"Am I allowed to use a sword?" I shouted to Xue Ren and Bai Yao Cai. The two old men (well, Xue Ren actually looked like a middle-aged bloke) exchanged glances and nodded.
"Yeah, sorry for not clarifying. Of course you're allowed to use a sword. But in return…" Xue Ren waved at Qiang Zhe, who nodded. We stopped temporarily so that one of the Blood Blades could grab a saber and toss it to his comrade. Qiang Zhe seized it and swung it to test its power, blood-red qi billowing from it like a fog. The ground split open from that single slash, even without coming into physical contact with the gigantic blade.
The saber itself was almost as large as Qiang Zhe himself, and it looked as if it weighed a ton. Yet Qiang Zhe himself was wielding it effortlessly, almost as if it was nothing more than a feather to him. He cocked his head toward me.
"Do you need to borrow a weapon?"
"Nah, I have my own." I drew Abyssal Edge from my spatial pouch and tested it. Black aura coiled around the blade and I nodded in satisfaction. "Sorry for the interruption."
"Not at all. I prefer to fight you at full strength."
I tried not to snort at that. These poor guys had no idea what I could do at full strength. I had to hold back to avoid accidentally killing any of them.
Fortunately, the Black Shadow Sect techniques should be appropriate for opponents of their level.
Qiang Zhe charged at me once more, swinging his saber with such speed that the grayish weapon turned into a red blur. Sharp crimson qi sliced through the air, ripping through the stone and turning the arena into a wreck. I evaded most of the strikes, using my superior speed to avoid directly blocking them.
In a contest of strength, Qiang Zhe might not be at a disadvantage
Parrying a blow, I then turned it aside and kicked him. Qiang Zhe blocked with his elbow, red qi flaring to cover him in a defensive aura. However, black qi erupted from my foot and blasted him, sending him staggering back.
He righted himself, only to be forced to swiftly parry my strike. Twisting his saber about to shove me away, he then countered with a riposte that obliterated the ground, sending debris flying.
I jumped from one piece of debris to another, making use of the cloud of dust to obscure my movements from my opponent. Then I propelled myself upward and above him, slashing my sword at his head. Qiang Zhe roared and stomped on the ground, blasting all of the debris and dust away, nearly knocking me to the ground. However, my momentum carried me forward and I swung my sword. Raising his saber, Qiang Zhe blocked my blow, his red qi rippling around his muscular body as he withstood it. The Blood Armor Aura was certainly near impenetrable.
Unfortunately for him, I wasn't done yet.
Black qi erupted from my blade as I unleashed Shadow Sword Strike at pointblank range. Qiang Zhe's Blood Armor Aura cracked and he stumbled backward, a thin trail of blood trickling from his mouth. The ground shattered beneath his feet, causing him to grunt in pain as his knees buckled. With a bellow, he swung his saber, executing Dragon Slaying Strike. Explosions coursed through the arena, the titanic tsunami of crimson qi carving a deep ravine into the floor. A single dragon rose into the air, its red serpentine body causing the air to crackle before it dissipated.
I dropped to the ground a few meters away, waving my sword to get rid of the last remnants of corrosive red qi. Qiang Zhe breathed heavily and charged once more, thrusting his saber forward. Another dragon curled around the massive blade, its jaws wide open as if to bite me.
This time, I decided to meet him head on. Waiting until the last second, I spun away from the blade to avoid the fatal thrust. Qiang Zhe then forced himself to a skidding halt and swung his saber in the direction I evaded toward, twisting the blade so that the sharp edge swung toward me. I was forced to parry the heavy blow with Abyssal Edge. The tremendous impact almost lifted me off my feet and bowled me over, but I somehow landed on my feet and skidded a few paces instead.
Exhaling, I lowered my sword to watch Qiang Zhe. He hadn't bothered to take a breather, already charging at me once more. This time, I used Shadow Steps to evade his blow, sinking into the shadows just as he swung his saber down on my location. The ground shook from the detonation when the blade met it, throwing chunks of stone up in the air.
"Where is he?"
Qiang Zhe glanced around, searching for me. He didn't notice me emerging from a dark shadow cast upon the floor behind him by the flying debris. Attacking from his blind spot, I unleashed another Shadow Sword Strike.
Instinctively, Qiang Zhe spun around to block the blow. He didn't just remain on the defensive – he executed Dragon Slaying Strike to counter my attack. The red dragon collided against the black void before both detonated violently, throwing us apart.
"Huff…"
Qiang Zhe leaned on his saber as he fell to a knee, heaving from the exertion. Perspiration dripped down his face, his skin flushed from the constant physical activities. He watched me warily.
"You're Innate Realm?"
"Maybe?" I shrugged. Qiang Zhe chuckled and shook his head, realizing that I wasn't a fool to give away my secrets in the middle of a fight.
"Let's finish this with the next blow then." He turned to Xue Ren. "Master, perhaps we should just pass him."
"What!?" Yao Guai howled. "No! You can't do that! He has to beat you in order to pass!"
"Do you think you cannot defeat him?" Xue Ren asked. Qiang Zhe hesitated, and then hung his head.
"No, I cannot defeat him. I think he's holding back. That's why…" He turned back to me. "I want to finish this battle with this next blow. I don't think there's any meaning to dragging this out to a hundred blows. Please show us your strength."
