The battle on the platform captures the attention of everyone present.
In the sky, a yellow river, on the ground, dozens of transparent specters emerge from nowhere, and in the midst of them, a woman is being attacked. She is not only facing the different abilities of the specters and the adverse effects of each formation but also the swift attacks of a dagger master.
Decaying Flame, the inner disciple of the Eternal Wind Sect.
‘What is this sand?’
He clicks his tongue upon seeing how Serene Will is able to defend herself from his attacks with the remnants of the arena surrounding her sword. ‘My daggers go out of control every time they come into contact with that ability, what is the meaning they represent? Why can't I penetrate it?!’
Serene Will can be on the ground or in the air, but regardless of her stance, she skillfully commands her field of swords to eliminate the specters and uses her sand to defend against Decaying Flame’s attacks.
In the eyes of bystanders, she may seem at a disadvantage, but to experts, she has achieved a delicate balance where no one can harm her.
Decaying Flame waits patiently for the opportunity to make a critical attack because he knows this woman will make a mistake, no one can surpass the level limits between hunters. And if such a person exists, it is impossible for her to coincidentally be in front of him.
‘She has shown enough talent to stand despite the level difference, but that’s all. She has reached her limit!’
He does not believe Serene Will can reveal more than she already has.
But he would soon discover he is wrong.
Serene Will begins to use sword skills she had not revealed until this moment. Every sword movement holds a meaning, and their effects generate unimaginable consequences. The specters vanish with each of her cuts, her speed is hard to follow, and he, Decaying Flame, is standing before her.
He snorts and then smiles. “You’ll regret it.”
Her sword pierces through the man’s body, but Serene Will frowns. She doesn’t feel as if she cut through flesh, as if he were nothing more than an illusion.
“Second life?”
Decaying Flame had a victorious smile on his face, but after hearing the woman’s words, his expression darkens. He makes a mysterious slash toward Serene Will’s left eye, but as he imagined, this woman managed to avoid it and distance herself from him.
“Your innate ability... I see, now I understand everything.”
He does not pursue her, instead, he observes her from a distance with disgust. “It allows you to see through my weaknesses, doesn’t it?”
Serene Will does not deny his words, she merely says: “If you wish to end all this, manifest your Way. Otherwise, you will not obtain what you desire.”
“What is this woman saying? Has the senior disciple managed to glimpse his Way?”
Decaying Flame hears the chaos outside the platform and clicks his tongue.
Glimpsing the Way is one of the requirements to advance to level 700, and this can only be achieved from level 690. The common belief is to level up immediately upon achieving this, but there is a hidden truth that no one has wanted to reveal.
The stronger the Way becomes before reaching level 700, the greater the chances of reaching level 900!
He has long understood his Way, and if he has remained at level 699, it is for no other reason than to nurture it!
‘Due to internal conflicts within the sect, if it became known that I have glimpsed my Way, other disciples would seek the opportunity to force me to level up and ruin my future. That’s why I’ve been hiding it all this time!’
But this duel has put him in a tight spot. If he does not manifest his Way, it will be his reputation that is ruined!
‘I can’t... I can’t turn back now!’
In the presence of all the disciples, Decaying Flame manifests his Way.
Behind him appears the image of a gigantic dark hand holding a heart. Immediately, the aura surrounding Decaying Flame changes completely, he may remain at level 699, but he is no different from a level 700 ranker.
“God... That woman may have unparalleled talent and surpass the level difference, but I fear she will die in front of the birth of a new ranker in our sect!”
The disciples praise Decaying Flame as it lifts the pride of their Eternal Wind Sect, but Decaying Flame’s rivals are not at all pleased. In their minds, they are already devising ways to help Serene Will and annul this duel.
Because only while this woman remains alive will she be the disgrace of the inner disciple!
“Serene Will, this is the first time I fight in this state. Forgive my rudeness.”
The next instant, Decaying Flame appears before her and attacks with an unfathomable dagger move. Serene Will has trouble reading his mind, but what bothers her is not that.
