Arena 3
Xiao Wusheng, the rumored devilish genius of the outer sect, stood with his arms folded behind his back, eyes half-lidded like he could fall asleep at any moment. His indifference clashed with the tension buzzing through the arena. A disciple of the Second Elder, Xiao Wusheng had no divine physique, no sacred bloodline, and no ancient weapon.
What he had was terrifying comprehension, a freakish grasp over martial techniques and the Dao itself that took him from the lowest ranks of a labor disciple to the apex of the outer sect in just two months.
He glanced lazily toward the opposite end of the arena where Qi Yue entered with swaggering grace. Dressed in pristine white robes, a sharp contrast to his vicious aura, Qi Yue flipped his dagger in a dazzling arc. His smirk dripped arrogance.
"Hmph! I'd accept defeat if I were you! This young master doesn't want to sully his hands with the blood of a labor disciple like you."
From the crowd, Gojo nearly doubled over in laughter, clutching his sides. "Is this guy for real? Either he's stupid, or he's got balls bigger than this sect's treasury."
Qi Yue's taunt didn't even register on Xiao Wusheng's face. The bored youth lifted two fingers, holding them up like he were requesting silence in a library. "Two moves," he said flatly.
Gasps erupted.
"Did you hear that? Two moves? Against Qi Yue?!"
"Qi Yue's clan has ties to the Empire! But Xiao Wusheng is the Second Elder's disciple. Of course, he wouldn't care who Qi Yue is!"
Before the murmurs died down, Qi Yue vanished.
"Abyssal Shadow Art...
Spectral Mirage Dance!"
Like a mirage in mid-summer, his body dissolved into a flickering wisp of shadow and movement. Phantom steps echoed unnaturally across the stone platform. His dagger, now a flickering blur, lashed out in a storm of stabs and slashes.
Shadow clones burst forth in every direction, each a lethal image of Qi Yue's intent. The steel flashed, and it was clear that his attacks weren't just for show, each blow could kill. The air crackled from his speed.
"He's faster than last time!" someone yelled. "Did he break through?!"
"He's at the Earthly Yuan Realm! That explains the speed!"
Qi Yue's spectral forms closed in, faster than the eye could track.
Meanwhile, up in the stands, Gojo leaned forward with a smirk. "To the untrained, he's untouchable. But illusion or not, Yuan Power has weight. A shadow leaves no breath, but killing intent always has a scent."
Du Yun nodded. "Qi Yue's elder cousin, Qi Ling, used this same art in the Inner Court. I nearly died fighting it."
But on the arena floor, Xiao Wusheng finally moved. He shifted one foot, inhaled slowly, and slid into a Taichi stance. His hands moved in slow, fluid arcs, almost too casual, until his fingers ignited with golden flame.
Five-colored Yuan Power surged around him, fire, wind, earth, water, and wood, condensing like a vortex of raw elements.
His fingers blurred. Palm met dagger-shadow, and then..
SNAP!
The illusion shattered. Another clone attacked. He flipped over it effortlessly and deflected two more incoming strikes in one fluid sweep.
Then ..
CRACK!
He kicked out, an explosion of force blasting through the shadowy veil. Qi Yue's real form barely managed to flicker out of reach.
"He vanished again!"
"No! He's re-entering the shadow field!"
Gojo smiled faintly. "He's hiding at the far edge, waiting for an opening. Smart, but pointless."
Xiao Wusheng exhaled, golden flames dancing across his fingertips. "I only have one move left, don't I?" he muttered. "Exhausting."
He drew in a breath, closed his eyes briefly, then snapped them open. His fingers aligned in a sword gesture and pointed directly at the shrouded edge of the ring.
"Crimson Blazing Chop. Form 1: Fire Moon."
BOOOOM!
An arc of flame, shaped like a burning crescent moon, erupted from his hands and surged forward like a divine judgment. The crimson inferno tore through the shadowy veil, igniting the arena in a spiraling blaze of heat and fury. A thunderclap echoed as the impact cratered the stone floor.
Qi Yue's scream was muffled beneath the roar. When the smoke cleared, he was unconscious, his robes half-burnt, body twitching.
