Chapter 335: Monsters

~~~

“Xiao Shuang of the Divine Frozen Palace vs. Qing Jin of the Eternal Flame Clan!”

The two are in motion before the announcer has finished speaking. Gold lightning surges in Liu Jin’s hands. At the same time, Xiao Shuang unleashes a wave of ice. Liu Jin’s lightning splashes harmlessly against it, instantly overwhelmed by the mass of deadly spikes that is soon inches away from his face.

[Ground Contraction]

A single backstep takes Liu Jin multiple yards away. The ice follows after him. Gold lightning turns purple, breaking through ice like a divine spear and heading straight towards Xiao Shuang.

It snaps.

Before it can reach Xiao Shuang, the temperature drops, and the purple lightning slows down, turns brittle, and shatters. Though the sight makes no sense, that is what Liu Jin’s eyes perceive. Immediately after, the shattered ice around the ring rises and accelerates towards Liu Jin.

[Rumbling Thunder God’s Cloud]

Arcs of purple lightning spread around Liu Jin, branching out like the veins and arteries in the human body until they form a misshapen sphere around him. Every shard of ice is destroyed and melted before it can reach him.

Xiao Shuang blinks.

“That is new,” she notes.

“I just have not used it in a while,” Liu Jin says.

“How flattering,” Xiao Shuang says, making no move to attack.

A gigantic block of ice falls on Liu Jin.

There is no buildup. No warning. It simply appears out of nowhere, already accelerated far beyond what natural gravity alone can accomplish. When the block crashes into the ring, it does so with such force that it is left embedded in it. The entire Crimson Cloud Arena is left trembling by the force of the impact.

Liu Jin’s Qi cannot be felt.

The seconds pass, and there is no sign of him. Many in the arena begin to murmur, wondering if maybe this is it.

“So quickly? Surely not!”

“Is it that surprising? After all,” someone in the lower seats says, “The difference in cultivation is too much.”

Of course, those with greater skill immediately realize the Emperor’s mysterious movement technique is at play once more. The strongest among them can even see the way he moves behind Xiao Shuang without giving away his presence. A small needle shines between his fingers as he moves to strike.

Learned people recognize he is targeting a special acupoint at the base of the neck. Should he succeed, Xiao Shuang could be left knocked out for the rest of the day. It would be the quickest final in the history of the tournament.

Xiao Shuang turns.

Even though Liu Jin’s Qi is perfectly disguised. Even though the needle is mere millimeters away from her skin. Xiao Shuan turns and catches Liu Jin by the wrist. Red eyes widen in surprise. Blue eyes shine with power.

[Annihilating Frost Wave]

~~~

“Yes!” Meng Yue says, jumping as Liu Jin is devoured by a wave of ice. “That’s my disciple!”

Usually, Bai Lianshi would scold her for such a display, but not today. She understands why Meng Yue wants the fight to end as quickly as possible.

“She could sense him?” Fu Lihua asks. The girl leans forward, her pink eyes shining with interest. “But that would mean…”

“She can command her upper dantian,” Shao Zhilan says. The member of the Five Fairies looks at Meng Yue. “Impressive.”

“Naturally,” Meng Yue says, preening. “Xiao Shuang’s talent is immense.”

It is far from an exaggeration. Everyone has three dantians, but few are those who master all of them. The lower dantian controls the body. It lays the foundation of one’s cultivation. The middle dantian controls the link between the body and the soul. Mastery of it is essential to develop higher skills. Then there is the upper dantian. Some say it governs the mind, but that is not strictly true.

The upper dantian controls vision.

As one grows in cultivation, the five senses of the human body stop being enough. People begin to rely on their ability to sense Qi above all, but even that is insufficient. A different, greater type of awareness is required to comprehend higher mysteries.

That is what the upper dantian unlocks.

“It is certainly impressive that Sister Shuang can sense Emperor Qing Jin. However, and I mean no disrespect when I say this, Lady Meng Yue,” her disciple, Bai Wen, begins to say, “But what if he can go beyond the Fifth Step?”

Meng Yue does not answer. A moment of silence falls over the ladies of the Divine Frozen Palace. At the same time, a burst of purple lightning breaks the ice apart.

