You Better Talk

"This is incredible! The Wrath Nihility Academy is now full-out against the Interchanging Dust Dynasty. Nothing is stopping them now from talking about things face to face!" - "What are you? A commentator?" - "This Biston is really good. I hope he can show us the Academy's battle prowess... although he is a little on the lower end. Still, he should be able to face Kilah!" - "I don't know man. She has been a soaring star after the 10 year war. If not for that, she would be as unknown as Tene. Tene actually defeated the Phosphorescent Flower Sect's gem! They have practically lost their biggest ticket to become the champion this time ." - "Yun Tang might be strong, but he could only go against Teno at the same level. Any of these girls would destroy them. Biston can only pray now. Yet, he better show us something good! Haha!"

“My god. But, did you see goddess Nitu’s Genoa’s Descent? Pheesh! I think she will own the Phosphorescent Flower Sect in the future. And with her personality, she can-...” - “Shhh, we’ll debate later. It’s about to start!” Just then, as spectators were having a relaxed chatter all over the bleachers, shushing spread everywhere as their heads turned to face the hosts. Bajo stood above the remaining 16 arenas that would confront each other.

“Congratulations to those who have won the second round. Now, it’s time to decide the third round’s victors. Thus, I give start to this round… now!” Bajo acclaimed, swiftly returning to his chair as the referees appeared and began declaring the start of each arena’s duel at once. Yun Tang and Teno were the first to seek each other out, bashing their bodies against one another. However, Teno’s body clashing against Yun Tang was a clone, dissipating 3 seconds after holding its own against the brutal bodily strength of Yun Tang.

Yun Tang was startled but promptly turned around and received a sole to his chest, sending him 2 steps backwards with Neutral Energy raging around the spot. Their fight had commenced! Yun Tang didn’t underestimate Teno as he placed his arms around his face while a yellowish energy barrier formed around his sides and front stomach. Next, flying from many angles, at the same height, several hidden weapons came towards him from every direction as Teno’s body blurred while moving around the tall fella.

… On the other arena, Sahnyr lovingly blinked at her future husband, solemnly focusing his stare on his opponent before facing hers. Sahnyr saw a tall young man look at her with confidence filled within. As she stepped forward, her hips slightly swaying, Neutral Energy started circulating, forming semi-gigantic energy fingers that landed on his shoulders from the back. A Spirit Image appeared from behind as Sahnyr’s face contorted into seriousness, and her orange eyes gained a much brighter sheen as they turned into narrow rhomboids.

The young man felt threatened but didn’t dare show that, as he wanted to charge forward. However, his right foot became paralyzed as soon as he stepped forth. His Neutral Energy could only circulate as he saw Sahnyr casually walk towards him. However, those thick upper thighs and seductive legs were elegant and mind-blowing, even as she didn’t care about impressing or distracting anyone.

Before the crowd could get a hint of what the young man felt, Sahnyr smirked. That was enough to ravel the entire bleachers, but in the next moment, she flashed forward, turning into a bright orange streak of light rushing towards the young man. As it hit the young man square on his collarbone, she reappeared with her forehead against it. The young man’s lips sent some blood droplets flying out as Sahnyr’s foxy ears showed, and marks appeared on her cheeks.

… These two arenas had the most views on. The people fighting in them was exhilarating. Sahnyr was an immense beauty who would compete for the world’s top belle if she didn’t meet her end beforehand. Teno and Yun Tang were the crowd’s satisfaction after the duel between Yun Nitu and Tene, leaving them wanting more but satisfied for now. Now that they had a ‘continuation’ from what they felt, they realized how addictive it was.

However, just as half the entire viewership was on these 2 arenas, and the rest on the other 6, from those other 6, one of them suddenly turned for the worse. Nobody knew what happened beforehand, but Biston and Kilah seemed to exchange some words. At first, it was simply some trash-talking, but it soon turned severe as Biston frowned hard, and his Neutral Energy began accumulating everywhere in his body.

And, just 2 seconds afterwards, the chatter ended with Kilah turning into a blurry painting, immediately rushing before Biston with a hand striking from within. Biston was ready, however, and he brought his hands up to his chest, nearly placing them together but only doing so with his fingers. However, Kilah was in the Neutrality realm 6th stage, like Tene, Yun Nitu, and Sahnyr. But Biston was in the 5th stage, like Teno, Yun Tang, and Gora.

