Chapter 10 Elimination

"Greetings, family head!" Everyone in the arena, including those from the faction led by the followers, bowed respectfully toward the figure on the platform. This man, dressed in a white, flowing robe with an elegant and handsome demeanor, was Henry, the current head of the Su family and Owen's father. After the death of the family's founding elder, Henry became the main pillar of the Su family. He was once a renowned genius in the Skyblaze Empire but had since adopted a low-profile lifestyle, though those who knew him still held him in high regard. "My father once mentioned that among the Su family's powerful figures, even Blake, who has reached the Void Breaking Realm, is not as feared as Henry," Jackson mused. In the Su family, the faction led by Reg had grown stronger, often overshadowing the core members. However, Reg had never openly opposed the core family, largely due to Henry's influence. "Rise," Henry said, raising his hand, and the crowd stood. "Beside me is Lord Hogan, the administrator of the Chilong Building in Severmere Province. Please greet him," Henry continued. "Greetings, Lord Hogan," everyone responded in unison. "Haha, I'm just here to watch," Hogan said with a smile. "Remember our agreement," Henry reminded him. "Of course," Hogan replied, waving his hand dismissively. "Please prepare a seat for Lord Hogan," Henry instructed. A chair was quickly brought and placed beside Henry's, where the two Void Breaking Realm experts sat. Meanwhile, whispers spread through the crowd. "It's surprising that the family head invited Lord Hogan from the Chilong Building." "This isn't just a regular family competition; it's about the Sword Token. The family is taking this very seriously." ... Owen stood among the crowd, frowning slightly. "The administrator of the Chilong Building, Hogan? This complicates things." He knew Hogan had witnessed him pass the fourteenth floor under the alias "Hiram." If he revealed his skills in the upcoming contest, Hogan might recognize him, making it difficult to keep his identity hidden. "It's time, Perry. Let's begin," Henry said. "Yes," agreed Elder Perry, who then moved to the center of the arena. "All those who have passed the family assessment, step forward," Perry announced loudly. Immediately, the eligible young members from both factions stepped forward. There were about sixty to seventy participants, most of them at the Eighth Grade True Martial Realm. "This competition will determine the holder of the Su family's Sword Token and the leader of the younger generation, who will act as the vice head of the family," Perry declared, his gaze sweeping over the young contestants, many of whom were visibly excited and eager. "Only one person will emerge victorious, gaining this great honor," Perry continued. "The competition consists of two rounds. Prepare yourselves; the first round is about to begin." The participants tensed, uncertain about the competition's rules, which differed from the usual family contests. On the platform, Henry turned to Hogan. "Lord Hogan, it's your turn." Hogan shrugged, then stood and suddenly appeared above the arena. "Your opponent for the first round is me," Hogan announced, smiling. "What?" "Is this a joke?" The young participants were stunned. Hogan was a formidable Void Breaking Realm expert, far beyond their level. "Don't worry, it's not as difficult as you might think, but it's not easy either," Hogan said. "I will unleash a widespread, dense attack called Droplet Flurry that will cover all of you. Your task is to withstand it. Those who can endure my attack will pass the first round; those who can't will be eliminated." Despite Hogan's calm demeanor, the contestants were anxious. Even Jackson and Charles looked serious, aware of the challenge before them. Without further explanation, Hogan raised a finger, and a vast wave of spiritual energy formed a mirror-like surface in the air. From this surface, countless beams of light shot down like torrential rain toward the participants. The beams, numerous and swift, posed a significant threat. The young contestants scrambled to defend themselves, but the sheer volume and intensity of the beams overwhelmed many, quickly knocking them out of the competition. In a matter of moments, Hogan's attack ceased, and he lowered his hand. Of the nearly seventy participants, only ten remained standing, including Owen. "Those who endured my attack have done well," Hogan said with a faint smile before returning to the platform. Perry then addressed the crowd, "Those who were injured or defeated, please step aside to rest. As for those still standing..." He noted that some of the ten were still catching their breath. "You have an hour's time to recover. After that, the second round will begin." The eliminated contestants were tended to while the remaining ones began to recover. The arena buzzed with excitement and disbelief at how quickly the first round had concluded, leaving many astonished by the high elimination rate. "Henry, I'm sure you saw, right?" Hogan glanced at Henry. On the platform, Henry nodded. "I did." "When I unleashed that attack, I targeted Jackson specifically. While the speed and density of the beams were the same for everyone, Jackson faced beams with three times the usual force," Hogan explained with a serious expression. "Normally, this would inflict some damage, potentially hindering his performance in the next round. However, Jackson easily deflected all the beams without using any significant techniques, suggesting he's far more powerful than we anticipated." "Henry, your family might be in trouble this time," Hogan concluded. Henry remained silent. Jackson's prowess was formidable, leaving no one in the Su family capable of matching him. Desperate to prevent an outsider from claiming the Sword Token, the Su family had resorted to underhanded tactics, including inviting Hogan to subtly sabotage Jackson. However, Hogan couldn't make his interference too obvious or directly injure Jackson, as it would be too apparent. Moreover, Jackson, having passed the eleventh floor of the True Martial Attic, held Amber Badge privileges in the Chilong Building, complicating matters further. "But Jackson's easy deflection of the beams was not unexpected. However, that young boy..." Hogan's gaze shifted to a young swordsman with closed eyes in the arena. The youth was none other than Owen, once a promising figure in the Su family. "Among those who withstood my attack, nine are at least at the Tenth Grade True Martial Realm. Only Owen, at the peak of the Ninth Grade, stood out for his ease in deflecting the beams," Hogan noted. While some of the Tenth Grade contestants were visibly exhausted, Owen appeared calm and unstrained, handling the beams with apparent ease. "Aside from Jackson, Owen seemed the most at ease among the group despite being only in the Ninth Grade," Hogan observed, finding the situation increasingly intriguing.