Chapter 79: A Grandmaster in Action
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Chapter 79: A Grandmaster in Action
Edgar Allano and the Dao of Magic versus The Sage and the Dao of Divination!
Jack laughed, turning to the Sage. I still cant believe you registered The as your first name.
Blame them for insisting. The Sage laughed back. Now, if youll excuse me, I have a duel to attend to.
Jack nodded. Good luck to you both. May the best man win. They nodded back.
Edgar jumped off the stands and rode a blue cloud to the arena stage. The crowd cheered.
Opposite him, the Sage excused himself through the audience and reached the stairs. A few moments later, he appeared in the arena amidst kind laughter. Everyone knew him, by now; he was just like that.
Are you ready? Edgar asked him. Jack could see his friends resolve in his eyes, the tightening of his grip on the crystal-topped staff. He was handling the pressure well. The Sage, on the other hand, seemed nonplussed. His clothes were as ragged as ever, his teeth remained yellow, but his eyes were deeper than the ocean. As he stood there, under the cheers of thousands of people and the eyes of billions, he acted like this was another day in the park.
No need, my friend, the Sage said, laughing. I resign.
The audience froze for a moment before hushed whispers and less-hushed shouts erupted. Edgar blinked in surprise. He had been prepared for his toughest match so far.
What? he blurted out.
I know the limits of my power. I cannot defeat you, the Sage replied, smiling. In fact, I cannot even fight you. You would resist my charm, and then what? I am just a weak old man; I cant survive your magic. Its fine, its fine. I just resign.
The crowd booed a bit as Edgar shot the Sage a suspicious glance. Even Jack was surprised.
In fact, throughout the tournament, nobody had seen the Sage fight. All he did was arrive at the arena and point at his opponent, and they would resign. When asked later, none of them remembered what happened. They described it as an incredibly frustrating experience.
The one time the Sage lost in the first phase of the tournamentagainst Dormanhe had resigned immediately as well.
The winner is Edgar Allano, the head judge announced to a confused round of half-hearted cheers. Edgar reddened a bit as he flew back to his seat, while the Sage climbed up the stairs and again excused himself through the crowd.
Jack was sitting by himselfand Brock, of courseso he couldnt talk to Edgar, but he could imagine his thoughts.
At least he won, Jack told himself. Thats an extra hundred thousand credits, plus the fame of reaching the top eight. Hell get his fight in the next round.
He then refocused on the arena.
The next two fights were as impressive as the first ones. Besides the Sage, there were no duds in the finalists.
In one fight, Alexander Petrovic, the leader of Ice Peak, faced Sadaka, the second-in-command of Flame River. One was a hard-faced Russian man wearing a trenchcoat and gloves despite the pleasant weather. The other was a dark-skinned man wearing a red t-shirt and yellow pants in classic Flame River style.
The fight was impressive but short. Flames rose around Sadaka, shaping themselves as serpents. His hair and fingers caught on fire. He unleashed his full might at Alexander, who simply smacked his palms together. His movements were jagged, sharp, with no fluidity in them.
A large wall of ice materialized before Alexander, at least a foot thick. The fire serpents tried to crawl around it, but the temperature was so low they shrunk and gradually disappeared. The audience felt the cold and hastened to put on their jackets.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.
Alexander then waved a hand and collapsed the wall on Sadakas head. Sadaka burned like a torch as he roared and melted his way through the ice, but Alexander was there. A massive ice pick hovered over Sadakas head, falling and stopping inches before impaling him.
Sadaka met the Russians glacial gaze, gritted his teeth, and resigned. The audience cheered.
The next fight was Vivi versus Dana Fray, the elef scion. She was an elephant-shaped humanoid who used the Dao of Healing. She stood at nine feet tall and was surrounded by vivid green light that carried such power it made those who looked at it uncomfortable.
Vivi conjured two flame rivers and sent them rolling towards the elef. She also summoned a third one, which she folded in the space between them to limit the elefs visibility. Unfortunately, the elefs spells werent based solely on eyesight. Vivi screamed as she almost doubled over, her skin squirming as it tried to grow beyond its bounds. Doubtlessly, her insides were ravaged, too.
