Immortal Cultivator System

Chapter 66: Crown Prince's Birthday ( 4 )

Sitting atop a pillar that overlooked the arena, a man dressed in a long and quite large white and blue robe watched the fight unfold. One couldn't see the look he had on his face due to the straw hat and face mask he wore, but he sure seemed really interested in what was going on with the child and Jian.

He smiled when an arm went flying away and a blood-curling scream was released.

" A bloody sight, isn't it ?" Said an old man who appeared behind the straw hat. He was the patriarch of the Sea Sword Sect.

"It is. I have a question though, teacher....Specters and Void, does that ring any bells to you ?" The Straw Hat asked as he stopped laying on the pillar lazily and sat down. 

"Can't say I have ever heard that, dear pupil. I assume it has to do with you travelling all around the world ? You went up in smoke all those years ago and you show up only a few days everytime. You'll have to return to us at some time, you know that ?" The patriarch said as he sat besides his old student. 

The Straw Hat broke a biscuit into two parts and offered his master one half. They both ate the biscuit in silence before Straw Hat sighed.

"I might have to return. If only to train the new generation. If things are still the same as they were back in the days....The sect surely cannot count on you or your family members to train the young ones. You were always an impatient bunch...And all those scars on my back sure as hell prove that. " Straw Hat announced. The patriarch was a bit shocked to hear that his old pupil actually decided to return, but he knew in his heart that it just had to happen at some point.

His pupil surely knew about the state of the sect these days. They were in such a position...They couldn't waste the current opportunity they had, not after all they sacrificed to come this way. 

"I can expect you to take care of the recruits then ? Does that mean we should start recruiting ?" The patriarch asked.

" I'll lend some of my scrolls to the elders so they can handle the normal recruits. Send me only the ones who show the most potential." Straw Hat said, before getting bumped on the head by his old master.

" And the secret ones ? You know...The ones who aren't supposed to train with any sects ?" 

Straw Hat turned around and glared at the nobles he could see in the distance. His distate for them was so easy to see it was quite scary.

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" So they haven't changed. Their greed and resentment for us is still reflecting on their children. If only they could allow their kids to live their lives like they want to. We would get so many new recruits and most importantly....The continent wouldn't have gone to this vegetative state. To think most of the countries are the same. I know the sects aren't exactly the most trustworthy institutions and the nobles don't want to have their kids live dangerous lives..But where's the desire for adventure ?!" Straw Hat ranted while his old master just nodded his head .

" I can understand you, old pupil. But even then, you got to understand their side. I started to get it after I had my second child. It's just so difficult. I think it's actually good they protect their kids so much. It's bad for the sects and it can be linked to their desire to control their children like puppets or weapons...But for some of them, it simply shows that power didn't transform them into monsters and they are exactly like my wife and I.....Worried parents who can't help but be scared for their children everytime anything happens. I mean, seriously, the other day one of my granddaughters just hurt her head because of the stairs and my daughter and I went up into a frenzy." The old patriarch joked. Straw Hat chuckled and shook his head.

" What a patriarch you make. The others are much more fearsome than you are. I think that's why so many young disciples became rash." 

As their discussion continued, the fight between Vehr and Jian reached it's peak.

" RAHHHHH !" The child yelled as he rushed towards Jian. The referees were simply lost on what to do. They should have stopped the fight a long time ago, but the crown prince simply wouldn't let them. 

This wasn't even worth continuing anymore. What started as a normal fight became a deathmatch. Both of the fighters when in horrible states and were on the verge of dying. The battle had long since finished, and yet they were still there. 

Even the crowd didn't know how to react. It was simply epic and insanely entertaining, but in the end....Those two were simply too young. Vehr was a child and Jian looked to be a bit under 18. 

Unfortunately, be it the fighters themselves or the crown prince, none of them wanted this to end. At least not until a definite winner was decided.

Blocking the incoming sword directly with his hand, Jian glared at Vehr and let out a scream of his own. Blood flew around freely as the two clashed.

Vehr was forced to use his sword with his mouth due to one arm having been teared apart by his own sword a few minutes ago, while the other was simply broken. As for Jian, he could barely stand up and was wincing everytime he breathed due to the cut on his throat and the multiple hits he got to the ribcage. 

"Give up !" Jian yelled at Vehr before headbutting the child. No, in fact the child wasn't one anymore in Jian's mind. This was a rabid beast, much more so than that wild contestant from before. This couldn't be a human child. He lacked all the caracteristics of one. He looked like one of course, but he was too vicious, ferocious, determined and most importantly....His fear of death seemed non-existent. Contrarily to Jian who just feared death less than others, Vehr didn't fear it in the slightest. One could only imagine what happened to that child to make him into an unstoppable warrior.

However no one was thinking about that at the moment. The spectators could only still their breath as they waited for the winner to be decided. At this point, a single hard hit could knock out both of them. 

The fight was as it's end, and both of them wouldn't get to participate in the main part of the contest, their current state ensured that. 

