*ROAR* *CRASH *CRASH* *ROAR*

Following Yi Lei's words and sudden aura surge, heavy storm clouds obscured the previously clear sky as natural, not qi or aura created lightning bolts crashed against the arena's protective formation.

It was so quick, the dark clouds taking over all the visible sky, that not a few people would have thought they had always been there. Even if just a few moments ago, they had wondered about Yi Lei's rain and thunderbolt skill falling from the blue, unclouded, even sunny sky.

Then, two strange weapons appeared in Yi Lei's hands, and his aura increased as if partially augmented by the unfamiliar one coming from the two paired daggers he now held.

The [Thunderbird Talons], Yi Lei's gifted, inherited weapons. Ones that only the people of the Yi clan had seen, and not even all of the enormous alliance, but just a few higher-ups and his usual sparring partners as he attempted to use them a few times before.

The [Thunderbird Talons], such was the name of the two little, curved daggers of a dark purple hue, meant to be held in an inverted and inverse grip, their sickle-like blades resembling a bird's rear claw.

They would appear strange to any weapon user, as such weapons were hardly useful in cultivator combat, their range barely the same as if fighting barehanded. But the enormous grips, as if someone took a fine dao-sword's grips in place of the ones for a dagger, would appear unnatural to anyone, cultivator and non-cultivator alike.

"An authentic, Earth-tier weapon with its own Soul and aura, huh?" Bai Qi felt the foreign aura joining Yi Lei's and immediately commented, only by the end disguising it as a question to lessen the ones that his abnormal knowledge could generate.

"It is so, indeed." Yi Lei responded without care, even if inwardly, he was surprised about Bai Qi's quick guess. But even if Yi Lei would have liked to ask or even show off a bit, he had no time. The [Thunderbird Talons] were his weapons, yes, but it was a lie about them being part of his arena master strength or the reason for the title.

After all, he had obtained them just a few weeks ago, and for now, he hardly managed to control the weapons will. In fact, right now, it was more as if the [Divine Messenger] Thunderbird's Soul imprisoned inside the weapon allowed him to use part of its actual might.

But no half-Divine Beast - one that stood even above the 9th level of the Saint Beasts - would allow someone weaker to control itself. And while it accepted Yi Lei as the holder of the weapons, it would only give him a part of its strength. And even under that restraint, for no longer than a couple of dozens of breaths.

Unless the Soul of the Beast accepted Yi Lei as an owner, it was even dangerous for the latter to use it, no matter what pact he had acquired. After all, the difference of power was too high, and any slight loss of control on either part could lead to disastrous consequences, including crippling Yi Lei's cultivation or even killing him outright.

Yi Lei was perfectly conscious of the danger of using these weapons, the first and only gift from a father he had never met, as he knew of the number of rumors, speculations, and probably even problems he would attract by doing so. Even now, the arena's public was nearly shouting. Everyone from lesser to high standing tried to guess how Yi Lei, the son of a mere relative of the City Lord, no matter if she was the latter's Guard Commander, held weapons that not even every Warrior Emperor possessed.

Yet he had no choice, as the few words that accompanied the gift had been, [Don't lose, become the strongest of your cultivation and your generation, then come to me.]

"Now, this combat will end." Yi Lei said it as given before roaring out one of the martial skills innate to the weapons he held, the only one he could use, "Divine Thunderbird Swift Beheading!"

*Sizzle* *Sizzle*

Enormous, thrice the length of a man, wings of pure lightning materialized behind Yi Lei.

*Roar* *Crash* *Roar* *Crash*

Following the wings, two enormous thunderbolts descended from the clouded sky, crossed the formations as if they weren't there, and crashed against Yi Lei, or to be precise, against the two oversized grips in his hands.

*Sizzle* *Sizzle*

But they didn't harm Yi Lei or damage the [Thunderbird Talons] but infused into the latter, reappearing as two four feet long blades of refined lightning, the purest of all purple hues.

"Now, this combat will end." Yi Lei repeated himself before thrusting toward Bai Qi with a speed that even some Warrior Kings would fail to follow.

*SWOOSH*

***

As the winged, lightning-covered, and lightning-wielding Yi Lei pounced at Bai Qi, no one expected anything but the latter's loss. Yet, Bai Qi's receded aura suddenly exploded, overtaking even Yi Lei's augmented one. Then, discarding his weapons, something that not few people thought was a sign of surrender, Bai Qi met the pure lightning blades with bizarre, scaled, black claws.

It was common knowledge that in a battle between equals, no martial skill, and what else, if not one could have been Bai Qi's claws, could equal a weapon skill, especially one of a weapon with its own aura and the relevant increase in power for the user and attack alike.

*Clang* *Clang*

Yet, Bai Qi's claws resisted the lightning blades as if the latter were the most common iron ones.

*Grip* *Grip*

Even more, Bai Qi gripped them with such ease that the supposition of them being not Earth-tier but simple fakes appeared accurate.

*Shatter* *Shatter*

And if not content with already showing such an impossible, absurd performance, Bai Qi's claws grip tightened, shattering the lightning entirely!

"What the heavens?!

Is that Bai Qi's true power?!

Wait, is he not human?!"

"Demonic presence, demonic aura, demonic qi. Can it be that he's not human?

