"You are dead!" Li Yan shouted as he pulled his full reserves out to fight back. With the lighting gone, he had control of himself again. Before he could process what was going on, he felt a sense of dread. Leroy moved at him in an odd motion. 'That weak fist won't solve anything.'

Leroy twists his arm and body while throwing the punch. As if he was drilling inwards with his entire being. The Qi in the area started circling on its own. Giving the punch more power and the ability to penetrate any guard his opponent may have had even further with the strange motion.

*Bam!* A solid strike to the solar plexus landed. Followed by a stream of lighting in the four corners. All of it left Li Yan whose eyes zeroed in before rolling over. He fell back looking to the sky unmoving after a few seconds. The body looked emaciated as the amount remaining was really pass the critical zone.

"Winner.. Leroy Agu Shentai!" The elder announced. He did not enter the ring as he felt Qi still moving around a little. He turned to Leroy who kept clenching and unclenching his hand, gathering something by the looks of it ".. is it safe to enter?"

"Oh, right." Leroy waved his hand out. The lighting sparks as well as a wave of Qi leaving Li Yan. "Well.. that is weird. Have much to learn about these blasted techniques." The boxing and lighting flow he understood a little. But not the way it lingered apparently and extracted the Qi of his opponent. 'Much to read over later.'

Walking out of the arena, he was greeted by an elder he never met before.

"Leroy, did you study the "Blood Lighting Manual" in the old library?" The elder had long blond-hair and seemed to radiate a weird atmosphere of his own. Later he would find out it is the personal biofield of electricity. "You can tell me, not like you are in trouble or anything."

"Right, but who are you?" Leroy looked at the man oddly. He hadn't the foggiest idea who he was speaking with after raking his brain briefly.

"Oh, I am Nikolas Nefsteinsson of House Dark Thunder. I use to attend the Heavenly Theocracy Akademy long ago." The man was friendly enough and just seemed curious for a scholastic view. "That was a long time ago though. Who is your master?"

"My teacher is Old Jin. As for the Blood Lighting Manual, I have never come across it in the library. But a few things that mentioned it and an incomplete technique called Lighting Dance, I think it said helped. Also the Manual Lighting Blades." He didn't really know, since a part was missing.

A large part is actually in the middle.

Unknown to but a few, a technique had been used when Leroy finished the match and stepped out of the arena. Someone had not let the opportunity pass to try and kill him.

"Yes! It is part of the Blood Lighting Manual, but it shouldn't be that wild like use used." Nikolas thought it odd but not too much so. Considering how a look at things have come and gone in the place over the years, differences would definitely be added. "I have a proposal for you."

"Umm ok?" Leroy didn't mind talking with the man really but he wanted to get a nice seat as he needed to do something about the Qi taken in from Li Yan. The outside bio-electricity based Qi taken was at least pure. But it would start to leave and then retreat back inside his body in a dangerous manner. "I need to sit first."

He blinked rapidly barely able to stop a ringing from taking place in his head.

The Elder of the Clear River Dragon House huffed as his hands relaxed. A small trace of Qi dispersed as he grinned at dealing with Leroy for what he did. No one embarrasses his Family like this!

Leroy was slightly hypertensive as well. Sitting down before the elder could talk more. His Eyes were slightly closed. Not by choice. He was temporarily blind as the weird Qi flowed around his eyes! Checking himself over, there was something weird in his blood as well. It was not there before and kept going around his Dantian now!

Over on the Clear River Dragon family's side, they were at a loss for words. Li Yan was fine besides some really bad cuts once they gave him some elixirs that restored Blood Loss and Qi Replenishment. But the biggest shock was the foreign material he was afflicted with that still prevented clotting.

"Grandfather... how did this happen?" Li Yan asked. His cultivation was damaged from the other fights but nothing too major. The foreign material was almost like poison from an ambush was the worst thing to happen to the young man. "Just small traces are left after flushing most of it out."

"I do not know. Considering how much you used your qi coupled with the attacks of your opponent, maybe the answer is there?" The grand elder of the Clear River Dragon family didn't think too much about it being Leroy as the cause. After all, he looked to be caught off guard after he was done attacking. "I know someone who may be able to help."

A few of the other family members were bothered by this and wanted to call a referee to investigate the matter. But since the grand elder didn't mention it, something else was at play. The Family had quiet a few enemies due to behavior issues.

"Does that mean you are leaving?" Li Ran asked. He was unconcern about his Family's condition overall but wanted more elders to see him dominate in the competition. It was bad enough the people he really wanted to fight were gone due to the rebels' attack. "I will make sure to bring honor back to our House!"

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"Yes, this matter is important." The elder said somewhat absentminded. "Besides... the trouble with the North Kingdom not taking care of the rebels seems to be growing." His eyes looked at those gathered around. A few of the Noble Houses pay more than close attention to all the fights than normal. 'I wonder if the Imperial Family has someone here as well?'

*Woosh!* The Elder took off with Li Yan. Only a few noble families took notice of the departing figure. A few felt the situation was a little safer, and sent members from their Houses to return home to report.

Li Ran saluted the departing Elder. Hiding the look of disappointment on his face.

He was not the only one disappointed. A member of the Dark Tiger-fire family really didn't like Leroy's name announcement as well as the lighting since they were heavy fire users. He looked closely at the arena to try and get a blood sample to test.

