The Jade Shadows Must Die [Cultivation LitRPG]

Rix felt a rush of conflicting emotions. Luna was probably one of the top few Whispers in the arena. Her skills so far outmatched his, to the point where it was surprising they were paired at all. Luna was inside the top ten in the rankings at this point, and he was well below twentieth. Normally, opponents were kept in a fairly tight range.

As if on cue, the Ringmaster looked over at them and gave a conspiratorial wink. "And here's a morsel to make this match truly delectable! These two aren't just aspiring duelists; they are training partners! Dive companions! Some might even whisper...friends! Today, that bond will be tested in the crucible of combat! Whose loyalty will waver first?"

Well, that explained it. They did this occasionally, adding storylines to the matchups for the sake of drama. Judging by the way the crowd perked up, it was effective.

Luna, too, seemed all for it. "Well, well, well. It finally happened," she said with a grin. "You're never going to get a better opportunity to take me down than right now."

It was true. Her edge was currently severely diminished.

Rix returned her smile, shoving his concerns aside. "That sounds suspiciously close to an excuse."

There were two ways to approach a fight like this. He could fret and overthink because he was outclassed, or he could simply enjoy the experience for what it was — an opportunity to truly test himself against a superior opponent. He and Luna had trained together, but even with their mantles, they were still pulling their punches. This would be the first time they truly went all out against one another. Yeah, he would probably die — temporarily, at least — but he was excited to see how he stacked up.

Hefting his weapon, he followed her into the ring and, taking their respective corners, they squared up.

"So, how's that style doing?" she taunted. "Still stuck on Low Rank?"

He laughed. So that was how it was. "Just going to make it more embarrassing when yours can't keep up."

That only made her smile widen.

While it was just banter, the style difference would actually be a critical factor in the fight. They trained and fought together enough for Rix to recognise that Luna was simply more accomplished in her style than he was. Though they hadn't discussed specifics, he assumed hers was at least Mid Rank and possibly even better. Coupled with her superior physical attributes, that gave her an almost insurmountable advantage. All he had going for him was his qi.

Well, that and one trick he'd kept in reserve.

Before he could think things through any further, the Ringmaster yelled the word "Fight!" and Luna shot forward, her sword glowing green as it arced towards his chest.

Rix's eyes widened fractionally as he whipped his staff left and right, desperately parrying the flurry of mana-infused strikes, each of which would have cut clean through bone. All the previous times he'd watched Luna fight, she'd begun more patiently. Her style was one of controlled aggression, not all-out fury. But this time, she opened with two [Falcon Slashes] back to back.

It nearly ended the fight.

Such was her speed and ferocity that any pretence of using his style fled. It was only raw instinct that kept him alive. His weapon shook in his hand as he caught blow after blow by the narrowest of margins, his body being gradually driven backwards by the onslaught. At the first opportunity, he pushed a little qi into Energy Surge and dashed to the side to create some space.

Luna grinned. "Like I said: the full treatment."

Rather than reply, Rix took the opportunity to seize the initiative and launch his own attack. Defensive fighting wasn't his forte, and Luna knew that. If he let her dictate the terms of the duel, he'd never get off the back foot.

Letting his style settle over his mind, he slipped into the rhythm of it. Four rapid strikes to Luna's chest with alternating ends pivoted into a sharp thrust to the face that flowed into a full pirouette, trying to sweep her feet out from under her. But Luna defended easily, her sword flashing in small circles in front of her body, turning his blows with easy precision. As she leapt over his low attack, she took advantage of his momentary lack of balance, unleashing a vicious counter.

He managed to jam his staff into the ground and block the first strike with its length, but then, in a move nobody had ever used against him before, she actually reached out and grabbed his weapon, her fingers curling around its circumference near the top. This was one of the advantages of her ability to fight both one-handed or two. She was more flexible than most sword-wielders.

Panic flared and Rix tried to wrench his weapon free, but she held it firm. He could only watch as her sword streaked around and slammed into his other arm. His mantle flared and he bit back a cry of pain, finding new energy to shove his staff forward and into her chest. Though more of a fend-off than an attack, it did draw a wince as the thrust drove her back.

He glanced down at his wound — a sharp gash about five inches long running along his bicep. Blood was already trickling down his arm. It was painful and might prove detrimental if the fight went long, but for now, it wouldn't impede him much.

Thankfully, he was still allocating half his mana to his mantle. Luna's strike had been powerful and had landed cleanly, yet the wound left was relatively superficial.

"My elders always said never to underestimate a weapon, but I couldn't have done that against a sword," Luna said. She flashed her teeth. "Just saying."

Rix let out a low growl, then immediately regretted it. She didn't really think less of his choice of weapon. They'd talked about it. She was just trying to make him angry. And it was working.

He needed to keep a cool head.

He drew in a deep breath. "I've got tricks too."

