"Winner, Bai Qi." The 3rd stage minor manager repeated in a bit more assured tone. He had been observing the combat since it had started, and such development was absolutely out of his prognostications. Indeed, how could a simple, average 5th level Warrior Lord expect to see a cultivator two levels below suddenly explode with such force that not even he could resist for over an instant?

Pei Shang and Teng Liuxian had met a few months ago when their respective wards decided to visit the island. As both acted as escorts, had similar cultivation, and shared an interest in the younger generation, the two became fast friends. And this last month, they had not missed the chance to visit the arenas, more often together than alone.

"I knew it! This boy isn't your run-of-the-mill youngster! While faint, I caught on something nearing four levels above prowess during the defense!" Pei Shang, a stocky, middle-aged 2nd level Warrior King turned towards his female counterpart, almost jumping up from his seat as he exclaimed.

"I have never seen such prowess in anyone but the disciples of the 1st and 2nd tiers. But it seems he can't control it very well, his aura nearly disappeared, and he is nearly out of Soul Power. What a shame, he will have to withdraw for the day." The woman answered more calmly, but her eyes revealed she felt the same as her acquaintance.

"It may be so, but just think, only two arena masters have shown such explosive power, and none could do it without using aura as he did!" Pei Shang could not calm himself, and he clamored as if Bai Qi was his family member and not a stranger, already envisioning the fights that such a participant would have.

"Mmm, and while weakened, he doesn't appear that he damaged himself. Still, such a strategy is a fool's errand. Some slight miscalculation and he could end severely wounded, crippled even." Teng Liuxian analyzed the situation as any experienced cultivator should, and her commentaries were absolutely true. And yet, inside, she also was thinking about the future matches of Bai Qi. After all, it was so rare for the masters to take the stage, and here there was an opponent that could actually face them square!

Other experts and nearly half of the common-tier seating observers were engrossed in such discussions. And yet, the only thing all of them would have in common, even if worded differently, would be, "That youngster isn't ordinary. He's a true genius!"

Even the people who ran the betting stalls were feeling something like that, and while nobody cared to notice, it was the first time that none of them had cried out loud for an unexpected result. Bai Qi did not attract so much as Fu Guo, but with the 5 to 1 odds, it was clear that they would face a severe loss. Yet, they indeed felt it like a kind of blessing. After all, such a fighter would definitively attract hundreds of spirit stones in bets during his next fights!

***

Bai Qi did not even follow Fu Guo's body flying out off the stage, what to say about the conversations, opinions, shouts, and other uproar provoked by the fight's outcome in the building.

Controlling himself to avoid showing the pain he felt, but at the same time, taking care in showing a faked weakness was truly tiring, and Bai Qi concentrated only on it.

The former, pain, was something Bai Qi encountered frequently. Still, forcing a battered body to release such an explosive force in under a moment, with no previous preparation, wasn't anything easy or reasonable for the body. And it was certainly not good when Bai Qi avoided using aura, and all of the force had come from within, from the qi he had sealed before the combats in this arena. Such things could lead a cultivator to damage his circulation, and only Bai Qi's fortitude prevented him from suffering lasting inner injuries.

As for the latter, his faked weakness, it was something Bai Qi needed for the following events. Indeed, what else but forcing himself to continue, at least making it seem so, would make him appear as an opponent for anyone, especially Xun Gengxin?

And it was primordial for him to fall into believing in Bai Qi's weakened state. Otherwise, how else would a fairly average, in comparison to Fu Guo, cultivator risk fighting him now that Bai Qi's strength was made evident?

"Would young master Bai like to retire for the day? Or maybe take a brief rest out of the combat pool?" The young, not older than thirty years minor manager managed to calm himself after some moments, and he asked Bai Qi in a far more respectful tone than the managers used with any other participant.

Fu Guo was only Bai Qi's 2nd victory, and yet he was being treated nearly as a VIP. Even if he decided to retire for the day, the arena would allow him to keep the badge, something unheard of for anyone but the most promising and successful combatants. He could also take some time to rest, even though the usual rules had no such option. One could only leave the pool for a moment and solely while selecting someone for a direct challenge.

Bai Qi took the chance to listen to some of the clamors now that the formations were down, and he found that his abrupt actions and subsequent ruse had gone remarkably well.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

With such a thought, Bai Qi half turned to face the minor manager near him and, with a tired smile, refused both options.

Before the manager could ask anything else, Bai Qi continued, "I appreciate the sentiment, but there should be no need to bend the rules for me, at least for the moment. During the last fight, I felt an opportunity, and while it may end in my loss, I consider it reasonable to take my chances and fight at least once more."

Bai Qi's answer, which he took care to be loud enough for most cultivators in the arena to hear, was both surprising and not. But it also contained wisdom unexpected for a youngster like him.

