From when the two combatants ascended the stage, everyone present could feel the difference between them.

Bai Qi stepped as if it was the most common thing in the world, without showing anything but the intent to ascend.

His opponent, Yuwen Yahui, hadn't anything of that. He ascended as a lord, slowly, lofty, and nearly waving to the few people that clamored his name. Regretfully for him, the general public was ridiculing him, even if silently, and the only ones who did call out his name were from his own entourage, not even his family people.

Yuwen Yahui's mockery and Bai Qi's response essentially met the same reaction, except for a few shouts from the family's followers and only his own, the same as before. In short, it was clear that no one supported the [Heaven Shattering Mace]. And in turn, as if to piss one of the [Yuwen Family] blood members, there were even a few shouts repeating Bai Qi's "Low-grade."

Such unexpected development irritated, even infuriated, the self-proclaimed noble, Yuwen Yahui. But he could not shout out such thoughts, being aware of the [Yuwen Family] opinion of him and his branch. Still, there was a target to throw that anger at, and one that also dared to look at him as if a Yuwen was no one - Bai Qi.

Ying Bingwen's words or the bell sound had not even finished sounding, and Yuwen Yahui already launched forward, his qi concentrated along his right arm, the latter's hand clutched in a fist, flying right at the bug-like opponent of his!

***

The easiest but dangerous way to win such combat would be to crush the opponent's trump card or fighting method. And even before he took the stage, Bai Qi decided to use it. His mind wasn't one of crushing the opponents, even if the thought did arise in him. There was only cold, calculative thought.

Since his arrival, Bai Qi had sometimes kept out of trouble, and others jumped into it. It was not like he enjoyed risking whatever he himself said about growth under duress. From the start, except for a few moments, Bai Qi only sought one objective. One goal that the current challenge could provide him - to be known.

Bai Qi had thought during the negotiations before. And then, he agreed to the challenge, as

As his opponent's fist flew towards him, Bai Qi didn't think of anything. Bai Qi cleared his mind from everything but the fight, so he merely reacted to the threat, one that he managed to calculate in a fraction of a moment,

*Crash*

What others could see as a perfectly timed and calculated counter, Bai Qi did nearly mechanically. Yuwen Yahui was hardly a threat to the power Bai Qi released, even while contained, so he merely met punch with a punch. But Bai Qi had chosen during these ten bouts to avoid his usual self-imposed limitations, so the result was far from the expected clash of fists.

*SNAP*

Nearly half of the arena heard how tendons snapped. The sounds of bones creaking followed, the result of what appeared just a mere punch against a punch.

***

For years, Yuwen Yahui was known to be strong. No matter his other average aspects, he could always brute force his way through a fight, a challenge, or else. He knew that a simple punch would not be enough to hurt someone like Bai Qi, and yet, he could have never expected to be on the losing side of such an exchange. And what a losing trade of a punch!

*SNAP*

Probably for the first time in his life, and for sure the first one against someone of his level, Yuwen Yahui felt how his entire arm had gone numb, and it protested the abuse with pain, a pain he had never felt and could have never expected from such minor clash.

*Swoosh*

Another first one for him, Yuwen Yahui, was the one to retreat from close quarters.

His right arm had never been his dominant one, but as any cultivator, he was used to fighting with either. And yet, having used nearly a tenth of his qi pool, his arm had barely escaped being entirely crippled, and by a mere counter!

As Bai Qi would inwardly state, Yuwen Yahui wasn't a bright one as he shouted something that proved he had lost the clash, "You, you dare to try and cripple me?!"

***

[Rage is a tool. Don't know how to employ it is a sin.] Acting on that mantra, now that he ascertained his opponent, Bai Qi asked with a mocking grin, "Is that all? Disappointing for the 28th rank of the Regional Board."

"Damned bastard!" And as expected, his opponent responded. Bai Qi stayed at his spot as if he didn't even have to fight even while Yuwen Yahui roared some curses. Maybe not grateful for the respite, but it allowed the latter to concentrate and to clamor while infusing qi into a tattoo that no one, living, knew the location of, "[Heaven Shattering Mace]!!!"

"Hoh, now that's a treasured weapon, all right. A shame that its user is a dull one." As the impressive mace, four feet of steel handle and nearly half of that polished stone head's width, appeared in the left hand of his opponent Bai Qi whistled, remarking the truth.

"I WILL CRUSH YOU!" Yuwen Yahui boomed out and launched forwards while invoking the might of one of the [Sacred Weapons] of the ninth overlord family of the [Ten Families Region].

"Any Earth-tier weapon will not only draw qi from the surroundings to strengthen itself but also support its bound cultivator." Bai Qi calmly explained, as if lecturing someone, while dodging his opponent's attack with a quick series of sidesteps.

"Regretfully, it doesn't matter how good the wielder is. What matters is the skill. Even with such a weapon, a dense bull will remain a dense bull." Bai Qi continued his lecture, entirely ignoring the swings of his opponent. Each of the latter was easily capable of wounding him. In the case of a lesser opponent, any such impact would end directly destroying them.

