Bai Chang's eyes lit up when he heard Ding Huo call his name.
"Watch me win this fight Hong Mian," Bai Chang said with total confidence.
Hong Mian giggled at him, "Good luck."
Bai Chang snorted, "Luck is for weaklings. I don't need it to win a fight such as this." Bai Chang then pushed his way through the people standing in front of the arena and jumped onto the platform.
He stood in the middle of the stage, radiating an aura of superiority, totally looking down on everyone standing below the stage.
Another figure jumped onto the stage and landed close to the edge, gathering dust in the air.
When the dust settled, Bai Cong recognized the person. It was the boy he had say in the waiting room before. He still had a bloody aura emanating from his body. His light-brown hair was blown back, revealing his murderous eyes.
Bai Chang frowned when he the way the boy was looking at him. It made him feel a sense if danger so he started taking the fight more seriously.
Tied to Wei Zhou's body was a bronze heavy sword. He grabbed the sword by the hilt and heaved it up. Bai Cong could see how his muscles flexed under the weight of the sword and the lines of his now visible veins trailing his arm.
'This boy really looks like a mad bear,' Bai Cong mused.
Bai Chang took out his weapon from his spatial ring. It was a silver sword, similar to the one Bai Chen used except that it was a bit bigger and heavier. Bai Chang looked at the overseer and waited for him to lower his cultivation level back to Mortal realm Qi-Expansion.
"I will give you the honor of taking the first strike," Bai Chang didn't waste any time in making people wish they could beat him up.
But this provocation only served to make Wei Zhou angry. He swiftly moved until he was in front of Bai Chang and struck down with his heavy sword.
Bai Chang raised up his sword to parry the strike and moved back.
"How weak," Bai Chang sighed, "this is a fight, not a game."
"Shut up!" Wei Zhou shouted before he lunged at Bai Chang. But that was what Bai Chang was hoping for.
Bai Chang sidestepped from the incoming strike and swung his sword at Wei Zhou's back. When he felt it connect with the boy's squishy skin, Bai Chang pushed the sword in, impaling it into Wei Zhou's body. Wei Zhou shook when the sword entered his back and spurted out a mouthful of blood onto the dirt, turning it a deep shade if red.
"Give up," Bai Chang commanded, "or I will kill you. You have no choice in the matter. Before the overseer can even have a chance to save you, your dead body would already be on the ground."
This made Wei Zhou apprehensive. He wanted to continue fighting, but the cold blade embedded into his back reminded his on precarious his situation was.
"I give up," Wei Zhou
"Good choice," Bai Chang said before he slowly removed the sword from Wei Zhou's back. Blood spurted out when the sword was removed and the overseer had to come onto the arena and carry the bloodied boy over to the medic center.
Bai Chang jumped off the stage with a huge smile and walked over to Hong Mian to brag about his overwhelming victory.
Bai Cong looked at his second brother and inwardly rolled his eyes at his action. But he had to admit that although this brother if his was quite stupid, he can be smart at times too. Using the opponents emotions to his own benefit was a good strategy.
"In the red arena are Bai Cong and Odessa Lang," Ding Huo announced.
Bai Cong looked up at the stage and jumped up. He landed gracefully on the dirt, his robes fluttered in the the wind, and his long hair fell onto his back. His violet eyes peered over the crowd, observing everyone in attendance.
"Your brother's next," Hong Mian told Bai Chang. They bother looked over at the red arena to watch the fight.
"Will he be okay? He's only started cultivating recently," Hong Mian asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, what he lacks in cultivation, he makes up with in technique," Bai Chen said when he walked over.
"Yeah, my brother is a strong fighter. If it weren't for my cultivation level, I would have already been defeated in a spar long ago," Bai Chang admitted.
"He's that strong?" Hong Ling asked in surprise when he walked over. He had heard what they were talking about as he got closer. He had just won his fight and had been looking for his sister when he noticed all of them huddled in a group.
"Yes," Bai Chen said quietly, "now be quiet and watch the fight."
Bai Cong looked over and saw his brothers and the Hong siblings watching at the bottom of the stage. He looked back onto the stage just in time to see a little girl land on the platform in front of him.
She had long, black hair and white, unblemished skin. Her dark brown eyes were set beautifully in her small face and she was wearing a simple garment that was composed of a pink, silk robe that was tied with a yellow sash. She towered Bai Cong by a few inches in height and her eyes were staring at Bai Cong with arrogance that you could tell reached to her bones.
Bai Cong didn't care to know who she was and looked at her with disdain which angered the girl.
The overseer lowered the girls cultivation to match Bai Cong's and allowed the fight to commence.
"I will be magmonious to you and allow you to give up," Odessa Lang sneered and looked at Bai Cong with clear scorn in her eyes.
Bai Cong declined to comment and pulled out his twin daggers. Unlike Bai Chang and Bai Chen who relied on their strength, Bai Cong leaned more towards speed and precision. His twin daggers were specially crafted to fit his hand like they were made for them and were made out of Shi Stone, which was one of the lightest materials to forge with. The daggers were also infused with yin energy, fitting Bai Cong's affinity perfectly and it allowed him to use the full power of the daggered efficiently.
