Having spent the night on a rented floor, everyone except the Bai sisters meditating, the group left the inn, moving towards the early-stage Warrior Lord arena.
He Delan said she wanted to see how Chun Hua would fight, and the Bai sisters were reluctant to leave Bai Qi alone without being sure the area was safe. As for Ma Su, since what she considered her blunder, even if she agreed to the plan of fighting a couple of matches and everything, she still hesitated about leaving Bai Qi's side.
Bai Qi did not think it was wise or required, but he did not say anything about the sudden change of plans, merely mentioning that the Warrior King part of his team was free to do whatever they wanted, but they should be aware of their cultivation progression. To which he got an answer, nothing else than an excuse, from He Delan, "We will, but first we want to make sure how you will be."
The truth, one that Bai Qi was aware of, was nothing else that everyone wanted to see how he would fare. After all, during the training, he had mainly kept alone. Thus, they had no idea of his actual prowess at the moment. Bai Qi, taking into account all of the events in the [Void Palace], was a source of curiosity and concern for them indeed.
"Quite interesting." Bai Qi muttered as they left the inn, and his aura, nearly unconsciously, expanded to cover him from the rain.
"Hmm? What is?" Fan Jia, who was walking right after him, asked. After the events in [Heibei] and the previous week of training, the girl felt more at ease, and Bai Qi found it to his liking.
"The rain. It is not a spiritual one, nor something summoned like the snow on the plateau before, so I can not help but wonder why not a single Warrior Emperor or even Warrior King has made it go away." Bai Qi explained as he looked upwards, examining the torrent of raindrops.
"I am not sure if what I heard is correct, but it seems that the first city lord did not allow any interference with anything on the island, and his successors have been following that." He Delan joined the conversation, revealing one of the rumors she had overheard.
"It sounds true, especially with all the buildings being of local wood and nothing else." Bai Qi nodded as he inwardly noted that the city lord seemed to have been a peculiar individual.
The three arenas meant for the different Warrior Lord stages were located on the easternmost part of the city in an open square area with the three facing each other.
Unroofed and squarish in shape, they looked rustic, even more than the ones Bai Qi had seen on the lower-tier plane of [Seven Islands].
With two Warrior Kings and two Saint Beasts, nobody would dare to stop Bai Qi's group, but he deliberately made the four hide their aura.
He Delan and Ma Su understood everything without words. As for the Bai sisters, it took Bai Qi a couple of transmissions to make them agree to conceal themselves entirely.
{If we arrive openly, we will attract too much attention. And while a respectful or VIP treatment isn't bad, it will be a disservice for us right now.}
***
Inside, the arena wasn't different from the outside, being rustic and simple but functional. There were four stages of two hundred feet from side to side surrounded on three sides by seatings for some thousand observers. Above that was a second floor of balconies for special guests and a separated gallery on the north side where the arena masters present for the day sat.
The entrance on the south side had six booths, with four marked with the words [Bet] and two for registering for combat.
It was boisterous enough, with three combats underway and nearly a hundred people near the betting booths, hoping they would be lucky.
"Third stage, winner, Du Gao!" Shouted the arena manager, an elderly man dressed in white with a badge of the [Yi Company]. Hearing him, Bai Qi concentrated on the stage.
"Hoh, seems that I wasn't mistaken about coming here." Bai Qi murmured, and before anyone of his companions asked, he nodded towards the man called Du Gao.
With a pale face, subtle constitution, and dressed in a long and flowing robe, Du Gao looked somehow out of place on the fighting stage. But his aura, one of a 3rd level Warrior Lord, could be felt even outside the stage formations, and it was truly, powerful. And even without feeling it, one could look at his unconscious and bloodied opponent, comparing that sorry image to the absolutely unfazed, somewhat pensive expression on the spotless Du Gao to understand the latter's strength.
"He seems strong indeed." He Delan nodded after examining the man that attracted Bai Qi's attention, then she added, "The one that will fight on the first stage seems interesting as well."
"Hmm? You may be right." Bai Qi nodded in turn after examining the middle-aged woman on the stage. Between her age and cultivation of merely a 2nd-level Warrior Lord, no one could say that she was a genius or a one-time sight. But Bai Qi would assure anyone that the woman would be a fearful opponent, her aura being so robust that even he wasn't sure his advantage in cultivation would be enough to break it easily.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
"Ok, we seniors will go find a seat. You three will register for the fights right away?" He Delan asked and half-chuckled when referring to herself and the other three as seniors.
"Mmm, I will ask about the arena masters and the challenges first." Bai Qi pointed to a rock tablet near the two registration booths, one with a single name, Conqueror of the Arena - [Fu Jin].
"Ambitious." He Delan shook her head in surprise, not expecting Bai Qi to attempt such.
"I will first attempt something less problematic." Bai Qi chuckled, pointing to a far smaller wooden board, one showing the arena masters' names and deeds. And above each, the name of who had managed to dethrone them. On a closer look, one would not be surprised to notice a single name repeating above each of the ten - [Fu Jin]. But there were several others, although none of the challengers had managed to win against the ten masters.
