A Bewildering Battle

"Hey, what are you looking into the distance all wistfully for! Bastard, Look at me when I kill you!"

Yaan silent turned to face his opponent, wondering if it was even necessary to recover from his injuries just to beat this person. That said, he found something interesting; Yaan had noticed a trend.

His opponents were getting bigger.

Not just bigger as in taller and somewhat more muscular, but actually 10+ feet tall. Some of them still claimed to be human, but Yaan seriously doubted this. He had met humans, he was once a human…humans didn't grow 10 feet tall. They also weren't so perfectly suited towards body cultivation like many of the opponents he faced these days, aside from that girl in white who was clearly a Qi master.

Zue Yin was watching this battle with tenseness on the sidelines. She had confidence in Yaan's strength, but his opponent was far beyond her expectations!

For now, she decided to remain in the upper 3rd level, practising against trios, before moving onto these freaks of nature. Of course, her main issue was that as a Qi master, she was heavily suppressed here, both by the enhanced gravity and the increased spiritual pressure. Both of these external forces were a detriment to Qi masters, yet didn't affect body temperers to nearly the same extent.

She just needed to train. No more, no less.

As the 12-13 foot tall man, made a foot taller by his glowing blue Mohawk, closed in in Yaan, the ground beneath his feet cracked ever so slightly. Everyone to see this felt shocked...what strength did it take to damage these stadiums, this was unreal!

Of course, only those who were unfamiliar with 4th level battles felt shocked by this level of strength, anyone who had seen such a match before didn't feel that it was too extreme. Still, it was clear that this person was powerful, even on the 4th level.

Yaan stood still, unmoving, watching the enemy approach. For some reason, he couldn't help but think back to those illusions…the lives and deaths of the many animals and beasts…the pitiful ending of that mortal man…the irreparable sadness of the cultivator girl, a sadness so deep that she cried tears of blood essence itself.

A strange aura began to emanate from Yaan's body. The mohawk man was cautious as he had researched his opponent and knew how vicious this kid could be, but he didn't slow his charge in the least. He knew that if he hit the boy with this much momentum, his body would explode into countless bloody fragment!

Yaan calmly looked up, making eye contact with the blood crazed giant of a man. As the illusion of that woman filled his psyche, Yaan couldn't help but remember the times he had felt similarly terrible emotions…

His life had not been a joyous one, he had not experienced much happiness. In truth, he found it difficult to explain why it was that he was so driven to live, to survive, to grow.

The audience became silent. They all had the same feeling in this moment; this was not a battle, this was simply an atmosphere of desolation. This young boy freely emanated his aura, not hiding, not scheming, but truly facing his opponent with an honest sigh.

Somehow, Yaan was currently, yet unknowingly, spreading his own personal illusion, one which had been partially developed after witnessing all those lives and deaths, especially that woman's bloody tears of grief. He resonated with that woman, not because of her experience exactly, but because he understood that feeling. That empty feeling of hopelessness and despair, the guilt, the regret, the hatred towards yourself, the sadness…the strange relief you felt at the liberation and freedom of no longer being tied down.

But that relief was perhaps the most heart crushing emotion of them all, as it only amplified every other feeling ten fold, whilst reminding you of the fact that you…are not a good person.

All of these feelings and ideas spread through Yaan's aura without him even intending to do so. Honestly, he didn't understand why the man had not yet attacked. Yaan was in a strange state, but he wasn't so dazed that he was about to throw his life away. If he was attacked, he would kill. But until then, he for some reason just didn't feel like moving.

As the small child stared up at him, the sharp pointed teeth of the mohawk man ground together. He felt the loneliness in Yaan's aura and the acceptation that this was simply his life, and for some reason, the burly man's eyes widened, trembling and shaking, all thanks to the gaze of a young boy.

Yaan's eyes contained no malice, he emitted no bloodlust. It was as if he was so uninvested in this fight, that the fight could not get started. Nobody present had ever seen such a thing before. They all stared with wide eyes and rapt attention, closely watching on, but also curiously examining the effect this solemn aura had on the mohawk man.

"Aren't you going to attack?" Yaan asked, his voice soft and slightly quiet. He sounded confused, as if he just didn't understand why he wasn't being attacked…

"You, you, what trick is this?!"

As Yaan spoke and his words sent the opponent into an even deeper trance, the fiery man's sense of danger suddenly kicked in, screaming at him with such intensity, so much ferocity, that he leapt back, then again, again, again…until he almost jumped from the side of the pillar!

Yaan stared forwards and blinked.

"Do you not want to fight?" Yaan suddenly asked. Many people misinterpreted his words, as teasing, as an offer o f mercy, or whatever else. Only two people present understood the truth: Zue Yin and the Mohawk man.

They knew that he was earnestly asking this question. On seeing his opponent flee so far back, he guessed that he wanted to quit the match.

Quitting was possible. You would lose your residences and your possessions, whilst you would be demoted to the 1st level abode, without being given a house. If you were on the verge of being killed and suddenly gave in, your punishment would likely involve the cutting off of one arm, alongside being banned from the pagodas for 10 years.

But in a situation like this…who knows what the punishment might entail, this fight was far too unusual!

Slowly, the mohawk man walked forwards menacingly. He wore a determined expression, and with each step he took, he shattered more and more ground beneath his feet. His aura build up with each step, blood thirst was palpable and made the air itself tremble.

