Chapter 60: Execution

  On the stage, Jackson brandished his spear at Nox, who just stood there with a sinister grin, his arms hidden in his sleeves.

  Jackson sneered and said, “I can’t have Damon taking all the spotlight today. I’m going to pummel you into the ground and rise even higher than him.”

  Nox burst into laughter, stooping over as he clenched his stomach. After a minute, he stood back up, chuckling and wiping away tears from his eyes. “You? Pummel me? Okay, let’s just see what happens.”

  The main Adjudicator saw that the exchange of words had finished and dropped his arm to begin the fight.

  Jackson sprinted forward as he twirled his spear around. It began glowing with a bright blue light. Nox did not remain still and also went forward to meet his opponent, though his movements were a little strange. His legs did not move, and it appeared as though he was gliding over the tiled ground instead.

  As he slid over the smooth, white tiles, Nox channeled his arcane power into his hands. They began radiating a blinding white light, and he swiped his hands toward Jackson as though they were claws. Glaring marks flew through the air and approached him so rapidly that they were upon him in less than a second. However, he was prepared and cut them down with a few swings of his spear.

  By this point, they had arrived right in front of each other. Nox clapped his hands together before throwing one in an uppercut toward Jackson. Following his actions, the flickering shadows beneath his feet seethed before several black spikes erupted upward.

  Jackson crouched down and stabbed with his weapon, moving so quickly that the speartip blurred. The Shadowspikes and the auric empowered spear were evenly matched and clashed numerous times without either side giving way.

  A dangerous light glinted in Nox’s eyes as he pointed his other hand toward Jackson at this moment. Beams of white light flew forth so quickly that they crashed into him before he could react. However, Jackson had his own plans. His stabbing motion changed into a sweep before transitioning back into a stab. It happened so quickly that the spear almost looked like a whip as it weaved around a black spike and struck Nox.

  The two backed away from each other, still only a short distance away from one another. They both inspected their bracers, which revealed three lines each. Jackson was satisfied with the exchange and grinned with a smug smile. He lifted his hand and beckoned Nox to come with his index finger.

  Nox, on the other hand, was shocked that he had been hit. He hadn’t let down his guard, yet he had lost two of his barriers. His eyes turned red as veins bulged in his neck. Within his long sleeves, a black dagger materialized in his grasp.

  I was going to use this on someone else… But you brought this on yourself!

  With a dark expression and a murderous gaze, Nox roared into the heavens. The shadow beneath him boiled before it slowly climbed up his body. It looked like a sheet of parchment slowly being inundated by black ink. Once his entire body was covered in his shadow, he ran forward. With every step, he glided along the ground, as though he was riding on a wave, significantly increasing his speed.

  He arrived in front of Jackson before he knew it and clawed at him. The shadowy figure now had razor-sharp claws on his hands and feet. Jackson attempted to block, yet his long spear was detrimental in such close quarters. Along with Nox’s newfound speed, he was unable to keep up.

  In a flash, two more barriers had been destroyed. Nox managed to get behind Jackson and stabbed at him with his clawed right hand. However, his head swiveled left and right as though he was watching for something. Just as his hand was about to break through the last barrier, he retracted his attack. An Adjudicator had appeared next to him and was reaching out to grab his arm, yet stopped upon witnessing Nox pulling back. He was taken aback due to his confusion about Nox’s decisions.

  Nox spun in the opposite direction and clawed at Jackson’s throat with his left hand. The main Adjudicator appeared on this side, also prepared to stop Nox at the last second. But this was a feint as well. His left arm froze mid-swing as he brought his right arm up again, this time tightly clenching a long black dagger.

  The first Adjudicator was still confused and missed the rapid change in Nox’s attack patterns, delaying his movements by a split second. This was all the time he needed. The black dagger shattered the final barrier before stabbing into Jackson’s back. It had only cut an inch into his body when it stopped moving. The Adjudicator had finally grabbed hold of Nox’s arm and prevented the attack from turning fatal.

  Though a lot seemed to have happened, barely a second had actually passed since Nox had arrived behind Jackson. Suddenly, the black dagger turned into a cloud of black gas and seeped into the wound it caused in Jackson’s back. The main Adjudicator grabbed Nox and jumped to the other end of the platform, separating him from his opponent.

  The other Adjudicator grabbed Jackson, who had fallen onto his knees as he screamed out in pain. He began frantically scratching his chest as the Adjudicator tried to inspect the wound to figure out what to do. At this moment, a blood-curdling scream escaped from Jackson’s throat as Shadowspikes erupted from his torso, eviscerating him and almost tearing him into pieces.