'You dumb kid ! The hell are you going to do ? They won't waste any medicines on you and I can't heal you !' Mara complained. However the system's menu opened in front of the unholy being who immediately blushed.

'I....I must've been focusing on something else at that time ! Plus it's not like Jian getting potions in the lottery is an important thing !' He said, trying to justify his lack of attention.

Vehr winced as the pain in broken arm started to become unbearable. However he quickly noticed something wasn't right. A certain point on his arm was simply giving him the feeling of being burned. It was insanely hot and was the main cause of that incredible pain, besides of course the arm having been broken. 

Not knowing what was going on, Vehr was quite lost on what to do. However after dodging a sudden knee strike from Jian, he decided to go with the best technique he knew. He always used it on situations that were different from this one, but this still felt like he had been poisoned or something. 

As Jian got back into position and watched Vehr's actions through his slowly closing eyes, he coughed some blood. Due to his high stamina and pain resistance, he wasn't in a world of pain like Vehr was and he was much less tired than he should have been after having attacked Vehr ruthlessly with all he had, however he was still feeling that his body was on the verge of simply crumbling.

He had to end this as fast as possible. Unfortunately, Vehr wasn't ready to give up anytime soon.

"GRRRRR !" Vehr screamed in the handle of his sword that was still in his mouth, as he used said sword to stab his own arm. Jian and the whole crowd watched with heavy breaths as the child tore his flesh apart and allowed his blood to escape the broken arm.....However they also saw the gas that instantly escaped the arm after the sword stabbed it. 

Jian chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"Seems like you noticed it. " He said as Vehr removed the blade from his arm while locking his eyes with Jian's. What followed next wasn't something anyone could have predicted. 

Vehr let go of his sword and allowed it to fall on the ground before assuming a very strange crouched position.

"I'll.....I'll finish this like I should. I won't try to kill you." Vehr explained as Jian also assumed his own fighting pose with an overextended arm in the front and his other arm in the back, ready to unleash powerful punches or palm strikes.

The message was clear for the two, although not everyone in the crowd got it. The Crown Prince was one of those who instantly understood. As such, he stood up and got a bit closer so he could see the end of the fight better. No one really followed. The nobles and members of the sects had seen better fights of course, but the Crown Prince wasn't impressed by the level...He was shaken by the resolve and that last message. 

A message that was sent back by Jian who simply let go of his halberd. He hadn't used it since it proved useless against a enemy like Vehr, but letting go of it sent the same message. 

They wouldn't try to kill each other, because they respected each other and wanted to see each other after that. They had become friends during that fight. They had seen their reflection in the other's eyes. Two children who were way too wild and ready to kill. 

Who knows what made Vehr like that, but for Jian it was obvious. He hadn't even felt it, but ever since his first kill and the many times he was lost in his own world, feeling powerless and swearing he would change that...Jian had truly changed. But the change was still too little to truly show. It was still there and one could guess it would get worse the more power he got and the more kills he made. For now it was little enough to make Jian much less dangerous than someone like Vehr.

That child was truly lost to the innocence one his age should possess. 

This didn't matter at the moment. Nothing mattered, except the result of that fight. Even with the respect and friendly relation that was formed between the two, they were still determined to win this. 

It was the only thing they could think about. Vehr and Jian both.

' Rip him apart, destroy him, WIN THIS !'

'I'm not about to lose this, especially since I'm not even sure I'll have enough energy left to use my potions after this. COME AT ME !'

They both rushed at the same time and their bodies collided. A flurry of kicks and punches was unleashed, but each were either dodged or blocked. 

Jian quickly grabbed Vehr's head and blocked it between his two arms. Vehr wasn't much of a martial art expert and as such he noticed where to block way too late. The first two knee strikes hit and had Vehr puke blood all over Jian's chest. The young cultivator had long since discarded his robe and had been wearing nothing but a thin white shirt. Of course he still had his gauntlets, but that was it.

The next knee attacks were blocked, but Jian simply jerked Vehr head on the right, forcing his whole body to move due to strengh behind the sudden jerk. Losing his balance for a second, Vehr allowed Jian to unleash on last devastating knee strike.

This sent Vehr on the ground, blood leaving his mouth and nose as he stared at the crowd with a lost expression. His eyes were slowly closing and he could feel his strengh leaving him.

Jian didn't waste anytime and didn't even wait for the referee to announce his victory. He simply took out his potions and was about to drink one of them....However a referee rapidly shook his head while the crowd screamed.

"WOAHHHHHH !"

The crowd descended into a frenzy as Vehr stood up with his eyes closed and his whole body trembling. Jian only had the time to turn around, but Vehr had already spent his last forces to run towards him and jump.

Two skulls collided and they both ended up on the ground. The referee quickly went to check up on them and announced the result that sent everyone back in their seat, completely shook.

The Crown Prince had perhaps the strongest reaction, for he simply left the arena, followed by some sect members and nobles who went running after him, knowing exactly what he was going to do.

Only Wang Bei, Uma, Zhao Shu and Biyu were smiling once they heard the result.

"BOTH ARE OUT !!!"