In the brief moments gifted to him as [Mortal Fang] left and his next opponent entered the stage, Bai Qi calmed the turmoil in both qi and soul, a result of such a savage clash, and even managed to change robes, thanks to a quick flare of aura which hid him from the public.

Bai Qi absentmindedly thought as his new opponent ascended.

Bai Qi had met [Xinhuai], along with Shi Zhi and the girl called [Princess] before, yet he couldn't help but wonder how did this [Xinhuai] actually look.

About two feet taller than Bai Qi's six, this still unnamed cultivator was wrapped in high-tier spirit clothing, covering each inch of the latter's skin. And while his aura revealed someone young, about 18 years old, Bai Qi couldn't even assure that his senses were right, as there was some discrepancy between the age and the cultivation depth felt from this [Xinhuai].

Honestly, there were more disparities to be understood during the combat, if Bai Qi actually paid attention to learn them. Still, Bai Qi knew he couldn't ignore some of them for the fight to end with his win, as it should. For example, how could it be that an arena master, someone with a ranking as high as 5th on the ranking board, released an aura of the most average of any 3rd level Warrior Lord cultivators?

"I accepted the offer of fighting all of you, so maybe you would give up at least your name?" As the bell sounded, Bai Qi stopped at a half bow, asking with a smile.

"I have no name but [Xinhuai] right now. But if you want to know, I will give it to you. You can call me Gao." Noticing Bai Qi's intention to ask for the surname, the cloaked cultivator shook his head, "Nothing else is required."

"Then let's have a good fight, Gao." Bai Qi nodded and quickly completed hbow before raising up, salute finished, ready to start the fight.

"Hmm? You will not ask why I am called [Xinhuai]?" It was clear that the one who called himself Gao was surprised, and while all of his body, face included, was hidden, his sudden jerk to Bai Qi's absolute lack of interest served as proof of such.

"I do not doubt you have your reasons, but we are here to fight. Later, if we share a cup, I will be honored to hear your story." In all truth, Bai Qi wouldn't care even if someone called himself the [Destroyer of Planes] or [Killer of all Cultivators], so if someone took a nickname as [Xinhuai], evil intention, Bai Qi would ignore all of it and fight.

***

"See, I told you! That brat isn't even using theto surname I passed on him! Just because he was a suitable vessel, he considers I will not kick him across the [All-encompassing Ocean]?" Cai Zhenkang, born Xin Zhen, exclaimed while turning towards [Heibei] Lord, Xu Wen, his life-long friend.

"At least he used something that includes the sound of your surname, you know? Although, Evil Intention? I can only wonder what he meant with it." Xu Wen shrugged. He had known Cai Zhenkang for nearly a hundred years, both training and fighting together. They were even rivals for the heart of the same woman at some point. And he was well aware of his love for the Xin family that had born him, no matter if later he had joined the Cai clan, who lorded over the weaker Xin's in a remote part of the [Great Forest] region called the [Solitary Seven Roots].

"He never told me, but I agreed to the nickname, though he doesn't know it." Cai Zhenkang lightly laughed before explaining, "You see, Spirit Cultivators are evil indeed. Even if they don't take over a vessel, they will still kill any inherent talent and hope."

"Evil? You? My friend, you surely jest. You took a boy with neither, just because you felt him suitable as a vessel." Seeing that his friend wanted to say something, Xu Wen raised his hand, continuing to speak, "Don't say anything else. I saw the young Gao before you started the process, so I know you gifted him a future, one of a cultivator with true strength and an obtainable future. I mean, look at him, two years only, and he's an arena master, a Warrior Lord!"

"They are others who could have done more or offered him a future of his choosing." Cai Zhenkang wryly smiled.

"And about the same quantity, if not more, who would have just killed him, not to mention the bigger bunch of who would ignore him. He wasn't so immature as not to understand your offer, and he accepted it. So, no matter what happens, it's not you the one that should feel bad about all of this." Such talks weren't new for them, and Xu Wen said what he always did. Yet, this time, he added something else, "Now, let us see how he fares in combat, although, as I said, I will be rooting for Bai Qi. The boy shows too much promise, and while it pains me to say, your half-adopted Gao is far from such level."

"Now, you are wrong, my friend. We finished the 83rd step by now, and Gao-er can show prowess comparable to a 7th level Warrior Lord, the same as Bai Qi." Cai Zhenkang refuted first but added right away, "But honestly, he is too inexperienced for such power, so this Bai Qi, who has shown a mind so used to combat as our own, will wind up as the victor in the end."

A brief pause later, the aged Xin family, Cai clan cultivator added in a low voice, "I hope it will help Gao-er understand why training and actual fights, which he both disregards, are so useful."

***

*Step* *Step* *Step*

"Hoh? Interesting, you hide strength? Or..? Maybe I am so dull that I failed to notice something else? No matter, again!" Bai Qi's words were a mix of curiosity and challenge as he was forced three steps back by the first exchange.

The battle had started with the most common of all cultivator exchanges - both sides meeting in the middle of the battleground, exchanging a punch. Bai Qi couldn't believe that the 5th rank of the beginner Warrior Lord board was just an average cultivator, so he infused qi enough to compare to a 5th level Warrior Lord.

Yet, it was his hand the one to end trembling after the exchange, and the three steps he took back to discharge the received force made him aware that he was missing something. [Xinhuai] wasn't an average 3rd level Warrior Lord. No, he had the physical or qi prowess of a peak 6th level!

*Swoosh*

Bai Qi darted forward, his fist now covered with enough qi that even a 7th level Warrior Lord would find unsafe to ignore.

