*BOOM!*
"What is going on?!" Steve shouted at the sudden explosion coming from the sky above them, "Wait, the two combatants are dead!" He finally noticed when he shifted his focus back to the arena.
"Serene Lotus Sect! Elders have the right to save their disciples!" An old man shouted in anger as he leaped to the sky, his clothes seemed disheveled.
"I judged your attack as dangerous to my sect's disciple, so I had to prevent it. I'm sorry it caused the death of your disciples, it's a shame they were too weak to surrender on time," Supreme Elder Layla replied in a monotonous voice as if she wasn't even trying to show sincerity.
"YOU!" The man's face distorted in anger at the blatant disrespect, yet he could do nothing against a superior cultivator. He just glanced at the ground for a moment before gesturing to his subordinates to collect the bodies.
"What did we just witness? The Phoenix Feather Sect tried to save their disciples, yet the Serene Lotus Sect judged their actions as too aggressive and attacked back, resulting in the two cultivators' deaths!" Steve explained to whomever couldn't follow the chain of events. He was mindful and polite, knowing he couldn't shame the other ninth-stage cultivator and tell the crowd how the elder was slammed into the ground by Layla.
Everyone stared in silence at the two girls lying on the ground, their bodies impaled on ice spikes generated by Tiara's Qi and surrounded by a pool of their own blood. The formation identified the spikes as part of their belongings or attire and teleported them along with the bodies.
None of the spectators had a death wish, and they understood they could not cheer for the good show Tiara had put for them if they treasured their lives. They were all independent, they couldn't count on a ninth-stage cultivator to protect them like the participants.
"Next time don't take too much time, I don't want to intervene because you want to amuse an audience," Layla's voice reached Ken and Tiara's ears who nodded to the empty air in response, unsure whether she saw them or not.
The two were already teleported out of the arena, now on the outskirts of the platform waiting for the next half of round two.
"And also, don't kill the disciples of the Peaceful Demon Sect or the unranked sects, they didn't show any aggression toward us," Layla spoke again, reminding them not to make new enemies for the sect needlessly.
The second round was lethal, but most fighters who made it to this round were strong enough to hold their ground and surrender before they could get killed, with a few exceptions.
Illusionists were the most prone to killing their enemies, thanks to the relatively weaker minds of people their age which made it difficult for their enemies to break out of it. This advantage would not follow them to adulthood; at some point, cultivators learned to deal with illusions in one way or another.
"What an accident! A team from the Thunderclap Peak Sect won the last round with one casualty, so the other disciple had to withdraw, leaving us with only 255 teams for the next half!" Steve called.
Ken and Tiara waited for their turn again for a while, their expressions completely nonchalant to the kills they witnessed and committed themselves. The matching followed the same order as before, and they had to wait until the end again.
'It's them,' Ken noticed the pair from the Jade Sky Sect getting a free win on behalf of the team that withdrew. It was the same team that won by working with the sharks to resist their opponents in the previous half.
The tournament continued, sending eight groups to battle every round. Whenever one battle ended, the next combatants would be teleported to take their places. 124 battles ended within 5 hours, and it was finally Ken and Tiara's turn.
"It's the most ruthless couple in our tournament, perhaps the strongest disciples of the strongest sect, THE DEADLY COUPLE!" The commentator shouted, and Ken and Tiara were projected in the sky again.
"Their fight might be much harder this time, they are facing enemies from the top 5 sects! A pair with many self-made talismans and gadgets, geniuses of the Infinite Wisdom Sect! FIGHT!"
They were teleported to face their opponents. Tiara turned to Ken to ask if she should be the one to kill their opponents again, only to find the spot next to her empty. Bringing her gaze back to their opponents, she saw Ken stand behind them, sheathing back his sword.
A stunned silence gripped the audience. Even Steve, always ready with a comment, took a moment to find his voice, "What just happened? I had expected a drawn-out battle, I feel like an idiot!"
The crowd did not even understand what happened before the formation already teleported everyone out. They only got to see the aftermath; two corpses having their heads roll off their shoulders from the impact of the teleportation. Those closer might even see two torn fourth-rank protective talismans next to them.
"I didn't feel like waiting for you again," Ken said indifferently to Tiara while the two left the outskirts of the platform to reunite with their companions. He had long grown custom to killing, and he was not bothered by it in the slightest.
"I don't mind. However, disappointing the crowd with the lack of beauty is on you," Tiara shrugged.
"How do you know they didn't like it my way?" Ken pointed at them.
The audience was silent as if they did not know whether to be impressed, entertained, or resentful of the lack of action. Instead of reveling in their quiet, Steve moved on elegantly.
"This win was too swift! With it, we conclude the second round after nearly 15 hours with 128 teams remaining. Let me summarize the second round. 384 teams were disqualified from which 91 cultivators were killed. Not as lethal as the previous round, but still more bloody than any other year!"
There were many other gory sights; some lost their limbs or had other crippling internal injuries. Some even had their core crippled. However, the top 20 sects were rich, and all of them could afford to heal their young geniuses from such injuries.
"And now, you called it, a break for the fighters before we announce the next round's format! Please take your time to watch the battles you have missed!"
It was midnight, and the projections in the sky shined clearly, offering the audience the best experience. Ken and his group were on their way back to their tents near the summit, receiving friendly treatment from their fellow disciples.
"Good job, Junior Brother, Junior Sister."
"I'm not even angry anymore that your tent is above mine. But I won't admit defeat; I'm going to kill at least a thousand!"
"Haha, I will make them regret targeting our sect, I'm taking down two thousand."
Ken and Tiara laughed with the other disciples and greeted them back, encouraging them toward their fights. "You can have a fifth-rank pill for every enemy you slay, as long as your kill count is over 500," Ken smiled back at them.
"That's your promise, I hope you won't go back on your word, Junior Brother," they answered gleefully.
Both sides knew it was an empty promise; no matter how superior his sect was, they weren't strong enough to kill 500 of their peers. The main reason Ken and Tiara could achieve it was the combination of Ken's self-invented manuals and their cultivation stage being much higher than their enemies.
"It's quite boring, I want to fight too, I can't wait to show the results of my inheritance," Alaric commented as the five, George included, sat down in their small camp, savoring Ken's cooking again.
"Don't rush anything. When the time is right, it will happen," Henry somewhat scolded his companion. "I feel the power of fate among the crowd, you should look into it," the blind monk added.
"What fate is there? Friendship can break any fate," Alaric retorted.
"We are masters of our future, and Heavens help those who help themselves," Tiara pursed her lips slightly, against the idea of fate. She also disagreed with Alaric, but their opinions aligned, so she did not delve into it.
"No, Henry is right. I also think I found the same thing, although I might need more confirmation. Hopefully, it will bring us some good results. Don't worry, fate is quite a technical thing, and I happen to know how to use it in my favor," Ken calmed down both sides.
They watched some of the fights, got some sleep, and eventually got up in time for the next round. The Deadly Couple descended the mountain and returned to the platform, waiting for Steve to announce the arrangements for the third round.
"Good morning, everyone, it's Steve Howard again! Have you been itching to watch the third round? I've been rolling in my bed the whole night from excitement like a teen girl in love!"
Steve's comment drew some laughter from the still drowsy crowd.
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A/N - read Author's Thoughts.
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