Shang and Tie Zheng circled each other, both covered in cuts. Red lines hung in the air where Tie Zheng had carved them, forming a square that should have trapped anyone inside. But Shang moved through the space like a dancer, his wings carrying him from one side to the other as he dodged every lethal attack Tie Zheng sent his way.
"Had to use a Quasi-Rank 2 technique just to escape from his trap," Tie Zheng thought bitterly. Earlier, he had used a technique called Ten Parts—something that cut whatever it touched into, well, ten parts. He had used it to break through Shang's eye of the storm and escape, but Shang had kept up with him ever since.
"Hahahaha! Is this all a soldier from the Empire can do, man? I thought you guys were supposed to be tough."
Tie Zheng forced an ugly smile onto his face. "You can't blame me when you backstabbed me like that. But don't worry. You'll pay dearly." He clutched his chest, hiding his worry behind the promise of revenge.
Shang smiled as he looked at Tie Zheng's bleeding wounds. "You sure you lost a bit of blood? You aren't healing very well."
Tie Zheng cursed under his breath. "When I said you'll pay, I meant later. Consider it a debt for now."
Shang laughed and pushed forward with his wings, storming at Tie Zheng. Red lines shot toward him, cutting everything they touched, but Shang danced through them and sent a volley of feathers in return. Tie Zheng tried to sidestep but was too late—a feather pierced his leg.
"Why isn't my artifact interfering with his attacks?" He saw Shang smiling, and then a fist smashed into his face. A wing slammed him forward, and he stumbled. "Damn it. I need to do something, or he'll break my token."
A storm of wind formed beneath him, lifting him into the air. He opened his eyes, pain flaring through his body, and then a kick drove him back down into the ground. Shang glided down gracefully and reached to pick him up.
"Ah, damn it. I shouldn't have listened to Master and just beaten everyone up. He was the one who told me to try and recruit some promising talents. Now I'm being beaten up by one. I'm sure he knew this would happen. That old pile of bones."
Tie Zheng formed a red beam and shot it at Shang, who dodged back just in time.
"Woah! Almost got me there, Officer." Shang looked at his wing and saw a hole burned through it. "Hey, now, this isn't nice."
Tie Zheng stood up, sweat dripping from his forehead. "Wanted to finish him with that, but he's too fast." He looked around. "At times like this, I wish the barbarian was here." Then he squinted. Two figures were approaching.
Shang noticed his distraction. "Is that some kind of trick? Trying to get me to look somewhere else so you can catch me by surprise? Sorry to disappoint, but that doesn't work on someone as careful as myself." He crossed his arms arrogantly.
Tie Zheng pointed at the two figures and sent a red beam toward them. Shang glanced back and saw Yu, supported by Kai, heading toward him. He raised his other wing—the beam hit it, growing weaker, and Kai shot a flame wave that stopped it completely.
"Damn. He actually wasn't bluffing," Shang thought.
Tie Zheng cursed. "Now I have to fight three people."
Shang grinned and shouted, "Hahahahaha! Did you really think you could beat us? The four brothers—me, Kai, Yu, and Li? Dream on, fool! No man can beat us!"
Kai and Yu silently reconsidered their decision to join Shang instead of Li.
Tie Zheng noticed more figures approaching—Yun Qiu, Xu Jin, and Zeng Shiyang coming to his side. Kai and Yu looked exhausted, and so did the trio that had just arrived. Tie Zheng wasn't in much better shape. Shang looked okay, but his Qi reserves were clearly depleted.
"Let's end it here, Shang. It's obvious both of us have lost a good portion of our Qi. The fact that you haven't healed your wings proves it."
Shang smiled. "Maybe I'm bluffing. Who knows?"
Tie Zheng studied him. Shang glanced at Yu, who sent a transmitting message: "Just leave. We're all too injured to fight."
"Speak for yourself," Shang shot back. "You look like you got beaten by a pack of dogs."
Yu laughed. "You should see the other two I fought. They look much worse."
Shang turned back to Tie Zheng. "Well, I can't really decide. I'm not the leader of our team—even I understand that I could rightfully be misunderstood as such, but it's Li. I'm heading to him to ask his opinion. Of course, you should join. Otherwise, your other friends might become too overwhelmed with all of us there."
