Chapter 26 – The Trial of Combat
The second trial was different. Unlike the first Trial, where it was just one opponent of lower level, this was a trial of pure combat—technique, power, control, and survival instincts among individuals all at the late stage initiate realm. Jin stood among a hundred cultivators inside a large, circular coliseum carved into a sunken crater, its walls lined with runes that pulsed with defensive energy to protect the spectators above.
A sect elder stood on a raised platform in the center. "This is a combat elimination trial. You will fight in rounds, one on one. Yield, or be knocked out. No killing is permitted," he declared, pausing to let his eyes sweep over the gathered crowd. "Begin."
The air shifted. Platforms of stone rose from the crater floor—twenty circular stages with wide enough space for duels. Names began appearing in the air above each one, glowing softly in spiritual light. Jin looked up.
Stage 7: Jin vs. Bryce
He stepped onto his assigned stage. Bryce was already waiting—tall, with sun-kissed skin, short black hair, and an impatient scowl. He grinned the moment he saw Jin.
"I remember you," Bryce said, drawing a thin sword from his back. "You're the elemental genius who fought that Howling Storm punk."
Jin didn't answer. His eyes narrowed slightly. Bryce gave off the aura of a late-stage Initiate—lower than Jin's Adept realm, but not by much. Still, cultivation was not everything.
"Begin!" the elder announced from above.
Bryce shot forward immediately, wind gathering around his legs as he used Wind Stride, a mid-tier footwork technique. He circled Jin at blinding speed, sword flashing.
Jin didn't panic. He dropped into a low stance and raised both hands, summoning a wall of fire to intercept the strike. Bryce's blade clanged against the barrier and rebounded.
Bryce clicked his tongue. "So you can actually use your element well. That'll make this fun."
He struck again, this time from the side, then above. Jin responded with precise fire counters, summoning bursts of flame from specific angles, rotating on his heel to deflect the attacks rather than chase them. Bryce's movements were fast, but not clean. Jin saw it—the slight delay in his turns, the imbalance in his right foot.
"You rely too much on your movement," Jin said calmly, ducking a strike and punching forward. His fire-wrapped fist connected with Bryce's stomach, sending him flying backward.
Bryce coughed as he rolled across the platform. "You bastard!"
Jin tilted his head. "You're not bad. But you're too showy."
Bryce roared and unleashed a tempest from his blade—wind howled across the platform like slicing knives. Jin held his breath and planted his feet, forming a spinning wall of fire. The two elements clashed in a violent spiral, shaking the stone beneath them.
Jin thrust both hands forward and forced the flames outward, pushing through the wind. Bryce's defense broke. The firestorm struck him head-on, launching him off the stage. He landed hard, unconscious.
"Winner: Jin," the elder announced.
Jin exhaled slowly and stepped off the platform. Around him, other battles were still ongoing. Tavren was on Stage 3, effortlessly dismantling his opponent with a barrage of lightning-infused punches. The girl from Luminous Peak, Clara, was also advancing, gracefully evading and countering with sharp strikes of light.
Jin's name soon floated above another stage.
Stage 2: Jin vs. Liam
Liam was burly, with a shaved head and heavy axe. He offered no pleasantries, stomping toward the center. "No fancy talking, just fighting."
Jin inclined his head. "Fine by me."
The gong rang again. Liam charged like a bull, the platform quaking under his boots. He swung the axe in a wide arc, intending to end the match in one blow.
Jin sidestepped just in time. The axe buried itself in the stone. Jin raised a hand and snapped his fingers. Fire coiled up Liam's weapon, racing toward his arm.
But Liam grinned. "I'm Earth-aspect, idiot."
He slammed his foot into the ground, raising a dome of stone around himself, smothering the fire and forcing Jin to back off. A moment later, Liam burst out of the dome and hurled his axe like a comet.
Jin's eyes widened. He rolled, barely avoiding the spinning blade. A deep gouge formed in the stone beside him.
