The crowd of disciples broke out in a flurry of whispers. Some of them agreed with me, others agreed with Aiden, and the rest wondered whether or not I accept Cultivator Aiden’s challenge.

  “Better,” I said, turning to look at him, “But still not enough to goad me into action. If you want the privilege of fighting me, you need to either earn it or make it worth my while.” I grinned at him. “So, what do you have to offer?”

  Cultivator Aiden’s jaw dropped. Several disciples in the crowd reacted the same way. Their surprise was understandable. Any other disciple of Flame Fiend Hall would have already accepted his challenge. My actions were no doubt outside their expectations.

  I mean, I did want to fight Cultivator Aiden. That was going to happen, one way or another. While I was more powerful than the average mid Foundation Establishment cultivator, something told me that Cultivator Aiden was far above the average. He would make a good opponent to test myself against; a precursor to the Rising Heroes Tournament. If I lost to him, then there wasn’t any point in participating.

  Thousands of cultivators were participating in the tournament, and many of them were at late or even peak Foundation Establishment. If I couldn’t even defeat one at mid Foundation Establishment, then I had no hope of reaching the top twenty five.

  However, if I was going to play along with this farce, I wanted to get something out of it. I mean, it worked with Cultivator Byron when he harassed Cultivator Aneira. Why not try it again here?

  “Do… Do you want me to pay you so I can duel you?” Cultivator Aiden asked, flabbergasted.

  I scoffed.

  “Of course not.” I said. “I’m not that crass and vulgar.” I turned around and leaned back against the top deck’s railing. “However, if we’re going to fight, we should make it interesting. Why not spice things up with a wager?”

  Cultivator Aiden gave me a wary look.

  “What kind of wager?” He asked, suspicious of my intentions.

  I nodded to the red saber in his hands.

  “I like that blade of yours.” I said, making my intentions obvious.

  Cultivator Aiden pulled the saber towards his body, almost cradling it. Even though it was on fire, the flames seemed to have no effect on him.

  “Absolutely not!” He said. “Not my Scorching Crimson Saber. My master gave this to me!”

  I bared my teeth at him.

  “You were so eager to fight me earlier,” I said in a mocking tone, “And yet, the moment there is actual risk involved, you falter. Such unbecoming behavior of a disciple of Celestial Warrior Hall.”

  The crowd of disciples murmured at this. Some of them looked at Cultivator Aiden with undisguised contempt. When he saw this, his expression turned unsightly.

  “What about you?” He spat out. “What are you risking?”

  I pulled the steel buckler magic treasure from my storage ring, the one I received from Branch Head Xavier back in East Mesa City.

  “This.” I said. “If you win our duel, you get this steel buckler. If I win, I get your Scorching Crimson Saber.”

  Cultivator Aiden wore a conflicted expression on his face. He stared at the steel buckler with avarice in his eyes. It was a high-grade defensive magic treasure. One could never have too many of those. They could make the difference between losing one’s life and preserving it. I experienced this first hand several times.

  However, he didn’t want to risk losing his red saber. I didn’t blame him. If it was a gift from his master, then it held great sentimental value for him, in addition to being a high-grade Foundation Establishment magic treasure. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t take the wager.

  I felt a little sympathy for him, so I decided to give him a way out of this situation while losing as little face as possible. It was up to him if he wanted to accept my gesture or not.

  “If you would rather not,” I said, “You could always apologize for your insults and walk away. I’m in a magnanimous mood.”

  That was as much mercy as I could afford to show. Otherwise, I would be the one to lose face. Cultivators respected the strong and disdained the weak. If I appeared weak, then that would reflect poorly on me and my family. I couldn’t let that happen.

  Ratty, who finished tending to Fatty, stood up and put a hand on Cultivator Aiden’s shoulder.

  “Senior Brother,” Ratty said, “Perhaps we should accept his offer and leave.”

  Cultivator Aiden struggled for a bit, before the hesitation and conflict disappeared from his eyes.

  “No.” He said, his voice filled with determination. He looked at me. “I accept your wager.”

  I grinned. My opinion of Cultivator Aiden rose a little. He was a fool, but at least he was a decisive one. Besides, by accepting my wager, he gave me a chance to collect another high-grade magic treasure. I rather liked those.

