As the rounds' intensity increased, even with the venue already packed, more and more people continued to show up, trying to get a glimpse of the fights. The rumor of the battles, especially the one between Isha and Zern, had spread all around the city. Both emperors were happy to see this and didn't stop the gathering of the masses. They even issued orders to let them up on the walls, ensuring that everyone interested would be able to see the spectacle, which raised the mood and morale within the entire city. When it was finally Ren's turn, the curious people had almost doubled in numbers by then, and everyone was excited to see what would happen next.

  "Greetings, Young Lady Ren." Poli greeted her courteously while Ren just blinked her eyes innocently at him, trying to remember if she had ever met him.

  "Do I know you?"

  "Ugh… I guessed you wouldn't..." He flinched, smiling shyly, "My name is Poli."

  "Oh, yeah!" She snapped her fingers, "You are the genius of a son of the Finance Minister! Um, um, I got it!"

  "Genius…" His smile turned sad for a moment, "I don't know about that. I'm already past my twenties, yet here you are, only half my age... If I am a genius... what are you?"

  "A god!" She ughed, making Poli twitch his lips, not even realizing Ren was sincere, "So... That doesn't count!" She showed a V with her fingers, clearly in a happy mood.

  "Haaah... I see..." Poli sighed while Anya just shook her head, sitting up on the wall, wanting to spank her daughter right there and now.

  "Anyway! We should have a good fight!" Ren giggled impishly as she cloaked herself with lightning, sparks flying off her skin and clothes. In response, Poli's face turned serious as he pulled out his sword, taking a basic fighting stance. As his fingers flexed around the handle, his bde started to shine with blue sparks soon after, matching Ren's own, just in a different hue. “Huh…? Wait…” She tilted her head.

  But it was already too te, as Poli attacked, leaving behind afterimages as his bde, cloaked in electricity, stabbed toward her. Reacting, Ren was equally as fast, dodging and even she had the time to slip in a counterattack, stabbing out with her finger, hitting the bde from the side, and redirecting its course.

  "Do you have the same affinity as I? And you can manifest it?" Ren grinned happily, asking while the two were exchanging moves in the middle of the arena. "You are truly a prodigy!"

  "No, I can't." He answered, sshing, watching as Ren's finger once again met his bde, pushing it away, "It's my sword. It acts like a conductor for my energy." Poli added honestly as he followed up his countered move with his own.

  The swinging of the sword was fast and lethal, already expecting to be countered, using Ren's deflection as an accelerator for his next, chained attack. His speed would have stumped an ordinary warrior, as most of the present people were already unable to follow the trajectory with their eyes and only saw afterimages. On the other hand, Ren got into the fighting rhythm while dodging it, watching the bde pass before her nose, almost too giddy to hold back her ughing... This was precisely what she was looking for... This was it! And this battle left her with a constant smile on her angelic face.

  "Good!" She yelled out, her voice almost drowned out by the crackling electricity as their powers met in the air, "You not only train your body but also focus on swordsmanship... I can see that. Most experts with the potential for Harmony Realm are only willing to learn a weapon when they advance... but you started early, huh? Is it because of the sword?"

  "Yes." Poli revealed without holding back, "Its bde was naturally formed," he expined truthfully while maintaining his attack speed without breaking a sweat.

  "A natural sword that enhances your energies..." Ren whispered, amazed as even in his previous life, that was... unique. Way too unique. "Not even my Dad has something like this..."

  "Do you want it?" he asked with glittering eyes as he disappeared, almost as if he was teleported behind Ren, trying to hit her nape with the pommel. Still, as if having eyes on her back, she just let her body lean forward, cartwheeled, and directed a kick towards Poli's wrists holding the sword.

  "Not really, my Dad uses a lightning spear." She hummed, considering it as the two of them separated for a moment. "I would prefer to use a pure, elemental weapon that I can shape to my will!" She giggled, getting to her feet, watching as Poli quickly changed his stance, distancing himself, feeling a sudden change in her aura.

