Decisions, decisions. Everybody's gotta make em.
Some can be considered over the long-term, while others must be made on the spot.
Lucky for Bubai, there was still breathing room for him to consider.
But that time might not be long because the battles were happening at quite the fast pace.
If this were a story, perhaps everything happened so page-flipping fast it might have even gotten glossed over in a paragraph or two.
But in reality?
Well, when Bubai said fast pace, he meant it quite literally.
Down below, ghostly afterimages were flickering around all around the arena.
Note: this wasn't the singular cheap phantoms that were made using his Illusory Beast Steps.
No, this was real speed phantoms, born from a super speedy lightness skill!
This Qian Feifu turned out to be someone who played the speedster style!
And it wasn't some "turn speed into power" type, but "use speed to deliver the bento" type!
Just rush all around—darting in and out—all to make a special delivery: a killer centipede right to the enemy's blindspot!
A super straightforward tactic: You run? You can't outrun. You chase? Congratulations, you win a poisonous centipede straight to the face!
The worst part? There wasn't just one centipede…
Just think about how much nightmare a storage pouch can hold.
Truly, a pure express courier service from hell—delivering death straight to your doorstep!
Sure, this did lacked the disaster-like power of spellcasters at the same realm, but truth be told, it's assassin types like these that are annoyingly hard to deal with, even with spiritual sense!
Alas, as fate would have it, his opponent just so happens to possess the perfect countermeasures…
Bubai switched his focus over to the challenger named Liu Jin, who surrounded himself with a muddy field.
That's an earth-water combo spell: Swamp of Death!
Though it was called a swamp, here on the arena stage that's padded with solid black jade ground, all the spell basically amounted to was just a layer of mud on the surface.
But this was still viciously effective because slippery battlefields like these just so happens to be the worse enemy of normal speed types!
Even worse news?
The spellcaster hasn't stopped dumping more.
That mucky mud field was still gradually oozing outwards, and it won't take long for it to completely cover every inch of the arena floor!
Poor Qian Feifu. He barely has room to dance around now. Once that breathing space was gone and his speed gets debuffed…
"Shameless! How shameless!" Qian Zhongta slapped the table angrily and his face was almost steaming!
"Why did this stupid Liu have to have this annoying cesspit skill?! And I remember this surnamed Liu is just a greenhorn under a hundred!"
"Where in the eighteen hells did an early-stage runt like him get his hands on such a rare dual-element spell and even have that much soil to cast it, too!"
Qian Fusha sat rigid and his fingers almost left imprints on his armrest. He did his best to relax it while analyzing: "Such precise, targeted arrangement… it seems whoever is behind this knows us very well."
At that, Qian Zhongta shuddered and glanced at his older brother. "Don't tell me, could it be—?"
Qian Fusha's stern eyes signaled to the other side and Qian Zhongta quickly swallowed what he wanted to say.
The honest man cleared his throat and glanced over to Bubai, scratching his head awkwardly.
Bubai acted like he heard nothing and kept his gaze glued to the fight.
Curiosity kills the cat. Asking first will give up the initiative. Nah, he won't fall for that.
Blink. Blink. Qian Zhongta traded a glance with his brother then leaned closer. "Lao Er, should we call it quits?"
Qian Fusha knitted his brows thoughtfully then shook his head.
"No. Wudi has his own judgment and knows his limits better than we do. If he really can't handle it, he'll pass us the signal. Until then... we wait and see."
Down in the arena.
Tap. Tap! Tap. Tap! Boots raced across the sludge-coated arena. One side fled and the other chased...
Suddenly, the chaser gained a burst of speed, leaving behind a flurry of afterimages and bridging the gap in an instant!
A dagger flashed out but the defender's curved sickle intercepted just in time—Clang!!!
But that was just the beginning!
From the dagger wielder's sleeve, a giant centipede streaked out straight for the defender's face!
A killer combo!
But the creepy-crawly barely got its time to shine before another long-ready sickle chopped it into two parts!
But the poor creature's sacrifice played its role as a distraction!
While the sickle was occupied, two more attacks happened at once!
A dark purplish haze condensed on a palm that sneakily slapped towards the unguarded chest and a needle shot out from Qian Feifu's mouth, heading straight for the eye!
Both parties were locked up at such a close range that there wasn't any room to dodge!
But Liu Jin only sneered. An eye shut and his skin immediately hardened up with a pale stone-like layer.
Earth Style: Stoneskin!
A palm slapped hard wall while the needle tried stabbing the earthen armor, only to bounce off harmlessly!
Seeing this, Qian Feifu clicked his tongue and his foot lashed out.
Wham! Boot met boot and both sides borrowed the collision force's momentum to break apart!
Qian Feifu skidded backward across the muddy ground, eventually doing a little spin and scattering out several centipedes from his sleeves!
Splash, splash, splash!
The centipedes dove into the mud and swam forward like eels…
But not even a single breath in, those centipedes writhed like earthworms touching salt, shriveled up, and died.
"Tsk. Again." Qian Feifu frowned. Even the new variant of cuties he bred still died to whatever got mixed into the mud. How abominable!
Qian Feifu finally took a serious look at the junior he originally dismissed as a nobody earlier.
"I didn't expect you to prepare so much just to deal with me. Where did you get all of this?"
Liu Jin snickered. "Sah... who knows? I just know if you don't surrender, don't even think about walking out of here alive."
"You talk as if I ever had a choice." Qian Feifu coldly sneered.
"Let's not pretend. You're asking for a fragment of our clan's secret Gu foundation arts. You know as well as I do that alone is enough to support the rise of a new clan!"
"To ask for something that valuable, aren't you just forcing a fight to the death?"
Liu Jin shrugged. "What? I see nothing wrong. I offered an equally valuable wager, didn't I?"
Qian Feifu snorted. "Heh! Spare me the nonsense. I don't believe a junky rat from the muds like you could own something like that long-lost Sandworm Breeding Art. Who put you up to this?"
Liu Jin chuckled. "Kekeke. Does it matter? Today, either I walk out of here as the winner or you do."
"So confident?"
A dangerous light flashed in Qian Feifu's eyes and his fingers blurred through seals.
"Do you really think I have no way to deal with you?! Even without my lightness skills, it's not like I can't cast spells!"
"Kekek. I'll like to see you try!"
After giving his twin sickles a habitual swing, Liu Jin stomped across the mud like it was solid ground!
This was the home field of an earth-attribute cultivator like himself! Traveling on it was second nature!
A defensive-type cultivator like himself can't even hope to touch the coattails of somebody with adept lightness skills.
But once both their speeds got dragged down to the same playing field, then… the advantage is with him!
Besides… even if he can't beat the other, it's fine.
There was only one objective in his assigned mission, and it wasn't that hard to achieve.
Liu Jin imperceptibly glanced at the feet of his enemy...
Left or right? It didn't matter. Clip one, and he's done!
What that esteemed big shot promised can let him squander luxuriously for decades!
Riches, beauties, and even a cushy job were all waiting for him! He can't wait!
But will everything really go according to his hopes?