The One King

The arena had still not calmed down after Alister's elimination round.

Gaya's name had left an impression that still lingered in everyone's minds, while Azrael's words about Alister had become the subject of countless conversations among those present.

But the tournament waited for no one.

The judge raised his hand once again, and the enormous formations surrounding the arena began to activate.

The traces of the previous battle disappeared from the arena floor within moments, and the battlefield returned to its original state.

Then the judge's voice rang out:

"Next elimination round!"

New names appeared in the sky.

Nearly a hundred participants began appearing inside the arena.

This time, among them were several cultivators who had previously been unknown, along with a number of geniuses who were beginning to attract the attention of the major powers.

The moment the battle began, techniques erupted in every direction.

But after what had happened with Gaya, the participants had become far more cautious.

No one wanted to remain close to anyone belonging to the Council Clan.

The name of that clan alone was enough to make some people reconsider their strategies.

One participant watched the arena and asked:

"Is there anyone else from the Council Clan in this round?"

His companion answered:

"I don't think so."

The man breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good... I don't want to see another finger fall from the sky."

A nearby participant overheard him and said sarcastically:

"Even if Gaya isn't here, do you really think the rest of her team is weak?"

The man's expression changed.

He looked toward Rex, Sol, Lysandra, and Don standing outside the arena.

"No... and that's the part that scares me."

Caution had become the defining characteristic of this tournament.

As the elimination rounds continued, the members of Gaya's team began entering one after another.

The first was Rex.

When his name was called, he entered the arena amid wary gazes.

He did not rush toward his opponents.

He stood still for a moment and surveyed the entire battlefield.

One participant said:

"He's one of Gaya's followers."

Another replied:

"Don't get close to him."

A third laughed.

"Why? Is he going to make another finger appear?"

Before he could finish laughing, Rex vanished from his position.

He appeared directly in front of him.

One strike.

Then a second.

Then he released a burst of force that sent the man flying beyond the boundary of the arena.

Silence descended.

Rex said calmly:

"I don't need a large-scale technique."

Then he moved.

Within a short time, the participants around him began falling one after another.

His style was not flashy.

It was direct.

Every movement produced a result.

Every strike was calculated.

A judge watching from the platform said:

"He doesn't rely on brute force."

Another answered:

"That's right. He possesses genuine combat experience."

Then the result of the elimination round appeared.

Rex — Qualified.

Some cheers rose from the audience.

But they were not nearly as loud as the cheers that had accompanied Alister.

Everyone already understood that Rex's true strength had not been revealed.

Then came Sol's turn.

He entered the arena with a wide smile.

One participant said:

"That's another one of them."

His companion replied:

"Watch him carefully."

Sol smiled.

"Don't worry."

Then he extended his hand.

Dense spiritual energy erupted around his body.

The battle began.

But Sol was completely different from Rex.

He was more playful.

More deceptive.

He exploited his opponents' mistakes rather than confronting them directly.

He forced one participant out of the arena, knocked down another, then dodged the attacks of three participants at once until they collided with each other.

His laughter echoed through the battlefield.

"You're all working harder than you need to!"

The audience sometimes laughed at his fighting style, but the judges saw something entirely different.

One of them said:

"He reads his opponents extremely quickly."

Another added:

"Gaya's team isn't merely a group of powerful cultivators."

Then Sol's elimination round ended as well.

Sol — Qualified.

Next came Lysandra.

She was completely different again.

Quiet.

Cold.

She rarely spoke.

When the elimination round began, she barely moved.

She waited.

Whenever an opponent approached her, she would evade his attack at precisely the right moment before delivering a precise strike that rendered him incapable of continuing.

Soon, some participants became afraid to approach her.

One of them said:

"She doesn't waste a single movement."

Another said:

"I can't even tell when she's going to attack."

As for Don, he ended his elimination round in yet another manner.

He relied more heavily on direct power than the others.

