That Wasn't a Good Place to Fall Just Now

Chu Ge raised his eyes and looked at Yang Wei across from him.

To tell the truth, he was a little curious.

On Yang Wei's way up, every opponent had lost without understanding how. Some had gone weak all over, unable to muster any strength, while others had moved awkwardly, a half-beat too slow. Not one had lasted three minutes.

Yet nobody could tell what method he had used.

Unknown traits were the most troublesome, but also the most interesting. At least they were something to look forward to, unlike crushing a string of noobs.

Chu Ge smiled and planted his spear on the floor with a dull thud.

"Let's fight."

"I'd like to see for myself just how formidable your trait is, Yang Wei."

His words were half politeness, half probing.

Yang Wei chuckled, the flesh on his face jiggling.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"But let me say this first: when it gets you, don't accuse me of fighting dirty."

"Traits are heaven-born and earth-nurtured. Each has its own abilities."

"Naturally." Chu Ge nodded. "We'll each rely on our own abilities. If I lose, I won't have a word to say."

Seeing that both had agreed to fight, Wang Jianguo stepped back to the edge of the arena and said:

"All right, I won't waste any more words. The rules are the same as before: stop once a hit is made, and no lethal blows."

"Fall off the arena, admit defeat, or lose the ability to fight, and you lose. No problems with that?"

"No problem," the two said in unison.

The atmosphere below the arena heated up at once. Everyone crowded forward, craning their necks to watch.

This was the main event of the day.

One was the young master of the martial arts school, whose speed was astonishing. He had swept through every match without meeting a worthy opponent.

The other was the deputy head's son, who had awakened a mysterious trait. Every match he'd won had an uncanny air about it.

No one could say for certain whether speed would overcome every technique or a trait would snatch victory through surprise.

Xiao Lan sat in the front row, clutching the hem of her clothes, more nervous than the people in the arena.

Wang Jianguo raised his hand high, and the whole crowd fell silent.

"Ready-"

"Begin!"

The instant his hand came down, both men moved.

Chu Ge didn't rush to activate [Instant]. Keeping to his normal speed, he swung his spear around and thrust at Yang Wei's side.

He planned to sound out his opponent for a couple of exchanges and see what his trait was all about.

Yang Wei didn't panic. Holding a broad-backed saber, he brought it across to block.

With a sharp clang, Chu Ge stepped back half a pace, while Yang Wei retreated three full steps.

That single clash made it clear who was superior.

"Young master, you're amazing!" Xiao Lan shouted from the audience, her face flushed with excitement.

The rest of the spectators didn't react quite so strongly, but they were all somewhat surprised.

Although Chu Ge and Yang Wei were both at the hundredth level of the Qi and Blood Realm, Yang Wei had reached it earlier and had a deeper foundation. By rights, Chu Ge should have been at a disadvantage...

Yet Yang Wei was the one who had been pushed back.

In the arena, Yang Wei shook his tingling wrist, still wearing the same cheerful smile.

"Not bad, Chu Ge. You really are strong, but strength alone isn't enough to beat me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Ge suddenly frowned.

Something's wrong.

There seemed to be something extra in the air around him.

It was faint, almost imperceptible, but after he breathed it into his lungs, his limbs began to feel slightly heavy.

A thought stirred in Chu Ge's mind.

Here it comes.

Is this Yang Wei's trait?

Does it have something to do with poison?

In the audience, someone had already noticed that something was wrong with Chu Ge.

"Ah, looks like Chu Ge's been hit too." The guy who had lost to Yang Wei in the previous match sighed.

"Is Yang Wei's trait really that freaky? What exactly did he awaken?" someone beside him leaned over and asked.

"It's [Poison Gas], a three-star trait," the man explained slowly. "Anyone with that talent releases a kind of poisonous gas whenever they release their qi and blood.

"Breathing it in doesn't make it take effect immediately. Only when you circulate your Primordial Force does the poison start to work, gradually paralyzing your body until you slowly lose the ability to fight. It won't kill you; at worst, you'll be left lying on the ground, unable to move.

