*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*

Spiritual wood reinforced with qi clashed against Bai Qi's sabers, releasing sounds, almost as if metal clashed against metal.

Yi Lei's weapon was one that even Bai Qi had never faced in direct combat in his previous life, and the only thing he could say would be that a bench was tricky indeed. With one of the legs used as a handle, the entirety of the seating was akin to a plain hammer as, for the other leg, heavily reinforced with qi, it would be better to call it a double-ended spear.

With a piercing and bashing attack combined in a single movement, adding the weight and nearly eight feet long weapon itself, Bai Qi found himself pressed to the utmost as to block. He could dodge a lot of the attacks, as if there was something where Yi Lei was inferior to him even now, it would be speed. Yet, Bai Qi found himself unable to move. He had questioned himself not a few times, and every time his inner self gave only one answer,

*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*

A mix of determination, experience, and skill allowed Bai Qi to hold even ground. He remained unwounded, even if with each block he had to make, using both sabers and hence losing the chance to counterattack, Bai Qi felt that he indeed had lost. His thoughts were far harsher than the spectators' ones, but they were the truth, as opposed to the fawning as "He's matching Yi Lei after nine battles. Bai Qi is truly awesome!" some people had shouted out.

Yet as both sides made distance after the heated exchange, it wasn't Yi Lei but Bai Qi the one to have achieved a hit. His speed had allowed him to attack and catch his opponent unprepared, though the slash was a mere glance with no blood drawn. Yet, in this case, even a cut on a sleeve mattered.

"Shall we?" Hiding the shock he felt for missing Bai Qi's counterattack, Yi Lei asked as his aura flared and his inner qi increased potency.

"Mmm." Bai Qi nodded. There was only one thing that could follow, a clash of skills.

Bai Qi had been holding even ground against Yi Lei, even if he himself didn't think so. This part of a fight between Earth realm cultivators was always decisive. After all, only one thing followed the skill clash - trump cards. And Bai Qi wasn't planning to lose in either, his mind diving into his inner world, gathering his demonic essence, his intact, last-resort reserve of power.

***

In response to Bai Qi's approval, Yi Lei's aura expanded even more as he released a skill without the commonly used calls, chants, or at least naming.

*Whoosh* *Whoosh*

A strong air current suddenly passed through the stage as if a storm was about to start.

*Drip* *Drip*

From the clear blu sky, without a hint of a single cloud, some water droplets fell. A few breaths later, it was as if a rainstorm had started, with the entire stage now drowned by a rain strong enough to obscure vision.

Bai Qi did not feel any threat from the wind or the rain, but he quickly recalled the main word in Yi Lei's title, [Lightning]. And as he did, the storm appeared to him as nothing more than an accompaniment. To what? Nothing else than the bolt that followed next.

*BOOM* *Swoosh*

Bai Qi, having predicted such, managed to elude the bolt with a lunge to the side, one that he broke up with a roll, hoping that the heavily spiritual bolt wasn't part of a tracking skill. Standing up, Bai Qi inwardly commented as he saw the charred stone plate of the stage where he was a moment before. His aura and qi, reinforced to the upper limit, should have been able to defect it, even if it was akin to a 7th level Warrior Lord's attack, yet it would have cost him greatly.

"You did well to dodge the first." Yi Lei observed in a calm voice before abruptly smiling as he added, "The first of many to follow. [Heavens' Raging Strike]!" He bellowed the skill's name, infusing even more power into the destructive thunderbolts.

*BOOM* *Swoosh* *BOOM* *Swoosh* *BOOM* *Swoosh*

Bolt after bolt descended from the cloudless heavens, crossing the formations unimpeded as their caller was within them. And each time, Bai Qi dodged. Be it by jumping, rolling, or movement technique, or else, Bai Qi remained uninjured, unhit even after the 10th bolt. Yet, the more he dodged, the more Bai Qi felt that until one hit him or Yi Lei ran out of reserves, there would be no stop.

*BOOM* *Swoosh* *BOOM* *Swoosh* *BOOM* *Swoosh*

With the 21st bolt dodged with a sudden use of [Counting Steps], Bai Qi grew sure of his ideas about the attack, his mind already working on how to counter such a skill, one that obviously was far more high-tier than the ones used by the previous opponents, and all of it gave him only one option - to break the [Raging Strike].

Attacking Yi Lei directly or sending a skill after him also sounded feasible. But if Bai Qi's feeling about the bolts being the exact same one that merely returned until it hit was accurate, then there was no other way except to break the skill altogether.

Tired of only dodging and sure of the method to end it, Bai Qi gathered his own lightning elemental qi and, as he dodged the 22nd bolt, sent one of his own out.

As Bai Qi released a full-strength purple-colored thunderbolt from his fist, many would have assumed he would send it toward his opponent. Yet, he didn't.

*Crash*

Bai Qi's bolt flew upwards as if to leave the stage. But when everyone believed it would shatter against the formations that prevent attacks from reaching the public or the city itself, it suddenly exploded as if crashing against something.

