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ARTIFACT OF THE HEAVENS: THE PHOENIX BOW
“As the master of ceremonies representing the Ice Kingdom, I bid a grand welcome to all esteemed delegations from the respective domains: the Water Kingdom, the Earth Kingdom, the Wind Kingdom, the Sky Kingdom, and the Fire Kingdom! Today is the day of reckoning, highly anticipated by the young prodigies from every corner of the continent, all vying for the medal and title of Pandhega Knight—an absolute mantle that grants the authority to command thousands of soldiers within their respective kingdoms! To all attendees, please take your seats in the grand tribunes provided. The main event shall commence shortly!”
The heavy baritone of Uncle Uria, acting as the herald, echoed across every corner of the magnificent gladiatorial arena, amplified through a sound-projecting formation. The thunderous cheers of thousands of spectators erupted, welcoming the dawn of the tournament.
Huft, acting as the herald for an event of this magnitude is truly draining on the stamina. My throat feels parched for some fresh wine, Uncle Uria mused, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead before briefly stepping down from the rostrum.
In the specialized tribunes reserved for participants, the candidates and high-ranking officials began to converge to witness the opening spectacles.
”Hey! It seems you’ve all gathered here,” greeted Julia, who had just arrived, approaching her comrades.
”Ohh! Julia, where have you been?” Andin greeted, waving her hand.
”Yes, I had to escort them from the guest gates first,” Julia explained, gesturing toward Raden, the prince of the Water Kingdom, who stood beside her with a courteous smile.
”Ohh, I see, I see. I understand,” Andin teased with a highly meaningful smirk.
Julia’s gaze then shifted to Diyah, who was continuously wringing the hem of her gown. “Diyah, what is weighing on your mind? You look exceedingly restless,” Julia softly reprimanded.
”A-ah… no. It is nothing,” Diyah deflected, her eyes relentlessly sweeping the arena’s entrance gates.
”Oh, stop your lying! She is obviously anxious waiting for the arrival of her dark knight. Isn’t that right?!” Andin teased Diyah while wrapping an arm tightly around her best friend’s shoulders.
”Hah! Has Lord Ken not arrived yet?” Julia asked, scanning the crowd to search for Ken’s silhouette.
”We haven’t seen a single shadow of him since we got here,” Andin explained. She patted Diyah’s shoulder to pacify her. “Calm down, Diyah. He might simply have overslept. Did he not exhaust his energy pulling an all-nighter concocting the Energy Elixir for Julia’s little brother?”
Andin is right… Brother Ken might be utterly drained after that alchemical process. Should I go check on him and meet him in his chambers instead? Diyah wondered, torn by hesitation.
However, before Diyah could take a single step, a group of youths radiating suffocating arrogance strode haughtily toward their ranks.
”Well, well! It turns out Princess Diyah has been standing here waiting for me this entire time! Relax, Darling, I have arrived and shall accompany you here, Hahaha!” exclaimed one of the youths from the group, his laughter grating and obnoxious.
”Hedie, shut your mouth. Cease your nonsense and delusions,” Julia rebuked sharply, glaring cynically at Prince Hedie of the Earth Kingdom.
”Hahaha, why are you the one getting angry, Julia? Did I say something wrong?” Hedie deflected without a shred of guilt.
”Hedie! Hedie! You are always looking for trouble and harassing weak women,” interjected someone who had just arrived with his own retinue of guards.
Hedie snorted harshly. “Hah! What do you mean by that, Prince Meyer?” Hedie challenged the prince of the Wind Kingdom. “Are you implying this Princess Diyah is weak? Rest assured, she will undoubtedly become a very strong and obedient woman once she officially becomes my wife in bed! Hahaha!” he added, deliberately trampling upon Diyah’s dignity.
”You dream too much, Hedie! Princess Diyah will naturally become my wife. I will take her to the Wind Kingdom, trampling your Earth Kingdom along the way! Hahaha!” Meyer retorted with equally hubristic laughter.
