Crank. Crank. Crank… Thump.
That was the jarring sound of lambs being thrown into another fight.
This time, the two combatants facing off were separated by the still pool of shallow water.
Both sides stood at the dry, outer rims of the arena, far from each other.
But for a cultivator at Bubai’s level, there was no problem making out the appearance of the other.
Cheap, generic outfit. No storage pouch in sight. Typical outer disciple fashion.
As for the build…
A bit on the stocky side. It suggested effort, but for someone his age, it fell short of greatness.
His face? Once again, the looks of an average Joe.
In this sect, beautiful swans were aplenty, but the appearance values of most men were really not up to par.
Well, at least, not those at the lower ranks, like this grassroot genius.
Qiu Feng. Earth and Fire attribute.
A body cultivator, but his achievements didn’t even touch the tail of the two young wolves from the Jia Clan.
Even his muscles looked like they were malnourished, possessing a yellowed tone instead of having that healthy bronze luster.
As for his skillset…
If what he saw on the intel was all this wind-beggar had, Bubai really didn’t know why this poor lamb dared step onto this death stage.
Meh. There were no idiots seeking death for no reason.
There must be a secrets in the hat if the magician dares to bring it on stage.
Can’t wait to see what nonsense this numskull pulls out of his plot hole.
Looking at the soot-stained, hooded Bubai cloaked in black, Qiu Feng crossed his arms and hollered at the top of his lungs.
“Jaja! I almost thought you were too afraid to show up, but seeing how you can still stand here, it seems that dead whiny braggart was really all just talk!”
Bubai got hit by enough pebbles today, and he was too lazy to talk back.
He simply clasped his hand behind his back and pretentiously gazed up at the early evening skies.
Dear Merlin, if there really was an unscrupulous author out there penning down his story, he really wished his half a day won’t be written into half a year…
Please just end this tourney arc ASAP and let him return back to his slice of life already.
Bubai didn’t know if his wish will come true, but his apathetic attitude certainly did the trick.
He could almost imagine the red tick mark pulsing on that wind-beggar’s forehead.
But to his credit, that Qiu Feng swallowed his anger as quickly as someone choking down a bitter pill and his holler came again.
"Quit pretending to be mysterious and arrogant over there!"
"You might not want to talk, but there are some people who are very interested in that precious doll you stole. Why don’t you bring it out and let us all take a good look, ja?"
Sigh. Another coveting what they shouldn’t.
Bubai finally looked down at the other and took the chance to drop his prepared excuse.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“Since it’s not something I can use, I buried it in a place where nobody will bother looking.”
This answer made a frown appear on Qiu Feng’s face, but when those eyes sketched out the many storage pouches tied to Bubai’s waist, they became firm with greed.
"Buried it, ja? Convenient excuse. But let’s not kid ourselves. What you got there is too valuable for you to swallow alone. It’s best you share it... before it’s too late, ja."
Straight-up 2D villain line. One Star Rating.
Bubai ignored the little villain, returning his gaze to the sky. Hmm… did the clouds get thicker today?
Seeing his opponent ignoring him again, Qiu Feng’s composure started to crack and a growl leaked out.
"Keep pretending! That whiny braggart’s skills might have been a bit watered down, but I’m sure he still did a number on you!"
"Ja just wait there and prepare yourself to be my stepping stone! After today, my name, Qiu Feng, will thunder throughout the sect!"
Sure, sure… for fame, for wealth. It was so cliché Bubai was almost tempted to dig out his ears.
But seriously though. What big confidence!
Did his body count from the previous rounds still not wake up these greedy buggers from their delusions?
No matter. Awake or not, what must come will come, as inevitable as the night swallowing day.
"Begin!"
That thunderous signal changed Qiu Feng’s angry face into a smug sneer.
“Jajaja… Finally started. You’re lucky you’re not a pile of ash right now, but your luck has run out since you’ve offended someone you should not have offended!”
Taking out a blood-red pellet thicker than his thumb, Qiu Feng stuffed it into his mouth and swallowed it down whole.
