luckily, none of them were matched up for each other.

As the competition was about to be underway. Raja Kint decided to calmly cultivate. He knew that the chances of an easy fight again were slim. Contestants were continuously called to the arena. Exochos Kint was the first of their group to fight. Once again effortlessly winning. Soon Raja Kint was called and he stepped out. He noticed his opponent was tall and muscular. Sheesh, he must’ve barely fit the age limit.

The bell rang and the two dashed forward. The boy cocked his right fist back and swung his fist forward. Raja Kint responded in kind. “Bang!” Raja Kint raised his eyebrows.

The boy excitedly said, “You’re a body cultivator too? How exciting!” His wide smile showed his pearly whites.

Raja Kint smirked. “Body and ki. It’s really rare to meet a body cultivator though. Let’s go all out with just our bodies.”

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The boy frowned. “So you also practice ki. Your body must be weak.” He cocked his left arm back and punched forward.

Raja Kint mimicked the movement as they clashed to a standstill again. The boy’s eyes narrowed. Interlocking his fingers he stretched his arms. Crackling sounds erupting.

“Ahh, so much better.” The boy’s face became serious as he took a fighting stance.

Raja Kint lightly began stepping in place. His body waves side to side like a pendulum. With a single step he closed the distance. Sending a right leg kick aimed at the ribcage. As the boy went to block. The leg went higher than assumed and slammed into his head. The boy staggered for a moment before slapping himself.

Raja Kint calmly stood in place as the boy regained his wits.

“That’s quite a move,” says the boy with narrowed eyes. He took the initiative this time.

Raja Kint watched as a tank of muscle ran toward him. The boy launched out fists at a pace faster than one would assume for his size. Raja Kint didn’t dodge or block. Instead he traded blow for blow with the boy. The force of each clash traveling through his arms. 10 blows, 20 blows, 40 blows. They were going strong. 80 blows. The boy’s mind was in shock. Raja Kint gazed into his eyes as if he could read his mind. Yet the boy could only think to press forward evermore.

“Argh!” roared the boy. Blotting the tiredness and pain with pure will.

Raja Kint didn’t fall behind as he kept pace with the boy. He’s feeling tired. But doesn’t want to give in. Raja Kint narrowed his eyes. This should be long enough. He took a step forward to overpower the boy. The boy also took a step forward but was quickly pushed back. 120 blows. The boy’s arms were cinder blocks as they finally dropped to his sides. His wheezing was the only noise heard in the arena.

“You’re quite strong. I’m not sure anyone else here could do what you did.” Raja Kint looked at the tired boy.

“Hmph. This is the world of cultivation. But, with such a chance before me. I can’t just give in now.” He clenched his fists and ran forward.

Raja Kint watched while internally nodding. I quite like his spirit. If only he was born with more talent. Raja Kint watched for a punch when suddenly the boy was on him. He sent his head forward knocking into Raja Kint. Raja Kint’s reflexes were too strong as he slammed his head forward too. Both of them reeled from the impact. Raja Kint squinted from the pain while saying.

“Alright, that’s enough.” He ran forward.

The boy collected himself as he charged forward. Raja Kint sent a fist. Right before collision with the boy’s head. He made a palm that softened the blow. His other arm formed a fist and dug into the boy’s stomach. Lifting his body a foot into the air. When the boy touched the ground again he stumbled around. Raja Kint slammed his fist into the boy’s head. Spinning him like a top. Yet, the boy stayed standing.

Raja Kint furrowed his brows. “You clearly can’t fight with me anymore.”

The boy looked over. “You think I’d willingly concede?”

“Fine.” Raja Kint launched punches into the boy’s midsection. Grabbing his head and slamming his knee into his face. Blood sprayed from his broken nose. Raja Kint grabbed his head again when the referee shouted.

“Raja Kint is declared the winner. Due to his opponent’s inability to fight back.”

The boy fell to his knees from the piercing pain and deep disappointment. Raja Kint walked back to his room and sat down.

Kyoot Kint says, “That was incredible.”

Raja Kint says, “It wasn’t anything much. He has an incredible body. He just doesn’t use it very well.”

Kyoot Kint nodded her head. “His punches did seem ferocious and he had quite the will to fight.”

After a short period, Kyoot Kint is called up. As she steps onto the arena she recognizes her opponent is a strong competitor she noticed during the battle royale. The two step onto the arena and she quickly begins crafting arrays. With one-on-one battles she only used time to craft two arrays. A defensive and offensive array. She decided to focus more efforts on crafting an offensive array.

“Ding. Ding. Ding.”

Kyoot Kint sat down and looked at her opponent. The boy immediately brought forth his full-body technique. A ki buffalo appeared around him. Kyoot Kint formed a regular-sized ki sword with cracks.

Raja Kint remembered this ki sword from the Lerup Sect. Except the cracks were far less now.

The boy stampeded forward like a buffalo. Kyoot Kint slashed her ki sword down. The boy raised his arms and punched forward as if they were horns. “Clang!” The ki sword flew backward, forming a circle to come back around. The boy momentarily stopped before stomping his feet and bursting forward again.

Kyoot Kint swiped her ki sword. The boy changed the direction of his momentum. Knocking the ki sword back again. The two clashed several more times. Finally, the boy is close enough to the array and slams into the turtle array.

While the boy is clashing with the array Kyoot Kint slashes toward his back. The boy realising he needs time to destroy the array turns around and crosses his arms. The horns of the ki buffalo taking the slash. “Bam.” The force of the ki sword slams him into the array. Kyoot Kint narrows her eyes. It seems this buffalo grants him stronger defenses too.

With close proximity the boy turns to the array. He quickly takes a step back. Positioning his right leg behind his left leg. His arms extend forward like horns as he hunches toward the array. “Charging Buffalo!” roars the boy as he charges into the barrier. “Boom.”

Kyoot Kint raises her ki sword into the air. “Let’s see you take this attack.” She narrows her eyes as the boy prepares for another attack. The cracks in the sword are healing as its strength rises.

The boy warily glances up at the sword. He looks at the array. “Charging Buffalo!” The turtle array shatters.

This gave the ki sword enough time to heal its cracks down to a single crack in the sword. Kyoot Kint slashes downward. The wind whirs from the speed of the ki sword’s slash. The boy felt an overwhelming sense of danger as he turned and crossed his arms.

“Argh!” roars the boy in agony. His blood flying across the stadium as he’s sent flying away from Kyoot Kint. The sword kept close pursuit as it swipes the boy. He moves his arms to help defend. The effort proved futile as more blood flew about. The boy took this chance to create distance between him and the sword.

Kyoot Kint calmly watches him as her sword floats above his head.