Hearing the repulsive harassment, Raden clenched his fists. “The two of you! As fellow nobles, you should not be fighting over a princess as if she were a mere commodity!” Raden reprimanded firmly, utterly disgusted by their demeanor.
”Hah! Raden, shut your mouth and don’t meddle! You’ve already secured Princess Julia, are you so greedy you want to straddle both princesses at once?! Hahaha!” Hedie mocked provokingly.
”You insolent bastard!” Raden growled, nearly unsheathing his sword.
However, the commotion was interrupted by a wave of searing heat. A group of youths clad in fire-red robes parted the crowd. “Enough, all of you are just wasting your spit. Not a single dog here will be able to snatch that princess from me,” roared a youth with blazing crimson hair.
”Hah! Welcome, Prince Fredy,” Meyer greeted with a dismissive tone.
”Prince Fredy, do you not already possess a principal wife in your palace? It would be best if you just surrender this sweet Princess Diyah to me! Hahaha,” Hedie remarked, once again laughing at Diyah’s expense as if she possessed zero pride.
Fredy flashed a feral smirk. “The Pandhega Tournament is still two weeks away. Do you losers wish to use today’s opening match as an arena for a wager?” Fredy challenged, his eyes glinting. “If any of you can defeat me in the arena today, then I will surrender the rights to Princess Diyah to the victor. How about it? Do you have the guts?!”
Hearing the brutal challenge from the strongest prince, Hedie’s courage instantaneously evaporated. “A-ah… for that lunatic wager, I step down, Prince,” Hedie answered, hurriedly lowering his head.
”Ahh, yes… I am not that reckless either, Prince Fredy. The two of us will patiently wait in case the Prince eventually grows bored and no longer desires her one day,” Meyer chimed in, proving equally cowardly.
”Hahaha! Truly a gathering of trash! What about you, Raden?!” Fredy laughed in absolute satisfaction, then directed his piercing gaze at Raden.
”I refuse to participate in your lowly wagers, Prince,” Raden answered coldly.
”Hahaha, it is excellent that you all know your place!” Fredy concluded with a triumphant laugh.
Diyah lowered her head, her eyes beginning to glisten as she fought back an apocalyptic surge of fury and humiliation. Why do these people always act as they please?! They fight over and commodify my body as if they are gods dictating my destiny! Am I truly that weak and lowly in their eyes? Diyah’s soul screamed in agony.
The blast of a colossal horn echoed, signaling that Uncle Uria had returned to the rostrum.
”Very well, ladies and gentlemen, your attention please! This morning marks the equilibrium clash of the Pandhega Trial Opening! For this session, the Ice Kingdom has prepared two prestigious bouts bearing staggering rewards!” Uria’s voice boomed once more across the arena.
”The first round is a Battle Royale! All primary representatives from the five kingdoms shall be dropped into a single arena simultaneously, and there shall be only one sole victor left standing! The prize for this bout is the Flying Wing artifact, complete with a Tier 1 Weapon!”
The spectators’ cheers shook the earth upon hearing of such luxurious spoils.
”And next… The Second Round! The victor of the Battle Royale shall earn the absolute privilege to challenge one of the two Defense Generals of the Ice Kingdom: General Lamarr, or General Bonar! The challenger is not required to win. As long as he can survive and remain within the arena for thirty minutes… he shall earn the right to take home a grand heirloom: The Phoenix Bow Star Weapon, a pure Tier 2 Star Weapon!”
The atmosphere in the arena reached a boiling point.
”Very well, let the delegations prepare themselves! Participants are required to submit the tokens distributed earlier. The maximum age limit for registration is 25 years! For those of you who possess the guts, descend into the arena this instant!” Uncle Uria concluded, raising his hand high.
The moment the announcement ended, Prince Fredy pivoted his body. He glared at the surrounding tribunes, his killing intent fully unleashed. “Listen to me closely! If a single pig dares to descend into this arena representing Diyah… I and the entire military of the Fire Kingdom will ensure that person rots without a single intact bone!” Fredy issued an absolute threat. “And you, Diyah… if you dare to step down yourself, I will thoroughly enjoy the sensation of touching and breaking your body down there! Hahaha!”
