Bubai didn’t like facing tough enemies, but... he certainly likes hitting enemies while they’re down!
Alas... battles in this arena didn’t start immediately. Shutting the gate to this cage and all that still took time.
This time around, it benefited the enemy.
After chugging the last of the medicine dew from a pill vial, Jin Tiemo tossed the vial aside and licked up the bloody stains on his lips while staring menacingly at Bubai.
“A lowly Qi Refiner like you actually dares to stick your nose in our feud? A newborn calf really doesn’t know the meaning of death!”
Bubai blinked, confused, then realized: Oh right... in the public’s eyes, he’s still a little Qi Refiner.
It’s normal to be scorned and underestimated!
Of course, any thinking this bloody sicko was following that cliché villain template... would be sorely mistaken.
Don’t just listen to what others say. Look at their actions.
Since the man chose to chug pills to get back to his best condition, then… his enemy most likely took him serious enough!
After all, only a blind idiot will underestimate a “Qi Refinement Realm” dark horse who can defeat a foundation realm master—multiple times at that!
Perhaps those words were just a psychological trick to stroke his ego so he’ll make more mistakes!
Naturally, Bubai certainly wasn’t going to fall for it, but…
Mind games—who said he can’t do the same?
There’s no harm in acting out the arrogant newcomer! That’s why Bubai sneered back. “You’re right. It’s hard for me to understand what death means, but… don’t worry—soon, I’ll make sure you do.”
Hearing that taunt, Jin Tiemo clutched his own face like a third-rate villain and cracked up.
“Zeheheh-zehahaha! Just a newborn calf that hasn’t even seen the world, and you dare to say that? Insolent clown, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself involved in.”
Bubai only rolled his shoulders confidently. “Who says I don’t know?”
“Do you really?” Jin Tiemo grinned wickedly. “Do you know who stands behind me? That’s a man you can’t afford to offend even if we give you three lives!”
“I’ll say this once—forfeit now and our Jin Clan won’t fault you for this matter. Otherwise...”
“Heh.” Bubai tried to mirror the man’s grin and even crossed his arms to show his confidence.
“Who are you trying to scare? If you knew the esteemed noble standing behind me, I bet you won’t even dare make a peep!”
“Oh…?” Jin Tiemo’s gaze sharpened dangerously. “Who?”
Bubai tilted his head up with chin raised like an arrogant prick and scoffed.
“Since you don’t even know this much, that means you’re unworthy of standing on the same stage as me! I suggest you surrender like the obedient dog you are.”
“You—!” Jin Tiemo knew he got played and almost blew his top, but he still suppressed his fury. What came out was a snarl that rattled with restrained venom.
“Zeheheh... you got a nasty tongue there, but I want to see if you have the fists to back it!”
His spiritual pressure gushed out. “Dirty little vermin, are you ready to bleed?”
Feeling the light breeze washing over, Bubai hardened his face like he was under a “lot” of pressure and crouched low, knife held up, like a sprinter waiting for the gun. “After. You.”
Both sides stared at each other like predator at prey...
“Begin!”
As soon as the gong sounded, Jin Tiemo blurred into a streak of red and shot forward, ready to make this a quick fight!
Yet to his shock, the newborn calf that was supposed to rush up and meet him head-on actually… turned tail and bolted up the wall?!
“Bai Have a great night”
“Want to run?! In your dreams!”
Snarling, Jin Tiemo hastily whipped his scythe and fired bloody energy slashes at the man scaling up the wall faster than a cockroach!
Unfortunately... there was still quite the gap between them.
By the time the slash flashed over, the agile Bubai already nimbly skipped out of the way and kept scurrying up even higher.
When Jin Tiemo reached the other side of the arena, his charge lost steam and slowed to a stop.
Craning his neck to stare at the monkey hanging out high above, annoyance bubbled up big time in Jin Tiemo and he can’t help but roar. “You little coward! Come down and fight if you’re a man!”
Bubai gave the little man downstairs a friendly wave. “Sorry, only a fool will come down and fight you! Besides, I get paid by the hour, so please keep me entertained for the next two hours or so, Mister Moneybag.”
“You insolent—!” Fury boiled over, and Jin Tiemo sent a few more slashes screaming skyward, but... all of them missed by a long shot.
It wasn’t that his attacks were slow. No—it was just that acrobat upstairs was far too quick!
This was simply a flaw of his Blood Weapon Art: Rend.
