Chapter 34: Prestige Duel

All eyes immediately snapped over to the arena's entrance to see the infamous stars of tonight's show. Darcel and Aniela walked with calm gracefulness, but there was just something off about those two.

Promptly everyone senses told them why the duo felt different.

Expectations and reality truly are two entirely separate entities. Darcel and Aniela were living proof of this. Everyone, from students to Elders, all expected those new students to still be in the Middle Order level.

Merely two days have passed since they called the duel after all. However, the immediate aura coming from the two, it...it far surpassed the Middle Order level!

Darcel and Aniela didn't hide anything and let their Supreme Order aura naturally leak out from them. Today is the day when they finally put all of their cards on the table; there's no reason to be reserve now.

Confused murmurs began rising throughout the whole arena. Admittedly, everyone came to think the duo suppressed their levels when first coming here just to beat two Early Order students.

Yet, now this was just an illogical consistency! Just how in two days can they shoot up from the Middle Order level to the Supreme Order level?!

Even top-ranked initiate level students have to spend months to break through the next level.

Besides using pills, crystals, or other such resources to speed up the process, you will still need to rely on your own talent and comprehension to understand Profound Qi and breakthrough the Mental Blocks!

All three of the top-ranked initiate level students couldn't believe their senses either. Numi clicked his tongue, saying, "A sinister cheat...there's just no other way they could advance so fast!"

"Before even fighting, they're already causing quite the commotion. Maybe this will be more exciting than I thought." Cusi's interest in the battle had somewhat increased now.

"Like I said, we're bound to see some groundbreaking tools in this fight." Opin also found a great new interest in this duel. No matter what, Darcel and Aniela already made quite the first impression on the three.

The only person who didn't make so much noise was Hao Cao. Though her eyes did lit up, sensing the duo. The lively keen interest in this show had also significantly increased.

On the center stage, Luka did feel some shock seeing the duo freakish cultivation speed. But his face soon turned back to its indifferent superior one.

Even if they had some method to increase their cultivation speed, what does it matter now? No matter if they were Supreme Order or Perfect Order, they're destined to lose to the prowess of the Nascent Core Realm!

"Hey, would you look at this? Everyone is in such an excited mood! Even that guy on stage seems really eager for a new experience." Aniela remarked as she and Darcel steadily walked up to the dark blue stone stage.

"The blind always want to satisfy their curiosity. It is interesting to wonder how much their small worlds will break after our fights." Darcel crudely remarked as they finally neared the stage.

Without saying another word, Aniela jumped up on stage, gathering most of the attention on her. Besides Luka here, there was also a handsome older man up on stage.

He had a serene, gentle face, neat long hair, and a lean body. His uniform was of the Middle-level students' dark blue one. However, it had a slightly different design compared to the students.

The most notable thing Aniela noticed about this man was his aura. Unlike Instructor Lei or Teacher Zala, Aniela could tell this man was far weaker than them.

Still, she only took little notice of this as she walked up to meet Luka at the center stage. While walking, her calm, smiling face crossed with the disdain eyes of Luka.

"Really...nice trick of damaging your future cultivation for a short burst of speed. Honestly, this ba-"

"Really! This battle will honestly have a quick eye-opening lesson, all of you will experience today!" Luka's attempts at suppressing taunts were quickly interrupted by the bold Aniela.

When talking, she seemed to have this odd momentum that slightly affected Luka. It was like her words were the absolute truth, and nothing can change today's outcome.

Thinking about this idea, Luka snorted to himself as his face gained a hint of mockery.

"That mouth of hers truly didn't change at all since the last we saw them." Watching the beginning exchange, Instructor Lei was already having faint premonitions about this fight.

He, too, was endlessly shocked about the duo's cultivation speed. While he didn't really believe the two suppressed their levels before, he couldn't understand how they advanced so fast now.