  “Excellent.” I said with a chuckle.

  I looked around. The Dawnfire didn’t have a dedicated space for sparring, which meant that the top deck was the best place to hold our duel. However, we needed to make certain preparations first.

  “Is there anyone here who would be willing to set up a barrier array?” I asked the crowd of disciples. “To ensure that a stray attack doesn’t hit any innocent bystanders? I would do it myself, but I want to ensure everything is fair and impartial.” I grinned at Cultivator Aiden. “I don’t want anyone to claim that either of us cheated.”

  Cultivator Aiden frowned, but he nodded.

  “I can do it, Brother Darian.” A woman’s voice called out.

  A small and dainty woman emerged from the crowd. She had pale skin, long red hair, and emerald green eyes. She wore the emerald and white uniform of a disciple from Divine Dancer Hall. Her delicate beauty would soften the hearts of most men. However, I was not most men. Not because I was immune to her beauty, but because I was familiar with this woman.

  “Cultivator Diana?” I asked, before narrowing my eyes at her. “Since when did we become close enough for you to call me ‘brother?’”

  I first met Cultivator Diana when I participated in the entrance exam for the Dawn and Dusk Sect, all those years ago. We came into conflict when she bullied Clarissa, and I came to the latter’s aid, though nothing much came of it in the end. However, she changed her tune when she realized who my mother was.

  Later on, Clarissa and Cultivator Diana ended up becoming close friends with one another. While I hadn’t seen much of Cultivator Diana in the years since then, I heard a bit about her from Clarissa. She was an excellent dancer, a prodigy with Wood mystic arts, and a burgeoning array master.

  “Why wouldn’t I call you ‘brother?’” Cultivator Diana asked, her expression haughty. “After all, we are all brothers and sisters in the Dawn and Dusk Sect. Besides, Sister Clarissa is as dear to me as a sister of my blood. Given your relationship with her, you and I aren’t strangers.”

  I snorted.

  “Perhaps.” I said. “However, I wanted someone fair and impartial to set up the barrier array. You don’t qualify.”

  Cultivator Aiden gestured to Cultivator Diana.

  “Let her do it.” He said, which surprised me. “My master is friends with Elder Iola, Cultivator Diana’s aunt and master. I’m fine if she’s the one who sets up the barrier array.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. After my encounter with Elder Petrina of Restless Grave Hall, I asked Big Sis Sidra for the names of the elders that opposed our family. There were four in total, including Elder Petrina. In addition to her, there was Elder Keegan of Celestial Warrior Hall, Elder Boundless Sorrow of Black Heart Hall, and Elder Madelina of Five Divine Pillars Hall.

  However, Big Sis Sidra warned me that there might be others that she was unaware of. Was Elder Iola a hidden enemy of my family? If so, was Cultivator Diana acting under her orders? In that case, this could all be a trap.

  ‘If you’re worried that I’m working with Cultivator Aiden,’ Cultivator Diana said, speaking to me through telepathy. ‘Don’t be. My master is aware of the conflict that your family is involved in, but she has no part in it. If you can’t trust me, then trust in my love for Sister Clarissa. I would never jeopardize my relationship with her by targeting you.’

  After giving it some thought, I decided to trust her. I couldn’t let fear control my every action. That was no way to live. There was a difference between prudence and paranoia. In many ways, the latter was more detrimental than beneficial.

  And if this was all some elaborate trap, then I just needed to shatter it.

  “Very well,” I said out loud, “We shall let you do that honors, Cultivator Diana.”

  Several minutes later, after we all relocated to a more open area of the top deck, Cultivator Diana finished setting up the barrier array. It was an azure dome that depicted images of lotus blossoms. I looked at it in amazement. Not only did Cultivator Diana set the barrier array up faster than I ever could, but her every move was graceful and elegant. Barrier arrays were rather simple compared to other arrays, which was why I favored them so much. They served their purpose, and that was enough for me. However, Cultivator Diana’s barrier array was a work of art.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  My opinion of her shifted, just a little. She was no longer the arrogant and vapid young mistress I once knew. Her haughtiness remained, as I saw earlier, but she no longer solely relied on her status as a young mistress from a prominent clan within the Dawn and Dusk Sect. That was one of the things I disliked about her the most, when we first met.