Odessa Lang snorted when she saw that Bai Cong didn't heed her warning. She unsheathed a long, double-edged sword from her sword bag. It looked to be made out of bronze and it's hilt was tied with a black cloth. She held it with both hands and stood in place.
Bai Cong looked at her lazily and disappeared in a flash, surprising Odessa Lang and everyone watching the fight. Odessa Lang frowned and looked around her with vigilance. She held her sword closer to her body and listened for any sound. Her eyes then grew wide as she tried to turn around quickly but it was too late. A kick landed on her arm, causing her to lose her grip on her sword. The attack was followed by two blades being pushed on her neck.
"Surrender or die," Bai Cong whispered quietly into her ears, copying what Bai Chang had said in his fight but administering it in a more direct way.
Odessa Lang face turned white with fear before turning dark red with anger.
"You dare," she snarled, "I am the young miss of the Odessa family. If you hurt me, My father will kill you and all your family."
Bai Cong chuckled when he heard that, but then turned serious as bloodlust started leaking from his body, "Do you think I care, little girl," he hissed as he pressed the daggers further into the girls neck, causing a thin line of blood leak out.
Odessa Lang sensed the bloodlust emanating from Bai Cong's body and trembled. She knew that the boy behind her was serious with what he said and wouldn't bat an eye if he really did kill her.
"I...up," Odessa Lang mumbled.
"Louder," Bai Cong growled, not showing any mercy to the young girl.
"I give up," Odessa Lang yelled.
Bai Cong harrumphed and released his hold on her in a way that seemed like he had just been holding something dirty. He then calmly walked off the stage and strode over to his brothers.
Odessa Lang fell to the ground and clutched her slightly bloody neck. Her eyes followed Bai Cong's movement with hatred deep inside. She stood back up and collected her fallen sword before h=she made her way back to her father who had watched the whole event up in the stands. When Odessa Lang reached her father, the patriarch of the Odessa Family Odessa Hong, she fell at his feet and cried pitifully.
"Father," She cried, "that boy-" but before she could start complaining, her father cut in.
"That's enough, don't bother that boy again," he commanded.
Odessa Lang stopped crying immediately and looked at her father incredulously.
"I know what you're thinking," the Odessa Hong sighed and patted the girl on her head, "but that boy is not someone you can touch, at least not now."
Bai Chang and Bai Chen crowded around Bai Cong and showered him with praise which Bai Cong ignored.
"You're quite fast," Hong Ling said in amazement.
Bai Cong accepted his compliment and turned his head back to the arena.
Ding Huo pulled out another two sticks from the box and looked at the names, "Next competitors for the red arena are Jian Dong and Xiong Wei," he announced.
When Bai Cong heard that he looked up at the arena in focus. He wanted to learn every move the boy makes so he can predict what it would be if he were to fight him.
Xiong Wei pursed his lips and jumped onto the platform. His long, golden hair glistened even brighter under the sun as well as his golden eyes. It was as if he was a dragon, looking down over the mundane world.
Another boy jumped onto the stage after him. He had on black robes and carried a long, gray spear. He flashed Xiong Wei a smile as his black hair fluttered in the wind which revealed a set of black eyes.
The overseer lowered Xiong Wei's cultivation level to match the boys which was at the Qi-Expansion realm.
Jian Dong held his spear tightly and waited for Xiong Wei to take out his weapon, but when he saw that Xiong Wei didn't make a move to take it out, Jian Dong frowned.
"Aren't you going to take out your weapon?" he asked.
"Don't need one," Xiong Wei answered simply.
"How arrogant," Jian Dong mumbled to himself frowning, "Then let us spar," was all he said before ran to Xiong Wei and thrust his spear at his chest. But his movements were cut short by a burst of fire.
Xiong Wei stretched his arm and wielded the fire to trap Jian Dong into a cage made of the burning flames.
"One wrong move and you will be burned alive," Xiong Wei said to Jian Dong who was trapped in the fire cage.
Jian Dong sighed in defeat, "I give up," he called out.
When he said that, the fire cage disappeared, only leaving the ground scorched where the fire had touched.
"I hope to fight you again," Jian Dong called out before he jumped off the stage.
Xiong Wei snorted and ignored the boy. Before he walked off the stage, he glanced over at a certain area and smirked before retracting his gaze.
Bai Cong gritted his teeth in anger. This boy really infuriates him. Only made his will to kill him off even stronger.
"What's wrong Xiao Cong?" Bai Chang noticed the slight change in Bai Cong's expression and curiously asked him what was wrong.
"Nothing, just a pest dirtying my vision," Bai Cong grunted.
"A pest? Want me to get rid of it for you?" Bai Chang asked as he looked around for the supposed 'pest' Bai Cong was talking about.
"Don't worry second brother," Bai Cong waved him off, "A bug doesn't require much energy to squash."
"If you say so," Bai Chang scratched his head in confusing, not completely understanding what Bai Cong had meant.
Bai Chen, who had been listening, chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?" Bai Chang asked in even more confusion.
"Nothing much," Bai Chen smiled, "Just enjoying your idiotsy."
"What!" Bai Chang yelled, "You're the one who's an idiot with that stupid smile on your face."
Bai Chen narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything else, he was interrupted by Ding Huo.
"The first round is over, now I will start the second round," he announced.