She narrowed her eyes, but Rix was already moving, gesturing forward with one hand to call on [Sunspot]. The secret he'd been keeping in reserve.

Despite the technique ranking up weeks ago during the horde, Rix had kept the improvement to himself. He could still use the base version as desired, and the upgrade wasn't particularly useful when fighting fades — there were no mind games there, just frenetic combat. But in the arena, that was where it might give him an edge, so he'd been saving it for an opportune moment.

Rather than exploding in Luna's face, the improved [Sunspots] appeared about two feet to either side of her position. Rix had tested it briefly when alone with Breaker in the Fractured Realm, and it worked about how he'd expected. It was proximity-based and triggered when someone other than him passed through the targeted space. For Rix, it manifested visually — a faintly glowing pale yellow ball about the size of a fist — but from what he could gather, it was invisible to anyone else.

A moment of confusion passed over Luna's face. She knew the base version of [Sunspot] well. He'd used it regularly in her presence. So, she knew what that gesture meant.

Or what it used to mean, at least.

He could almost see the many possibilities running through her mind, but he didn't give her time to think too deeply. With his traps laid, he re-engaged, pushing a little more qi into Energy Surge. He threw himself forward, unleashing a blistering storm of attacks to Luna's right side. With Energy Surge active, even she struggled to keep up with her weapon alone.

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She parried the first two before sidestepping the vicious thrust that would have driven the air from her lungs, and as she dodged, she stepped straight into one of Rix's [Sunspots].

The effect was instantaneous.

The technique exploded in a blinding flash, and Luna cried out, staggering in disorientation. Rix was on her in a blink, his staff whistling through the air as he struck three heavy blows to her arms and one leg. Her mantle flared and she let out a hiss. They were clean, powerful strikes, and though nothing broke beneath them, they landed with a sickening thud. Rix prepared to follow up with a jab to the face, hoping to knock her out cold, but she suddenly shot backwards and out of range.

[Wind Dash]. She'd finally collected herself enough to use it.

She blinked rapidly from the other side of the ring, clearing the last afterimages from her eyes. Though she was clearly hobbled by his attack, her expression was one of amusement.

"Sneaky," she said. "When did that rank up?"

"During the horde," he said with a casual shrug. No point hiding it anymore.

She laughed. "That long, and you kept it to yourself? Almost seems like you were waiting for this fight."

"Almost."

She spun her sword around her in a lazy loop. "Well, come on, then. Let's see if I fall for it again."

They raced forward in unison, the clash of their weapons sounding impossibly loud to Rix's ears. Though he didn't have eyes for the audience, the little frisson that rolled through them was louder than before. Perhaps their banter made the fight more compelling.

For ten seconds, the two of them remained locked in a brutal melee. The lines between attack and defence blurred. In terms of the toll of the fight, Rix was currently winning — his three blows had been clean and powerful, and Luna was showing the effects. Her movement off her right leg was a beat slower than normal, and she winced every time she had to pivot her body too quickly. Stacked with the temporary atrophy of her qi exercises, she was nowhere near the crisp, clean fighter Rix knew. But those impediments didn't put him ahead. They simply made them even.

Rix tried to drive her toward his other [Sunspot], but she was more wary now, only retreading ground she knew was safe. Seeking something to break the stalemate, Rix began activating Energy Surge at crucial moments to take advantage of her weakness. But whatever her physical state, Luna's anticipation was still impossibly good. She always found a way to make sure those blows never hit home.

And on the third such attack, she got her revenge.

He lashed out low, a hacking swing aimed at her leg, which she blocked as expected. Then, activating Energy Surge, he pivoted the staff in the middle to catapult the other end toward her head with everything he had. It might have been a knockout blow if it had landed. But of course, it didn't.

Perhaps he'd used that particular combination a little too often in training. Perhaps he was still telegraphing the movement too much. Perhaps she was simply that good. Whatever the case, his swing found only empty air as Luna was already ducking underneath it and launching her own killing blow. The crowd let out a collective gasp as she slashed for his exposed torso, aiming to disembowel him. Panic spiked, and Rix lurched desperately backwards — something he was not well positioned to do. Were he not still under the effects of Energy Surge, it wouldn't have been fast enough. As it stood, her blade still flew partially true, carving a second tear out of his flesh, this time just above his hip.

Despite his stronger mantle, this one hurt.

He stumbled back several steps, feeling a deep spike of pain in his side as he did. The agony of something once important, now severed. The movement felt awkward, his body not quite responding the way he was used to. He let out a bark of frustration. This was a bad one.

"That looks nasty," Luna said, echoing his own thoughts. Though she still had much of her natural levity, she was watching him closely now, as if considering how to push her advantage.

Rix didn't bother to reply. He knew he was on a clock now. This was the sort of wound that hampered you, and that was something he couldn't afford to be against her. He needed to focus, or the fight would be over in seconds.

