Chapter 62: Lower Stage(5) - Blood Bath (1/2)

*Boom!*

The first clash between the former friends produced an intense sound.

After his punch was parried, Gavin spun a right kick on Joshua's head.

Joshua, who had predicted the attack, caught his leg with his right hand.

Using the leg as an anchor, he spun around and blasted Gavin away.

*Bam!*

Gavin landed close to the center of the stage. He coughed out blood due to the force behind the throw and stood up.

Without looking, he swept his feet and the person in front of him fell. He already knew who it was. It was Joshua.

He knew that Joshua would attack him, any normal person would.

Gavin shook his right arm. It lit blue, powered up by [Spirit Essence].

With a loud shout, he dove his arm at the abdomen of Joshua, but he wasn't that lucky. His opponent had rolled away from the attack in time.

After rolling away, Joshua used the chance to trap Gavin's feet with his legs.

Like a snake, he brought down Gavin!

With an acrobatic move, he flipped back to his feet and stomped on Gavin.

By now, Joshua's body was already brimming with red [Spirit Essence]. That would explain why he was able to bring Gavin down.

His legs muscled bulged as he kicked Gavin high up in the sky.

*Pwoo!*

Coming down like a rocket, the dominated Gavin saw Joshua entering a stance with his [Spirit Essence] brimming more and more.

He knew he could not afford to take whatever attack Joshua planned.

With only his fierce willpower, he used his [Spirit Essence] to twist himself mid-air and positioned himself for a drop-kick.

'What!' reacted Joshua.

Due to the impeccable timing of Gavin, he did not foresee the attack.

Upon seeing the attack, he was only able to cross his arms and prepare himself for the attack.

The moment he blocked the attack, he was able to understand what a spectacular attack it was.

Despite Gavin's weaker strength, he was able to produce a force almost equal to the average physical force of Joshua.

However, Joshua knew that Gavin would have betted all his [Spirit Essence] on the attack.

He would be drained right now!

At least, that was what Joshua thought, but.....

”What?!” Joshua exclaimed.

He had felt a huge disturbance in the [Spirit Essence] in the air. Such disturbance could only be caused by an activation of a technique.

He looked at his opponent and saw brown [Spirit Essence] coiling around his arm to form a rocky-like glove on it.

Seeing that, he understood that Gavin had achieved [Realm-1 Hidden Stage].

'Previously, his Uncle and now him. He is now on equal strength with his uncle. Envious,' thought Joshua.

He was not jealous of Gavin's strength, but of his achievements.

”[1st Style of the Meteor series - Boulder Fist]!” announced Gavin.

His right arm pulsed as it met its way to the face of Joshua.

With the ferociously of a falling boulder, it hit Joshua and tumbled him around the stage!

*Boom!*

He hoped this attack would finalize it.

Gasping for breath, he fell on his knees as the last embers of [Spirit Essence] left him.

He laid flat on the stage as he looked at the sky, ”That should have been enough, shouldn't it?”

To prepare for the attack, he had overloaded himself with [Spirit Essence] far beyond what his body could contain and forcibly suppressed it in him.

Immediately after dishing his dropkick, he used the suppressed energy to fire up his technique.

Now, he was left with only his drained body and no energy.

Still reflecting, he heard a familiar footstep.

His jaws dropped as he saw the face of Joshua with a bloodied face and arms.

There were no words for him. He knew he had lost!

Joshua finally unsheathed his sword.

He knew Gavin would not forfeit. So, he went full power. He had played with Gavin enough.

Temperature flared as blobs of hot energy entered his body and flowed into his sword.

That was the beauty of a [High-Earth Rank] weapon; it could conduct energy

With the appropriate stance, Joshua raised up his red-hot sword, which melted the droplets of sweat on Joshua's skin.

Just like the saying, ”What goes up must come down”, he brought down his sword in a terrifying slash at Gavin...….

...…..

A few moments ago.

Jake stood straight as he looked at his opponent, Billy Miller.

Unlike his opponent, he wasn't tense.

Normally, he would have opted to fight unarmed, which was something he was very used to, but he decided to use his sword.

As cultivators progress, unarmed combat would be scorned and detrimental.

Without further ado, Jake brought out his sword and zipped to the location of Billy.

His fast speed caught Billy off-guard as he was left to defend.

*Ding!*

Jake's sword was parried by Billy's dagger.

Just like he practiced, Jake switched his sword and used his right hand to balance himself as he threw a roundhouse kick full of energy.

Smooth. Clean. That was the style of Jake's attack.

With his near-perfect control of [Spirit Essence], he optimized his energy consumption so he doesn't run out of it early.

Jake didn't give Billy time to recover.

He swung his sword at Billy's neck only stopping when it was about to cut off the boy's head, blood dripping from the nip it made.