Cultivating the Qi, Leroy was having trouble refining it in his Flame Vortex Core without giving his full focus. So he decided to make do.

Leroy was not wanting to give up on the Country Martial Cup just yet. Not seeing, was not that big of a deal with the Metal Seed and Spatial Sense humming and receiving feedback together once he thought it over. Just cost him a lot of qi if he didn't control it right. Not to mention he felt the lingering feeling that this happened to him recently and could only assume it was from the mission.

Nikolas was grateful for the exchange. So happy, he taught Leroy the correct method of the first level of the Blood Lighting Manual. Seeing him sit down to practice it right then and there made the old man even happier.

"You cannot have my student." Old Jin warned from the side. Considering how flimsy the relationship between him and Leroy currently was he didn't doubt an issue arriving from a better deal. Of course, poaching between friends was rare. 'Need to find something to make him want to stay. But with him only a first-year student here, the rules prevent me from giving him access to the higher techniques besides my personal ones.'

Unless Leroy won the tourney or placed really high.

"Hmm, my friend Jin.. I wouldn't dare." Nikolas turned to his old comrade. "..I will definitely come back for a visit in the future though. But I have to go. The trouble with my nephew back home. Apparently, the girl he is infatuated with has some strange things going on in her family or something."

"Sounds complicated." Old Jin shook his head in dismay but the smile he had was one of relief. "I have know idea what goes on with these youngins. They just don't like to take things easy and slow."

"It is youth." Nikolas nodded agreeing. He turned to the others giving a hand salute of respect. "Till next time everyone." In a burst of yellow lighting, he was gone from his current spot. 'Those ideas he shared with Lighting and methods of generating are quite nice. I will have to keep an eye on that young man. If he was younger, however...' A look of coldness flashed in his eyes. ' I and Jin may have come to blows.'

"Hmm?" Leroy had circulated the manual countless times after mixing it with the Lighting Blades. Nothing new happened in other locations of his body but he understood something a little more from the mix. 'The Metal Seed is the center of this technique now? Why is that not listed in the manual or in the stuff for the Metal Seed I have found though?'

Changing the method of the Lighting Blades Manual to fit more with the method for the Metal Seed, Leroy felt an increased humming vibration from his chest. His body responded in kind as he understood it more.

But not enough time to check it out. Tang Bo tapped his shoulder to get the others' attention.

"Leroy, you missed your name getting called."

"Right." Leroy stood up and looked around. With all the talking he was able to locate the arena easily enough. It was the largest surface in the area that bounced back a small electric charge. As well as the metallic scent of blood. 'Well, all I need is a cane or magnetized controlled projectiles to create additional bounce back and I am golden.'

"Leroy Agu Shentai v.s. Cao Cui.." The referee noticed something odd though. He was ready to say something but was stopped by Old Jin who transmitted directly to his ears. "Same rules as before..." looking at them both to see if they had anything to say. He reluctantly continued the match. "Match will only end if one gives up or is unable to continue."

"I am not stupid like your last opponent." Cao Cui shouted. He was very confident in his abilities. Noticing something odd, a smile appeared on his face. "You are blind, how amazing is this!" Voice loud and slightly obnoxious in joy alerting everyone. "This will make.."

*Wham!* Leroy struck him across the jaw with a devastating right charged with enough Qi to crack a boulder in two. The crowd was no longer stunned about him being blind but from the hit just then

"You.. bastard! I am gonna.." Cao Cui was embarrassed he was hit out of the blue like that. ".. rip you apart!" Before he could recover and make good on that threat, however, his loud voice continued to give him away.

*Wham!* Leroy struck him across the face from the other direction with a devastating left.

"Kukk!" Cao Cui stepped back away from Leroy to get space. His hands rubbed the bottom of his jaw. Soothing the pain only a little but happy there were no cuts there. His qi was gathered to prevent any cuts from creating problems as it did Li Yan. 'This bastard! How can he find me so easily?'

Leroy stood in place with his body almost unmoving. His head tilted just a little while his nose took in deep breaths. His ears worked as receivers as well as the hairs on his arms that were slightly charged. Too much to explore from the technique to understand so soon but enough to help in this situation.

'I think putting Qi into my hair will help, but the amount of feedback I will receive might make things worse. Might even scramble my brain some more. I need to be careful.' Leroy's feet shifted against the ground as he extended one foot forward. His opponent was not close to him from the feedback he received. 'One of my blasted fears in life is now happening, just great! Didn't expect this to happen until my 70s! Or my liver giving out!'

"Do not waste your chance Cui!" An older woman called out to him affectionally. She was an elder of the West Merchant Guild. "Attack fast and relentlessly!" Her eyes looked at the boy's belt pouch. 'Just hope he doesn't give in to his bad habits.'

Cao Cui understood her meaning well enough. He just didn't want to use the weapons so soon either. Pulling a pair of claws from his waist, the crowd turned quiet in awe. Which made it harder for Leroy to determine the situation.

'Whelp, silence is not good.' Leroy reacted fast enough to the situation on paranoia. He wouldn't spend a lot of qi to increase the humming to find his opponent faster. 'Keep in control. No matter how small must remain calm.' He mentally recited. Panic wouldn't help in the situation.

Leroy's arms shifted as he tucked his right arm close. The fist was close to his mouth while the left moved back and forth in an almost sawing motion. Odd that his back is slightly bent with his feet moving across the arena floor. This caused his hanging arm to be about level with his waist creating an illusion.