Arena Defense and Teatime Revelations

“The result of this martial arts competition: Chi Qiu has successfully defended the arena!”

The black-robed middle-aged man paused for a moment. He then picked up a small mallet and struck the large bell beside him. A resonant chime echoed forth. Amidst the sonorous peal, he loudly declared the victor of the competition.

Chi Qiu clapped her hands together, then lightly brushed off the dust clinging to her scaled armor. With an unperturbed expression, she calmly took a step, preparing to descend from the arena.

“Wait—”

Suddenly, a middle-aged man’s voice, laced with hatred, called out, attempting to stop Chi Qiu. Chi Qiu paid him no mind. After offering a slight nod to the black-robed middle-aged man by the arena, she proceeded to step down.

“Where did this rogue cultivator come from, acting with such viciousness? My Gong Family disciple had already conceded defeat on the arena. Yet, you, a mere rogue cultivator, refused to relent. Are you implying that my Gong Family has no one left?”

From the other side of the arena, dozens of figures simultaneously descended from the spectator stands, rushing towards Chi Qiu. Leading them was a middle-aged man clad in black armor, his eyes wide with fury, his steps swift as he sought to intercept Chi Qiu.

“Concede defeat? I certainly didn’t hear it. Did you?”

Hearing the relentless voice from behind her, Chi Qiu halted and turned, facing the dozens of Gong Family cultivators charging towards her. Her expression remained largely unchanged, as she retorted coolly.

“Hehehehehe… if he had indeed conceded on the arena, I would have used the full power of the array to halt the match.” The black-robed middle-aged man offered a faint smile. “Everyone, please don’t be angry. You should first check on your disciple’s injuries.”

He idly twirled the small mallet in his hand, his gaze fixed on Gong Lingfeng, who lay unconscious outside the arena.

The Gong Family man’s expression immediately shifted upon hearing the black-robed middle-aged man’s words. He turned his head and whispered a few instructions to a young cultivator beside him. The young cultivator then swiftly rushed to Gong Lingfeng’s side to assess his injuries. The injuries were not light, but they hadn’t damaged his foundation. Recovery wouldn’t be difficult.

A few breaths later, the young cultivator lifted Gong Lingfeng. With a light leap, he returned to the black-armored man’s side and whispered to him. Upon hearing that Gong Lingfeng’s injuries were not too severe, Chi Qiu couldn’t help but shake her head with a hint of regret.

“Junior, considering that this was a competition within the arena today, I will spare you this once. Should there be a next time… Hmph!”

The black-armored man cast a glance at the black-robed middle-aged man, whose eyes held a faint smile. With a chilling tone, he spat out a harsh warning. Then, he sheepishly retreated from the scene.

A burst of laughter erupted, causing Chi Qiu, who had been about to retort with a taunt, to freeze for a moment.

“Many thanks for your assistance, Fellow Daoist.”

After watching the Gong Family entourage depart from the arena, Chi Qiu turned to the black-robed middle-aged man by the ringside. She cupped her hands in a respectful salute, then offered her sincere gratitude. It wasn’t merely because Gong Lingfeng’s injuries weren’t severe; rather, it was the black-robed middle-aged man’s clear stance, confirming this as a normal competition without any underhanded tactics, that prevented the Gong Family from pursuing further accountability.

“It’s merely my duty; there’s no need for thanks,” the black-robed middle-aged man said, waving a dismissive hand. Seeing Chi Qiu nod and prepare to leave the arena, he hastily added, “Once you leave the arena, you still need to be extra careful.”

“Understood. Thank you.” Chi Qiu waved her hand, indicating that she had heard him.

“How did the battle fare today?”

When Chi Qiu returned to her residence, Su Hanxing was already leaning against the doorframe, awaiting her arrival. Seeing no apparent abnormalities on Chi Qiu, Su Hanxing’s face immediately lit up with joy, and he quickly stepped forward to inquire.

