108. New Rules
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Yao Shanfeng flung five talismans into the air, and they shimmered into an array of red flame beasts, comprising a tiger, a hawk, a serpent, a boar, and a wolf.
'Impressive!' Lord Li thought from the viewing box as the beasts roared and charged forward toward Xu Min.
But Xu Min didn't move an inch.
"Mirror Lotus."
Seven purple petals bloomed around him, spinning, humming softly.
The hawk struck first, then the boar, but they were both redirected by the Mirror Lotus, and sped back towards Yao Shanfeng.
Yao Shanfeng hastily cancelled the move, and the beasts vanished, but in the same breath, his eyes locked on Xu Min, and almost thirty hunting blades appeared around Xu Min.
"Hunt's End!" Shanfeng yelled, and he was instantly amidst the blades, flashing from one to the other in a series of attacks.
It was fast! So fast that even some of the Elders leaned forward, struggling to keep track.
A deadly final technique that targeted vital points and aimed to end a match in a few swift strikes.
But Xu Min's aura had already flared.
"Falling Star Blade!"
His sword spun from his back like a comet, intercepting Yao Shanfeng's hunting blades with matching speed, and they clashed in midair, ringing like bells in the wind.
Xu Min twisted and cast another talisman down at the ground.
"Binding Vine!"
Green light exploded beneath Shanfeng's feet, wrapping him in roots and chains of qi, and the crowd gasped.
There was a moment where Shanfeng struggled against the vines, and the audience thought Xu Min had won, but Shanfeng suddenly roared and activated a red talisman with his teeth!
"I would rather die than lose here!" He raged, as his aura burst outward, tearing through the vines, and a sudden explosion knocked both fighters backward...
Xu Min landed first, flipping in the air and sliding back in a crouch, but a thin line of blood had appeared at his temple.
Yao Shanfeng dropped from the sky, skidding across the tiles, panting heavily.
Several of his blades were broken, and most of his remaining talismans required more energy than he had left.
But he glared at Xu Min, who glared right back.
Blocking the effects of that attack had taken almost all of Xu Min's qi, and his sword was no longer spinning.
Yao Shanfeng leapt first, attacking Xu Min with all that was left of his energy, and Xu Min blocked, casting them in a lock. Both leapt apart and struck again and again, clashing at several points on the platform.
But eventually, both were tired out, panting on opposite sides.
"I would rather die-..." Yao Shanfeng panted. "... than lose here...!" He brought out another talisman which would probably end his life or cause some serious damage.
Both young men locked eyes, each ready to move again.
But then Xu Min hesitated.
He could feel it. His body and qi were at their limit. If he pushed now, he might cause himself lasting damage again, and he remembered his years of being limited by the Qi Deviation.
Also, he couldn't help hearing Sect Leader Xu's voice in his head:
"...no title or victory is worth harming your foundation... try your hardest, but don't harm yourselves to win!"
Xu Min let out a slow breath, and he stood tall, dismissing his sword with a flick.
"I forfeit!" He called out, and there were instant murmurs.
The moderator's eyes narrowed, but he raised his arm.
"Winner, Yao Shanfeng of Yunchi Sect!"
Cheers erupted from Yunchi's side, but both opponents stood still, one calm, and one staring in shock and annoyance.
"You could have fought back!" Yao Shanfeng accused him with a scowl.
"Hmph. I already did." Xu Min replied with a faint smile. "But I won't sacrifice my cultivation path for a single win."
"You-!" Shanfeng let out a huff of hot air and looked away. "Tch! Remaining cool to the bitter end...!"
Xu Min grinned and gave the polite martial bow. "Congratulations."
As he stepped down from the platform, he caught a nod of approval from Sect Leader Xu, and Weiyan met him with her own approving nod, and a flask of water...
Xu Min sighed as he drank from the flask.
He felt a bit let down with the loss, but didn't regret his actions.
It had been an honourable fight...
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After a few minutes, Weiyan stepped onto the central platform.
News of her identity had spread everywhere by now, so all the disciples, elders, Sect leaders, and other dignitaries leaned forward.
Weiyan's opponent was Huo Yuan, the strongest Huofeng junior, and one of Sect Leader Huo's many grandnephews.
The air around them shimmered as Huo Yuan stepped forward, twin short swords already in hand. His bright orange aura roared to life, spreading along the ground to the edges of the stage, and surrounding them with a massive heat wave.
Huo Yuan was nicknamed 'Hell's incarnate' on Mount Huo precisely because his flames could threaten even elders!
"Little sister," He grinned, tilting his head. "I'll state clearly that I'm just one step from becoming an elder, so don't cry when you lose!
"My flames can't distinguish pretty faces, but I'll try not to harm yours... Burning such a beauty is really not my style!"
Weiyan's expression didn't change.
Her white robes fluttered slightly in the heated air, but her eyes remained level as she lifted her pure white sword with a single smooth motion, the blade catching a glint of sunlight.
