The competition
Two weeks later, the competition begins. The top generals of Eldoria are present, along with renowned cultivators and the Ten Divine Lords of Eldoria. The presence of the people of Eldoria is deeply felt as they bring life and energy to the grand event. The king himself is also in attendance.
The competition takes place in a vast, round hall, tall and majestic, with sunlight pouring into the center like a spotlight. Around the circumference, stair-like seating rises in tiers. The king, the generals, and the Ten Divine Lords each have a special reserved section overlooking the arena.
Theo, Deborah, and Klaus arrive and are awestruck by the sight before them. A man with dark hair named Tauren approaches Theo and asks if it's their first time attending. The trio answers no, and Tauren, smiling, offers to show them around.
Tauren carries a sword with a handle marked by an eagle feather symbol. He guides them through the palace event center and eventually leads them to the main arena.
Noise ripples across the arena as people argue and cheer, passionately debating who will emerge victorious. Suddenly, the main coordinator steps forward and commands silence. Instantly, the crowd quiets, and a heavy calm descends—like a graveyard stillness.
The coordinator speaks: "Competitors, show yourselves."
Around sixty participants step forward. The coordinator continues, "Today, out of the sixty of you, only ten will emerge successful. First, there will be one-on-one spars. The winners advance to the next stage."
The duels begin. Two fighters face off in each match until one can no longer stand.
In one notable round, a man dressed in white with a golden belt, a white hairband, and a gleaming gold sword—Auren—battles another skilled cultivator. Their clash is fierce, filled with blinding slashes and nimble dodges. Auren calmly studies his opponent's movements. Then, in a sudden burst of speed, he locks his sword in position, dashes forward, and delivers a decisive slash without even turning back. He wins.
One by one, other battles unfold.
And then—it is Theo's turn.
He steps forward to face his opponent ,A skilled cultivator in a black mask. The fight is tough. The man in the black mask snaps his fingers, and the sound seems to send an invisible slash toward Theo, cutting him on his hands and legs. Theo begins to study his opponent's moves. He takes a few slashes before he's able to counter them with his sword.
After a while, the man in the black mask draws his sword, which emits a purple-like aura. They can't use the Phoenix power from the Sword of Val'Thar, so he relies on the bladeless slash as his trump card. Their swords clash against each other as they fight, even while in the air. An ominous aura is felt.
Theo dodges an attack and is finally able to land a carefully calculated strike on his opponent, cutting him. The man in the black mask is furious, and a black aura leaves him—unnoticed by anyone. He charges his sword, and it begins to emit a blackish-purple aura. Theo also charges his sword and activates one percent of the Sword of Val'Thar's power, alongside the Dance of the Bladeless Slash. A bright, fiery aura is felt, leaving the spectators in awe.
They charge at each other. Their swords clash and send out a wave of aura that has to be deflected by other cultivators. Theo recharges toward his opponent and shouts the word, "BLAZE!" He slashes his sword in a horizontal motion, releasing a hot, fiery flame as he says, "Bladeless Slash!" The power breaks his opponent's sword and sends him flying out of the ring.
Theo wins the fight. A standing ovation greets him, as everyone loves his movement. Even the king is stunned by Theo's skill.
The next fight is between Deborah and another lady in an assassin's suit. The previous day, Deborah had stored enough energy from the moon, and her cultivation also makes it a fair fight. They both engage as Deborah shows elegance in her stance. She channels lunar energy into her sword, while the assassin also draws hers. They clash, showcasing excellence in their techniques. The assassin uses her speed to give Deborah a cut. Deborah quickly dodges, but she's not quite fast enough. Deborah took a deep cut to her face. But she made a fierce comeback. Drawing energy from the surrounding plants, she used her body as a medium to convert it into lunar energy. Her feet lifted off the ground as she began to float, her pupils glowing green. She channeled the energy into her sword.
The assassin responded, imbuing her own blade with power. They unleashed slashes that collided mid-air. Deborah's attack, charged with overwhelming lunar force, overpowered the assassin's. The impact sent the assassin flying, inflicting injuries that would never fully heal. Deborah emerged victorious.
Meanwhile, Klaus faced a cultivator who was also a scholar. They drew their swords and prepared to fight. Klaus charged—but the scholar had already calculated his movement. He dodged and struck with precision, sending Klaus crashing back.
Then, Klaus saw it—a sudden vision of the scholar's next move. Reacting swiftly, he deflected the attack.
Calling on his water manipulation, Klaus froze the scholar's legs in place. Then, shaping water into a blade, he unleashed a powerful slash that hurled his opponent backward—ending the fight. Klaus had won.
As the long day of battles concluded, the first stage of the competition came to an end. Thirty winners were chosen and given private rooms in the king's palace.
That evening, Theo, Deborah, and Klaus went out for dinner. But along the way, Theo's curse flared—more violently than ever. His sword, now wreathed in black flames, was drawn. Without warning, he turned on Deborah.
Klaus intervened, but Theo quickly overpowered him, knocking him down again and again. Klaus tried to restrain Theo with water manipulation, but the bindings failed.
Theo's consciousness seemed lost, buried deep in the void.
Breaking free, Theo flew at Deborah with his sword ready to strike. Just before the blade could reach her, Auren appeared. He unleashed a golden slash that intercepted the attack, then followed with a powerful seal. This time, the restraint held.
The threat was finally subdued—at least for now.
After a few minutes, the curse deactivates, and Theo returns to himself. He apologizes to Klaus, and Auren hugs Deborah tightly. When asked what happened, Auren explains that he didn't place a seal on Theo's arms. He says that whenever the curse activates, the seal will drain Theo's strength to protect Auren.
That night, they go to sleep. Theo finds himself in the void, where he sees the Leviathan. The seal has cracked in three places.
The next day, the second stage of the competition begins—but this time, there will be no fighting. The coordinator announces that the contestants will be locked in a maze and must pass a test. Only those who succeed will move on.
The contestants enter the maze. Theo faces trials involving the meaning of cycles and questions requiring critical thinking. He emerges victorious. Deborah and Klaus also pass, along with seventeen others. Now, they advance to the final stage of the competition.
The following day, the last stage begins. The coordinator declares, "Welcome to the final stage of this event. All 20 competitors will be divided into four groups—five in each. Choose your groupmates."
Theo, Deborah, Klaus, Traven, and Auren—the man who guided them earlier—form one group, as do the remaining competitors.
The coordinator continues, "Two groups will spar against each other, and the other two will do the same. The two winning groups will be crowned the champions of this competition.
Goooooonn!" The clash of drums resounds.
Theo's group—Group Two—shows strong teamwork and gains the upper hand against Group One.
Deborah's lunar manipulation holds its own against her opponent's earth powers. She dodges and leaps across rising terrain, then switches places with Theo. Theo unleashes sword slashes that create openings for Deborah, who uses her strength to weaken Theo's foes.
Klaus, Traven, and Auren coordinate just as well. Group One is defeated, and Group Two emerges victorious. Group Four also wins its match against Group Three. And so, the final winners of the competition are revealed.
But just as the celebrations begin, Theo stands beside Deborah. His curse suddenly activates again—this time, the seal on his arms shatters in front of everyone. In a horrifying moment, Theo stabs Deborah with his sword.