With his demonic laughter, Fredy leapt elegantly and landed heavily in the center of the arena, accompanied by the roaring cheers of his supporters.
Witnessing Fredy’s cruelty, Raden quickly offered counsel. “Diyah, it is best you do not act recklessly. Prioritize the safety of your own life,” Raden advised, before rushing down into the arena himself to represent the Water Kingdom.
”Yes, Raden is right, Diyah! It is best you remain seated here with us,” Julia added, grasping Diyah’s hands with profound concern.
Yet Diyah’s gaze was locked onto the heirloom displayed atop the altar of honor. “Diyah… isn’t that Phoenix Bow Star Weapon… the property of your late mother?” Andin whispered, abruptly recalling the relic left behind by the previous Ice Queen.
”Indeed… That is my mother’s heirloom bow…” Diyah answered softly. The tears she had been suppressing finally spilled over, dampening her cheeks. She felt utterly useless, incapable of reclaiming her mother’s legacy.
”Excellent! The five kingdoms have descended! What of the Ice Kingdom? Will you surrender and forfeit sending a representative for this opening bout?!” Uncle Uria called out from the rostrum, provoking a reaction from the crowd.
Seeing Diyah’s shoulders trembling from her sobs, Julia immediately embraced her tightly. “Diyah, ignore their filthy words. Calm yourself,” Julia consoled, rubbing her back.
”I despise myself… I utterly despise it when they act tyrannically, as if they are the gods who possess the absolute right to dictate my life,” Diyah sobbed, her lips quivering violently as she swallowed the bitter regret of her own weakness.
”Forgive me, Diyah… I lack the combat prowess to defend you down there,” Julia lamented in regret.
”Princess! Am I too late for the show?”
A tranquil yet heavy voice shattered Diyah’s sobs.
Hah! This voice… Brother Ken?! Diyah flinched. She immediately raised her tear-stained visage.
”Brother Ken?! I-I thought… I thought you weren’t going to come to watch this event,” Diyah said, hurriedly scrubbing her tears away with the sleeve of her gown.
”Yes, naturally. I came here not to be a spectator, Princess,” Ken explained, flashing a faint, pacifying smirk. He extended his palm. “May I have that participant token of yours? I shall descend on your behalf and butcher them.”
”Hah! A-are you serious, Brother Ken?!” Diyah asked, her eyes widening in worry as she looked at the monsters already gathered below.
”Yes, place your absolute trust in me. Did the Princess not desire your mother’s heirloom bow?” Ken replied, his gaze radiating an absolute conviction that brooked no argument.
Diyah stared into Ken’s eyes for a few seconds. A profound sense of security instantly flooded her chest. “Very well! Here is the token… Please, tread carefully, Brother Ken.” Diyah placed the crystal plaque into Ken’s palm.
In the center of the vast arena.
”Astounding! It appears the Ice Kingdom refuses to lose face and is dispatching its representative!” Uncle Uria announced, receiving Ken’s token from afar. “Since everyone has gathered, I shall read the roll call of our gladiators today!”
”From the Water Kingdom: Prince Raden, wielding the power of 8 Star Seals! Earth Kingdom: Prince Hedie, 8 Star Seals! Wind Kingdom: Prince Meyer, 8 Star Seals! Fire Kingdom: Prince Fredy, 8 Star Seals! Sky Kingdom: Prince Nasse, 8 Star Seals! And finally, the dark horse from the Ice Kingdom: Lord Ken… bearing the status of No Star Seals?!”
Uncle Uria’s voice hitched slightly as he read the seemingly impossible data. “Very well, those are our six combatants! As for the technicalities of the bout, I leave them entirely to the supreme referee!”
Hearing the announcement, disdainful laughter erupted from the ranks of the princes.
”Hahaha! Did my ears deceive me? No Star Seals?! Hey, trash! Did you deliberately step into this arena to commit suicide?!” Fredy mocked, laughing uproariously. Meyer and Hedie also clutched their stomachs, mocking Ken’s absolute poverty of energy.