Even so, he used only a fraction of his strength.

By the time the elimination rounds were over, one thing had become obvious to everyone.

Rex.

Sol.

Lysandra.

Don.

All of them had qualified.

And the strangest part...

None of them had needed to use their full strength.

The name of the Council Clan was becoming heavier with every elimination round.

At the top of the platform, Azrael continued watching calmly.

He did not interfere.

Nor did he offer them advice.

He knew they could handle this stage on their own.

Gaya stood nearby, watching quietly.

Sol approached her and said:

"I think I'm beginning to understand why the judge looked terrified when he heard the name of your technique."

Gaya looked at him.

"Why?"

Sol laughed.

"Because you made the elimination rounds look like the end of the world."

Don said:

"More like you made them end faster than any other elimination round."

Rex smiled.

"And I think the judge won't allow you to use it again so easily."

Lysandra said:

"If the number of participants is large enough, he may have no choice."

The three of them looked at her.

Then Sol burst out laughing.

Gaya merely gave them a calm look.

From above the throne, Azrael heard their conversation.

He smiled.

But on the other side of the arena...

Two eyes were constantly watching Gaya.

Valeria Ashbourne.

Ever since Gaya had appeared, Valeria had been unable to regain her composure.

Every time she saw Gaya standing there so calmly, she felt as though the past was drawing closer to her.

Every time she heard her name, the scene she had believed was over forever returned to her memories.

The ship.

The water.

The night.

And Gaya falling into the sea.

She had been certain she would never return.

She had been certain the sea had swallowed her.

But she had returned.

And she was no longer the weak girl who had been unable to cultivate.

She had reached the Peak of Immortal Ascension.

And she had become the wife of the man feared by the greatest powers.

Worst of all...

She was standing before her now.

Alive.

Calm.

As though all the years of suffering had been nothing more than a distant dream.

Valeria clenched her fist tightly.

Lina noticed the change in her expression.

She turned toward her.

"Valeria?"

There was no answer.

Valeria continued staring at Gaya.

Lina asked:

"What's wrong with you?"

Valeria swallowed.

"Nothing."

But her voice was unsteady.

Lina looked at her in confusion.

"You're pale."

Valeria gritted her teeth.

"I said nothing."

Then she turned her gaze back toward the arena.

But she could not get rid of the one question haunting her:

Does he know?

Had Gaya told him what happened?

Did he know that she had been the reason behind her disappearance?

Did he know that she had tried to get rid of her?

The mere thought that Azrael might know was enough to make her body tremble.

Valeria looked toward Azrael.

He was sitting on his throne.

Calm.

Then she felt a chill.

If he knew...

Then why had he done nothing?

And why did he look so calm?

Her confusion deepened.

Then another blow struck her past.

The judge raised his voice:

"Next elimination round!"

The formations began activating.

A new group appeared.

And among the names was:

Leon Foyd.

Cheers immediately erupted.

"Leon!"

"The future Supreme Protector!"

"He's entered!"

Leon entered the arena with calm steps.

He did not raise his hand.

He did not show off his strength.

Nor did he spend long looking at the audience.

He simply stood in his position.

Then the elimination round began.

One participant charged toward him.

Leon moved.

One strike.

Then he appeared behind another participant.

A second strike.

Then he released a burst of energy that sent three participants out of the arena simultaneously.

Cheers erupted.

But Leon did not look pleased.

He moved calmly, as though he were simply carrying out an ordinary task.

One elder from the Association for the Protection of Races said:

"This is Leon Foyd."

Another replied:

"He possesses more than just strength."

Then he smiled.

"He possesses the mind of a protector."

Leon protected himself while eliminating his opponents without using excessive methods.

In the end, he qualified almost completely uninjured.

The judge raised his voice:

"Leon Foyd — Qualified!"

The cheers erupted once again.

But when Leon left the arena...

He stopped.

His eyes had met someone standing on the opposite side.

Gaya.

He froze for a moment.

He did not understand why.

There was something strange.

Something familiar.

Something he could not explain.

After the elimination round ended, he approached her.

He stopped in front of her.

He stared at her for several moments.

Then he asked:

"Have we met before?"

Gaya looked at him.

Her expression remained calm.

"I don't think so."

Leon continued looking at her.

"Strange."

He paused.

"I feel as though I know you."

Gaya did not answer immediately.

There was a similar feeling within her.

Something she could not explain.

But she said calmly:

"Perhaps you feel that way because we belong to the same generation."

Leon smiled.

"Perhaps."

Then he walked away.

But after he had gone, he continued glancing back at her from time to time.

As for Gaya...

She remained silent.

She did not know why she had felt a strange sense of comfort when speaking with him.

And she did not know why his presence felt strangely close to her in a way she could not explain.

From above the throne...

Azrael watched the two of them.

He said nothing.

His eyes merely narrowed slightly.

Then he turned his gaze back toward the arena.

In another elimination round...

Alister appeared once again.

This time, he was not in the same group as Leon.

The moment he entered the arena, cheers erupted.

It was obvious that his previous victory had increased his fame even further.

One participant said:

"It's Alister!"

"Stay away from him!"

But Alister did not wait.

He moved.

His speed was even greater than before.

His movements had become sharper.

He eliminated one opponent.

Then another.

Then a third.

Then moved on to another.

He analyzed every movement before it happened.

After a short while, the number of opponents around him was decreasing at an astonishing rate.

The audience began chanting his name.

"Alister!"

"He's terrifying!"

"He's getting stronger!"

"Is this his true strength?!"

Azrael sat upon his throne.

He watched Alister.

Then a sinister smile appeared on his face.

He spoke loudly enough for the entire arena to hear:

"The greater his talent..."

His purple eyes remained fixed on Alister.

Then he said:

"The closer he gets to his grave."

Silence returned.

Alister turned toward the platform.

But Azrael did not look directly at him.

He simply smiled.

Then he said:

"His talent seems to be improving."

His words carried unmistakable mockery.

Andor's anger intensified.

"Azrael!"

But Azrael did not turn toward him.

"What?"

Andor said:

"I warned you."

Azrael smiled.

"And I haven't forgotten."

Andor said sharply:

"Then stop."

Titania laughed softly.

"Andor, you're asking the wrong person to stop."

He looked at her.

"Are you enjoying this?"

She smiled.

"A little."

Then she looked at Azrael.

"Actually, more than I probably should."

Andor shook his head in irritation.

Azrael did not care.

His eyes remained fixed on Alister.

When the elimination round ended, Alister had suffered nothing more than a few minor scratches.

Cheers erupted.

But this time, Azrael did not look at him.

Instead, he turned his head toward Gaya and her team.

"Gaya."

She turned toward him.

"Yes?"

He indicated Alister with his eyes.

"If you encounter him in the later stages..."

He paused for a moment.

Then said coldly:

"If you can kill him, then kill him."

Rex raised an eyebrow.

Sol smiled.

Lysandra and Don remained calm.

Gaya looked at Azrael.

"You want him dead."

He answered:

"If it is possible."

Then he added:

"But don't risk your lives for him."

He looked at the entire team.

"I want all of you to qualify."

Then his sinister smile appeared.

"But if Alister gives you an opportunity to finish him..."

His eyes settled on Gaya.

"Don't give him a second chance."

Gaya nodded.

"Understood."

From a distance, Andor heard the words.

Anger burned in his eyes.

"Azrael!"

All eyes turned toward him.

Andor struck the armrest of his throne with his hand.

"Has this tournament become a place for you to settle your grudges against the Heavenly Council?!"

Azrael smiled.

"No."

Then he added:

"It's a tournament."

He raised an eyebrow.

"But if one of my enemies decides to enter it..."