Li Xiang was simply watching, responding to everything with impossible precision and even setting up his next moves. Gan Salin was trying to be as unpredictable as possible, but Li Xiang knew what hed do next even before Gan Salin himself!
The strongest counter to insanity was consistency. Gan Salin stumbled. His body was not used to attacking frenziedly for this long with nothing connecting. He was almost cramping. His attacks weakened and slowed down, leaving more gaps for Li Xiang to exploit. More jabs snuck in, some as fists, some as chops, and others like hard finger stabs. No attack was heavy, but they added up.
Gan Salin found his entire body sore and in pain. His limbs werent responding properly.
This is unfair! he screamed in impotence. Youre cheating, old man!
This is the spirit of the world you want to conquer, Li Xiang replied calmly, merging his words into his breathing. Earth is great. Humans are strong. Next time, think twice.
Jack couldnt take his eyes off the fight. He was shivering.
The old mans advance had been slow but unerring, stretched over entire minutes without a single mistake or tiny flaw. He merged multiple martial arts at once, leaping from one stance to the other like they were all parts of the same whole and even inventing new martial arts on the fly like it was trivial. He always had the perfect answer for every situation. It was like playing rock-paper-scissors against someone who showed their hand after seeing yours.
He had no fancy moves, no active skills, no sky-high stats. His title was only the Planetary Frontrunner (100) version. He was just a grandmaster of martial arts.
I want to fight, old man! Gan Salin screamed again. At least let me show off my new moves! I didnt posture like that for noth
Suddenly, Gan Salins wrists passed by Li Xiangs hands at the same time. He shot out and grabbed them both, turning the blades away from him, then used Gan Salins momentum to pull both arms to the side, bringing their bodies close. In the same movement, he raised a knee.
Uh oh, was all Gan Salin could say before Li Xiangs knee hit his chin hard, shaking his head and making his eyes fuzzy. He instantly lost consciousness.
Li Xiang didnt push the attack. He released Gan Salins wrists and let him land on his back, then took two quick steps back.
Gan Salin recovered in the next moment.
Huh? he said, eyes blinking as they took in the blue, spotless sky through the arena ceiling. Oh! The fight!
He jumped up and looked around wildly, only to meet the old mans calm stare. You lost, Li Xiang declared.
What? I
Gan Salin has been rendered incapable of fighting. Li Xiang wins! the announcers voice cut him off, and the audience cheered as Gan Salin looked up in incomprehension.
Jack smiled wryly. Gan Salin had been knocked out. Even if it was only for a moment, the rules were clear. It wouldnt even matter if the judges cheated again and let them keep fightingLi Xiang was clearly the stronger fighter.
Gan Salin realized what had happened and his face soured. I couldnt even show off my new moves, he said, pointing at Li Xiang. Fuck you, old man. You should have died of old age mid-fight. Why does everyone keep bullying me in this tournament?
Show respect to seniors. Li Xiang responded strictly as Gan Salin stormed away and back to the scions section of the arena stands, where the curtain had been restored to its previous position by a djinn craftsman.
With this, the first day of the finals is over, the head judge announced, drawing the crowds attention. The remaining finalists are Dorman Whistles, Fesh Wui, Rufus Emberheart, Jack Rust, Edgar Allano, Alexander Petrovic, Vivi Eragorn, and Li Xiang. The next round will be held tomorrow, an hour after dawn. We expect you all here!
The audience roared in response, some cheering and others shouting various nonsensical things. A merchant called for people to buy corn. Jack ignored the people around him as he stood up.
The remaining fighters were no joke. A few of them even brought him deep apprehension. He would especially hate to fight Rufus Emberheart and Li Xiang. Rufus Emberhearts strength was so deep it was unfathomable, and as for Li Xiang Jack wasnt sure how he stacked up against the old man, but fighting him would be such a humbling experience that hed rather not have it. It would make his own martial arts seem completely childish in comparison.
Then again, maybe that was exactly what he needed to advance his Fistfighting skill into a Dao Skill, as Master Shol had instructed. Before that, he also had to advance his Parkour and Drill Skills to the third tier. He could feel he was close.
