Level ten versus level twenty-one: who was the joke?

"Tomorrow is too far away."

Shi Potian froze for a moment when he heard that.

Li Zhexian walked toward him, carrying his scabbard in his hand.

"Can we fight now?"

"Are you afraid?"

"I'm afraid you'll look for an excuse tomorrow."

Shi Potian looked at him. "You're only a level-ten Soul Master, and you dare say that to my face?"

"You're level twenty-one, only eleven points of Soul Power more than me. You don't necessarily eat more than I do."

Laughter rose from some of the people around them.

Shi Potian pushed the guards on his wrists a little higher.

"Fine, I'll oblige you."

Ning Rongrong squeezed through the crowd behind them.

"The training ground isn't a place for you to make trouble."

"Rongrong, you're here too."

"I came looking for Li Zhexian."

Shi Potian walked over and blocked her path.

"Good timing. You can see what a Battle Soul Master really is."

Ning Rongrong went around him and walked over to Li Zhexian.

"Don't go up there."

"Why not?"

"You're only level ten."

"He's level twenty-one."

"That's exactly what I mean."

Li Zhexian touched his scabbard.

"How badly can someone hurt another person with eleven more points of Soul Power?"

Shi Potian's chest heaved with anger.

"Stop talking in circles."

"Then give me a serious answer."

"As long as you step onto the platform, I'll make sure you come down lying flat."

"Remember those words."

When the news reached the council hall, Ning Fengzhi was looking over the account books.

Shi Potian had sent someone to invite him to the training ground, saying that he wanted to deal with this sect joke in front of the sect master.

Ning Fengzhi closed the account book.

"Where is Uncle Jian?"

"Sword Elder is already there."

"He didn't stop them?"

"Senior Brother Li wouldn't let him. He said he wanted to give it a try."

Ning Fengzhi handed the account book to the disciple beside him, then hurried to the training ground.

Around the training ground's arena,

sect disciples were already packed in.

Shi Potian stood on the platform with a short axe, and the disciple in charge of the platform stood nearby. No one spoke.

Li Zhexian walked up the stone steps, the Azure Lotus Sword hanging at his waist.

"When you hit me, can you be a little more serious?"

Shi Potian gave a laugh.

"You're not even drawing your sword?"

"First, let's see whether you're qualified to make me strike."

"I'll show you clearly."

Two Soul Rings rose from beneath Shi Potian's feet.

The Rock Armor Bear stood up behind him and raised both arms, making the stone platform tremble.

"A level-twenty-one Battle Soul Master."

"The Rock Armor Bear is very strong. Senior Brother Li will be at a disadvantage."

Shi Potian stuck his short axe into the side of the platform and clenched his fists.

"I won't use a weapon, and I won't take advantage of you."

"You're using your Martial Soul."

"Are you afraid?"

"I'm just reminding you not to call compensation for damages an accidental injury."

Shi Potian gave a low shout, and gray-black layers of rock covered both his arms.

He stomped a crack into the stone platform and punched at Li Zhexian's chest.

Chen Xin took a step forward.

"Zhexian, get off the platform."

Li Zhexian raised a hand to stop him.

"Uncle Jian, don't move yet."

"You can't block it."

"I'm not planning to."

Chen Xin put his hand on his sword hilt.

"What are you planning to do?"

"See what his attack can leave behind."

"Don't risk your life trying it."

"I know what I'm doing."

The fist struck his chest.

The stone slab beneath Li Zhexian's feet cracked. He staggered back seven steps, his back striking the edge of the platform.

A streak of azure light passed over his chest.

The shield number in his sea of consciousness had changed.

Current shield: 999,999,999,862.

Damage taken from a single attack: 120 points.

Reward assessment: green prize pool.

A green ball of light fell from above, struck the top of his head, and rolled down to his feet.

Shi Potian drew back his fist.

"You're already at your limit?"

Li Zhexian looked down at the ball of light.

"Green."

"What are you saying?"

"Nothing. Continue."

Shi Potian stared at him.

"Still talking tough?"

"You hit too lightly just now."

A second fist slammed toward Li Zhexian's shoulder.