"Umh." She replied flatly, which instantly rubbed Huo Yuan the wrong way.
Huo Yuan scowled, but forced out a sharp bark of laughter. "Hao! Let's begin!"
His steps were light and nimble as he rushed forward, and his twin blades spun in his hands, each arc trailing a streak of orange fire.
The stage cracked under his first strike, heat bursting outward.
But Weiyan shifted just enough for the strike to miss, her sword barely meeting his second blade and redirecting his attack.
A thunderous 'Wah!' erupted from the crowd, as Huo Yuan landed a short distance behind her.
"Fast, aren't you?" Huo Yuan taunted, then flipped his swords and instantly leapt in again, this time with a whirl of heat.
But Weiyan's sword moved lazily, easily blocking his swings with zero urgency. Her white flames would flare only when necessary, each time meeting his with a hiss, swallowing the orange flames before fading again.
"You're holding back?!" Huo Yuan hissed in annoyance after several exchanges.
"My husband said not to win too quickly." She whispered back, her ears reddening slightly.
"Ei?! Am I being too nice?!" Huo Yuan leapt away and directed two massive waves of scorching aura towards Weiyan, but she hastily scribbled an air talisman which swallowed the waves.
Huo Yuan was already on the move, and a bright orange seal appeared beneath Weiyan, sending a burst of impossibly powerful flames upwards.
The flames were so powerful, that the spectators could feel the heat even through the yellow stage barrier.
But when the flames died down, Weiyan stood unharmed some distance behind him.
She cocked her head slightly. "Is it a camp fire?"
A ripple of laughter weaved through the crowd, and a wave of anger shot through Huo Yuan.
With a roar of rage, he unleashed his full core strength, his body glowing like molten metal. His hair stood, swirling in a heat wave so strong that the entire arena was wavering.
He blurred suddenly, appearing before her and unleashing a barrage of relentless strikes which forced Weiyan to block and retreat.
"Hmph! Didn't you learn?! 'One must never overestimate themselves'!" Huo Yuan yelled with each powerful slash of his blades, then he crossed them in a burst of fire aimed straight at Weiyan.
Multiple gasps swept the audience, and most believed in their hearts that Xu Weiyan was done for.
But then...
Weiyan's sword blurred once and a single ripple of white flames surged out, silent but blinding.
The heat waves around the platform vanished, and the air suddenly cooled, despite both flames.
Huo Yuan's blades were instantly surrounded by white flames, and the orange flames around him blew out in a soft wisp.
Before he realized what had happened, the tip of Weiyan's sword rested against his throat, and she calmly said,
"You lose."
For a heartbeat, silence hung in the air.
Then the crowd suddenly roared louder than before, and thunderous applause filled the arena.
"Wah!"
"Did you see that?!"
"What even happened?!"
"Yueyan beat Huofeng!
"What kind of monsters has Yueyan been cooking?!"
"I want whatever nectar they're being fed!!"
Sect Leader Huo shook his head. "Hmph. This cocky brat should also learn, 'One must never underestimate an enemy'!"
Sect Leader Xu nodded with a laugh, as the moderator raised his arm.
"Winner, Xu Weiyan of Yueyan Sect!"
Huo Yuan blinked, still in shock. 'What the - ?!'
But he sighed after a while, lowering his weapons. "There's indeed always a higher sky and vaster seas. You win, but that's because I was careless! Next time, don't even dream about it!"
"Oh?" Weiyan simply made her sword vanish, the white flames dissipating like a fine morning mist. "You said you're a step from becoming an elder? Then hurry and catch up."
She turned to leave. "I'm already an elder..."
Huo Yuan gasped, his mind running some calculations.
He was twenty-four, and was a step from elder. Xu Weiyan was twenty at most, and already an elder?!
His eyes widened after her. "No fxxxing way-!"
Just then, the stage rumbled, as a massive weight landed on it, and both Weiyan and Huo Yuan swivelled to find Disciple Jiang, the huge senior disciple from Huofeng Sect.
There was brief silence as several brows raised
"Senior." Huo Yuan bowed in confusion. "What's the prob-?" But he was instantly backhanded, flinging him into the barrier.
"Don't talk to me, you trash!" Disciple Jiang yelled, before turning gleaming eyes to Weiyan.
"Xu Weiyan. I challenge you to a duel!"
Mutters and murmurs spread through most of the guests, but the crowd of Yu Shui citizens seemed completely calm.
"Careful! If your face gets any thicker, your neck won't be able to support it!" Xu Min said from the sidelines, gently slapping his own cheek to emphasize his words. "How can a senior disciple challenge a junior?!"
"Tch. This isn't even allowed in the tournament." Xu Wen stated.
"Oh?" Disciple Jiang smirked. "Have none of you read the 'New Rules'?" He held up a scroll. "These rules state that anyone, even an elder, can challenge anyone else!" He sneered wickedly at Weiyan.
"Even a junior disciple..."
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