And that meant
Jacks eyes narrowed. Training. A ton of it. I cant fucking lose. And I must find a way to escape my impending doom, too.
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Chapter 79: A Grandmaster in Action
Edgar Allano and the Dao of Magic versus The Sage and the Dao of Divination!
Jack laughed, turning to the Sage. I still cant believe you registered The as your first name.
Blame them for insisting. The Sage laughed back. Now, if youll excuse me, I have a duel to attend to.
Jack nodded. Good luck to you both. May the best man win. They nodded back.
Edgar jumped off the stands and rode a blue cloud to the arena stage. The crowd cheered.
Opposite him, the Sage excused himself through the audience and reached the stairs. A few moments later, he appeared in the arena amidst kind laughter. Everyone knew him, by now; he was just like that.
Are you ready? Edgar asked him. Jack could see his friends resolve in his eyes, the tightening of his grip on the crystal-topped staff. He was handling the pressure well. The Sage, on the other hand, seemed nonplussed. His clothes were as ragged as ever, his teeth remained yellow, but his eyes were deeper than the ocean. As he stood there, under the cheers of thousands of people and the eyes of billions, he acted like this was another day in the park.
No need, my friend, the Sage said, laughing. I resign.
The audience froze for a moment before hushed whispers and less-hushed shouts erupted. Edgar blinked in surprise. He had been prepared for his toughest match so far.
What? he blurted out.
I know the limits of my power. I cannot defeat you, the Sage replied, smiling. In fact, I cannot even fight you. You would resist my charm, and then what? I am just a weak old man; I cant survive your magic. Its fine, its fine. I just resign.
The crowd booed a bit as Edgar shot the Sage a suspicious glance. Even Jack was surprised.
In fact, throughout the tournament, nobody had seen the Sage fight. All he did was arrive at the arena and point at his opponent, and they would resign. When asked later, none of them remembered what happened. They described it as an incredibly frustrating experience.
The one time the Sage lost in the first phase of the tournamentagainst Dormanhe had resigned immediately as well.
The winner is Edgar Allano, the head judge announced to a confused round of half-hearted cheers. Edgar reddened a bit as he flew back to his seat, while the Sage climbed up the stairs and again excused himself through the crowd.
Jack was sitting by himselfand Brock, of courseso he couldnt talk to Edgar, but he could imagine his thoughts.
At least he won, Jack told himself. Thats an extra hundred thousand credits, plus the fame of reaching the top eight. Hell get his fight in the next round.
He then refocused on the arena.
The next two fights were as impressive as the first ones. Besides the Sage, there were no duds in the finalists.
In one fight, Alexander Petrovic, the leader of Ice Peak, faced Sadaka, the second-in-command of Flame River. One was a hard-faced Russian man wearing a trenchcoat and gloves despite the pleasant weather. The other was a dark-skinned man wearing a red t-shirt and yellow pants in classic Flame River style.
The fight was impressive but short. Flames rose around Sadaka, shaping themselves as serpents. His hair and fingers caught on fire. He unleashed his full might at Alexander, who simply smacked his palms together. His movements were jagged, sharp, with no fluidity in them.
A large wall of ice materialized before Alexander, at least a foot thick. The fire serpents tried to crawl around it, but the temperature was so low they shrunk and gradually disappeared. The audience felt the cold and hastened to put on their jackets.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.
Alexander then waved a hand and collapsed the wall on Sadakas head. Sadaka burned like a torch as he roared and melted his way through the ice, but Alexander was there. A massive ice pick hovered over Sadakas head, falling and stopping inches before impaling him.
Sadaka met the Russians glacial gaze, gritted his teeth, and resigned. The audience cheered.
The next fight was Vivi versus Dana Fray, the elef scion. She was an elephant-shaped humanoid who used the Dao of Healing. She stood at nine feet tall and was surrounded by vivid green light that carried such power it made those who looked at it uncomfortable.
Vivi conjured two flame rivers and sent them rolling towards the elef. She also summoned a third one, which she folded in the space between them to limit the elefs visibility. Unfortunately, the elefs spells werent based solely on eyesight. Vivi screamed as she almost doubled over, her skin squirming as it tried to grow beyond its bounds. Doubtlessly, her insides were ravaged, too.
