If later, at some point, someone asked Bai Qi which of the combats on that main regional arena was the hardest, he would not doubt before answering, the 6th. And when someone asked which was the easiest, he would pause and think for a bit. Yet, in the end, the response would be either the 7th or 9th. But, after some thought, he would name the 7th as the one where he had to spend and think less, at least in the measures a cultivator would consider any combat.
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As the unnamed, by its own introduction, [Mortal Fang] gathered the strength to leave the stage, for the first time, an Arena Master accepting their loss without absolutely any feeling but defeat, Bai Qi got enough time to close the dozens of bleeding wounds, not heal, as it was prohibited, but forcefully close them. He wasn't sure who would be his next opponent, but he still changed his robes to look fresh and ready, no matter how quaint was such a farce in consideration of his previous fights.
"Next, we will begin the 6th encounter on this stage." Yi Bingwen announced while starting to retreat from the stage. Bai Qi and any other fighter would have pointed to such conduct as a breach of rules, but his attention was only on his opponent.
While Yi Zhen's looks were more akin to a middle-aged woman, thanks to the number of creases and wrinkles on her face, her aura denoted someone young. Actually, she was hardly older than Bai Qi. As for all of the defects, to call them somehow, of what should be a young, pretty face, an expert on the matter would point to two reasons; The savage scar that crossed her face, disfiguring her, and the absolute emptiness in her eyes.
No matter what Bai Qi said to such an accusation, he was a womanizer, and no one of his companions would deny it. Yet, it wasn't the baleful scar or the wrinkles the ones that nearly made him take a step back. It wasn't even the vacant but somehow smiling eyes. Yi Zhen emitted such an aura of bloodlust, viciousness, and desire to kill that even an Immortal could not accept it as natural.
"I am happy to see someone not shying from facing me. Or to respond to a challenge, fighting someone like me." Yi Zhen's face was all smiles, her eyes also turning half-moons, and yet, there was no emotion but the own she attempted to show.
"It is a challenge, so it doesn't matter who I will face. Woman, beast, or man. I have to fight." It was one of the rare times that Bai Qi had to force himself to smile back or to salute formally, even if one included his long, previous life. He had nothing against Yi Zhen. Yet, he felt nearly nauseous from feeling her aura or from standing on the same stage.
Yi Bingwen, who had already left the stage, announced the start of the fight. Yi Zhen, nicknamed [Haunting Whip], was the 14th on the Beginner Warrior Lord board, the Earthen Lord Ranking Board.
***
Yi Zhen used throwing, concealed weapons as her way of attack. A wave of her dress' long sleeves released dozens, sometimes several, of daggers, poisonous balls, explosive talismans, and other similar stuff. There was no strategy or big plan. She merely sent anything that could inflict pain, wounds, and carnage. As a bard would say, her weapons were the sharpest. Her poisons were the deadliest. And her explosives, the most destructive.
Bai Qi, someone who depended on a similar approach, not a few times, countered, dodged, or neutralized all of Yi Zhen's attacks with ease. And yet, he could not convince himself to counterattack. Each time he was present with the opportunity, he frowned as he saw his opponent and gave it up.
"Someone who can play with me! Thank the heavens-" Yi Zhen exclaimed as Bai Qi dealt with another of her attack waves. The spelling was as if she was really enjoying it. And yet, no real emotion surfaced. It was only the same artificial joy she had shown as she ascended on the stage. Her smile and eyes were still warm, and one could say kind even. But Bai Qi was sure she felt nothing. It was the same as she continued with something brutal as only the evil, demonic cultivators would, "-then, I have to give my utmost to wound, cripple, and win!"
*Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Swoosh*
Having summoned her namesake weapon, a bloody-red, ten-foot-long, spirit-tier barbed whip, Yi Zhen continued her relentless attack on Bai Qi.
*Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Swoosh*
Bai Qi did not feel any threat from the whip. While covered with a good amount of aura and inner qi, enough to wound him, its sweeps weren't even aimed.
He dodged because he wasn't planning to get more flesh wounds added to the ones he managed to close before this round. But, the more he avoided, the more he understood that he should face Yi Zhen.
*Grab* *Rip* *Drip*
Grabbing a barbed, spiritual-steel whip wasn't pleasurable, even close. No matter Bai Qi's reinforcement and aura quality.
"I haven't met you before. Yet, I feel hatred from your aura." With the whip tightly held, Bai Qi spoke up. His hand was bleeding, as not even his reinforced skin was enough to resist damage from such a hatred-filled weapon.
"BLOOD!" Yi Zhen cried out loud as the red drops from Bai Qi's hand landed on the ground. For the first time since the start of the combat, some real, profound emotion in her voice.
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*Swoosh* *Swoosh*
Effortlessly dodging the three-edged daggers thrown at him, Bai Qi shook his head as continuing to speak, "A blood-seeker? That's not even the true you, is that?"
"WHAT. DO. YOU. KNOW. MAN!" In response, Yi Zhen hollered as crazy, her eyes turned bloodlust, and her fake smile disappeared.
"I don't know what you suffered, but this day is one of combat, not one to remember grievances." Bai Qi shook his head again, now slightly understanding what trauma haunted his opponent. {As well why with her prowess, one that could give fight even to me, is so poorly used on trying to wound or cripple, not actually win.}
***
It was rare for a 3rd-tier regional power to get a genius who would attract the envy of both higher-tier powers and even overlords. And yet, 17 years ago, one such genius was born in the [Yi Clan].