The slash might be fast and terrifyingly vicious, but that’s only if it can hit!
But against any nimble opponent, especially ones who even outclasses him in speed?
Landing a hit is even harder than cutting down a body cultivator at the same realm! Especially if there’s an unbridgeable distance between both sides!
That’s why taking out the foot of that Qian Clan’s Flying Tiger was an important link in their strategy this year!
After paying a heavy price to hire an outsider, he thought they’ve finally gotten rid of his greatest nuisance, but…
Who would’ve guessed… those disgusting bug freaks would bring in an even more annoying guest fighter!
Not only did this newcomer have an annoyingly powerful, cockroach-like physique, but he actually possesses the even more annoying signature footwork of those Cloud Sword Sect hypocrites!
Though the arena walls here didn’t reach all the way to the heavens, the top was still a long, long way from where he’s standing.
Now that the cockroach ran up there… if he wanted to kill this cockroach, it’ll be harder than carving open the sky!
But Jin Tiemo obviously wasn’t going to give up just because it was hard.
Gripping the chain attached to his scythe, Jin Tiemo swung his scythe in circles and let out a roar grated in malice.
“Don’t think I can’t do anything to you just because you’re hiding up there! Zeheheh… Bleed for me!”
Another whirl around and the scythe got thrown up!
Fwoooosh!
The ominous rattle of the chain was like a death knell to Bubai’s ears and his instincts told him to book it out of there!
And good thing he did!
Though that scythe scratched nothing but empty air, that had never been its purpose.
Its only aim was to bridge the gap between both sides and once it did…
The weapon sang and bloody-red crescents fanned out from the blade!
Even though Bubai preemptively scurried away, those hazardous slashes still reached him in almost an instant!
It came much faster and much more accurately than he expected!
Not only that, facing them in person felt completely different from watching!
The pressure was real, and the threat made his Bubai tingle go haywire so bad that his mind almost couldn’t keep up!
Thank Merlin his reflexes kicked in and he folded himself mid-run, diving down headfirst like a gymnast harmonizing with gravity itself.
His rather outlandish acrobats barely let those crisscrossing scarlet slashes fly by and miss him by a hair’s breath!
Once his feet glued back to the wall, Bubai quickly darted back away from the splattering blood that hissed as they dripped down like molten wax.
“Phew~ Close call.”
Bubai’s gaze then snapped down just in time to see the scythe getting reeled back into its owner’s hands.
“Wow. What a nasty toy.”
And whoever bankrolled that magic weapon sure is generous because the entire chain’s actually forged from Qi-conductive metal!
That’s very expensive metal mainly used for forging powerful magic weapons like spirit swords!
Here, both the scythe and that chain that’s many times longer than a spirit sword was forged from such valuable material!
Like Holy Merlin, that’s too extravagant, isn’t it?!
But at the same time, this was like super powerful because holding a chain like this allows its user to activate the base weapon like it was held in their hands no matter how far they throw it!
Don’t think this was the same as a spiritually-controlled remote weapon.
The power difference was like a shock from a battery compared to a powershock from a device connected to an electrical outlet!
That’s why the bloody slashes were just as lethal even when the spell was cast through a medium!
It wasn’t something Bubai dared to take head-on, unless he wanted to feel how it’s like to loose a limb or two…
Fortunately, Mr. Exposition Guy Number Two upstairs already forewarned him about this trick.
Even so, he still almost got hit! That’s just how bloody fast those killer slashes came!
Too bad though. Since they can’t catch him the first time, then he’ll make sure that landing a hit becomes even harder!
Bubai simply gave the man downstairs the third finger then turned and sprinted away along the wall.
Jin Tiemo didn’t know what that gesture meant, but he certainly understood it wasn’t anything good.
Fury riled up his bloodlust and he immediately gave chase while yelling, “Don’t think you can run forever, you cowardly little cockroach! Once I catch you, I’ll make you beg for death and wish you were never born!”
The threat only made Bubai laugh. “Save the speeches for after you catch me, ya bloody small-wiener sicko!”
That little secret, sponsored by the brother upstairs, immediately ticked the man off.
“Zargghhhh! Die! Die! Die!”
Huh, I choose an impeccable moment to binge the chapters that piled up, thanks for the free month!
I'm curious: is this dreaded tournament arc over on patreon or is it simply eternal?
Already over on Patreon for sure