Ken simply patted the dust off his robes with utter tranquility. “Yes, indeed devoid of a Star Seal. But my bare hands are more than sufficient to put you all to sleep for eternity,” Ken retorted, as cold as glacial ice. “Let us expedite the duration of this bout. All five of you… step forward and attack me simultaneously.”
That arrogant challenge silenced their laughter instantaneously.
”Hah! You insolent, ignorant commoner! How dare you underestimate us! Very well, if you are truly that impatient to taste death, we shall grant your wish!” Fredy growled, his eyes blazing.
”Are all of you in your starting positions?” shouted General Hameng, acting as the supreme referee, walking to the edge of the arena.
However, before the signal could be sounded, Prince Nasse of the Sky Kingdom abruptly raised his hand. “Lord Referee, I surrender! I forfeit this match!” Nasse declared loudly, then, devoid of any shame, turned on his heel and vaulted out of the arena.
That decision triggered a massive uproar of jeers from the thousands of spectators. They branded Nasse a coward.
You ignorant fools know absolutely nothing! I refuse to be battered until my bones are pulverized by a monster capable of fighting evenly with General Akara! Nasse thought, entirely ignoring the mockery. His survival instincts had successfully spared his life from the massacre that day.
”Very well! One participant eliminated! The bout… BEGINS!” General Hameng roared, shattering the tension.
”Haaaa…!”
BWOOOSH! Ken wasted no time. He rotated his energy core and detonated the power of Level 5 Giant Gold. An aura of golden-green energy instantaneously erupted, enveloping his entire mortal shell, carving a small crater beneath his boots. With a velocity that vastly eclipsed the blink of an eye, Ken tore through space, appearing directly before Fredy.
”Take this!”
Before Fredy could even react to summon his fire aegis, Ken’s fist had already buried itself flawlessly into his solar plexus. BAM! Fredy was launched into the air, his eyes bulging.
”And take this as a bonus!” Ken did not release his prey. He leapt, catching up to Fredy, and unleashed an uppercut that smashed into the prince’s jaw with a sickening, bone-cracking crunch. Fredy’s body was sent hurtling down like a falling meteor, obliterating the marble tiles of the arena and leaving a spiderweb crater in his wake.
H-his speed is beyond mortal logic! My eyes couldn’t even track his movements! And his punch… my entire skeletal structure feels pulverized! What kind of horrifying power level is this?! Fredy thought, sprawling helplessly, coughing up fresh blood onto the marble.
Before the spectators’ shock could subside, Ken flickered out of existence and materialized directly before Meyer. WHAM! A lightning-fast strike pierced Meyer’s wind defenses, smashing into his chin and launching the prince high into the air.
”Taste this!” Ken intercepted Meyer’s airborne body with a spinning kick, nailing Meyer’s frame back into the arena floor with a deafening thud.
Watching his comrades being butchered like insects, Hedie panicked and attempted to ambush Ken from a blind spot utilizing his earth arts. However, Ken merely tilted his neck, evading the lethal assault with casual ease.
”Your movements are far too sluggish for an ambush,” Ken whispered directly into Hedie’s ear.
An elbow strike containing apocalyptic destructive force crashed directly into Hedie’s spine, sending the earth prince face-planting violently into the floor. Realizing Meyer was attempting to crawl back up on his left flank, Ken dashed and drove his knee straight into Meyer’s chest, ensuring the prince remained grounded. Ken then unleashed a relentless, brutal barrage of strikes upon Hedie and Meyer, absolutely locking down their movements.
This brat! He attacks with a rhythm so precise and feral, he doesn’t grant them even a fraction of a second to retaliate! Raden, who was still standing a short distance away, thought. His eyes widened, cold sweat drenching his back as he observed the massacre.
”Get up! Weren’t you all acting like the most supreme gods on this continent just moments ago?!” Ken challenged, glaring coldly at Meyer and Hedie, who were now groaning in agony beneath his boots.
