But it was also true that Zone Seven was a well known and sometimes feared opponent for the people in the other Zones
Huang Li looked at the list of the rest of the Top 10 most likely to win
Immediately after them was another Duo from Donnyton led by Glendel in the eleventh spot and after that was two powerful warriors from the Great Sea Huang Shou had been very furious to see that they were outranked by Hank Howard and a normal horse that the betting houses didnÆt even see fit to acknowledge but ultimately there was not much to be said about their thinking Hank Howard had the accomplishments to back up his ranking
Although Huang Li had fought rather constantly since joining New Earth it was mostly within the confines of Zone 7 And Huang Shou was an entirely unknown element Tenth was truly a ranking that weighed heavily their status as the only representatives of Zone 7
Although the specific odds given varied depending on which establishment you patronized these were mostly the consensus ranks In addition two things were universal no matter which location you went to
First was that Alana Donal sat with her Frost Dragon at the top of the rankings Their advantage was so overwhelming that she hadnÆt needed to rely on anything but physical strikes to overwhelm their opponents The few brief fights they had been a part of in the preliminary were almost laughable
Second was that the establishments clearly favored the dark horses of Kir Nan and Hoowan who hadnÆt originally been interested in the tournament but had been drawn by the violence of the Redemption Arena to win one of the twenty four extra spots in the tournament Their first match saw them overwhelm two notable warriors of Donnyton instantly winning approval of the general public of Zone 1 that attended the live event who secretly wanted to see Donnyton fail
Just like that the first round was finished in three hectic days Just like that five hundred and twelve teams had been eliminated Without bothering to rest the Order Ducis announced the pairings for the second round that would begin tomorrow stretching over two days But when Huang Li saw who they were paired against his expression turned ugly
This round would be much more exciting for the fans to watch than the prior ones especially now that the constant talk had identified which fighters were the most important to watch Luckily or unluckily the Zone 7 duoÆs fight was scheduled for the end of the first day meaning that they had the entire day to prepare themselves
Honestly Huang Li wished for it to have been sooner Having the fight out of the way would be better But still his leaders could not afford him to lose so soon in the tournament He sat on his knees in his lodgings that were as small as a closet His hands tightened around the hilt of his sword I cannot fail
Huang Li felt the image he had nurtured for at least a year in various Dungeons of Zone 7 stirring as he could hear the cheers and boos of the crowd throughout the day The noise washed over him waves on an uncaring coastline No matter what shells or ship wrecked artifacts were thrown upon his shore by the current Huang Li would be entirely serene Only then would he have a chance
He would weather everything He was untouchable and pure
When it was finally their turn Huang ShouÆs deep wrinkles around his eyes revealed his pleasure even though he kept the rest of his expression entirely neutral They walked side by side through the dark passage to the open arena It is still possible to reach an agreement
The Glorious Leader will not step down Huang Li replied lightly Then he walked out through the currents of the crowdÆs cheers and regarded the foes waiting for them A towering flaming bear twisted her head and considered Huang Li Thea Glasshammer looked less intimidating than Huang Li had expected given her reputation but her eyes were laser focused
Honestly Huang Li felt rather bitter he hadnÆt realized that Thea was participating in the tournament Why hadnÆt she attracted the attention of the betting houses
As with the prior match Huang Li produced a stool Please sit grandfather
Hmph after walking so boldly out in front of me now you suddenly remember your manners Huang Shou replied lightly but he sat down with a heavy glance toward his grandson Huang Li didnÆt bother to return the look and instead straightened There was a cool wind that brushed against his face Rolling his shoulders he walked out to the middle of the arena alone
To his surprise the infernal bear Chrysanthemum lumbered off to the side and settled down on her belly opposite Huang Shou leaving small scorch marks on the edge of the arena in the process
Is this pity Huang Li asked bluntly as he glanced at Thea Glasshammer He didnÆt think most people would know of the political struggles of his Zone Seven but he wouldnÆt put it past the Nemesai to dip their toes into the edges of every pool
Yet Thea Glasshammer ignored him entirely she simply stared at the prone form of the bear with very red eyes
Are you both ready The judge from the Order Ducis carefully asked looking between the two of them The crowd too seemed confused by the situation But Thea slowly turned around and nodded after sparing one glance upward toward the silver isle of the Ghosthound
Suddenly understanding that some other force was at work here Huang Li also nodded with great care He drew his wodao and calmed his heart His image stirred again slowly circling the arena One foe was doable Another win would put them into the top 256 solely on the strength of their glorious leaders There was no need for the conservative faction to move at all
From there Then Huang Li shook his head From thereÆ he would worry about tomorrow Today he would fight the foe in front of him
Then begin The judge announced
Huang Li twisted his feet and launched himself forward That slight wind in the surroundings began to stir His sword cut horizontally without a sound the sharp blades of air around the strike just as dangerous as the blade itself Flood Dragon Across the Reeds
Thea ignored the strike raising her hammer and gathering a horrible destructive image into her body She a broken vase leaking out hatred and an ominous regret that dyed the surrounding air orange Right as Huang LiÆs attack was about to land she exploded into motion and brought her hammer crashing down through his attack The blades of wind were blasted apart and her hammer smashed into the ground at something close to its full force
Cracks quickly radiated outward but Huang Li practically glided over the damaged ground his sword cutting left and right with vicious quickness TheaÆs expression soured and she simply oppressed Huang LiÆs Skills with her raw image That orange light continued to leak out of her eyes and from her skin sapping his strikes of their strength to the point that they harmlessly rippled against TheaÆs leather armor
I donÆt have time for you Thea growled gathering even more of her image to herself Red lightning crackled around her limbs She raised her hammer high once more the heavy weapon radiating a terrible sense of loss and grief A minor character like you You are not my opponent
Before Thea whipped her hammer downward she abruptly stomped her foot and released another paralyzing wave With his attention drawn upward by the gathering power the stomp Skill caught Huang Li unaware and pinned his movements for a split second Gritting his teeth he had no choice but to raise his wodao and resist her strike directly as she brought her hammer viciously down
No use in regretting the mistake was made He spun the weapon into a backhand grip and lay the blade along his forearm He squeezed every drop of Willpower he could spare to fuel his Skill His eyes were bright and narrowed Tortoise Holds its Breath
The arena shook Sweat dripped rapidly down Huang LiÆs brow as he struggled to resist the hungry waves of TheaÆs image The ground beneath his feet cracked and he felt the joints of his arm groan and pop from the strain TheaÆs red rimmed gaze bored into him then turned and looked upward once more