Chapter 41: A Game Of Cat And Mouse
Leo was already angry about waiting for so long and strode over to Zen demanding, “Zen, you promised to fight with me in the battle ring today. Why are you late? If you back out of this battle ring challenge, I will let you off, but only if you kneel before me, and call me your superior three times. Then, you will withdraw from the Cloud Sect and hide at home like the coward you are!”
With an innocent look, Zen blinked and casually stated, “Well, I agreed to fight with you in the battle ring today. But, whether it is noon or midnight, today hasn't passed. So tell me, did I promise you an exact time?”
questioned Zen. All Zen's flippant response did enrage Leo further, and he snapped back, “How cunning of you speaking such nonsense. Well, whatever you say now though will be of no use within the battle ring.”
“Before we set foot in the battle ring, I have a request to make,” stated Zen curtly.
“What's your request? What do you want me to do? I am going to tell you that we are keeping the Cloud Sect rules! The winner doesn't assume any responsibility for the opponent's death or impairment during a fight!” stated Leo bored. Since he planned to take Zen's life, he couldn't make a promise to go easy on him anyway.
Zen shook his head, frowning, and said, “No, opponents are supposed to beat each other mercilessly in the ring; I know the rules quite clearly. I think fights pure and straightforward like that are very boring. I was wondering if we could bet on something, and the winner of the fight will win the bet!”
The request left Leo somewhat shocked. He hadn't thought Zen would ask for such a thing. After the initial surprise wore off, Leo wondered what Zen was up to, and thought the outcome was inevitable. That was, Zen would die in the ring at Leo's hands if and when he got Zen into the ring! Leo decided he would grant Zen's request, if for no other reason than to get this fight underway.
Leo couldn't believe Zen was so bold as to place a bet.
He had no idea where Zen's confidence stemmed from. 'He doesn't think he actually has a chance of winning, does he? Considering the fact that he is at the organ refining level, and I am half-step into the nature level, does he really think he stands a chance of beating me? That's a riot!' Leo deemed.
“Haha, place a bet? Sure, sure, that's a great idea! Tell you what, we'll bet on whatever you choose!” responded Leo chuckling.
“Okay, I'll wager a hundred cubic crystals, and you put up a top-grade mysterious weapon for your stake. My one hundred cubic crystals will be yours if you win, but if you lose, your top-grade mysterious weapon will be mine!” declared Zen grinning happily.
“One hundred cubic crystals?” repeated Leo stunned for a second time by Zen. Being born into an ordinary, low-income family, Leo understood the value of cubic crystals. He wasn't supported by a big and powerful family like others. Although he had put his strength to use, earning numerous points over the years, he had spent them as quickly on useful pills and in honing his refinement skills. In fact, to refine oneself as a warrior took a great deal of money.
A bet of one hundred cubic crystal pieces was nothing to a noble clan disciple, but, for a disciple like Leo, it was a vast sum of money.
Leo would happily place this wager with Zen, but he didn't have a top-grade mysterious weapon to bet with...
“You jerk! You know I don't have a top-grade mysterious weapon! But you want me to put one up to place a bet with you? I think you are trying to get out of our fight!” accused Leo furiously.
There was a look of regret on Zen's face. He sighed as he stated, “If there is no weapon, I don't think there is a reason to fight. It would just be a waste of my energy to battle you. Since you can't bet such a weapon, why should I fight with you?”
“Why - you?!” Leo's face became redder the more enraged he got. “Apparently, you're looking for excuses to back out of our duel. I think you are full of hot air! In fact, I bet you don't even have a hundred cubic crystals!”
As Leo finished accusing, pieces of cubic crystals slipped out of Zen's hands, cascading through his fingers, jingling loudly. Every piece of cubic crystals glittered translucently in the sunlight, sparkling more each time the light hit one.
Cubic crystal was a hard currency. Outer disciples at Drizzle Peak were mostly born into ordinary, humble families. The glittering stack of cubic crystals were approximately one hundred pieces. For the outer disciples present, it represented an enormous amount of money.
“Now, I have shown you numerous cubic crystals, and when you produce a top-grade mysterious weapon, I will step into the battle ring. If you can't do that, then, we won't fight. I honestly don't want to waste my energy,” said Zen, as he stood in front of his stack of cubic crystals and laughed.
