Chapter 100: Fight Clean?

Chapter 100: Fight Clean?

Ding Bo formally bowed. The second he did, Hui pointed a wind talisman at him. Activate!The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

A wave of wind rushed at Ding Bo.

From his bow, Ding Bo sliced upward, splitting the wind. He stood, frowning at Hui.

Ah, you activated my trap card. Next, Ill place two cards in the facedown condition and end my turn! Hui said, throwing two talismans onto the field.

Ding Bo sliced at the talismans as they fell. His wooden sword cut through the paper, as sharp as finest steel. He ran at Hui, sword held low and close to his body.

Hui scowled. He isnt falling into my pace at all. I guess a good, clean battle is my only option.

A good, clean battle? And how am I supposed to win that?

Hui leaped into the air as he thought, dodging Ding Bos attack. Ding Bo pivoted on a dime and chased him. He jumped back, counting the tiles until the edge, then flipped over Ding Bo again.

Ding Bos eyes flashed. He stabbed up at Huis gut. You cant dodge in midair.

Boulder-Cutting Wind! Hui shouted.

Ding Bo ignored it, cutting through the wind at Hui, but Hui blasted away, lifted by the wind. He landed halfway across the arena square. Ding Bo charged at him immediately. Lifting his lip, Hui drew out another talisman and fired it at Ding Bo. Fire raged at his opponent.

With a casual backhand, Ding Bo blasted the fire out of the arena. Hui stared, then scowled. What happened to fighting opponents near our cultivation level? Is this some kind of punishment for this small cultivator?

He flicked his eyes upward to the box for the Sect Masters and other higher-ranked cultivators. Sect Masters Lan and Mu chatted casually, ignoring the fights.

Hui pressed his lips together. Not even paying attention?

A sword swept past his nose. Hui flinched back, barely dodging.

If you dont pay attention, you might die, Ding Bo warned flatly.

Right, right. Im fighting right now. We can worry about inter-sect intrigue later. Hui bounced to the rear of the arena and bowed to Ding Bo. My apologies, elder brother.

You bow now? Ding Bo asked, a note of confusion in his voice.

Now I have something to bow for, Hui replied. With a flourish, he drew out a handful of talismans.

You arent the only one who can attack their opponents qi, Ding Bo said. His expressionless face and emotionless way of speaking made it worse, somehow.

I didnt harm Zhenmao! Hui protested. But these plants are harming my qi passages!

Ding Bo snorted. He lifted his sword and pointed it at Hui. Quietly, he said, Your choice. Fight on here, as the qi-seed plants dig out your qi passages and twist into your dantian. Fight on, without qi, hopelessly weak, and allow me to beat a good-for-nothing like you to my satisfaction. Or give up now and spare yourself the pain.

Another quack sounded from his death-qi dantian. The dantian rustled, as if a hundred birds adjusted their wings for flight.

You What happened to a good, clean fight? Hui hissed, clamping down on his death qi dantian as well. Now? Now you come back, Fatty?

Now that youre on the receiving end, do you feel the horror and hopelessness? Learn this lesson well. Ingrain it into your veins. You arent the only one who can act underhandedly. Ding Bo turned his sword and drew it back, readying to attack. This is your last chance. Give up.

Hui staggered, hugging himself. His head drooped. Leaves pressed against the inside of his robes. Branches uncurled. The roots twisted deeper, reaching into his internal organs. Nnever.

Ding Bos expression hardened. Then die.

He darted at Hui, swinging his sword at Huis neck.

A second before his sword landed, Hui looked up. He grinned at Ding Bo, brandishing a thick stack of talismans. Fell for it.

Ice raged out from Huis talismans, encapsulating Ding Bo. It grew to the sky, a huge ice pillar, clear as glass except for Ding Bo, trapped inside.

It only took every ice talisman I had, but I did it!

Opponent contained, Hui put the ice between him and the Sect Masters box and plopped down into a lotus pose. Carefully, he drained the last of the qi from his passages, mindful to keep the roots from seeking after it toward his dantian. Once his passages were clean, he circulated his death qi through his qi passages, guiding it to the qi-seed plants roots. Tiny ducks lunged out of his death qi to gobble up the roots. They fought and kicked one another for the right to the roots, scrambling up the holes where the roots had been. Without any roots, the plants shriveled up and fell off his skin, nothing but withered husks.

Guiding the death qi back into its own dantian, Hui let his qi back out. It circulated readily. He waited a few seconds, watching for any new growth from the plants. When nothing happened, he stood and stretched.

Inside the ice, Ding Bo struggled imperceptibly, except for the fluctuations from his cultivation base. Small fractures radiated from immediately around him, but none pierced the ice.

Did you think Ive never encountered qi poisons before? I was the first one Zhubi bit. Your ploy was a good one, but you forgot: talismans can be activated with almost no qi expenditure. And I suppose you couldnt know it, but Im fully immune to qi-eating attacks, particularly plant-based ones! Hui boasted. Not really, but with death qi, it might as well be true. He patted the ice with a friendly smile. My friend, it was simply a case of the wrong opponent.

Drawing another talisman, Hui pointed it just below where Ding Bo sat. Boulder-Cutting Wind!

Wind cut through the ice. It began to slide, falling off the larger ice pillar.

Hui jumped up and kicked the ice block. It flew through the air and crashed to the ground, outside of the ring.

This time, cheers went up from the arena. Hui raised his hands, basking in the victory. Does a hero have to struggle a little to get this kind of recognition? Ah, but this small disciple doesnt like pain. At the end of the day, Id rather have a flawless victory with no recognition!