”Wahhh! An absolutely insane spectacle! Illogical speed and destructive power displayed by the delegate from the Ice Kingdom!” the herald’s voice sliced through the hysteria of the roaring crowd.
Ken was not finished. He strolled casually toward Fredy, who was still struggling to draw breath. “What happened to your big mouth? Weren’t you the strongest?” Ken mocked.
Without a shred of mercy, Ken rained a relentless barrage of fists upon Fredy. The final strike landed squarely on Fredy’s visage, bouncing his head off the icy floor. Ken then bent down, grabbed the collar of Fredy’s luxurious robes, lifted him, and hurled the fire prince’s body with a single hand, stacking it atop Meyer and Hedie like a pile of garbage.
”Wahhh! Lord Ken is truly a god of war! He butchered those three arrogant princes as effortlessly as flipping his palm!” Andin praised from the spectator stands, jumping up and down in absolute euphoria.
With the residual green energy still blazing radiantly like spirit fire across his entire body, Ken rolled his neck, locking his gaze on the sole remaining combatant, Raden. “You are the only one left. Do you also wish to force my muscles against you?” Ken challenged flatly.
Raden swallowed hard. “Yes… as a martial artist, I will not flee. I wish to personally experience the weight of your strikes,” Raden declared. He maximized the vortex of his 8 Water Star Seals to fortify his defenses.
”Excellent. Prepare yourself!”
Ken shot forward, charging Raden. A straight punch coated in green energy smashed into Raden’s water aegis. Although Raden exerted the absolute entirety of his defensive power, the destructive yield of Ken’s strike was far too massive. BLAAM! His shield shattered like brittle glass, and Raden was blasted dozens of meters backward. Ken relentlessly pursued and rained precise blows upon him until Raden’s mortal shell reached its absolute tolerance for agony. Ken then snatched Raden’s collar with his left hand, hoisting the water prince into the air.
”Surrender. Before I pulverize your ribs,” Ken stated with an exceedingly grave tone.
”Y-yes… I-I… I s-surrender…” Raden groaned with a raspy voice. His vision was swimming with stars from the blows to his skull. The moment Ken released his grip, Raden collapsed, unconscious.
General Hameng immediately descended into the center of the arena, inspecting the princes’ conditions and ensuring not a single one was capable of rising again.
”Very well! All five participants have lost their combat capability! The absolute victor of this Battle Royale is KEN, representing the Ice Kingdom!” General Hameng proclaimed his verdict.
The crowd’s cheers erupted like thunder, praising the name of Ken, who now stood undefeated in the heart of the arena.
”Wow! Absolute domination! Lord Ken has successfully swept the arena clean and stands as the sole victor! Next, which challenge shall Lord Ken undertake? Who shall Lord Ken challenge between the two Defense Generals of the Ice Kingdom?!” Uncle Uria resumed his duties from the rostrum, directing attention to the main event.
”I refuse to choose one…” Ken’s voice echoed, amplified by the resonance of his Qi. “…because I wish to challenge both of them simultaneously!”
That hubristic declaration instantaneously paralyzed the thousands of spectators into silence, followed by disbelieving whispers that shook the entire arena.
”Haaa?! Has he lost his mind? Is he truly serious about that challenge?!” Andin exclaimed, frantically gripping Diyah’s arm.
General Hameng furrowed his brows. “Young Man, are you acutely aware of what you are saying? Are you absolutely certain?” he asked, warning Ken of the boundaries of sanity.
”Naturally. Unless… those two high-caliber generals are secretly terrified of dying at my hands,” Ken mocked with a cynical smirk, his eyes glaring sharply at General Bonar and General Lamarr in the tribunes of honor.
”Hah! Ungrateful brat! Very well, if you wish to expedite your demise, I shall personally silence your arrogance and tear your mouth apart!” roared General Bonar. He vaulted down and landed so heavily the arena tiles fractured. “Come down, Lamarr! Let us teach this brat the true definition of respect!” Bonar called out.
