The Arena was alive with noise—the crowd murmured, Si Ming approached the referee with a calm stride. "I want to issue a challenge," he said, his voice steady.
The referee raised a brow but nodded. "To whom?"
Si Ming's gaze swept across the ranked disciples in the front row of the stands. His eyes landed on the nineth-ranked disciple, a lean man with sharp, calculating eyes and a smug grin. The man, known as Xu Fang, was notorious for his sly tactics and shadow-based techniques. A well-rounded fighter, Xu Fang often used his abilities to disorient and overwhelm his opponents before delivering a decisive blow.
"I challenge Xu Fang," Si Ming said confidently. His declaration carried across the Arena, drawing the attention of both spectators and contestants. Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Xu Fang? That stable boy is ambitious," someone muttered.
"Does he even know what he's up against?" another said.
Xu Fang stood slowly, his grin widening as he stepped forward. "Well, well, the stable boy's got guts," he sneered. "I'll show you what it means to be ranked in the top ten."
They faced each other on the Arena floor as the referee announced the match. Xu Fang drew his weapon—a curved dagger that shimmered with an eerie black aura. Si Ming, unbothered by the weapon's appearance, kept his hands loose at his sides, his stance deceptively relaxed.
The match began in a blur. Xu Fang vanished from view almost immediately, his shadow techniques cloaking his movements. He reappeared behind Si Ming, his dagger aimed for the neck. The crowd gasped, anticipating a swift end, but Si Ming twisted fluidly, his movements smooth as water, and blocked the strike with a precise parry using his converted sword.
"Not bad," Xu Fang said, retreating into the shadows once more. "But you'll have to do better than that."
Si Ming's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Do you think hiding will save you?" he asked calmly. Closing his eyes, he focused on his Qi, extending his senses. Through his mastery of Qi perception—a refinement of Void Resonance Meditation—he could feel the subtle shifts in energy as Xu Fang moved, the faintest tremors giving away his position.
Xu Fang struck again, his blade arcing toward Si Ming's side. This time, Si Ming didn't just block—he countered with a sweeping strike from his sword. The impact sent Xu Fang skidding back, his grin faltering.
"What—?" Xu Fang began, but his words were cut off as Si Ming advanced.
The battle intensified. Xu Fang's shadows danced across the Arena, creating illusions and distractions as he tried to regain control. But no matter how clever his tactics, Si Ming remained one step ahead. When Xu Fang attempted to trap him within a swirling vortex of shadow energy, Si Ming activated the Earth Fortress Technique, surrounding himself with a barrier of condensed Qi that repelled the attack. The collision of energies sent shockwaves through the Arena, drawing gasps from the crowd.
"Impossible," Xu Fang muttered, sweat beading on his forehead.
Si Ming lowered his barrier, stepping forward with deliberate precision. His sword gleamed in the dim light as he raised it in a fluid arc. "It's over," he said simply, unleashing a strike from his Celestial Blade Arts—a move known as Crescent Moon Slash. The crescent-shaped energy tore through Xu Fang's defenses, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The crowd fell silent as the referee stepped forward. "Winner: Si Ming," he announced.
As Xu Fang struggled to his feet, clutching his side, he looked at Si Ming with a mixture of resentment and grudging respect. "You… you!" he muttered before limping off the stage.
Si Ming sheathed his sword, turning to the crowd with a calm expression. The whispers began again, louder this time.
"Who is this guy?"
"How did he beat Xu Fang so easily?"
As he walked back to the stands, Si Ming's gaze met Mei-Mei's from across the Arena. She watched him with a mixture of awe and concern, her lips pressed into a thin line. Sitting beside her, Saintess Fenyue observed silently, her golden eyes glimmering with curiosity.
"He's not like the others," Fenyue murmured to herself, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Si Ming returned to his seat, his mind already focused on the next battle. He wasn't satisfied with just breaking into the top ten—he intended to climb all the way to the top.
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