Grinding Experience

It had been more than ten years ago since Will broke through to the Master rank. Not a long time, but it felt long for him. Becoming a grandmaster took longer than his combined years of becoming a novice, journeyman, and master. To Will, the rank of grandmaster felt elusive.

Had anyone heard Will, a 31-year-old man, complaining about becoming a grandmaster they would have laughed. It took people, their whole lives to advance to that rank. If they were fortunate enough to advance to grandmaster at all, they'd already be an old person.

Yet, Will was a middle-aged man complaining. Moreover, thanks to his mana whirlpool he was already stronger than the average human master rank mage or body strengthener.

But, against a dragon, he was the underdog. His last opponent had underestimated and been sent flying out of the arena for discounting Will. The dragon had poorly assumed Will was a weakling because he was human.

However, Will's second opponent now had no misconceptions about Will's power.

"Before the battle, let me explain the rules." The judge said to him.

"One, if you leave the arena, it will be your loss."

Two, the battle stops once the other yields or is unconscious."

"Three, anything goes," the judge said.

"I notice my opponent is not using a wooden weapon? Does that mean I can use my sword and spirit beast?" Will asked uncertainly.

"Yes, you can use Astaroth's sword and Nisha. Remember anything goes," the judge reminded Will

The judge nodded and said, "Okay, when you hear the chime, it means, fight!"

"Wait. Greeting opponent, I am William vont Ballard. If I may ask a rude question, what are you wearing?" Will had to ask. His opponent was wearing a blinking necklace that hung above his bare-chested body.

"Greetings William vont Ballard, I am Liu Kang. I am wearing a mana limiter. It restrains my mana, allowing me to boost my swordsmanship skills," Liu Kang said, with his sword resting in his hands.

"Huh, you're going to be fighting me with limited mana? But that wouldn't be fair at all." Will said.

Liu Kang laughed and said, "Don't worry, it's fine human."

"Even if you say that it just doesn't feel right fighting someone with a mana limiter, while I'm allowed to use magic, a sword, and my Nisha.

Judge, I'd like a mana limiter as well. I needed to improve my swordsmanship too. I need to improve my ability to fight without mana. I shouldn't rely on it too much." Will said.

"Are you sure?" Liu Kang asked him, admiring his strong integrity.

"I am sure." Will nodded.

Then a judge came and placed the limiter around Will's neck. Will felt his mana reduce, like a sink faucet being almost turned off. It reminded him of the dragon bridge he crossed two days ago.

After the judge left the arena, a loud chime sounded. It reminded Will of an alarm clock from Earth.

"Let's get started! I'm excited to fight my first human. I shall let you have the first strike!" Liu Kang said to him before standing there in a defensive position.

"Go ahead. I won't attack you unless you strike!" Liu Kang said excitedly.

Will nodded, but he didn't immediately attack. He had to first get used to having less mana. And, he needed to consider how to fight with less mana. He'd need to be precise with his sword strikes and use mana at the most efficient times.

"Get ready!" Will warned him since he was kind enough to give him the first strike.

"Give it everything you got." Liu Kang said with a confident smile.

After taking a deep breath, Will and Nisha attacked using leopard style.

"How do know of the ancient animal martial arts?" Liu Kang was shocked when he saw what Will and Nisha were trying to do.

The spectators were also shocked by the ancient animal-style martial arts. All dragons are taught dragon-style martial arts.

Dragon style martial arts are characterized by swaying, curving, majestic, soft, and smooth movements. Frequently, the feet remain in the same place, while body movement is used to evade and immediately counter again.

Defense and attack are often united in a single pattern. Dragon martial arts uses quick, snapping kicks that hit with the blade of the foot; uses the full fist and the forearms to strike.

The dragon martial is considered the superior martial arts because it combines physical techniques of the other martial art animal styles.

Dragon martial arts style uses the tail kick of the snake, the cunning of the leopard, dragon claw similar to the tiger, and rapid strikes the soft vitals like the crane.

"Where on Terra did, he come from? There's no way such a talented individual is a nobody!"

Meanwhile, Will used a movement technique to instantly close his distance with Liu Kang.

"Fast!" Liu Kang crossed his arms and prepared to block Nisha's strike. Only for it to be a feint and Will attacked from behind her.

Boom!

"No!" Liu Kang cursed out loud as he was sent flying off the arena stage.

Before Liu Kang left the stage, both his arms were completely crushed by Will's ferocious claw-like sword strike. But after he left the stage, his injuries immediately healed, almost like his injury never happened in the first place.

Once he was outside the stage, Liu Kang's peak master cultivation rank returned, allowing him to regain control over his own body.

"What a powerful strike!" He looked at his arms which were trembling from shock.

He then turned to look at Will and clasped his hands together, "I had underestimated you. I'm sorry. It's my loss."

"He defeated Liu Kang in a single strike?! Even though it was a free attack, it is still shocking! Liu Kang has a 90 percent win rate with over a thousand victories and only a hundred losses!"

The spectators saw Will in a more serious light now.

"Do you wish to stay on the stage for another fight?" The judge asked him afterward.

"The fight ended too fast. I'd like to do another one." Will said.

"Okay. Then who would like to fight this young man next?" The judge looked at the spectators.

Immediately, over a dozen people raised their hands.

"I want to fight him!"

"No, let me fight him!"

"Pick me! Pick me!"

"All of you shut up! I shall be his next opponent," sneered Dracul releasing his Grandmaster aura.

"Do you dare to accept my challenge? I'll be happy to wear a limiter. If you are too scared to face me, I understand, just beg for mercy," Dracul snidely commented.

"Will watch out Dracul can use Sword Aura!" Priestess Xing warned Will.

"What is Sword Aura?" Will asked

"Sword Aura isn't something you can just learn, and you cannot learn it through normal means like other techniques because it's not really a technique. People can even go their whole life without learning Sword Aura if they're not talented enough or destined to understand.

Sword Aura is a power that can only be obtained through comprehending your sword art to its fullest extent. When that happens, your sword glows with powerful energy. That energy enables the sword wielder to wield the sword as an extension of one's own body." Priestess Xing explained.

"I accept?" Will said

"Good human, I'm glad you have the balls to face me. Know that I won't kill you quickly, I'll break you mind, body, and soul! To have the audacity to ask for my father's core means death!" roared Dracul entering the ring.

He then pulled out a blood-red sword from his spatial ring. The sword emitted a profound aura that could only be emitted by Grandmaster-grade treasures.

"Dracul you are grandmaster-rank, and he is only a master. Do wish to wear a limiter?" the judge asked.

Dracul stared the judge into submission. The judge quickly put the limiter back into his pocket and took Will's limiter from him. And looked sadly at Will.

As soon as the bell chimed, Dracul was in Will's face, and his sword nearing Will's throat.