Chapter 240: Cloud Empire (60)

The silence that dominated the Coliseum for a brief instant after Kuang’s surrender did not last.

“What was that?”

“He pulled… a sword out of his own eye!”

“That was materialized sword intent? Is that even possible at that level?!”

“Rank 68… defeated without even being touched…”

The common stands were in complete uproar. In the noble sections, the reactions were more restrained but no less intense. Serious gazes, thoughtful expressions.

In the exclusive ranked seating area, the atmosphere was different.

Nan Feng Yu let out a low whistle.

“That… was unnecessarily brutal.”

Mo Qian remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.

“That sword… do you think you could block it?”

The group fell quiet.

He Yun crossed his arms, his expression rigid.

“Block it? Maybe… if I were completely prepared. But dodge it?” He shook his head.

“Extremely difficult.”

Bai Zhu took a deep breath.

’That’s more terrifying than those gray flames…’

Nan Feng Yu looked at the other leaders of the external forces gathered there.

“If it were against you. Could you defend against that last attack?”

No one answered immediately. The truth was too clear. That sword did not carry only speed. It carried absolute decision. Pure intent.

Even with maximum defensive Qi, it would be risky. The slightest mistake and a neck would be opened.

Nan Feng Yu laughed lightly.

“At least it’s not us in danger. Instead, the other ranked fighters should be worried. Right?”

Meanwhile, Kyrian had already left the arena.

He walked to the betting counter with calm steps. The attendant was visibly more respectful this time. The odds had been balanced before the fight. The return was high.

The spirit stones were handed over. Kyrian checked them quickly. Another significant sum.

He stored everything in his spatial ring without expression but internally satisfied. The item he wanted from the auction was becoming increasingly guaranteed.

He returned to the exclusive stands. No one asked direct questions about the sword. But the looks had changed.

They looked at him with even more caution. More evaluation. The fights then continued.

The second day was even more brutal than the first. The leaders of the external forces began challenging higher ranks. One after another.

Nan Feng Yu climbed two more positions.

Mo Qian advanced three.

He Yun won a difficult fight against Rank 81 and took his place.

Bai Zhu also managed to advance, though with more effort.

Meanwhile, the original ranked members of the Coliseum began losing ground. Their names slowly descended on the golden panel, replaced by the newcomers.

The crowd roared with every change. The “external geniuses” were dominating the Cloud Coliseum.

Two hours passed quickly. The sun was already high when Kyrian’s name lit up on the panel again. The murmur rose almost instantly.

Elder Tian stepped forward.

“Next challenge.”

The panel displayed the names.

“Kyrian, Rank 68 of the Coliseum…”

A brief pause.

“…against Zhao Ren, Rank 52 of the Coliseum.”

The arena reacted with audible surprise.

The cultivation levels appeared below the names.

Kyrian, 6° stage of the Qi Liberation Realm.

Zhao Ren, 4° stage of the Core Formation Realm.

The gap was even greater. But something had changed. The betting odds appeared at the side.

And for the first time since Kyrian began challenging the rankings… he was the favorite.

The return value for bets against him was much higher. Most were placing their spirit stones on Kyrian.

The sword drawn from the eye had left far too deep an impression.

“It seems they’ve decided he only loses to the Top 30.” Someone commented in the noble stands.

“If Zhao Ren doesn’t have something special… this ends quickly.”

Kyrian stood once more. His face showed no excitement. No arrogance. Only focus and a certain anticipation of facing a good fight.

He descended the stairs under a new kind of gaze from the crowd. It was no longer just curiosity. It was a real expectation.

On the other side of the arena, Zhao Ren appeared.

Unlike Kuang, he was more slender. His features were sharp. Dark garments were fitted to his body. A dense aura surrounded his shoulders.

His eyes were fixed on Kyrian from the very first instant.

He did not seem nervous. But he did not seem overly confident either. The posture of someone who had watched the previous fight with extreme attention.

The Coliseum gradually quieted. Elder Tian raised his hand once more.

“Begin.”

The wind crossed the arena. The tension was different now. Kyrian was at the center of something greater. If he defeated Rank 52, his entry into the Top 50 would be only a matter of time.

And everyone wanted to know, how far would the new genius of the Blood Court go? How far could he reach? Would he be a new Dong Zhen?

Zhao Ren, in the arena, did not attack immediately.

He began walking sideways, tracing a slow circle around Kyrian. His steps were light, almost silent. His eyes never left his opponent. Two daggers emerged from his spatial ring with a faint silver glow.

Short blades. Made to kill in a single movement. He spun them in his fingers, testing the weight. There was caution in his gaze. Clear wariness.

He had seen the sword emerge from Kyrian’s eye. He knew that if he gave too much space, that thing could appear again.

Kyrian remained still at the center. He did not draw his sword. He did not change his breathing.

He simply observed.

Zhao Ren realized.

’He doesn’t intend to end this immediately…’

So he decided to take the risk. His body flickered.

And in the next instant, he dissolved into a black shadow.

The burst of speed was absurd. Faster than any previously ranked fighter. A dark blur crossing the arena. The stands reacted too late.

The dagger flashed.

And in the blink of an eye, it was at the left side of Kyrian’s neck.

But it did not advance beyond that.

A dry sound echoed.

A crack of ice.

Crystalline spikes exploded around Kyrian in all directions. Sharp tips like frozen spears. The ground beneath his feet froze instantly.

Zhao Ren was halted mid-motion. His feet were trapped. His torso was immobilized.

The dagger stopped centimeters from Kyrian’s skin, blocked by a translucent layer of dense ice.

He tried to retreat. But the ice tightened. Cracks spread through the air as if space itself were freezing.

Zhao Ren lifted his eyes.

And then he saw.

The green, sword-shaped pupils had disappeared. In their place, sky-blue eyes shone with glacial intensity.

At the center, two perfectly geometric snowflake-shaped pupils.

Along with them, a silent, yet absolute, extreme cold emerged on the battlefield.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep