Awakening the Divine Spark

Engrossed in training, Lee barely noticed how the day of the competition arrived. While this was only Hall of Ascension’s inner competition, normally it was a big deal.

Unfortunately, the excitement was spoiled a month prior to the competition, when it was announced that this year only those outer disciples of fourteen years of age and younger would be taking part. As always, the candidates were hand-picked by the elder and spent the last month in a crazed preparation.

The crowd that gathered to spectate matches was mostly here to witness the second part when the inner disciples would compete. They didn’t pay much attention to the thirty two excited kids at the side, preparing for their first duels.

Not everyone was bored, though. Lee had to facepalm hearing shouts like Go, Brother Lee! and Brother Lee, you’re the best! coming from the front seats where Xiao Lian sat with Qin Yujian. Obviously the two lovebirds were sitting blushed and silent – it was her two annoying friends that kept shouting.

After analyzing the opponents one more time, Lee had to admit that Jian Wuji had done a remarkable job. He actually picked the best, but the most tricky opponents had been placed in one bracket with his younger brother.

Lee was certain that Jian Tianyu could deal with them, thus all he had to do was to make sure to get to the finals.

He didn’t care for how spectacular or unfair the matches were about to be – he had come here for another reason. Soulcleaver in his backpack anxiously waited, but for some reason Lee himself was completely calm.

This was not the first time he would claim someone’s life, and probably not the last. Maybe ten years ago he would’ve had a symbolic ethical struggle regarding it, but not after witnessing the Ashland, to not speak about the attack on the Nethermoon sect and the following Blackwater war.

This was the world where the strong ruled with their merciless fists.

***

Everyone cheered and jumped to their feet when the Sect Master Wang arrived, and he, similar to how once Thorne Evergale did, simply greeted the present and invited the first four pairs to begin. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Lee’s first opponent was a girl of his age, but slightly taller. He had sparred with her quite a few times and knew firsthand how well she could use her long legs. She was really fast.

Unfortunately, before she ignited her wind spark, Lee was forced to embarrass her.

"Brother Lee, watch out!" She politely said, and attacked with a direct thrust of her sword, intending to dash to the side right after it was deflected.

Lee didn’t intend to do that, though. He took two quick steps forward, on the way slightly lifting his left elbow and letting the sword stab into nothingness.

For a split moment some of the spectators gasped, since from the side it appeared that the girl had stabbed him. But the next moment everyone in the arena began to curse Lee for being a rogue, and, in fact, he couldn’t blame them.

After letting the sword swish through his armpit, he hugged the opponent not only with his hands, but also legs. From the inertia both of them fell to the floor, with the girl below him, shocked speechless, and that was the moment the presiding junior elder announced Lee to be the winner.

He held a small dagger to her neck, mumbling words of apology, but knowing it would never be granted. He thought of this attack the moment he found out that he might have to fight against a female opponent, and while it wasn’t particularly honorable, it was effective.

He did get slapped after helping her to get to her feet, and the slap was accompanied by loud cheers from the audience. Unfortunately no one had a clue that his reputation was the least of the things Lee cared about.

He got to rest for a bit until a few more matches were over, not that he needed that, of course, and faced his next opponent. The energetic shorty as an annoying one to fight against, but Lee already had tactics in mind.

The opponent didn’t witness Lee’s earlier stunt, but there were helpful people who rushed to inform about it. Technically the shorty was prepared, although couldn’t believe that another guy would actually dare to hug him instead of a girl.

After the match started, the shorty realized Lee was going for a grab after all. He didn’t panic, but nimbly retreated. He was annoyed, but the displeasure on his face turned into a sneer, seeing Lee clumsily stumbling on his own.

Everyone laughed, witnessing Lee heavily dropping to the arena floor, but the moment he landed, he held his opponents ankle in a tight grip. That was all Lee needed – it wasn’t a grab or a stumble. It was basically a dive and he caught what he went for.

Ignoring the ridiculing crowd, he got up in an instant, pulling the opponent’s ankle upward as well. The guy was shorter and lighter, and it was inevitable for him to loose his balance, but Lee didn’t stop.

Using the inertia of himself spinning hundred and eighty degrees, he threw the opponent out of the arena and the match was over. Lee guessed that his move earned him another enemy for life, but hopefully not a mortal one.

Lee’s actions caused a unanimous displeasure in the spectating crowds. Even elders and junior elders had frowns of their faces, even though they realized the guy had dealt with his opponents in a very effective manner.

The event was supposed to display how the young cultivators were progressing towards perfection, not their ability to survive in a street fight.

But once again, Lee didn’t care. This was the last time he participated in anything like this, and he was fully focused on preserving every ounce of strength for the last thrust that had to take Victoria’s life.

With two matches behind him, Lee had only three more to go.

He knew the next opponent as well. The guy was rather strong, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He was certain he could go with the tactics he had in mind, but the moment the two arrived to the arena, the guy had this strange glint in his eyes.

’No!’ Lee said to himself and immediately decided to use other methods, ’Since he’s trying to pull something, then ... let’s warm up!’

Lee was certain Victoria wasn’t in the spectator seats, and even if she was, she wouldn’t take him seriously, even if she recognized him. In fact, she probably would try to think of ways to get rid of him.

He excused himself and went back to the preparation area. There he picked up the Soulcleaver’s replica, unsheathed it, and with the naked sword in hand, walked back to the arena.

Earlier everyone was ridiculing Lee about what underhanded methods would he use this time. Now, though, his resolute step and simple, but deadly looking weapon indicated he was not going to play around.

"Junior elder, please be careful!" Lee said, not to his opponent, but to the person presiding over the match.

It was kind of an insult to the guy he was about to fight, but there was no way around it. There was only one person Lee wanted to kill, and it wasn’t the boy in front of him.

Lee knew that the angry pair of eyes indicated the opponent was prepared to punish him for the audacity, and the cheers in the audience supported the idea. But Lee took a deep breath, focusing on the next move.

The only difference between the attack he was preparing, and the one that was supposed to deal with Victoria, was that he wasn’t going to use the elemental energy yet. But the stab will be directed at a vital spot nevertheless.

Consciously taking a person’s life came easy only for a sociopath, and while Lee in some ways was one, he was not prepared to kill a kid. That is why the moment the start of the duel was announced, he surprised everyone with falling back first, and then taking slow steps around edge of arena, as if trying to find a non-existing opening his opponent had.

Unfortunately this time Lee’s opponent did a mistake by overthinking his intentions. The implication of Lee’s earlier actions was that he was a rogue, thus anything he did was dirty.

Now, him walking at the very edge of the arena, indicated that he was somehow bating the opponent to make a mistake by carelessly attacking, and in the end taking a step over the line. At least that was what most people, including the opponent thought.

There was no way he would play into Lee’s cards, and the guy kept his distance, only making a few faint moves, as if showing he was ready for a fight. But that was only until the junior elder stopped the match but catching Lee’s sword arm a split moment before he stabbed his opponent’s neck.

Both – the junior elder and the opponent involuntarily gulped, realizing it had been too close. No one expected Lee to actually be capable of anything after seeing his humiliating behavior, but he couldn’t blame them. He had never publicly used the previous move at full speed.

Now there were only two opponents he had to defeat, but Lee already knew how it was going to end. Afterwards – there was only Victoria left.