I Am Supreme

As it turned out, their respective compromises had resulted in the current outcome.

It was inevitable that Kong Luoyue would lose, even if he were to use the Stealth Needles, but Shi Wuchen would not be able to proceed and compete against the others today as well despite winning this round.

Yun Yang was extremely satisfied with the result but he refrained from saying anything. He let it pass without any comment, and with a smile, he announced, “Second pair!”

However, he thought to himself, ‘Shi Wuchen held back first. His sword had gone straight for the throat earlier; victory was within his grasp – Kong Luoyue did not have any opportunity to shoot the Stealth Needles. Nonetheless, Shi Wuchen held himself back right at that moment. His emphasis on their brotherhood and the general state of things was apparent. As for Kong Luoyue, he gave up his last counterattack, despite gaining an opportunity. He would rather solidify his defeat and relent. The sense of brotherhood is strong with him too.’

‘Both of them are generally wonderful, able to stand firm on their own. Their sense of kinship is impeccable as well. The sect can consider them in the future for relevant tasks.’

The second pair was Shi Bujia and Tie Qingcang and their bout was even more dazzling.

One of them was called the Young Master of Dark Fog while another was titled the Gold-Hand Scholar. Most people would assume that these two men were lean and suave gentlemen by their monikers, but that perception couldn’t be further from the truth. They looked gentlemanly, but they were not lean at all, both burly and well-muscled.

The brawny men began to strike each mercilessly once they began their battle. Their strong statures caused the ground and mountains to quake, magnifying the match’s amplitude. If it were not for the Residence of Nine Supremes’ excellent mountain guarding formation, the landscape would have easily been destroyed by the pair’s collisions.

The Young Master of Dark Fog was completely hidden in the inky mist but his techniques were not diabolical, each form and style powerful and open. As for the Gold-Hand Scholar whom Yun Yang thought about a lot, that worthy fellow was finally unleashing his skill too. Tie Qingcang’s sleeves fluttered; his arms all the way to his wrists were glittering with gold, looking like they were invincible. He parried Shi Bujia’s advances with his pair of arms; where his palms and fists passed, they felt like a giant ax hacking a mountain open, or the god of thunder raging!

Yun Yang’s eyelids jumped at the sight.

The scholar and the young master landed each strike with brutal efficiency, battling aggressively and fearlessly. It was as if two nemeses from the previous life had met in this one when these two herculean men fought; their combat styles were all about strength.

As the bout progressed, a sword and a pair of arms went at each other head-on, colliding without reservation!

Whatever form and technique, whatever the art style, the entire battle was filled with the sounds of collisions… The spectators were baffled, jaws dropping out at what they were witnessing.

Golden glow shone, dark fog rose, and finally…

The Young Master of Dark Fog cried out furiously, “What in the actual world are your stupid hands made of? How can they damage my weighty sword! I’m not fighting anymore!”

As he spoke, he surrendered and quit the match.

Tie Qingcang guffawed, showing off his gleaming hands and roaring with confidence and pride, “These are my hands! Gold hands! Unbeatable!”

The crowd booed at him in unison, but when they looked at the pair who just fought again, their gazes were serious.

When the pair fought explosively, they watched in admiration and satisfaction. However, if one from the pair were to swap with any one of them here, no one was certain that they would win as the combat style was too extreme and barbaric!

What would they do if they met them? Could their best technique tackle the other party?

These were the questions running through everyone’s mind while they frowned; obviously, they were not quite convinced with themselves.

Tie Qingcang, as the winner, stepped away from the battle with large strides to stand before Shi Wuchen and laughed. “Shi Wuchen, I’ll beat you up into a pile later, make you live up to your name as Yituo!”

“Based on your barren skills? It’s too early for that…” Shi Wuchen smirked.

He then scoffed and turned away, ignoring Tie Qingcang’s provocation.

Yun Yang was deep in thought, considering his future arrangement for this duo.

‘Tie Qingcang and Shi Bujia are the aggressive and active type, basically dauntless fighters. The frontline will definitely be theirs in the future and the combat hall will fit them perfectly.’

‘However, by observing their temperaments, Shi Bujia is cautious despite his rugged exterior, his thoughts refined, while Tie Qingcang looked careless in his muscle-bound appearance, but is a classic case of deception. Not one of them is as foolish as they seem to be, all brawn but no brain…’

Whilst Yun Yang was engrossed in his thoughts, the next pair was already battling vigorously in the ring. They were Ren Qingkuang and Guo Nuanyang, both of them were wielding swords.

Swords were the most common weapon in the Bound of Universe. At least six out of ten people would be using the said weapon. It was the same for the Demiurge-Flawed Ten with half of them wielding the sword as their primary weapon. In spite of it, there were differences across the category like Shi Wuchen and Ren Qingkuang who brandished the regular style of a sword while the sword Guo Nuanyang flourished was narrower and much longer.

The varied shapes of their swords usually meant distinct individual styles. Ren Qingkuang’s forms were conventional, his solid foundation reflected through traditional use. He did not pale in comparison to Shi Wuchen, thus it became understandable that he was eager towards the latter’s position as the Supreme Sword. On the other side, Guo Nuanyang’s style was incredibly bizarre. He might not counter once throughout Ren Qingkuang’s ten advances, but once he did, his counterattack was extremely threatening and fiendish.

“The reputation of Day-Long Assassin is true to its name!”

Yun Yang watched the match once he reeled himself back from his thoughts, discerning the key to the battle’s result after a while. He was quick to conclude that the pair fighting was most probably expecting the same outcome.

Ren Qingkuang’s combat style was open and crisp as he fully showcased his swordsmanship, each strike packing a punch. Guo Nuanyang’s counterattacks were ferocious as well but he was, after all, an assassin. He was best in attacking from the shadows, achieving his kill once he made a move. Therefore, he had no advantage fighting in this front-to-front battle.

If Guo Nuanyang was allowed to ambush Ren Qingkuang, the latter would barely escape his attack, given Guo Nuanyang’s purposeful strategy and environmental factors. However, a front-to-front battle would magnify both men’s strengths and weaknesses as time went on; Guo Nuanyang could fight, but the loss was inevitable.

‘Ren Qingkuang has also gained insight to the sword’s intent. His actual capability is on par with Shi Wuchen’s. As for Guo Nuanyang… it’s probably the best fit for him to be in the furtive hall.’

Yun Yang gradually reached these conclusions as the matches progressed.

The pair fought for some time before Guo Nuanyang hopped out of the ring and asked to be eliminated.

“I won’t participate in further battles, I’ll resign from the Nine Supremes placing match of my own volition.” Guo Nuanyang chuckled humorlessly. “I finally know with an impression left after real combat that you fellows have a really solid skillset. I was a fool for choosing to fight you fellows head-on when I’m an assassin…”