  I wasn’t the only one in awe of Cultivator Diana either. Several others, including Cultivator Aiden, watched her with reverence in their eyes. However, a part of me wondered if they were in awe of Cultivator Diana’s skills as an array master, or her appearance. The term “jade beauty” suited her, after all. I hoped it was the former, or at least a mix of both. She deserved recognition for more than just her looks.

  “There.” Cultivator Diana said, a proud smile on her face. “Not my best work, but it will do for now.”

  Cultivator Aiden and I nodded. The two of us stood within the azure dome created by the barrier array, located opposite one another. There was just enough space for us to move around as we fought. The heat from Cultivator Aiden’s flaming red saber saturated the entire area. The crowd of disciples surrounded the barrier, watching us from every direction. A few of them started making bets. From what I heard, the odds were even.

  “I will also act as arbitrator for this duel,” Cultivator Diana said, “To ensure that nothing goes wrong. Do either of you object?”

  Cultivator Aiden and I shared a look, before we both shook our heads.

  “Excellent!” Cultivator Diana said, clapping her hands together. “I’m sure both of you know the rules for dueling already, so I won’t repeat them here. You may begin on my mark.”

  At her words, Cultivator Aiden and I took our stances. This situation reminded me somewhat of my duel with Cultivator Byron, all those years ago. Me facing a disciple of Celestial Warrior Hall after they decided to act like a fool. The details differed, but the core of it was the same. There was even a wager involved.

  I studied Cultivator Aiden while waiting for the signal from Cultivator Diana. His stance was perfect. I couldn’t find any flaws. This alone told me about his battle prowess. In addition to his flaming red saber, he had two other magic treasures: the yellow stone bracelet and the gray leather boots with the feathers hanging from them. The former was clearly a defensive magic treasure, while the latter was a movement one.

  To keep things fair, I decided to limit myself to three magic treasures as well: my leather gauntlets, the stone necklace I looted while in the Violet Desert hidden realm, and the Wind-Fire Boots I received from Big Sis Sidra. At first, I planned on selling the stone necklace, since I already had the crimson robes that Second Master gave me. However, after the crimson robes got destroyed during Big Sis Sidra’s fight with the Devouring Demon’s soul fragment, I decided to keep the stone necklace for myself.

  As Cultivator Aiden and I stood there, staring each other down, my heart started drumming inside my chest and I heard thunder in my ears. My demonic nature stirred, thrilled at the prospect of a good fight. A grin stretched across myself.

  “Begin!” Cultivator Diana shouted.

  The moment the last syllable left her mouth, Cultivator Aiden and I charged towards one another. His movements were swift and aggressive, which suited what I saw of him so far. Meanwhile, mine appeared ethereal and weightless. However, my speed was no less than Cultivator Aiden’s. That was the beauty of the Cloudy Steps movement technique.

  A light blue wind wrapped itself around Cultivator Aiden, increasing his speed even further. He must have used his gray leather boots. However, I refrained from using my Wind-Fire boots. They explosively increased my speed, but also drained my internal qi at a rapid rate. After some experimentation, I found that using them in small bursts was ideal. For now, I would hold them in reserve.

  Cultivator Aiden bore down on me, preceded by his aggressive and domineering aura. It was like facing a sun, one that would burn down everything that stood in its way. Rather than discourage me, this just excited me even further.

  Just as we were about to clash, I took a breath and used the Corrosive Cloud mystic art. Thick and cloying gray smoke emerged from my mouth, filling the entire area created by Cultivator Diana’s barrier array. Its acrid stench clogged my nostrils. Cultivator Aiden yelled in surprise, but kept charging forward. The smoke obscured one’s vision and sense of smell, but had no effect on one’s spirit sense, meaning Cultivator Aiden knew exactly where I was.

  However, I then used my Cloak of Dusk innate ability to hide my presence. When this happened, Cultivator Aiden faltered. I took advantage of this by circling around and hitting him from his left flank. Cultivator Aiden must have sensed my attack, since he raised his flaming red saber and blocked my fist with it. A loud clang rang out.

  At this range, the heat from the red saber’s flames felt painful even for someone like me. My fist burned. Even so, this did little to deter me. I attacked Cultivator Aiden over and over again, putting him on the defensive. After taking several steps back, he retaliated and struck back at me. However, I evaded his attack and disappeared into the Corrosive Cloud, before striking at him from a different angle.