Gazing at the stack of cubic crystals, Leo suppressed his anger and thought. From his view, a fight in the battle ring should be simple. But, with Zen's dawdling, it was becoming complicated and delayed.
Suddenly, Thomas said in a bored tone, “Leo, just bet a top-grade mysterious weapon like he wants, unless you are afraid you might lose?”
“I would, except, I don't have a top-grade mysterious weapon!” replied Leo glumly.
“Well, you don't have one, but, can't you borrow one? I can't believe no one you know at Drizzle Peak has a top-grade mysterious weapon,” reminded Thomas.
“Hey, you're right!” shouted Leo while looking around. At last, his eyes found who he was looking for, over in a corner, and he called out, “Anthony, if memory serves, you have a top-grade mysterious weapon, right?”
Anthony He not only had a top-grade mysterious weapon. He wasn't weak either. He smiled broadly and replied, “Yes, Leo. I do have a top-grade mysterious weapon. So what?”
“Lend it to me for a short time. I'll give it back soon!” stated Leo as though borrowing a mysterious weapon from Anthony He was a piece of cake.
Unexpectedly, Anthony He shook his head responding, “No!”
“What? Are you afraid this guy will beat me?” asked Leo furiously that someone would turn him down.
Anthony shook his head again. “No, I'm sure you won't lose. But, why should I lend it to you?”
“You...” It dawned on Leo what Anthony was hinting at, and he shut up, sighing as he rolled his eyes, and said, “Well, half the cubic crystals will be yours if I beat him, okay? Does that sound good? Now, will you agree to lend me your top-grade mysterious weapon?”
Only after Leo offered half of his winnings did Anthony smile in satisfaction and say, “You should've said that earlier. Here, catch, Leo!”
As he exchanged banter, Anthony took a saber off his waist and tossed it casually at Leo, as though it was anything but a top-grade mysterious weapon.
As the saber flew towards him, Leo reached out and caught it. Deep down, he believed Anthony was the sort who would do anything as long as it benefited him. The double-edged sword made a “shiiiiiing,” sound of metal rubbing against the casing as Leo unsheathed it. The three-foot sword was bathed in a purple light. As soon as the sword was unsheathed, Leo said, “Zen, does this meet your requirements? It is a first level, top-grade weapon, known as the Purple Blue Sword.”
After taking a glimpse at the Purple Blue Sword, Zen nodded. He turned back to Nory and said, “Hold onto the cubic crystals for me.” Having finished talking, Zen jumped into the battle ring.
Seeing Zen in the battle ring, Leo was gratified in his heart, but, he didn't show his joy. He feared nothing, except that Zen would give up before the fight started. So, Leo thrust the Purple Blue Sword into Nory and leaped into the battle ring as quickly as possible.
In the ring, Zen stood tall with his hands balled into a fist and resting on his hips. The energy within his body started to flow slowly. In the face of this, Leo, who was cultivating on the half-step into the nature level, thought Zen looked unmindful. But, deep down, Zen was vigilant. Anyone who reached the level Leo was at had a sixth sense about people.
Leo had waited for quite a long time and wished to end this fight with Zen quickly. After he entered the ring, Leo sneered, and streaks of lightning flashed at his feet accompanied by the crackling of thunder, which encircled his entire form in a streak of lightning. He rushed at Zen headlong.
The tactic Leo used was a refinement method known as the Raging Thunder Fist. In developing this skill, the speed and force that the life energy generated were equal to a thunderbolt and relatively amazing to watch.
As Leo raced forward and drew closer, Zen watched him getting bigger to his eyes. When Leo was about six feet away, Zen realized Leo's fist had metamorphosed into an enormous streak of raging lightning and in the blink of an eye, it struck Zen squarely on his head.
Leo was skilled at manipulating the vital life energy of his half-step into the nature level as well as converting that life energy into a thunderbolt. The power of his fist was so mighty that the blow dazed Zen.
Even as Zen saw Leo's fist flying at him, he didn't flinch.
Instead, he tensed his fists. On impact, streaks of purple light sparked over his body. At first, he countered the Raging Thunder Fist with the Purple Fist Strength from the Purple Light Fist.
He wanted to confront Leo head on.
As the audience watched the action, they were amazed, and their mouths fell open.
Having initially thought Zen would scurry off like a frightened mouse as soon as he faced Leo, the spectators were astounded by the events.
