Desperate Battle (II)

Bei Yingluo's grip on her weapon tightened as cries of battle rang out all around her. The two people she had made eye contact with prior were already heading in her direction. The slender disciple of the Mount Huang Sect approached deliberately with steady steps while that giant of a woman had already broken out into a full sprint, charging at her like a rabid cow.

They saw her as an easy target to get rid of. A quick victory would help them build confidence and momentum. They would be seen by others as being strong fighters and gain a strategic edge in this wild free-for-all.

Bei Yingluo shifted her body slightly so that she was exactly between both opponents, keeping track of them out of the corner of her eyes. If she fled, they would both come after her and she wasn't sure if she could outrun them. If she stood and fought, there was no possibility except defeat.

She exhaled and made her decision. She turned towards the slender one and sprinted towards him, fleeing the charging cow who was now behind her.

The Mount Huang Sect disciple made a derisive face. His sword whipped forward at her face, waving and dancing like a snake. His weapon was the infamous soft sword, a weapon made of the most flexible metals. This allowed the blade to move unpredictably and attack from unexpected angles.

Bei Yingluo ignored the incoming flashes of steel. She could barely catch glimpses of the soft sword, let alone defend against it. Instead, she focused on what she had to do and the one chance it gave her to escape this situation.

Her steps didn't slow and within half a breath, she was within range of her opponent. The soft sword snaked towards her neck area but she was no longer there. Thrusting her pudao into the ground and using the ridiculously long sword for leverage, she vaulted into the air.

Ping! Ping!

The soft sword struck the handle of the pudao and bounced off harmlessly.

For a brief instant, everything froze as she balanced on the tip of the handle with one hand, her body completely upside-down. She was like an acrobat under the light of the setting sun, dancing to her own tune.

Her momentum took her over the astonished man. She pulled her weapon along with her as she completed the summersault. She landed lightly on her toes and immediately sprinted away.

"What the..." He muttered but then sensed danger behind.

He whirled around, only to be met with a giant mass of a woman, her equally huge sword about to sweep him off his feet.

"Shit!" He cursed and ducked underneath the blade, "What the hell are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Why are you doing?" The large woman shouted back, her voice like a bullhorn.

"What?"

"Get out of the way or I'll chop you into meat paste!" She shouted again.

The Mount Huang Sect disciple was now thoroughly enraged, "You bitch, taste my sword!"

"Haha, come on!"

Bei Yingluo spared a quick glance backward. Both of her opponents were now locked in furious battle, leaving her in the clear momentarily. Those two probably would have preferred not to fight each other but they were left with no choice after her clever move.

She turned away from them and observed the battle as a whole. Most contestants were busy, fighting in pairs or threes. Some people were quickly defeated while others refused to give up. Dueling partners shifted and changed with the flow of battle. New partners were quickly found and swords clashed without pause. It was like a dance, a deadly dance between sword cultivators struggling for survival and supremacy.

Bei Yingluo dodged and weaved through the throng, never picking a fight with anyone and fleeing with haste at the first sign of danger. Every time she clashed with someone, she expended a lot of strength. She was severely under-leveled and after several rounds of clashes and close escapes, the only thing that kept her going was her excellent conditioning.

Under Chen Wentian's guidance, She had been able to completely rebuild her foundation in the Body Refinement Realm. She consumed to best medicinal pills that could be acquired to strengthen her bones and tendons and removed impurities from her organs. Her physical condition had been honed to perfection by countless rounds of the Twelve Meridians Body Tempering.

Now in the Mind Focusing Realm, she relied on this foundation as she continued to dance around people.

"Where do you think you're going." A voice in front of her made her pause.

A stout young man wearing furs blocked the path. His shirt was open in the front, revealing a hairy chest. He carried a misshapen sword with a wicked spike at the end. He didn't seem orthodox in any way so he was most likely a loose cultivator.

Bei Yingluo looked around. The nearest dueling pair was at least thirty paces away due to the wide arena. It was close enough and she retreated toward them.

The man gave chase but he was far more vigilant than her previous opponents. When she somersaulted over to the other side, he did not get distracted and continued chasing her.

Bei Yingluo muttered a curse. She slid to a halt and turned to face her pursuer. She gripped her pudao resolutely and went into the first movement of the Bei Family Spear art.

The man stumbled as he tried to correct his stance. He didn't expect her to turn and fight so suddenly. In that split second of confusion, her spear-like sword thrust toward him. He felt the phantom of death as the strange weapon far surpassed his expected range and penetrated his guard and aimed for his throat.

Clang!

He managed to twist his sword around to deflect the incoming blade, sending it wide and over his shoulder.

Bei Yingluo did not let him rest. She pulled back and thrust forward again, this time at his legs. He parried and retreated but subsequent thrusts chased after him.

The first movement of the Bei Family Spear focused solely on attack. It utilized the long range of spears to keep an enemy at bay. It called for continuous long-range attacks to control space on the battlefield and control enemies. Without a real spear, she was still able to pull it off with the pudao but only by holding onto the very end of the handle with both hands.

This unnatural form required great strength to maintain. She could not keep going like this for long. She knew her limitations so she attacked with ferocious intensity, pushing her opponent backward in exactly the direction she wanted.

The loose cultivator gnashed his teeth in frustration but absorbed all of the attacks. He was much stronger than her so he was not under any real threat. The only problem was that his weapon was too short so he was forced to heed her flow, at least for now. He waited until she ran out of strength for his counterattack.

But that opportunity never came as he unexpectedly stumbled into some people behind him. He was so focused on the annoying pest in front of him that he did not realize which way he was being pushed.

He whirled around but it was too late. Two sword tips pressed against him before he could react, one on his chest and the other against his neck.

"Hou Bang of Black Oak Valley has been defeated!" A judge declared.

The two swords left his body and resumed fighting with each other.

The one named Hou Bang hung his head for a moment and sheathed his sword. When he looked back up, the girl he had been fighting had already fled far away. He laughed, shook his head helplessly, and left the arena.

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