No, he fought before and showed no signs.

Then, maybe he cultivates a demonic way?

No, that's also mistaken. Bai Qi has not shown anything related to this in his previous battles.

Then what?!"

"Not only flames, lightning, the influence of a Sacred Beast, but even Demonic Powers?!

Do you still believe him to be a mere rogue cultivator?

No, My Lord. Yet, such dark, evil power, can it be that he comes from that region?

No, sense his aura. It is not one of wanton killing, even the demonic one.

But then how? We never saw demon-related cultivators that aren't part of the [Worshippers] if they are not related to that woman..?

Now, do you understand why I said we should try to avoid asking? For us to provide what help we can without requesting anything?

Yes, and still, I never expected something like this.

Neither did I. And yet now, I can say it was the right approach."

From the lowest seatings to the private balconies, from non-cultivators to experts, from commoners to the City Lord, there wasn't one person who didn't talk, speculate, question, and even argue about what Bai Qi showed on stage.

The turmoil was so great that nearly everyone missed the battle's conclusion as Bai Qi suddenly jumped, evening himself with the slightly aboveground, floating Yi Lei. Then, Bai Qi spoke a few words before releasing an explosive torrent of aura along a simple, straight punch of his black claw. Yet, the power of that average punch was so great as to force the strengthened Yi Lei back from the impact for several dozens of feet, just enough to make him cross the stage's limits.

"...

....

.....

WINNER, BAI QI!" It took Yi Bingwen several breaths and probably would have taken even more time, if not for a transmission from the City Lord, to make the announcement. Still, he made it, as the entire arena, now bathed with the sunlight from before Yi Lei's weapon summoning, exploded in a torrent of questions, shouts, congratulations, and accusations.

But nothing mattered to Bai Qi, who landed on the stage, heavily breathing and pale as a sheet of paper. And as his dark, somewhat evil feeling aura dispersed, he wavered, visibly struggling to keep himself standing.

_AFA_

"As there is power one wants to use but can not, there is the one that one can but doesn't want to." Such were Bai Qi's words to Yi Lei. Only he himself knew the entire reasoning behind them, but most experts would understand what he meant. After all, Yi Lei desired to use his weapons and couldn't utilize even a fifth of their true power. As for Bai Qi, if he wasn't a demonic cultivator since the start, why would he desire to use a demon's powers?

The truth was a bit deeper, but the general thought would be correct. Bai Qi indeed held no desire to use Kui Mulang's essence or Soul, as he had no way to control his actions while doing so. Even in this quick exchange, while it brought him victory and ended without anything going awry, Bai Qi had ended up so depleted from trying to hold back the transformation and loss of mind that he would probably have preferred to lose if he could.

Though he struggled to keep himself standing straight, Bai Qi's mind continued to work as it should, examining every detail of this clash.

Bai Qi continued, finding odd everything, even his thoughts during the battle while remaining oblivious to everything happening around him. And there was a good deal of things occurring.

Yi Bingwen had not spoken up after declaring him victor, even if he should have announced Bai Qi as the victor of the challenge and proceeded to the title-giving ceremony.

The public shouted and yelled, nearly evenly divided between shouts of congratulations, surprise, and admiration and outcries of disgust, suspicion, and even some calls for the detention and investigation of Bai Qi.

Not a few people had already started arguing between themselves, the reasons clear as the present sky. On one side, Bai Qi had shown exceptional prowess in his combats. Yet, on the other, he had revealed demonic methods, and such ones were the trademark of the [Demon Worshippers], the regional alliance of power that not only was at war with the entire [Great Forest] region but also had brought grief to many families across it before.

***

Everything and everyone would calm down, and even Bai Qi would snap out of his introspective state only sometime later, and not because of anything but a Warrior Emperor aura that suddenly expanded from the VIP, [Yi Clan] balcony. The City Lord, Yi Lao, had broken all protocols and forced everyone quiet with his cultivation.

"Everyone, I understand your doubts and even the outrage some of you show." The Lord of [Zihoadao] continued to break protocols as he appeared on stage, a few feet away from Bai Qi. Then, Yi Lao, only after being sure that everyone's eyes were on him, continued, "Yet, how could you think that we, the [Yi Clan], or I, the City Lord, would not check someone to take part in such a challenge?"

Bai Qi, brought out of his introspection thought. He also felt rather thankful to Yi Lao, as the City Lord, without anyone except Bai Qi himself realizing it, had added some aura around to make Bai Qi's situation easier by creating something akin to a stand for the latter.

"Even if people of my clan fought and lost, it doesn't matters. All of these fights have been clean. There was neither trickery nor unlawfulness. So, why not congratulate the winner, as the people of our city, of our island, both with the [Pride] character in them, should do?!" Yi Lao knew how to control the people, and it showed as he forcefully asked, his face full of disappointment.

Then, to further reinforce his words, Yi Lao, [Zihoadao] City Lord, was the first one to act on them, "Young friend Bai Qi, while my position implies I should act more supportive to my own people than outsiders, I do not lie when I say that you have shown to be one of the best Warrior Lords, even if in the Beginner levels as you are, that I have seen. Thus, I congratulate you on your victories without any shadow over my heart."