The battles on the stage pushed the atmosphere to its peak.
More and more people were eliminated, the combatants grew stronger, and the fights became increasingly fierce. The light patterns on the Cloud Que Platform shifted from ferocious tigers to grey eagles, from giant pythons to iron apes; each spirit beast lit up and faded away, and the crowd below surged with excitement time after time.
Members of the Pine Roost Sect and the Divine Sword Sect continually crossed paths in battle, making the clashes ever more brutal. One disciple from the Pine Roost Sect had his shoulder pierced by a sword from the Divine Sword Sect, fresh blood streaming down the blade and dripping onto the grayish-blue stone surface. Yet he refused to admit defeat, stubbornly gritting his teeth to endure three more moves before collapsing.
Another disciple from the Divine Sword Sect was blasted flying by a palm strike from the Pine Roost Sect, slamming into an iron pillar. Runes flashed and bounced him back; had it not been for the protection of the Cloud Que Platform, that impact likely would have broken a few bones.
On one occasion, Old Li's intervention had no effect. A disciple from the Divine Sword Sect had clearly already won, but he refused to hold back after his opponent fell, driving the tip of his sword straight toward the throat.
Old Li let out a shout, but the disciple turned a deaf ear, his eyes filled with a frenzied ruthlessness brought on by the high of battle.
Yet just when the sword tip was an inch from the throat, the iron pillars at the four corners of the Cloud Que Platform simultaneously lit up, and an intangible wall of Qi rose from the stone surface, isolating that disciple in midair.
The sword