Gojo let out a slow whistle. "Two moves. He really meant it."
Across the arena, other matches concluded.
Arena 4
Lu Changqing, cloaked in a robe woven from golden phoenix feathers, walked away from the arena without a backward glance. His katana gleamed once before sliding into its sheath with a final clink. His opponent, Luo Song, lay sprawled across the ring, defeated and foaming at the mouth.
Arena 5
The battle here had everyone's attention.
Li Tianheng stood calmly, long gray hair flowing like silver silk. Dressed in a dark kimono, he looked like an aristocratic scholar, not the number one outer court disciple. Yet an aura of primal violence hummed around him.
His opponent, Xiao Tianxuang, crouched low in a storm-infused stance, a wild gale circling his figure. Dressed in azure armor, his sword lay sheathed, one hand gripping its hilt.
"He's using the Storm God's stance!"
"Xiao Tianxuang's power has grown! Look at that wind, it's dense!"
"But his opponent is Li Tianheng! There's no way..."
Gojo leaned forward, intrigued. "That wind Yuan Power... not bad."
Xiao Tianxuang launched forward.
"Wind Severing Slash!!"
A wind blade screamed through the air, razor sharp and fast. It gouged a deep trench through the ring, aiming straight for Li Tianheng's throat.
But Li Tianheng remained serene. He opened an ink-black portal with a flick of his fan. From it emerged a massive tortoise shell, dense, unbreakable. The wind slash shattered upon impact.
Gojo jolted upright. "That's not normal! That's Curse Spirit Manipulation!"
He elbowed Du Yun. "Who is this guy?"
Du Yun frowned. "Beast tamer. Li Clan. Wanderers near the Lin Clan territory."
Gojo narrowed his eyes. "The universe just loved playing tricks on him, didn't I?"
Xiao Tianxuang, undeterred, darted forward in a blur of blue wind. Sword drawn, his body shimmered with speed.
A wave of blue-scaled fish, ethereal but clearly alive, shot out from another portal like living projectiles.
"Grade 2 Blue Rock Fishes!"
Xiao Tianxuang slashed through them mid-air, turning into a cyclone of wind and steel.
He closed in. His sword slashed down.
CLANG!
Li Tianheng met the blow with his bare palms.
SPARK!
Sparks danced. Sword met skin, and Li Tianheng's hands glowed faintly, reinforced by Yuan Power and something more primal.
He parried blow after blow with minimal effort.
Then he spun mid-air, flipped backward, and summoned another portal.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
Black-eyed crows burst forth, screaming like demons, tearing through the air. One pierced Xiao Tianxuang's shoulder. He staggered back, blood spraying.
"Black-eyed Crows?! Grade 3 spiritual beasts!"
He barely managed to retreat, blade raised in defense.
The crows, however, didn't strike, they circled, forming a dome of darkness around him.
"He's caging him... humiliating him."
From within the swirling shadows, Xiao Tianxuang roared. Wind burst out of his body.
"Storm God's Wrath!!"
A maelstrom exploded from within. Wind blades flew like divine punishment, slicing through the crows. The arena was soaked red with feathers and gore.
Li Tianheng's smile faded.
"You bastard..." he muttered.
He waved his fan, another portal opened beneath Xiao Tianxuang.
A monstrous jaw emerged, massive, slavering, filled with serrated fangs. It lunged.
"I admit defeat!!" Xiao Tianxuang cried, leaping upward in desperation.
Too late.
"Enough!" one of the elders barked, appearing in a blur of motion. He snatched Xiao Tianxuang out of the air just as the beast's mouth snapped shut beneath him.
The portal closed. The beast vanished.
Li Tianheng scoffed and turned, walking away with a flick of his sleeves.
"Senior Brother Li is terrifying!"
"What was that thing?!"
Gojo grimaced. "The fuck..."
All eyes returned to the center platform as the announcements rang out:
"Next Match!
Han Yan vs. Lu Feng!
Chen Zhen vs. Mei Xian'er!"
A/N: Enjoy. Give me reviews, powerstones, comments. Give me everything.
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