After all, the two combatants differed significantly in refinement levels, and if Zen attacked Leo directly, he would lose.
Half of Zen's body would end up a charred, burned mangled mess if their fists met.
“Bam!”
The sound of fists slamming into each other echoed through the room.
Owing to the tremendous force of their fists slamming into each other, Zen stumbled back for four steps before he could steady himself.
Yet, Leo looked rather odd when he was abruptly knocked off balance too, floundering back for seven or eight steps before he was able to right himself slowly.
The strength behind Zen's fist shocked Leo, along with all the outer disciples watching the action.
How could a refiner not know how important it was for him to reach higher levels.
The body refining had five levels and the body strength was enhanced when a higher level was reached.
What these disciples witnessed left them wondering when the organ refining level had become comparable to the half-step into the nature level in strength.
Whether they wanted to believe it or not, it had happened in sight of all of them; Zen's fist was mightier than Leo's.
Like everyone else, there was a grave expression on Zen's face. When they collided just now, the purple light spread along Zen's arms after it came in contact with Leo's Raging Thunder Fist, leading Zen to think his Purple Fist Strength was a little too weak to be given full play.
As expected, the Purple Light Fist wasn't enough for a confrontation with an opponent of this caliber.
Leo's thunder power extended up Zen's arms like two bright snakes intertwining around his arms, snapping at his flesh frantically.
The stench of flesh burning wafted along Zen's arms.
It was shocking to Leo that the might behind Zen's blow was so great. Forcing a grim smile across his face at the sight of Zen's arms scorched black, Leo taunted, “How mighty your power is! But it seems your hand was wounded!”
“Really?” questioned Zen as a flat smile spread. He hadn't lost strength, yet, at the same time, there were numerous streaks of purple light pulsing along his arms. The life energy from flashes of purple light killed the two little snakes that were produced by the thunderbolt.
Watching this, Leo blinked rapidly. Even though Zen was only at the organ refining level, his power was impressive and his body especially unique. Leo knew better than most how difficult countering the thunderbolt of the Raging Thunder Fist was.
Nevertheless, the Raging Thunder Fist hadn't achieved the results Leo expected against Zen.
Perhaps this was somehow associated with Zen's extraordinary gift. If Zen was refining at the half-step into the nature level, Leo would have fled right away. Since Zen was merely at the level of refining organs, Leo thought even as mighty as Zen's power was, he could take him out. That thought sparked a streak of lightning from within Leo's eyes. Instantly, his figure vanished from within the battle ring.
In a flash, Zen writhed sideways, and then Leo descended from above, shooting to the floor with his Raging Thunder Fist swinging wildly at the floor. His fist slammed into the floor, like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, sending a loud booming crackle echoing in ears of all present.
“How fast's he moving...?” Zen's brow furrowed as he asked under his breath. Focused on Leo, he realized too late that his biggest weakness was his slow reaction.
There were five levels for the body refining, of which the marrow refining was the last.
In refining the marrow, all impurities were extracted from the marrow of the entire body, and so it was known as Marrow Washing.
Only after a successful Marrow Washing could changes be made to the body as a whole. When that was completed, the refiner would become much faster and physically stronger. Alongside those changes, hearing and sight would be improved.
Zen recognized the skill Leo was using. Evil Lan had utilized it at one time, and Zen found himself in an unfavorable situation at that time because he couldn't see his opponent, like now.
“Thud, thump, ka-pow!”
came the sound as another Raging Thunder Fist strike slammed into Zen.
This time, Zen dodged a little, resulting in his thighs being firmly seized by a powerful thunderbolt.
Fortunately, Zen was steadfast, and his body strength allowed him to absorb the force of the thunderbolt and didn't cause him any significant harm.
“You aren't able to catch up to me, are you? Let's see how long you can hold out with me attacking like this!” boasted Leo giddy with excitement as he pummeled Zen like a punching bag.
“Bop!”
“Thud!”
“Rap!”
As Leo flew towards Zen with each blow, he yelled savagely.
“You're quite good at dodging, aren't you?”
“How long do you think you can withstand my attacks just by dodging!”
“Come on!”
Within the ring, there was a game of cat and mouse being played. Nonetheless, regardless of how artfully the mouse evaded the cat, it was only a matter of time before the cat caught it.