Chapter 18 - The Trials Begin Part 2

The boy waved his hand, and fireballs shot out at Agemo. Agemo frowned and slashed them into pieces. He leaped back as small spears of earth erupted from the ground, extending like a mountain range from the other boy. This was the power of those at the third stage. This was why they were called Archons and were considered superior to mages. Only the gods were supposed to control the elements.

"See that! I am an Archon life form! You cannot beat me!" the boy laughed. "Suffer!"

The boy yelled, and the image of a black lion with a red mane appeared behind him. Wisps of golden spirit energy emanated from his body as he charged forward, the blade of his spear wreathed in fire. Agemo stood still, holding his katana steady in front of him. As the spear approached, he flicked it aside with the side of his blade and smashed the cross-guard of Rain Slayer into the boy’s chest. The boy screamed in pain, a small trail of blood following him as he jumped back, but Agemo leapt forward.

The boy hastily blocked Agemo's katana with the shaft of his spear but was sent flying. The boy no longer looked down on Agemo and threw several fireballs at him. Agemo’s blade flashed as he deflected each fireball, small explosions obscuring him from view. As the smoke cleared, the crowd saw Agemo's cloak repair itself as he poured spirit energy into it. He was unharmed and stared at the boy with cold eyes.

"Is that the best you can do?" Agemo asked as he slowly walked toward him.

"Take this!" the boy roared, slamming his spear into the ground and sending another line of earth spears toward Agemo.

Agemo took advantage of his immense strength and kicked the earth spears, causing an explosion of dirt and debris to fly at the boy. The boy paled at Agemo’s power, realizing that despite being at the third stage, he was no match. Most participants took note of Agemo’s impressive display. He hadn’t used any spirit techniques, yet his tyrannical strength suggested a more mysterious background.

"How? How can you be so strong?" the boy howled, stomping the ground in frustration.

"I have faced many life-or-death situations and undergone rigorous training before coming here," Agemo said calmly as he continued to advance. "I didn’t live a sheltered life while cultivating. That’s why you’ve lost."

"NO! I won’t lose!" the boy cried, using the earth to propel himself forward and stabbing at Agemo like a flying arrow.

Everyone watching gasped in alarm as Agemo took a step forward and braced for impact. They thought he would be impaled and some looked away. A loud clang echoed, and the crowd stared in shock. The spear hadn’t pierced Agemo's body and was sent flying back as if it were an iron spear bouncing off a diamond steel.

"You were not worthy to face Rain Slayer," Agemo sighed, sheathing his sword as he walked toward the boy. The boy, crying and unable to accept his defeat, was met with Agemo's disdainful gaze. Agemo slapped him with the back of his hand, bruising his face and knocking him unconscious.

"Victory! We have victory!" Julio cried, mentally noting to keep an eye on the boy. "Who will you pick as the loser?"

"The disgrace of the royal family," Agemo replied, nodding toward the prince. "He tried to do a thief’s job and attacked my back."

"Very well. The three who passed will advance to the second trial. Congratulations. White mages will heal your bodies shortly. Please wait in the stands until the rest of the participants have taken their turn," Julio nodded, and the clearing was cleaned for the next bloodbath.

Meng Ce watched the entire event from the stadium with the other guardians. He laughed and approved of Agemo’s actions. Those brats needed to learn about the outside world. He used the transmission bead in his pocket to inform the emperor of Agemo’s progress. The emperor was shocked to hear that Agemo’s black and cerulean hair and golden eyes had changed color but understood it was due to the purity of Agemo’s demonic genes. This indicated that Agemo was approaching the third stage. However, the transformation should have occurred earlier, as the outline of a tiger had already formed before the caravan arrived.

"What does this mean, Your Majesty?" Meng Ce asked.

"HAHAHA! Dual spirits. He has two spirits. It’s not entirely uncommon, as others also possess two spirits, but it is exceedingly rare. Perhaps the White Ocean Tiger you saw was a spirit given to him by a magical artifact that awakened his Spirit Pulse. He might have two types of energy flowing in his veins by the third stage. Has there ever been an incident where you two were separated?" the emperor inquired through the bead, their conversation taking place in their minds.

"It was when we joined the Sky Angel Academy in pursuit of the Hyperion," Meng Ce answered. "They were looking for something, but there was nothing there by the time I arrived."

"Agemo must have found something. Keep an eye on him. If the Hyperion realize they are missing something, they might track him. After all, they used some method to find the place in the first place. It might have been the items they tracked and not the place," the emperor warned. "I will send men to keep watch from the shadows."

"Understood. I’ll update you on his progress, Your Majesty," Meng Ce said.