*Shatter*

Bai Qi's thunderbolt crashed against an invisible thread of Yi Lei's aura, shattering the latter's connection with the martial skill and, with a loud shattering sound, destroyed the [Heavens' Raging Strike] itself.

[The potency of the Soul passage] a phrase that nearly no Warrior Lord would comprehend. Such was the name for the invisible, impossible-to-naturally sense channels that a cultivator's Soul power would travel, gathering and controlling the qi around itself, resulting in what was known as aura.

Warrior Emperors would learn of them, but only Saints and Immortals could discern anything from the intangible and invisible currents. After all, the first requisite to even sense them was nothing else than feel one's own - a feat that only the knowledge of the Dao laws would permit.

For Bai Qi, it was something natural, even if rarely used. From his past life, he knew of them. And even as his current self, Bai Qi controlled a Dao, no matter if barely, and a single law of the many it had. So while using such a method was akin to cheating, Bai Qi didn't feel it to be so. It was his own method, part of his prowess, even his talent. Thus, one could say that Bai Qi had been observing, understanding, and designing a counter for an opponent's skill. And not simply dodging as it could have appeared.

Yi Lei's face paled as a single, simple attack destroyed his skill. And if to add to the shock he felt, Bai Qi used the same element - lightning. And neither his control, aptitude, nor power was inferior to his own by any means.

*Swoosh*

Noticing Yi Lei's astonishment, Bai Qi took the initiative, moving forwards at full speed as he released some of the contained demon essence from his dantian's spiritual receptacle.

*Clang*

Bai Qi's sabers aimed at his neck Yi Lei controlled his surprise and blocked them with the bench, even if at the last moment. Yet, it was now Bai Qi's turn to hound him, using every ounce of strength he could.

***

If the first part of the combat had appeared equal to some, the experts undoubtedly noticed that Bai Qi struggled to retain that parity. But now, it was the opposite. Bai Qi's sabers danced around him in a wild and dangerous dance, and he released slash after slash at Yi Lei, sending the latter into a passive, defense-only state.

"Not bad, not bad at all. It seems that Bai Qi has been keeping some more reserves hidden." Lord Yi muttered as he observed how Bai Qi's attacks strengthened with every passing breath and not weakened as one could expect with the amounts of qi used for them.

Yi Min's position was to guard her liege, but at the moment, every ounce of her attention was on her son's battle. The [Heavens' Raging Strike] was one of Lei's finest martial skills, and she was surprised to see him using it from the start. But what she assumed to be a lunge towards an assured victory turned out to be the opposite. It was now her son, Lei, pressed back. And if Bai Qi continued as now, Lei would be the one to retreat openly, a show of defeat in this unexpected second clash between weapons.

"I wonder if young Lei will risk and use the [Thunderbird Talons]." One of the City administrators wondered aloud.

"After what happened before? Risk crippling himself to win this battle?" One of the nearby warriors, a peak Warrior Lord that had trained with Yi Lei before, responded. But after a few moments of thought, he added in a murmur, "Hopefully not."

"I fear that he will, even if I prohibited him from doing so!" Yi Min exclaimed in a pained voice, her aura suddenly flaring showing her inner tumult.

The reason for such an unexpected, unlikely show, something that only an inexperienced fighter would reveal, which Yi Min wasn't, was Yi Lei's suddenly breaking from the close-quarters combat, taking the air.

***

From the previous clashes, Yi Lei had assumed that in the end, he would win. Bai Qi was visibly tired, and he had been slightly inferior during all of the combat. Yet, something changed without any reason or notice, and it was Yi Lei who found himself unable to do anything but defend under the crazed onslaught of Bai Qi's sabers.

Yi Lei's thoughts were calm, but deep inside, he was upset at himself for standing still, shocked, during a battle.

*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*

Blocking the constant slashes, Yi Lei directed all of himself into thinking of what to do next.

It was clear that Bai Qi was now going with all of his strength. And while Yi Lei had no idea if it was a hidden reserve, some sealed qi, or if Bai Qi tapped into something else, it was clear that their strength was now at least equal.

Yi Lei accepted he was inferior, at least in something, as he did admit that under such conditions, he would lose.

With that and the reluctance to lose against someone who had a similar presence as him, Yi Lei inwardly decided to risk everything, to use every method of his, and no matter the cost, win.

*Clang* *Swoosh*

As he blocked yet another saber's slash, Yi Lei broke out of combat, propelling himself upwards and taking several steps until he was nearly at the upper limit of the stage.

"You... You are a worthy opponent, someone who I would feel nothing to lose against. But, I can not lose." Looking at Bai Qi, who remained on the ground, Yi Lei said as he stored the [Saint's Seat], the top-tier Spirit weapon he had obtained as a gift from Lord Yi on his 16th birthday.

"Hmm?" Seeing how his opponent acted, Bai Qi looked at the latter questioningly. Bai Qi inwardly questioned while considering all the possible options.

"What I will use is my true weapon and the true strength of mine, the reason why I am the [Lightning Incarnate]!" Yi Lei roared as his aura exploded to the maximum, slightly tilting the balance Bai Qi had obtained before.