Li Xiang was simply watching, responding to everything with impossible precision and even setting up his next moves. Gan Salin was trying to be as unpredictable as possible, but Li Xiang knew what hed do next even before Gan Salin himself!
The strongest counter to insanity was consistency. Gan Salin stumbled. His body was not used to attacking frenziedly for this long with nothing connecting. He was almost cramping. His attacks weakened and slowed down, leaving more gaps for Li Xiang to exploit. More jabs snuck in, some as fists, some as chops, and others like hard finger stabs. No attack was heavy, but they added up.
Gan Salin found his entire body sore and in pain. His limbs werent responding properly.
This is unfair! he screamed in impotence. Youre cheating, old man!
This is the spirit of the world you want to conquer, Li Xiang replied calmly, merging his words into his breathing. Earth is great. Humans are strong. Next time, think twice.
Jack couldnt take his eyes off the fight. He was shivering.
The old mans advance had been slow but unerring, stretched over entire minutes without a single mistake or tiny flaw. He merged multiple martial arts at once, leaping from one stance to the other like they were all parts of the same whole and even inventing new martial arts on the fly like it was trivial. He always had the perfect answer for every situation. It was like playing rock-paper-scissors against someone who showed their hand after seeing yours.
He had no fancy moves, no active skills, no sky-high stats. His title was only the Planetary Frontrunner (100) version. He was just a grandmaster of martial arts.
I want to fight, old man! Gan Salin screamed again. At least let me show off my new moves! I didnt posture like that for noth
Suddenly, Gan Salins wrists passed by Li Xiangs hands at the same time. He shot out and grabbed them both, turning the blades away from him, then used Gan Salins momentum to pull both arms to the side, bringing their bodies close. In the same movement, he raised a knee.
Uh oh, was all Gan Salin could say before Li Xiangs knee hit his chin hard, shaking his head and making his eyes fuzzy. He instantly lost consciousness.
Li Xiang didnt push the attack. He released Gan Salins wrists and let him land on his back, then took two quick steps back.
Gan Salin recovered in the next moment.
Huh? he said, eyes blinking as they took in the blue, spotless sky through the arena ceiling. Oh! The fight!
He jumped up and looked around wildly, only to meet the old mans calm stare. You lost, Li Xiang declared.
What? I
Gan Salin has been rendered incapable of fighting. Li Xiang wins! the announcers voice cut him off, and the audience cheered as Gan Salin looked up in incomprehension.
Jack smiled wryly. Gan Salin had been knocked out. Even if it was only for a moment, the rules were clear. It wouldnt even matter if the judges cheated again and let them keep fightingLi Xiang was clearly the stronger fighter.
Gan Salin realized what had happened and his face soured. I couldnt even show off my new moves, he said, pointing at Li Xiang. Fuck you, old man. You should have died of old age mid-fight. Why does everyone keep bullying me in this tournament?
Show respect to seniors. Li Xiang responded strictly as Gan Salin stormed away and back to the scions section of the arena stands, where the curtain had been restored to its previous position by a djinn craftsman.
With this, the first day of the finals is over, the head judge announced, drawing the crowds attention. The remaining finalists are Dorman Whistles, Fesh Wui, Rufus Emberheart, Jack Rust, Edgar Allano, Alexander Petrovic, Vivi Eragorn, and Li Xiang. The next round will be held tomorrow, an hour after dawn. We expect you all here!
The audience roared in response, some cheering and others shouting various nonsensical things. A merchant called for people to buy corn. Jack ignored the people around him as he stood up.
The remaining fighters were no joke. A few of them even brought him deep apprehension. He would especially hate to fight Rufus Emberheart and Li Xiang. Rufus Emberhearts strength was so deep it was unfathomable, and as for Li Xiang Jack wasnt sure how he stacked up against the old man, but fighting him would be such a humbling experience that hed rather not have it. It would make his own martial arts seem completely childish in comparison.
Then again, maybe that was exactly what he needed to advance his Fistfighting skill into a Dao Skill, as Master Shol had instructed. Before that, he also had to advance his Parkour and Drill Skills to the third tier. He could feel he was close.