"But that's the nastiest thing about this trait. Even if you know what it is, you still have no choice but to step into the trap.

"If you use Primordial Force, you'll be poisoned.

"If you don't, how are you supposed to fight?"

"That's downright dirty." The person who had asked clicked his tongue twice. "If I'd been up there, I'd probably have been knocked out of the arena already."

In the arena, Yang Wei sensed that the poison had begun to spread through Chu Ge's body and smiled.

"Chu Ge, by now, you should have guessed what my trait is."

Chu Ge said nothing, merely giving a faint chuckle.

Earlier, watching from the sidelines, he hadn't been sure. Now that he'd tested the poison on himself, he had a rough idea.

Seeing that Chu Ge wasn't speaking, Yang Wei spoke again, his tone carrying a hint of persuasion:

"Chu Ge, you and I grew up together, so you could say we're old friends."

"There's no real suspense left in this fight. You should admit defeat."

"If I have to blast you out of the arena, or you collapse from the poison and can't get back up, it'll look ugly."

He was half sincere and half playing it safe.

He had watched all of Chu Ge's previous matches, and had just tested him in person.

Although they were both at the hundredth level of qi and blood, Yang Wei knew full well that Chu Ge's attributes were all stronger than his own.

If they fought head-on without relying on traits, he would most likely be the one to lose.

So even though Chu Ge had already been poisoned, he didn't dare let his guard down.

As the saying went, even a cornered rabbit would bite. His opponent wasn't deeply poisoned yet, and if he risked his life to trade blows, it would only increase Yang Wei's chances of an upset.

If it had been another opponent weaker than him, he would have kicked them out long ago.

"Sorry, but the words 'admit defeat' aren't in my dictionary."

Chu Ge looked at Yang Wei, his voice calm. "If you really have what it takes, blast me out of the arena."

He understood the Poison Gas trait's properties. The faster he consumed Primordial Force, the faster the poison would spread.

In a way, that went hand in hand with Instant's side effect.

Instant's consumption of Primordial Force would keep accelerating over time. Stacked together, they were practically a full set of reverse buffs, making him work against himself.

But even knowing that, Chu Ge activated [Instant] on the spot.

Instant steadily devoured his Primordial Force, while the poison steadily invaded his body.

With both debuffs in effect at once, his face turned pale at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Across from him, Yang Wei stood still, looking smug, as though victory were already assured.

Chu Ge shook his head inwardly. This was what people called popping champagne at halftime.

But he had to admit that Yang Wei did have the qualifications for it.

At such a young age, he had reached the hundredth level of qi and blood and acquired a three-star trait. Among his peers in East Sea City, he ranked as someone worth noting.

But if he wanted to beat Chu Ge, he still fell a little short.

Chu Ge had only one way to win now: end the fight quickly and knock Yang Wei out before he was completely paralyzed.

For a moment, neither man moved.

Chu Ge stood where he was, quietly stacking Instant's speed multiplier.

Yang Wei stood opposite him, arms folded, waiting for Chu Ge to collapse from the poison.

The seconds ticked by. Chu Ge's face grew paler and paler, his head began to feel heavy, and his limbs grew increasingly numb.

In return, however, he had stacked Instant to its fourth stage: sixteen times his speed.

A speed boost on that level made him feel that his explosive power was absurdly strong. One strike of his spear would be enough to send Yang Wei flying.

He slowly raised his spear, its tip pointing straight at Yang Wei.

Yang Wei raised an eyebrow at the sight, a little confused.

If he wanted to attack, why wait until now? The poison's already spread this far. How much strength can he still use?

He was just about to say something when Chu Ge suddenly moved.

In a whoosh, he charged right up to him.

"What the hell!"

Yang Wei's pupils contracted sharply. That speed was far too fast. Was it possible for someone in the Qi and Blood Realm to be that fast?

He instinctively raised his saber to block, but before he could bring it all the way up, Chu Ge's spear had already struck him across the chest.

Boom!

