THE TRIALS OF FATE

Nobody knew what the third day had in store for them and what surprises they would get today. Lian seemed worried that the second attempt had failed, and he hoped that Reece had suffered a fatal injury that could weaken him as he prepared to challenge him.

Reece walked into the arena, but everybody turned their heads towards him and started whispering on about him. Even the elders could not help but notice the surprising turn of events as they could see the cultivation base of Reece had lowered significantly. It was a shocking turn of events that left them all in disbelief.

Lian, boldly jumped into the center of the arena, challenging Reece to a death match. The crowd fell silent, their collective gasp echoing through the arena. It was an audacious move, and everyone knew that this battle could have dire consequences for either Reece or Lian. And would be a huge blow for the Jao sect to lose one of the prodigies.

Reece, despite his recent decline in cultivation base, still possessed a spark of his former cultivation level. His eyes met Lian's with determination, accepting the challenge. He knew that this duel was not just a test of strength but a practice match for him to try out the assassins' techniques he had learnt over night.

The elders watched with bated breath as the two combatants faced each other, their auras clashing and crackling with energy. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, and the outcome of this death match would undoubtedly determine the champion as both were the only competitors who had out staged every other.

As the gong sounded, the two warriors surged forward, meeting at the center of the arena in a flurry of movement. Their first clash sent shockwaves through the ground, leaving deep imprints in the earth beneath their feet. The imprints were deep enough to bury a fully grown demon beast.

Reece unleashed a barrage of lightning-fast strikes, his fists a blur as they struck with precision and power. Lian, however, was equally skilled, deflecting Reece's attacks with a grace that seemed almost otherworldly.

The crowd watched in awe as the battle raged on. Reece and Lian were evenly matched, their skills pushing each other to the limit. Reece's agility and adaptability were on full display as he countered Lian's every move, while Lian's technical proficiency and speed were unmatched.

Suddenly, Lian unleashed a devastating series of kicks, each one accompanied by a burst of wind and energy. Reece blocked and evaded as best he could, but the sheer force of Lian's attacks was overwhelming. He staggered backward, feeling the impact of each strike and almost crashing down to the barren floor of the arena. It was almost evident the drop in cultivation level and the gap between Lian's was growing by the second.

But Reece was not one to back down. Drawing upon the very killing intent he had realized the day before; he channeled his energy into a powerful counterattack swarming the entire arena with ethereal blades aimed at Lian. With a thunderous roar, he unleashed a surge of energy, sending shockwaves through the arena. Lian was forced to defend against the onslaught, his own aura flaring brightly in response.

The two warriors continued to clash, their skills and power escalating with each passing moment. Reece summoned the Tao soul techniques he had mastered, manipulating whirlwinds of fire and lightning that engulfed Lian. But Lian, with a calm focus, redirected the elemental onslaught, dispersing it with controlled bursts of air.

As the battle raged on, Reece and Lian exchanged techniques and strikes that pushed the boundaries of their abilities. Reece's body moved with a fluid grace, while Lian's strikes were precise and devastating. The arena became a battlefield of elemental forces and incredible displays of martial prowess.

In a moment of intense concentration, Reece tapped into the depths of his soul, drawing upon the Tao Soul. As he launched a powerful and perfectly executed attack, his body grew weak all of a sudden it was as if he had been stung on his neck and his strength warned and his sight was blurry.

Lian, caught off guard by Reece's sudden surge in power, struggled to defend against the onslaught.  As he took his stance, he noticed Reece wavering and the Grand Elder signaling him to finish the match with a kill. Though the onslaught from Reece's barrage of the ethereal blades and had Lian on the defensive and struggling to make a quick counter. Reece's attack grew weaker by each moment as his body did not coordinate and his vision was also waning.

But Lian, refusing to be defeated, gathered his strength and countered with a technique of his own. The clash of their energies created a blinding explosion of light and force, leaving the audience in awe. At this moment Lian landed a critical hit on Reece breaking his meridians on his left-hand side.

Reece knew the next attack could probably kill him if not critical cause severe damages. He had to put his all into this one final attack, he was going to use his second skill that the acquired after breaking to the second phase of the Tao Soul. "NINE ELEMENT COSMOS STAR SKILL" with precision as his senses heightened and triangulated the position of Lian, Reece unleashed his skill on an unsuspecting Lian who thought he had won the match.

The battle reached its climax, with the technique unleashed the arena could not withstand the shear force and magnitude. The elders had to intervene and protect the crowd and other disciples from the blast. Lian witnessed the power firsthand and though he tried to evade at the last moment he was severely injured and lost one of his hands while he tried to evade the force generated from that one single move.

In the end, it was Reece who emerged victorious, he stood in the arena heavily wounded and Lian lying down in fright from the amount of killing intent that emanated from Reece at that very moment. The crowd erupted in a mixture of awe and disbelief, witnessing his incredible tenacity and determination. Reece stood in the center, battered and bruised but with an undeniable aura of triumph around him.

As Reece basked in his hard-earned victory, his gaze locked onto the Grand Elder, who watched the spectacle with burning rage. The Grand Elder's eyes narrowed, and his face twisted with anger. He had clearly expected Reece to fail, and the young warrior's resilience had infuriated him beyond measure. Reece reached out behind his neck to where he had previously felt a sting and what led him to desperately use this technique which was supposed to be a last resort only.

Just as tensions reached their peak, the heavens themselves seemed to take notice of this dramatic confrontation. Dark clouds gathered ominously above the arena, and thunder rumbled menacingly in the distance. A bolt of lightning lashed out from the sky, heading directly for Reece.

Reece, already weakened from the grueling battle, had little time to react. He summoned the last of his strength to defend against the incoming lightning strike. His body was enveloped in a brilliant aura as he attempted to deflect the wrath of the heavens.

The clash between Reece and the lightning bolt created an explosion of energy that rocked the arena, sending shockwaves through the ground. The spectators gasped in horror, unsure of whether Reece would survive this supernatural onslaught.

Still here came another onslaught of lightning strikes, this time Reece was too weak even to draw out his aura. It seemed like the heavens were determined to erase Reece and the Grand Elders eyes lit up when he saw the second lightning strike incoming.

Just then time seemed to stop, and Reece was caught in a daze in his own sea of consciousness. For the first time ever since he started cultivating the Tao Soul Book had finally reacted and this time it saved Reece from potential doom. It unleashed and energy surge that penetrated through the dark clouds and dispersing them with little effort. Calamity had subsided and Reece struggled to walk out of the arena in his mind he kept wishing he could have some demon meat right now to eat and help repair the damage. This was a first that his ancient demon body had been inflicted this much damage and even thought his physical strength was comparable to a nascent realm cultivator he could help but start over as the Tao soul was reshaping his cultivation and the normal way was no longer an option to him and to the ordinary cultivator Reece was just in the foundation building stage.