Chapter 63: Something Dangerous awakens (2)
As the light of the last match dimmed, a new one flared into existence. Jin stepped onto the arena, face calm, expression unreadable, with his snowy-white hair drifting gently in the ambient wind of the realm. The crowd was beginning to recognize this enigmatic youth. They still remembered the monstrous beast he had summoned, the casual power he wielded. Today, however, Jin would fight with his own hands. He had chosen not to hide his elements this time—but he still displayed only two: fire and earth.
Across from him stood his next opponent: a lean, sharp-eyed man named Varik, a cultivator from the Blazing Phoenix Sect. His fire and wind elements surged like a storm barely kept in check. His demeanor was not arrogant or loud. Instead, he stood like a coiled snake, measuring, calculating, watching. It was clear he had analyzed Jin's past battles with intensity.
The match began without ceremony.
Varik made the first move. With a sharp step forward, he vanished in a burst of wind essence, reappearing behind Jin with a fire-coated palm strike. Jin ducked under the blow, swept his leg backward, and used his earth element to launch himself into the air.
Jin spun midair and countered with his first technique: **Flame Blossom Surge** —a focused burst of controlled fire that spiraled outward in a wheel of petals. Varik's wind shield flared up just in time to deflect the flames, though they singed his robes.
Jin landed lightly and immediately transitioned into his second move, **Stone Gauntlets**, encasing his arms with rock-like plating. He charged.
Blows were exchanged in rapid succession—physical, raw. Jin's fists met Varik's wind-forged blades in a collision of elemental intent. Each punch from Jin sent a reverberation through the ground; each slash from Varik sliced the air itself.
Then, Jin changed pace.
Molten Stream. He released a trail of magma across the battlefield that sought Varik like a living snake. Varik leapt back, creating a cyclone barrier that doused the heat, but Jin was already weaving technique four.
**Pillar of Ruin** —a condensed burst of earth essence that shot upward like a geyser beneath Varik. It struck his wind armor, cracking it slightly.
"Your precision is terrifying," Varik commented. "But you're using too many flashy moves."
Jin smiled faintly. "Flashy?"
Technique five: **Cinder Lash** —a whip of flame snapped forward, only to be caught in a gust and redirected.
Technique six: **Dust Veil** —Jin kicked the ground and released a cloud of fine dust imbued with fire. The particles clung to Varik's barrier, heating it over time.
Varik retaliated. Wind surged, forming **Hurricane Claws**, and he slashed at Jin. Jin ducked and unleashed technique seven: **Lava Vortex**, a swirling storm of molten rock, buying him time.
Technique eight: **Infernal Step** —Jin vanished in a flicker of fire, reappearing behind Varik.
Technique nine: **Earthen Grasp** —hands made of stone erupted from the ground, trying to bind Varik's legs.
Technique ten: **Ember Spear** —a condensed, high-speed projectile of flame hurled directly toward Varik's heart.
Varik dodged again, but Jin was adjusting—observing. Every technique now flowed into the next.
Eleven: **Burning Fan**, a wide arc of heat that singed Varik's face.
Twelve: **Seismic Wave**, a shockwave that rippled through the ground, knocking Varik off balance.
Jin advanced.
Technique thirteen: **Crimson Claw** —a short-range burst of claws formed from flame.
Technique fourteen: **Terra Armor** —a light shield to absorb some of Varik's slashing strikes.
They clashed in hand-to-hand again, their fists a blur, feet dancing across the stone arena. Jin landed a solid punch. Varik gasped, but rolled with it.
"Why do you fight like this?" Varik gritted. "Twenty techniques? For what?"
"Not for you," Jin said, stepping back. "For myself."
Technique fifteen: **Meteor Spike** —a chunk of compressed magma launched overhead.
Sixteen: **Magmatic Chains** —they snapped out, trying to bind Varik's movement.
Seventeen: **Wind Snare** —Jin mimicked wind movement using earth, confusing Varik's senses.
Eighteen: **Solar Flare Palm** —a burst of blinding light from fire essence.
Nineteen: **Earth Splinter Dance** —needles of stone that erupted in chaotic patterns.
And finally, twenty: **Ashen Silence** —a technique that silenced all sound within a sphere around Jin.
Suddenly, Varik was cornered, ears ringing in quiet. His mind buckled under the rapid barrage and confusion. That's when desperation kicked in.
"I won't lose here!!" he roared, slamming his palms together. A large wind-fire storm formed overhead. Jin's eyes narrowed.
But Varik wasn't done.
He flared his core and ignited a forbidden art—a life-burning move. His flames turned violet, his wind screamed with madness.
Jin prepared to intercept, but Gorr suddenly appeared at his side. Without a word, Gorr tore open space with a crack of his claws and redirected the destructive power far from the arena.
The crowd gasped. The explosion that should have consumed the stadium dispersed harmlessly.
Varik collapsed. Unconscious, drained. He had given everything.
Jin stood calm, arms folded. The twenty techniques had flowed smoothly, each one a piece of the puzzle. He had pushed himself, improved his flow, and tested his limits without killing his opponent.
He looked to the crowd, then to the judges. The announcer, breathless, finally spoke.
"Victory... Jin!"
The crowd erupted.
Back in the resting area, Jin sat beside Gorr and Lyra, eyes closed.
"You didn't need me, did you?" Gorr said.
"Not yet," Jin replied, eyes still shut. "But we're getting close."
Lyra grinned. "That was terrifyingly beautiful."
Jin cracked one eye open. "I'm not done. This realm is sharpening us for something much greater."
He looked to the sky, to the floating arena platform above them.
"The next match... that will be the real test."