Chapter 222: Semifinals
222 Semifinals
"He...he also has reached that level? What"s wrong with this year"s disciples? The first one is that genius princess and this one too. But why do I feel that his Sword Intent was stronger than the princess." The first elder said with a shocked face.
The sect master facepalmed, "He is the one"
"Do you mean who managed to learn the true Seven Stars Cut?"
"But if you think about it. He can uncover the true Seven Stars Cut, and that "Pentagram Slash" he did earlier was the same. I...I don"t know why, but I feel it is normal for him able to do so."
"..."
The other elders didn"t know why, but they agree to those words. They looked at each other while thinking, "If he is the one, should I make a good relations.h.i.+p with him?"
Fortunately, the thirteenth elder didn"t know Alex made him locked his own son because he was too embarra.s.sed about him. Smearing his name and his own family name, Thirteenth Elder had no choice other than locking him up until the rumor died. If he knew that he was the one who made him did that. What will he do?
Now that the last match had ended, the sect master finally announced the disciple that need to stop at this stage. "We have seen our top disciples displaying their ability. So, I will announce the disciples for the next match. The first match will be between Ign.a.z.io Benitez with Tasha Lockheart. The second match will be between Alexander Sirius and Evelyn de Viona Thiveapia."
Nicolas was disappointed that he was not chosen. He was the fifth contender, and he was ranked 13th in the Battle Tower. Alexander, Ign.a.z.io, and Tasha obviously became the chosen one. After all, they were the first, second, and third in the Battle Tower, respectively. Evelyn"s position was 99th, but considering her "Seven Stars Cut". She was chosen by him.
The sect master specifically matched them like that, so Evelyn and Alex can fight. According to Charya, Alex was Evelyn"s... teacher. Seeing the teacher and student fought, this would be a great match. He also considered the fact that the two of them managed to use the genuine Seven Stars Cut.
After he announced that, the third elder announced, "Ign.a.z.io Benitez vs Tasha Lockheart."
Evelyn immediately came to him the moment he came back. "Hehe, Big Brother Alex, I will not lose this time. I practiced very hard to beat you."
Alex flicked her forehead, and surprisingly, Evelyn had prepared for it. In their training, he often flicked her forehead. She put her hand to block his finger from reaching her forehead. Alex was surprised. Evelyn grinned, "I have practiced to beat you, Big Brother Alex, so you better prepare yourself."
"Have you fixed your flaws that I have shown you?" Shaking his head because of her action, Alex finally asked.
Evelyn froze, "...I have fixed them."
"What"s with that pause?" Alex rolled his eyes.
"Hmph!" Evelyn pouted.
They continued watching the match. In the arena,
Ign.a.z.io said, "I never thought I am going to fight you in this tournament now, not in the final. Anyway, I am going to retake my first place. So, I am going to win this match."
"Are you underestimating me?"
"I am not underestimating me. I am just stating the fact that I am stronger than you."
"Even if you can win, you won"t be able to win because you are not at that level yet where you can send your Sword Intent flying. But I am afraid that you can not win this match." Tasha said. She released her Spiritual Energy while taking out her sword. Just like her light blue colored hair, her sword also light blue. It was decorated by ocean blue jade that made the sword became more beautiful.
"Hmph, then let me prove it to you" Ign.a.z.io also released his Spiritual Energy. Because both of them were 10-Star Martial Master. Their Spiritual Energy was the same. Ign.a.z.io was a spear user.
"Match Starts!"
As soon as Elder Dolf announced the start of the match, the Spiritual Energy suddenly vanished, and both Ign.a.z.io and Tasha disappeared from their position.
They appeared again in the middle arena with their weapon clas.h.i.+ng with each other. Ign.a.z.io thrust his white spear toward her. With the matching color of his hair and his white s.h.i.+rt. He looked very dazzling in the eyes of females. Just like him, Tasha also parried his spear and directed it to the side. She was like a fairy dancing in the arena.
They tried to test each other first as they only used a normal attack. None of them used their Martial Arts yet. After clas.h.i.+ng for a minute, Ign.a.z.io finally made the first move. The spear blade started glowing in white light.
"White Eagle Gaze, Pierce"
After he thrust his spear, his spear shot out a white light from its tip. It was like a laser beam. From the appearance alone, it was close to Alex"s Luminous Spear Technique. But, unlike Alex"s Luminous Spear Technique. The light was spinning. Although it was not too visible with naked eyes because of the white light. It was pretty obvious for high level Martial Artists. They can see the spin inside the white light.
The secret was probably in Ign.a.z.io"s thrust. When he trusted his spear, he spun the spear. The spin gave a greater piercing power for that light.
Unfortunately, Tasha had yet to panic, she released her Sword Intent and met the light head on. She swung her sword toward the light.
"One Strike Sword Style. Split"
When her sword met the white light. Surprisingly, it split the white light into two. Coming from the front, Tasha split it into two, and the light went to her right and left and pa.s.sed them without hitting her.
Ign.a.z.io didn"t stop there, he suddenly hit the ground hard enough with the back of his spear.
"Earth Box"
Suddenly a series of big earth walls rose from the ground. When it reached Tasha, it suddenly spread to all directions and the earth wall connected to each other and then closed the top. It looked like a box. It trapped Tasha in it.
Ign.a.z.io thrust his spear once again, "White Eagle Gaze, Pierce."
The light flew again toward the box, to be exact, to Tasha"s position. But suddenly, there was a drop in temperature. It became colder and colder.
"Ice Crystal. Bitter Prison."
