When this bloodthirsty aura got to Chi Zheng, the confidence and will he just managed to muster up a while ago began to waver in the presence of Min Hong.

Instantly, he urged Zi Kun via voice transmission;

​​

"Go and feel him out so we can know what we are dealing with here!" Zi Kun heard and glanced at his partner before nodding his head.

Then he took a step towards Min Hong as thunder rumbled across the arena followed by a bolt of lightning which streaked towards Min Hong in an astonishing speed.

But if one were to look at the lightning closely, they would notice that it was actually Zi Kun who just covered about ten metres which was half the distance between him and Min Hong who still seemed to be distracted by talking to himself.

When he covered half the gap, he struck out with his long sword;

"Blitzing Strike!" A lightning bolt as thick as an adult's arm was instantly released from the as it went ahead of the incoming Zi Kun.

Min Hong kept speaking to himself and didn't even bother to look at the incoming bolt of lightning, but just as the lightning reached about an inch from him, Min Hong slashed at the lightning bolt with one of his 'Soul Slayer Blade' as the lightning bolt split in two equal halves.

Both halves of the lightning bolt crashed into the ground behind Min Hong as the entire crowd saw a one-foot-long charred crack on the ground with smoke still rising from it.

"What? He actually managed to leave a scratch on the death ground?" a disciple blurted in shock.

"I once heard that even Zhu Long, who was in the Peak Dan Formation stage couldn't leave a scratch on it. To think that a newbie like him was actually capable of that…" Another disciple added.

"He was only able to do that because of the nature and rank of his Dao… if he had tried it with a Natural Dao, he wouldn't be able to leave a dent also."

"According to my master, only a Nascent Soul Expert or someone who had reached the Law Level in their Dao comprehension could leave a mark on the death ground…"

A voice responded to their curiosity from behind. When these two disciples turned to see who it was, they instantly blanched in fear as they stuttered;

"S-senior brother Zhu Long, I-I never knew you were here… I was j-just using you as a point of reference…"

The petrified outer court disciple who knew the tone and intent which he put behind his statement was not respectful in any way quickly apologized.

They never expected that the figure who had raised the hood of his outer court cloak over his face would be the strongest outer court disciple; Zhu Long, which rumour had it that he was already on the verge of forming his first nascent soul which would result in his promotion to the inner court.

"Hmm… Oh, that's fine. I would not take offence from such a little statement, after all, there was a bit of truth in it, ahh."

Zhu Long who replied the scared duo in a very calm manner recalled the legendary duel which happened four years ago in this same arena.

It was the that duel that stamped his name and fame as the strongest outer court disciple till this date, as he is still undefeated.

Meanwhile… Back on the death ground… the moment the lightning bolt crashed into the ground, Min Hong muttered to himself;

"Let me take care of these flies first, then we can have enough free time to talk." He said...

"No, let me handle them, I have been asleep for too long, let me see if I've still got the skills" he added in a third-party tone.

"Alright, do whatever you wish. This is a deathmatch after all. You might as well help me make an example of them."

The moment Min Hong made that statement, his aura completely changed as Min Qing who was watching the deathmatch from the stands frowned at Min Hong's actions and behaviour.

The way he responded to Zi Kun's attack and how he seemed to be distracted whilst acting like he was oblivious to the fact that he was currently having a deathmatch against two people who might possess a lower combined battle power than him, but weren't weak either.

"Something is wrong? Hong-ge is distracted and speaking to himself, that is so unlike him…"

Min Qing who has had several spars with Min Hong knows how much concentration he puts into them.

So, to then see the same person actually get distracted during a 'deathmatch', she was very sure something was wrong

Thus, when Min Hong's aura completely changed, she then confirmed her suspicions.

But there was nothing she could do at this point as she cannot interfere or intrude the match.

Asides from the fact that it is against the rules, she might just get Min Hong killed by getting him more distracted than he already is, so she could only wait…

Min Hong whose attitude had undergone a contrasting change then gazed towards the incoming Zi Kun.

Since everything was happening simultaneously and the conversation was a soliloquy of his mental discussion with himself, everything happened in a blink.

Turning over to Zi Kun, he raised his foot and took a step forward.

This step was as gentle as a leaf falling on the surface of water, but the moment it landed a two-meter-wide web of crack appeared on the death ground as Min Hong's image trembled slightly.

Zi Kun who had just reached about a foot away from Min Hong felt a light breeze brush past him and a tiny stinging sensation within his soul, but he continued on and slashed his sword at Min Hong.

But just as he raised his hands to swing down his sword, Zi Kun's arm mysteriously detached from his shoulder.

A pure, unadulterated sense of shock washed over ZI Kun as everyone within the arena gasped at the mysterious but bloody sight.

"What?!" Elder Feng blanched in terror as he slacked and felt his knees wobble slightly.

Chi Zheng unconsciously took three steps back in terror when he saw Zi Kun's arm get decapitated.

He for some strange reasons instantly linked the situation to the stagnant Min Hong who had yet to turn in their direction since the fight began.

Splurt!

Blood gushed out of Zi Kun's severed arm, but strangely no one knew what happened.