  This pattern repeated itself a few times. I ambushed Cultivator Aiden, using my Corrosive Cloud and Cloak of Dusk to hide myself. The moment he regained his balance enough to retaliate, I melted away and attacked him from a different angle.

  “Enough of this!” Cultivator Aiden shouted.

  My intuition screamed at me in warning, and I retreated just as a cloak of flames exploded out of Cultivator Aiden. The flames burned away the gray cloud in the immediate area around him and increased the temperature within the barrier array by several fold. This must have been one of innate abilities of the Holy Sunfire cultivation technique.

  “Let’s see you keep hiding now!” Cultivator Aiden shouted.

  He raised his flaming red saber, before making a horizontal slash with it. A wave of flames emerged, flooding the entire area within the barrier array and burning away my Corrosive Cloud. Rather than endure this attack, I decided to fight fire with fire.

  As I retreated from Cultivator Aiden’s flames, I took a deep breath before using Burning Cloud Breath. A cloud of fire emerged from my mouth. It clashed with Cultivator Aiden’s wave of flames, turning the entire dueling area into a fiery hellscape. The two attacks fought for supremacy, though neither gained the upper hand. In the end, both burned themselves out.

  Just before this happened, I leapt into the air, aiming to attack Cultivator Aiden from above. When the flames cleared away, he looked around for a bit before noticing me coming at him from above. He grinned and readied himself to meet me. His cloak of flames continued to burn, giving him the appearance of a brightly burning sun.

  When I drew close enough, I activated my Wind-Fire Boots for a single moment. They burst into flames and a light blue wind wrapped itself around me, increasing my speed. At the same time, I activated the stone necklace. A yellow barrier sprang to life over my entire body.

  In the blink of an eye, I appeared just above Cultivator Aiden. My sudden shift in speed caught him off guard, leaving him open for my attack. However, just before my fist pierced his cloak of flames and struck him, a yellow barrier shaped like a turtle shell sprang to life around him and blocked my attack. It cracked, but didn’t shatter.

  Before I could recover my composure, Cultivator Aiden slashed at me with his flaming red saber. I blocked his blow with my leather gauntlets. The force of it left my bones aching. Whatever Cultivator Aiden’s faults, he wasn’t weak. Testing myself against him had been the right choice.

  I backed away putting some distance between us. Rather than charge after me, Cultivator Aiden took on a defensive stance and watched me with wary eyes. Perhaps he feared that I would pull another trick on him. I mean, he was right. I had plenty of options at my disposal.

  The two of us circled one another, trying to find a weakness in each other’s defenses. I took a moment to evaluate the situation. Right now, Cultivator Aiden had the advantage in both offense and defense. He had his flaming red saber, the cloak of flames, and the yellow barrier. Unfortunately, I hadn’t mastered the second layer of Corrosive Cloud. Otherwise, I would have used it again, since it could have melted the yellow barrier.

  With all these powerful abilities, no wonder Cultivator Aiden felt confident in challenging me to a duel. If I wanted to defeat him, then I needed to break through his defenses, while avoiding his flaming red saber. It wouldn’t be easy. However, I had a number of ways to go about it.

  In the end, I chose the simplest one. Rather than rely on tricks, I decided to make this a contest of pure strength. At this point, winning alone wasn’t enough. I needed to defeat Cultivator Aiden, to crush him.

  As for Soul Thorn Dagger, I refrained from using that for now. It was my hidden weapon, my secret trump card. If I used it, and it became known that I knew a mental mystic art, others would find ways to protect themselves against it. It was best to save it for a dire situation.

  Cultivator Aiden and I moved at the same time. I dashed towards him, activating my Wind-Fire Boots for a burst of speed, while he performed a series of hand seals with his free hand and spoke an incantation. A massive ball of fire coalesced from the flames around us, condensing into a miniature crimson sun. On a superficial level, it resembled my Fireball mystic art. However, it was like comparing an ember to a raging wildfire.

