A tree branch, half the length of an average man's arm and so thin that even a small child could break it without effort. Light brown with a small twig at the very end and a light green leaf at the tip of that twig, threatening to fall with the slightest disturbance.
Apollo pointed it toward Yohan, who stood a few meters below him. The wind blew, messing with his hair and causing his robes to flap.
"You!" Yohan squinted at the challenge. He didn't attack yet, instead observing the masked man standing dozens of steps above him. This man was only about four feet tall, more akin to a child's height. Wait… suspicion suddenly rose within his heart. Is this fool just a kid? Nevertheless, the masked man dared to provoke him, which greatly infuriated him.
He would never let others think of him as a pushover, even if it was just a kid. "Haha, you're not afraid of death, are you?!"
"Nope," Apollo shook his head, though deep inside, he wanted to say yes. I mean, who wouldn't be? Especially now that he's in a world where strength matters most. Flying, special effects, cultivation techniques—there are still so many things he wants to experience and achieve. And the end goal of it all? To stand at the very top, just like he did in his previous life.
"Then I will make you!" Yohan shouted, and with a bend of his knees, he jumped into the air and sent a punch! A light blue, translucent fist materialized, causing the wind to go wild!
Feeling the attack coming at him, Apollo remained calm. Although it looked threatening, he felt a certain serenity under this light blue fist. Yohan really didn't care and would try to eliminate as many participants as he could in this first test. I guess I'll have to defeat you.
I don't want to show my skills yet, but you've left me no choice, the beggar thought, raising the tree branch in front of him.
As the attack was about to hit, Apollo brought down the branch as fast as he could! He didn't use much strength, but the tree branch cut through the light blue fist like it was nothing! The attack split in half and dissolved into particles of light. The only residue left was the chaotic wind that kicked up dust around them.
Yohan, still in the air, couldn't process what had happened at first. Only when he landed did he realize what had just taken place. My attack was cut? By a tree branch?! He couldn't believe it. He couldn't accept it.
But how? Something must have gone wrong; there's no way a tree branch can cut through the technique I painstakingly learned!
"You, what did you do?!" Yohan demanded, his eyes cold as a threatening aura emanated from him.
"Nothing," Apollo shrugged, pointing his 'weapon' back at the two-meter-tall man. "So that's it?"
"How did you cut it?!" Yohan still couldn't believe it.
"I don't know. Maybe your attack is so weak that even a tree branch can cut through it?" Apollo asked, 'innocently.'
"No! It can't be! I've trained this technique day and night; there's no way!" Yohan shouted. Then his cold eyes locked onto the masked man as his determination returned. "You just got lucky."
Sigh… a fool, really, the beggar thought, shaking his head. Yohan had clearly seen what had happened, but he insisted it was just luck? What's wrong with his head? If Apollo were the one whose technique had been cut by a mere tree branch, he'd either run away or try to clear up the misunderstanding immediately.
Seeing that Yohan was preparing for another attack, Apollo decided to make him see 'reality.' "Come at me again, then! I'll make you believe that what you saw is the truth!"
Fortunately, the dust cloud was still there, making it hard for the onlookers to see what was happening unless they had techniques to see through the fog.
"Ah! I will kill you!" Yohan pulled his hand back, his muscles contracting and veins popping. This time, he aimed to kill, unleashing his bloodthirst. Although killing was forbidden, it only applied to the students of the martial school, but this masked man in front of him was an outsider who happened to have an invitation from one of the martial students.
So killing him wouldn't fall under the martial school's rules! With this in mind, Yohan sent a punch!
The attack was more threatening and deadly than before, producing a loud whistling sound that left the onlookers confused about what was happening inside the dust cloud.
But that was the only thing they heard—a strong whistling sound as the wind pushed the dust away, allowing them to see what was happening.
However, those watching the battle above didn't have time to process what was happening, as they suddenly heard a roaring sound coming from behind them. Turning around, their eyes widened as they saw another person running down the stairs! His body was covered in a dark blue haze, and although they couldn't see his face because of it, they still recognized the newcomer!
"That's Michael!" one of them, who hailed from the Great Serpent Martial School, shouted.
"Watch out!" someone warned, and they hurriedly stepped aside.
The haze around Michael churned and turned into a dark blue serpent. With its mouth wide open, the serpent lunged at the stunned Yohan. But if people looked closely, they would see that the two-meter-tall cultivator wasn't looking at the oncoming attack; instead, he stared wide-eyed at the masked man.
With a bang, the serpent bit the shocked Yohan, followed by a blur as they continued down the mountain!
"I'm your enemy, Yohan!" Michael shouted as he appeared in front of Yohan. His brown hair flowed with the intense wind while his deep brown eyes stared intently at his rival. "Why bother with weaklings?! Now that we're in the mountains, let's see who will come out on top!"
The shout woke up the dazed Yohan, who stared back at the pretty boy martial student. This guy! Why now?! "Stay the f*ck away from me!" Yohan punched the serpent biting him, his fist glowing with a bright light as it passed through the dark blue attack and landed on Michael!
Michael immediately crossed his hands in front of him, barely managing to block the attack. The two were separated, both landing on the stairs, though Michael shattered the steps, creating a long ravine with his feet.
The beggar, on the other hand, put the tree branch back in his robes. Looking at the two of them who landed dozens of steps below him, Apollo couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. He was ready to defeat Yohan, but before he could do it, the pretty boy appeared. It seems like the rivals will settle the score here.
"Hmm, they can handle themselves," Apollo said, turning around and beginning to walk up the stairs. Because of the sudden change, the onlookers didn't bother with him and continued to watch the new drama.