Chapter 81: “What would he do?” (1/2)
”Match 2, End!”
The stage became clearer and acuter to the audience.
They had heard the referee announce the end of the match, but they didn't know what the outcome was.
Even the two participants didn't know who won!
Jaya looked at her position. Her feet were just an inch away from the stage's border.
Exuding a relieved sigh, she checked for her opponent.
Her opponent, Sierra, was also standing. However, the problem was where she was standing.
It came as a surprise that she was just on the borderline. Yet, following the rules, she had been disqualified!
The two participants smiled at each other, despite one of them losing.
They walked out of the stage together, knowing that if the exact same scenario should play out again, the victor might be different.
The touching display of respect the two had for each other earned the claps of the crowd.
In that match, there were two winners but only one official victor!
.......
After a few minutes, the referee announced the start of the third match, ”Match 3, Nico vs. Alex Bell.”
He waited for the two competitors to come to the stage, all the while examining the status of the stage and if it would be okay to continue battles on the stage.
'It is true that each generation is better than the last!' smiled the referee.
In the past, most of the fights didn't reach this level. There weren't many hidden stages of cultivators emerging.
However, years later, even the first few fights of the Ranked stages rivaled the final fights of the previous competition.
Most of the participants had already awakened the destructive potential of their elements.
Still deep in thoughts, he spotted the participants on the stage and got back to business.
”Match 3, Start!”
Unlike the previous matches, the crowd became quieter.
”Who do you think would win?” asked one of them.
”Isn't it obvious?” mocked another.
They had already forgone the outcome of the match.
Part of the reason for that was due to them not having an accurate understanding of the participants, so they favored the one they knew better.
”They shou---”
*Thud!!*
The fight kicks off with Nico launching himself at Alex.
He attempts to punch Alex when he is blocked by a hidden dagger in Alex's sleeves.
Still not giving up, Nico charges his fist with yellow [Spirit Essence] and smashes the cheek of Alex.
This attack stunned the crowd.
Most of them were knowledgeable and quickly found out what was happening.
They knew that Nico was at [Realm-1 Hidden Stage]!
One of the ways to spot a [Realm-1 Hidden Stage] cultivator was their energy. Their energy would not more be blue but different colored, which would signify their element.
So, instantly, they knew Nico had awakened his element, which was likely fire.
”Give up,” heroically said Nico.
He had revealed his cultivation to make his opponent give up the fight.
He told Alex, ”You are at [Realm-1 Stage-8], right? Two stages were lower than mine. You have no chance!”
His words, instead of making Alex surrender, made Alex's resolve become stronger.
Alex didn't take to account the difference in cultivation base. There were many people who were able to bridge that gap. Some of the participants were capable of this feat.
So, he didn't fall into Nico's trap and opted to challenge his limit in the battle.
He kept blocking Nico's attack, which burnt, as he observed, 'I can't continue like this. He is like a fierce tiger. I am like the lamb with a weak body. I need to put on some distance.'
Opening his jacket like a villain, Alex revealed countless daggers in his dress.
He made a hand-sign and the daggers began to levitate like a bird in the sky.
With his [Flying Dagger Tactic] style, he manipulated the daggers to shoot at Nico, going on the offense.
Nico began dogging for his life as rains of dagger fell on him.
Most of them were too thin and he couldn't see them.
Using his energy, he managed to dodge a round of attack.
”Shit!” he exclaimed when he saw the dodged dagger boomerang back to him.