Fan Jia's body crashed against the formation on the edge of the stage. Usually, they would allow the combatants to pass through, as one of the ways to win was by sending your opponent off the stage. This time though, Fan Jia was surrounded by Ye Yijun's mind-power stream, and the formation that prevented attacks from spilling out took precedence, stopping both attack and competitor.

Each part of her body squished between the formation and the still ongoing attack, and Fan Jia could only ask herself when it would end. Each fiber of her body was cracking, screeching, and otherwise reminding her about her mortality. Her aura swept at the first-moment damage kept accumulating with every passing instant, her physical body incapable of resisting such punishment.

"OPEN!" Noticing that the life-saving function would not be able to help Fan Jia as it wasn't sensing her, the management elder of the arena appeared near the 1st stage, forcing all formations to open.

*ROAR* *CRASH*

The aura of a peak 1st-level Warrior King emerged from the frail-looking and aged cultivator, blocking Ye Yijun's attack and prying Fan Jia out of it.

Yet, the manager's aura barely managed to contain the invisible and still ongoing attack without him concentrating on it entirely. But throwing all of his aura against the attack created a situation where the manager had no other way to protect Fan Jia except to fling her away.

*Swoosh*

Fan Jia flew off, and from the lack of any attempts to slow down, it was clear that she was either in no condition to do so or had already lost consciousness.

One of the lesser managers rushed forwards to catch her but was beaten to it by a pair of cloaked and hooded observers. At impossible speed, the two flew from the stands, not even caring about smashing through the formations that prevented such.

Not that it was strange for them to dismiss such obstacles. After all, the two were releasing auras much above the head manager's, while the formations were hardly at a Grandmaster level, only meant to keep out rash Warrior Lords from the public.

As one of the concealed figures caught Fan Jia right before she crashed against the northern wall, a 3rd cloaked figure rushed towards them, this one also releasing an aura of a Warrior King!

***

"What is going on?

Heavens, just who is this Fan Jia?

Three Warrior Kings?!

No, those two are Saint Beasts!

Did you see that girl, Ye Yijun, attack?

It made Senior Manager De use his full power!

Wait, if Fan Jia has such a status, what will happen now?!

Saint Beasts are anything but peaceful! Shouldn't we better leave?"

The crowd clamored, questioning, marveling, and even feeling fearful about the battle's outcome. Yet, though the arena was akin to a market, it didn't prevent Ma Su's words from reaching everyone they should have.

Ma Su had been the third figure to reach Fan Jia, the latter now in the hands, or claws, of no one but the Bai Sisters. Her hand reached for the girl's wrist, and then Ma Su infused her qi into Fan Jia's circulation. Both to check on the latter's condition and start healing whatever she could.

"Serious damage to her lung and spleen meridians, a few torn pathways, at least six broken bones, including four ribs." She reported after a brief but meticulous investigation. Bai Ze and Bai Rui were in hearing range. As for He Delan, who remained rooted to her seat, and Bai Qi, who was on the stage himself, Ma Su channeled her voice via qi, targetting both of them even with the commotion going on.

The reactions of the latter pair were not unlike them, yet the lack of answer from He Delan was a bit strange nonetheless. Granted, she did not care much about Fan Jia as either of Bai Qi's group, and neither did she hold such affection for Bai Qi to rush to save any of his companions, like the [White Tiger] beast girls had done. Or a mix of guilt and duty, as in the case of Ma Su.

Yet no comment at all? Even Bai Qi half-nodded to Ma Su's report. And that's when one considered that his combat was not only ongoing, but Fu Guo was also starting to show signs of being ready to stop holding back.

***

Chun Hua's duel against Xun Gengxin had turned one-sided again. And it was clear that Chun Hua was the one absolutely in control of the stage.

She moved in the deepest part of the planar void, right below the void currents, which made her movements untrackable for most cultivators, even for one like Xun Gengxin.

What initially had been simple weapon attacks turned into a barrage of techniques and skills, sent from the most unexpected, impossible even, angles and directions.

Xun Gengxin's aura cover, and now body, was slowly but surely accumulating damage, and from all looks, it appeared as if Chun Hua would win, unharmed and untouched. And as her attacks grew in intensity, leaving not swallow but dangerous wounds, it could be seen as the only possible result.

Yet, something was off. The previously visibly panicked Xun Gengxin had abruptly calmed down. His face wasn't one of worry or anger either. No, now it was crossed by a confident, arrogant smirk!