"Oh, and before you go, Ma Su." Bai Qi motioned to the Warrior King, who approached immediately.
"You want me to do something?"
"Yes, I am yet to reach a number of spirit stones to be at ease, so I would like you to bet on the three of us." Bai Qi explained, transferring a thousand medium spirit stones to her [Void Ring]. Such a quantity easily rivaled the coffers of a small clan, but Bai Qi was considering these funds not only as his own but of the entire group, so he wanted to increase them as much as possible while they had the chance.
{Understood. But on the three..?} Ma Su would never consider lecturing Bai Qi on how to spend what was his. But she did not consider Fan Jia or Chun Hua capable of winning against experienced opponents.
{I don't care if they win or lose. And I am sure the two will surprise you.} Bai Qi transmitted back, flashing a small smile.
After asking, it turned out that one had to get at least five victories one after another to have the right to challenge an Arena Master. Thus, Bai Qi would have to fight in the same manner as everyone. Not that he did not look forward to it, having discovered three people worthy of his interest. Paying the ten small spirit stones, he was registered after confirming his cultivation with a [Earth Step Orb].
"You start with zero points and lose one on defeat. Losing a battle with zero points means losing the badge, so you will need to retire or pay again. After winning your first combat, one can remain in the pool or challenge anyone of the others in the arena. Refusing a challenge is possible but it will mean resigning on all points. If you want to retire and have points remaining, you can trade each point for a small spirit stone." The lesser manager explained as she passed Bai Qi a simple wooden badge and pointed to a just-updated list on the booth.
"Understood, thank you." Bai Qi nodded and thanked the young woman, who bashfully smiled, not used to such courtesy from the usually curt, even brazen fighters.
***
While several hundred people were inside the arena, only a few dozens were here to fight, so it did not take long for Bai Qi, Chun Hua, and Fan Jia to register and enter the competitors' pool. Combats went in turns, with four taking place at the same time and the next set only starting after the last one started concluded.
The arena manager took out name after name from the cauldron, forming the pairs and announcing them, "Second stage, Chun Hua against Shi Huang!"
There were ten breaths for the announced contenders to enter the stage, or it would be considered a forfeit. At the same time, the betting booth manager for the respective stage would announce cultivations, points, and any relevant information along with the odds.
"Chun Hua, 2nd level Warrior Lord, no points, newcomer;
Shi Huang, 2nd level Warrior Lord, seven points;
4 to 1."
{Senior He, will you bet?} Bai Qi asked He Delan, who quickly moved towards the booth, following after Ma Su, who acted on Bai Qi's instructions to bet ten medium-grade stones.
{Obviously.} He Delan did not elaborate if she was doing it to show support or win, but Bai Qi was sure it was the latter. After all, who but the master knew about the disciple's prowess?
----------------------------------------
Chun Hua was not a being of emotions, but she did like winning and proving herself. Maybe as part of her [Astral Devourer] mindset of growth, or something she took in from the cultivators, winning against someone was, undoubtedly, enjoyable.
"My name is Shi Huang, and I hail from the Shi family of the [Shihai Wetlands]." The bearded, somewhat savage-looking man introduced himself, saluting with his double-handed saber. His fur robe and the rough weapon went along with his image of a powerful- reckless- fighter, but Chun Hua doubted that it was so.
It wasn't that her senses were so keen as to feel one's fighting method or that she had, even half, the experience needed to guess it. Frankly, she merely believed that after judging the man's image and recalling Bai Qi's words about any blatant persona being, most probably, a faked one.
"Mmm." Chun Hua hummed something and nodded in response, not considering that exchanging pleasantries was anything important.
"Gahaha, so sure of yourself that you don't even speak to me? Let you know that I have never left the arena as a loser. And you, you will be out right away." The man half-barked a laugh before pointing to himself and gloating.
*DON*
The main gong of the arena resounded, starting the four combats.
***
*Swoosh*
Shi Huang launched forwards right away, his saber raised above his head, and his aura gathered around himself both as armor and to add power to what he considered the only slash he would need to finish the combat.
But he only had crossed fifty feet as he felt something from behind;
In such a situation, any cultivator had several options, but all of them were similar, to pick one or to counter both;
To assume that one of the two presences was fake and acting on that decide which to counter.
Believe in one's defense, and continue forward, not breaking an attack or losing momentum.
Use a technique or skill to cover one's back, and if the presence is real, use the impact to open distance.
Stop, use a defensive technique, and continue in mid-range combat until discovering the opponent's trick or method.
Regretfully, to make a correct selection, at least some information about the opponent was required, and Shi Huang lacked it entirely. After all, if he knew that Chun Hua was a disciple of the [Void Palace] until a few weeks ago, he would have guessed that it was very probable that both presences were just one.
***
As soon as the man launched forward, Chun Hua willed a small [Void Corridor] into existence. Small enough to pass undetected but big enough to be able to send an attack via it.
*Swoosh*
Her left hand, hidden behind her back, darted into the void, with the held dagger appearing right behind the man, while she gathered aura into her right one, preparing to activate a martial skill.