Read Novel Full Chapter 201: Cloud Empire (21)
Chapter 201: Cloud Empire (21)
The silence that took over the hall was dense, almost palpable.
Tao and the disciple of the Scarlet Rock Sect faced each other at the center of the arena, separated by only a few meters. There were no weapons. Neither of them seemed bothered by that.
"Begin whenever you wish." Tao said, relaxed, assuming a simple stance, his feet firm on the ground, his body slightly inclined.
The disciple did not respond.
His Qi exploded all at once.
He charged like a falling rock, the ground beneath his feet creaking lightly. His punch came straight on, heavy, loaded with raw energy. There was no refined technique in that strike, only condensed force.
Tao took half a step to the side and blocked with his forearm.
The impact echoed through the hall.
"Strong." Someone near the arena murmured.
Tao felt the shock climb up his arm, but he did not retreat. He twisted his hips and responded with a short strike to the opponent’s abdomen, releasing Qi at the instant of contact.
The disciple was pushed back two steps, the air escaping from his lungs.
Without giving time, he roared and charged again. His blows came in sequence. Elbows, knee strikes, and low and high punches, all carried by a rough, almost savage aura.
Tao began to retreat, not out of necessity, but to observe.
"Tao is just testing. He’s not even serious yet." Commented Qin Luo, of the Gray Blade Sect, crossing his arms, having already seen the outcome.
"Even so, the young man from Scarlet Rock is not weak." Responded He Yun of the Celestial River Alliance.
In the arena, Tao suddenly changed.
His body stopped retreating.
At the instant a punch came straight toward his face, he tilted his head, grabbed the opponent’s arm, and turned, using the man’s own weight to throw him against the ground.
The impact was dry.
Before the disciple could get up, Tao was already on top of him. One knee pressed against his chest while the palm of his hand descended, releasing concentrated Qi.
The floor of the arena cracked slightly.
The disciple shouted and forced his body to the side, rolling and pulling away before the blow could hit him squarely. He got up with difficulty, breathing heavily, but his eyes were shining.
"Again!" He snarled.
This time, he gathered Qi in both arms. A dark red energy wrapped around his fists as if they were extensions of living stone. He stomped his feet against the ground and charged, striking in a straight line.
Tao crossed his arms in front of his body.
The impact made the arena tremble.
Some spectators held their breath at such overwhelming physical strength.
Tao slid back a full meter, leaving marks on the ground, but did not fall. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Now we’re talking." He said in a low tone.
Then his Qi exploded.
Unlike the opponent’s raw energy, Tao’s Qi was dense, controlled, flowing through his body with precision. He advanced, and his strikes became too fast for ordinary eyes, but none of those present were ordinary.
Punch to the shoulder.
Elbow to the flank.
Short knee strike to the abdomen.
Each blow came accompanied by a precise release of Qi, entering the opponent’s body and exploding from within.
The Scarlet Rock disciple tried to endure, tried to counterattack, but he was overwhelmed.
Finally, Tao concentrated everything into a single strike. He twisted his body and struck the opponent’s chest with an open palm. The Qi exploded.
The disciple was thrown backward, crashing onto the arena floor and sliding until he stopped near the edge. He tried to stand, but his legs failed.
Silence then flooded the hall.
"End of the exchange." Tao announced, stepping back.
Servants moved quickly, but the disciple raised a hand, signaling that he was conscious.
Tao approached.
"What is your name?" He asked, extending his hand.
The young man took a deep breath before responding.
"Guo Yan."
Tao nodded and helped him to his feet.
"It was a good fight, Guo Yan. Your foundation is solid. If you refine your Qi control, you will become even more dangerous."
Guo Yan did not respond but inclined his head in respect before leaving the arena under restrained applause.
The hall murmured.
"He won easily..." Commented someone from the Southern Wind Dynasty.
"And I believe he didn’t even reveal all of his strength." Added Mo Qian of the Azure Mountain Alliance.
Tao took a deep breath and returned to the center of the arena.
"As said before, the winner may challenge another." He said, smiling.
His gaze swept across the hall. It passed over the Deep Roots Sect, the Southern Wind Dynasty, and then stopped.
"Qin Luo."
The leader of the Gray Blade Sect raised his head immediately.
"You commented quite a bit during the fight." Tao said, with slight amusement in his voice.
"How about exchanging a few ideas with me?"
Qin Luo smiled.
"With pleasure."
He stood up and, without even running, took a single leap.
His body crossed the space of the arena and landed exactly at the center, without raising dust. The instant his feet touched the ground, he was already holding the sheathed sword.
The atmosphere changed. Tao felt it first. An invisible pressure swept through the hall.
Qin Luo placed his hand on the hilt of the sword and began to draw it slowly.
The metal sang.
At the same instant, several swords present in the hall vibrated lightly within their scabbards and stands.
"Sword Intent..." Someone murmured, not very surprised.
Tao entered a guarded stance.
His Qi began to flow intensely, covering his body like a second skin.
Qin Luo finished drawing the sword. It was simple. Without adornments. But its blade seemed to absorb the surrounding light.
The first slash came without warning. A line of sword energy cut through the air.
Tao dodged by instinct, feeling the cutting Qi pass centimeters from his face. The ground behind him was marked by a clean cut.
He advanced, releasing a wave of Qi with his fist.
Qin Luo merely rotated the sword and cut the wave in half.
"Impressive, he is completely cutting through Tao’s Qi waves." Commented Mei Li, who was now beside Kyrian.
Tao intensified his attacks. Bodily strikes, Qi explosions, direct charges.
Qin Luo retreated only as much as necessary. Each attack was deflected or cut with surgical precision. The sword always seemed to be in exactly the right place.
The sound of impacts echoed through the hall.
"Tao is using a lot of Qi." Commented Yan Ling, lightly furrowing her brow.
"He has to. One mistake against that sword would be fatal." Kyrian commented briefly, sensing Qin Luo’s sword intent with a certain interest.
Tao felt the weight.
His Qi was beginning to drop, even if only slightly. Even so, he forced one last advance, gathering energy in his legs and torso.
He charged like a projectile.
Qin Luo took a step forward.
And then the sword shone.
In the next instant, the blade stopped centimeters from Tao’s neck.
The strike made everyone fall silent. Qin Luo held the position for a second...
"I lost." Tao said, smiling, breathing deeply.
Qin Luo sheathed the sword.
"Good fight."
He then turned, and his gaze swept across the hall, evaluating those present, while Tao left the arena.
His eyes passed over the Blood Court. They stopped for a moment on Kyrian. The crimson eyes met his. Qin Luo frowned slightly... but looked away.
His gaze then fixed on another point.
At the table of the Cloud Academy.
"Yun Hao." He said, calling the academy’s principal disciple to the arena.