The announcers didn’t waste any time. The world of cultivators was often cruel, so they didn’t show that much regard for the Yellow Qilin Academy’s casualties. They knew that Tiān Zhēbì and Yù Quán were showing tremendous strength, and the crowd loved it. They got Yù Quán and Tiān Zhēbì in the ring as fast as they possibly could.
Yù Quán was now standing tens of meters away from Tiān Zhēbì, the man who had harmed his comrades. Yù Quán knew that even though he likely did it on purpose and without good reason, there was still a chance that he didn’t. Yù Quán just didn’t care. It was difficult for him to connect with this world. He came from a world without powers and crazy levels of strength. Just humans and what technology they were able to create. The animals were different, the plants were different, the people acted differently. It was hard to be there, look around, and say, ‘this is home.’ So, he cherished the people he had grown fond of over the past couple of months dearly. Now they were both god knows where in horrible condition, and it was all this man’s fault. Despite this, Tiān Zhēbì sat there with his signature sly grin.
“Oh, did you find out about what happened? Can you tell them I’m sorry?” Tiān Zhēbì said sarcastically. Not enough for it to be dramatically sarcastic, but enough for the average person to catch the meaning.
Usually, Yù Quán would at least give some type of remark. He had come to like being domineering in the face of overconfidence. But this time, he just continued staring at Tiān Zhēbì. Yù Quán was in no mood to talk. Seeing no reaction, Tiān Zhēbì shrugged his shoulders and then put his arms behind his back. Tiān Zhēbì felt satisfied, then suddenly felt a wave of pressure fall on him. It was coming from the direction of Yù Quán, making him want to jump back and defend, but he fought his instincts. He didn’t know what method Yù Quán had used, but if Tiān Zhēbì could feel his energy from such a distance, he knew it was dangerous. Tiān Zhēbì’s usual arrogant face was replaced with a cold and calculating one.
“Begin!” the announcer called out.
Everyone expected at least one person to burst out, but it never happened. Even Tiān Zhēbì had prepared himself for it. He liked to let people approach him in combat, but instead of bursting out, Yù Quán took a step. Then, another step. Yù Quán was just slowly walking to the middle of the arena.
Tiān Zhēbì furrows his brows in confusion; then he cracks a smile and giggles. “So be it, then,” he said before walking towards Yù Quán.
“You know, there was something there. I know you felt it. We’re connected.” As Tiān Zhēbì walked and talked, his body slowly began to be surrounded by mist. “The only way it could be described is as fate. Destined to oppose each other until the bitter end of one or the other. I just can’t seem to figure out why.” His wide and sly grin had recovered as if he had completely forgotten the ferocious pressure from before. “I know what I am destined to be. So, what does your destiny hold?”
Yù Quán didn’t reply. He just continued walking as he had. By this time, Tiān Zhēbì was mostly covered in mist as he moved towards him.
“Well, I guess not everyone is as privileged as I am. There is one thing that is for sure, though…” Right as he was about to be completely covered by the mist, he said, “Our paths are fated to cross again!” followed by a cheeky laugh.
Yù Quán continued walking until he was right before the mist. Tiān Zhēbì seemed to have stopped moving after he was covered by the mist, so Yù Quán had to continue past the middle of the arena grounds by a few meters. Standing before the mist, he looked up at the looming cloud in front of him. He always found the use of mist by some of the Flying Cloud Sect members to be odd. Would mist not be in the name? Was mist even a type of cloud? Despite genuinely being curious, his battle awaited him.
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Yù Quán shifted his gaze back to right in front of him, took a short breath, then stepped inside the mist. It was impossible to see anything other than mist inside the cloud. It was like walking through a thick fog, except more damp and humid, and thankfully easier to breathe. Yù Quán could understand why most people threw attacks around in the mist techniques. He had half a mind to do so as well. But he had a better idea.
Yù Quán closed his eyes and activated the qi sight in the eyes currently refined into his core. A large area around him was illuminated in his mind. Most of it was a light gray, which must be the qi that is used in this technique, but he didn’t know what type of qi it was. Putting that to the side, he looked around for any difference in qi. The body of a cultivator rarely uses only one type of qi. They usually converted their base qi into the attribute or affinity they needed. Very rarely did they ever make the decision to cultivate a technique that made the qi they naturally generated be of a specific type, but it did happen.
Looking around, Yù Quán didn’t see any other type of qi other than the light gray qi and the qi in the ground below them. He was worried. Where could Tiān Zhēbì have gone? He tried to remember back to the technique he used. He did remember parts of Tiān Zhēbì not being able to be seen through the mist, but that was normal for such an ability. Then it hit him: what if it wasn’t? There were two possibilities: either somehow, someway, Tiān Zhēbì had just up and disappeared, or the mist wasn’t really covering him. He was the mist. Before Yù Quán could escape, the mist began to move and fluctuate.
Thud
Yù Quán slides back a couple of meters, his head rearing from the blow he received from nowhere. This perfectly explained the erratic fighting of Qīng Shuàizhí. He realized Tiān Zhēbì was the mist. At least, not until it was too late like Yù Quán did. Then Tiān Zhēbì would just make himself and his qi move and fluctuate so that he could attack as well. But that didn’t make sense to Yù Quán. The qi sense would have picked up any activating of qi to make it solidify, but Yù Quán didn’t see anything. That also seemed like a very complex method for someone around the same age as him.
Thud, Thud
Yù Quán’s thinking was interrupted by another two blows. He needed to think and fast, or he would probably be beaten. And with Tiān Zhēbì’s personality, it wouldn’t be a light beating.
…
Yù Quán
Realm: Body Tempering Realm
Stage: 1st Level Skin Tempering
Main Cultivation Art: [Stolen-eyed Mùmùlián Body](Level 3)
Strength: 850 Catties
Qi: 2046/2220 wisps
Mùmùlián Core: 22/100
Strange Fire: (Level 2)Murderous Flame(x1)
Techniques:
[Mùmùlián Eye Stealing](Level 3)
[Mùmùlián Eye Refining](Level 3)
[Murder Mantra](Level 1)
[Yellow Qilin Dance](Level 1)
Attributes:
[Strange Fire: Murderous Flame]
[Star Gazing Eyes](Level 1)
[Top-Quality Maned Hog Ferocity Eyes](Level 1)
[Low-Quality Winged Watcher Awareness Eyes](Level 1)
[Low-Quality False Dragon Pride Eyes](Level 1)
[Low-Quality Death-Dealing Dama Killing Eyes](Level 1)(x2)