Chương 358: Chapter 304: Attention

~~~ Blades of wind come at Xiao Fang one after another. Trees so large that a chain of thirty people would be unable to go around even the thinnest of them are sliced in an instant. The crimson forest trembles every time one falls. Nevertheless, Xiao Fang remains unharmed. The former Young Master of the Xiao Sect easily dodges the countless attacks, leaping from one branch to the next. Though the wind blades are visually impressive, neither their power nor speed is particularly noteworthy.

Already, Xiao Fang has located the Qi of his foe, and he can say with certainty that he is not a member of one of the Four Great Sects. That tells him all he needs to know about how to handle this fight. [Ground Contraction] Three miles go by in an instant. His foe does not have time to express surprise before Xiao Fang's hand wraps around his neck. An undignified squawk leaves his mouth as Xiao Fang slams him against a tree and presses his hand into his abdomen.

[Void Fist] The powerful distortion rips through the man's internal organs. Xiao Fang holds back enough to avoid killing him, but he is no longer in any condition to fight him. Depending on his exact level of cultivation, he might be completely out of the second stage. Sure enough, the red skies become darker, and the clouds write a message for all the participants to see. One Hundred Participants Remain. Xiao Fang's eyes gleam with anticipation. Only thirty-six more eliminations until the second stage ends.

It is the place Xiao Nan would have reached had he not encountered Feng Zhuo of the Eternal Flame Clan. However, first things first.

"You are going to answer a few questions of mine," Xiao Fang says, his hand still wrapped around the man's throat and his palm still pressed into his chest, reminding him of the danger he's in.

"Ah.. Ah…"

"Do not even pretend you cannot talk," Xiao Fang says as the man's mouth makes useless sounds.

"I know I left your lungs in good enough condition." Suddenly, his eyes narrow. He takes in his opponent's dull brown and white robes and the autumn leaves patterns on them.

"You are from the Empty Branch Sect," he says in realization. His gaze turns accusing.

"What is the meaning of this?! My father saved your Sect Master's life when they were young! Are the disciples of the Empty Branch Sect taught to repay good with evil?" The disciple of the Empty Branch Sect averts his gaze. Shame is visible in his eyes.

"Answer me!" Xiao Fang hisses, raising his Qi.

"I…I know!" the disciple wheezes.

"We were grateful to your father and the Xiao Sect for many years, but your father perished! His protection has left us! This was… this was the only way."

"You were threatened," Xiao Fang realizes.

"Not directly," the disciple says.

"It is... It is shameful to admit it, but we depend on the protection of those mightier than us to survive. Without it..." Xiao Fang clenches his teeth. Unfortunately, this is what he expected. The Xiao Sect has quite a few minor Sects under its sphere of influence, and they do not need to threaten them with violence to make them do their bidding. They just need to imply they will no longer offer their protection.

"Did they order you to go after me?" Xiao Fang asks, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," the disciple admits, "but it was not just the Xiao Sect! It was-""The Endlessly Raging Valley," Xiao Fang finishes for him. The disciple nods.

"You were too bold. Your actions could not go without a response. You are to be eliminated during the second stage," he says.

"That's what they ordered all of us to do."

"All of us?" Xiao Fang asks.

"When you say all of us, does that mean-" A hammer of wind slams down on them from the heavens, flattening every tree within a hundred yards. The disciple of the Empty Branch Sect dies as the answer to Xiao Fang's question reveals itself. Those from Sects subordinate to the Endlessly Raging Valley were told to go after him. Xiao Fang can detect five presences nearing. They move through the forest in perfect synchronicity, surrounding him and cutting off his escape routes without revealing themselves.

That's just as well. Xiao Fang never had any intention of running. [All Consuming Heavenly Void] Clapping his hands together, Xiao Fang unleashes his attack. Light and sound fade away, and everything is devoured by the all-consuming blackness of one of the Xiao Sect's strongest techniques. It is not the sort of power Xiao Fang can keep up indefinitely, but he does not need to. The sight of his technique expanding and devouring the forest is enough to make his foes panic and back away.

It is exactly what Xiao Fang is waiting for. [Ground Contraction] Xiao Fang drops his technique and dashes towards the one closest. It is a girl with a brown ponytail dressed in orange robes. A blade of wind begins to appear in her hand, but surprise has slowed her down just enough. His foot slams into the side of her neck. Then, he twists his body and drives his elbow into her gut. One down. A powerful wind blows through the forest, slamming into Xiao Fang and trying to break his bones.