”Hahaha, with pleasure!” General Lamarr followed, a murderous smirk etched upon his lips.
”Absolutely phenomenal! Lord Ken carves his name into history by challenging two generals simultaneously! It must be noted, General Bonar and General Lamarr have breached the absolute peak of 10 Star Seals, and their power has touched the threshold of Level 4 God Kings! Can our dark horse survive this apocalyptic tempest?! Let us bear witness together! Give them a thunderous round of applause!” the herald screamed, reigniting the increasingly hysterical cheers of the crowd.
”The three of you, assume your positions!” shouted General Hameng, raising his hand high. “Ready… BEGIN!”
”Don’t the two of you relish utilizing your absolute authority to oppress and harass Princess Diyah? Today, before the eyes of the entire realm… I shall pulverize your bones,” Ken hissed. He fiercely drove his Chain Sword into the arena floor.
Ken rotated his energy core, shattering its limits. WHOOSH! The green energy enveloping his body detonated and instantaneously mutated into a blinding Golden aura.
”Do not boast, Brat! Show us if your fists are as sharp as your tongue!” General Bonar unleashed the entirety of his 4-Star God King cultivation, radiating the luminescence of ten sapphire stars. He was instantly backed by General Lamarr, who also detonated a tempest of his ice aura.
”Haaaa…!”
Instead of halting, Ken continued to force his meridian nodes to rotate. The air within the arena warped under the gravitational pressure. The Golden energy aura cloaking Ken’s mortal shell abruptly churned and transmuted into a blazing Blood-Red luminescence. That layer of Level 12 Giant Gold radiated an absolute pressure that choked the breaths of the combatants within the arena.
What?! Impossible! This youth possesses no Star Seal, yet he can awaken that arcane technique to shatter the boundary of Level 12?! King Bawigan thought, bolting upright from his throne. His hands trembled as he gripped the armrests. This power and the manifestation of this aura… it is absolutely identical to that man from the past… King Bawigan swallowed hard, memories of a legendary silhouette flashing through his mind.
”All of you! Activate the magical barrier layers encasing the arena this instant!” General Hameng screamed in panic to the squads of sentry guards. The explosive yield of this red energy resonance… If he awakens it to this zenith, this arena could be pulverized into dust! Hameng thought, cold sweat drenching his forehead.
”Absolute Golden Physique!”
Ken’s incantation echoed. His skin hardened, transcending cosmic steel. He plucked his sword from the earth, then shot forward with teleportation-level velocity, charging General Bonar.
Bonar blocked the colossal slash with his heirloom sword. CLANG! SHATTER! It only took a single collision. General Bonar’s sword shattered into a million pieces like brittle glass. Stripped of his weapon, Bonar was forced to absorb the residual shockwave of Ken’s blade sweep using his Qi-cloaked arms. The impact was so utterly brutal that the General’s body was blasted away like a cannonball, violently slamming into the arena’s magical barrier, causing the protective ripples to quake furiously.
Seeing his comrade instantly suppressed, General Lamarr seized an opening from above. “Soul-Freezing Ice Spear!” he roared as he dove, launching his crystal spear straight for Ken’s heart.
”Divine… Palm!”
Ken did not evade. He thrust his left palm forward, coated in Red energy. BOOM! Ken’s palm caught the spearhead and instantaneously crushed it into ice dust. The shockwave from the Divine Palm did not cease; instead, it slammed into Lamarr’s body like an invisible hurricane, blasting the general until he crashed violently against the aerial boundary of the arena.
Granting no quarter, Ken’s body flickered and materialized directly beneath the falling Lamarr. WHAM! Ken drove a straight punch into Lamarr’s chest, hurtling the general back down to smash and crater the arena tiles.
”Meteor… Fist!”
Ken pursued him with a relentless barrage of destructive punches, falling like a meteor shower from the heavens. Every single strike that landed upon Lamarr’s body carved a new explosive crater, pulverizing the entire structural foundation of the arena’s northern sector.