And that meant
Jacks eyes narrowed. Training. A ton of it. I cant fucking lose. And I must find a way to escape my impending doom, too.
Chapter 79: A Grandmaster in ActionEdgar Allano and the Dao of Magic versus The Sage and the Dao of Divination!Jack laughed, turning to the Sage. I still cant believe you registered The as your first name.Blame them for insisting. The Sage laughed back. Now, if youll excuse me, I have a duel to attend to.Jack nodded. Good luck to you both. May the best man win. They nodded back.Edgar jumped off the stands and rode a blue cloud to the arena stage. The crowd cheered.Opposite him, the Sage excused himself through the audience and reached the stairs. A few moments later, he appeared in the arena amidst kind laughter. Everyone knew him, by now; he was just like that.Are you ready? Edgar asked him. Jack could see his friends resolve in his eyes, the tightening of his grip on the crystal-topped staff. He was handling the pressure well. The Sage, on the other hand, seemed nonplussed. His clothes were as ragged as ever, his teeth remained yellow, but his eyes were deeper than the ocean. As he stood there, under the cheers of thousands of people and the eyes of billions, he acted like this was another day in the park.No need, my friend, the Sage said, laughing. I resign.The audience froze for a moment before hushed whispers and less-hushed shouts erupted. Edgar blinked in surprise. He had been prepared for his toughest match so far.What? he blurted out.I know the limits of my power. I cannot defeat you, the Sage replied, smiling. In fact, I cannot even fight you. You would resist my charm, and then what? I am just a weak old man; I cant survive your magic. Its fine, its fine. I just resign.The crowd booed a bit as Edgar shot the Sage a suspicious glance. Even Jack was surprised.In fact, throughout the tournament, nobody had seen the Sage fight. All he did was arrive at the arena and point at his opponent, and they would resign. When asked later, none of them remembered what happened. They described it as an incredibly frustrating experience.The one time the Sage lost in the first phase of the tournamentagainst Dormanhe had resigned immediately as well.The winner is Edgar Allano, the head judge announced to a confused round of half-hearted cheers. Edgar reddened a bit as he flew back to his seat, while the Sage climbed up the stairs and again excused himself through the crowd.Jack was sitting by himselfand Brock, of courseso he couldnt talk to Edgar, but he could imagine his thoughts.At least he won, Jack told himself. Thats an extra hundred thousand credits, plus the fame of reaching the top eight. Hell get his fight in the next round.He then refocused on the arena.The next two fights were as impressive as the first ones. Besides the Sage, there were no duds in the finalists.In one fight, Alexander Petrovic, the leader of Ice Peak, faced Sadaka, the second-in-command of Flame River. One was a hard-faced Russian man wearing a trenchcoat and gloves despite the pleasant weather. The other was a dark-skinned man wearing a red t-shirt and yellow pants in classic Flame River style.The fight was impressive but short. Flames rose around Sadaka, shaping themselves as serpents. His hair and fingers caught on fire. He unleashed his full might at Alexander, who simply smacked his palms together. His movements were jagged, sharp, with no fluidity in them.A large wall of ice materialized before Alexander, at least a foot thick. The fire serpents tried to crawl around it, but the temperature was so low they shrunk and gradually disappeared. The audience felt the cold and hastened to put on their jackets.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.Alexander then waved a hand and collapsed the wall on Sadakas head. Sadaka burned like a torch as he roared and melted his way through the ice, but Alexander was there. A massive ice pick hovered over Sadakas head, falling and stopping inches before impaling him.Sadaka met the Russians glacial gaze, gritted his teeth, and resigned. The audience cheered.The next fight was Vivi versus Dana Fray, the elef scion. She was an elephant-shaped humanoid who used the Dao of Healing. She stood at nine feet tall and was surrounded by vivid green light that carried such power it made those who looked at it uncomfortable.Vivi conjured two flame rivers and sent them rolling towards the elef. She also summoned a third one, which she folded in the space between them to limit the elefs visibility. Unfortunately, the elefs spells werent based solely on eyesight. Vivi screamed as she almost doubled over, her skin squirming as it tried to grow beyond its bounds. Doubtlessly, her insides were ravaged, too.Li Xiang