  He was right to do so, as suddenly Ren stretched her arms out, as if holding a bow, and pure, violet electricity flew out of her arms, taking the desired shape... It wasn't something that a body refinement cultivator could do... Yet, here she was, releasing dozens of lightning strikes in quick succession, forcing Poli to dodge and defend with all of his best.

  "Sorry, but I have the advantage." Ren sighed as the next shot, following her volley, was of a lightning bolt the same size as herself.

  When she released it, it was as if a thunderbolt had just struck the arena, but still, there was a surprise in her eyes. His quick reflexes let Poli stab directly into her attack, meeting it head-on with his sword. The resulting explosion brought a second rumbling with it. At the same time, the young man flew backward, rolling on the floor, losing his sword that tumbled out of the arena as he almost fell off, stopping himself at the edge, his legs already dangling off it. Panting, he narrowly pulled himself up from the edge, standing back up, but his whole body was flickering with Ren's violet energies and his own bluish sparks, doing its best to expel them.

  "I won." Ren added, aiming her 'bow' at him.

  "Yes… Yes, you did." Poli moaned with frustration.

  "I know you are angry at me, but-"

  "No. I'm only angry at myself!" Poli cut in, then went to his knees. "Please accept me as your disciple! I want to be just as strong as you are!"

  "Huh?" Leinor almost choked on his saliva, down at the sides, while Isha rolled her eyes, grumbling about something-something, mini bitch... Only Zern wore a small smile as he knew what Poli felt. He had the same thought when he fought with Ren on that particur birthday party...

  Yet... what happened next was... still surprising.

  "Sure!" came the immediate answer from Ren with a happy smile, stunning Poli, who was ready to beg a little more. Not to mention, the spectators were unsure of what face to make. What they had seen was incredible... Yet what ended it was even more so. "I'll make you the number one swordsman! Fufufu, you will have the fastest draw in history!"

  "Thank you, Master!" Poli excimed, his face flushing, his eyes twinkling as if he had won the whole competition.

  "Yey, now I have two, no, three disciples, even though one refuses to call me Master." Ren mumbled, nodding her head, "Come, come, I'll introduce you to your seniors!" She ughed loudly, skipping towards him like a happy little girl as she dragged Poli down from the arena, introducing him to Leinor and Zern, not even listening to the announcement of her victory.

  Watching it py out... up on the wall, even the Emperors were stumped.

  "If the Forefather doesn't hurry up, she will form her little sect before we can do it," Dermitos murmured so only his father could hear it.

  "Agreed." Carthus agreed, his eyes twitching. "After the competition, call her and her little group into the pace. We need to talk..." he ordered as he sent a voice projection to his son.

  …….…..

  When the competition continued after a brief pause, and the final four were decided, in the st draw, Ren's opponent was no other but the warden from before... while Isha was to face Leinor. Just as she wished from the start. On Ren's side, it was a quick match as the warden from the previous round knew that even if he did his best, he had no chance.

  "I was angry at you at first, but your words, after thinking it through the whole night, showed me my failures that I need to work on," the warden said with a low, somewhat sad voice as he bowed towards Ren and then walked down the arena.

  Of course, Ren, once again, was fuming, crying for a rematch, but Leinor dragged her down, asking for forgiveness, yet the warden didn't seem too bothered by it. When she was finally pcated, it was time for what many had been waiting for...

  "Are you ready, boytoy?" Isha grinned, stepping onto the arena, watching Leinor take up the spot at the opposite end.

  "I should ask you that instead. You used up a lot of energy against Zern."

  "No worries, I had my rest." Isha moaned, rolling her shoulders, her eyes fshing with fighting spirit.

  "I see." Leinor nodded, then, to everyone's surprise, he was the one who attacked first.

  His punch aimed directly at Isha's face, but she just met his fist with his own as none of them were willing to give an inch.

  "It won't be the same as before, boytoy! Don't even think about that!" Isha shouted, increasing her powers.

  Exploding out in a reddish light, her follow-up attack was a kick aimed at Leinor's groin, merciless and nasty. Her legs were coated in fmes, yet Leinor caught her leg with his thighs, cmping down before she could reach… her initial target. Still grinning, Isha snorted as the burning fmes immediately caused his clothes to catch on fire and release thick smoke, followed by the sound of sizzling flesh... Yet Leinor remained indifferent and just aimed a punch at her guts.