*Thump*

And yet, Gao's cloth-covered arm raised, met, and equaled Bai Qi's fist as it was an everyday exchange for him!

"Very interesting! Now, let's see more of that!" Bai Qi felt as his competitiveness rose. Encountering someone who could equal his full physical strength without issue was new for him, at least against someone on the same cultivation level.

Shi Zhi had done something similar, but the latter was a body-oriented cultivator, unable to increase or decrease his force. As for [Xinhuai], Bai Qi was sure the reinforcement of his opponent was spiritual, qi-based, which meant he was at least the same circulation, true-cultivation, prowess included, level as Bai Qi!

*Thump* *Thump* *Swoosh* *Thump* *Swoosh*

A few dozen of punches and kicks later, both sides continued evenly matched. Neither took even a single step back nor tried to dodge. It was just that each of the attacks, counters, and blocks was on the same level, one comparable to the standard, qi-infused power of a 7th level Warrior Lord.

*Thump* *Thump* *Swoosh* *Thump* *Swoosh*

Bai Qi had a slight advantage in speed, but his opponent still managed to react in time, which proved that his battle senses were at least on the same level as Bai Qi.

"Haa... You are a very worthy opponent." Breaking distance, Bai Qi acknowledged.

"The same I say about you." While surprised to meet someone of the same, even slightly above, the strength granted to him, Gao spoke calmly, his actual emotions hidden by the cowl, wrappings, and everything else that covered his body.

"It is time to go all in, I suppose." Bai Qi half-smiled as his aura exploded.

A cultivator's physical strength, the one behind any weapon- technique- or skill-less attack, had three aspects; Flesh, Spirit, and Soul.

In other words, one's body, with the training and reinforcements obtained, one's qi, infused from within, and aura, infused from outside.

Usually, clashes of physical nature were between body and qi only. But any cultivator could use his aura to reinforce himself even further, although it was rarely used except in the cases when equally matched by a mix of the first two aspects.

Bai Qi felt that his opponent's body wasn't as trained as his, but at the same time, he could hardly acknowledge that someone had a spiritual part above his, not with Bai Qi's cultivation method, experience, and the resources he used. Yet, there was no other reason for such a result.

*Thump*

Bai Qi was more powerful, at least with the three aspects of cultivation merged, yet, [Xinhuai] somehow stood his ground, even if he nearly stepped back.

"Cultivators of our level do not fight with soul!" Gao's words sounded somewhat offended as if Bai Qi broke a taboo, but he had no real reason to be.

"Three seeds, three ways to grow one's cultivation." Bai Qi shrugged and, reinforcing himself even further, lunged forward again.

But Bai Qi only crossed one step-worth of distance as he unexpectedly stomped on the stage's stones, vaulting backward, breaking off, his face displaying a mix of surprise and distress, "Spirit cultivator!"

Three roots were the base of any cultivator, Body, Spirit, and Soul. Each major realm was one of readying them separately before combining them in the 4th minor one, aptly called the integration stage. Myriads of different cultivation methods approached them differently. Some giving preference to one of the sources, choosing an overwhelming advantage in one aspect over others. To break an opponent during a clash of one of the three, to crash other practices with one's advantage.

Yet, such ways rarely were free of drawbacks. For example, physical cultivators couldn't employ [Royal Techniques] on the Warrior King realm, or their domain would only wake at the peak of the Warrior Emperor realm.

On the other hand, Soul-oriented cultivators were extremely powerful in aura clashes. They could weaken their opponent even before the battle started, and their Emperor's domain would open even during the Warrior King's advanced levels with a proper cultivation method.

Such was the way of cultivation - an advantage in one area gave at least one disadvantage in others.

"No, you are not a spirit cultivator." Bai Qi shook his head as he stopped retreating, now standing about fifty feet from his opponent. "You are a vessel for someone's spirit!" Bai Qi said as his senses discerned the qi that now spread from his opponent.

Spirit cultivators could be said to be the nastiest of opponents, their inner qi being of such high level and quality that they would not suffer any notable disadvantage. None at all, while their spiritual pool allowed them to infuse qi into their body, soul, and consciousness.

While weaker than other ways during the Yellow and Sky realms, the former because of lack of a decently-sized pool and the latter because of the Soul-oriented Immortal realms, they could be said to be the strongest of all Earth realm special-way cultivators.

Their body could resist any amount of qi thanks to the Earth-tier advancement. Their soul would shrug off enemy auras while being weaker because of the constant soul-power creation via qi infused into the soul. Worse, their speed - both physical and mental - was dependent solely on their qi. Spirit-oriented cultivators could essentially oppose any opponent. And if one didn't overpower them by at least a couple of levels, except for them running out of qi, it was almost impossible to win.

Bai Qi had several advantages still, but Gao wasn't merely a spirit cultivator. He was someone whose spirit had been infused, strengthened, even directly granted by someone else. And judging from the reaction speed during the previous clashes - the bestower wasn't some trash but someone with a very long life full of battles!

"So am I, and what?" [Xinhuai] questioned with badly-disguised irritation as if inviting Bai Qi to say something.

Yet Bai Qi remained silent, planning his actions for the combat now that everything had connected. Thus, Gao laughed, presumably assuming something else as the reason for the silence, "But don't worry, I am not someone controlled. What you see is my real strength, even if granted!"

"Ah, I wasn't worried about that, just about how I will win." Settling on a plan, Bai Qi replied slowly, gaining some time to circulate his qi to the speed he would require.

"Win? I doubt that!" Gao chuckled, his robes waving from the currents of qi he began releasing. "Now, face the true Spirit of this [Xinhuai]!" He roared, summoning a tremendous glaive to his hands!