Chapter 141: A Battle of Masters


    The top 32 matches were held twice daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This meant two competitors were eliminated each day, with the tournament lasting eight days until only 16 remained. Han Ming had already competed in one match, so he wouldn’t be fighting again for the next seven days.


    Today, Quake showed up with a group of friends, ready to drag Han Ming out for drinks. However, Kulo intercepted them at the door, hands on her hips, and scolded, "Drink, drink, drink! Is that all you know? You’ll drink yourselves to death, you idiots!"


    Quake scratched his head, his face red with embarrassment, while his friends cowered behind him.


    "Wow, sister-in-law is terrifying."


    "Yeah, she’s so intimidating."


    Han Ming awkwardly appeared behind Kulo, trying to defuse the situation. "Well, actually—"


    "Shut it! No ''actually''! If you dare go drinking again, I’ll deal with you myself tonight!" Kulo snapped.


    Han Ming’s face turned beet red, and he wished he could vanish into the ground.


    "Uh, actually, we weren’t going to drink. We were just heading to watch the matches, right? Right, Han?" Quake quickly corrected himself, catching Han Ming’s subtle eye signals.


    "Ha, yeah, you know what they say—know your enemy, know yourself, and you’ll never lose," Han Ming added with a nervous laugh, avoiding Kulo’s fierce glare.


    And so, the group, originally planning to drink with the city guards, found themselves nervously heading to the arena under Kulo’s watchful eye.


    ---


    The morning match featured one of Han Ming’s acquaintances: Shang Que, the third-tier first-level fire mage. Han Ming sat in the stands, sipping water handed to him by Kulo, thinking to himself how fortunate it was that they’d decided to come. He’d never seen Shang Que fight seriously and was curious about his abilities.


    The crowd buzzed with excitement, the air thick with anticipation. Kulo gently wiped the sweat from Han Ming’s forehead, while Quake watched enviously.


    "Ah, having a girlfriend is so nice. I should get one too," Quake muttered, then turned to Kulo. "Sister-in-law, do you have any sisters or friends? My standards aren’t high—just someone a little prettier than you."


    Kulo smiled sweetly. "Of course. Queen Vivian. Go ahead, tell her I sent you."


    Han Ming nearly choked trying to suppress his laughter, quickly straightening up when he noticed Kulo’s sharp glance.


    "Uh… never mind," Quake stammered, realizing he’d stepped into a trap. "Your wife’s got quite the tongue, Han."


    As the crowd’s cheers grew louder, the match began. Shang Que’s opponent was a sixth-tier peak earth-element warrior from the Rhine Empire, Haddleton.


    "Introducing Haddleton from the Rhine Empire and Shang Que from the Monte Empire!" the announcer declared through the sound-amplifying crystal.


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    Haddleton leapt onto the stage with a series of flips, landing firmly to thunderous applause. Shang Que, on the other hand, rose into the air on a pillar of fire, descending like a fire god. The flames vanished the moment his feet touched the ground, leaving no trace of scorching—a testament to his mastery over fire magic.


    "This guy’s got some skills," Quake remarked, impressed.


    Han Ming watched intently, noting how Shang Que’s flashy entrance was likely a response to his own high-profile performance the previous day. *I had my reasons for standing out, but you’re just doing this to one-up me? How childish.*


    Han Ming’s gaze shifted to the opposite stands, where Phil was nervously watching Shang Que. Their eyes met briefly, and Han Ming offered a polite smile. Phil, however, glanced at Kulo beside Han Ming and snorted dismissively.


    "Don’t think a fancy entrance means you’re stronger than me. The real fight will decide that," Haddleton growled, clearly annoyed by Shang Que’s theatrics, despite having shown off himself.


    "Agreed," Shang Que replied with a slight bow, eliciting squeals from the female audience.


    Haddleton’s eyes narrowed. "Keep showing off. I’ll make you beg for mercy soon enough."


    "Are both competitors ready?" the referee asked.


    At their nods, he declared, "Begin!"


    Haddleton charged forward, his body encased in earth-element armor, aiming to close the distance and overwhelm Shang Que in close combat. Shang Que, however, stood his ground, a faint smile on his lips.


    "You’re asking for it!" Haddleton roared, throwing a punch reinforced with earth energy.


    Shang Que extended a finger, a thin flame snaking out to wrap around Haddleton’s arm. The earth armor cracked under the intense heat, and the flame continued its path toward Haddleton’s chest.


    "Using magic to mimic animal movements without summoning a beast spirit," Han Ming observed, impressed. Shang Que’s control over fire magic was indeed remarkable.


    Haddleton flailed, trying to extinguish the flame, but it danced around him, burning his body red. Just as he was about to fall off the stage, Shang Que grabbed his arm and pulled him back, dispersing the flame.


    "Are you alright, friend?" Shang Que asked kindly, earning cheers from the crowd.


    "Don’t pretend to care!" Haddleton shouted, summoning a massive earthworm beast spirit that lunged at Shang Que.


    Shang Que clapped his hands, creating a fiery wheel that rolled toward the beast spirit, burning it and forcing it to retreat. Haddleton seized the opportunity to attack from behind, but Shang Que sidestepped, merging two massive fire wheels to trap both Haddleton and his beast spirit in a blazing inferno.


    The stage was reduced to ash, and Haddleton’s beast spirit dissipated. Haddleton himself was set ablaze, screaming in agony until Shang Que absorbed the flames back into his body.


    "Are you okay?" Shang Que asked gently.


    Haddleton, terrified, fled the arena.


    "Take care, friend," Shang Que called after him, earning even more admiration from the crowd.


    "Such grace and power!"


    "He’s so handsome!"


    The young girls in the audience were smitten.


    "Fire mages are truly terrifying," Han Ming murmured, shaking his head. The disparity between elemental affinities was staggering. Without his Water God’s Decree, he’d struggle to match Shang Que.


    The referee announced Shang Que’s victory, and Shang Que blew a kiss to Phil, who blushed with a mix of embarrassment and happiness.


    ---


    After a break for lunch, Han Ming and the others returned for the afternoon match, which featured another familiar face: Gamori, the fifth-tier water-element warrior from the Kabu Empire. His opponent was a fifth-tier fire mage, Barret, also from the Kabu Empire. While Barret had the advantage in tier, the gap between mages and warriors was significant, though mages’ progress was notoriously slow compared to warriors.


    "Introducing Gamori and Barret, both from the Kabu Empire!" the announcer declared.


    Both competitors leapt onto the stage, Gamori with his eyes still closed.


    "Are both competitors ready?" the referee asked.


    At their confirmation, the match began.


    Barret immediately summoned six fiery snakes that darted toward Gamori in unpredictable patterns. Gamori, however, walked forward calmly, his steps light and precise. Without opening his eyes, he effortlessly dodged the snakes’ attacks, weaving through them like a bee avoiding thorns.


    The audience gasped as Gamori closed the distance, reaching Barret in moments. Before Barret could react, Gamori grabbed him by the neck and tossed him out of the arena. Without waiting for the referee’s announcement, Gamori stepped off the stage and walked away, his calm demeanor leaving the crowd in awe.