The Rock Armor Bear's fist collided with bone, and he slid three steps sideways.

The azure light flashed again.

Current shield: 999,999,999,751.

A white ball of light fell onto the platform.

Li Zhexian picked it up and tucked it into his sleeve.

"That punch was all right."

The smile had vanished from Shi Potian's face.

"Get down!"

A fist landed on his shoulder, then struck him beneath the ribs.

Each time, Li Zhexian retreated several steps, and a few more cracks appeared in the stone slabs beneath his feet.

He neither drew the Azure Lotus Sword nor fought back, only checked the panel after the punches landed.

His shield had decreased by more than three hundred points in total, but the prize pool's color had risen no further.

A system notification appeared in his sea of consciousness.

"Continuous attacks from the same attacker will lower the prize pool quality."

"Changing attackers is recommended."

Li Zhexian's mouth tasted a little bitter.

Seeing that he said nothing, Shi Potian assumed he had been beaten until he lacked the strength to speak.

"Didn't you want to take a beating? Why aren't you fighting back?"

"I haven't finished checking yet."

"What are you looking at?"

"How many more hits you can land."

Someone below the platform laughed.

Shi Potian raised his chin.

"Rongrong, this is the person you chose?"

Ning Rongrong clutched her jade pendant in her hand.

"Shut your mouth."

"He doesn't even have the guts to draw his sword, and he can be called a genius?"

"What does it have to do with you whether he draws his sword or not?"

"Of course it has something to do with me. Your engagement has been delayed for so many years. Who doesn't know about it? One of you is level twenty-six, and the other is level ten. If you stay with him, you'll only make the sect a laughingstock in the future."

Ning Rongrong stepped forward.

"Shi Potian, say one more word."

"I'm only stating the facts."

Li Zhexian brushed the dust off his shoulder.

"He's not wrong."

Ning Rongrong turned to look at him.

"You think so too?"

"I really haven't kept up with you."

Shi Potian laughed louder.

"Did you hear that? He's admitted it himself."

Li Zhexian unfastened the Azure Lotus Sword from his waist.

"A higher Soul Power Level doesn't mean a faster sword."

A streak of azure light swept across the platform.

Shi Potian had only just raised his hand when he heard stone breaking beside his ear.

The stone pillar behind the platform broke in half, its upper section crashing into the dust.

Shi Potian's hand stopped in midair, and a lock of hair fell past his ear.

The tip of the Azure Lotus Sword was already at his throat.

"What did you just say?"

Shi Potian swallowed.

"You can't hurt me."

"On the platform, with the sword tip still an inch from your throat, can that count as hurting you?"

"The sect has rules."

"Did you ask about the rules when you attacked me?"

Shi Potian took a step back, and the sword tip followed him forward.

Li Zhexian did not press closer.

"Soul Power Level doesn't mean you can decide other people's fate for them."

Shi Potian clenched his fists again, and the Rock Armor Bear raised both arms behind him once more.

Chen Xin's Sword Qi descended before he could act, slicing through the stone slab at Shi Potian's feet.

"Shi Potian, admit defeat."

Shi Potian glanced at Chen Xin, then looked at the sword tip before his throat.

He opened his mouth several times before finally lowering his head.

"I admit defeat."

Li Zhexian returned his sword to its scabbard.

No one below the platform was laughing anymore.

Ning Fengzhi walked onto the arena and glanced at the broken stone pillar.

"Zhexian, you won."

"Do I need to pay for the stone pillar?"

"It'll be deducted from your monthly allowance."

"Can he pay for it instead?"

Ning Fengzhi turned to look at Shi Potian.

"You'll repair the stone pillar."

"Sect Master, I..."

"Did you break it yourself?"

"It was Li Zhexian's sword..."

"Then go find his sword and reason with it."

Shi Potian swallowed the rest of his words.

Li Zhexian walked down from the arena, but the panel in his sea of consciousness suddenly lit up.

"Target capable of sustaining continuous attacks detected."

"Create a damage log?"

He stopped on the steps.

Chen Xin looked over at him.

"What happened now?"

Li Zhexian raised his hand.

"Confirm."