Wasting Talent

Duan Gucheng leaped onto the sixth arena and landed squarely across from Ye An.

The spear trembled in his hand, its tip angled toward the ground. Heat rolled outward from its quivering shaft.

Ye An stood on the other side of the arena, Night Thunder still sheathed, quietly meeting his gaze.

The arena's formation lit up without a sound. A thin curtain of light rose along its edge, separating the fifth arena from the others.

For a match between Qi Condensation Realm fighters, the formation had to protect everything outside the arena.

Otherwise, the shockwaves could spread into the audience, and that would be a serious problem.

In the city Lineages' viewing section, Liu Ruyan sat staring at the blue-and-white figure on the fifth arena, momentarily lost in thought.

Zhao Wan, seated beside her, nudged her lightly with an elbow and chuckled under her breath. "Ruyan, someone's set their sights on your Guest Elder Ye. Anything you want to say?"

Liu Ruyan came back to herself. The tips of her ears reddened for an instant. "If Master Ye ranks fifth, that means he's stronger than the man from the sixth arena."

Liu Ruyan's cultivation was not high, and a Qi Condensation Realm fighter was no ordinary opponent. Watching Ye An face a challenge, she said he was stronger, but tension had already gripped her heart.

"Oh?" Zhao Wan drew out the word, amusement in her eyes. "Then why are you clutching your sleeve so tightly?"

Liu Ruyan looked down and discovered that she had somehow been gripping her cuff. She quietly let go and smoothed her sleeve, offering Zhao Wan no answer.

Zhao Wan's smile deepened. "All right, all right, I'll stop. Some people sound so calm, but who knows how many times they've broken into a cold sweat?"

Duan