“Whether the Emperor can go beyond the fifth step or not, my dear disciple,” Bai Lianshi says, “is something we all want to know.”

~~~

Liu Jin’s wounds seal themselves shut as he makes his way out of the ice. His body temperature rises by several degrees, and the nerve endings that transmit temperature changes are muted. While Liu Jin already modified himself before the match to be more resistant to ice and cold, making direct contact with Xiao Shuang’s Qi allows him to make more precise alterations.

“You can use your upper dantian. That’s impressive,” Liu Jin says as the lightning melts the ice around him.

“You cannot possibly tell me you did not consider the possibility, husband,” Xiao Shuang tells him, her voice cold.

Liu Jin only smiles.

Most cultivators never master their upper dantian, but the Crimson Cloud Tournament is a gathering of the generation’s strongest fighters. Of course, he expected it. Now that the possibility has become realized, Liu Jin feels every gaze in the audience waiting for his next move.

Waiting to see if he can go beyond the Fifth Step.

It is the reason why so many of those wishing for his capture have not been more overt. If he can go beyond the Fifth Step, then more forceful means would have resulted in Art of the Roaming Thief vanishing for several centuries. They could not possibly risk that, so Liu Jin remained safe under the structure of the tournament.

Xiao Shuang’s Qi spikes with anger.

A wave of cold hits Liu Jin, blowing him away. As Liu Jin twists his body in mid-air, Xiao Shuang is already upon him, riding on a wave of deadly ice.

“Husband, do you mean to tell me,” Xiao Shuang says through her Qi as her ice meets Liu Jin’s lightning, “that, all this time, you have been relying…On a Bluff?!”

Liu Jin neither confirms nor denies it. He merely pours more power into his lightning, annihilating all the ice and further incensing Xiao Shuang. The ice around her grinds against itself, producing more spikes and trying to power through Liu Jin’s lightning. It is a contest that, regrettably, Liu Jin knows he cannot win.

He jumps back.

The instant he does, Xiao Shuang’s form blurs. Ice covers the entire ring, and Xiao Shuang seems to glide over it with impossible speed until she is right in front of him. Liu Jin cannot dodge in time. Her hand touches his chest and freezes it. The cold permeates through his muscles and seeks his heart, but right before it can, lightning shoots through Liu Jin’s organs, heating up his body and breaking the ice. The whole thing does not last more than a fraction of a second.

It is enough. Sharpened hail falls on Liu Jin, leaving countless gashes all over his body and pinning him to the ground.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“I must admit,” Xiao Shuang says, “When you told me stories of your travels, I knew you had been blunting the harsher aspects of it for my sake. Even so, I thought you had been reckless at various points. I told myself that maybe that was the result of my ignorance, but now I see it is worse than I thought. Is this how you have been living all this time, husband? Balanced on a knife’s edge?”

Liu Jin dearly wishes he could deny it, but how could he ever tell Xiao Shuang such a shameless lie? How many times has he been at the mercy of the powerful? How many times has he almost died? How many miracles has he needed to stand where he is? Every time he looks back at his life, he cannot help but think of Xun Huwen’s words.

Faced with his silence, Xiao Shuang’s frown grew deeper.

“The more I see, the more convinced I become that this is the right course of action,” she says as Liu Jin’s wounds seal shut before her eyes. “Why must you fight me, husband? The Divine Frozen Palace will keep you safe. It is for the best.”

Her words are cold enough to make snow fall on the ring, yet Liu Jin can feel the warmth beneath them. Xiao Shuang cares so much that it makes him feel incredibly guilty.

However, guilt is not enough reason to change his mind.

His wounds mend. His Qi rises.

“If I only wanted to be safe, I’d have hidden in a cave,” Liu Jin says as his Qi morphs into the shape of a snake.

The snake advances.

Xiao Shuang is ready for it.

[Path to the Frozen Hells]

~~~

Shi Qingxia whistles as she looks at the horizon. Even from so far away, Liu Jin’s and Xiao Shuang’s energies can be felt clearly. Already, the weather is a few degrees colder than it was mere moments ago, and the earth rumbles lightly due to the power of the combatants.

“Those two are really going at it,” Shi Qingxia says.

“He has become strong,” Ye Zheyu says. The large man sits on top of a large boulder. Just like Shi Qingxia, his gaze is fixed on the city on the horizon.

“That goes without saying,” Shi Qingxia says. “He’s far surpassed what we were at his age.”

She looks at Yong Zhunyi as she says that. The ashen-haired man is standing to the side with his eyes closed, yet she knows he is paying more attention to the fight than either of them.

“His opponent is strong,” Ye Zheyu says as a tremor reaches them. “Too strong. Do you think he can win?”

“This is no time for doubts!”