CHAPTER 41

The Stadium was as one would expect it to be. A giant dome. One thing to mention was that there was a giant Lion surrounding this dome as if the dome itself was just a rock used by the lion to laze around under the sun. The whole building was white except for the lion’s mane that was made of pure gold. Or seemed to be. But to be honest, Oka could not be sure. There was just so many luxuries everywhere in this school that the whole mane might really be made of gold.

That aside, he entered full of excitement. Inside, the stadium was not that incredible. Hundreds of rings and battles going on. It was enough to build some more excitement in Oka. He walked around the rings. Most fighters were men but there were a few women as well. The place was divided by ranks and realms so one could only fight someone his level or challenge one of a higher level. As he reached the five rings reserved for rank 2 first realm, he was incredibly surprised. There was only one battle going on even though there were hundreds of people. They were all watching that one ring. Inside it were a woman in her early twenties and two topless men in their late twenties. The woman was beautiful and had a bountiful body. Just what you’d expect when thinking about a woman practicing the arts. She looked with disdain at the two men and said:

“Just because you can’t hope to beat me one on one, you believe ganging up on me will be enough? Have you no shame as men?!

-None!”

They both replied vigorously. This made the girl sigh then grin as she said:

“I do not mind fighting both of you but heed my words. I’m going to cram your head in his ass if you really go through with this farce.”

They both gulped but their resolve stayed strong. They looked towards a man in his late forties at the side of the ring. He was an elder. He sighed himself and said:

“Do you two idiots really wish to challenge her to a one against two?

-Yes!”

Their resolve was truly firm. But to Oka, this seemed stupid. What kind of men would team up to fight against a single woman the same level as them? This felt lame. The woman would lose. But she accepted the challenge.

“Milly, do you accept their challenge?

-Sure~”

She seemed too calm. What happened next surprised Oka tremendously. As the elder gave the okay and began the battle, it lasted but a few second. A dozen slaps later and one of the guys had his butt torn open and the other had his head crammed inside it. This was shocking. There was a long silence before the elder sighed and screamed:

“Need a medic here! Asap!”

A few seconds later, the mix of the two defeated men were driven out by two elders who sighed to the sight. The woman laughed for the whole time. It only brought loads of discussions amongst the excited crowd. Oka asked a group close to him:

“Why is no one using the other rings?

-Are you new?

-Ah, yes. A pleasure to meet you, I am Oka.

-Nice to meet you too, I’m Tai. To answer you, this place has a special rule to make things more challenging. For those who reached the second rank, once you step on a ring, you are forced to accept all challenges. And you can’t back off a ring until no one else wants to challenge you. Obviously, there are points earned for every duel won. And more for consecutive battles but it’s particularly difficult and whenever you step on a ring, you know that you’ll have to spend some points. But this girl is different. She’s been up there for more than thirty matches in a row and she accepts even two against one. She’s a brute. And she challenges anyone stepping on one of our five rings.

-So, no one steps on the rings because they fear to fight her?

-Yeah…And since whoever goes up must bet 3 200 points on his fight. If you won, it would only amount to 100 points and every next fight, your initial gamble of 3 200 points would be challenged. It’s not worth it.

-What a bunch of chickens! There’s a formidable opponent in front of you guys and rather than take this chance to train with her, you stay down? I am a true man and I shall prove it!”

Oka got into the same ring as the woman with a smile on his face. The girl grinned and the elder sighed. The woman said:

“So, who’s your partner for the brawl?

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-I, myself, am enough!

-A newcomer, is it? Fine! Don’t blame your weakness later when you’ll be eating your own dick!”

Oka’s first fight in the stadium. Between him and Milly, a famous brawler in the second rank first realm circle. With an initial bet of 3 200 to 100. This was a fight that would be remembered by all who watched.

As soon as the elder referee gave the go, Oka transformed. The transformation startled the crowd, not the girl. Though she could not move closer due to the energy wave sent by the transformation.

Oka was the same as always. Silver hair growing from his muscular body. He turned into his semi-human semi-bloodline state. He had now access to his normal core pool of energy as well as his Violent Flesh-eater Giant Silver Alpha Wolf core pool. He feared none. But the woman remained calm while the crowd was gossiping like crazy. She said:

“You’re not the first one coming up that had a bloodline. Don’t think this is something that’ll change the outcome.

-The outcome was set on my win from the start. This is only practice for me to control this form.”

