After he grasped the gains he made from cultivating, Shui waited inside his room for night to fall. He had predicted beforehand that there would be people wanting to contact him, and after a subtle check with his spiritual sense, he could tell that there were a few presences lingering about. Of course, that alone didn't prove their affiliation, but since he already had plans, he didn't want there to be any trouble.
It was a calm night in Silver City, and Shui had no problem slipping out of Storm Sky Manor. Escaping the city also went smoothly since the measures to prevent people from leaving were limited to just the guards when there wasn't any trouble. The guards may have been in the Earth Realm, but whether it was hypnotizing or hiding from them, he could do it easily.
Shui went to the location specified in the jade plaque given by Nathan. He didn't worry about if there was a trap, since he was confident that he would be able to see through it and that that guy wasn't the type to set one up.
The scene was a barren area with boulders in place of any trees, north from the city and far enough to fight without alerting anyone.
"You're here."
When Shui arrived at the location, Nathan was already waiting for him.
"Of course I am. Did you think I would hide?"
As if they had some agreement, neither wore the coats that proved that they belonged to Storm Sky Manor. It was proof that this wasn't a fight between fellow disciples, but one purely between rivals.
"No," Nathan shook his head, "I was sure you would come. As sure as I am about the outcome of this fight."
"Oh, I didn't know you had already accepted your loss."
Nathan gave a short chuckle in response before continuing.
"We'll see about that."
"Heh, is it that cultivation of yours that's giving you such confidence?"
He had tried to hide it, but Shui easily saw through Nathan's cultivation. He had made it past Soul Realm and was now at the first level of the Earth Realm. Normally, a match between someone in the Earth Realm and someone in early Soul Realm wouldn't be interesting, but neither thought this would be so straightforward.
"Why don't you see, for yourself!"
Without warning, Nathan pounced at Shui with his right fist wrapped in black wind. With one look, Shui knew that this wind was poisonous. He was certain he could resist it, but instead of just using a normal barrier, he used one with 'Purify'. When the fist collided with the barrier, the black wind turned clear, but it still tore up the ground around him. Even though the barrier was unharmed, Shui allowed himself to be pushed back several steps. Nathan then took out a dark purple spear and swung it at him. This time, Shui didn't rely on his barrier and instead evaded the swing.
"Following after your father? Let's see how good you are."
'Come, Sui!'
Shui tapped his chest, grabbed the hilt that appeared and dragged it out. Nathan raised an eyebrow at the odd shape of the blade, but he quickly reinitiated his offense. This time, Shui parried the spear before countering with his own slash. Though Nathan managed to hold his ground, he grunted as he felt the force transmitted from Shui.
'How is he so strong?'
After a few more clashes, Nathan knew that he couldn't gain an advantage like this, so he unleashed a burst of black wind that forced Shui back.
'How troublesome.'
The force behind the wind was no threat to Shui, but he was reluctant to make contact with the ominous spell.
With new distance between them, Nathan took the opportunity to use the advantage of his higher cultivation. By twirling his spear, he summoned a black tornado around him that spun towards Shui. As an Earth Realm cultivator, Nathan could maintain high control over his spells even after they were released. From the dwelling that it made inside him, a certain evil spirit watched as he controlled the tornado. Right now things seemed even, but it was sure that would soon change.
The tornado devastated the land that it passed over, but there was no fear in Shui's heart. He held Sui in his left hand and aimed the palm of his right hand at the tornado. It took some focus but Shui turned the ground around the tornado into mud and then once the mud was flung about the spiraling wind, he hardened it, turning the tornado into a stone pillar.
After taking care of the tornado, Shui looked at Nathan with a relaxed expression.
"Shouldn't you stop holding back?"
"What about you?"
"Why don't you make me?"
"Hmph, fine."
Nathan was the first to step up his game. While holding his spear in thrust position, black markings surfaced on his skin. These markings bared a resemblance to the tribal tattoos used by a certain group in a nation not far from the Alterna Kingdom. However, the critical difference between those tattoos and these markings, was that the markings did not open a connection to borrow an entity's power, they existed to empower the user with the grudges and residual thoughts of those killed by them.
Considering its nature and the level of the art, it was obviously something that the evil spirit taught Nathan. Furthermore, the negative influence the residual thoughts had was barely touched, so Nathan's mind was being gradually eaten away, making it easier for the evil spirit to take control. He was in a sorry state, but this time Shui felt no pity or sympathy. He didn't want to pollute this battle with such emotions.
In response to Nathan using his demonic art, Shui entered the only stance that currently existed for the Ethereal Blade Method. Once both of them made up their minds, the air around them changed. The chilling wind was now a silent breeze that seemed to isolate them from the rest of the world.
"Ha!"
"Speed Form, First Stance: Instant."
The moment Nathan began to move, so too did Shui. Nathan swung his spear from the ground to the sky, cutting open a rift in the earth from his blade to a boulder in the distance, but by then Shui had already slashed his side.
"It seems you're well prepared."
"Hmph."
If it wasn't for the spirit-rank armour that protected Nathan, he would have died in that one strike, but he still gained some internal injuries. And this was despite the fact that his barrier had been up.
'I can't take any more of those.'
Nathan quickly tried to decrease the distance between them, but Shui saw through him. With a swift formation of mudras, Shui summoned hands made of the earth to hold him in place.
"Burial Chains."
Nathan thought that his barrier would be enough for these, but once the hands latched unto the barrier, they transformed into rings connected to the ground.
"What?!"
Nathan could tell that the rings were tightening, so he had to strengthen his barrier to ensure that he didn't end up squeezed to death. Even so, he didn't make the same mistake as Jacob. He pushed himself to expand the barrier and then leaped to escape the encirclement. Shui swung Sui and fired sharp winds at him while he was the air, but he managed to parry them.
Once Nathan landed, neither side made a move. Nathan knew that this would be a difficult fight even with his higher cultivation, but it seemed he had still underestimated Shui.
'His spell control is even better than mine! There's no choice. I'll have to risk it all.'