The next match was naturally between Kailen Darkhaven, a mysterious and well-known space principle user from the Dawnseer Guild, and Max Uthort, a gravity principle user from the Flysparrow Guild.

This time, no one dared to draw conclusions quickly anymore. Not even Flysparrow was acting confident this time. After the outcome of the previous battle, he had learned his lesson. Drawing conclusions before the battle began would be akin to digging a well of humiliation he may fall into. After what Julian Seir had just pulled off, no one was willing to underestimate anyone anymore.

Also, Kailen Darkhaven was naturally someone ranked first place on the premium ranking list of the Dawnseer Guild. He was ranked higher than Julian Seir. Plus, there was no way he would be here on the battlefield if he were not a Rank 3 novice-stage transcendent powerhouse. How strong was he now? Many, including the higher-ups at the venue, speculated.

Only Dawnseer and Dexter had very relaxed looks on their faces. Glints of curiosity, though, flashed through their eyes. Although they were certain Kailen could defeat his enemy, they wanted to know how powerful Kailen had gotten since he broke into the Rank 3 novice-stage transcendent level. Concerning Max Uthort, no one underestimated him either. His control of the principle of gravity was utterly terrifying.

Who would emerge victorious from this clash? Those who were placing bets were very careful on who to bet on. No one knew who would emerge victorious from this clash.

Julian stared in Kailen’s direction, his tone casual. "I’m placing a bet on you."

Kailen was a bit taken aback by his statement. This quiet fellow was quite unusual. When did they become close for him to be so carefree around him? What a weirdo. Kailen didn’t see the need to be rude. "Sure," he simply responded warmly.

Max caught wind of the exchange between the two. He didn’t scoff or anything at the short interaction between Kailen and Julian. Neither did he think anyone was looking down on him. He knew Kailen Darkhaven was not someone to be underestimated. If at first he had been confident about his victory, he was not so certain anymore.

He decided to treat the upcoming battle seriously. After what Julian Seir just pulled off, everyone in the stadium understood that these two fellows from the Dawnseer Guild—Kailen Darkhaven and Julian—who just stepped into the Rank 3 novice-stage transcendent level were not to be underestimated. They should not be judged with common sense.

He exchanged a look with Mira. "Do your best," Mira said.

The blue-skinned fellow nodded and bolted towards the stage. He appeared on the stage. Kailen Darkhaven appeared on the stage, too. The two stood opposite each other. Max stared at Kailen Darkhaven. He was previously confident he could easily deal with this fellow, but not anymore. He could not underestimate his opponent; he had to go all out.

His focus was not the district competition or even the top ten at the national level. Only by getting into the top ten at the national level would he get better access to principle fragments to continue his cultivation. This place was just a stepping stone for him. If he lost here, none of that would come to pass. He had to take this battle seriously.

Kailen stood there calmly. A void-like glint flashed through his eyes. No one knew what he was thinking. The alert to start the battle reverberated across the place.

Max made the first move. A silvery ethereal glint flashed through his eyes and spread across his figure. He had activated his principle of gravity. Kailen felt the atmosphere become heavier. The silvery ethereal hue materialized into a large silvery hammer.

Kailen simply waved his hand. "It’s been a while since I used a katana," he thought.

The space around him morphed and twisted, coalescing into an ethereal katana. The katana caused the void to twist and fluctuate. This was a katana Kailen had just formed with his principle of space.

At the same time, under the gazes of the audience, Max shot towards Kailen, silvery hammer in hand. Kailen felt gravity pressing on him. However, an ethereal hue that caused the surrounding void to ripple surrounded his figure. The crushing pressure from the enhanced gravity of the area disappeared completely.

Max’s hammer pressed down, a few moments away from his head. However, Kailen simply disappeared from where he stood. He had melded with the void. He reappeared a few moments away from his opponent.

"He managed to alleviate the gravitational effect of my principle?" Max thought as a glint of surprise flashed through his eyes. A slight smirk appeared on his face as he readjusted his figure and turned towards Darkhaven’s direction. He swiped the hammer and rotated it, causing a large gravitational current to sweep through the place.

This time, he didn’t shoot towards his opponent. Since the fellow was disappearing right when he almost came into contact with him, he would make the whole arena encroached in his gravitational field. Kailen Darkhaven didn’t move. This time, several thought he was unable to move, kept in place under the influence of the silvery gravitational field sweeping through the place.

Is this how the hyped Kailen Darkhaven would lose? Even Max had similar thoughts. As he expected, his strategy had paid off. Max decided the only way to defeat Kailen Darkhaven was to kill him. He had to seize the opportunity to get rid of him. If Darkhaven didn’t die from the attack he was preparing, Max had a feeling that Kailen Darkhaven would defeat him.

He did not hold anything against his opponent. To someone like him, the death of his opponent meant victory. This was the code he had lived with all his life. The silvery hammer left his hand. He threw the silvery hammer towards Kailen Darkhaven. The hammer tore through the air, making whooshing sounds. The hammer kicked more gravitational fields as it headed towards Kailen Darkhaven. The ground cracked under the weight of the influence of the gravity, a testament to how powerful the attack was.

All this while, Kailen was calm, an ethereal hue flickering around his figure. Ethereal katana in hand. Was this how he would fall? Many thought.

The moment the hammer appeared before him, Kailen moved. How was this possible? several thought. Something more inconceivable happened. He slashed the spatial katana towards the approaching hammer with one hand, his other hand in his pocket, long coat billowing.

His slash was completely relaxed, as if he was just chopping down a tree.

The spatial katana sliced through the gravity hammer. The gravity hammer twisted and melded as the spatial katana slashed through it. It disintegrated. Max was completely shocked at the outcome of the clash. Before he could prepare another attack, Kailen disappeared from where he stood. He melded with the void. He reappeared before Max.

The spatial katana sliced towards Max. Max tried to dodge the attack. However, something strange happened. It was as if Kailen had never moved. However, the void rippled as the spatial katana seemed to have peered through it, appearing in Max Uthort’s line of vision.

A glint of terror flashed through Max’s eyes. "I con—"

"He wants me to spare him after entertaining thoughts of killing me?" Kailen scoffed inwardly.

Max didn’t even have the chance to finish talking before the spatial katana met his neck. His neck twisted and bent, space rippling across and through it, as he felt a hollowing, grueling sensation on his neck. The next moment, his head capsized, hollowed from his neck.

He saw Kailen Darkhaven in the line of his somersaulted vision. Max had an unwilling expression in his eyes as he stared at Kailen Darkhaven, calmly standing there with a cold, casual expression.

"Is this how I die?" Max thought. "Perhaps he figured out I wanted to kill him. There’s no reason why he would go out of his way to kill me when we are not enemies, right? Or does he have the same code as me?"

These were the last thoughts on Max Uthort’s mind before his head rolled on the arena floor, his headless body plopping behind it, blood pooling on the ground.

The ethereal hue surrounding Kailen and the space katana melded with the void again, leaving only Kailen, standing beside the head separated from the body.

Silence.