Inner Sect Exams

The Outer Section of the Sword Art Sect was a fairly big place. A lot bigger than the external section as there were even many different buildings with different uses. At this moment, deeper into the center of the Outer Section, many disciples were approaching a rather big construct.

It was similar to a modern-day football stadium. Inside it, many Outer Sect disciples were seated there and waited for the beginning of the tournament with expectations obvious from their expressions.

The arena platform was 30-meters in length and another 25-meters wide and a man in silver robes and with a sword sheathed on his waist stood. His aura alone then went on to silence every being there as even Saber, who was sitting in the competitor's waiting area, felt that he would lose in a fight against this man.

"Since I have everyone's attention, I will explain what will happen from here. It is very simple, as a Low-Level Elder of the Inner Section of this Sect, was tasked to oversee the tournament for your Outer disciples.

The rules are very simple, there will be no help from anyone. Those caught cheating will be expelled from the Sect. And finally, those who kill their opponents will also be killed by me! Even if you are allowed to kill in the deathmatches, this is a proper competition filled with above-average talents of the Sword Art Sect."

The Elder said with utter coldness radiating from his eyes. Thereafter, he began the competition by calling all of the competitors to draw a number.

Since only slightly less than 50 people had dared to sign up for this competition, the draw finished quickly as Saber got the number 46 and was told to wait in the waiting lobby for his number to be called.

In the lobby area, he watched on with slight interest at the first fight taking place.

"I suggest that you give up now!" A deep voice echoed out in the arena as a young man with long black hair and a rather handsome face, emerald green eyes, thin lips, and noticeably sharp eyebrows was ordered by another bald man who had an extremely average appearance.

The black-haired young man ignored the bald man which seemed to have greatly angered him as the Elder ordered the referee to start the tournament. With a dangerous light flashing in the bald man's eyes, a spear appeared in the palm of his hand as he dashed toward the young man's location.

The young man with flowing black hair watched on with bored eyes while a sword appeared in the palm of his slender hand. His tender-looking fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword and with just one casual upward swing of his sword, a light of sparkling red energy shot out of his sword and impacted the body of the baldhead man who was approaching him with blind anger.

Bam!!

As the energy connected with the bald man, he was sent flying back and out of the arena. The crowd went silent with the casualness in the young man displayed as Saber's interest was peaked.

"Such a simple energy strike knocked you unconscious, pathetic!" The young man said as he then leisurely walked out of the arena with a calm expression. The next two fighters then entered the stage.

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(In The Arena)

Saber gazed on with coldness and indifference toward his opponent who had utterly disappointed him. The being under his feet had previously boasted with many taunts and arrogant words that Saber thought he was a tough opponent.

Sadly, they were simply words as Saber did not even have a thought of using his sword. His mere physical strength, even in its suppressed state, was enough to easily defeat this man.

With a sigh filled with disappointment, Saber then stamped his foot on his opponent's head, causing it to dent into the ground under him. If not for Saber holding back, the man's head would have long been turned into a blood mist.

Seeing his opponent unconscious, and hearing the referee calling for the next fighters to enter the stage, Saber walked out of the arena with his cold and aloof temperament gaining him a few gazes that were tinged with slight interest or amusement.

They, along with everyone else were surprised. Saber was previously a Golden Core, but in under a year, had mysteriously become a Nascent Soul. Not only that, from the aura that he unconsciously radiated, he had almost finished refining his platform and pillars.

Meaning, that in a few days, and with a Domain Lord pill, he may be able to easily reach the Domain Lord rank.

One must know, after refining the platform and pillars in one's mind domain, the next goal will be to expand the platform and pillar to cover a distance of 1,000 meters, thus reaching the Domain Lord rank.

But, it wouldn't be that easy, since increasing the distance that the platform and pillars covered could take many decades, while those without talent and only relied on pills to reach the Nascent Soul realm, would never reach the Domain Lord realm even with their thousands of year lifespan!

But, a Domain Lord pill could change such a thing, as one could even reach the Domain Lord realm in a few months. This was the reason why a pill like the Domain Lord pill was so sorted after. Yet, even Outer Sect Elders with mere above-average talents are unable to gain such a treasure.

Anyway, Saber cared little for those folks who gazed at him, his eyes and interest instead fixated on the emerald eyes of the young man who first fought. Talented sword users seemed to have their own world in which they could instantly notice another one of their kind.

And Saber, being as talented in the sword as he is, could tell when someone had great insights into the way of the sword, and both the emerald green eyes and Saber's own darkish blue eyes were fixated on each other, or more accurately, fixated on each other's sword work.

The young man knew that unlike the rest of the wastes who signed for this Inner Sect exams, Saber was different. The boy named Saber seemed to have the potential to give him a challenge, and he was looking forward to it.

The fighting continued, and the tournament moved on. For Saber, it was an incredibly boring spectacle mainly because all of the humans were untalented cultivators with no fighting talent.

He did not even need to use his sword throughout the tournament and instead was simply able to observe the multiple weaknesses in his opponent's techniques. His casualness greatly surprised not only the crowd of spectators but also the Elder who came to overseer the tournament.

He hadn't expected to meet two talented individuals in the Outer Sect. Though he was unaware of what weapon Saber used, he still knew that both the young man with black long hair and Saber were holding back.

Such a thing raised his interest in the duo as he waited with anticipation for the many useless fights to finish. Luckily, or unluckily for the impatient elder, Saber, and the young man had drawn the first and last draws, hence they wouldn't meet until they reach the finals.

With this realization, he, for the first time in years, had fallen asleep and told the referee to take charge of the competition. He acted as if he was previously doing his job and was in control of the competition in the first place.