824 Sage at 18 (1/2)
”Mm, if that's the case, then we won't be holding back anymore.” Dao Hun nodded upon hearing Dao Xin's words and turned to look at the figure wearing the Yin-Yang mask.
At the fighting platform, the Heaven Dao Pavilion disciple who was serving as emcee looked stunned. After all, the fight had ended all too quickly.
The Heaven Dao Pavilion disciple glanced at Fang Miao, who was half kneeling on the ground, before turning to look at Mu Qingfeng.
Upon seeing Mu Qingfeng's nod, the Heaven Dao Pavilion disciple took in a deep breath and made his announcement.
”Black Knife from the Nine Pinnacles Mountain has won the first round!”
”This Black Knife… he's amazing!”
”Yeah, I was expecting Fang Miao from Yin Yang Hall to…”
”Thank heavens that I did not rush to sign up for the tournament. The Five Sects of the Holy Region truly deserve their name!”
The disciples from the various sects had not expected the skill standards of the tournament to be so high.
”Alright, let us proceed with the second round, Yin Yang Hall versus the Nine Pinnacles Mountain!” The Heaven Dao Pavilion disciple announced after discussing with the judging panel.
Following the announcement, the figure wearing the Yin-Yang mask walked out from the Yin Yang Hall camp. The mask obscured the entire face of the figure except for a pair of eyes that were as black as the abyss.
”18 years old.” The figure wearing the Yin Yang mask said in a cold and calm voice. It seemed as though he had not seen the blood and gore from the first round.
The Heaven Dao Pavilion emcee, as well as the disciples from the various sects, felt like they had been struck by lightning upon hearing his words.
18 years old?!
No one could believe their own ears. The age limit of the tournament was 30. Wasn't it true that one got stronger with age? Why had an 18-year-old appeared instead?
Was this some kind of mistake?
Everyone turned to look at Dao Hun, the Hallmaster of Yin Yang Hall. The only answer that they got from him was silence.
”Are they really going to send out an 18-year-old?
Does the Yin Yang Hall intend to forfeit this tournament?” The disciples from the other sects speculated upon seeing Dao Hun's silent admission.
”18 years old? Is there no one else in Yin Yang Hall?” Black Knife smirked behind his hood upon hearing the youth in the Yin-Yang mask introduce himself.
The youth in the Yin-Yang mask did not let himself get riled up by Black Knife's words. He continued to stand at his spot, his eyes as dark as the night.
”This… does the Nine Pinnacles Mountain want to substitute their current contender?” The Heaven Dao Pavilion disciple questioned Black Knife.
After all, the victory requirement of the tournament was strictly two wins out of three rounds. Beyond that, the rules were rather flexible. The winner of a round could choose to either continue or to take a break.
Black Knife's lips moved a little but he did not speak. He turned to look at the masked youth Bai Fei, who was sitting at the Nine Pinnacles Mountain camp.
Black Knife turned back to the announcer after he had gotten a nod from Bai Fei.
”No!”
”Alright, let us proceed!” The Heaven Dao Pavilion disciple took two steps back hurriedly and made his announcement.
The brows of Mu Qingfeng and Mo Shanshi creased slightly. They had seen what Black Knife did.
Bai Fei?
Had he managed to consolidate his power in the Nine Pinnacles Mountain within a few short months? Just how powerful was he in order for a highly skilled person like Black Knife to be at his beck and call?
Mu Qingfeng and Mo Shanshi were slightly perplexed but they did not let it affect them overtly. The match between Black Knife and the youth in the Yin-Yang mask was about to begin.
On the contrary, Mu Qingfeng and Mo Shanshi were not surprised at the emergence of this youth in the Yin-Yang mask. Judging from where he stood in the Yin Yang Hall camp, they could tell that he had a high position within the sect.
The only thing that stood out was his age of 18 years. Mu Qingfeng and Mo Shanshi frowned some more.
At this point, Black Knife made his move.
He did not greet his opponent nor put up a flashy display. Black Knife moved up close to his opponent like what he did with Fang Miao.
His knife glinted blood-red in the light of day and shot forward. It was apparent that Black Knife had no intention of letting his opponent from Yin Yang Hall off easy, however indignant he might feel about his young age.
”Swish!” The shadows stirred along with the thrust of the knife.
Just as Black Knife approached the youth in the Yin-Yang mask from the front, his figure seemed to multiply until there were eight shadowy figures surrounding the youth from all sides.
”Boom!” Suddenly, a black ray of energy emanated from the youth in the Yin-Yang mask and rushed up into the skies.
At the same time, a blood-red shadow began to materialise beneath the feet of the youth in the Yin-Yang mask like a spreading pool of blood.
It was an unearthly sight.
Black lights and red shadows.
The key thing was that when the blood-red shadow had appeared, a bone-chilling aura had been unleashed by the youth in the Yin-Yang mask.
”It's the Sage State!”
”A master of the Sage State!”
”How can this be? 18 years old… since when had a master of the Sage state appeared in the Holy Region?”
The disciples from the various sects had been astounded when they saw the black ray of energy rush out. The rich quality of this dark energy was a display of power derived from the Sage State.
18 years old and already in the Sage State?
Had the world gone mad?
No one had any idea as to what was going on. Still, their eyes could not lie to them and the cold aura of the youth in the Yin-Yang mask was chilling them to the bone.
”Ding!” A metallic sound rang out as Black Knife tried to stab his knife into the body of the youth in the Yin-Yang mask.
It was an ear-splitting sound but the youth in the Yin-Yang mask did not even move at all.