Then suddenly, as he was just ten feet away from Yaan, the blue from his hair flowed down into his body…before exploding back out in a storm of lightning! Each bolt of this lightning was overwhelmingly powerful, strong enough to kill almost anyone in the 3rd level with a single casual strike. No matter what, it was dangerous and potentially fatal…even those in the 6th level wouldn't choose to take this attack head on, nor would they get in close to this person, nor would they relax their guard.

Nobody would be like Yaan, showing not a trace of fighting intent, and only a strange gaze, a peculiar aura that made it feel as if he wasn't really there…

With each step, another lightning bolt formed. With every step, each bolt thickened.

By the time he was standing before Yaan, he was activating his full bloodline power, exuding his entire strength, emitting his full bloodlust. He had developed pinnacle momentum by stepping directly in, just inches away from his opponent.

Yaan stared up. He stared into the Mohawks man's eyes. Yaan's understood that his current actions were strange. Then again, his mood was beyond strange right now, and he had the overwhelming desire to just follow this mood, no matter what may happen.

Violent lightning raged about in random directions. It was so powerful that even the source of this lightning himself could not control the direction!

Then without warning, one bolt suddenly shot straight towards Yaan!

"No way…" The mohawk man took multiple steps back. His lightning vanished, his bloodlust was hidden, his strength was retracted, and then he dropped to his knees, clutching his head. Eventually, he slowly looked up at Yaan, who still wore that same, dazed expression.

"…I admit defeat in this match."

The mohawk's words stunned the audience, making them break out in chatter and discussion. However, as a booming voice resounded down from the skies, landing upon the platform and forcing the burly man to his hands and knees, everyone became silent.

"Why have you admitted defeat, without attacking or being attacked even once?"

The pressure created by the voice forced everyone to lower their heads. Nobody knew the source of the voice, but they all felt far too deep a fear to dare look up.

And yet, the mohawk man grit his teeth, pushing himself painfully up from the ground. He resisted the growing pressure as creaking and cracking sounds exploded throughout his body, Blood poured from his nose and ears, but he ignored this, instead staring up and clasping his hands before shouting back at the skies.

"Firstly, I am not close to this boy's match! My defeat is guaranteed, regardless of my actions…"

"And?" The voice boom out again.

Mohawk slowly turned towards Yaan, who caught his attention for a good few seconds. Yaan was staring up at the sky dazedly, but not like the others taking a peak…it was as if he could ignore the overwhelming pressure, or more like, he simply didn't feel the pressure. And as he faced the sky, he wasn't merely taking quick glances, searching for the source…he was staring at a certain point, as if there was something that he could see, but others could not. His eyes were slightly dazed, before returning to normal and showing a slight, lonely smile.

Yaan then looked away from the sky, towards mohawk. This action alone was shocking, as it suggested that this red robed child did not consider his defeated opponent and the omnipotent ruler up above, as being any different; in his eyes, they were merely equals!

Seeing that look of Yaan's, the burly mohawk laughed out loud. He drew some shocked stares, but he couldn't help himself…today had just been too strange. It wasn't just Yaan, even he himself was acting oddly.

"I'm sure that lord must have noticed it…when my bloodline lightning was overdrawn and pushed beyond my control limit, the core bolt exploded directly forwards into my opponent- no, into Yaan's face. Perhaps only I saw what happened next, since I was inches away from him, but…the lightning bolt hesitate. As the lightning, filled with destruction and chaos, was about to obliterate his eyes, face and head, Yaan didn't flinch. He looked into the lightning, and the lightning looked back into him. Lord, despite how absurd it may sound, I am certain of this…the core bolt of lightning saw something in Yaan's gaze that it did not wish to strike."

There was a long period of silence, during which time, mohawk became increasingly worried. Just as he was starting to panic, worried that he would be executed for his surrender mid-fight, he flinched as he felt a small hand on his arm. He stared at Yaan dazedly, no sure what this strange kid was doing now.

"What's your name?" Yaan asked clearly and seriously.

"Huh…?" The mohawk stared at him blankly. When he realised that he was being serious, he burst out into laughter.

"Hahaha! Do you not even read the headboard registry?"

"Ah, I didn't…I just asked for the strongest. But now, I'd like to know your name."

"Bluebolt." He finally replied. "Bluebolt of the Qilin Clan."

"Your name is fitting." Yaan smiled. He then suddenly turned around, looked up at the skies and scoured his eyes for a few seconds, before finally settling again on a specific location.

"Since the battle is over, I'd like Bluebolt to live." His words were very simplistic, but got straight to the point. He also didn't speak very loudly, yet his voice carried all the way up towards the foggy sky.

"Why should a betrayer of the rules be allowed to continue living?" The shocking voice boomed back, making everyone but Yaan tremble. The voice did sort of vibrate his body though, but he ignored this and replied so casually that it was as if he was stating the obvious.

"No real reason, I'd just prefer it."

The audience, Bluebolt, and probably everyone above who was speaking down to them, all nearly fell to the floor at the same time. Picking himself up, Bluebolt forced a smile as he turned to Yaan.

"Yaan, is it really worth you risking enraging that being if you're not making a proper justification?"

Yaan looked bewildered for a moment, staring a Bluebolt with confusion.

"But I did justify myself…and they agreed anyway." Yaan responded, laughing as he saw the mohawk man's confusion.

""W-wait, what do you mean, when did they agree to let me live?!" Bluebolt hurriedly spoke as a white light enveloped both himself and Yaan. Yaan left him with a line that he would go on to mull over every night for the following three years.

"Around a second before you admitted defeat…"