The force behind the spear was overwhelming. Yang Wei flew sideways and crashed heavily onto the floor outside the arena, sliding a long way before coming to a stop.

The entire venue fell deathly silent.

???

Everyone was dumbfounded.

What just happened?

A moment ago, Chu Ge had been standing there poisoned, looking as though he could barely stay on his feet. The next, he had charged over and sent Yang Wei flying with a single sweep of his spear?

That speed was absurd.

Several seconds passed before the crowd below erupted, waves of discussion rising one after another.

"Holy crap... was that teleportation?"

"How is that possible? Wasn't he poisoned? How was he still so fast?"

"That makes no sense. It was impressive enough that he hadn't collapsed, so how did he turn around and beat him?"

Several seconds passed before the crowd below erupted, waves of discussion rising one after another.

Xiao Lan also came to her senses and jumped up, clapping her hands:

"Young master won! Young master, you're amazing!"

Yang Wei lay on the floor for quite a while before he recovered enough to push himself into a sitting position. His chest felt terribly tight, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

He looked up at Chu Ge in the arena, his face full of disbelief.

"You... how can you be so fast?"

Chu Ge stood in the arena, his face pale and his breathing a little rapid. The hand gripping his spear trembled slightly.

His lips moved:

"Adrenaline, I guess."

Yang Wei looked at his composed expression, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Adrenaline? Who are you trying to fool?

Who can still run that fast after being poisoned?

He fell silent for a long while, then gave a bitter laugh and waved his hand.

"All right, I lost. You really kept yourself well hidden, kid."

Wang Jianguo also came to his senses. He hurried into the arena, grabbed Chu Ge's hand, and raised it high.

"I hereby announce that the winner of the Chu Martial Arts School Selection Competition is Chu Ge!"

"Second place goes to Yang Wei!"

"The two of them will represent the Chu Martial Arts School together in the upcoming East Sea Martial Arts School Competition!"

Applause and cheers burst forth, louder than after any previous match.

Chu Ge stood in the center of the arena and nodded gently to the crowd, a smile on his lips.

He had won today, but the price hadn't been small.

It would take another two days to clear the poison from his body, and Instant's overload had also strained some of his muscles.

Still, it wasn't a loss.

Not only had he taken first place, but he had also tested Instant's upper limit in actual combat and learned the effects of the Poison Gas trait along the way.

All in all, a huge profit.

He would just have to think about whether there was a less strenuous way to deal with such underhanded traits in the future.

He couldn't keep staking everything on stacking speed every time. It was too hard on his body.

While he was thinking, Xiao Lan came running over with water.

"Young master, young master, are you all right? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

"I'm fine." Chu Ge shook his head, accepted the water, and took a sip. "It was nothing."

That was what he said, but his legs still buckled a little as he stepped down from the arena.

Fortunately, he caught himself on its edge and didn't fall.

Otherwise, the image he'd just established would have shattered on the spot.

Wang Jianguo followed him down and patted him on the shoulder, his eyes full of satisfaction.

"Good lad, you really did it. I was sweating for you just now. I thought you were really going to fall to that poison gas."

"I only just scraped out a win." Chu Ge smiled.

"A narrow win is still a win." Wang Jianguo waved a hand. "All right, go back and get some rest. Just remember to show up on the day of the martial arts school competition."

Chu Ge nodded, said no more, and after saying goodbye to Xiao Lan, left the martial arts school first.

The sun outside was just right, warm against his body.

He hailed a taxi and sat in the back seat, watching the scenery race past the window as he mulled things over.

This was only the martial arts school's internal selection, yet he had already run into a troublesome trait like Poison Gas.

Once he reached the tournament in East Sea City, with the geniuses from every martial arts school gathered together, there would only be more bizarre traits.

When he got home, Chu Ge had barely opened the door before he fell stiff as a board and hit the floor.

He was finally home.

He could finally collapse.

His calm and breezy demeanor had all been an act. Sixteenfold speed plus the backlash from the poison had long since pushed his body to its limit, leaving him even more drained than he had been that morning.

But there had been too many people around back there, so he couldn't very well collapse.