Tie Zheng looked at Yun Qiu, who nodded. "I guess I can't let Xie Lang fight alone, especially since he sent his team to help."
They headed toward the main battle.
---
In another part of the forest, Xie Lang was in a two-against-one fight, with Zaisheng and Lin Shu beating him from both sides. Lin Shu took the heavy hits while Zaisheng disrupted Xie Lang's movements, making sure he couldn't find a rhythm.
Xie Lang cursed as he punched Zaisheng in the face, only to be headbutted by Lin Shu. Lin Shu grabbed him by the stomach, crushed him into the ground, and rained heavy punches down on him. Xie Lang had to protect his token with one hand and defend with just the other.
"Damn bastards. I called for my team to help me, and they went toward Tie Zheng instead. And because I used a lot of techniques fighting zaisheng earlier, I don't have enough Qi left to break through Li's armor."
Lin Shu kept punching, one after another, but Xie Lang's arm wouldn't move. "Zaisheng, beat him. Don't let him raise his arms."
Zaisheng obeyed. Xie Lang wondered what Lin Shu was planning—and then he saw where the Scorch Piercer was aimed. His face went white.
"DAMN IT, LI! YOU CHEAP BASTARD! DON'T YOU DARE DO THAT!"
Lin Shu smiled and pointed at a place no man wanted to be hit, especially not by something that could pierce through trees. Xie Lang exploded a great portion of his remaining Qi to push Lin Shu back, raised his legs, and kneed Zaisheng's arm. He rolled away quickly.
"THAT WAS A CHEAP MOVE, LI! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"
Lin Shu shrugged. "You tried doing the same thing to Zaisheng earlier. Why is it a problem now?"
Xie Lang didn't argue. He lunged at Zaisheng, wanting to finish him first.
Lin Shu rushed at Xie Lang, his gauntlet shaping into a blade. He tried to slash, but Xie Lang dodged. "Your blade skills suck!"
Xie Lang hit Lin Shu with the back of his heel to the face, throwing him off balance, and tried to punch him to the side. White flames exploded from the ground as Lin Shu hit Xie Lang with a kick wrapped in flames. Zaisheng jumped at Xie Lang, targeting his eyes. Xie Lang instinctively guarded them, and Zaisheng reached for the token—but just before he could grab it, Lin Shu kicked him away.
"Who said you could take that?"
The interruption gave Xie Lang time to protect his token again. Lin Shu stood in front of him.
"I have about thirty-five percent of my Infernal Force left. I'll use it all and shatter the token with his arm if I have to."
He hit Xie Lang's arm, and white flames exploded. Xie Lang struck a boulder and fell.
"Come on. Don't disappoint me again. I should have had like two hundred thousand points by now if it weren't for this place's hatred of my success."
Xie Lang's arm fell from his chest. The token was destroyed.
Lin Shu quickly checked his own token, moving the armor aside to see the number. A grin spread across his face. "Hahahahaha! I have over a hundred ten thousand points. There's no way I'll lose first place now. Screw this place."
He went to Aoyan, who had been keeping scavengers away. "Come on. We're getting out of here."
"Alright," she said, and they ran.
Shang, Kai, and Yu spotted them moving away. "Hey, Li! Wait up!"
Kai frowned. "Why are they running away? Shouldn't we finish these guys off?"
The answer came immediately.
"DEAR HUNTERS! WE NOW BRING YET ANOTHER UPDATED LIST! THE TENTH PLACE HOLDER IS YIN! THE NINTH PLACE HOLDER IS KAI! THE EIGHTH PLACE HOLDER IS HAOYU! THE SEVENTH PLACE HOLDER IS SHANG YUFENG! THE SIXTH PLACE HOLDER IS ZAISHENG! THE FIFTH PLACE HOLDER IS YU! THE FOURTH PLACE HOLDER IS HAN LEI! THE THIRD PLACE HOLDER IS LAN XIN! THE SECOND PLACE HOLDER IS TIE ZHENG! AND THE FIRST PLACE HOLDER IS STILL LI—NOW WITH OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND POINTS!"
