Chapter 4 Let's Fight

"Bert," Owen greeted the middle-aged man in gray standing at the center of the arena. Bert Su was a respected elder in the Su family, cultivating at the peak of the Misthaven Realm. He was Owen's uncle and was responsible for overseeing the assessment for the Sword Token competition. "Owen, are you here for the assessment?" Bert's expression was complicated as he looked at Owen. "Yes," Owen nodded. "You know the rules. The minimum requirement to participate is to have reached the Eighth Grade True Martial Realm," Bert reminded him. "Yes, I know," Owen replied calmly, and with a surge of spiritual energy, he demonstrated his attainment of the Eighth Grade True Martial Realm. "He... he actually reached it? How is that possible?" Vic, watching from the sidelines, was shocked. "Impossible! Three days ago, he was only at the Seventh Grade True Martial Realm. How did he advance so quickly?" Vic found it hard to believe, knowing that such an advancement would typically take several months or even half a year of intense cultivation. "Vic, didn't you say he was only at the Seventh Grade True Martial Realm three days ago?" Otto, standing nearby, asked. "I don't know how he did it," Vic replied, his face pale but quickly recovering with a sneer. "Even if he's just broken through, passing the assessment won't be easy." The Eighth Grade True Martial Realm was the minimum requirement, but passing the assessment was another matter entirely. Vic himself, though at this level, had failed the test. How could Owen, who had just broken through, succeed? In the arena, Owen faced a towering battle puppet over two meters tall, wielding a long staff. Though it was just a puppet, its power was formidable, having easily defeated Vic earlier. "Owen, you must give it your all and withstand the puppet's attacks for at least 25 seconds to pass the assessment," Bert instructed. "I understand," Owen nodded. "Begin," Bert signaled. The battle puppet raised its staff and swung it down at Owen with a simple yet powerful motion. Owen met the attack with his sword, matching the puppet's strength, even slightly overpowering it. Owen knew the puppet's strength and speed would continue to increase over time. It didn't use any complex techniques, just pure brute force, which made it less interesting for Owen. After testing its power, he decided to avoid further direct clashes, relying on his agility to dodge its attacks. To the spectators, Owen appeared incredibly agile. Despite the puppet's increasing power and speed, it couldn't land a single hit on him. "How could this possible?" Vic's face turned grim. He had expected Owen to struggle like he did, but Owen seemed at ease even after twenty seconds. "It's his footwork," Otto observed, narrowing his eyes. "Owen is using the Illusive Mirage technique, one of the Su family's top six movement skills. He seems to have mastered it. With such agility, he can easily last over thirty seconds against the puppet, making this assessment a breeze for him." The rules of the assessment only required lasting 25 seconds without being defeated. Owen, using his superior footwork, had avoided combat but still passed the test. "Otto, do me a favor," Vic whispered. "Once this is over, teach him a lesson for me." "Hmm?" Otto glanced at Vic, noting his anger. Vic had planned to personally humiliate Owen, but seeing Owen's advancement and skill, he realized he couldn't beat him and asked Otto to intervene. Otto, a peak Eighth Grade True Martial Realm cultivator with mastery of several powerful techniques, was among the top contenders in the assessment, having lasted 41 seconds against the puppet. He felt confident that dealing with Owen would be simple. "Alright," Otto agreed readily, seeing it as a trivial task. Vic grinned maliciously, "Don't go too hard, just knock out some teeth and break an arm." "No problem," Otto responded with a smile. With the Su family largely against Owen, he felt there would be no significant consequences for roughing him up. As Owen stepped away from the battle puppet, his time against it recorded at 38 seconds, close to Otto's record but achieved through evasion rather than direct confrontation. Otto, confident in his superiority, approached Owen. "Owen, you've got some nice moves. How about a match?" "A match with you?" Owen raised an eyebrow, unfamiliar with Otto. "What's the matter, Owen? Afraid?" Vic taunted from behind, laughing. "If you're scared, you can just run away like you did three years ago, haha!" The crowd, mainly from outer factions, joined in the laughter, recalling Owen's past as a joke. Owen's expression darkened. He realized Otto was here at Vic's behest, seeking revenge for their previous encounter. "Owen, are you up for it or not?" Otto asked, his spiritual energy flaring, revealing his peak Eighth Grade True Martial Realm strength. "Eighth Grade True Martial Realm peak?" Owen thought, shaking his head slightly. He found Otto's challenge unimpressive. Despite being in the same realm, Owen's Supreme Bloodline made him far superior. Testing his current abilities against Otto seemed a reasonable next step. "Alright, let's fight," Owen agreed.