Suddenly the ground froze, and the arena suddenly became cold. The box started freezing, and when the white light touched the frozen wall, it also became frozen. With the sudden drop in temperature, most Martial artists would have some shock and make their thinking delayed a bit.
"Hmph. Do you think I do not know your Ice Element? This jacket was made from Fire Lion"s fur. It holds the Fire Energy inside it and can warm me in this cold."
Suddenly, a cut appeared in one of the sides of the earth box. One of the sides suddenly fell down after got split into two. Tasha came out of the box from there as the box crumbled.
Tasha didn"t say anything regarding his remark.
"Frozen Mark, Release."
A frozen blue crystal appeared on her hand. The crystal suddenly shot a blue light toward Ign.a.z.io. Seeing the incoming attack, Ign.a.z.io immediately thrust his spear.
"White Eagle Gaze, Pierce"
Blue light from "Frozen Mark" and white light from "White Eagle Gaze" clashed. Judging from the power alone, the white light was in the upper hand. The piercing power of "White Eagle Gaze" was extraordinary.
When everyone thought that the blue light would be pierced soon, suddenly, the blue light suddenly invaded the white light. No, to be exact, It froze the blue light slowly. The white light got covered by ice elements from the blue light.
Seeing the incoming freezing power, Ign.a.z.io immediately leaped to the side. After losing the power from Ign.a.z.io, the white light was obliterated, and the blue light continued its path toward the wall and froze it. Ign.a.z.io sweatdropped, he never knew Tasha"s power was this strong. He always considered her weaker than him.
"I never know you are this strong"
"You never know anything. You never know how hard I practice and now because you are too conceited."
"Hmph, talk after you win" Ign.a.z.io snorted.
"That"s what I will do" Tasha said as she jumped forward.
"One Strike Sword Style. Split"
"Earth Great Body"
Ign.a.z.io"s body suddenly glowed bright green, it was like he fused his body with the earth element, strengthening it with the ground underneath his feet. He parried the strike from Tasha. Tasha didn"t stop there, she attacked him continuously to make an opening. Unfortunately, Ign.a.z.io also was not that easy. He parried every attack that came to his way.
On the stand, Alex watched the match with great interest as one of them will become his enemy in the final. He didn"t underestimate Evelyn, though. He will fight her with all of his power, and he won"t let his guard down before hearing he won.
Looking at the clashes on the arena, Alex can see that Tasha slowly got the upper hand. Obviously, Ign.a.z.io didn"t know that Tasha was that strong. He started struggling to defend her attacks.
Looking at his position, Ign.a.z.io let out a roar as a few spikes rose from the ground. They rose from beneath Tasha"s feet, so Tasha didn"t have any choice except distancing herself from him. After many clashes, Tasha only managed to give him a shallow wound on his shoulder. Had this continued, she wouldn"t be able to fight in the final.
She decided to finish this battle as soon as possible. For that, she needs to make an opening. The only way for that, she needs to sacrifice herself a little bit.
Looking at Tasha trying to distance herself from him, Ign.a.z.io didn"t let this go. He jumped and stomped the ground with his spear.
"Rising Earth"
"!!!"
Spikes started rising from the ground to her way. Looking at this, Tasha immediately got the chance she wanted. She froze the arena as a big ice. But, her target was not the spikes. Instead, it was Ign.a.z.io. She froze Ign.a.z.io"s feet, so he can"t escape for a bit. Then, she raised her sword and covered it with her Sword Intent.
"Nghh!" Her left shoulder was stabbed by a spike. She clenched her sword even more and swung it down.
"Seven Stars Cut"
Breaking the spikes in its way, Five Layers Seven Stars Cut flew toward Ign.a.z.io. The third elder was the first to realize the difference in her Sword Wave. He immediately thought,
"Not good!"
Ign.a.z.io didn"t realize the power behind the Seven Stars Cut. When his feet froze by the ice, he panicked a bit. He thought why she would go such a length even to let the spike stabbed her left shoulder. But, seeing her move was Seven Stars Cut. To tell the truth, he was disappointed.
"Haha, I panicked a bit when you froze my feet, I can"t break this immediately. To think you sacrificed yourself just for Seven Stars Cut. I am disappointed." Ign.a.z.io said, "Earth Great Body."
"Break" He thrust his spear toward the sword wave with his Spear Intent. In a second, he immediately realized the true power of Tasha"s Seven Stars Cut. It was beyond his imagination.
He clenched his spear even more. He tried to break the sword wave but to no avail. Finally, he realized what"s wrong with the Sword Wave. He realized the Sword Intent contained inside it. He was shocked. To think that Tasha can reach this level before him. He was shocked.
In that split second confusion, Ign.a.z.io lost his grip on his spear. The sword wave immediately blew his spear away the moment he lost his grip. Seeing the Sword Wave were flying toward him, he knew he was doomed.
A shadow appeared in front of him and destroyed the Sword Wave with his sword. He announced, "Tasha Lockheart Wins!"
Elder Dolf saved him. After realizing Tasha"s sword wave, he immediately went on his way toward Ign.a.z.io to stop the fight if needed.
After hearing the announcement, Tasha took out a pill from her s.p.a.ce Ring and swallowed it. She then came toward Ign.a.z.io, who was still confused about him losing. "As I said before, you are too conceited about yourself."
She said that and left the arena. Ign.a.z.io snapped back to the reality. Obviously, he was angered to that statement. "You!"
Unfortunately, Tasha was nowhere to be seen as she already left the arena. Ign.a.z.io gritted his teeth in defeat.