---
The audience in the arena roared. The unexpected turn of events had electrified the crowd.
"Just who is that guy? It looks like he didn't get first place by luck—he fought Xie Lang and kept it!"
"Well, it's not really a surprise. He's the top fighter of Chi Yanqi."
Multiple voices murmured in understanding. "Well, if he's under Yanqi, it's not that surprising. But man, I wonder what the ex-general's face looks like right now."
Xie Tianhun's face was a mixture of anger and frustration. "That damned moron. Why did he keep fighting after he had already spent most of his Qi against Zaisheng? He's so smart yet so moronic. How can that contradiction even exist?"
Kuang Baotu laughed loudly at Tianhun, while Yanqi wore a satisfied smile.
"Now, what should I give him in exchange for the resonance?"
Lanyue couldn't hide her displeasure at Yanqi's happiness. "Don't get ahead of yourself. There are still a few hours left before the hunt ends. You never know."
Yanqi seized the opportunity. "Hahahaha! Are you embarrassed that your fighter lost to mine? You shouldn't be. There are things we simply cannot control—and you never beating me is an obvious one."
"Your fighter is a cheap player. He can't do anything fairly."
"You're one to talk! Hahahaha!"
Yanqi looked at Tianhun, who was being teased by Kuang Baotu. "Tianhun entrusted you with his disciple, but you've only brought him shame. If he had given me his disciple, I would have gotten him first place with ease."
Lanyue snorted. "Yeah, right. You would have had him babysit your precious disciple."
"What babysitting?" Yanqi shot back. "Aoyan has been handling herself just fine. And shouldn't you be worried about yourself? You joined the arena right after I did, trying to beat me, but you've lost every single time. When I started a team, you immediately did the same and even asked Tianhun to give you his disciple just so you could beat my team and say you beat me. But like I said, some things are just not meant to be, Lanyue."
Lanyue stared at him with pure anger.
Kuang Baotu's annoyed voice cut through their bickering. "Hey, where is that guy heading?"
He watched Lin Shu running away from the battlefield. "Does he think I'll let him hide while the hunt is still going?"
He ordered his subordinate to begin the final stage.
"Well, he'll have no choice but to join if he wants to keep the first spot."
Yanqi knew that whatever Baotu was planning would not be in Lin Shu's favor.
---
Lin Shu ran with Aoyan, leaving the others behind. They quickly followed—all of them were too tired to stay alone, and he seemed to be in the best condition.
"That traitor got first place and just took off," Shang complained. "How can he call himself our brother if he does that?"
"He never called himself that, though," Yu pointed out.
Shang turned deaf. "Oh, I know. It must be that weakling, Aoyan. We would have been in much better shape if it weren't for her. Damn Yanqi, sending us to babysit her."
Kai frowned. "You didn't even do anything to help. She's always been with Li. Why are you complaining?"
"You imbecile brother of mine, that is not the point!"
"And what is the point?" Yu asked.
Shang threw his arms wide. "That's the thing—there is no point! I'm just expressing my dissatisfaction with that weakling, running us brothers who long for FREEDOM!"
Kai tried to slip his foot in front of Shang's to make him trip, but Shang jumped and used his wings to land back in stride without missing a beat in his rant.
---
Back at the previous battlefield, Xie Lang lay on the ground, veins bulging on his face.
"I AM GOING TO KILL THEM! I AM GOING TO KILL THEMMMMMM!"
His thoughts were anything but peaceful. Everyone stood near him, either healing or fending off those who tried to attack them.
"He looks pissed," Xu Jin observed.
Yun Qiu nodded. "Well, he lost his points. You'd probably be in the same state if you had third place and lost it."
Zeng Shiyang added, "And he lost it to Li and Zaisheng teaming up on him. I guess he wasn't bluffing when he said they were on the same team."
Tie Zheng sat nearby, just as gloomy. "Didn't get anything. Only got injured in the last hours of the hunt. The sun has already risen—it's probably only four hours before the hunt ends."
Han Lei tended to his wounds. His sister and his two teammates did the same.
"I got beaten to a pulp by that Yu. My ears and eyes still hurt," Ouyi said.
