Zhang watched Yan Yun’s awakening, giving her a smile. She had come a long way to reach where she had.
“Will Yan Yun be withdrawing?” Elder Sheng asked. “It will be counted as a loss.”
“I can keep going,” Yan Yun said, turning around.
“No, you should rest,” Lu Jie said. “I know you want to, but you’re not in any condition to keep going. We’ll be fine.”
“Indeed, sister Yan Yun. I will go next. Leave the task to me,” Zhang said.
Brother Jie patted him on the shoulder, smiling brightly. “Go show them what you’re made of, Zhang!”
Zhang gripped his spear tightly, stepping forth. The time had come to prove himself. He had failed to protect Lu Jie from the assassin, and the failure had hung heavily on his shoulders. He could not allow that to happen again. He was not going to be a disappointment twice. Yan Yun had given her best, now it was his turn.
“And that’s the next participant!” Elder Sheng announced.
Zhang looked at Elder Yan, keeping his gaze firm. An anger he had buried from when he had been first crippled returned. No, today was not going to be just for Brother Jie. Today was also for him. He needed to win.
“Zhou Fang,” Elder Yan replied.
Zhang looked at Lord Zhou, who kept his expression neutral as he turned back to face Zhou Fang. He could understand why the lord had allowed Zhou Fang to fight, most likely Elder Yan had intentionally brought only two participants, to do something of this nature and when Lord Zhou refused, he would’ve said he was defending Lu Jie, making it a political matter. He had likely not anticipated that Lord Zhou would agree.
“I had never expected to spar with you in these circumstances,” Zhou Fang said.
“Neither had I,” Zhang replied, as Elder Sheng snapped his finger, and the spear in his hand was replaced with a wooden one. He swung the weapon once, getting a feel for it. It would do.
“May it be a productive spar then,” Zhou Fang said, taking his stance.
Zhang followed suit, raising his spear as well, as he prepared himself. He felt the world slowing around him as he let out a long breath. His focus sharpened, as he waited.
“Then, let the second round begin,” Elder Sheng said.
Zhou Fang shot towards him, a brilliant light covering his fist as he struck. Zhang dodged the strike, gravity chi flowing through him as his steps lightened and he glid across the arena with rapid dexterity.
Empowering his spear with gravity Chi, he felt the wood turn as heavy as rock. He struck at Zhou Fang’s gaps with his heavier weapon.
Zhou Fang turned, his fist glowing with Qi as he deflected the strike, but was pushed back by the momentum of it. Zhang took the opportunity from that sliver of a moment, to thrust another strike at Zhou Fang. Moving swiftly, Zhou Fang dodged the strike, but the spear struck at his side.
Pulling his spear back, Zhang let his Chi fill the weapon, as it began to vibrate at a rapid rate, gathering power. Zhou Fang took the moment to move in closer, Qi flared around him, a brilliant radiance to it, as a blinding strike made the world turn white around Zhang. He felt the strike coming and moved to block with his spear, yet the strike was surprisingly fast, as it struck him in the chest. Zhang took the blow, rolling, before he used gravity Chi to reduce his weight to let himself be flung back to the walls. Kicking off the wall, he rushed towards Zhou Fang, as he threw his spear at the boy. The weapon moved like a descending meteor, striking rapidly. Zhou Fang jumped back but stumbled as a shockwave traveled from the spear, having pierced the ground with its increased weight.
Zhang pulled the weapon out, spinning it, as he looked at Zhou fang, who stood with his fists up, looking back at Zhang.
“You’ve grown much stronger,” Zhou Fang said.
“Still not enough. I must be stronger still,” Zhang said, taking his stance himself.
“Ah… now I regret being so hesitant in accepting a new path upon myself. But still, I shall not be regretting my choices,” Zhou Fang said, as light began to gather around him. “Let me show you my newer abilities.”
A moment later, a flash erupted, and five Zhou Fangs stood within the arena. Zhang squinted, trying to find the real one, yet each felt the same as the other. Zhang raised his spear, and then slammed it on the ground.
A wave of Gravity Chi washed over the area, affecting each of the copies, as they all winced at the same time.
“That’s… strong,” five Zhou Fangs said together.
A moment later, both participants moved towards each other in a rapid rush. Zhang thrust his weapon out as multiple strikes came towards him from all directions. Gravity Chi continued to flow through him as he used his spear to hold back the attacks. Brilliant flashes of Qi blinded him from moment to moment, as fists began to hit. Some at his chest, others at his feet.
Zhang grunted, moving as fast as he could, yet it was not enough to manage five opponents at once. Moving ahead, Zhang used his gravity Chi to focus on a single target weighing it down till it was on its knees. Taking the strikes from the others, he thrust his spear towards the one, thrusting his spear through its body. The copy broke apart into light as his strike broke through the art.
The other copies moved back, standing at a distance as Zhang turned, ready to pick them down one by one. Rushing ahead, Zhang threw his spear with all his strength. The strike flew with a crackle, as it pierced another copy, breaking it apart. Rushing ahead as he abandoned his spear, Zhang struck with his fist, grabbing another copy as he let gravity crush it into the ground, using his own body weight to break apart the clone.
One of the clones grabbed Zhang’s neck in a chokehold, pulling him back. Zhang let his gravity Chi flow as he lifted up in the air, alongside the clone. Grabbing it by the arm, he lifted the copy, before punching through its chest as the clone broke apart.
Flying in the arena, Zhang looked at the last copy of Zhou Fang standing in the distance, with Qi dancing around his fist. Rushing forward Zhang launched himself towards Zhou Fang, plummeting into the ground, using Gravity Chi to increase his weight over ten folds as he held Zhou Fang down onto the place, holding him by his throat.
“Forfeit,” Zhang said.
Zhou Fang looked at him, a pained expression on his face as Zhang held his throat in his grip, then gave a quiet smile. “Not… yet.”
The boy in Zhang’s hand collapsed into little particles of light, as Zhang’s eyes widened in surprise. A strike stuck at his back, launching him forward, into the wall of the arena.
“I was worried you’d catch on,” Zhou Fang said, turning visible once more, as his real body appeared.
Zhang picked himself up, looking at Zhou Fang, as the boy gave him a grin.
“I underestimated you,” Zhang said. Gravity Chi flared around him, as purple energy began to collect into a ball. “I will not make the same mistake again.”
“Wait, hold on—“ Zhou Fang tried, but Zhang moved with purpose as he rushed ahead.
Gravity Chi continued to grow in his fist, the purple now a blinding bright flash that burned everything around it. With a single motion of absolute strength, Zhang let his strike launch itself as he struck Zhou Fang.
Light covered the arena breaking the ground from the burst of gravity. Elder Sheng announced the end.
“The victor is Zhang!”
Zhang watched Zhou Fang, now on the ground and unconscious from the strike. He heard Elder Yan curse, and felt a flood of pride fill him. He’d done it.
“Well, that was something,” Elder Sheng said, lifting Zhou Fang before carefully putting him outside the arena. “Will you be changing participants?”
“No,” Zhang replied.
“Very well,” Elder Sheng said, turning towards Elder Yan. “I suppose there’s no need to ask since there’s only one participant left now.”
Li stepped forward, a scar marring one side of his hair, as he glared in Zhang’s direction.
“Strange abilities, but I understand them now. You control weight,” Li said, looking at Zhang with an intense gaze. “I’ll enjoy breaking you.”
Zhang looked at the boy, feeling his resolve strengthen. This was it then. This was the battle he needed to win, for Brother Jie. And for himself.
Elder Sheng looked at the two participants, before raising his hand.
“Then, let the third round begin!”