Chapter 462: The Beginning

This purely elimination-based competition was undoubtedly the most brutal, but it had one advantage: there would be no strategizing or anything of the kind; all one had to do was finish off their opponents while minimizing injury.

The contestants took their places on the three massive stages that were 200 meters in diameter. Three matches would take place simultaneously, between the first three pairs of Group 1.

Today was the first round of elimination, so it was naturally the longest. The competition ended only when all the matches were completed, so naturally, there would be over a hundred fifty matches. But three stages were running simultaneously, and as soon as one match finished, the next contestants would step up without pause.

There was one single rule: anything goes. Any weapon could be used; if a contestant had a divine weapon, that was their advantage. A match was lost if one side surrendered, died, or was knocked off the stage.

Competitions on the Daemon Continent were straightforward and brutal. This method saved the most time.

At this time, the six contestants of the first group had taken the stage. There were no participants from the same race, but it was clear that they were all from powerful clans.

Each stage had a god-level judge. Their role was usually simply to announce the start and the winner of the match.

The first match sparked immediate excitement. Those who dared to participate were mainly at the ninth cultivation order, and they all had second-tier or even first-tier bloodlines. As soon as the battle began, powerful auras erupted. For a moment, it seemed like the intense bloodline energies on the three stages would soar into the sky. Every contestant knew this was their best chance to showcase their abilities. Their performance here would determine whether they could secure more resources to aim for godhood in the near future.

As long as one could advance from the group stage in the Elite Competition, they would undoubtedly be granted more cultivation resources by their respective clans. Advancing further would be even more impressive, and the top three would be considered absolute prodigies.

Tang San was in a corner of the waiting area with Big Cat. To avoid attracting attention from other contestants, the burly Big Cat wore a large cloak. Tang San stood beside him, mostly hidden by his shadow, making it hard to draw notice.

From their vantage point, they could see the match on Stage 1.

At this moment, the two contestants on the stage were from two mighty races. The male contestant on the left was a strong competitor from some clan of the phoenix race, while the male contestant on the right was from the Solstice Empire's Sharp Gold clan, metal-element nymphs with a second-tier bloodline.

"This match should be straightforward. The attribute advantage is too obvious," Big Cat whispered.

Everyone knew that fire countered metal. The phoenix race generally had fire-attribute, first-tier bloodlines, while the Sharp Gold clan had a second-tier bloodline. Given similar cultivation orders, attributes and heritage would determine a lot. Of course, many things could change during the battle, and no one could guarantee a sure win, but the phoenix male’s chances were undoubtedly higher.

"Anyone who dares to participate can’t be that easy to beat. Let's watch and see," Tang San whispered.

"Yeah."

The battle began.

The Sharp Gold Nymph had a tall, slender build, a triangular head, long arms and legs, and silver-white skin. His eyes were light gold.

Metal-element bloodlines combined offense and defense, but their one weakness was an opponent that could use the fire element.

The phoenix demon opposite him looked no different from a human. At this moment, fiery red wings spread from his back, flapping to hover mid-air. Intense flames surged, making him the most dazzling figure on the three stages.

"This phoenix demon probably doesn't have much combat experience, though his cultivation isn't weak," Big Cat said, frowning.

With Big Cat's rich combat experience, he could tell from the flashy flight that the opponent didn't have much battle experience. Such showiness was undoubtedly for the spectators, but was it essential?

Compared to him, the Sharp Gold Nymph was much more low-key. He spread his arms at his sides and quickly rushed toward his opponent without releasing any aura.

The phoenix demon flapped his wings forward, propelling himself backward while a sea of intense flames swept toward the Sharp Gold Nymph.

The Sharp Gold Nymph didn't dodge. He brought his arms together above his head, and they transformed into a long blade. His speed doubled almost instantly as he charged through the flames.

The phoenix warrior seemed to sense something and flapped his wings again to soar high. He was naturally skilled at flying and believed that as long as he maintained his distance and used phoenix flames to incinerate his opponent, victory would be a matter of time.

But was that really the case?

The first blast of flames suddenly split apart, and it became apparent that the Sharp Gold Nymph had transformed into a blade, soaring into the sky. Yes, his entire body had become a long blade under the cover of the flames! The silver-white blade had a faint red hue, not from being scorched by the phoenix flames, but from a bloody aura.

"Hell Blade?" Big Cat blurted out. Compared to Tang San, he had more combat experience and immediately recognized the Sharp Gold Nymph's technique.

The speed of the Hell Blade's burst was simply incredible. It sliced through the scorching phoenix flames one by one, reaching the phoenix demon almost instantly.

Realizing the danger, the phoenix demon, a standout even among his own exceptional race, took evasive measures. His right wing swept toward the side of the Hell Blade, and simultaneously, his eyes turned golden-red. He opened his mouth and spat out a thin, golden-red flame.

Phoenix True Fire! This was his most potent flame.

The Hell Blade didn't evade the Phoenix True Fire; instead, it rose horizontally and continued to slash out.

Poof!

The Phoenix True Fire landed on the Hell Blade, burning a hole straight through it. But the Hell Blade also slashed fiercely at the phoenix demon’s right wing.

That slash made him fall from the sky screaming, with his right wing almost completely severed.

"Injury for injury. This Sharp Gold Nymph has decisiveness, experience, and is ruthless to himself," Big Cat said with some admiration.

The Sharp Gold Nymph was inferior to his opponent regarding heritage and bloodline. Even though the Hell Blade could cut through ordinary phoenix flames, it could not even touch the Phoenix True Fire. Yet when the Phoenix True Fire arrived, the Sharp Gold Nymph did not dodge; he preferred to let himself be burned while heavily injuring his opponent. A grounded phoenix was relatively more straightforward to deal with.

Both competitors landed simultaneously. The Sharp Gold clan member reverted to his original form, but his left arm now had a gaping hole above the elbow from which a crimson hue spread into his body.

Without hesitation, he transformed his right arm into a blade and cut off his left arm to prevent the Phoenix True Fire from spreading through his body. Then, he sprang up again, transforming into a slightly smaller Hell Blade and slashing toward the Phoenix once more.

The phoenix demon was clearly superior to his opponent in every aspect. But at this moment, the opponent's ferocious tactics made him panic. The Phoenix True Fire burned wildly, attempting to scorch the enemy to death.