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‘What are those strange hands?’
With difficulty, she defends herself from his dagger attacks and counterattacks only for her sword to pass through Decaying Flame’s body like a mirage, but it is those hands emerging from the ground that worry her.
“Fulfill your word, Serene Will. Be mine.”
Until the end, she cannot discover the meaning of those hands and how they relate to the ghostly body that prevents her from cutting through his flesh. The only time those hands move is to announce her defeat.
Serene Will’s body is imprisoned by dozens of dark hands that squeeze and touch her body in front of the entire sect.
“You have lost.”
She frowns upon feeling touched by other hands. She wanted to test herself by facing a ranker on the verge of reaching level 700, but the difference between a hunter who has proven their Way and a ranker without one has become as clear as water.
“I have not lost yet.”
“Serene Will, I thought you would respect your--”
Decaying Flame’s words are interrupted. Not by the action of others, but by the illusory image that appears behind Serene Will.
“A Way...?”
“Heaven’s Division.”
In just one second, the yellow river in the sky splits in two, half of the specters and the dark hands imprisoning her disappear.
‘I must stop her!’
The commotion that an unknown huntress is capable of partially manifesting her Way before fulfilling the requirements surprises everyone, but Decaying Flame uses this opportunity to finish her off before it’s too late.
Like a ghost, he passes through the strange sand surrounding Serene Will’s sword, and just as he was about to insert his daggers into her neck...
“Eh?”
He realizes the absence of his right arm. The sand that he should have easily passed through was actually silently cutting his body!
Decaying Flame retreats at great speed, the pain of losing his dominant arm assaults his mind, but more terrifying is the image of that woman raising her sword and looking at him with such indifference.
“Die.”
The clouds in the sky divide in synchrony with the movement of her sword.
Her Way, no one can stop it.
“No, not yet!”
Decaying Flame uses his vitality to create defensive magic formations, layer upon layer of magic circles protecting him from her attack. A heart begins to beat, none other than the heart from his Way.
Then the sword strike hits his defenses.
Everything is divided.
“Cough!”
Decaying Flame coughs up large amounts of blood. He manages to survive the attack, his Way saved him by trading his life, but in exchange, his Way vanishes. Had he reached level 700, his Way would not disappear and would remain with him until the end, but the circumstances do not favor him.
Everyone holds their breath at the sight of the inner disciple’s current state. They feel their bodies chill as they watch the nameless woman raise her sword again.
“Heaven’s Division--”
“Do you dare stain the Eternal Wind Sect with our blood?!”
A dominant pressure is exerted on Serene Will, all her strength disappears.
A man with golden eyes is in the sky, looking at her with disdain. He is the one exerting pressure on her, using his power to destroy her from within. Serene Will feels as if her blood is flowing in the opposite direction, her mind weakening by the second.
“Elder Frenzied Purity? What is he doing here?”
“Idiot. He is Decaying Flame’s master, he couldn’t stay on the sidelines seeing his disciple about to die.”
Serene Will hears this and feels life surge from within her.
Hatred, resentment, fury. Why, when her enemies are in danger, is there always someone to help them?
“No one has looked at me like that in a long time.”
The pressure intensifies, but Serene Will refuses to groan in pain. Her gaze filled with hatred makes Elder Frenzied Purity understand that if he doesn’t end her life at this moment, this nameless huntress could become a threat in the future!
“You hide your true level and, not satisfied with that, try to take the life of one of the disciples of the Eternal Wind Sect.”
Everyone who witnessed the duel comes to their senses. Of course! Why didn’t they think of it before? It’s impossible for a hunter to manifest their Way at such an early level, much less be capable of jumping the gap of 59 levels. She must be using a magic artifact to hide her level! That is the only explanation!
“As an elder of the Eternal Wind Sect and to maintain the honor of the sect…”
In silence, everyone listens to Elder Frenzied Purity’s verdict.
“Your punishment is death.”
