Chapter 622 - Vikir (Patreon)

Standing on the opposite side of the arena was a handsome man dressed in a striking purple tailcoat with four distinct tails. Beneath it, he wore a black dress shirt, matching black trousers, and black knee-high boots fitted with purple shin guards.

From head to toe, everything about him gave off an elite aura.

The moment Leyvi’s opponent stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted into loud cheers. Most of the voices belonged to women.

“Vikir!” “Vikir!” “Vikir!”

It was clear that he was very popular and that this was far from his first time fighting in the arena.

With a single glance, Leyvi could tell the man came from a powerful background.

In the spectator area, Anda turned to Jade. “He seems famous. Do you know that guy, Sister Jade?”

“Sigh… That young man is Vikir Riverville, a Holy Son candidate of the Martial World Sect. It looks like your husband has rather bad luck today. To think he would be matched right away against the strongest fighter in the under-fifty category… Poor Wini. She might not get to see her daddy shine after all,” Jade replied in a dramatic tone.

Hmph. Holy Son? Anda hated that title.

Ever since their trouble with the Alchemy Dominator Sect’s Holy Son in the past, those two words had become one of the combinations she despised most.

“Just a Holy Son candidate. Nothing to worry about. Leyvi can handle him,” Anda said calmly.

“Oh? Is Leyvi that strong?” Jade blinked, pretending she knew nothing about him.

“But that Vikir isn’t just a candidate from some ordinary sect, you know. This is the Martial World Sect, the undisputed strongest sect on our continent. Their Supreme Elder is at the same cultivation level as mine. Even if he is only a candidate, he might already be as strong as the Holy Sons of other top-tier martial sects,” Jade explained while carefully watching Anda’s reaction.

“Of course I’ve heard of the Martial World Sect, but it doesn’t matter. Leyvi will beat them all the same,” Anda declared with complete confidence.

“Is that so? Then I’m looking forward to it,” Jade replied with a smile.

“Aunty, is a Holy Son strong? Wini wants to see Daddy fight, but Wini doesn’t want to see him lose,” Leywini asked, now looking a little worried after hearing the conversation.

Anda smiled dotingly and explained, “A Holy Son is the chosen heir who will succeed the sect in the future. They are usually the best among the best within their sect.”

“Then is Daddy in trouble?” the twins chimed in, also growing concerned.

“Don’t worry. If this had been before you children were born, Daddy might have been in trouble. But now, any Holy Son can only cry in front of him,” Anda boasted without the slightest hesitation.

The children looked at one another with sparkling eyes, clearly excited. They completely believed every word she said.

“Daddy! Do your best! Beat your opponent!” Leywini shouted as loudly as she could. Her voice, however, was completely drowned out by the noise of the crowd and never reached the arena floor.

Leyvi still heard it clearly through his spiritual hearing. In fact, he had been listening to their entire conversation from where he stood.

He smiled and murmured to himself, “Don’t worry, Wini. Daddy will win. Just watch.”

He then turned his full attention back to his opponent.

“Martial World Sect Holy Son candidate, huh? He must be stronger than I first thought.”

He had heard about the Martial World Sect several times in the past and knew of their reputation as the strongest martial sect on the continent, but that was the extent of his knowledge.

He had not even been aware that they possessed a Soul Transformation Realm powerhouse as their Supreme Elder.

Formation sects usually interacted mainly with other formation sects, alchemy sects with alchemy sects, and martial sects naturally kept most of their dealings within martial circles.

Almost every martial sect on Cloud Continent probably knew a great deal about the Martial World Sect.

Leyvi’s own Mountain Dew Sect, on the other hand, did not belong to any of those specialized categories. It was simply a common cultivation sect that dabbled a little in everything.

Because of that, it was only natural that he knew so little about them, especially since he had spent most of his time living somewhat like a recluse.

“It’s a pity,” Vikir suddenly spoke.

Hmm? Leyvi realized the man was addressing him.

“I was hoping for someone more capable for my final fight in this arena. Unfortunately, another weakling has shown up. Just an early-stage Core Formation cultivator. An entire realm difference. Sigh…” Vikir shook his head with clear disappointment.

Leyvi was left momentarily speechless.

