Something changing
Hawa cracked his knuckles, looking at Xinli like a predator sizing up his prey. "Heee… skinny boy, are you ready to get beaten up?" he said, giggling as if he had already won.
Xinli's smile widened as his inner demon started to awaken, chilling the surroundings.
"Why am I feeling chills on my back?" one audience member muttered.
"Not only you, I am feeling it too," another replied.
Xinli knew he was much stronger than before—strong enough to take on someone at the Bone Forging stage if he fought seriously.
"Kiyaahahahah… finally, I can fight diligently," Xinli laughed, pointing at Hawa to make his move.
Hawa's expression turned serious as he sensed Xinli's aura. He made his move, charging at Xinli with force, leaving marks on the arena's high-grade tiles.
"Heyaaa…" he yelled.
Xinli unsheathed his blade-sword, Kalu, as Hawa charged.
"Wow, when did Xinli start practicing with a blade-sword? Is he also a blade practitioner?" someone in the crowd remarked.
There were various types of practitioners: swords, blades, sabers, katanas, spears, bows, and more. Everyone was eager to see Xinli's move.
He surprised them by throwing his sheath at Hawa's face and not using his blade.
"???"
"Really? …"
As the crowd questioned his move, Xinli charged. Just as Hawa pushed the sheath aside, Xinli blinked in front of him and jumped, kicking his face hard. Hawa tried to grab Xinli's foot, but with Xinli's high reaction speed, did Hawa stand a chance? Hell no.
Xinli backflipped, dodging Hawa's attack, then crouched down like a lizard. In a b-boying move, he delivered a low kick to Hawa's knee, making him kneel. Hawa dashed towards him, but with another blink, Xinli moved backward and kicked him in the jaw.
"Hahahahah," Xinli laughed heartily.
"Fuck… fuck… just you wait," Hawa gritted his teeth, ignoring the blood running from his mouth.
His demeanor changed as he dashed, punching and kicking simultaneously with full force. But with Xinli's innate talent, his reaction time was far superior, and he was much stronger than Hawa.
"LoL… Metallic Bull is enraged… who let this domestic animal here?" Xinli made a sarcastic remark, making Hawa even angrier as his veins started to pop out.
"Fuckkk youuuu," Hawa shouted as he charged at Xinli again.
Then he attacked Xinli with his heavy punch and kick, which were coated with his Qi. If this attack landed on Xinli's body, he would surely get big damage. So he started to focus, but his smirking smile did not fade. He was enjoying every bit of it.
They started to exchange blows, but one could see that Xinli was playing with Hawa. If they had keen eyes, they could figure it out. Even though this bull-headed fighter had higher strength because of his metallic body, Xinli had his own advantage because of the Forbidden Pupil of the eyes. Not to mention, Xinli was at the 11th realm of Qi gathering.
Xinli used his punching art and kicking art simultaneously, putting Hawa at a disadvantage. Hawa let his guard down as he threw his punch without blocking. With smooth precision, Xinli evaded his punch and then gave him a left hook. Hawa started to block Xinli's blows, but Xinli gave him one after another, non-stop punching, elbow shots, and kicking.
"Kyaaahahaha… how is it? Are you having fun?"
Non-stop, Xinli charged at him without stopping. If Hawa even moved a bit, Xinli countered with his attacks. After some minutes of non-stop beating, Xinli made Hawa a bloody mess. Blood was coming from his whole body.
Everyone watched Xinli like he was some sort of devil. Who the hell beats his opponent like that? Even Elder Chao was shocked and started pondering what kind of monster the sect had invited.
Some minutes later...
"E… Elder Chao, I surrender…" Hawa said in a shattered tone, barely able to raise his hand because of the pain. Even his metallic body couldn't withstand hundreds of blows.
"Huh? … Oh…" Elder Chao came back to his senses as he heard Hawa's painful voice.
"Ohh… stop, Xinli, he surrendered," Elder Chao commanded.
"Hmm? Ohh … sorry, my bad… aren't you having fun, Hawa?"
"…"
"Really?…" everyone exclaimed dumbfoundedly.
'For fuck's sake, stop playing with me… huhu,' Hawa cried inwardly.
"Why is Brother Xinli becoming more fierce?…" one of the fellow disciples exclaimed.
"Everyone is fierce when it comes to battling," another chimed in, dirty-mindedly.
"…"
"Here is your reward… take it…," Elder Chao handed Xinli money, scanning him as if anything was different within him.
"Take Hawa to the clinic," Elder Chao commanded the guard.
One could see that Hawa's eyes were full of fear… but just earlier, he was full of arrogance and confidence.
As Xinli got the money, he walked away, smiling, after grabbing his sheathed sword from the floor.
"Is he the same Brother Xinli who laughed like a devil?… Suddenly he became calm like a monk? Or are my eyes and ears deceiving me?" another questioned himself.
"He just beat the hell out of someone at the peak of the Qi gathering realm like he is nothing."
"And why the hell did he even unsheathe his sword if he had no plan to use it?" another questioned.
Just like that, everyone questioned, but no one got an answer. Xinli's deeds began to spread within the sect, impressing some, angering others, and stirring competitive spirits.
Being in the spotlight can attract both positivity and negativity… it's the nature of the world.
"Now… I can focus on my cultivation…," Xinli said, feeling satisfied mentally and physically after the sparring match.
He arrived at his room, sat at the window, took a deep breath, felt the lonely vibe, and watched the graceful night through the window, hoping to meet Xiang…
Day after day… the feeling between them only got stronger.
"No need to worry… there are plenty of opportunities to meet with her after becoming an inner disciple," Xinli let out a deep breath, feeling chilled by the cold night… but he liked it.