Chronicles of Daoist Fan - Chapter 109

There were different levels of tokens given to fighters. For newly registered fighters who haven’t won twenty matches, they would get bronze tokens. Once a fighter defeated twenty of his assigned or chosen opponents, he or she would be given a silver token.

After silver, there was of course gold. However, for a gold token, one had to be a Meridian Opening Practitioner and defeat 200 opponents. The last one was a platinum token and it was said that there were currently only three such fighters who had defeated at least 2000 opponents in this arena.

There was also a requirement where the arena’s judges would determine if a victory was valid or not. All of these had a time limit. If I wanted to get a silver token, I would have to defeat 20 opponents in a month’s time.

The difficulty would skyrocket as to become a gold fighter, I would have to defeat 200 equally powerful silver fighters in a month. The time limit for getting a platinum token was also a month but the fighter could fight against anyone except bronze newbies.

Still, hitting 2000 in a month was extremely difficult for any gold fighter as almost all silver fighters would downright refuse a match and there weren’t enough gold token holders to fight against.

When I looked at the arena ground now, I mostly saw bronze fighters brawling it out. Only 6 silver fighters fought and there was no gold fighter at all.

The way to identify these fighters was simple. One just had to look at the color of their headband. Red for bronze, grey for silver, yellow for gold, and pure white for platinum.

One had to fight a compulsory match after registering, so I was currently standing just at the edge of a tunnel entrance. When my nickname was called with a drumming sound, I came out and entered the black ring of charcoal powder.

My name ”Humble White” and the flamboyant attire I wore attracted the attention of lots of bored watchers. However, when they saw the red band on my forehead, that attention diverted, except for a few who were curious, curious how I’ll lose.

”Heh, you shall be my last bronze oppo-” The fighter fifteen feet away from me couldn’t speak when he saw a rank six Viscera Purifying practitioner only having a bronze token.

I should already be a silver fighter. How will he, a rank nine Body Tempering practitioner, even defeat me? People in this city joined this arena when they reached the fifth or sixth rank of Body Tempering so that they could hone their skills.

I was one of those accursed late joiners who bullied the weak. At least, that’s why my current opponent thought of me.

I cupped my hands and bowed to him, the Meridian Opening judge, and the audience. Such an attitude was different from the fighters’ arrogant and hotblooded nature.

”Humble White against Phoenix Slayer, the match begins!” the judge waved his hands.

I nearly stumbled due to that outrageous nickname. I was going to let this guy taste mud. Such cockiness must not be tolerated.

”Phoenix Slayer” had a hammer in hand. That seemed to be his main weapon. However, he was cautious in front of me even though I was unarmed. Forfeiting wasn’t allowed or he would have already raised the white flag.

I put my hands behind my back and gazed at him through the holes on my mask, having a smile on my face that only unnerved my opponent.

His body was rather muscular. He only wore a no-sleeved black jacket on his upper body and rough blue pants on his legs. He didn’t wear slippers on this fighting ground. Most fighters didn’t as slippers would only hinder them on this sandy ground.

The summer heat made him sweat. He seemed tense but seeing me making no moves to attack him, he took a step forward.

Maybe I wasn’t so powerful, h-he also had a weapon with him… I could be defeated. Yes, yes, I won’t be able to react in time if he hit me like-

”Hah!”

He swung that cube of iron at me with his metallic handle. The force came in a rather disappointing manner. I directly held his hammer and pushed him away.

Phoenix Slayer was alarmed seeing me defending against one of his most powerful attacks with such ease. He shouted ”Hammer of Retribution” and again attacked me.

Instead of coming from the front, the hammer descended on my head. If it was any other fighter, the judge would have come to stop but I was far higher in ranks than him, so the judge remained unmoving, betting on my strength.

I kicked the sand at a critical moment and my body shot straight at my opponent. He didn’t even see me and was shocked, just like the audience, when I hit his chest with my head instead of my hands.

”Aghh!” I swiftly grabbed his arms and carried his body on my shoulders. His hammer fell alongside his body when I threw him on the sandy ground.

Phoenix Slayer coughed up three mouthfuls of blood before passing out. This happened so quickly that the audience was left uncontented. Just a casual thrashing and the match was over? This was no fight at all.

”Humble White wins!” The judge was not, however, so stunned. He had expected it.

I was then asked if I wanted to continue fighting and I replied with a yes. Now, more than 30 people were looking my way.

My next opponent was another unfortunate Body Tempering practitioner. He went by the name of ”Frog Bell.” I didn’t know what that meant but whatever.

He lasted an impressive three minutes before getting defeated. I cupped my fists every time a match started and finished. That was the impression I wanted to give to the audience, humble and respectful.

One by one, bronze fighters came to fight me and I kept my winning streak. Third, fourth, fifth… As I won every match, people started cheering for me.

However, this was not the fight I wanted. I came here to hone my battle skills. Not bully some juniors. It was my fourteenth win when the judges finally thought that I could be pitted against a silver fighter.

A tall guy came, dressed in black, red shirts and pants. He only had a dagger in hand and was at the Fourth rank of Viscera Purifying. I cupped my hands and smiled, just like in every other match.

”As they say, you really seem humble. Watch me break that mask of yours.” Oh, this opponent was confident.

I didn’t speak. I hadn’t spoken at all. My words were too precious to waste on these simple mortals. My fists would suffice.

”Rattled Glider versus Humble White, the match… begins now!” The grounded judge waved his hands and we immediately ran for each other.

In the earlier matches, I had remained on my spot and only countered my opponent’s attacks. Thus, any fighter barely knew what type of attacks he/she should expect from me. I had high strength and quick reflexes but that’s about everything they knew.

However, I was active from the start this time around. Rattled Glider, from the start, was hostile to me. I didn’t know the reason but could guess it. I may have defeated (thus humiliated) someone he knew.

”Snaky swipes!”

I suddenly stopped. As if I knew what he was going to do, I inched my body backward, dodging his dagger. He was aiming for my neck!

For the audience, they saw me seamlessly dodge Rattled Glider’s attack with such ease that they didn’t believe it. What? Just how? Their eyes begged for more information.

Due to reaching above rank five of Viscera Purifying, my spirit sense’s one characteristic was recovered. It allowed me to better coordinate my body in a fight. Coupled with the foundational combat moves I knew, dodging that dagger, in that manner was easy.

”Hrm!” I stomped the ground and came beside him in a flash. This was me trying to practice Shining Rush from Golden Tempest Technique but I failed. It was only one-fourth of the speed I wanted to achieve.

Otherwise, this opponent wouldn’t have had time to cover his head when I punched him. The first punch made him skid back. His feet made lines on the sandy ground. I didn’t give him a moment’s rest and followed up with another punch which he took with a dagger attack.

A cut formed on my right fist but I suddenly caught that dagger and pulled him. Rattled Glider’s body jerked due to my pulling force. I didn’t seem too worried about my bloody palm and directly punched my opponent’s face with another fist.

”Kuah!” He stopped holding his own dagger and used his movement technique to glide away from me. I threw his weapon away.

On the fighting ground, I chased him and the audience saw how Rattled Glider was running away from me. However, he couldn’t match my speed and was caught quickly.

”It will be painless.” I smiled amiably. Before he could say anything, his vision went black with a large punch coming for his face.

”Humble White wins, again!”