“It was quite smooth; Gong Lingfeng was no match for me.”

As Su Hanxing approached, Chi Qiu stepped forward to meet him. “I’ve kept you waiting for quite a while. Next time, there’s no need to wait by the door for me.”

“I just got back myself; I haven’t been waiting long.” Su Hanxing grinned widely at Chi Qiu’s words. The two then entered the residence, one following the other.

“How did your arena defense go today?” Chi Qiu stepped into the main hall, found a spacious long chair, and settled down. Leaning back against the chair, she asked with a hint of languor.

“My opponents weren’t as formidable as yours, Little Chi. Today, I fought three consecutive matches, and in each, I defeated my opponent in less than ten breaths.” Su Hanxing noticed Chi Qiu’s apparent fatigue, knowing that her exertion must have been considerable.

“It seems your luck is quite good. Could it be that the Tianyan Sect pulled some strings and secretly swapped your opponents?” Chi Qiu looked at Su Hanxing’s peculiar display of boastfulness and immediately teased him.

“Little Chi, you… you’re even starting to tease me now.” Su Hanxing was first taken aback by Chi Qiu’s jibe, then burst into a helpless laugh.

“Hmph hmph… Look at your opponents, then look at mine. The quality is simply worlds apart.” Chi Qiu huffed, a clear note of envy in her voice. “If there are no surprises, my match against Ye Shi in three days will undoubtedly be another fierce battle. I just hope I don’t sustain too severe injuries, lest it interfere with my arena defense.”

“As the saying goes, ‘good things come to those who wait.’ Once you’ve defeated all these incredibly strong opponents, Little Chi, the next eleven months will be much more leisurely.” Su Hanxing retrieved some tea leaves from his storage artifact and stood up, preparing to brew a pot of spirit tea.

“Oh? What makes you say that?” Chi Qiu’s interest was immediately piqued. She tilted her head slightly, unsure what Su Hanxing was about to say. She subtly straightened her posture, leaning forward slightly, adopting an attentive pose.

“The first month involves drawing lots for matches. The thousand cultivators who advanced from the preliminary rounds don’t actively choose their opponents.” Su Hanxing used his true qi to heat the mountain spring water, then dropped in the spirit tea leaves. He continued, “After the first month of arena challenges concludes, most of the defenders on these one hundred and twenty-eight arenas will change.”

“Subsequently, cultivators who failed to successfully challenge an arena can then choose which arena to challenge themselves. Little Chi, your opponents in the first month are of such high caliber that once you successfully defend your arena, other cultivators will certainly not dare to challenge you, allowing you to relax.”

Su Hanxing placed the lid back on the teapot. He poured a cup of tea for Chi Qiu, then settled down beside her.

“Didn’t they say we need to defend the arena at least ten times each month?” Chi Qiu asked, picking up her teacup with a puzzled expression.

“The prerequisite for defending the arena ten times a month is that at least ten people come to challenge it. If there aren’t even ten challengers, how can one defend ten times?” Su Hanxing explained with a smile. “After the second month, arena masters also gain the right to refuse arena defense five times per month.”

“However, this refusal is only permissible when the number of challengers in the queue exceeds ten. Moreover, if you refuse an arena defense even once, you must complete all ten defenses that month. Otherwise, your arena master qualification will be revoked, and you’ll need to re-challenge an arena.”

“So that’s how it is…” Chi Qiu nodded in understanding. She lowered her head, took a delicate sip of the tea in her cup, then frowned slightly. “The tea leaves are good, but your brewing technique is lacking.”

Su Hanxing’s smile instantly froze. He turned his head to look at Chi Qiu.

“Well, Little Chi, I saw you looked tired and kindly brewed you some tea. I never expected you to start complaining about my skills!”

Watching Su Hanxing’s indignant expression, Chi Qiu’s lips curved into a smile. She took another sip of tea, then, with a playful glint in her eyes, offered, “Would you like me to teach you?”