Both smiled at each other then jumped at each other with murderous intent forcing many watchers to open their eyes wider just to see. Oka and Milly were exchanging blows at fast speed. Truth is, Milly was not stronger but she controlled her energy better. She was moving it and using it at times in particular spaces while Oka was just covered everywhere in his own. She was fighting smartly while he was just overwhelmingly strong.

Still, Oka was learning a lot from this. He could see his way was wrong. She was able to go toe to toe against him at full power when she was just an average fighter. Average genius fighter maybe, but that can’t compare to a bloodline. She was showing incredible fighting prowess. As an example, if she punched, her energy was concentrated on her fist. While Oka’s energy was shared throughout his body, hers was concentrated where and when it was needed the most. It was an impressive display of her fighting abilities.

And so, it went on like this for but mere seconds before they broke the stalemate and gave themselves some space. Then, the woman said:

“I give up.”

Which shocked the crowd. Oka was even more shocked and sad as he screamed:

“Why?! We only just started?!

-I’d lose in the end. You don’t know how to use your energy correctly but you have just too much of it. Even as we are evenly matched, I’d lose in endurance and it’d lead to injuries. It’s better for me to admit defeat and retire here, while still perfectly fine and having earned many points.”

She was right. Oka understood her point. She got down. He was going to go after her when the elder told him:

“If you get down, whoever would come up next would earn your 3 200 points.”

Oka knew that he and Mir would make heaps of points but it did not mean he could waste high  amounts of them so reluctantly, he had to let the woman leave. A few minutes later, he was allowed down as no one had the balls to confront the one who forced Milly into giving up…What a bore…

At the same time, far away. The Ninth Prince, Mare Reg Nio received a message from the man overseeing his faction inside the Royal Palace School. He said to himself with sadness:

“So, little Mir refused my invitation to go watch this year’s genius tournament…What a shame. We could have made so much more with his betting abilities. Truly, what a shame…Guess I’ll just take little Huang, then.”

In the Royal Palace School, at the ninths headquarters. Ma Huang was discussing with Luo Zedong about the message they sent to the prince:

“Huang, do you think we did the right thing?

-Little Mir did refuse the prince’s invitation. There was nothing much else to be done. And we were in the wrong when it came to the spying too.

-I know but I feel like I did not live up to the expectations of the prince.

-Don’t worry. I’ll ask him during the tournament about that if you really want me to?

-No, it’s fine. I feel like I am more in the wrong to think that the prince would react this way, like a child. Let’s leave it at that.

-So, what did you think of the kid?

-Dangerous. I understand why the prince want him as an ally.

-We won’t try to spy on him again, then?

-That device was well-hidden and made by an expert martial tailor with the function of being undetectable. He found it so easily though. I was skeptical about his eyes ability but now, I think it’s real. We won’t spy again. Not for now, at least.

-Because he can’t threaten nor betray us, is it?

-Yes. He’s a newborn chick in a new world. He’ll supply us pills in great quantity and quality at a low cost. We don’t need to be too wary of him as things stand.”

A bit further, in the headquarters of the number one faction of the Royal Palace School, the Royal Hunters. A new member selection was ending. The selection for members in this group was particularly strict. They bring a monster from the outside and have the disciples face it. Only disciples under the First Rank Fifth realm can participate. It is done once every three months and anyone can subscribe as long as this requirement is met at the time of subscription. Once subscribed, the disciples are considered part of the faction and allowed to roam around until the test begins. They are then pit against a violent rank one sixth realm beast. The test is being done in the sixth level for a reason: so that only two outcomes exist. Either the challenger dies or he succeeds and becomes a member of the faction. There aren’t many members in this faction but they are the strongest.

This time, there were fifty-six challengers facing a Sand Tiger-Snake chimera. Upper body of a tiger, lower body of a snake. Full body made of scales. This beast is one considered violent and savage. The faction does not care about weaklings so it sometimes happens that all challengers die. They expected it to happen this time since the beast was that much stronger. But in the end, the beast was killed.

Under the eyes of every member of the faction, two young men were still standing up, alive, in the arena. And one was laying down covered in his own blood but still alive too. The faction leader got down on the arena. It was a handsome looking man that was near his hundred years. Rank three realm eight. One of the strongest student but also one of the strongest in the continent. He Yahzu. Reached rank 3 at twenty-three years old, a genius. A true genius. From the He family, he was also the owner of a rare bloodline, a white feathered peacock. This man was smiling brightly at the three youngsters covered in blood. Blood but whose? Their own mostly. The blood of their fallen comrades as well and some from the beast itself.