Three resounding rings filled the air followed by a fourth minor tremble, and the people looked on in shock. The crowd couldn't help but gossip.
"Maybe it wasn't a bad thing that Kane took Kyle's magic heart; I would say he's making pretty good use of it." The issue of the stolen heart was a controversial issue and this statement sparked a heavy debate among those in the crowd.
"It doesn't matter if he's using it for a good reason or if he's making good use of it. The heart was not his to steal." The other figure sneered.
"Do you think if Kyle hadn't stolen that heart, and if it had remained in the hands of that cowardly second heir, do you think we would have such an amazing representative for our clan today?" The debate continued as one person defended morality, while the other discussed practicality. A satisfied look appeared on Vera's face. Her new disciple was already making her proud and she hadn't even taught him one skill yet. The match continued like this as most of the remaining contestants who weren't heirs failed and those who passed barely made it. As the crowd thinned out and people dropped like flies, the attention of the crowd and the sect leader landed on a masked figure standing at the back of the crowd. The yellow sunlight made his dark suit even more visible. Vera looked at Felix, trying to understand what he was thinking. This was the deciding factor of their bet. If the masked figure's strength was on similar par with the heirs of the clans, then Felix would win the bet, but if he was below the heir with the lowest strength in the whole arena, then she would win. She was so excited and couldn't wait to hold the dagger in her hand. Being able to control chi didn't mean you had large reserves of it, or that the quality was high. And from her estimations, although the masked figure had shown impeccable control, that was just what he was missing. If he had all those boxes checked, he would have already been recruited by some sect; there was no way an unknown figure had that much power. Kyle stepped forward, his black suit making him look ominous. Although it was clear he had some capabilities, most people thought he was nothing special here. But they were wrong. With zero techniques in his arsenal, Kyle pulled his hand backward and struck with the force of a raging bull. The raw chi hit the bell, neutralized the natural defenses of the bell, and hit it with force, causing the bell to rattle once. A clang sound rang through the crowd as literally everyone's eyes widened. However, this was just the first ring and nothing too special. Another clang followed and shocked Vera to the core. This masked figure whom she had underestimated was actually capable of ringing the bell two times? People began to straighten in their seats as they sat forward. Then finally Vera's worst nightmare came to reality: the last heir had also rung the bell three times. She glanced at Felix, who had a calm expression on his face, as if he had expected this. Maybe if her opponent was not as strong as her, then maybe she might find a way to wiggle out of the bet. She didn't dare become angry or cause a scene with a figure that was on her level. Instead she took her anger at Kyle.
"It's all his fault; just who is this brat?" A cold energy flowed from her eyes as she gazed at the figure across the arena. Kyle soon felt a powerful gaze pressing down on him. It was suffocating; he turned his head to look at the stands where the powerful individual sat, trying to figure out who was causing the pressure. Kyle's gaze soon landed on his old master-to-be. He didn't know what he did, but she was definitely angry. He smiled; it was amusing. Kyle planned to do more, and he hadn't really done anything significant yet, but Vera was already angry. Her shock continued to increase when Kyle turned away, seemingly not caring about why she was gazing at him so dangerously. A few minutes later the nine remaining contestants who made it to the finals were standing on the arena stage. This was the finals, and they would have to spar to find the person at number one. The first match tested their chi control; the second tested their chi quality; and the third would test their chi quantity and their battle powers. Those who had doubted the masked figure watched as he stood for the finals. The crowd roared in cheers. To them the other matches had been exciting, but the final match would determine if they placed their bets on the right person. With the wave of his sleeves, the elder presiding over the match jumped into the ring. For this match he would stand close to the fighters, making sure these top talents won't kill each other in the pursuit of power and glory. He spoke of the rules once more.
"Kane has rung the bell the most amount of times; therefore, he gets to skip the first few rounds and preserve his strength. The rules are simple; the only thing off-limits is killing your opponents. You can injure them to almost any extent. The winner and the last one standing will receive the first place, or the second." As the elder was describing the match, a beautiful figure stepped into the arena. When the crowd saw this figure, a heavy murmur filled the air; they tried to lower their tone. However, thousands of individuals whispering caused the sound to accumulate and create a strange sight in the crowd. Vera wore a green dress with shimmering crystals that caught the light. The dress hugged her figure and made her curves pop out even more. She looked shockingly beautiful. She wasn't even wearing makeup, but just her smile she flashed the crowd caused all the men to swallow hard. Vera wasn't surprised at this development; she had grown used to the treatment. Behind her, a proud figure had a slight smirk on his old face. His long robes shook in the wind. He rubbed his chin and his smirk turned into a chuckle. Luckily his daughter wasn't just all beauty and no brains. She had chosen the right man for her to marry after realizing the second heir of Kabal was trash. And today she promised him that her new lover was going to win the tournament and join a sect. Quinton Linen was here to see that for himself.