Yuwen Yahui hardly planned his attacks, and most followed a nearly straight line for the opponent. So if one didn't lose concentration, they wouldn't be hard to avoid. With Bai Qi's reactions being on par with the average Warrior King, or even Emperor, he felt no hardship to evade such attacks. Maybe not to receive one, as he was perfectly aware of his own body's defenses, but to merely dodge while preparing a counter?

*CRACK*

The stage's stones could resist even a Warrior King's attack, and yet, even they creaked and filled up with small cracks from the impacts of the [Heaven Shattering Mace], a weapon perfectly capable of wounding even a King.

"Such strong attacks, but you should not aim at the stage. After all, only by hitting me may you be able to win." As if this wasn't any actual battle for him, Bai Qi remarked, earning a growl from his opponent.

An angered shout followed, "You damned monkey! Can you only dodge?!"

*Swoosh* *Scratch*

Bai Qi disappeared from the spot he was on, reappearing just a few inches from Yuwen Yahui. And as his qi-covered nails scratched at the latter's aura cover, he sent an instantaneous qi transmission, returning to his spot right after it connected, {I can end this at any moment. I am only waiting for you, rank 28th on the beginner Warrior Lord board, Earth-tier weapon wielder, and a noble bloodline cultivator, Yuwen Yahui, to demonstrate your strength.}

***

Behind the tasteless decoration, and his irrational manner of fighting, it wasn't as if Yuwen Yahui was dumb. Being used to getting what he wanted or forcing it to happen, he never saw any need to change. Yet, Bai Qi, especially the nails nearly reaching the nape of his neck, made Yuwen Yahui understand that this battle was one where he had no chance.

"You want to see my full strength, I see. Then, don't hesitate to receive this!" Yuwen Yahui didn't drop his usual manner, but he did stop his mindless charges and concentrated all of his qi on the [Heaven Shattering Mace].

*Swirl*

As its bound wielder qi entered it, the [Heaven Shattering Mace] absorbed even more from the surroundings, generating a visible current of qi, which, mixed with the mace's effects, went into Yuwen Yahui.

"Rupture the Heavens, Destroy the obstacles, Obliterate everything on my path." More a mantra than an actual martial skill name, Yuwen Yahui concentrated all of the received qi and gathered it around the unique [Foundation Rock] crowning the mace. As Yuwen Yahui called out the words, his mind connected to the mace's spirit. The latter, while dormant, was still capable of improving its singular skill, and Yuwen Yahui was planning to use all of his cards in an attempt, even if impossible, to crush Bai Qi.

Bai Qi felt his aura cover shaking. He could knock his opponent out right now and avoid the attack entirely, but

"Hoh, he's allowing the Yuwen's brute to attack? Impressive show of will. Even if he loses later, it shows that he does not go for the easy way." Several experts murmured or thought like this, but the one that voiced it out without hiding was the City Lord, Yi Lao.

"But wouldn't receiving such an attack bring more harm than good? He has other bouts to fight, and it's not like he can shrug off such an amount of brute power." One of his attendants half-asked back, and while the man honestly thought it was a stupid and unnecessary endeavor, he didn't dare to contradict his master.

"That depends on how one looks at victory. If one wants to show prowess, attract attention, and make a name, what better way to do so if not publicly break attacks that others would avoid?" Yi Lao didn't even turn to look at the speaker, aware that most of his current subordinates were far from being actual warriors. Administrators and managers, yes, but warriors? Most of them accompanied his elder brother, and the ones left had their cultivation only thanks to the resources they earned while making it to their position.

"Lord, if you would place this Bai Qi at a ranking position with just the small exchange we witnessed, what rank would it be?" Yi Min was honestly interested, even if half of her interest came from a feeling that her own son had never earned such reviews from their Lord.

"From this small exchange? Hmm, difficult to say, as Bai Qi has not shown anything but a keen mind and some degree of bravery. Yet, if I account for the reports on his fights, I would certainly place him-" Yi Lao thought for a bit before announcing his belief, "-in the first ten."

Bai Qi continued to wait. It was clear that Yuwen Yahui's trump card required an enormous and arduous preparation, so it was unusable in such a combat. Yet, Bai Qi both wanted to show that he was capable of standing above each and every one of his opponents and he also wanted to test his own limits. Thus, he gave Yuwen Yahui all the time the latter required.

"I hope you are ready." As the movement of qi subsided, nearly half of the average Warrior Lord pool gathered around the mace's head, Yuwen Yahui muttered. And only after obtaining a nod from Bai Qi did he let the attack out, "Let's go, [Heaven Shattering]!"

If one later asked anyone in the arena about Yuwen Yahui's attack, be they a simple gawker or an expert, everyone would agree that it was impressive. An enormous, nearly sky-obscuring copy of the steel and rock mace emerged. Filled with qi enough to obliterate any Warrior Lord, the mace descended as if Heavenly judgment on Bai Qi, hiding from sight not only the latter but even half of the three-hundred feet from border to border stage!