Chapter 88: Hidden Dragon Sect V/S Iron Bone Hall
I jotted down every detail that I believed would come in use someday. This also made me develop insights that, hypothetically speaking, were better than what these participants performed. But it had not yet been tested practically.
Soon, there were only four people remaining who had not yet had their match.
The next match that was going to be held was one that almost all of them were looking forward to, even me.
"Next up is Match No. 9, the second-to-last match of Round 2." The elder waited after completing his first sentence, and when he finally felt the excitement hitting the boiling point, he said, "Xue Lingxi from Hidden Dragon Sect V/S Fang Jinhai of Iron Bone Hall."
As soon as the elder announced the match, "Xue Lingxi versus Fang Jinhai!", the entire colosseum erupted into a deafening roar. Hundreds of disciples rose to their feet, their cheers colliding into a chaotic storm of sound.
"Xue Lingxi! Xue Lingxi!" Some chanted her name, their voices filled with admiration and anticipation.
"Crush her, Jinhai!" The bellowing support for the Iron Bone Hall disciple was just as fierce, deep voices booming like war drums.
The ground seemed to tremble beneath the sheer force of the combined voices. Some disciples whistled and clapped, while others stomped their feet, creating a rhythmic, thunderous rumble that echoed across the colosseum. The air itself vibrated, charged with the anticipation of a battle that promised both beauty and brutality.
At the heart of it all, Xue Lingxi and Fang Jinhai stood motionless in the arena, their gazes locked, unshaken by the surrounding chaos.
Looking at this, even my heart started beating wildly, and I could not help but envision myself in place of Fang Jinhai.
I quickly shook my head, removing those corrupted thoughts from my brain.
Ding-
"Oh no~ Here we go again," I thought inwardly in a lethargic tone.
[Host, there is a feature that I forgot to inform you about. You are also able to view the status screen for other 'extras'.]
I ignored the reminder from the system. In the past few hours, I had gotten used to these "ding-ding" sounds.
'Sir, do you know that what you are doing is making you look like a desperate person who's about to fall into a pit but wants to not fall alone and take even one person with him to the gates of hell?' I said in my mind to the system.
Before, it had said that I would only be able to view information about major protagonists or antagonists. A few hours ago, it said that now I could also view information on 'supporting characters.' Then, when I said I didn't know what technique a person used in the match, it said that now it also had the ability to provide a full status screen with the name, grade, level, and stages of the cultivation technique being used by anyone. And now this.
I let my hand fall down naturally, with my index finger slightly strengthened as I clicked on the "❌" mark to close the reminder window.
Fang Jinhai was a hulking brute of a man, his bare arms revealing skin toughened like iron. His Iron Bone Hall robes were sleeveless, emphasizing his brutal, body-refinement style. His square jaw and thick brow made him look more warrior than scholar.
Thud-
Fang Jinhai clapped his knuckles and cracked a few of his fingers.
Meanwhile, his opponent, Xue Lingxi, stood with her hands folded in front of her chest. Even though her face was still covered in ulcers, she now radiated a strange sort of energy that made people want to bow their heads in respect to her and also made one follow her without doubts.
Ding-Dong-
Someone slapped the huge circular metal plate with a stick to announce the start of the fight. But even after a few seconds, Xue Lingxi and Fang Jinhai had not moved from their places. They were both waiting for their opponent to make the first move.
"Why are they just staring at one another?"
"Hey, disciple from Iron Bone Hall, move it! We do not have all day."
"Miss Xue Lingxi, send this guy flying out of the arena in one hit!"
The crowd was starting to get restless, but Xue Lingxi just stood there calmly. Meanwhile, Fang Jinhai, finally unable to hear any more insults to himself or his sect, broke his frozen state.
I cheered inwardly—not for Xue Lingxi but for Fang Jinhai. Being able to stand his ground against a reborn person, even if he was unaware... He should have heard from his fellow sect members what Xue Lingxi did in Round 1, and yet here he was, giving it his all.
The huge Fang Jinhai leaped at Xue Lingxi and started delivering a series of punches. Though the power behind these punches was enough to make the audience fall silent, Fang Jinhai's fists were still unable to land a proper hit on Xue Lingxi.
She dodged every attack, whether Fang Jinhai tried to create a feint or put his everything into it.
Pant-Pant-
Fang Jinhai's chest was heaving up and down. His arm muscles had started to release steam. When he reached out to wipe the sweat that had clouded his vision, he saw something that made him literally lose his willpower right then and there.
Xue Lingxi had not even moved a single step from her previous location. Instead, footprints with tiny fissures created a circle around her—his shoe size. It meant she was not only dodging his attacks but redirecting them in such a way that he had only seen his master—the sect master of Iron Bone Hall—able to perform.
He had also been able to do the same, but only with his juniors in the sect who were still new to this technique.
Does this mean she has a better knowledge of the technique that I spent six years learning?
"If you look at it from a third-party perspective, your Iron Bone Hall technique is quite simple."
I slapped my forehead, thinking—why was Xue Lingxi provoking her opponent to such an extent? She should just knock him out.
Fang Jinhai glared at Xue Lingxi. He glanced at the stand where the sect masters of the five vassal sects sat—more precisely, at his own sect master. The Iron Bone Hall sect master leaned slightly forward in his seat. Xue Lingxi had managed to get his attention as well. He had heard what she said, and he could not agree more.
He had been trying to explain the same thing to Fang Jinhai since the day he had chosen him as his disciple, but Fang Jinhai was unable to progress beyond the knowledge of the skill book.
"Don't you dare insult my six years of hard work and dedication by simply calling the technique 'quite simple.'"
Fang Jinhai had accepted critiques from his sect master, as he was better at this technique than him and also much older. But he would not tolerate someone his age, who had never even touched this technique, standing in front of him and saying that her ability to dodge his punches was just because his technique was 'quite simple.'
Fang Jinhai's nails dug into his skin.
The audience also saw that the fight might become bloody. But they were now more excited. As the elders were still here, no one would die.
"Xue Lingxi!"
"Xue Lingxi!"
"Xue Lingxi!"
Cheers once again erupted from the surroundings. But Xue Lingxi was not the kind of teenager who could be easily influenced by her environment and turned into mere entertainment for these people. Staying in power for so long had changed her mindset. The people who held power before her—whom she once swore never to become like—had once seemed distant. Yet, only after reaching the same heights as them did she finally understand: the higher one climbs, the fewer people there are to converse with. Eventually, a time comes when seclusion becomes inevitable, as the world around you grows dull. And her boredom only deepened when Jin Meiyu ascended to the higher realm before her, leaving her behind in this world.