  "Not a second time!" Isha screamed and just headbutted him in response.

  As they separated thanks to the force behind it, Isha immediately threw another punch, hitting Leinor in the chest, making him feel a bit dazed, sending him backward. She wasn't done, and she followed with an explosive dropkick right into his sternum that resounded in a loud crack as Leinor threw up a lot of blood, tumbling backwards.

  "I told you I'll pay it back tenfold!" Isha grinned, quickly readjusting her stance, a bit out of breath while she was watching Leinor. Coughing, he slowly stood up as a creamy, white aura enveloped him, making his flesh regenerate with a visible speed... and his weakened aura almost immediately recovered. "Wha-?!"

  "While training with Ren, I suffered worse... This is... nothing." He expined calmly, "She always said the only way to draw out the true strength of my affinity is through suffering." He commented with a calm smile and soon stood there, unharmed, "I hate it, but I must admit one thing: she was right. Soon, trivial injuries like this don't even hurt. So... if you don't have anything more, Boobie Lady..." He chuckled, "I'm done pying."

  After cracking his neck a little, he attacked again, and a simir fight ensued just as before... However, no matter how many times Isha beat down Leinor, he just got back up, healing from everything as her attacks grew weaker by the minute. It was as if Isha were fighting an illusion that constantly reset to zero.

  "Good boy!" Carthus ughed, watching the fight, "Your son has already learned how to use our bloodline to the maximum at his level. He is stronger than I was at his age." He added, and Dermitos just smiled proudly, feeling pride well up within him.

  "Times like this, I see why many feared the name Aerthus." Anya spoke up, watching it with a serious expression, "He almost feels like an undead monster that no matter how many times you think you defeated it, it just stands right back up."

  "Are you calling the Emperor's lineage a monster?" Carthus asked with a stern face, looking at Anya, who didn't flinch at all.

  "Well, she is right, Father!" Dermitos smiled, interrupting, "Ahaha, don't be so upset by some words~!" He tried, while also signaling to Anya not to anger his father, his back drenched with sweat for a moment...

  "The Forefather once said he is not afraid of losing. He is only afraid of giving up." Carthus muttered, "That's why he rose back any time he was beaten down. Always stronger than before!" He excimed proudly, "If that makes us monsters, then others should be ashamed to call themselves humans."

  At the same time, in the arena, Isha soon found herself kneeling, panting for air, and wearing a wry smile on her face.

  "I can't beat you… eh?" She asked, looking up at Leinor, who now wore almost just rags as his clothes were burned away, standing there, arms crossed, looking as fresh as at the start of their bout.

  "Sorry... But no. At your level? You cannot win this match."

  "Boss told me once that if you want to kill someone from the royal family, your only hope is a quick assassination by beheading. Even that needs to be done by surprise... Now I see why," she sighed as she threw up her arms. "I give up! For now... But one day, I will see you beaten down... boytoy!"

  That was the moment the people around the arena finally burst into cheers, as this was the third time they had seen such a fight, completely mesmerized by the fshy event. Pouting, Isha walked down with a tired and disappointed face, only to be met with Zern, who held a jug of wine and new clothes in his hand.

  "Hmf… you sometimes act like a butler." Isha harrumphed, taking the wine first, then almost emptying it in one go, feeling much better by the end.

  "Haahh… you're welcome." Zern sighed, shaking his head while Ren walked up to the stage, watching Leinor, who didn't follow Isha down.

  "Do you need a rest?" She asked, sizing him up and licking her soft lips.

  "Ten minutes would do." He nodded after a brief moment of thinking.

  "Good. I like that you are honest!" Ren grinned while winking at him, sitting down. "I'll give you twenty. Then let's see what you learned, LeiLei. I won't hold back!" she said while pying with her silvery hair, smiling charmingly, while Leinor only let out a soft sigh.

  "Make it into thirty minutes then."