Chapter 90 - Fated Arena

Cheng Xiu's body started to emit a silver glow that rippled through the air.

Frost backed away.

The spectators watched in awe as the tips of her fingers and toes glowed with a golden light that turned into a lotus pattern that bloomed with each of her step.

The copies of Cheng Xiu's sword disappeared and the Red Carp Sword in her hand emitted a golden light and disappeared into a beam.

Though she saw all this, Frost's eyes were still on the Phoenix eyes that stared at her with a predatory glint in them. Her dark eyes had changed into a golden pool of light, similar to Frost's and yet, different.

[Ding!]

[World Announcement: Player SelaXiu Veritas and Player Frost have intiated the Fated Arena.]

Those that knew the meaning of those words gasped as one.

WuQi screamed in excitement. "Fated Arena!"

Yue jumped to her feet, shock written on her face.

WuQi and Long Hei ran forwards only to be stopped by an invisible barrier.

"Idiots," Lotus muttered.

The two figures in the forest froze as the trees began to disappear, and golden walls appeared around them. The ground under the two turned into a dark abyss.

San Zhe looked at the excited experts and the changed landscape in confusion. He turned to Star Phoenix. "Brother Star…what is happening?"

Star Phoenix sighed. "'Fated Arena' is a hard to trigger machanism of Arenas. Every Arena in the Other World has one. It happens when a battle shows the signs of being so destructive and damaging to the topography of the world, and the spectators."

"Most battles have that destructive aspect though?"

"Which makes the Fated Arena even more special," WuQi said in excitement. "It means that the AI has calculated that the fight between those two will be so destructive that it will damage the world itself."

San Zhe frowned. "I don't think I understand."

Lotus sighed. "Veritas and the Viridian Forest are part of the World Quests right now. Vixia Kingdom and the Azure States are planning their attacks with the forest and its surrondings in mind. Their battle might affect the NPC storyline which can not happen yet, so the AI has created the Fated Arena. They can do anything in the Arena and it won't affect the world."

San Zhe frowned. "But they are both at Level 10. How destructive can they get?"

"Which is what makes this battle even more interesting," Yue said in a hushed tone. Her entire demeanour was that of a child in a candy store. "Lotus."

Lotus looked at the rainbow clad woman. "Yeah?"

"I want SelaXiu in my Guild no matter what."

Lotus's eyes widened. "But if Frost defeats her, then Frost has the right-"

"No matter what," Yue said with a glare. "I will compensate Frost with real money."

Lotus sighed. "Understood."

San Zhe pursed his lips and looked away from the girls towards the glowing figure of Cheng Xiu.

He couldn't believe the amount of trouble that she got into in the few hours that they had played the game together, and he wasn't sure how he would be able to help her out either. He did not have the power to even stand in her shadow, how would he protect her from the vultures that eyed her.

San Zhe felt guilty. He couldn't help but think that the only reason that Cheng Xiu had stopped and not logged out was because of him. If only he had been able to react faster when he had seen the group of experts waiting for their return.

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

San Zhe blinked and looked behind him only to back away fast.C

Lu WenXian smiled at him. "Sorry. You seemed at bit worried."

WuQi gasped and ran towards them. "Brother Xian!"

She tried to take a hold of his hand only to find herself hugging Crow. She gagged and threw him away.

The yellow dressed man hit into EverHill.

"What is going on?" Matchstick asked. "Why are you all here?"

"It is a fated battle," Lu WenXian said. "Must watch it from up close!"

Crow frowned. "I was not able to find any clues that SelaXiu is Cheng Xiu, so I wanted to ask San Zhe some questions."

San Zhe backed away in fright.

Lu WenXian patted the shorter man's back. "Relax. Crow will not torture you. Maya wouldn't allow it."

"Who the hell is Maya!" WuQi asked.

Lotus rolled her eyes at the purple clad woman. "The AI of the Other World."

WuQi blushed and ducked her head. "Right. I forgot about the fact that it had a name."

"She," Crow said with a shake of his head. "We should respect the gender that the AI chaose for herself, dude."

Yue walked up to him. "Crow."

Crow looked at her, his eyes dimming. "Ms Yue."

Yue frowned. "I see that you are fine with your lose."

Crow frowned. "I will be after I defeat her at my full power."

Yue nodded. "That makes more sense for you."

Crow turned away from her.

Yue's eyes flashed as it went towards SelaXiu.

In the lakeside of the Viridian forest a man sat lazily staring at the display screen where two feminine figures stood stock still as the environment around them changed.

A woman in deep purple sat beside him. "Brother…SelaXiu…she…"

Yaksha smiled. "Isn't she beautiful, Diana?"

Diana smiled. "Dangerous too."

Luther coughed. "Young Master, look at the side. All the other experts seemed to have returned. Are they planning on pulling another Grandmaster's Arena after this one?"

Yaksha chuckled. "Nonsense. Can such a thing be done?"

"Young Master?"

"The Grandmaster's Arena can oly be used on the same person by different people. And they can only do it once in two days. And by that time…"

Luther blinked. "And by that time?"

Yaksha smiled and looked at Diana. "SelaXiu would have a more powerful companion by her side than the one she has now."

Diana's eyes widened. "Brother…"

Yaksha looked back at the screen with interest. "I wonder how much more surprises SelaXiu will present for the spectators by the time the match ends."

Luther sighed. "Probably an unbelievable amount."

Yaksha laughed. "Are you no longer believing your experts are all powerful?"

Luther smiled. "I can admit when I see a miracle happening, Young Master."

Yaksha nodded. "Indeed.. A miracle."