Seeing as it was only a simple arrow, the Young man decided to let it hit his armor. to not lose momentum.
He rushed to Zhi Rui, the arrow blasted on his chest. leaving smithereens behind him. When he was three steps from Zhi Rui, She smiled and leaped sideways. her body resembled dead leaves in the wind. The man saw he was gonna miss and put all his weight on his left foot and used the momentum t swing his sword at Zhi Rui.
'Thud' It smashed the ground. debris with dust flew around. The people were watching dumbfoundedly as Zhi Rui expertly moved weightlessly away from him.
She fired more bolts as he took his sword back. All of them hit, but none of them did any damage.
Annoyed, the man pulled his sword up and ran at her to close in. What he forgets, however, Blackie. She was sneaking up on him and with a leap, Blackie slashed her paw in the man's back, again it did nothing to hurt him only making he stumble forward.
his veins bulged and swung his sword behind him, but blackie had already gained distance.
He looked at the animal only to have three more bolts of arrow blast onto his shoulder. He turned back to Zhi Rui. his eyes red.
'Do they want to annoy me to death!?'
Enraged he raised his sword, but this time he stumbled with its weight, he suddenly realized he's short of breath, and his armor is heavier than normal. He activated his energy only to feel slimy transparent energy inside of him. with sweat all over he looked astounded at Zhi Rui who was standing in front of him with a grin. "T-the arrows?" he asked.
feeling his predicament he activated his skill and with double, the strength charged at her with maximum strength
"You're done!" he yelled. And his skin grew hairs and started bulging. Zhi Rui squinted, 'he used his gorilla skin skill. But too bad, it can protect well from a sword but not so much from blunt damage.'
As he raised stood in front of her n raised his sword high Zhi Rui mouthed to him "Look up."
Before he could think, a wheezing sound came from above, he looked up. but it was too late. He could only see a black thing falling into his head.
His helm fell off, he stumbled around with blood flowing on his face he managed to gain balance and dazedly looked around, his helm was crumpled on the ground. He tried to raise his sword again, but the weigh pulled him and he fell head first in the ground. He did not move. Now he was unconscious.
The whole arena was silent. They saw Zhi Rui moving like a feather and the man chasing relentlessly, they saw how the panther attacks distracted him and Zhi Rui took out a heavy mace from her pouch and threw it upward, and waited for him in place. For some reason, his expression changed and he became agitated and impatient, And without thinking twice he rushed on the static target. they all saw, the moment he started to approach Zhi Ru the mace returned to earth, it shifted direction and flew exactly at his head.
That precision and control. left people with open mouth.
But the elders and sect leader saw everything for its entirety. The arrows that Zhi Rui launched was a type of curse, and for an inexperient and unguarded person it scaled rapidly and left him with no vigor, and for the mace, she threw in the air and as the thing fell she materialized her energy and adjusted it's trajectory when it came with momentum.
Aurelio, the outer elder, was amazed, someone at level one just utterly defeated a level two without an attacking core. she used purely wits and deception.
Sect leader, Observed the expression of the people, he looked down at the Elders. some only raised their eyebrows, but most of them had impressed expressions, he himself frowned. he even heard whispers of some of them wanting to take her as a personal disciple.
He snorted. with a scrunched face.
Zhi Rui from the arena saw cleary the sect leaders expression.
'As I thought. through the forty years, I spend here, he never touched a good seedling, no matter how much irritated he was.'
Zhi Rui remembered. One time that she heard him commanding someone to sabotage a disciple, for whatever reason, and on that same night the sect trembled. and right the next morning he was smiling and rewarding that disciple a valuable artifact.
'Someone is keeping an eye on him and protecting the disciples. If I remain a good seedling. I'll be protected. I can use that as my cover. but I also cannot show too much talent otherwise I"ll be sent to the main sect'
As Zhi Rui thought, Zhun Xuyign started clapping and everybody followed.
Standing alone in the arena, Zhi Rui felt the pleasure of vanity. She smiled brightly. If she indulged herself a little more, she could see these people as hers, but she took that thought out her head.
She became stern as she looked at the tower maiden. "With the tower maidens' permission, I would like to go out for today, as I don't have any more fights until tomorrow." Zhi Rui Looked straight at her she never glanced at the sect leader, like most people.
The tower maiden was confused, she looked around but no one looked at her, except, the sect leader. He did not want to allow that, but she asked directly to the tower maiden. And by the sect laws, he couldn't intervene with her decision. He thought about the venerable's words 'Whatever you do in private is your problem, but in public, the sect rules are above anything.' The only thing he could do was glare at her To show his intention.
Behind the veil, she saw the gaze sect leader was giving her. She knew what he wanted, she also knew what awaited her if she did otherwise. But nonetheless, after these months this is the first time she could decide something with her own will. and though a miserably small amount, she wanted the pleasure of frustrating him and deciding in accord with her own wishes. Out of spite with she valiantly got up, and walked slowly the wind threw her robe around. she looked at Zhi Rui and blackie on the arena.
"Please, what you showed us today, is not common. you're a talented addition to this sect. And you're even more important to the healing of your kingdom. Please go with my blessing." She opened her arms wide as she spoke.
Zhi Rui knew just the feeling she had right now. she could almost feel it in herself. thus she smiled at the woman's bravery.
"Thank you tower maiden. I'll do as you told me."
Without looking to the sect leader. Zhi Rui said her goodbyes and went away with blackie. As she passed through the disciples cheered loudly.
Xun Lee looked at the contorted face of the sect leader and felt they just had a small victory.