"Hey, have you heard? There's an Apprentice Level 8 fighter in the Blade Tomb World who's incredibly fierce. Plenty of Apprentice Level 9 fighters can't last three moves against him."
"Heard about it? I saw him with my own eyes. I was lucky to run fast."
"Hmm? Then how were you eliminated?"
"Look, it was the guy next to me. He eliminated me, then ran into that Apprentice Level 8 fighter right afterward."
"Cough, cough... Who could've guessed that Apprentice Level 8 fighter would be so strong? He sliced me out of there in just three blows."
The surrounding chatter reached Bai Kashan's ears, leaving him dazed.
He couldn't help picturing Bai Yuan standing with his blade in hand, and a bitter smile touched his lips.
Bai Yuan's talent and strength had long since surpassed anything he could have imagined.
Most of the eliminated contestants gathered here were stronger than Bai Kashan.
Yet even those powerful fighters were no match for Bai Yuan.
The gap between them spoke for itself.
More importantly, the more dazzling Bai Yuan's performance, the more support and resources he would receive in the future. The distance between them would only grow.
Without an incredible stroke of fortune, Bai Kashan feared he wouldn't even see Bai Yuan's back, let alone surpass him.
At that thought, Bai Kashan lowered his head in silence and had no choice but to accept reality.
Before long, the day was over.
More than seven million of the over ten million contestants had been eliminated.
The main reason was that no one was trying to hide. Everyone was actively seeking out strong opponents to fight, which made the elimination rate so astonishing.
As the numbers dwindled, each successive battle gripped the spectators even more.
"Special Grade Elites are so rare that one might not appear in a hundred tournaments. This time, we have two at once—that's almost unheard of. The last time two Special Grade Elites appeared was twenty thousand years ago, wasn't it?"
"Even among Special Grade Elites, there are still differences. At least for now, Bai Luoyan's talent is clearly superior to Bai Yuan's."
"Old Ning, what do you think of young Yuan?"
"He's very impressive. Certainly much stronger than I was at his age."
The others chatted among themselves, glancing at Bai Tianning from time to time. The ever-serious legion commander's grin was practically reaching his ears.
He had never married or had children, and his personal disciple had died long ago.
Now, watching his nephew shine in the clan tournament, he could hardly hide his joy.
In terms of talent alone, Bai Luoyan was indeed astonishing.
She had comprehended three concepts at the Apprentice level, and at the Planet Realm, she stood a good chance of comprehending a domain. At the very least, she was sure to master one by the Star Realm.
With talent like hers and a World Lord personally nurturing her, advancing to the Universe Realm was all but certain. She even had a strong chance of reaching the Domain Lord level.
As for the World Lord level, no one could guarantee that. Ultimately, it would depend on her future performance and opportunities.
By contrast, aside from his astonishing Force Amplitude, Bai Yuan was merely excellent in other areas. He had a very good chance of reaching the Universe Realm in the future, but whether he could advance to the Domain Lord level would depend on luck.
Bai Tianning, however, remained calm inside.
After all, he knew better than anyone that Bai Yuan's true talent was far more outrageous than anyone present could imagine.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
At the center of the pool, two figures faced off.
Bai Guanren gripped his blade with both hands, his blade force surging like a raging torrent. Every slash sent the pool water surging upward!
He was sixteen, and had trained longer than many of his peers. His talent was also considered exceptional.
Except for the true prodigies who had already comprehended a concept, he had rarely met his match on this battlefield.
Yet now, his opponent refused to give an inch.
The boy moved like a drifting shadow, his blade flashing like a cold moon or shooting star. Each time, he dodged Bai Guanren's heavy strikes by a hair's breadth.
His comprehension of concepts was exceptional. He was only one step away from fully entering that realm. His Force Amplitude was slightly weaker than Bai Guanren's, however, and that was why the two were evenly matched.
"Your blade... it's too heavy!"
His opponent suddenly barked. His body bent like a slender willow in the wind, and his blade skimmed over the water, thrusting straight toward Bai Guanren's ribs.
Bai Guanren's pupils contracted, and he hurriedly brought his war blade around to block.
Clang!
The blades crashed together with an explosive ring. Both fighters retreated as a circle of white spray burst out around their feet.
Bai Guanren panted, burning with fighting spirit.
"Again!"
He charged forward, his blade flashing once more. His opponent followed like a shadow and met him head-on.
Bai Yuan had just arrived and witnessed the entire exchange.
"Given how things stand, Guanren has the advantage. He handles the finer details better, but..."
The fight continued. Just as Bai Yuan had predicted, Bai Guanren's advantage became more obvious as time passed.
He pressed forward step by step, his blade force building like wave upon wave and driving his opponent back as water splashed in every direction.
"Fall!"
Spotting an opening, Bai Guanren roared and brought his war blade down with all his strength.
If that blow landed, the fight would be over!
But what Bai Yuan had feared came to pass.
In that instant, a clear light suddenly flared in his opponent's eyes.
The blade he swung was entirely different from before in speed, trajectory, and force!
As its edge cut through the air, it let out a faint whistle, as if merging with the wind itself.
Under the immense pressure, he had finally broken through the threshold and comprehended a perfect concept!
"Not good!"
Bai Guanren's expression changed. He tried to pull back his blade to defend, but it was too late.
The newly empowered strike was faster than expected, heading straight for his chest.
Just as the blade was about to hit...
Whoosh!
A streak of golden light shot over and struck the opponent's blade with pinpoint accuracy!
Clang!
A clear ringing sound echoed across the pool, and the killing blow was firmly blocked.
As the water rippled, Bai Yuan stood before Bai Guanren, his blade already lowered.
He had seen that his opponent was on the verge of a breakthrough. Bai Guanren's only chance of winning was to end the fight before that happened.
Unfortunately, he had been a step too slow.
But Bai Yuan wasn't about to stand by and let Bai Guanren be eliminated.
"Bai Yuan! It really is you!"
Recognizing him, Bai Guanren blurted out in astonishment.
Earlier, when he'd heard people talking about an "Apprentice Level 8 genius" sweeping through the battlefield, he'd had a vague suspicion. The figure and swordsmanship they described sounded so much like Bai Yuan.
But after thinking about how Bai Yuan usually acted, he'd decided it was unlikely and assumed it was just a coincidence.
It was only now, after seeing his friend fight with his own eyes, that he was certain.
The Apprentice Level 8 fighter who had fought his way to the point that everyone was talking about him really was his longtime friend.
The opponent who had just comprehended a concept also changed expression slightly.
He had heard of Bai Yuan. Though he had comprehended a concept, he was still no match for him.
He had heard the name "Bai Yuan" repeatedly that day; it rang in his ears.
Sharp Metal Concept, Man-Blade Unity... The strength these terms represented was far beyond what someone who had just comprehended a concept could contend with.
Especially that last strike. The moment their blades met, he had clearly felt the keen force hidden within it.
There was no need to test him further. Bai Yuan was unquestionably stronger.
Before you continue