Ken abruptly halted. He turned his head slowly, sensing a fluctuation of aura from behind. General Bonar had recovered his stance, panting heavily, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his lips. Ken approached with slow, deliberate steps, resembling a god of death. “Your physical vessel and your defenses are turning out to be exceedingly fragile, General. Far too fragile,” Ken mocked with a disdainful glare.
”Hah… Hah… I concede that I severely underestimated your bizarre technique, Young Man. But this is far from over! Taste the absolute vengeance of the ice god’s wrath!” General Bonar focused the entirety of his life energy. He spread his arms, and the air around him froze. “Dimension… Shattering Sword!”
A colossal ice blade stretching dozens of meters materialized against the arena’s ceiling, plummeting down, fully prepared to cleave Ken in twain.
Ken did not blink. He raised a single arm toward the heavens. “Divine… Palm!”
A gargantuan palm forged of red energy manifested, seizing the falling ice sword, crushing it, and mercilessly snapping it into a million shards. Having annihilated the enemy’s ultimate assault, Ken shot forward once more, charging Bonar with a flurry of lightning-fast punches and kicks. General Bonar, who had exerted one hundred percent of his cultivation prowess, fought desperately to weather the onslaught. The two exchanged blows at blinding speeds, translocating from one corner of the arena to another, detonating explosive tempests at every point of collision.
Bonar… Even though it appears you can match his physical velocity for now, your breathing rhythm and your defenses will never be able to sustain themselves against his monstrous pressure! King Bawigan thought, standing rigidly as he witnessed the butchering of his own general.
”How about it?! Is your absolute cultivation limit only sufficient for parrying, General?!” Ken roared amidst his endless assault.
Damned brat! My inner reserves have nearly hit rock bottom! But how is it possible that his physical stamina shows absolutely zero signs of depletion?! What kind of unfathomable monster is he?! General Bonar thought, panic setting in as he was relentlessly forced backward.
The opening finally presented itself.
”Take this!”
A spinning hook from Ken crashed squarely into Bonar’s visage, instantly scrambling the general’s vision. Before Bonar’s body could be blasted away, Ken followed up with a second strike coated in red energy, burying it deeply into his solar plexus. BLAAR! The General’s body was sent spiraling through the air, crashing into the arena floor with a horrifying symphony of snapping bones.
The two prideful generals of the Ice Kingdom now lay helpless, groaning and vomiting blood at the bottom of the arena’s craters.
Ken levitated slowly in the air, his eyes radiating an absolute darkness. “Meteor… Fist!”
Ken unleashed another deluge of long-range strikes from the sky. Relentless energy explosions rained down upon the coordinates of General Bonar and Lamarr, who were already paralyzed and incapable of evasion. The destructive bombardment nearly reaped what little remained of their lives, transmuting the center of the arena into an ocean of debris and smoking black craters.
Ken touched down lightly. His crimson eyes locked onto the two dying bodies.
”This… is absolute payment in full for you bastards who never ceased harassing and obstructing Princess Diyah’s path!” Ken drew his right arm back, concentrating a vortex of absolute energy into his fist. “Star… Fist!”
A transparent fist the size of a hill materialized from the ether, spinning ferociously, siphoning the atmospheric energy. The aura pressure of this technique was so terrifying that the magical barrier layers maintained by dozens of guards at the arena’s perimeter instantaneously cracked and shattered like brittle glass.
Insanity! This child! After unleashing that many consecutive assaults, he actually still harbors reserve energy to execute this mass-annihilation technique?! General Hameng thought, his lips trembling.
Realizing an apocalypse was imminent, Hameng bolted to the edge of the stage. “Hold, Young Man! Cease your assault! If you unleash that god-tier fist, you will not only reap the lives of those two, but the explosive yield will level the entire tribune and slaughter thousands of spectators here!” General Hameng screamed, warning him in sheer panic.
Ken merely cast him a razor-sharp glare. “And do you genuinely believe I care even a microscopic fraction about the lives of these spectators, General? If you value your survival, I suggest you do not trouble yourself attempting to block my technique,” Ken retorted, his gaze entirely devoid of hesitation to slaughter.