Then why are you even here? You could have simply signed up for the under-one-hundred category. Most of the participants there should already be in the Nascent Soul Realm. There would be plenty of experienced fighters at that level for you to face.

Well, Leyvi already understood the real reason.

He could tell that Vikir had only recently formed his Nascent Soul. The young man needed a series of relatively easy fights to grow accustomed to his new power and consolidate his realm. This particular arena provided exactly that opportunity.

Unfortunately for Vikir, Leyvi could not afford to give him that kind of leisure. He had a promise to keep.

“Don’t worry. I won’t lose that easily. My children are watching, after all,” Leyvi said with a calm smile.

“Haa… that’s a bit unfortunate. Now your children will have to watch you lose,” Vikir replied, putting on a pained expression. “But don’t worry. I’ll make sure your defeat doesn’t look too bad, so you can keep some face. And if your children learn my identity, they probably won’t feel ashamed. They might even feel proud that their father got to face me.”

Leyvi chuckled quietly to himself. This guy is a little funny. He doesn’t seem like a bad person. Just a bit of a show-off.

“Arena number three, fighter Leyvi Leyan and fighter Vikir Riverville, are you ready?” the announcer called out.

When both men nodded, the announcer continued, “You are free to fight however you wish. Everything is allowed. The match ends when one side surrenders, becomes unable to continue, or when a life-saving intervention occurs. Reminder: surrendering means you will not receive any payment, for obvious reasons. So fight to your hearts’ content.”

The announcer then raised his hand. “Let the fight begin!” he declared, swinging his arm downward.

Thumm!

Two powerful auras erupted from opposite sides of the arena as both fighters fully unleashed their Qi.

Vikir, who had not taken the fight seriously and had planned to defeat his opponent using only his martial skills, suddenly saw Leyvi point two fingers toward him while gripping the wrist of that same hand with his other.

Highly condensed Qi began gathering rapidly at the tips of those two fingers. Vikir’s eyes widened.

He immediately realized that his opponent was no ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivator. No normal cultivator could condense Qi to such a degree with such ease.

“Soul Body!” Vikir shouted, summoning it in haste.

A luminous glow immediately spread across his body. The light intensified rapidly, forming a thick layer of condensed energy that began to take shape around him.

Before the layer could fully solidify into an energy avatar that mimicked his appearance, Leyvi had already acted.

From across the arena, a high-pressure water beam shot out with terrifying force.

The beam tore straight through the Qi-dampening field surrounding Vikir as if it were nothing more than thin air. It punched through the still-forming Soul Body, struck Vikir’s actual body, and sent him flying backward.

He crashed into the formation-reinforced wall of the arena with a deep, resonant bang that echoed across the stands. Cracks spider-webbed outward from the point of impact.

For a moment, the entire arena fell into stunned silence.

Gasps spread through the crowd. Many of the women who had been cheering for Vikir covered their mouths in disbelief. No one had expected an early-stage Core Formation cultivator to send a Nascent Soul Realm fighter flying with a single attack.

In the spectator seats, Leywini, Leyana, and Leyina jumped up and down, their voices rising above the silence.

“Daddy is the strongest!”

“Daddy is the coolest!”

Leylin stared wide-eyed, too amazed to speak.

Down in the arena, Leyvi lowered his hand and smiled calmly.

He knew Vikir had not been truly defeated. Most likely, the young man had lost a Tier-4 defensive artifact in the exchange, or he would have a hole in his body instead of being sent flying. 

This attack had been a warning, nothing more. Leyvi intended to wait until Vikir stood up again and fought him properly.

A few seconds later, Vikir pushed himself off the cracked wall and staggered back onto his feet. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes had sharpened completely.

The crowd recovered and began cheering again, many voices shouting for him to be careful.

Vikir wiped the blood away with the back of his hand. He was no fool. He understood why Leyvi had not pressed the advantage while he was down.

“I apologize for underestimating you,” he said, his voice steady despite the pain. “I have learned my lesson. Be prepared.”

He immediately reformed his Soul Body, completing it this time without delay. The luminous avatar solidified around him, denser and more stable than before.

He still did not know who this Leyvi Leyan was, but one thing was clear. Without that defensive artifact, he would have lost the match right then and there.

Even so, he had not expected to lose such a precious defensive treasure in this arena. The thought alone made him want to cry.