"Still, this girl carries this odd boundless confidence no matter what she's doing. This fight...it may very well be surprising to us." Teacher Zala held a more biased mind since she did see the duo fight right in front of her.

Although Instructor Lei was a bit surprised seeing her attitude. He also saw them fight, yet it looked like Teacher Zala has more confidence in them than him. But he never heard her be so...open to a student before.

Back on stage, the handsome older man, Teacher Ren, had a curious expression once Aniela neared them. He still believed Luka would easily win, but he couldn't deny Aniela didn't arouse his interest.

Once the two were ten feet apart from each other, the students' noisy murmurs died down some. The infamous 'cheating' new student is about to face off against a prestigious Middle-level student.

Luka, at the third level of the Nascent Core realm, will seriously fight against a Supreme Order Qi Formation Sea kid. It was finally time to see just how big of a joke this battle will be!

"Begin!"

Teacher Ren announced and promptly jumped back to allow the students to fight on their massive stage. Suddenly though, Teacher Ren gained this sinking feeling when he took another glance at Aniela while jumping.

Before Luka could taunt again, before the students could jeer at her, before anyone could move a muscle, Aniela's eyes shined a glaring piercing white glow.

Her spatial ring sparked, and the real prowess of her aura was unleashed all at once!

'Whir!!'

Tremendous waves of Supreme Order level aura gushed out in the whole arena bringing up frantic gushes of winds! Simentousnaly, the temperature massively increased to burning degrees.

Luka froze, the top-ranked initiate students locked up, and everyone else was in utter bewilderment. A second had only passed, yet Aniela dramatically changed to a shattering world point.

Everyone's eyes bear witness to the raging whitish black flaming aura that elegantly wrapped around Aniela's body and a purple rapier in her hand.

Not only was her current sight stunning...the sensation of her aura broke their common sense!

All initiate level students who came felt suffocated and suppressed by her overwhelming aura. Even the early level Nascent Core students felt suffocated by the mere leakage of her aura.

This aura indeed was of the Supreme Order level...and yet, it's just too powerful! Hao Cao bounced up from her seat now. Her eyes held this exciting glint as anticipation built up inside her.

Luka, however, was anything but excited or in awe. Aniela zeroed the full brunt of her aura on him, causing tremendous suppression and pressure. His teeth clenched hard to the point of shattering as he tried to resist her.

"ENOUGH!!"

Luka's roaring shout was accompanied by the full blast of his third level Nascent Core aura! What should've been an impressive showcase of power, instead turned into something slightly pitiful?

"L-Luka power...it's-it's not overpowering hers?!"

"Compared to him, I still feel that white hair girl power more!!"

"This-this isn't a cheat, but her true power?! How?!"

Hearing the students' comments on how he still was weaker than Aniela frustrated Luka to no end. Even more frustrating was the fact they were right!

Him unleashing his aura did nothing to help with Aniela's suppression.

Aniela's smile was nothing but infuriating to Luka. It was bright, broad, and condescending! She didn't offer up any more words, but when she slightly moved her body, Luka felt immediate danger.

'Hua!'

Aniela blasted off to Luka, ripping through air with lightning-like speeds! A trail of raging whitish black flames was left in her wake as her speed became naked to many eyes.

Relying on his protective instinct, Luka hastily called upon his Nascent Qi. His hands sparked in a blaring purple glow that tried to resist Aniela's already blaring glow.

As Aniela neared him, Luka swung his hand up, creating rumbling on the stone stage. From the ground, a large purple earthen wall quickly rose up to protect him.

Seeing this pathetic defense was nearly laughable for Aniela. Gaining a savage smile, she simply gathered a bit of Profound Qi in her arms, transferring it through her rapier.

'Chi!'

With a mere causal swipe of her rapier, Aniela split the purple earth wall in half like smooth butter. Luka's eyes burst open as from the swipe, a wave of sizzling black flames blasted towards him.

Having only a split second to react, Luka hurriedly formed purple Earthen arms to defend himself. Crossing his arms at his face, Luka already felt a scalding temperature burn up his body.

