Chapter 82 - In-security

Frost shook her head. "Just a hypothesis. But it was one based on my own experiences. I don't think many would be able to recognise what you have achieved."

Cheng Xiu was about to thank her, and say courtious words, but Frost charged at her just as she opened her mouth to speak.

Cheng Xiu stepped back, and then back again. With each swipe of Frost's fists towards her, Cheng Xiu backed up even more. It got to the point that she was only a few steps away from getting into the woods, and her positioning was such that she was moving towards the riverside.

Cheng Xiu frowned. She knew what Frost intended to do. She wanted to attack Cheng Xiu until she had the Rookie where she wanted her all along. Near a water source that would allow the blue-robed woman to have more Qi supply.

But Cheng Xiu was not sure how she should handle this situation. She could use the Ghost Flame but she was not sure how the Flame would react against Frost's ice. Though logic dictated that fire would win, she couldn't help the feeling of doubt the rose up in her heart.

But what else could she do, a voice in her head asked. She couldn't engage in a physical confrontation as the chances of her being able to escape unscathed was impossible, and the chances of her getting the upper hand was even more of a pipe dream at that point. This wasn't like the fight with Immortal Lotus where she was absolutely helpless, and yet...somehow she felt a sense of doubt in her heart that she had not had then.

Cheng Xiu tried to think of a reason for her own emotions as she jumped away from a kick to her shin.

She had to rationalise herself at this point. She would not be able to fight well if she couldn't hold on to her emotions.

Could it be that she felt pressured about this match? This was her fifth match, and whether she won or lost it would be her last Arena match for the day atleast. Cheng Xiu found herself thinking about the end. She found her heart beating sporadically at the mere thought of loss.

And there it was. Unlike before with Immortal Lotus, where her only desire was to stay alive and not let herself be cowed by the experts of the game, now she wanted to win. If this was going to be her last match, regardless of whether she won or lost, Cheng Xiu wanted to leave the Arena a winner. She could beat four Expert players. Was it greedy of her to want to win all five of her matches.

Cheng Xiu pursed her lips in distress. She had always been a competative person. She had always strived to be the best not just to prove herself, but also because somehow, Cheng Xiu found her heart somersault at the mere thought of loss. She couldn't lose. If she did, then it was proving to the people who watched her, waiting for her to fail, that they were right all along.

Cheng Xiu knew her own heart. She recognised her own faults. It was one of the perks of being a hypergenius, she understood herself better than others would themselves. She knew how to assess herself. But that recognition of her own flaws did not bring about a dramatic change in her. She couldn't bring herself to change her way of thinking despite the fact that she knew better than anyone that trying to prove yourself in front of people who could never see the good in you was not a healthy way of dealing with such people.

If it was Gu Shu in her place, then Cheng Xiu would have tried her best to change her mind about it. She would have tried to make Gu Shu see herself and not others.

So why was it so hard to do the same thing with herself? Why was it that there was no one around her who would stop her, and say 'don't have to prove anything to me, I know'?

Cheng Xiu pulled herself away from such thoughts. She couldn't afford to have such thoughts. She was a Qiless. She had to prove herself.

And it was okay to want to win.

Cheng Xiu stabalised her emotions and found an anomaly. While it was true that she would have such thoughts all the time, she was never one to doubt her own skills before. Cheng Xiu had always tried to prove herself because she believed that she was better.

Cheng Xiu knew that she could be quiet narcisstic about things that used her skills and her intelligence.

She never doubted her ability. She did not need to. Because in some ways, Cheng Xiu was aware that she would always think of ways to escape. She could always think up a solution, and when she only had one option in her mind, she would use that option, regardless of the results as that is the only way to move forward.

Something clicked in her mind.

She closed her eyes and concentrated inside herself, examining the Qi in her veins.

She found it.

Though it was very minute, she found a small focal point near her heart that was different the others somehow. She somehow felt the difference. Though there was a familiarity to the Qi attached to her own that Cheng Xiu was not sure the meaning of, with it was also a sense of otherness. This was not her Qi. It was similar somehow, but it was not hers.

Cheng Xiu's heart settled.

She manipulated the Wild Qi around her, and directed it towards the the foreign connection.

Frost hissed in pain and held the side of her head the moment the link between the Qi strand and Cheng Xiu's Qi pool broke.

Cheng Xiu stood stright, with her head held high. "That was quiet interesting, trying to create a sense of selfdoubt in me that I would have to question myself and my decisions. Too bad I found out about it, right?"

Frost blinked. The ice mist in her eyes were still present. "How did you find out?"

Cheng Xiu smiled. "Call me a narcissist if you want to but the thing is, I would never have self-doubt when it comes to my plans, especially when there is very few options to begin with and the best course of action and the logical reaction to your attacks is that."

Frost's glinted. "Show it to me then. The reason for your arrogance. Your belief in yourself."

Cheng Xiu raised her hands. "Ghost Flames!"

Black flames appeared on the palm of her hands, one in each. The one in the right divided itself into two, while the other divided into three.

Frost frowned. "Very well then!"

Frost's entire body let out mists of ice as she jumped towards Cheng Xiu.

The white-robed girl stood still for a moment and then jumped up into the air to meet her opponent mid-way.In-se