For the former, tired or wounded, on his peak or not, what cultivator would deliberately miss an opportunity if the price would be mere combat? As for the latter, Bai Qi's willingness to accept a loss only garnered more respect from every one, with the general line of thought being,

"...Understood. Then, could young master Bai inform me of what kind of combat you wish for next? A challenge? Or one of the combatant pool?" Surprised by Bai Qi's words in the same way as the public, the minor manager took a long pause before asking.

"A challenge. It will be better for me to select someone who would be helpful to the path I felt close to making a step on."

"Understood. Then, if you may step down from the stage?"

"There is no need. I will call out the name in a moment and would like to request this stage as soon as the repair formations finalize."

"I..." A minor manager had no way to allow such, no matter how he considered it acceptable. Yet, a moment later, he agreed, having received a qi transmission from Yi Bingwen.

While Bai Qi's manner of answering and handling the situation could be called arrogant, as if the arena was his own training place, nobody thought of it like that. On the contrary, it met acceptance, shown with nods or other forms. Even the several attending experts inwardly agreed,

And not a few people had other similar thoughts,

----------------------------------------

Yi Bingwen, the senior manager of the Lower Warrior Lord arena, remained deep in thought. While the unexpected conclusion of the hour-long combat on the 3rd stage had been something interesting, he could not free himself of the [Void Palace] elder's words. [Trickery was involved] He Delan had said to him, and the more Yi Bingwen analyzed the situation before Chun Hua's loss, the more he felt that she was right.

The alarm formations did not activate, so they did not detect any treasures or outside help. And still, how did this Xun Gengxin suddenly turn the tide? How did he so severely hurt Chun Hua inside the void without releasing any hint whatsoever?

The power behind the attack was far above anything he showed, and it's nearly impossible to hide the qi and aura required for such a feat. In Bai Qi's case, his aura surge is proof that he simply held back during the duel, but Xun Gengxin did not, that's obvious to anyone present.>

But while Yi Bingwen was more and more accepting of the idea of something fishy taking place inside the void, he had no actual way to confirm it.

The main manager's eyes fell on the young man that occupied his thoughts, and he inwardly celebrated the fact that Xun Gengxin wasn't planning to leave yet, at the moment meditating near the stage. After all, there was no real way to keep him from leaving, except by making him fight but keeping him from losing all of his points, or reaching the required ones to cash in the badge.

Having decided, Yi Bingwen sent out a qi transmission to his assistant, who had taken over the cauldron with the participant names, {Manager De, I feel that our esteemed guest from before may be right. And while I know it will be unsightly for our arena to make young Xun fight right away, the pool can be slightly unpredictable, can't it?}

{That it can. We can not control it after all.} Manager De's response did not indicate anything, but Yi Bingwen knew that the meaning behind his words was understood.

***

With the combats on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th stages ending in quick succession, and with such events accompanying them, there had been no time to start the one on the 2nd stage either. Thus, Yi Bingwen's announcement about resuming the usual, big gong system wasn't surprising to anyone. Neither was the additional commentary about the 3rd stage having a challenge duel in place of the pool one.

"Young friend Bai Qi, we will activate the cauldron shortly, have you decided on an opponent? Or should we go one round with all four stages?" Some may have expected Yi Bingwen to pay some attention to Bai Qi, others considered that he would simply acknowledge him. Yet, the respectful manner, and the senior manager taking the initiative to ask him shocked the owners of both lines of thought.

"Senior Manager Yi." Bai Qi was never one to shy from respect, especially when he had no reason to show a lack off, so he first cupped his hands towards the elder, and only then replied, "I have. Should I challenge now?"

"We can wait for a few breaths, while the formations finish repairing the stages." Yi Bingwen answered with a smile, which was something very rare in him, attracting even more attention from the observers. But while openly he did not ask anything, he did request the name of Bai Qi's challenge target via qi transmission.

{Xun Gengxin. I saw that he wields a saber well, and I am interested in feeling the power he showed before. Maybe it will help me further my understanding of my cultivation path.} Bai Qi could have refrained from answering, but he felt that the elderly man asked not out of pure curiosity, so he answered honestly, even if he did add some logical explanations.

{And the true reason? You will not say that you just selected him like that, will you?} While surprised by the choice, Yi Bingwen was simply too experienced to believe in such a shallow explanation. He had thought about adding that thought to the transmission, but in the end, abstained, preferring to ask directly.

{I didn't appreciate how he treated his opponent. And I am sure that the power he used isn't something clean. Thus, I decided to test it myself.} Bai Qi took the offered honesty and responded in kind.

{I see.} Yi Bingwen's response was short, but as he started announcing just a moment later, Bai Qi found out that he had been right to act like he did...