Rue Ming descended onto a stone platform and put away her boat shaped flying treasure. A female disciple came over to receive her.
She bowed, "Disciple Ling greets Rising Disciple Rue!"
Rue Ming stopped the young woman from bowing any further, "Ling... you know you don't have to be so formal"
The woman smiled, "It is my duty"
"Sigh"
Suddenly, several disciples ran by, catching Rue Ming's attention.
"Quick! We need to go to the arena!"
"Why? Who's fighting?"
"It's Zhang Yun Guang, the grandchild of Grand Elder White Feather. Some people saw him fighting a disciple by the name Bai Hu and lost!"
Rue Ming's eyes glimmered when she heard that name. She recalled the frail looking boy she had rescued a few years back, and how determined those eyes were. She turned to her friend, "Let's go check it out!"
Disciple Ling had an uneasy expression on her face, "But miss... we have to check in with the elders..."
Rue Ming shook her head and began dragging her friend with a smile, "I have more important things to do right now!"
"Miss! Ugh, fine!"
-
Fwoom!
The surrounding fire qi gathered at several points above Zhang Yun Guang's head and began to take shape.
Cheng Xia on the other hand stood his ground and spread his legs apart, taking on a powerful stance. He raised his sword in an odd manner and looked as if he was going to slash down.
Zhang Yun Guang began to sweat, not because he was hot or afraid, but because the strain of using this spell was too much. With a bit of difficulty, 24 fireballs turned into the shape of a bird with a wingspan of 3 feet.
Bai Hu's eyes dilated, "Firebird Spell!"
Firebird Spell, the second level of the Fireball Spell. This was different from Zhang Yun Guang's ice dragon and was a genuine spell honed through many years of research. While the ice dragon was powerful, the Firebird Spell is much more so, as being hit with one is akin to being hit with that cultivator's full force.
The aura that Bai Hu felt despite being outside the arena was as if he was looking at around 6 ice dragons!
Despite this, Cheng Xia did not falter and continued to gather energy. It seems that he was going to use some kind of sword technique to cut down Zhang Yun Guang's full force attack.
Bai Hu glanced around the arena and found that people were starting to gather in crowds. Some were enamored by the fight, while others talked and pointed at Bai Hu.
He felt several gazes on him, but Bai Hu ignored them and focused on the fight. He felt that it was about to end.
And he was right. Zhang Yun Guang finished forming all the Firebirds and launched them all the Cheng Xia without hesitation. He then rapidly casted dozens of other spells to support the Firebirds.
In the face of this relentless assault, Cheng Xia only smiled. He slashed his sword with all his might.
"One Sword Splits The Heavens! Split The Sea!"
Everyone present at the arena felt as if an indomitable sword was about to fall with one clear intention, to part the relentless sea.
Sharp sword qi boosted by metal qi rose and fell, meeting the Firebirds and the spells like an impenetrable moving wall.
BOOM!
Cheng Xia's attack only paused for a few seconds when the Firebirds lost their energy and dissipated into the air.
Zhang Yun Guang's eyes widened as the sword shadow descended, his feet feeling as if they were entrapped in deep waters. He closed his eyes.
Whoosh!
A heavy, suffocating air slammed against him, knocking Zhang Yun Guang over. However, the sharpness of the sword shadow that he had seen before was no longer felt.
Opening an eye, Zhang Yun Guang looked and saw that the sword shadow stopped a foot away from his head. It soon dissipated into the air, and the blue barrier around the arena disappeared.
Wiping away the sweat on his forehead, Zhang Yun Guang picked himself up and cupped his hands, "Thank you for holding back"
Cheng Xia smiled and cupped his hands, "Fellow Disciple Zhang sure is strong. Had I not used my newest technique, I'm afraid that I would have lost that exchange"
Bai Hu clapped his hands, "What a fight! No one could expect such strength from newly advanced Foundation cultivators!"
Zhang Yun Guang smiled self-mockingly, "Fellow Disciple Bai's strength is nothing to scoff at either. It seems that I am the weakest out of us three"
"Nonsense!" Cheng Xia said, "It was simply a bad matchup. Spellcasters are naturally at a disadvantage if a close combat cultivator manages to get close"
Bai Hu nodded, "Those Firebirds would surely injure me if timed correctly, and that palm strike of yours is quite impressive too"
The duo raised the scholar's spirit, before Cheng Xia turned to Bai Hu.
"Fellow Disciple Bai, have you fully rested?"
He nodded, "Yes, the healing Formations work wonderfully. Are you...?"
Cheng Xia smiled and sat down in a lotus position, before taking out a pill bottle from his spatial pouch. Popping it open, he tipped it over to get out a bean sized pill that was a murky green color.
Zhang Yun Guang recognized it instantly, "A Wood Spirit Pill, costing at least 100 low grade spirit stones per pill"
100 low grade spirit stones is a hefty sum for normal cultivators, and most would want to spend those spirit stones on materials that improve their cultivation rather than a healing pill.
However, none of them present were ordinary cultivators, and had a bit of wealth for their age. Thus, a few healing pills was nothing much to the trio.
After about half an incense stick's worth of time, the swordsman opened his eyes and stood up, his eyes blazing with competitive spirit.
"Fellow Disciple Bai, aren't you curious about the outcome of a battle between the two of us?"