Chapter 539: A Possible Tie: Stages of Ki!
Chapter 539
The Vayun world was governed by intricate rules, regulations, and a unique power system. How everything truly worked, no one really knew; people simply went with the flow, living under the system as it was laid out for them.
One of the most important aspects of this system was the Yun warriors’ hierarchy. Yun warriors advanced stage by stage, and with each stage came the unlocking of new Ki techniques and a drastic increase in strength.
There were ten stages of a Yun Warrior, and alongside this progression, Ki itself was divided into four distinct stages. The first stage of Ki revolved around using the energy internally. This allowed a warrior to strengthen their physical attributes, whether it be speed, strength, durability, or stamina.
These were the stages most commonly utilized by stage one to stage three warriors. Their bodies were not yet developed or resilient enough to handle the higher techniques, which left them stuck within this limited category until they grew stronger.
The second stage of Ki granted the ability to coat not only the body but also weapons in Ki, making them more durable, sharper, and deadlier in combat.
At this stage, warriors could also emit invisible Ki from their fists. However, this invisible Ki came with a significant disadvantage—it could only hit as hard as the user’s real fist. Because of this, many warriors considered it inefficient and often ignored it unless the situation demanded its use.
The third stage of Ki was a massive leap in power. This was where things truly got dangerous, and only warriors from stage five and above could normally access it.
At this level, warriors could move faster, create invisible constructs like Ki bullets, or unleash techniques far beyond the imagination of lower stages.
Most importantly, this stage allowed them to manifest visible Ki outwardly. Warriors could launch visible slashes from their weapons, send blasts from their fists, or even hurl explosive strikes with their legs. The attack Beatrix had unleashed against Dame earlier was a perfect example of this terrifying stage in action.
The visible Ki fists or slashes at this level were both destructive and devastating. They carried the full impact of a warrior’s natural strength, amplified by Ki, making them lethal against opponents of equal or lower standing.
As for the fourth stage... very little was known. It was whispered to be the domain of truly powerful warriors, a level only the strongest could even dream of reaching.
And yet, despite being a stage four warrior, Dame had somehow just launched a visible Ki fist. The sheer shock of it left him frozen in place. He stood stumped, unable to immediately follow up on the attack as he glanced at his glowing gauntlets in disbelief.
’I... I’m certain of it. I’m still a stage four warrior. So how the hell did I just use the third stage of Ki? Wait! My gauntlet—it glowed just before the attack, and I felt the build-up of energy inside my fists. That means... it wasn’t me. It was the gauntlet!’
His eyes widened further as the realization sank in.
’Damn it! This must be what the Supreme Magus meant when he said he was jealous of this weapon. He didn’t just give me a gauntlet. He gave me a straight-up cheat! Now I can emit visible Ki outwardly, even though my level doesn’t allow it. This is insane... and he let me keep it? For free? Supreme Magus, you’re unbelievable.’
Dame clenched his fists tightly, the gauntlets humming faintly with residual energy, as he turned his gaze toward Beatrix who was struggling back to her feet. Blood dripped from the corner of her lips, and her eyes burned with fury.
"Supreme Magus... you just went and saved my life." Dame muttered under his breath, and without a shred of hesitation, Ki swirled around his feet. His body exploded forward with newfound speed.
His sudden acceleration shocked Beatrix to her core.
’W-what the hell? Dame should only be at stage four, so how is he using stage five speed? And worse, how did he emit Ki outwardly just now? Damn it... move!’ Beatrix screamed inwardly, but she was far too late. Dame had already closed the distance.
His fist shot forward with such speed and power that the very air distorted around it. In defense, Beatrix could only coat her sword in layers of Ki, raising it just in time to meet the incoming strike.
BANG!
An earth-shattering bang erupted across the battlefield. The ground beneath them cracked and caved in, chunks of rock splitting and flying upward from the sheer force of the collision. Dame’s fist slammed against Beatrix’s sword, sending a booming shockwave across the area.
Unlike their earlier clashes, this time neither was overpowered immediately. They stood locked in place, weapons and strength pressed against each other, both refusing to give in. Their eyes burned with determination as the ground trembled beneath them.
’Thanks to the blue pills crafted by the Supreme Magus, my speed is now on par with a stage five warrior like Beatrix. And with these gauntlets, I’ve got the edge I need to stand against her!’ Dame grinned inwardly, his gauntlets glowing even brighter as the power between them continued to build.
