Seeing that the Core Creation cultivator had suddenly stopped moving and was just staring at the floating platform, Apollo couldn't help but tilt his head.
"What's wrong with him?" Apollo muttered. "Is he not going to kill Arke? Wait, that can't be right. If he did, would it be considered mission complete?"
Unable to come up with an answer, he turned to the System.
"Hey, System, if Arke dies without me personally killing him, does it count as mission complete?" Apollo asked.
A translucent interface materialized before him, with words appearing on it, followed by the emotionless voice of the System echoing in his head.
"Yes, the mission states: Kill the hooded man who threw you in the alley. If the Hooded Man dies by other means, it will be considered Mission Complete."
"Oh, that's good to hear!" Apollo clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he watched the ongoing scene. Come on, father of Bel! Kill him! You're better than this! Don't waste time!
If Mathias killed Arke, then Apollo wouldn't have to fight his prey at all. But as the seconds passed, the Core Creation cultivator still didn't move, continuing to stare at the platform.
This made Apollo raise an eyebrow. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He glanced at the platform and noticed something unusual. That's odd. The Qi is behaving strangely again.
The Qi moved in subtle, wave-like patterns, and Apollo realized he wouldn't have noticed it earlier if the crowd had still been shouting. Narrowing his eyes, he traced the source of the signal to one of the Headmasters, who had a thin black sword at his side.
Apollo didn't know this man, but he could tell he was powerful.
They're exchanging signals, he thought, recalling how the butler had communicated with Arke before. However, this was happening at a much greater distance, and the wavelength was fainter. Apollo grew curious—could he tune into the signal and listen in? All he had to do was spread his senses, calibrate them to match the wavelength, and spy on their conversation.
With this in mind, he placed his hands on the railing. Due to his height, only his head was visible, but that didn't stop him from focusing his eyes on the wavelength, spreading his senses toward it.
Halfway there, it felt like his senses were moving through water—he had to mentally 'paddle' to move forward. A few feet away from the wavelength, the sensation changed, becoming like trudging through mud, each step more difficult than the last.
Gritting his teeth, Apollo's intense curiosity pushed him to his limits. He finally reached the signal, syncing with it.
"Just do what I said," a voice entered his mind, calm and collected, with no hint of worry or urgency.
"My daughter… You're not lying when you say you can prolong her life?" another voice asked, this one hoarse, with a tinge of frustration.
Though they were speaking with their minds, Apollo could still distinguish their tones. So Bel's situation really is dire. Seems like Arke did a good job, he thought, listening intently. It was difficult—he had to maintain absolute focus or risk losing the connection.
"Don't worry, you have the word of the Great Serpent Cultivation School. Besides, we have the same enemy," the Headmaster of the Great Serpent Cultivation School said.
Mathias glanced at his daughter, then at Arke and the butler, Holst, before turning back to the platform. "Hopefully, my decision isn't wrong."
He lowered his hand, and his body reappeared beside his daughter. Mathias then picked her up, and the two of them disappeared in a blur.
At the same time, the pressure that had been gripping the audience's necks vanished. They heaved sighs of relief, with some clutching their throats.
Apollo retracted his senses and returned to his seat. He had missed part of the secret deal, catching only the last bit of the conversation. Nevertheless, it was a success that he'd been able to tune into the signal's frequency and hear their clandestine message.
This ability is amazing! Apollo thought, his eyes shining. In his previous life, he had been talented in various fields, and whenever he chose to learn something new, he could master it quickly, without needing years of practice.
Apollo admitted that his talent had been so great, it often felt like he was being held back.
Shaking his head, he focused back on the stage. It was a shame Mathias hadn't killed Arke, as that would've saved him the trouble of completing the mission himself.
At that moment, the Host also looked toward the platform. After receiving instructions, he cleared his throat and made the announcement.
"This round has ended fair and square! We will proceed with the next round!"
The audience snapped out of their shock and once again filled the venue with shouts of excitement, as if the previous scene had never happened.
Footsteps echoed through the hall as a man carrying a woman in his arms walked down the corridor. Several white-robed men passed by, bowing in great respect when they saw him.
"Where is the Healer's Room?" Mathias asked, his voice low and cold.
"I'll guide you," one of them replied, leading the way. Mathias followed, passing rooms filled with men and women, either sitting or lying in bed.
After a short walk, they arrived at a private room where someone was already waiting inside. The room had only one bed, indicating it was reserved for important individuals.
The person inside wore a white and gold hanfu, and the smell of medicine filled the air.
"Lay her down," said an old man with spectacles and long white hair that reached his waist. "Master Axton has already informed me of the situation. I am a 3rd-Step Qi Condensation Stage Healer. You may call me Kir."
Mathias did as instructed, laying his daughter on the bed. She was breathing heavily.
Looking at Bel's pale face, anger flared briefly in his eyes, but he forced it down.
The Healer placed a hand on Mathias' shoulder. "You should step back."
Mathias nodded and took a few steps back. Kir then placed his hands over Bel, and Qi began to flow from his body, enveloping her. Unlike Martial Students, who could only manipulate Qi in their surroundings through cultivation techniques, Kir used the Qi stored within his own body.
After some time, Kir pulled his hands back and looked at Mathias.
"How is she?" Mathias asked. Though he already knew his daughter's condition, the healer before him had studied the Way of Medicine, and his diagnosis would be more accurate.
"We can extend her life," Kir said, adjusting his glasses. "At least a week, at most two. If we wish to fully heal her, we'll need help from the Alchemy House."