I wasn't fighting them because I was a masochist — I would never stoop to such foolishness. I fought because I needed to learn the raw basics of real combat against veterans who possessed unknown skills. Innate skills were always unpredictable, after all. They were granted randomly to newly introduced cultivators, often revealing themselves at the most inconvenient moments.
A female cultivator stepped forward, sword already drawn. The sword was the easiest weapon for new cultivators to start with, and becoming proficient with other weapons at the middle stage of Rank 1 was rare. That was why it was uncommon to see users of spears, sabers, or axes at this level. Yet I had chosen the saber — the weapon that had accompanied me through my previous life, the one I had used to take the lives of countless strangers.
The crowd around the training ground was lively. Voices rang out from all directions.
"Go easy on him."
"Kid, don't think that she's a woman just because she looks delicate."
"Don't get traumatized by this fight, alright?"
The female cultivator suddenly shouted, her voice sharp, "Which coward said she is a woman? Come forward and tell me — so what if I am a woman?!"
Nobody cared about her outburst. It was seen as mere bravado. The other female cultivators didn't bother arguing with her either — perhaps because of a sound-type skill user among them, or simply to avoid quarreling with an opponent who still looked relatively innocent.
My opponent turned her gaze on me and smirked. "Kid, I'll let you have one punch of mine at the end. Consider it a senior's mercy."
I thought to myself, Well, they all have a point in thinking I'm a nobody. But that's exactly what I'm going to use to my advantage.
Out loud, I said calmly, "Don't you find it childish to fight without a wager? It would make the battle feel more realistic."
She laughed. "Want some money from me? You spend it like water."
"I've always wanted to have a fate battle with my fellow cultivators," I replied without hesitation.
Everyone, including my opponent, stopped smiling at once. She narrowed her eyes and warned, "Oy brat, think twice. Don't act recklessly just because of the side effects of being a newly introduced cultivator."
"Regret to say, but I am clear as a river," I answered.
She thought for a moment, There is no need to feel pity for him. Every single contribution point is important for a cultivator to progress.
"Fine," she said. "I accept your deal."
The audience immediately erupted in an uproar.
"You have no shame bullying a kid, you wretch!"
The female cultivator snapped back, "Whoever said that, come forward if you dare!"
Yet again, the same reaction — no one stepped up.
We moved to the designated battle arena marked with red ring-shaped patterns on the ground. The arena was a wide, circular platform of hardened earth, roughly thirty meters in diameter, surrounded by a low stone barrier etched with faint qi runes that glowed softly under the sunlight. These runes prevented stray qi from leaking out and ensured the safety of spectators. Wooden stands rose on three sides, already filled with curious outer circle guards and low-ranking clan members who had come to watch the "newbie's first fight." Banners bearing the Wen Clan's insignia fluttered lazily in the breeze, and several wooden weapon racks stood at the edges for those who preferred to borrow equipment.
The ground inside the ring was slightly uneven, deliberately kept that way to simulate real terrain and prevent fighters from relying solely on footwork patterns learned in smooth training halls. Small patches of grass and scattered pebbles added to the realism. At the center, a large red circle had been painted with special ink that would flare brightly whenever a fate battle oath was properly sworn.
My opponent licked the edge of her dagger with a slow, deliberate motion. The sight felt strangely familiar — perhaps because I had done the same in my past life more times than I could count.
Without warning, she threw her sword forward in a powerful thrust. It caught me slightly off guard, scraping the skin of my left arm and drawing a thin line of blood. She then pulled the sword back using a thin thread she had tied to it earlier.
I immediately activated Shadow Jump and vanished into the nearest shadow. She began searching everywhere, eyes darting left and right, but she never thought to check her own shadow.
While she was distracted by a thud sound I deliberately created near the stone barrier, I threw one of my daggers at her back. Then I appeared directly in front of her, pressing a second dagger firmly against her neck.
She resisted fiercely, of course, but my sixty years of experience from my previous life allowed me to skillfully bend and stretch my body, dodging her wild counterattacks with practiced ease.
I thought to myself, Only a handful of skills can truly defeat sixty years of hardened experience. Even if I were defeated today, I am just a newbie who has nothing to lose.
I had gained a little advantage, but her luck was still unknown to me. There were weapons that could negate the effects of diminishing luck, and once a certain threshold was exceeded, even a Rank 1 fight loss could be avoided with the right Rank 1 item.
Many would see my actions as reckless. Without knowing about my past-life experience, they would think I was crazy. But her possible overconfidence in my "newbie" status might cause her to lower her guard — and that worked perfectly in my favor.
She growled through gritted teeth, "Your skill caught me off guard, but next time will be your loss."
While speaking, she tossed me a crumpled piece of paper. I opened it discreetly, making sure no one else saw. The note said: The sword is poisoned.
I quickly wrote "10 contribution points" on the back and tossed it back to her. In return, she threw me a small sack of medicine. I ate it without hesitation.
I couldn't tell if she had a healing skill, a poison skill, or something else entirely, so I didn't hesitate to spend the points to protect my life. I transferred the 10 contribution points to her through the mission hall, as they could only be transferred there.
After returning to my room in the guard mansion, I thought, If I had tried to stall her, the outcome might have been very different. It seems I will need more contribution points in case of similar accidents in the future.
Today felt like a long day because of the boring and money-losing moments, but despite everything, I felt truly alive. I fell asleep with a satisfied smile on my face.