Kilah was far too fast for someone even above her cultivation base, let alone Biston, who had no talented dexterity to speak of, much less a Supreme Art based on movement to support and enhance his capabilities even further. Kilah, on the other hand, although she lacked Elemental affinity. Her body was beyond nimble, and her speed was already enormous without using the Interchanging Dust Dynasty’s Consequential 3-Eye Supreme Art.

Her hand reached out to grab Biston, slamming it against his abdomen. Biston was pained, but his brows only slightly furrowed before his palms started shining… with 5 different colors! His body flew backwards as it was slammed by Kilah’s hand, but it didn’t break his concentration, much less his determination. Biston’s eyes flashed with five different colors together before no longer appearing. However, from his back, where his Dantian region, ‘flaming’ energies rapidly danced out of hiding and wrapped his sides.

An energy, fiery, brightest of oranges with some yellow, appeared as it coiled around his waist, bringing heat into his surroundings. A pristine-bright, azure starred energy made an act of presence as it followed the orange. A warm light lime with a glow of murky green showed around his body, wrapping his clothes and body like an affectionate snake. A transparent, yellow, grayish energy waved from below to up, covering his body, avoiding Kilah’s hand and wrist.

Finally, a sometimes blue, others violet, rapid and pausing energy moved restlessly around his body, with cracking and zizzling noises following and sounding after its every move. This did not shock Kilah, but even if most of her body wasn’t visible, Biston could feel the hostility, jealousy, and hatred from her!

‘Now!’ Biston’s eyes dangerously flashed with a terrible Fire again. This time, his body seemed to respond. From his shoulders, Fire energy spewed out and into the blurry painting. But it was far too slow, even as Heian Ciemnosc could only narrowly dodge it. And only by using his dark tail. On the other hand, Kilah’s blurry painting image simply sidestepped, avoiding it right away.

Pshift~~! Swoosh! Biston didn’t plan to attack once at a time. As soon as Kilah moved to dodge his Fire elemental attack, from his palms, 2 thin water chortles came out, forming ice sculptures on the perimeter as they nimbly shot after Kilah. Although the outer walls were iced, the rest continued to be water, and as they seemed endless, with Biston’s bountiful Neutral Energy fueling them, they followed her every move.

In under 4 seconds, a strange, long sculpture was drafted by 2 artists, Kilah and Biston. Biston remained on the floor while Kilah dashed, jolted, and flew around the arena. The water chortles were far too slow to threaten her, but Biston was just doing his best and knew his capabilities. He didn’t want to give it a try. He wanted to explore all her possible strengths for his future, perfect wife!

Whooooosh- plash- splash! Kilah had enough after another 10 seconds of being restlessly chased about by Biston’s Water techniques. She stopped dashing around. The water chortles moved towards her, and its outer perimeter crystallized into ice as she clashed head-on against them. Her hands could be seen again, covered with Neutral Energy, as only her palm gained a layer of crystallized armor.

She rushed towards Biston immediately after, breaking apart the Water techniques, forcing Biston into immediate action, but one that he had prepared from before. Even then, Kilah’s formidable speed astounded Biston just as he stopped using Water element techniques and half-dropped to his knees. His palms face the sky as his eyes deadlocked hers. Suddenly, when he calculated it was time and enough, he pressed his hands against the floor.

Ruuummble… crash! Whoosh! Swish, swash! Cra cra cra crack! Biston’s hands suddenly buried underneath as if the arena’s floor had turned into water. Turning them to face the sky again, Biston lifted them as if holding onto a wide, wooden plank. At the same time, a long pathway before him, 2 meters in width and several tens of meters long, erupted from below! However, Kilah’s blurry painting passed by it as several pillars with a mediocre sharpness but enough Neutral Energy and Earth element behind it to impale her and try to catch her.

Stolen story; please report.

It wasn’t just on the pathway Biston made. Everywhere else, too, happened, with Biston’s Spirit Sense and Soul energy fluctuating all around him, and Kilah dodged left and right without putting some effort. Just then, her hand appeared under the blurry painting. The latter was beautiful and enigmatic, while the former was blatant, fear-inducing, and bloodthirsty. Biston’s forehead sweated as Kilah rapidly closed in on him, avoiding any pillar coming from the ground uncaringly.