However, the former Young Master of the Xiao Sect quickly uses [Void Fist] to create an empty space next to him, diverting the force of the wind. Branches erupt from the ground to hold him down, but they wither and turn into sand when they touch his body. Xiao Fang blurs through the forest, chaining [Ground Contraction] after [Ground Contraction]. The wind user, a blond man wielding a large hammer, barely has time to express surprise before Xiao Fang's fist shatters his hammer and slams into his torso.

He twists his fingers and unleashes his technique. [Void Fist] Powerful. Beautiful. Final. That is the Xiao Sect's signature move. The plant manipulator tries to take advantage of the opening, but his technique is useless against Xiao Fang. The Young Master's fist slams into his jaw, rattling his brain. Twisting on his heel, Xiao Fang raises his leg high and slams it into his skull for good measure, breaking it. Three down. The remaining two attack him from behind.

[Breath of Winter] You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. A wind cold enough to make Xiao Fang shiver sweeps through the forest. His would-be attackers fall over, their bodies completely frozen. Xiao Fang looks beyond them and finds the culprit.

"I had it handled," Xiao Fang says once Shen Mi is close enough. Like always, she is dressed in the blue robes of the Divine Frozen Palace. A white veil covers her face.

"However, your help is appreciated."

"Appreciated? How very kind of you to say so. I would never know if I was appreciated otherwise," Shen Mi says in a far colder tone than he is used to.

"Who knows? I might even think I was being bothersome." Xiao Fang studies her carefully. The disciple of the Divine Frozen Palace was sent to aid him many years ago. Haughty, more powerful than him, and with a marked tendency to ignore his orders, Shen Mi had been someone Xiao Fang had instantly disliked. However, he would be lying if he said he had not grown to… appreciate her companionship over the years. She had helped him countless times and saved his life more than once.

In many ways, she is the person closest to him. That is how he can tell she is downright livid. He might not be able to see her face, but he does not need to. Her anger is easy to read in the tenseness of her shoulders and the coldness of her aura. For some reason, Xiao Fang is reminded of those old stories about frozen witches hiding in the mountains told to scare children.

"Is something wrong?" He asks.

"Did the Divine Frozen Palace give you any instructions?" As the air becomes colder and the trees frost over, Xiao Fang realizes that was the wrong thing to say. Shen Mi's blue eyes shine coldly through her veil.

"Of course. Of course!" Shen Mei says.

"That is what I am, right? Your liaison to the Divine Frozen Palace. Just an aid to your little quest." Xiao Fang stays silent, suddenly wishing he had paid more attention to Xiao Nan whenever he talked to him about women. Come to think of it, even Xiao Heng tried to talk to him about Shen Mi once or twice, but he hadn't taken him seriously. Who'd ever trust that guy's opinion on women?

"Is this about what we discussed before I left for Imperial Cloud City?" The cold intensifies, hitting him like a physical force. Anger becomes intent, and shards of ice, each sharper than a blade, appear around Shen Mi.

"You cannot possibly be serious!" Xiao Fang yells.

"Do you remember what I said about our veils?" Shen Mi asks, her voice deceptively calm.

"Of course, I remember!" Xiao Nan says, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. She said it so often it had become inane to him.

"Women of the Divine Frozen Palace are all so beautiful they hide their faces to spare the rest of us the mystery of forever lusting after what can never be ours."

"That's right," Shen Mi says, nodding.

"We like saying that. It adds to our mystique, but the truth is that any sufficiently high-level cultivator becomes beautiful. Our tendency towards the feminine Yin merely enhances that factor. Still, that does not mean we don't like wearing our veils. They have become part of our tradition, though some take it more seriously than others. So tell me, if we wear our veils to prevent others from becoming obsessed with us, what does it mean when we willingly remove our veil in front of a man?"

"I don't have time for-" Xiao Fang's angry retort suddenly stops as he remembers his last conversation with Shen Mi before he left for Crimson Cloud City. She had removed her veil for him… and what she said back then…and what he had said had been…oh… Oh.

"Even so!" Xiao Fang says, realizing it is far too late for anything trite as an apology.

"You cannot possibly mean to fight me in the middle of a tournament!" A nearby tree implodes from the cold.

"Why not?" Shen Mi asks with cold indifference.

"If you are worried about being knocked out, do not be. I'll be gentle. We still need you to participate in the third stage. After that, well, you'll be too busy with the Xiao Sect to pay attention to anything that is a banal distraction not worthy of your attention." In hindsight, that had been a poor choice of words. A lesser person, Xiao Fang imagines as his Qi rises, might have tried to apologize. However, words are meaningless at this juncture. Shen Mi, just like himself, is a powerful cultivator.