  Blood and gore splattered on the Adjudicator before he could react. He jumped back to avoid the spikes, yet was still struck in his arms due to the proximity and his carelessness. His own blood trickled down his arms, intermingling with Jackson’s blood and flesh that covered his upper body.

  Nox watched with maddened pleasure from behind the main Adjudicator, a sinister grin plastered on his face. Jackson’s remains fell to the ground, staining the pure white tiles with pools of crimson blood. The Shadowspikes dissipated into the air as a black gas.

  Not a single sound could be heard in the entire Colosseum, and nobody moved a single inch. Even after a minute, the only sound was the echo of Nox’s hysterical chortling. The two Adjudicators did not know what to do and could only look up toward the private box with stupefied and shocked expressions.

  Damon was just as shocked as everyone else. Alongside Claire, Thomas and Lilith, he stood next to the platform and stared wide-eyed at the carnage displayed on the stage. With his Mindsense covering the arena, he had clearly seen every intricate detail behind Nox’s actions.

  This wasn’t an accident… It was a planned execution!

  He swallowed, yet the hard lump in his throat remained. Though he had seen his fair share of death and destruction, even taking lives with his own hands, he had gotten used to the relaxed and casual atmosphere of the Academy. He did not expect to see someone being killed during this tournament.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  A strong wind blasted his face, causing him to stumble back. The same thing had happened to Thomas, while Lilith stood rooted in the same spot as though nothing could move her.

  Claire had leaped up, landing on the edge of the platform before rushing at Nox. Unlike her previous outbursts, her face remained calm even though her actions proved otherwise. Nox looked at her as he continued to cackle, unperturbed by her ferocity.

  Just before she reached him, a shadow dropped from the skies and landed between them. The burly figure who grabbed hold of Claire was none other than her father, Zoltan.

  “Claire, that’s enough,” Zoltan said in a low voice.

  “But, Dad! He just killed someone from the Assembly! Look! We need to catch him and make him pay for his crimes!” Claire cried out, her impassive mask breaking upon seeing her father’s face.

  “Claire!” Through his clenched teeth, Zoltan snapped in a hushed tone. “I said enough!”

  Claire’s eyes immediately turned red as they brimmed with tears. She frowned at her father before facing away and glaring at Nox one last time.

  “Hmph!” After scoffing, she spun around and jumped back down to where Damon stood.

  Zoltan sighed and shook his head as he watched Claire’s back. She stood with her friends, refusing to look in his direction. He couldn’t go and console her now, as he had his own duties to perform. His gaze became sharp, and he turned around to look at the grinning Nox. With his brows furrowed, Zoltan walked toward him with heavy steps. A menacing atmosphere radiated from his large body.

  In the lavish and majestic grand hall located at the center of the Verdant Sigil Castle, four figures lounged on thrones as they ate snacks and watched the Crucible Convergence duels on an enormous screen. Beside them were shiny golden tables and beautiful female attendants wearing long silk dresses. They were surprisingly all at the Channel Weaving realm, but they showed no hesitation or displeasure at serving the four cultivators. This was because they were all Inner Fortress Wardens.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Magnos pointed at the vast screen as he faced a bald man in white robes.

  “It’s just an accident. These things can happen during duels between the children.” Fabian waved his hand nonchalantly in response.

  “How was that an accident? Your grandson was obviously aiming for that with his final attack!” Magnos’s long white beard trembled with his furious yell, and he jumped up from his seated position.

  “That’s enough, Magnos. Calm down. Fabian, stop with your games and sly words. We dismissed the incident during the first round as an accident, but this is different. Give us a satisfactory explanation, or we won’t let it be with just a reprimand.”

  A stick-thin middle-aged man wrapped in thick layers of verdant silk spoke up. He had a bony face, yet his large green eyes contained a depth similar to a black void. The occasional flash of gold could be seen within the dark holes that were his eyes.

  “Senior Kaspar, Nox just became overwhelmed by his anger. I apologize on his behalf. It’s not like deaths have never occurred in past Convergences… The Initiates from your Assembly were never disqualified or punished. I remember it was settled with an apology and a gift.” Fabian slightly bowed his head toward Kaspar.

  Kaspar smiled at Fabian, yet this caused the room to become heavy with a dense pressure. The weight blanketed all the cultivators, causing the attendants to sway unsteadily before collapsing in their spots.