“You’ve done well, aha! Who would’ve thought someone like you had an affinity with 5 Elements?! Definitely not them! Look at them! They are gasping, they idolize you… but you’re about to be ended in my hands!!” Kilah’s beautiful voice sounded. The crowd, watching with entertainment and slightly breathing heavily, suddenly frowned. Would she really kill Biston? It’s so rare for one to have an affinity to all Elements. Furthermore, to excel at them. Such Geniuses were stupidly uncommon, almost impossible to find in an Eon, and were protected and supported by everyone… except their enemies.

Although cases like these were filled by tumultuous events, to want to kill someone like Biston here… would doubtlessly follow suit with a conflict not only between the Wrath Nihility Academy and the Interchanging Dust Dynasty but also the other hosting organizations! They weren’t isolated from the Academy now, after all! Yet, the Interchanging Dust Dynasty’s representative didn’t say a thing and even watched other arenas.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc looked up at the baldie, chubby man. His darkest eyes were calmly showing his head was thinking. As for whatever it was, only he could know. With all of these coincidences, Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t losing his eyes on the Interchanging Dust Dynasty’s participants, none at all. He refused to lower his guard as he focusedly watched Biston’s arena with his darkest eyes.

PAM! Biston’s body was slammed against the ground after being struck up into the sky. His body went up, then down. And as his back was against the floor, the hand and fingers pushing him threatened to stab through his sternum. The Neutral Energy from them was enormous, and all Biston could do was conjure more Wind as blades and waves moved to crash towards Kilah’s sides and back.

Wheesh wheesh! “Mh- hmm hmm hmm,” Kilah laughingly muttered as she nimbly exited her blurry painting, her body perfectly cooled off with not a drop of sweat on her body or a superficial cut. She was… undefeatable. Biston looked as the hand threatening his life lightened slowly, but before he could think of a way, a foot came right after. It suffocated him as it pinned him even harder against the floor.

Biston could feel his back breaking through the arena’s floor, but his vertebral column started showing signs of breaking. Kilah smugly grinned as she looked down, her arms crossing before her chest as she wiggled her knee, inflicting extra pain on Biston’s body. “Come on, Wrath Nihility Academy’s Headmaster, why don’t you summon some more little wind thingies? Heh, summon everything at once! Wouldn’t that be better? Hm~?”

“...” If the crowd was already frowning from Kilah’s death threats against a monstrous Elemental Genius like Biston, they were now disapprovingly watching, with thoughts of intervening or publicly bullshitting this young woman from the bleachers. Although one might have more than one Elemental affinity, they could only use one. That was simply nature! There was no way in the world Biston wouldn’t self-implode even if he managed to do so and kill Kilah instead.

“Ah~~- come on!” Kilah dragged her exclamation before aggressively roughening her voice and shouting. Biston’s eyes were enraged, but his calm was still as water. Heian Ciemnosc watched this happen with equal stillness, and by now, he didn’t need to turn his head around like the other participants and the spectators to know Sahnyr’s duel had ended and her arena was lowered. But she could still see what the others did from how close they were. After all, any Second Step cultivator’s Spirit Sense was like a sun to even peak First Step cultivators.

“Fuck… you, miss.” Biston locked eyes with Kilah, who snarly grinned almost 2 meters above him, her foot still caving 1 cm into his sternum. When he uttered these words, complicated and with pain involved, Kilah’s eyes suddenly went blank for a couple seconds. After another second, however, they gradually regained intelligence, and she widely grinned, looking beautiful and scary altogether.

“Then let’s PLAY!” Kilah shouted, lifting her right leg like lightning before stomping it down. However, at the same time, when she lifted it, Biston rolled sideways with a blast of Lightning energy, impulsing him. He was hurt from behind just because of that, and his mouth exploded with some blood, but he avoided accompanying the ground to form a crater 3 meters in diameter with his body.

Blast~. After Biston’s body was blasted away, his legs were put together as he spun in midair. Before Kilah could turn her head, he was already sliding backwards with his left hand’s fingers tracing the floor. He looked at her with a rapid flash of Lightning passing through his eyes, his back bent, and his face damn serious. “No, I cannot do those at the same time. But I can do it little by little.”