  Cultivator Aiden launched the miniature sun towards me. Its overbearing heat was enough to kill a Qi Condensation cultivator, let alone a mortal. Despite this, I didn’t try to evade or dodge the miniature sun. Instead, I used Armor of the Celestial Warrior and faced it head on. A suit of armor made from golden starlight formed over my entire body, merging with the yellow barrier. Just as the miniature sun and I clashed, I raised my fist back and punched it.

  A shock wave exploded out when I struck the miniature sun. Pain wracked my entire arm, and my bones groaned in protest. Overwhelming heat washed over me. If it weren’t for my Armor of the Celestial Warrior, I would have fallen already. Even so, the heat burned away at my armor.

  Despite that, I held firm. For several moments, I remained in a deadlock with the miniature sun. Neither of us retreated. Cultivator Aiden remained in place, a look of intense concentration on his face. A part of me wondered why he didn’t take advantage of my current state, before I realized that he couldn’t. He was focused on controlling the miniature sun.

  I gritted my teeth and hit the miniature sun with my other fist. This knocked it back by a single inch. Emboldened, I drew back to punch it again. This knocked it back by another inch. I continued to attack it over and over again in a frenzy, yelling at the top of my lungs. Soon, the miniature sun and I drew close to Cultivator Aiden.

  He clenched his teeth, before he spat out a globule of blood. It flew into the miniature sun and merged with it. The latter turned blood-red and its heat grew even more intense. It even pushed me back. At the same time, Cultivator Aiden’s complexion paled. He must have used some kind of technique to empower the miniature sun with his vitality.

  Very well. Two could play at that game.

  I used Living Candle, burning my vitality to increase my physical prowess. Thanks to my mother’s tutelage, I had reached the second layer, meaning it was even more powerful than when I faced Cultivator Vivian.

  With my increased strength, I went on the offensive again. I struck the miniature sun, almost knocking it back into Cultivator Aiden. He grabbed it with his bare hands, dropping the flaming red saber. Somehow, he remained unaffected by the miniature sun’s heat. The two of us started to push against each other.

  Despite his best efforts, Cultivator Aiden wasn’t a match for me when it came to raw strength. I pushed him back, until I slammed him against the barrier created by Cultivator Diana’s array. That was enough to break his concentration, and the miniature sun dissipated into nothingness.

  I took advantage of this to charge Cultivator Aiden. With Cultivator Diana’s barrier at his back, he had nowhere to go. He was trapped. He tried to defend himself, but he wasn’t as skilled in unarmed combat as me. I struck him over and over again. His yellow barrier held on for dear life, but soon shattered under my relentless attacks. I hit him right in the abdomen, landing the first actual blow of this duel.

  Cultivator Aiden threw up a mouthful of blood, dyeing his white and gold robes red. He hunched over, but I gave him no time to recover. I attacked him like a raging demon, showing no mercy. I felt, rather than heard, as his bones broke under the force of my blows. His last remaining line of defense, the cloak of flames, burned away at my Armor of the Celestial Warrior, until little remained of the latter. It didn’t matter. At this point, the outcome of this duel was set in stone.

  However, just before I landed the finishing blow, my intuition screamed at me in warning. Acting on instinct, I twisted my body just as Cultivator Aiden’s flaming red saber slashed at me from behind. It cut through my Armor of the Celestial Warrior and deep into my flesh, almost severing my spine. Pain lanced through my body and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

  Cultivator Aiden’s sneak attack both impressed and infuriated me. If I hadn’t moved…Well, the attack wouldn’t have killed me, but it would have crippled me for a while.

  Before he had a chance to attack me again, I snarled and punched Cultivator Aiden in the face one last time. His head snapped back, hitting Cultivator Diana’s barrier, before he slumped to the ground. The flying red saber’s flames sputtered out, before it clattered to the ground. The fires that filled the dueling area died out as well.

  That was it. I defeated Cultivator Aiden. I won the duel.

  I have a up and running, if you want to say hi.

  For those who want to show a little extra support, I also have a. Patrons can read up to eighteen chapters ahead of everyone else, and get access to exclusive artwork. As a teaser, free members get access to character sketches drawn by the talented Ms. Tsuu, as well as songs by Lucas Quinn Creations.

  I’ve also posted a DDD short story on Patreon. It’s free for Patrons. However, those who don’t wish to sign up as a Patron can purchase the short story directly instead.

  This chapter was edited by Radriel7