Fortunately, the successful attack appeared to have made Luna see red. She no longer seemed to be so careful about where she stepped. And their latest exchange had left her just a few feet from his remaining [Sunspot].

Ignoring the searing pull in his hip, he gritted his teeth and lunged forward. Rather than try to bully her to the side gradually with rapid-fire attacks, he used something he knew would be decisive.

[Force Hammer].

His qi supplies were running low now, but he had enough to speed the technique up. Even so, it wasn't enough to actually make it land. Luna was too quick for that, regardless of her injuries. But it was fast enough that she reacted purely on instinct. He aimed the blow to her left side, and she responded in kind, dodging to the right as it crashed into the ground.

In the process, she moved directly into the [Sunspot].

The technique flared, and Rix let out a little grunt of satisfaction as he whipped his staff up from the sand towards her throat. But true to her word, she wasn't caught twice. The moment the flash went off, she fired [Wind Dash], hurtling backwards and out of harm's way.

Around them, the crowd cheered.

Rix let out a curse.

Luna raised a finger and made a tutting gesture. "That's the problem with tricks, Rix. They only work once."

Before he could reply, she was already moving to re-engage. Her expression was confident now, and rightly so. It felt like his hip was on fire, and he could no longer push off that side. Still, he raised his staff and met her attack. He would not go down meekly.

She came at him now with short, precise swings. She didn't need to land one massive killing blow. She could bleed him out or overtax him and then take the opening at her leisure.

Drained and wounded as he was, his mind was barely processing consciously any more. All that kept him in it was his style. Block, parry, pivot, dodge. It was automatic, this flow that seemed to almost puppet his body.

Every movement sent a lance of agony up his side. He tried to counter, to find an opening, but Luna's blade was constant, a blur of motion that kept him on the defensive. He felt another cut open on his arm, shallow, but another drain.

And then, in a rush of clarity, he saw a tiny opportunity. Or perhaps his style suggested it. He was no longer sure where that line lay.

Ignoring his pain, he blocked Luna's next attack by driving his staff down into the ground so it stood almost vertically. Time seemed to slow as he watched her lips quirk up fractionally. It was the same position he'd put himself in when she grabbed his staff last time, and she did not disappoint, reaching out again to pin it in place. But this time, he knew it was coming. At the last moment, he dropped the angle of his weapon slightly. It was a tiny movement, but it aligned the butt of the staff with her open palm.

And then [Wind Blade] tore straight through her hand.

Several things happened at once. Luna let out a howl, firing [Wind Dash] instinctively to shoot back to safety, clutching her ruined appendage to her chest. The crowd gasped. And in the back of his head, Rix felt a system notification ring out.

[Foundational Quarterstaff Basics has ranked up to Mid Rank]

Even in his hazy state, this was a shot of adrenaline straight into his veins. In the flurry of training to open his Mountain Gate, his style had taken something of a back seat, but it was no less critical an improvement. The better he was with his style, the more damage he could potentially cause Han.

"Holy shit. My style just ranked up."

Even though Luna's expression was wracked with pain, he saw a hint of happiness cross her face.

"Congratulations." She glanced down at the tangle of flesh on the end of her arm and a shudder rolled through her. While the array was keeping everything in position, functionally it was utterly destroyed. It was the worst injury he'd seen her sustain in the ring. "Did you have to take my hand to get there?"

Rix shrugged. "That one's on you. You forgot that sometimes my staff is a sword."

She let out a pained laugh. "Fair."

Closing her eyes for a moment, she sucked in a deep breath. "You want to finish this? This hurts like hells."

He nodded. "I know that feeling."

When their weapons met again, it was not like before. They were both significantly diminished. While Luna's injury was worse overall, it impacted her combat less. She didn't need that hand to fight, whereas Rix's hip was involved in almost every movement he made.

Still, she was clearly suffering. Her expression was strained, jaw tight, brow beaded with sweat. Rix imagined he looked the same.

His wound was truly impeding him now. All his training with Master Zhen felt useless, as he could only really fight with his arms. He'd hoped his ranked-up style would be the edge he needed, but such was his condition he couldn't really take advantage of it.

It was frustrating. The connection between his mind and style was noticeably faster now. Movements came to him in an unceasing rhythm, allowing him to begin preparing for the next one even as he finished the previous. But his body was simply not up to the task.

He blocked her first three swings, then nearly toppled over trying to dodge backwards to avoid a thrust at his chest. Somehow, he maintained his balance and even managed a weak counter, landing a strike on her shoulder. But there was no bite to the blow, and it left no lasting damage.

The next time he swung out, she was ready. She raised her ruined hand, a steely look coming over her face. In a moment of horror, Rix realised what was coming, but it was too late to stop it.

Such was his weakness that [Deflecting Palm] ripped his staff from his hand.

He barely had time for a look of surprise to flash across his face before her sword became wreathed in green energy and arced towards him.

And then he saw nothing at all.