VIUUUUUUUUUUUUUU~~mmmmmMMMMMMMM~! Crackle, crackle, crackle! Pshift! SWOOOOOOOOOOOSH- PITTER-PATTER, PITTER-PATTER- Ka- chaaa! Gurgle, gurgle, bubble…

As soon as he said these words, Kilah’s Spirit Sense clicked, and she looked up. There was a massive icy pillar above, held by thin Earth pillars and hanging with Wind blades dancing around it in a magnificent piece. As the foggy semi-clouds revealed it all, she looked down just in time for the icy pillar above to break apart, intending to flood the entire arena and behind. Finally, their dueling arena started lowering as Teno and Yun Tang’s arena were already near the stadium’s ground, and their bodies were both heavily injured.

“!!!!” The crowd was expectant. They might’ve seen a couple things but didn’t see the whole picture! The Godly beings were resting on their chairs with different poses, but each looked on with a glimmer in their eyes or a praising little grin!

Water fell from the sky. Biston had created a sudden, short-spaced deluge as Kilah’s beautiful proportions were highlighted, drenched by the rain. She slightly lifted her face again, with her eyes widening and her pupils shrinking this time around. As water fell, the floor suddenly felt heated, and electric shocks commenced from above as the Wind blades dispersed, accompanied by an ordinary blue…

Ka- chaaaaaa! PITTER-PATTER, PITTER-PATTER~~~! BRUOOOOGGSSHHH!

Kilah rapidly felt threatened. She sidestepped and prepared to employ her Consequential 3-Eye Supreme Art’s iconic move when the ground below her quaked upwards and shitted a whole lot of magma!! Fire and Earth rejected each other below them as the Lightning above them stroked down with several electrifying tongues spearheading their way to the floor. Kilah was in between, with Biston similarly in grave danger. Do or die!!

Whoosh… Just a second before the destruction from below met the disorder from above, Kilah half-turned into a blurry painting. But that was more than enough to launch herself against Biston. Her body was barely visible for a second before the arena turned into an Elemental disaster. The referee even frowned and was accompanied by another 3 referees as they closed in on the arena. It would be shameful if ‘something’ happened.

“!!... … …” The crowd, viewership, participants, and Elena’s tightening fists watched as their view was blocked and their Spirit Sense useless, even for Second Step cultivators within the middle realms of cultivation. It became silent outside, but within, even from there, constant, catastrophic booming sounds could be heard as some muffled fighting sounds also echoed through.

“Referees, is it over yet?” One participant asked, feeling the tension start gnawing at their nerves. However, all the referee did was shake his head, put on a long face, and continue observing the merged disastrous electric storm and volcano eruption. Then, as everyone silently waited, the referees suddenly shouted at the same time without looking at each other or prior warning.

“Open!!”

Braaaaaaggghhhll~... dash… dash… step, step, step…

The Elemental merged disasters pulled away from each other as if a ball that could deny anything around it pushed the electric storm and magma outwards, and as if invisible hooks were implemented everywhere and the referees simply pulled them with their minds. The merge of destruction to reveal 2 figures.

One had their arms mangled with bones showing here and there, their chest bloody with several claw attacks and fist imprints, while their face, hands, and feet were charred. This one was Biston, who dodged and pitifully dashed away from Kilah, whose only injuries were a ton of cuts around her clothes, barely bleeding and with the fabric self-repairing at a breaking neck’s speed. Kilah was mostly uninjured, but she had a bothered, old auntie’s angry face, ashamed of being… hurt by a mosquito like him!

“Come here!” She barked before speeding towards Biston. Her body materialized the blurry image around her as she wanted to burst Biston’s body into collapsing out of reality, extinction if possible even. However, Biston seemed to give up running away, and after distancing himself 200 meters, he turned around.

His back was slouched, so he tried standing straight, but it was stupidly impossible. Only after suffering pain and a couple seconds, with Kilah starting her mad rush towards him, did he stand with a straight back. Kilah’s Consequential 3-Eye Supreme Art helped her arrive before Biston in under 3 seconds. She was just meters away from pushing his face to the back of his skull and sledgehammer the rest of his body!!!

“I surrender,” Biston lightly said.

FUTOMP!

…