In overwhelming fashion, Ryu stood calmly upon his third step, already journeying a third of the way with incomparable ease. Whether it be against the Grassland Serpent, or his following two opponents, he always seemed unhurried, as though everything was within his grasp. Without fail, the battle ended with a single arrow.
Ryu's comprehension of the bow was nowhere near as profound as that of the Tatsuya Saintly Weapons. After all, he had only had a little less than four or five days of practice. He was unsatisfied with his display despite the results.
Every time Ryu took action, it might seem that he was grand, but this wasn't how he saw it. He found it embarrassing that he shattered three bows. In truth, he had to, or else he wouldn't be certain of hitting his target. Someone like his Grandpa Kunan would be so skilled that the limited tensile strength of his bow wouldn't matter. He would be able to work within the limits of his weapon to take down his enemy.
Unfortunately, Ryu didn't have such skill. To make matters more difficult, he hadn't observed his Grandpa Kunan's bowmanship for any sort of extended period of time. And, whenever he had, his Grandpa Kunan's boisterous personality always made sure he was joking around.
In order to take down his enemies with one arrow, Ryu used all his strength, producing an arrow so fast that it was impossible to dodge. He didn't have the skill, experience or foresight of a true bowman.
There was only one line Ryu could remember his Grandpa ever having said seriously: 'A True Bowman doesn't need to aim, he makes his enemy invite his arrows into their home like a sworn brother.'
If this was the criteria Ryu used to gauge his skill, he was pitifully pathetic. Still, that didn't stop those spectators from looking toward him in a worshipping light.
Prince Amory calmly looked toward his Fourth Brother. He felt that there was now a hidden depth deep within Ryu that hadn't been there before. He had always felt that this brother of his was unfathomable, but he had never felt this insurmountable wall before. Was it really possible to change so much in less than two years? Just what had Ryu experienced?
'His actions are bold, calm and calculated. However, this is definitely not his true power. If I had to guess, his true weapon is likely a spear or something similar. He's either using a bow now because he wants to hide his true abilities, or because he simply wants to refine his skill.' Amory analyzed.
This wasn't something he grasped from thin air. Ryu's movements against the Grassland Serpent, especially his two-finger strike, held the air of a spearman. With Amory's attention to detail, this much was clear to him. He immediately made contingency plans, attempting to extrapolate Ryu's true strength. He knew he had to make a move during this trial, if he allowed Ryu another overwhelming victory here, dealing with him during the third and final trial would be more troublesome.
Amory looked away from Ryu, his calm smile returning. "Dragon Corps, Division 4, Squad 3."
At first, the crowd was confused by Amory's words, but it was at that moment that a quiet group of men shifted into action, jogging in unison from the edge of the battle arena to Amory's side. Five soldiers, each equipped with red armor, a dagger, short sword and spear appeared. Following Amory's lead, they disappeared into the teleportation formation.
Headmaster Leopold nodded to himself. He was greatly satisfied with this disciple of his. Despite the overwhelming performance of Ryu, Amory remained within his limits. He didn't attempt to clear the trials alone to match Ryu's shine. Instead, he used the strict training and grand aura of his personal troops to make a similar statement.
The crowd watched in awe as Amory calmly analyzed the situation time and time again. Not only did he not need to take action, not even a single one of his men ever felt the slightest bit of pressure. The shocking part was that all of the men were mere Awakening Realm experts, yet only five of them were needed to deal with three First Order beasts!
One had to know that despite First Order beasts being the equivalent of Awakening Realm experts, beasts were always far more powerful than their human counterparts. Usually, it would take a team of ten Awakening Realm experts to be certain of taking down a First Order beast. Yet, not only did Amory's soldiers destroy this myth, they actually did so with lower cultivations. They faced Higher First Order beasts, the equivalent of warriors who had undergone six or seven Rites, with mere three Rite cultivation depth!
In even less time than Ryu, Amory stood firmly upon his third step. Who held the advantage was clear. Still, Ryu didn't have much of a reaction. But, many thought that this was due to the fact he couldn't see what happened. It was one matter for a warrior to use their instincts in place of their vision, but how could they do the same with a screen projecting images?
"Hoo!" The five red armored soldiers slammed their spears into the ground, roaring with a bloodlust filled war call.
An oppressive atmosphere fell from the skies, completely suppressing Ryu's momentum.
"We pay respects to Crown Prince Tor!"
Their words charged through the arena as though their voices were five flood dragons. They took no heed to decorum and customs, directly crowning Amory themselves before bowing and retreating.
The remaining Princes felt stifled. It seemed that among them, only Cayden laughed uproariously at this display. However, it wasn't in disdain, rather, it sounded proud, as though he was letting the world know that he supported his First Brother wholeheartedly.
In the distance, Patriarch Cedar smiled lightly, nodding toward his First Grandson. Who cares about a mere Ryu? The Cedar Clan will always stand supreme! One day, even the Heavenly Body Sect will fall to its knees before them.
Prince Amory waved his hand, cutting off the oppressive bloodlust of his subordinates with a mere thought. His air of Kingship was undeniable. Without even needing to send a glance toward Ryu, it was clear that he had laid down the gauntlet.
'I allowed you to remain arrogant for this first trial. But, I'll make you feel my presence during this second trial. Even if you manage to place first once more, I'll crush you during the third!'
Others may be in the dark about the third trial, but Prince Amory knew his Master well.. If he was correct… No one stood a chance against him.