And for powerful cultivators, violence and dialogue are often the same thing. [Thorns of Winter] [Void Fist] Shen Mi's technique launches hundreds of razor-sharp shards of ice at him like a never-ending hail of arrows. However, all of them are stopped by the area of emptiness created by his [Void Fist]. Xiao Fang wishes, not for the first time, that he was skilled enough to use [Engulfing Void]. However, that technique requires more finesse than he possesses. Shen Mi's form blurs.

The area is suddenly engulfed in a dense mist, and her Qi becomes harder to sense. Xiao Fang turns just in time. His hand hardens as he catches the blade of ice growing from Shen Mi's arm. Their eyes meet through her veil as their wills clash. Against all his better judgment, a grin forms on Xiao Fang's face. Even angry, she's beautiful. He does not need to see her face to know that, and that he can see her lose control like this because of him is a point of pride for him.

The two suddenly jump away from each other. A blade of wind cuts through the land an instant later. Its power is far greater than the attack the disciple of the Empty Branch Sect used. This blade is so thin Xiao Fang almost cannot see it, yet the cut it leaves behind stretches for over a mile.

"How rude," Shen Mi says, her usual haughtiness returning to her as she turns in the direction where the attack came from. Xiao Fang immediately finds himself missing her earlier energy.

"Do you not know it is impolite to interrupt an argument? Please step closer so I might educate you on interfering with matters that do not concern you."

"Oh, but they do concern me," comes a voice from the forest as a man steps through the icy mist. Xiao Fang immediately recognizes the robes of the Xiao Sect, but this person's face is not among the ones in the files given to him by Li Boqin.

"You are not of the Xiao Sect," Xiao Fang says immediately.

"I do believe I am," the man says, looking down at his robes.

"I can only be thankful the Matriarch saw fit to accept me into the Sect and bestow me such honors on such little time. It is a pleasure to meet you, former Young Master Xiao Fang. I am Ruan Dafeng."

"Ruan," Shen Mi says distastefully.

"That makes you a member of the Endlessly Raging Valley." Xiao Fang laughs.

"So that is how it is! The Xiao Sect my Aunt raised is truly incapable! They cannot stop me, so they have to rely on you to do it! Shameful!"

"You see the proof of our alliance and find it shameful?" Ruan Dafeng asks, shaking his head.

"How regrettable, Young Master. You truly need to talk to your Aunt."

"He does not need to do anything," Shen Mi says, her Qi flaring brightly alongside Xiao Fang's.

"You made a mistake coming here. You are outnumbered."

"He is not." Shen Mi and Xiao Fang narrow their eyes as someone else steps beside Ruan Dafeng. He is wearing the green robes of the Endlessly Raging Valley, but that does not stop them from noticing the obvious. The two are identical.

"If the Divine Frozen Palace insists on meddling, it is only fair that the Endlessly Raging Valley responds in kind."

"Quite right, brother."

"Meddling? How very shameless of you," Shen Mi says as ice forms over her body.

"What else can be expected from a pack of thieves?" Xiao Fang says. His Qi is every bit as angry as hers.

"Let's show them we are superior and end this here and now!"

"You're finally saying something I like to hear." Without warning, the twin from the Endlessly Raging Valley claps his hands together, blowing away the mist as Ruan Dafeng brings down his hands, unleashing several blades of wind toward them. Shen Mi raises up a transparent wall of ice to block them without losing line of sight, and Xiao Fang unleashes his technique in the space between the twins. [Void Fist] ~~~ The audience goes wild. Their cheers have become so loud that they echo throughout the city.

It is not that the fights they have seen thus far have been lackluster. However, as the weaker fighters were eliminated, the paths of those strongest had no choice but to collide. Finally, the Four Great Sects have taken center stage. The valorous Chen Guo of the Infinite Mountain Sect fights against two disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan at the same time as Endlessly Raging Valley clashes against the Divine Frozen Palace. These are the elite among the elite.

The money people have put on the line betting on their fights is more than what most small countries possess. Nothing less will do when betting on representatives of the Four Great Sects. Every blow takes their breath away. Every technique is a work of art. They wish for the violent dance to continue forever more, yet they also know the second stage could end at any time. As more people cross paths, the fights keep happening. A man from the Eternal Flame Clan holds his beaten opponent by the neck.

A woman of the Divine Frozen Palace stands in a frozen wasteland, surrounded by her defeated foes. It's obvious there is not much time left. Even so, they wish. One more breath. One more exchange. A triumph! A victor! A champion! Alas, the Heavens are not so kind. The second stage is brought to a close. ~~