"Very well then." I beckoned him with my free hand while resting Abyssal Edge on my shoulder. "Go ahead and hit me with your best attack then."
Qiang Zhe didn't need a second invitation. He swung his saber, unleashing Eighteen Dragon Subduing Slashes. Eighteen crimson dragons snaked out of his massive blade, roaring silently as they pounced on me.
In response, I pointed Abyssal Edge at the heavens. Black qi erupted from it and soared into the skies, cutting them apart. From the cracks, over a hundred black swords materialized, all of them pointed directly at the eighteen dragons and Qiang Zhe.
"Let's see if your dragons are stronger, or if my swords are sharper."
Then I sent the Shadow Sword Storm raining down on my opponent.
The black swords tore through the red dragons, ripping them apart and turning them into nothing. Qiang Zhe gritted his teeth and hardened his aura, using Blood Armor Aura to reinforce his defense. Raising his saber, he then swung it to swat aside the incoming black swords.
There were too many of them. The first few shattered harmlessly against his Blood Armor Aura, breaking apart into wisps of qi. But the second onslaught of black swords cracked his formidable protection. The third hail then smashed it apart, reaching into the soft flesh and hard muscle underneath.
"Argh!"
Qiang Zhe fell to a knee, his body punctured by several shadow swords. Leaning on his saber, he raised one hand shakily.
"I surrender."
"Sorry about that." I ceased the Shadow Sword Storm and hurried over to help him up. White Herb Sect medics were also rushing up the broken stage to apply emergency first aid. Xue Ren watched, concerned, but once he ensured that Qiang Zhe was all right, he turned to the elders and patriarch of the White Herb Sect.
"So that's it then. The first test is a pass. I don't suppose anyone has doubts about Hei Ye's abilities now, do they?"
That last question was directed at Yao Guai. She gnashed her teeth and clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails drew blood from her palm. Then she drew in a shuddering breath and turned to Bai Yao Cai.
"Don't forget, this is only the first trial! There's still the second trial!"
"Is there a need for that?" Xue Ren asked, annoyed. "Yao Guai, I don't care what grudge you hold against Hei Ye, but I want him for my Blood Blades. That is not a problem, is it?"
"No, it isn't. But I did promise a second trial." Bai Yao Cai sighed and turned toward me. "Fear not, it will be the final trial, and if you complete it, not only will you be admitted into the sect, you will also be rewarded handsomely. The trial is somewhat linked to the needs of the sect anyway, so you can consider it your first official mission instead of a trial."
"What mission is that?" Lan Bei Er asked, her face contorted in concern. She was staring at her master, who was grinning gleefully. No doubt that gloating expression was causing most of her anxiety.
Bai Yao Cai sighed again. "I need your husband to procure a Ruby Rhino's horn."
"What?!" Lan Bei Er almost shouted in protest. "A Ruby Rhino? Are you sure about that? That's a spirit beast that only peak Innate Realm cultivators can fight against! How is he supposed to get a horn from one?"
"Aw, don't you have faith in your husband?" Yao Guai taunted. "Didn't he go to the Crimson Forest already to obtain the Red Python's blood for your father? What's the problem then?"
"You know as well as I do that the Ruby Rhino is in a different league from the Red Python!"
"So you're admitting that your husband is trash who can't accomplish the mission? Time for you to divorce him then!"
"Don't be an idiot," Bai Yao Cai snapped. "Even your recommended candidate, Jian Shen, won't be able to accomplish such a difficult mission. He can't even get the blood of Red Python, for heaven's sake! So stop with your divorce nonsense or I'll kick you out of the sect."
That shut Yao Guai up. Hopefully permanently. However, I wanted to twist the knife in, so I raised my hand.
"I'll do it."
There was a moment of silence before everyone turned to gape at me.
"WHAT?!"
*
Halfway through his journey, Jian Shen stopped his flying sword and jumped off. He was still bristling at the humiliation, even though it was his fault to begin with. But since when did arrogant young masters like him ever admitted their faults? No, everything was everyone else's fault. They were always in the right. Only they were allowed to insult and bully others, but other people didn't have the right to fight back.
Speaking of bullying, Jian Shen had stopped in a place that well known for being the hideout of a famous gang in Azure Cloud City. Lots of intimidating thugs sat around, gambling or polishing their knives. Scars stretched over their faces, their grizzled features giving off an air of hostility.
"What are you doing here?" A muscular, towering guy sneered, getting up to glare at Jian Shen. The young master of the Jian family gulped, but he didn't back off. Instead, he reached inside his spatial pouch. Forcing a smile, he made his offer.
"I wish to hire you all to beat up somebody for me."
"Oh?" The muscular guy raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
"His name is Hei Ye," Jian Shen. "He's a trash who has been getting cocky and showing off, lying about his achievements and making things up to make himself look better. I want you to put him in his place and expose him for the useless loser that he is. Break all of his limbs, if possible."
"Sounds good to me." The muscular guy grinned and extended his hand. "But you've got to pay us ten thousand spirit stones for all the trouble."
"Deal." Jian Shen returned the grin, his heart fluttering excitedly. He was finally going to get his revenge!