Such changes could not escape any observer's eyes, what to say about He Delan, an expert in her own right and, furthermore, Chun Hua's master.

Regretfully, no observer, no expert, and not even Xun Gengxin's opponent could know the reason for the latter's sudden change. No one, except him, could.

Xun Gengxin's mood swing was merely a show of his lack of ability to conceal emotions. Something that his current master, Song Lin, had pointed out repeatedly since their first meeting.

Ironically, this time, the smirk resulted from Song Lin's actions. Or the preparation of them, at least.

Song Lin wasn't in the arena's building, occupied with other preparations for the job that had brought him to [Pride Island]. A mission that required Xun Gengxin to fight on the beginner Warrior Lord stages and force combat against the arena master Xinhuai.

Song Lin planned to use Xun Gengxin's ability to injure the arena master without being discovered during that fight. And considering the importance he gave to it, it was a meaningful step in the plan for the mission itself. Not that Xun Gengxin had any idea of what kind of job had the [Void King] accepted, with the latter not sharing any details with anyone, especially not with the arrogant follower of his.

Regretfully, Song Lin's part-follower, part-subordinate, part-apprentice had met a worthy opponent in his first fight and had proved himself unable to win by himself. Even with the guidance that Song Lin presented, telling how Chun Hua was moving and tipping how to locate and counter her.

Being eliminated would be one thing, as we can register again, but surrendering is out of the question, as that voids participation for the day.

And Xinhuai will not appear for several days now!> Song Lin's focused solely on the combat now, and he grew aware that while Xun Gengxin would not die, Chun Hua's combat methods would leave him severely injured before she was called the victor.

Unwilling to reveal what would pass as Xun Gengxin's trump card before it was time, Song Lin saw no other way to solve the predicament. No way but to send a wisp of his power via the shared connection, aiming it at Chun Hua inside the void.

His objective was simple, taking her out of combat, allowing the useless and arrogant brat to continue with the plan.

{If you screw up later, I guarantee you will wish you died before we ever met!} Decided, Song Lin communicated his intentions, which resulted in the sudden change in Xun Gengxin's countenance.

Even though the formations around the staging limited the space, the void's expanse was still far above the measly few hundreds of feet of the stage. And while Chun Hua was utilizing the deep void, a space even below the currents usually used by cultivators, she still was moving at a decent speed. She even had to spend her aura to slow down and anchor herself before each attack, less she missed, or worse, misplaced one of her [Corridors] as if not done properly, it could lead to severe injuries, including the loss of the limbs she used for the attacks.

This time, Chun Hua spent even more time in preparation. She planned to emerge entirely, to finish her opponent by using her full strength, her [Void Palace] learned trump card, the martial skill [Void Transfer, Fist from Nothing].

Even an [Astral Devourer] required deep concentration when operating in the most dangerous spectrum of what could be said to their natural habitat, so she had not tried to check on the other combats or even the surroundings of her own stage.

Yet, she was confident that Fan Jia and Bai Qi were doing well in their fights and could have even finished them by now.

Chun Hua calculated the opening and commanded a [Void Corridor] to open, one that would make her appear from the right, where Xun Gengxin's wounds would impede his reaction.

Chun Hua coldly added. She aimed to appear just below her opponent's shoulder and target his solar plexus with her most potent attack, reinforced not only qi or aura. But by the void itself!

***

Part of the audience was still discussing Fan Jia's possible allegiance. Some people even recalling that she mentioned being a follower, the latter raising the question of who could have Saint Beasts and Warrior Kings in their employ, the most numerous part of the public had returned their attention to the 4th stage.

Xun Gengxin had taken a severe beating, his aura's cover down by half and his right hand sporting a gaping hole. His qi circulation also showed some decline, probably because of Chun Hua's attacks after effects. Yet, he was grinning, and not a single observer could refrain from trying to guess the answer.

Low-level cultivators and experts alike questioned themselves, was the grin a show of a counterattack to come? A bluff? Or did Xun Gengxin had directly lost his bearings?

The answer would be soon known, as it was clear that Chun Hua's long preparation also meant she was planning to use something different from before.

*Tear*

The fabric of the planar space tore, revealing the absolute darkness of the void as if it was some demonic maw.

But, no attack came from the space rip. No, what fell from it as a body, Chun Hua's body!

*Plop*

Bloodied, broken, with the faintest signs of life.

A torrent of shocked and astonished cries followed the fall of the body. But all of the uproar dimmed under an angry exclamation, more roared than voiced, that came from one of the observer's stands, "What the damned demons is going on?!"