A cold smile appeared.

"Then he can bear the consequences."

Andor's anger intensified.

Titania, however, could not stop herself from laughing.

"Looks like things are going to get interesting."

Andor looked at her irritably.

"You're not helping."

She laughed.

"I never said I was trying to."

In the arena, Alister had already left his elimination round.

As he passed near the participants' area, his eyes briefly stopped on Gaya.

Then on Azrael.

He understood the message.

The man sitting upon the throne wanted him dead.

And he had not even tried to hide it.

But instead of feeling afraid...

Alister smiled.

He thought to himself:

"So you want me dead, Azrael Netherval?"

He raised his eyes.

"Then let's see which one of us will bury the other."

Then he walked away.

On the other side, Gaya watched him.

Rex said:

"He doesn't seem afraid."

Don answered:

"That's because he hasn't faced you yet."

Sol laughed.

"Or he hasn't seen the Great Destruction Finger."

Gaya looked at him.

"I won't use it without reason."

Sol said:

"That's what you're saying now."

Lysandra smiled.

Rex said:

"If we reach the advanced stages, there won't be groups containing a hundred people."

Everyone looked at him.

"Which means Gaya won't be able to eliminate everyone with a single strike."

Gaya looked at him.

"Who said I need one strike?"

Silence.

Then Sol laughed.

"That particular sentence doesn't reassure me."

A small smile appeared on Gaya's face.

At that moment...

The judge's voice rose once again.

"Another batch of elimination rounds has ended!"

The names began appearing on the screens.

One after another.

The number of participants was rapidly decreasing.

With every elimination round, it became clearer that the tournament was approaching its true stage.

Then the judge appeared in the center of the arena.

He raised his hand.

All the formations began activating simultaneously.

The voices gradually fell silent.

The judge looked toward the screens.

Then he said:

"The first elimination round has been completed."

The audience erupted.

But the judge was not finished.

"Among all the participants who entered the first round..."

A long list appeared in the sky.

Then the names began disappearing one by one.

Until only the qualified participants remained.

Gaya Netherval.

Rex.

Sol.

Lysandra.

Don.

Leon Foyd.

Valeria Ashbourne.

Lina Ashbourne.

John.

Alister.

And many other geniuses.

The judge announced:

"These are the participants who have qualified for the next stage of the All-Races Tournament."

Cheers erupted.

But the judge raised his hand.

The arena quieted.

Then he said:

"As for the next stage..."

He paused.

New formations appeared in the air.

"It will not consist of group eliminations."

The participants' eyes widened.

He continued:

"Specific matches between the qualified participants will now begin."

The names began moving across the screens.

The audience watched.

The participants watched.

Even the judges leaned forward slightly.

Then the names stopped.

The first pair of participants appeared.

Then the second.

Then the third.

Then the fourth.

Until...

The screen suddenly stopped.

A profound silence descended.

Two names appeared.

Gaya Netherval

VS

Alister

No one moved.

No one spoke.

Even Andor froze for a moment.

Then Titania smiled.

As for Alister, he raised his head toward Gaya.

At the same moment, Gaya raised her eyes toward him.

And from above the throne...

Azrael's face broke into a wide smile.

Then he said calmly:

"Here's your chance."

Gaya did not answer.

She simply took a step forward.

On the opposite side...

Alister began moving toward the arena.

His expression was calm.

But his eyes carried a clear fighting intent.

Above the judges' platform, Andor clenched his fist.

Titania watched the scene with unmistakable interest.

As for Azrael...

He rested his head against his hand once again.

Then said with a sinister smile:

"Show me what you learned from me, my dear."

The barriers around the arena began rising.

The ancient formations glowed.

And in the center of the arena...

Gaya stood on one side.

Alister stood on the other.

The battle had not yet begun.

But everyone could feel that something tremendous was about to happen.

The elimination stage was over.

Now the real tournament had begun.

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