Dammit! This man is truly a sociopathic monster who cannot be halted by anyone! General Hameng cursed, his body freezing, engulfed by absolute despair.
Exactly as the muscles in Ken’s arm readied to swing the fist of annihilation, a memory flashed through his mind.
‘…I beg of you, promise me you won’t cause a massive catastrophe. I do not wish to see you become a murderer before the eyes of my people,’ Diyah’s soft plea from the past echoed in his skull.
And at that exact millisecond, a gentle yet incredibly piercing voice severed the arena’s tension.
”Brother Ken! I beg of you… that is enough. Please, stop!”
Diyah stood at the edge of the spectator tribune. Her eyes were welling with tears, yet an incredibly genuine, relieved smile adorned her beautiful visage.
Hearing that call, the dense killing intent within Ken’s eyes instantaneously evaporated. He exhaled softly, slowly retracting his fist, and dispersed the vortex of the Star Fist back into particles of pure air. He landed fully upon the pulverized marble, deliberately smothering the blazing red aura across his mortal shell until it vanished without a trace.
A graveyard-like silence shrouded the arena.
Ken strode tranquilly, facing the judges’ table. “General Hameng… deliver all the keys to the heirloom prizes directly into the hands of Princess Diyah,” Ken spoke, shattering the silence with an absolute edict.
His gaze then swept the thousands of spectators in the tribunes, finally locking sharply onto the ranks of princes and military elites. “Listen to me very closely. From this exact second… whoever dares to harass, underestimate, or manipulate Princess Diyah as a political pawn… their life, and the lives of their entire clan, will serve as collateral. I shall personally hunt them down.”
That glacial, absolute threat froze the blood of every single listener. The arena instantly plunged back into dead silence. Every pair of eyes remained glued to the silhouette of the youth who had just brought the Ice Kingdom to its knees, enveloped in a potent concoction of absolute awe and suffocating terror.
Thank you… Brother Ken, Diyah thought. Hearing the man wager absolutely everything to defend and shield her honor before the eyes of the continent’s populace, the floodgates of her tears finally broke. She smiled exceedingly sweetly as she wiped away the droplets of profound emotion rolling down her cheeks.
That night, upon a secluded coastline guarded by precipitous cliffs.
Ken stood tall at the maw of a gaping, pitch-black cavern, letting the nocturnal sea breeze whip at his robes.
”So, what artifact did you manage to unearth inside, Yemu?” Ken inquired of the Ashura Gorilla, the forest guardian monster that faithfully accompanied him.
Yemu growled deeply, manifesting his voice via telepathy. “My Lord, I have traversed and dismantled every secret corridor intersecting within this demonic cavern. There exists a stone door sealed with ancient incantations in the deepest abyss… my sheer strength is entirely insufficient to fracture or pry it open,” Yemu explained. The gorilla lowered its massive frame. “The corridors leading to that chamber are far too narrow for my physical dimensions, however… before I retreated, my senses tracked and recovered this artifact concealed between the crevices of the rocks.”
Yemu presented a medium-sized rectangular plate, forged of grey metal that radiated the luminescence of primordial cosmic energy.
Ken accepted the artifact. “Divine Eyes…”
Instantaneously, Ken’s eyes projected beams of god-tier analysis, dissecting layer upon layer of history and energy embedded within the metallic plate. His eyes widened in absolute shock.
These energy engraving patterns!… It turns out my deductions were flawlessly accurate! Those ancient rumors were not entirely fabricated… Ken mused after thoroughly examining the seals upon the plate.
He gripped the plate tightly. “Excellent work, Yemu! Very well, I shall personally descend and explore the core of this cavern. The key to this plate… this artifact truly possesses a spiritual resonance with his heirloom! The God of Nature of the past, Sailendra.”
Devoid of fear, Ken strode resolutely forward, piercing the darkness of the mysterious cavern that concealed the absolute greatest legend of the cultivation realm.