Soon, Jian Chen's turn came as he stepped up to the stage with determination in his eyes.
He walked over to the weapon rack that was placed next to the stage and retrieved a long and thin blade made out of some sort of wood.
The crowd cheered for Jian Chen as he lifted the sword in front of him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the heavens have chosen Jian Chen to fight next! Who is the person fated to fight this rising star?", Meng Liang asked the crowd as Jian Chen began to walk toward the middle of the stage.
"This boy has been going through all these opponents like butter!", Meng Liang continued as he pointed toward Jian Chen, "But now, it is time for a true challenge! Let us watch this new star battle in front of us!", he shouted.
Meng Liang pointed behind Jian Chen as he was walking up onto the stage with his blade in hand.
"This young man is one of the most talented cultivators we have seen in this tournament!", Meng Liang said to the audience, "He is also a newcomer who is not even sixteen years old!"
A young man with red hair came out wearing a black shirt and had silver rings on his fingers.
The man was staring at Jian Chen from the stage with a sense of curiosity.
The audience began to cheer for both Jian Chen and his opponent. The contestant bowed respectfully to his opponent before stepping forward.
The young man raised his sword as well, bringing it down to the ground before him. It was then that Jian Chen could see what kind of opponent he had faced.
The man looked older than he was but there was a strange aura about him. It was almost as if he could read Jian Chen's thoughts, or see into his soul.
Jian Chen was immediately cautious of this man.
He took a few steps forward before bowing politely toward Jian Chen.
"I am Zhang Yan. I would like to thank you for accepting this battle."
Jian Chen stood still as he waited for Zhang Yan to say more.
Zhang Yan's gaze suddenly turned cold and Jian Chen felt his body shaking as a sense of dread filled his mind.
"Begin the battle!", Meng Liang shouted.
Immediately, Jian Chen felt his mind being invaded by someone's thoughts, and suddenly felt like his own soul was being ripped from his body. He felt a sudden pressure pushing against him, and a sense of terror filled Jian Chen's heart.
His opponent's power seemed endless. Jian Chen was struggling against this unseen presence but was slowly getting pushed backwards, falling onto his back on the floor of the arena.
Suddenly, the feeling left Jian Chen, leaving behind an emptiness that felt as though something precious had been lost.
"You're quite resilient. Most people would have admitted defeat right there."
"What do you mean? How do you do this?", Jian Chen looked at his opponent in disbelief.
Zhang Yan was looking down on Jian Chen, a small grin playing across his lips.
His expression changed suddenly to anger, causing Jian Chen to jump.
"So you think you have a chance!", Zhang Yan spat, his tone was sharp as his eyes glared at Jian Chen.
Zhang Yan moved quickly towards Jian Chen with his blade in hand, attacking without any form of restraint or mercy.
Jian Chen tried to dodge Zhang Yan's attack again but his movements were sluggish as if something was weighing heavily on him.
His vision began to grow hazy as dark clouds started to descend.
As Zhang Yan swung down with his blade, Jian Chen could feel the pressure building inside him as it grew larger and larger, making it hard for him to breathe.
His whole body felt weak as if there was no air to fill his lungs.
Suddenly, the dark clouds around him parted as the sky above became blue and the light returned to the area.
He could feel a terrible pain growing within his mind as it threatened to rip him apart, and yet there was a part of him that was calm, a calm that he never thought existed.
This inner strength was a powerful force, one that allowed him to push away the attack.
It was like he was caught in a storm of blades, yet there was a great source of light and knowledge that filled him.
"Don't hold back!" Meng Liang called out, "Use the entire force of your Art!", he screamed.
Jian Chen ignored the pain as he continued to defend himself from his attacker.
His blade flashed as he attempted to cut through the blades that abruptly surrounded him.
He suddenly felt one of the blades break and the rest of them sent shards of ice flying into his chest.
Blood ran down his chest as Jian Chen struggled to stop the bleeding. He then noticed a shadow that was looming behind the young man.
The shadow attacked as Zhang Yan stepped up and swung his blade at Jian Chen once again.
Jian Chen could feel intense pain in his mind and a burning sensation that coursed throughout his body. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach as a wound opened.
"Good! Keep going!", Meng Liang yelled from above the stage.
Blood ran down Jian Chen's leg as he kept moving. He felt a stab of fear come over him as if he was facing a demon and not a fellow human.
Jian Chen continued to be on the back foot, his blood leaving his body with each swing of his blade.
He felt dizzy as he stumbled towards the edge of the ring.
The ground felt hard beneath his feet but at the same time, it felt like the ground was swaying from side to side. Even the wooden sword in his hand felt like it was too heavy to wield.
"Chen! Please!", a familiar voice yelled.
Jian Chen glanced to the sidelines only to see his younger sister in tears.
"Don't you dare give up now!"
He could hear a cacophony of yelling and shouting.
The crowd was angry with him. They were all cursing him, wanting to see him defeated and wishing death upon him.
A moment later, Zhang Yan, came at Jian Chen again with a strange look on his face.