Han Lei didn't speak. His anger was clear on his face. "That bastard seems to know a little too much about me. He has some grudge, but I don't remember making that kind of enemy—at least, not one who would know those kinds of things. Especially about Han Yi being a cripple in the past. Did I hear him wrong? He called her a cripple. Is that just an insult, or does he actually know about that? And if he does, could he be related to whoever attacked us years ago?"
Han Yi looked at the ground, lost in her own thoughts.
"So what now?" Xu Jin asked.
"We should stay together until we fully heal," Xiyao suggested.
Zeng Shiyang shook his head. "We won't wait. We're not as injured as you all, and we need to get Lang's points back."
Tie Zheng spoke up. "You can go look for Li, but you probably won't find him. The announcer has stopped giving his location. That's not the only thing—we've reached the last hours of the fifth day. Kuang Baotu has something prepared."
They looked at him expectantly.
"From what I gathered, he's going to put a Rank 2 beast in the middle of the forest. He'll place tokens in its territory for anyone to take, but you have to get past the beast without dying. He'll also reward whoever kills it with a lot of points. I don't know how much, though."
Everyone looked at him in shock.
"Did you say a Rank 2 beast? Is he crazy? Who's going to attack that?"
Xie Lang sat up, his rage cooling into something more focused. "Everyone will attack that. Including me. We are, in fact, a little crazy. Who wouldn't be, for a resonance?" He looked around. "I don't think you guys understand what a resonance is. It's not something you can just come by. It's something clans hide for decades, waiting for the right person. It's something no one would ever think of giving away. I'm still surprised Kuang Baotu even offered it. I would have called it a lie if it weren't him."
He pointed at Tie Zheng. "If you don't believe me, ask Tie Zheng. His master is an Ember Wake cultivator. He would know more than any of you."
Tie Zheng nodded. "Xie Lang is right. There's no chance that either of us won't go after the Rank 2 beast or Li. The resonance isn't something we can just let go. My master is an Ember Wake cultivator, but he told me he doesn't have one for me. That's how precious a resonance is. It can help your cultivation, your techniques, your path. In the current market—auctions, illegal ones, anywhere—a resonance of that rank is literally a full ticket to Rank 2 cultivation. If you give it away, you'll be given everything you need to reach that rank."
Xu Jin's eyes widened. "So if Li wins, he's rich, then?"
Xie Lang laughed bitterly. "Oh, really? I did some checking on Li. I didn't find much, but I'm sure he's just a rogue cultivator. He's never going to keep that resonance. His supposed master, Yanqi, would take it away from him. Of course, that's if the Chi Clan doesn't interfere first—offering protection as long as he hands it over. They'll give him some good things, but he'll never get the resonance it's not something people like him can keep for themselves."
Tie Zheng nodded. "That's right. Such precious things aren't exactly something someone like him can have. That's if he wins it, of course. Who knows? Anything can happen in the hunt, so we should—"
"DEAR HUNTERS! WE NOW BRING YOU THE FINAL STAGE OF THE EVENT! THE RADIUS OF THE MAP WILL BE DECREASED MULTIPLE TIMES, LEAVING IT WITH A RADIUS OF ONLY TWO LI! THE CURRENT LOCATION WILL BE DESIGNATED WITH GREEN LIGHTS FOR SAFE ZONES AND RED LIGHTS FOR UNSAFE ZONES! IN THE CENTER, THERE WILL BE FOUR PILLARS! ON TOP OF EACH PILLAR, THERE WILL BE ONE TOKEN WORTH TWENTY THOUSAND POINTS!"
Everyone looked at each other, greed flickering in their eyes. Their legs were already readying themselves to launch the moment the announcer mentioned the exact location.
"BUT THAT'S NOT ALL, OF COURSE! GUARDING THOSE PILLARS WILL BE TWO RANK 2 BLOODBEASTS! EACH BLOODBEAST WILL HAVE A BOUNTY OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND POINTS FOR WHOEVER KILLS IT! YOU HAVE FOUR HOURS UNTIL THE HUNT ENDS! SO SEEK YOUR VALOR!"