was simply watching, responding to everything with impossible precision and even setting up his next moves. Gan Salin was trying to be as unpredictable as possible, but Li Xiang knew what hed do next even before Gan Salin himself!The strongest counter to insanity was consistency. Gan Salin stumbled. His body was not used to attacking frenziedly for this long with nothing connecting. He was almost cramping. His attacks weakened and slowed down, leaving more gaps for Li Xiang to exploit. More jabs snuck in, some as fists, some as chops, and others like hard finger stabs. No attack was heavy, but they added up.Gan Salin found his entire body sore and in pain. His limbs werent responding properly.This is unfair! he screamed in impotence. Youre cheating, old man!This is the spirit of the world you want to conquer, Li Xiang replied calmly, merging his words into his breathing. Earth is great. Humans are strong. Next time, think twice.Jack couldnt take his eyes off the fight. He was shivering.The old mans advance had been slow but unerring, stretched over entire minutes without a single mistake or tiny flaw. He merged multiple martial arts at once, leaping from one stance to the other like they were all parts of the same whole and even inventing new martial arts on the fly like it was trivial. He always had the perfect answer for every situation. It was like playing rock-paper-scissors against someone who showed their hand after seeing yours.He had no fancy moves, no active skills, no sky-high stats. His title was only the Planetary Frontrunner 100 version. He was just a grandmaster of martial arts.I want to fight, old man! Gan Salin screamed again. At least let me show off my new moves! I didnt posture like that for nothSuddenly, Gan Salins wrists passed by Li Xiangs hands at the same time. He shot out and grabbed them both, turning the blades away from him, then used Gan Salins momentum to pull both arms to the side, bringing their bodies close. In the same movement, he raised a knee.Uh oh, was all Gan Salin could say before Li Xiangs knee hit his chin hard, shaking his head and making his eyes fuzzy. He instantly lost consciousness.Li Xiang didnt push the attack. He released Gan Salins wrists and let him land on his back, then took two quick steps back.Gan Salin recovered in the next moment.Huh? he said, eyes blinking as they took in the blue, spotless sky through the arena ceiling. Oh! The fight!He jumped up and looked around wildly, only to meet the old mans calm stare. You lost, Li Xiang declared.What? IGan Salin has been rendered incapable of fighting. Li Xiang wins! the announcers voice cut him off, and the audience cheered as Gan Salin looked up in incomprehension.Jack smiled wryly. Gan Salin had been knocked out. Even if it was only for a moment, the rules were clear. It wouldnt even matter if the judges cheated again and let them keep fightingLi Xiang was clearly the stronger fighter.Gan Salin realized what had happened and his face soured. I couldnt even show off my new moves, he said, pointing at Li Xiang. Fuck you, old man. You should have died of old age mid-fight. Why does everyone keep bullying me in this tournament?Show respect to seniors. Li Xiang responded strictly as Gan Salin stormed away and back to the scions section of the arena stands, where the curtain had been restored to its previous position by a djinn craftsman.With this, the first day of the finals is over, the head judge announced, drawing the crowds attention. The remaining finalists are Dorman Whistles, Fesh Wui, Rufus Emberheart, Jack Rust, Edgar Allano, Alexander Petrovic, Vivi Eragorn, and Li Xiang. The next round will be held tomorrow, an hour after dawn. We expect you all here!The audience roared in response, some cheering and others shouting various nonsensical things. A merchant called for people to buy corn. Jack ignored the people around him as he stood up.The remaining fighters were no joke. A few of them even brought him deep apprehension. He would especially hate to fight Rufus Emberheart and Li Xiang. Rufus Emberhearts strength was so deep it was unfathomable, and as for Li Xiang Jack wasnt sure how he stacked up against the old man, but fighting him would be such a humbling experience that hed rather not have it. It would make his own martial arts seem completely childish in comparison.Then again, maybe that was exactly what he needed to advance his Fistfighting skill into a Dao Skill, as Master Shol had instructed. Before that, he also had to advance his Parkour and Drill Skills to the third tier. He could feel he was close.And that meantJacks eyes narrowed. Training. A ton of it. I cant fucking lose. And I must find a way to escape my impending doom, too.
