Chapter 18: Sparring

Voices erupted around the arena as the students heard that a royal contingent would spar in honour of their graduation. The servant led them to the arena and stood facing each other. The commander began introductions, "The young lady you see on my left is Princess Xiang of the Ye kingdom. She is a fire cultivator at the authoritarian stage. She is currently 16 years of age." The crowds erupted into applause and cheered for her. The commander waited for the noise to die down and then spoke again, "On my right is Lei Kun of the Jai kingdom, and as mentioned before he is Princess Xiang's fiancèe. He is an arcane cultivator at the inner control phase. He is 16 years old." Shouts of shock had broken out among the crowd when they heard the phrase arcane cultivator. The commander held his hand out in silence. The crowd quieted and the commander spoke again. "Many of you will wonder why an inner control phase cultivator is allowed to challenge an authoritarian stage cultivator. I assure you that you will be pleasantly surprised. The commander turned to Lei and Xiang and said, "Please begin when you are ready."

Xiang and Lei bowed, then they began to circle each other. Xiang looked into his eyes and then she unleashed a tornado of fire in his direction. Lei dodged the attack and responded with an attack of arcane lightning which Xiang just managed to block with a wall of fire. The two began circling each other, grinning in delight. Suddenly they launched at each other. Each shot off attacks at each other as they clashed. Lei backpedalled rapidly as Xiang unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks. Lei narrowed his eyes and activated the arcane empire. A purple sphere suddenly encompassed much of the arena. Flashes of purple lightning could be seen inside. If anyone had been able to see Lei's eyes they would have seen purple arcane lightning flickering in his irises. Lei suddenly began channelling the fluttering wind and his arcane lightning technique. He suddenly launched himself at Xiang who started launching fireballs at him. Her eyes widened as she saw her fireballs dissipate under the power of Lei's arcane empire. Lei unleashed his arcane lightning which she blocked with fire-enforced forearms. As she was doing this she failed to see the arcane enforced roundhouse kick that Lei had unleashed. His kick smashed into the side of her head and she was knocked out. Lei stood there, lightning in his hands in case she woke up, before dropping his techniques. A healer rushed onto the stage and began treating Xiang. A few minutes later she woke up and Lei helped her stand. They turned to face the crowd. As they turned, the crowd erupted into cheers and shouts as the couple smiled and bowed. 

The couple was walking down from a platform when a rotten tomato suddenly hit Xiang on the side of her face. Lei quickly looked into the crowd and spotted a group of students jeering and throwing rotten fruits. Unbridled rage suddenly filled Lei and as the rage filled him arcane lightning started flashing behind him. He started hovering a few inches off the ground as the rage continued to fill him. He looked at the now trembling students and empowered his voice with qi. "WHO DARED TO THROW THIS ROTTEN FRUIT AT MY BETROTHED?!" A student near the front suddenly stepped forward and shouted back. "THE YE KINGDOM IS EVIL. THEIR ROYALS ARE EVIL. I AM ASHAMED TO BE PART OF A KINGDOM THAT IS ALLIED TO THEM! WE ARE STRONGER WITHOUT THEIR HELP." Lei smiled sinisterly and said, "If that's so then why don't you spar against someone who they trained, someone like myself. This way you can demonstrate the power of someone trained in the Jai kingdom." As he said this Lei realised that he now considered himself more part of the Ye kingdom than the Jai kingdom. The student who had spoken looked defiantly at Lei and said, "I will spar against you and I will win because I was trained by the righteous Jai kingdom and not by the evil Ye kingdom." Xiang suddenly touched his arm and said, "Lei, you don't have to do this. Ignore him." Lei who was still filled with rage shook his head and said, "I have to." Then he turned away and asked the commander to give the student a sparring robe. 

Lei stood facing the student, who was actually a few years older than himself. Lei had calmed down in the time it had taken for the student to get changed. He remembered that arcane cultivators were said to have trouble controlling their emotions. Lei was angry with himself for reacting to the student. He should have just left the commander to deal with it instead of creating a scene. The commander stepped onto the platform, sighed, and looked between the two sparring. "You may begin when ready." Lei and the student bowed to one another. Lei realised he didn't want to hurt this student. Lei activated the fluttering wind, dodged a jet of water, and punched the student in the side of the head. The student was instantly knocked out. Lei strode off the stage and out of the arena.

Later that evening, as the couple was having dinner at one of the local restaurants, Lei began to speak. "Xiang, I am ashamed of the way I acted today. I should've let the commander sort it out. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I'm beginning to feel like I am losing control of my emotions. I know this is because of my arcane affinity but I don't want to react like this all the time. What if I can't control my emotions" Xiang reached across the table and grasped his hand tightly in her own. "Lei, I promise that you will learn to control your emotions. You have a stronger will than my father and he learnt to control his." She smiled back at him and he said, "Well, you have yet to be wrong so I think I will have to take your word for it."