Yi Zhen, the daughter of one of the lowest ranking guards of the clan, attracted the heavens' love. From her birth, one blessed with the single cloudless day on the island, to her childhood, where she broke from her innate soul realm to the 1st Warrior Lord in less than a year, without any cultivation method and only the resources of a low-standing guard!
Such cultivation for a child was unheard of, not only for the [Yi Clan]. Even the [Great Forest Sect] considered Yi Zhen a remarkable case and offered her a spot for her future cultivation as soon as she turned 14.
But as in any nasty story, Yi Zhen never had the chance to obtain the greatness she could have. Her father, single since her birth, fell in love. He wasn't a great cultivator, and his standing was low, but to everyone's surprise, his declaration was met with agreement, not by an ordinary woman but by a courtier of the [Man] noble family.
The [Yi Clan] always prized freedom. And they would go against their principles if they tried to block Yi Zhen's father from leaving the city, island, or region. In the end, so he did. But, barely two years later, Yi Zhen returned, alone, scarred both physically and mentally.
Recalling the story of his clansman, the current City Lord of what should be called the [Yi Clan] city could only sigh. He was aware that Bai Qi would win, yet, he couldn't wish for anything more than someone breaking the inner demon of who could have, and still could, one of the brightest stars of his clan.
***
"I have nothing to do with what you suffered. Even so, I can not help but say that I feel sorry. Not because I am a man or because I will defeat you, no-" Bai Qi walked towards the crazed Yi Zhen, avoiding barrage after barrage, all without releasing the whip he held. Any lesser cultivator would have renounced such action, or worse, died in the attempt, but Bai Qi continued step after step without slowing down or receiving a single wound.
"NO! DON'T APPROACH!" Yi Zhen wildly shouted, and while she didn't release the bone handle of her whip, she changed strategies, now mixing missile skills with her attacks.
*Swoosh* *Boom* *Tzzzzt* *Swoosh*
Noticing that Bai Qi didn't stop, counterattack, or defend even, Yi Zhen used a few quickly-summoned spells. Yet, it wasn't enough.
"I am truly sorry, but today will be my win." Bai Qi loudly declared, following with a quick, hidden transmission, {I have nothing to do with your suffering. And while it's pretentious of me, I do not think you should hate all the world because of it. Still, if you don't mind, tell someone, even me. If you speak of what happened, some justice may happen at some point.}
Bai Qi didn't wait for his words to sink, and neither did he provoke Yi Zhen to try and use her real skills. As soon as he had closed distance enough, he used [Counting Steps], and reappearing behind her, knocked her out with a palm full of qi from behind, not bothering even with the fact Yi Zhen's widened eyes, the tears, the grief he felt from her aura, or anything else.
***
Bai Qi's handling of the duel, his skill, sense of space, and everything else, went somewhat unnoticed by the general public. Only the real experts did get all what or how he did, but Bai Qi didn't care about such details. What he did, said, thought, all of that was something only for himself. His objective on stage was to win, so he did.
With Yi Bingwen's words, the duel both began and finished. And just a few breaths after the closure of the one against Yi Zhen, the next one commenced.
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His next combat was the one Bai Qi would, later, anoint as the easiest of all. [Strength of a Hundred], Shi Zhi, rank 11 on the regional ranking board for beginner Warrior Lords.
In brief words, one could say that the excessively muscular, bearded man of 40 years or so was an opponent someone like Bai Qi had nothing to fear.
A physical cultivator, his prowess in anything but his brute force was barely average. And while Shi Zhi's strength, reinforced by his high-tier spirit-tier gauntlets, was near a 6th level Warrior Lord, Bai Qi could equal, or surpass it, just by infusing enough qi. It wasn't so safe or helped him avoid spending his inner qi as planned, but Bai Qi met punch with a punch, kick with a kick, and even headbutt with a headbutt, each time, suffering slightly less damage than his counterpart.
Shi Zhi was strong, and his ranking was well-earned. Yet, Bai Qi was slightly, how he preferred to show, stronger. From the first meeting between their fists, when Shi Zhi was the one to take half a step back, to the last palm, when Bai Qi crushed his opponent's defenses and broke Shi Zhi's left arm, landing a hit comparable to a 7th level Warrior Lord on Shi Zhi's shoulder.
"You are strong. There is nothing I can do to face you." Shi Zhi, nursing his entire, shoulder included, left arm, said as Yi Bingwen flew on stage to confirm if they had finished.
"Hmm? No skills? No trump cards? For someone of such ranking, I expected more means to win." Bai Qi said without a hint of mockery, both aura and face showing that it was an honest question.
"I do have some." Shi Zhi smirked, but before Bai Qi or Yi Bingwen asked, he continued by himself, "You deserve my spot, and even most of the ones above me on the board. Knowing that, why would I try and continue fighting?"
"I see. I did expect some more fight, though. Do you remember my name will be above yours? A loss is a loss after all." Bai Qi questioned directly.
"Mmm, I would fight more for the ranking board, but here? When you are going against the true arena masters next?" And finishing the conversation with such words, Shi Zhi didn't even wait for the announcement. He walked out of the stage, head high, and hearing the shouts, not a few filled with anger from the observer stands - Shi Zhi merely shrugged and dropped another phrase, "I am weaker than him, that's a fact. I do not need to prove my strength, but in this case, I have to accept that it is not enough to win."
"Winner, Bai Qi. Next combat, 8th for this challenge, the newest arena master, [Xinhuai]!"