Before he could recover, Liam was already in front of him, fist cocked back. It landed on Jin's side, and pain exploded in his ribs. Jin tumbled, gasping.
He gritted his teeth and stood up, flames already licking around his fists. I can't take hits head-on. His strength is too high. I need to control the space.
He raised both arms and created a fiery vortex around the stage's center, forcing Liam to circle or jump. The brute tried to run through it and got scorched. He roared and lifted his arms to guard.
Jin then formed two small fireballs in either hand and hurled them to Liam's sides. As Liam turned to block the left, Jin was already moving—ducking low, bursting forward.
His knee connected with Liam's gut. Then he stepped back and jabbed, fire bursting from his knuckles. Liam staggered.
Jin didn't relent. He slid in and struck again—one, two, three punches. Each blow drove Liam closer to the edge. The crowd watched with bated breath.
Liam swung wildly to get space, but Jin was gone again—appearing behind him with a low kick. Liam fell forward, off balance.
With one last palm strike, Jin blasted him off the platform.
"Winner: Jin."
The crowd erupted. It wasn't just power—they saw precision, fluidity, planning.
By the fourth match, whispers spread. "That's the boy from the Elemental Trial, right?" "He's taken down everyone." "His fire control is incredible."
Jin's next opponent was faster. Stage 1: Jin vs. Sarah.
Sarah was small, nimble, with twin daggers and water essence. Her movements were graceful—like a river, she flowed between Jin's fire bursts, never staying still.
Jin adjusted. He formed fire whips, trying to trap and limit her movement. Sarah countered by freezing patches of the ground, turning it slick. She dashed in and nicked his shoulder.
Jin hissed. Blood dripped.
He calmed his breath and focused inward—visualizing the elemental pathways. He had learned to absorb small amounts of external fire, refine it within, and shape it for rapid use. His flames sharpened.
When Sarah came in again, Jin blasted a pillar of fire upward—not at her, but at himself. It launched him above, out of reach. Midair, he created three fire spears and hurled them down.
Sarah blocked two. The third struck her leg, exploding. She fell back, dazed.
Jin dropped like a comet and slammed a fire-infused fist beside her head. The ground cracked.
"Yield," he said.
Sarah nodded, groaning. "You win."
He helped her up after the call. "You were fast," he admitted.
She gave a small smile. "You hit hard."
Jin walked back to the waiting zone, breathing heavier. He'd fought four rounds already—and more remained.
Above, the sect elders had begun to take notice.
"That boy... Jin, is it? His fire manipulation is unusually refined for his age."
"He's already at the Adept Realm. Strong foundation. But his style isn't conventional—it looks learned from combat, not instruction."
"Hmph. A wild talent. Dangerous."
One of them—Elder Rourke of the Blazing Phoenix Sect—leaned forward, watching intently. "He reminds me of someone," he muttered.
The final match-ups of the day began appearing.
Stage 5: Jin vs. Roland
Roland was a thunder cultivator, his aura crackling with latent sparks. Jin knew this wouldn't be easy. Lightning was fast, and unpredictable.
When the gong sounded, Jin went on the defensive. Roland dashed forward, arcs of electricity trailing his fists.
Each clash was violent—lightning against fire, shock against heat. Jin blocked the first few strikes but took a jab to the jaw that stunned him.
He staggered. Roland grinned. "You've fought too much already. Tired, aren't you?"
Jin coughed, shaking his head. "You're strong. But I've come too far."
He planted his feet and called forth a firestorm—circling him like a tempest. Roland dove in—and Jin met him head-on.
Punch for punch, strike for strike, their fists clashed in rapid succession. Sparks flew. Flames roared.
But in the final second, Jin shifted—grabbing Roland's wrist and twisting. His palm ignited, and he struck Roland's chest.
A burst of fire knocked Roland out cold.
Silence followed. Then thunderous applause.
Jin stood there, chest heaving, blood on his lips, but undefeated.
The elder raised his hand. "Trial complete. Victor—Jin!"