'Bang!'

Luka got sent skidding back as the wave black flames ruthlessly struck him. His body was trembling as pain wracked his arms, and a numbing feeling overtook his arms.

The battle had just begun, and already Luka was put on the defensive! Was this kid actually real?! Everyone was now intensely engaged in the duel, and Aniela wasn't done after that attack.

"Feeling the heat yet~?"

Aniela playfully taunted with a teasing voice that she knew would further enrage Luka. However, she didn't want to listen to his response. Flexing her legs again, Aniela blasted off into another mad dash at Luka.

"Feel my damn hammer!!"

Luka's purple spatial ring ignited as he fished out a long purple battle hammer. From the first glances of that weapon, you could tell its weight was massive and would flatten any foe with ease.

Well, almost any foe.

Right when Aniela neared him, Luka's eyes had a wicked light in them.

His whole hammer shined a vivid purple as Luka tightly clenched it. Savagely, he swiftly swung down his hammer in hopes of flattening Aniela into a bloody meat paste!

Aniela's smile turned mocking and feral, seeing the hammer come down at her. Instead of dodging, she thrust her rapier right against Luka's massive hammer!

"BANG!"

"GE-AHH!!"

Akin to a rag doll, Luka's body went flying, crashing, and bouncing on the stage multiple times. Forcefully, Luka flipped himself over in mid-air and dig his hand onto the stage, still skidding back after that last exchange.

Luka nearly felt like he lost all feeling in his other arm. Blood was rising in his mouth, and his chest heaved. Glancing over to his other hand as he stopped himself, his eyes widened once noticing his state.

His hand that wielded his hammer had split open with fresh, bright red blood running down his arm. Pain, humiliation, and shock all ran through Luka's mind as he stared at his bloodied hand.

Just two moves and he was thrown into a major disadvantage. Clearly, he had to do something, or he really will end up losing to this damn girl!

Seeing Luka state, Aniela had several different ways to quickly end this. But they were trying to get that person to come out, right? Smiling brightly, Aniela decided to be the first one to bless everyone today.

"You! Watch closely now!" Aniela suddenly shouted to Luka, who snapped his head up in rage.

However, before he could attempt anything, a piercing white glow punctured into everyone's eyes.

'Whir!!'

A power that nobody here had ever felt before gushed out of Aniela. Overwhelming, angelic, and holy. These words could just barely describe the aura Aniela exuded now.

Her arm sparkled in a magnificent white glow, painting Aniela in a holy light. Looking at her now, students and teachers alike felt as if an actual fairy was born.

Numi, Opin, and Cusi had all fully realized then the massive chasm between them and Aniela. Their mouths were agape, and their eyes were glued to the angelic-looking Aniela.

Teacher Zala and Instructor Lei were stunned. Their own blood began boiling as if it met an absolute suppression. Everything was all coming together in their minds.

And out of everyone's view and senses, one hidden powerful presence felt their confirmation rise in this one moment.

Luka was the only one in utter terror about Aniela's newfound powers. It was too much!

As he struggled to get up, his legs felt weak, his mind buzzed with danger, and he nearly collapsed under her mere aura.

This chasm of a difference...Luka couldn't take it anymore! A maddening going entered his eyes, and Nascent Qi swirled in his mouth.

Aniela only stood with a calm, smiling expression as she heard Luka shriek with maddening rage, saying,

"I'll-I'll-I'll KILL YOU!!"

In a shocking twist of events for everyone, Luka bit down on his tongue, causing a tremendous wave of frantic power to spew out of him! He truly was erupting his blood essence, sacrificing his life span just to win!

But the only problem with this was…

"Luka is insane! He just wants to cripple himself!"

"Yea! Even now, his aura is still so small compared to hers!!"

As the students pointed out, Luka's eruption of his blood essence still couldn't even be compared to the angelic Aniela.