And then...
Boom!
A Ki fist shot directly toward Beatrix’s face from such close range that it distorted the air around it. With all the Ki she could muster in that split second, she leaped backward and swung her sword in a sharp arc, slicing cleanly through the incoming energy.
But before she could catch her breath, Dame moved faster than before, his speed almost unnatural. He appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye with his fist already pulled back, ready to crush her skull.
His punch tore through the air with blistering force, but the female warrior slid down smoothly at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the blow.
With fluid grace, she used the momentum of her dodge to drive her leg into his midsection, smashing into him with enough power to send his body crashing violently into the ground.
The earth shuddered as Dame’s fist slammed into it from the fall, creating a wide, jagged crack that spread several meters outward. Before he could even push himself up, Beatrix was already on him, stomping down hard. Her foot connected directly with his face, and his entire body was hurled away, tumbling across the dirt for several meters like a ragdoll.
Beatrix didn’t hesitate for even a heartbeat. Ki swirled around her legs as she launched herself forward like a blur, closing the distance in a flash.
Dame, however, wasn’t helpless. He twisted mid-air, slammed his palms into the ground, and dug in, bringing his tumbling body to a sudden halt. Just as he looked up, Beatrix’s shadow loomed over him—her foot already arcing down in a brutal kick aimed to crush his chest.
"Tch!" Dame scoffed under his breath as he immediately crossed his arms in front of his face. The impact resounded with a thunderous crack, but this time he didn’t flinch. His stance absorbed the blow, holding her back with sheer force.
He reached out, intending to grab her leg and drag her down with him, but Beatrix was quicker. In a sharp burst of movement, she pivoted into the air, leaving him grasping at empty space. Her body twisted high above, and then she swung her leg downward in a devastating axe kick that carried enough weight to crush stone.
Sensing the shift in the air pressure, Dame instantly propelled himself backward, just in time to avoid the strike. The moment her heel touched the ground, the earth caved in.
BANG!
The ground erupted, a five-meter-deep crater appearing instantly where her foot had landed. Dust and debris shot into the air like a volcanic eruption.
Dame didn’t give her a moment’s respite. He swung both fists upward, the gauntlets glowing as Ki surged outward. A deafening bang echoed across the battlefield as two massive Ki fists materialized and hurtled into the dust cloud above.
A second later, both slammed directly into Beatrix, smashing into her mid-air form and sending her body flying out of the cloud with ruthless force.
Her body hit the ground and skidded harshly across the dirt, blood trickling steadily from the corner of her lips. She pushed herself up shakily, huffing and panting with exhaustion, her chest heaving rapidly.
’Damn it! My Ki is dwindling far too fast. What happened? How did he suddenly become stronger, faster, and filled with more energy? I know! Everything changed the moment he swallowed those pills! What are they? What kind of trick is he pulling?’ Beatrix thought, panic seeping into her mind as the blood dripping from her mouth pooled beneath her chin.
"Give up, Beatrix," Dame said firmly, his tone heavy yet carrying no mockery. "We don’t need to battle to the death. It’s already obvious how this ends—either you lose, or this drags into a stalemate."
’I only have three minutes left before my Ki completely runs dry.’ Dame thought to himself grimly, his fists tightening.
"Me? Lose?" Beatrix sneered with pride, though her breathing betrayed her strain. "Do you see the army I brought with me? Did you see their numbers? We are winning this fight no matter what!"
"I wouldn’t be so sure of that." Dame replied, a wide grin spreading across his bruised face as he raised a finger and pointed behind him.
Beatrix turned her gaze toward the larger battlefield, and her eyes widened.
Of the six hundred soldiers she had brought, only two hundred remained, battered and struggling desperately. They were being pushed back hard by Dame’s smaller force of just one hundred and fifty.
What stunned her most was the warrior she had marked earlier—the one she had thought to be nothing but fodder. He had stepped back from the direct carnage, yet she watched with her own eyes as Dame’s men fought with an unnatural ferocity, cutting down her soldiers as though their strength had suddenly multiplied.
Her jaw tightened as realization sank in.
"What... what the hell am I seeing?!" she exclaimed in shock, her voice cracking with disbelief.