They clearly saw Zi Kun's entire movement and attack and there was no response whatsoever from Min Hong either, so they were flabbergasted at the mysterious scene.

Not willing to let that affect him, Zi Kun used his other hand to grab hold of his falling severed arm and still slashed it at Min Hong.

But the moment the lightning sword landed on Min Hong, it simply passed through like as if he was slashing at empty air.

Then just as he was trying to make sense of the strange phenomenon, the Min Hong in front of him rippled and faded;

"Huh? An afterimage?" Zi Kun exclaimed in shock as the entire crowd was stunned silent.

"An afterimage so stable… just what kind of insane speed did that guy move at to achieve such a feat?"

Zhu Long who was watching the battle gripped his fists tightly in shock.

He clearly knew himself fully well as well as his limits, so even though his own speed could create an afterimage, it would still vanish almost instantaneously.

But for Min Hong's image to stay that stable for about two breaths was simply unfathomable to him.

"Either this kid's movement technique is super insane, or he is just simply hiding his true strength…"

Elder Feng remarked when he saw the scene.

"But, in either situation, this only means this kid is anything but simple… or is he possessed by an ancient expert who just reincarnated and was borrowing the expert's powers and techniques?"

Elder Feng began to find several logical explanations to Min Hong's display of powers which a child of his age should never possess.

Furthermore, he was starting to think that Min Hong had a superior power backing him.

In addition, the people backing Min Hong would most likely be on par with the Imperial Clan of the Empire at least, if not stronger.

Then as everyone in the arena including the pale-looking and listless Zi Kun began to search for the real Min Hong, they heard a deep grunt ring out about five metres behind Zi Kun.

Then;

Splurt!

Everyone turned over to the source of the sound and saw a Chi Zheng who retreated with a dash and a huge gash on his chest which had blood gushing out of it.

Min Hong then phased into existence right on the spot Chi Zheng was standing before he was blasted away.

It was at that moment everything clicked; then the entire crowd burst into a pandemonic uproar.

"Is he still even human?"

"Is this guy truly twelve?"

"Someone within the Dan Formation stage shouldn't be able to attain such speed, right?"

"This guy is a demonic monster; it is better we don't cause him any sort of trouble…"

"What are you saying? I will practically run the other way if I ever see him coming towards me…"

Several conversations erupted from the stands as the disciples all blurted their fears and remarks with grave expressions.

What they had just seen shouldn't be possible as it doesn't exist in any available logic in all the history of cultivation they have learnt about so far.

This was a truly unprecedented level of talent and battle technique.

Ignoring the commotion going on within the stands, Min Hong looked over to Chi Zheng as he smiled lightly;

"Hmm, that's strange, why do I feel so much hate coming from you?" He asked.

But before Chi Zheng could answer, he had already spoken again;

"Ooh? Him? Really?"

Min Hong exclaimed to himself as if some invicible forces had answered his question, as he gazed at Chi Zheng like an appraiser inspecting some bargain items.

"Tch… This guy's crazy, I never knew he was bipolar…"

Chi Zheng glanced at Min Hong who was still looking at him like he was some sort of a display item in a show glass.

Min Hong then dashed towards Chi Zheng looking to strike him once again, but just as he was about to take a step, a lightning bolt as thick as an adult's thigh landed in the spot between Min Hong and Chi Zheng, causing Min Hong to retreat a few feet away from Chi Zheng in the process.

Then everyone gazed at Zi Kun who had stabilised the bleeding coming out of the spot his hand had been severed. He was panting like he just ran across the earth in less than ten seconds as he held his severed arm in his other hand.

Then he dropped it and flicked his wrist as a scarlet-red pill abruptly surfaced in his palm and the moment this pill appeared it began to ripple with power as two bronze lines could be seen shimmering all over the pill.

The moment Elder Feng saw the scarlet-red pill, he instantly frowned his face as he murmured;

"That shouldn't be possible. Is someone planning to kill Fei Hong?"

He began to think as he sent his mental energy rippling out of the arena. Everyone only felt a light sensation wash over them before it spread out of the arena and covered the entire outer court.

lder Feng who was scanning for cultivation traces of any unfamiliar person who had a cultivation in the Nascent Soul stage and above came back empty handed, despite his deep and thorough scan of the entire outer sect.

"That's strange. There is no way anyone would give a disciple of their sect such an expensive pill with kamikaze purposes."

"Moreover, if any expert had entered this sect, I would have sensed it no matter how much they try to hide it."

"Furthermore, should the expert be stronger than me, the higher ups would have sensed it also."

"Thus, there can only be one explanation to this… Someone had been trying to kill Fei Hong before he entered the sect…"

Elder Feng scrutinized as he logically came up with a feasible answer to the situation.

It was at this moment that a disciple screamed out;

"Is that a Demon Transformation Pill?" he yelled.

"Un… It can't be mistaken, scarlet-red in color, bronze shimmering lines and those ripples of ominous power… that is definitely a Demon Transformation Pill…"

Zhu Long frowned deeply at the sight;

"It seems this newbie has offended someone with great power… no one in their right minds would use that pill, even if they are threatened with death by torture…" He added…