The silence that took over the plateau was so dense that one could hear the wind blowing through the leaves of the great ancestral tree.
Kyrian walked to the center of the arena. His steps were light, his eyes calm. The black robe of the Verdant Sword swayed gently.
On the other side, Mu Qing stepped forward with firm strides. The disciple of the Ancient Forest appeared serene, but his eyes shone with an intense green light. His hands were already covered by a thin layer of living wood.
The Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect positioned himself between the two.
"Second semifinal match. Kyrian of the Verdant Sword versus Mu Qing of the Ancient Forest."
He raised his hand.
"You may begin!"
Mu Qing acted first.
He stomped his foot on the arena floor, and imdiately a wall of thick wood sprouted in front of him, covering his entire body. It was not an ordinary defense, it was a massive do of dark wood, glowing with fluorescent green Qi.
"Ancestral Forest Technique. Living Wood Do!"
The do closed completely around Mu Qing, leaving only small gaps through which he could observe the outside. The wood was so dense it seed capable of withstanding any attack.
Kyrian raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting."
His sword eyes flickered.
The first invisible slash shot toward the do, fast as lightning. The blade of Qi and sword intent struck the wood with a dull sound.
The do trembled. A thin crack appeared on its surface.
But the wood regenerated instantly, as if ti had reversed.
"Living wood," Kyrian murmured.
"So as long as he has Qi, it recovers..."
He tried again. The second slash was stronger, concentrated on a single point of the do.
The impact was greater. The crack deepened, and for a mont it seed the defense would shatter.
But Mu Qing was no ordinary opponent.
Inside the do, he brought his hands together and channeled more Qi into the wood. The crack closed again, and the do beca even thicker than before.
The third slash ca imdiately. Kyrian was giving no respite.
The do shook violently, but it did not fall.
The audience murmured.
"Three glances! And the defense is still standing!"
"Mu Qing is incredibly strong!"
"But Kyrian hasn’t even moved yet..."
While Kyrian attacked, Mu Qing did not remain idle.
Beneath Kyrian’s feet, the wooden floor of the arena began to move. Thick roots, as wide as a man’s arms, sprouted from all sides, slithering toward him like hungry snakes.
Kyrian dodged the first group with a light leap. The roots brushed past his legs, but he was already in the air.
The mont he touched the ground, more roots erged. They were fast, coordinated, and relentless.
Kyrian moved like water between stones. His steps were precise, economical, almost like a dance. Every ti a root ca too close, his sword eyes flickered, and an invisible slash split it in half.
The pieces of wood fell to the ground... and were absorbed by the arena.
Kyrian noticed that.
"The arena is absorbing the fragnts?"
Mu Qing replied from inside the do, his voice echoing through the wood.
"The great ancestral tree is connected to all living wood. As long as I stand upon it, my defenses regenerate. And so do my roots."
More roots erged. This ti, not only from the ground but also from the sides of the arena. Large twisted trunks sprouted from the wooden walls surrounding the stage, advancing at high speed toward Kyrian.
He kept dodging. Cutting. Jumping.
But even for Kyrian, the sheer number of roots was impressive. For every root cut, two more appeared. And the arena absorbed the fallen pieces, returning the Qi to Mu Qing.
It was an almost perfect cycle.
Kyrian leaped backward, avoiding a trunk that passed inches from his face. He looked at the wooden do, where Mu Qing remained hidden.
"You are strong," Kyrian said aloud, admitting it.
"Much stronger than I imagined."
Inside the do, Mu Qing replied.
"You too. But you still haven’t used your sword. Why?"
Kyrian answered without changing his expression.
"Because I didn’t need to. Until now."
His eyes changed. Sothing in the air shifted. Kyrian touched the spatial ring on his finger. A white flash, and then a sword appeared in his hand.
The mont his fingers wrapped around the hilt, everything changed.
The sword intent emanating from Kyrian exploded outward like an invisible tidal wave. It was no longer just the pressure of his eyes. It was the pressure of a true swordsman, soone who had beco one with his blade.
The sharp Qi that had previously dispersed through the air now concentrated on the blade, shining with a pure white light. The ancestral sword intent, the one Kyrian had absorbed from the founder of the Verdant Sword, wrapped around the blade like a sacred mantle.
The audience held its breath.
"He finally drew his sword..."
"It’s the first ti against an opponent!"
"That pressure... it’s terrifying!"
Even the Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect narrowed his eyes.
Kyrian raised the sword above his head.
There was no elaborate movent. No ornate technique. Just a simple, direct, absolute strike.
He brought the sword down.
The slash that left the blade was not invisible like the previous ones. It was visible, a bright green blade of energy that cut through the air with a sharp hum.
The trunks between Kyrian and the do were split as if they were made of paper. There was no resistance. Only wood separating into two clean halves.
The slash continued.
It struck the massive wooden do.
For a mont, nothing happened. The do remained intact, glowing with green Qi.
Then, a thin line appeared at its center.
The line widened. The do split into two halves, like a fruit being opened.
The slash did not stop.
Inside the do, Mu Qing’s eyes were wide. He raised his arms in a desperate defense, creating a wall of wood in front of him.
The wall shattered like glass.
The strike hit Mu Qing directly in the chest.
His body was thrown out of the arena like a dry leaf. He flew more than ten ters before hitting the plateau floor, rolling several tis before coming to a stop. Blood trickled from his lips. His robe was torn from chest to abdon.
But he was alive. Kyrian had controlled the strength of the strike.
Silence took over the plateau for a long second.
Then, the Leader of the Ancient Forest Sect raised his hand.
"Kyrian wins! Advances to the final!"
The plateau erupted.
"One strike! Just one strike!"
"He destroyed the defense that withstood three glances!"
"Mu Qing is incredibly strong! If it were against Huo Ling, it might have been an even fight..."
"But Kyrian is on a completely different level!"
In the VIP stands, the envoys of the fourth-tier forces exchanged aningful glances.
"He finally showed a bit more of what he knows," one of them said.
"Just a bit," another replied.
Kyrian stored the sword in his spatial ring and stepped down from the arena. His face was calm.
He passed by Huo Ling, who watched him with a serious expression.
"The final will be between the two of us," Huo Ling said.
The final of the Gathering of Domains was set.
Kyrian versus Huo Ling.
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