  With droplets of sweat running down his forehead, Fabian lowered his head further and said, “Senior Blight! I sincerely apologize for my grandson’s actions! Please accept this gift as our apology! I will also leave 100 second-tier essence stones for his opponent's family as a condolence!”

  Having said that, he withdrew a small wooden box covered in shimmering runes along with a plain storage pouch. They floated out of his hands and into Kaspar’s grasp. He waved his hand over the box, and the runes dimmed before disappearing. He opened the lid, revealing a bright orange fruit that looked similar to a longan. Immediately, a sweet fragrance inundated the entire hall.

  Kaspar’s eyes widened upon seeing the fruit, the golden flecks in his eyes glowing bright. “A Heavendrop fruit? No… It’s just the pit.” The golden light shining in his eyes disappeared as his expression settled.

  “Senior, though it may only be a pit, it has a chance to grow into a tree, similar to the one owned by the Court. Within just a few centuries, you will be able to produce your own Heavendrop fruits…”

  “If only it were that simple. Regardless, I will accept this as your apology. I’ll make sure the condolence gift finds its way to the rightful owner as well. We will settle this incident with this. However, a similar incident better not occur again.” Kaspar glared at Fabian once more.

  “You need not worry, Senior Kaspar. The technique used by my grandson requires years of accumulation to prepare. It will not happen again.”

  “Good.” With a small nod, Kaspar turned to Magnos. “Magnos, inform your son of my decision.”

  “Yes, Senior Brother…” With his face still burning with indignation, Magnos complied with Kaspar’s order.

  On the platform, Zoltan stood in front of Nox, glaring down at him. The Adjudicators, along with some other cultivators from the Academies, were cleaning up the platform of any traces of the prior battle.

  “You’ve taken it too far this time, Nox. Did you think you’d get away with this just because of your grandfather? No. I will disqualify you from…”

  In the middle of his sentence, Zoltan suddenly paused as he glanced to his right. His gaze landed on the stands to the north, yet his vision seemed to extend further. After a moment, his face darkened, and he scowled as he looked back at Nox. Nox responded with another amused grin.

  With his eyes closed, Zoltan inhaled a deep breath before exhaling out the heat and heaviness built up in his chest. After settling his emotions, he flew up from his spot and hovered at the height of the audience stands.

  “An unfortunate accident occurred today. Please send your prayers to Jackson’s family. They will be compensated by the Lunarsol Tower. Regarding Nox…” Zoltan glanced at Nox before lifting his gaze back up to the spectators.

  “Although he has killed someone, it was an accident, and he will not be disqualified from the Convergence. There are no rules against using killing techniques, as it is a combat tournament, so it is our fault that the Adjudicators were unable to prevent this tragedy from happening. Thus, we will appoint an Adept to be the new Adjudicator from the next round. That is all.”

  After finishing his statement, Zoltan flew back into the enclosed private room.

  Although many of the spectators were furious, they could not outright challenge the decisions made by the higher-ups from the Assembly. Therefore, no angry outbursts or discontented shouts rang out from the audience, and they shuffled out of the Colosseum either silently or in hushed discussion.

  Some of the members of the audience shot glares at Nox as they exited the stands. He remained atop the platform, his arms raised high above in exultation as he continued to laugh by himself. He looked like a crazed murderer, reveling in both the satisfaction of his kill and the reaction of the crowd. Even his shadow seemed to dance beneath his feet.

  Surrounded by the low murmuring of the crowd, Damon glanced at the private box where Zoltan had disappeared into.

  Why did they decide to leave Nox be? Even if he’s the top seed from Lunarsol, how can he get away with murder?

  Someone tapped his shoulder, breaking him out of his contemplation. It was Thomas, dragging a fuming Claire behind him.

  “Let’s go, Damon. Forget about what just happened. The matches for the day are finished, so let’s head back and rest. We have a week to prepare for the next round. I’m looking forward to our match together!” Thomas smiled as he held out his hand to Damon.

  Smiling back, Damon clasped Thomas’s hand tightly. “Yeah, let’s have a good match!”

  As they proceeded to exit the Colosseum, Damon felt a vibration coming from one of his storage pouches. He looked inside to see the communication disc flickering with light. Taking it out of the pouch, he channeled arcane power into it. The next moment, a hushed message entered his ears.

  “Damon, I will be waiting at the Sleeping Fox Inn. We must meet. Now more than ever.”

  Nox did that. Was it planned? Or is he just crazy?