Bubai’s lips twitched. “Uwah, did he really just force that down his own throat?”
What kind of training must a man go through to achieve such… swallowing skills?
Bubai didn’t know and didn’t want to know. Instead, he was more interested in...
“That pill… it can’t be...”
His doubts didn’t last long for the pill’s effects were almost immediate.
Veins bulged like angry rivers all over the man’s muscles, and Bubai could sense the fluctuating Qi in the arena getting drawn over to the other half of the arena...
A few breaths later, the momentum from that Qiu Feng’s Qi-sucking grew so strong that there were waves forming at the shore of the shallow water!
Qiu Feng spread his arms wide, throwing his head back to let out a crazed cackle, "Jahahaha! Yesssss! This… this is power! This is poweeeeer!"
"Oh… That’s not a good sign."
Bubai’s face finally got serious. "It really is a Blood Sage Explosion Pill... But isn’t that a forbidden pill? How is that even allowed here?!"
Bubai glanced up, feeling his heart sink like a stone into a deep, dark lake.
Since there’s no word from above… it didn’t take a genius to guess it must be those old fogeys playing tricks in the background again.
Otherwise, the other cheater should have been disqualified by now!
But to actually allow this… guess those old fogeys must really want to see his limits.
Merlin’s beard, one of them might even be the generous sponsor forking out this pill that isn’t sold in the open market!
Makes sense. How else will a poor outer disciple afford such a luxury?
The Blood Sage Explosion Pill was no joke.
This priceless, high-grade pill was essentially a cliché temporary power booster.
By burning their lifespan, low-level cultivators could burst out with power a small realm above their own!
But it didn’t stop there.
The reason why this pill was on the forbidden list is due to its outrageous effect that can let its user exceed the level limit!
For a cultivator at the peak of late-stage Qi Refinement like this Qiu Feng, they can burst out with… the martial power of a Foundation Realm Early Stage cultivator!
That’s the very same realm as his current cultivation base!
No wonder this Qiu Feng was so arrogant! Turns out he’s another cheater! That’s so... unfair! Ahem.
Fortunately, the heavens still knows balance… well, in some aspects.
Can’t blame the old gramps upstairs for favoring his grandchildren over others...
Basically, except for those children of luck, anyone else gaining a power boost will face the “balancing the playing field” rule.
A crazy cheat like this power booster, how can it not come with a heavy price?
Looking at the idiot madly cackling like he was drunk on power, Bubai bets his stinking boots that the side effects weren’t limited to the advertised precaution of burning lifespan.
But even the lifespan alone was already an expensive toll.
Shaking his head, Bubai sighed. “Is it really worth burning decades of your lifespan here?”
His mumble was almost drowned out by the mad cackles, but the crazy idiot seemed to have heard him and managed to pull himself together.
The violently fluctuating Qi died down and Qiu Feng leaked a turbid breath. “Ha...”
His predatory gaze then locked onto his prey and he growled like a crazy dog.
"Jaja… You have no idea what I’ve had to sacrifice just to scrape together enough resources to claw my way to this point."
"For people like me, trading a little lifespan for all that wealth is a bargain I’m willing to take any day, ja!"
Bloody short-sighted murderhobos! Bubai cursed these desperate folks inside, but knew he still had to face this desperado.
"Sigh. Why can’t you people just give me a break? Always forcing me to work hard…"
“Work hard?! You?!” Qiu Feng’s mask of madness twisted further something even more deranged and his roar was almost burning with hatred.
“You lucky pampered backdoor freeloaders don’t even know what it means to work hard, ja! Let me show you the real power forged from a decade of blood, sweat, and sacrifice!”
Stomp! Whoosh!
Seeing the other cutting across the pool of shallow water and parting it like Moses did to the Red Sea, Bubai clicked his tongue, letting out a weary, almost bored sigh.
“Hey, not going to talk anymore?”
The human torpedo shooting towards him screeched at the top of his lungs.
“Cut the nonsense and die for me!”
