"This is too cruel," Mo Ziye said, averting his gaze as he watched the girl being cut in half at the waist.
His fights always ended with a winner and a loser, or a knockout. The idea of taking half of someone's life felt deeply unsettling.
"Mercy towards enemies is cruelty towards oneself, Mo Ziye," Bai Cha said calmly. "If we all held your kind of thinking, our Shadow clan would have perished long ago."
"But this isn't a real battlefield, we're all classmates," Mo Ziye mumbled. The sight of the blood on the ground was particularly jarring, and the exposed intestines made him feel nauseous.
It wasn't surprising that Mo Ziye was bothered. Most children had never witnessed such a gruesome scene. They usually stopped at a decisive point. Teenagers at this age were typically cherished by their parents. Such violent and bloody methods were a significant shock.
Bai Cha glanced at Mo Ziye, who seemed displeased. Just as she was about to frown, she suddenly sensed something. She moved forward in a flash and grabbed Lang Mo by the back of his collar, pulling him back.
Despite Lang Mo's sturdy build, he had no power to resist when Bai Cha grabbed his clothes. He was yanked backward and fell.
The moment Lang Mo fell backward, a purple beam of light zipped past his forehead and scorched a large hole in a tree not far behind him.
"Damn it? That's harsh?" Lang Mo broke out in a cold sweat. He looked at the girl lying on the ground, his eyes turning colder, and the violent fiery aura emanating from him became unstable again.
"Alright, no lives can be lost here," Bai Cha's clear voice was like a splash of cold water, extinguishing Lang Mo's anger. "After defeating an enemy, immediately retreat to a safe zone and observe. Have you forgotten what I taught you?"
Her words, like a winter wind in the twelfth lunar month, instantly quelled the flames that had yet to surge within Lang Mo.
"It's just that..." Lang Mo lowered his head, wanting to retort. He shrunk his neck and changed his words, "I was wrong. I'll be careful next time."
He was unhappy with Bai Cha, but that didn't mean he dared to confront her. As a man, it was wise to back down when necessary.
After speaking, he checked his wristband. Fortunately, only three people remained: himself, Bai Cha, and Mo Ziye.
Watching the girl he had just beaten half to death being carried away by the medical staff, Lang Mo scurried after them.
"Hey, hey! Wait for me! I surrender! I'm withdrawing too!" Lang Mo didn't dare to look at Bai Cha. Under the strange gazes of the medical staff, he scrambled onto the helicopter with them.
Mo Ziye looked at Lang Mo, who kept his head down and avoided looking at Bai Cha, feeling utterly confused. He thought Bai Cha was kind, beautiful, and gentle. Why did Lang Mo seem to be avoiding her like the plague?
Fortunately, Mo Ziye didn't voice his thoughts. If Lang Mo had heard them, he would have knelt and kowtowed to Mo Ziye, calling him brother.
Gentle? Little brother? Is your eyesight as bad as your mouth?
"This is the consequence of mercy. If I weren't here, Lang Mo would be in grave danger. He used to be like you, and then he got a scar on his chest that could never heal," Bai Cha said, gesturing to her chest. "Lang Mo showed mercy. In a real battle, that girl would have been annihilated, with no chance to counterattack."
Mo Ziye lowered his head and remained silent.
The sudden flash of bloody light had startled him too. In a normal situation, he would have been hit. He would have either died or lost half his life. He never expected that girl to be so ruthless, willing to take someone down with her even when she was already injured.
Seeing Mo Ziye looking down, somewhat embarrassed, Bai Cha condensed several black daggers in her hands and flicked them, disabling several cameras.
With the monitoring room going black, the numerous judges, other than those from the Shadow faction, were thrown into disarray.
"Amitabha, please remain calm. Even without surveillance, we have life detectors. We can rescue them by observing their life indicators," Meng Qinghuan's voice, tinged with a faint ethereal quality, calmed the startled judges in the monitoring room. "Besides, their wristbands can automatically register a surrender. There's no need to panic."
Although the crowd was somewhat dissatisfied, they obediently returned to their positions. Only Lang Ya nudged Meng Qinghuan with his elbow, looking somewhat speechless.
"Old Meng, is this really okay?" Lang Ya's rugged face showed hesitation, with a hint of worry. "These aren't all from the same faction. Isn't this just creating trouble for ourselves?"
"Hmph hmph? Little Wolf? Have you also been brainwashed by those people from the Bright faction?" Meng Qinghuan furrowed her brows, appearing helpless. "Alright, alright~ Our Shadow clan is called a faction, but that's just a name those guys gave us."
In the jungle.
Mo Ziye looked at Bai Cha's actions, feeling puzzled. He suddenly realized that only the two of them remained on the field. From this point on, it would be their battlefield, and they had to be enemies.
Bai Cha turned around. She and Mo Ziye were now about two to three meters apart. Mo Ziye felt nervous, even a bit flustered.
"What I taught you just now was that mercy towards enemies is cruelty towards oneself. Now, I ask you, if it were you, what would you do facing Lang Mo?" To Mo Ziye's surprise, Bai Cha didn't attack him directly but started asking him questions.
"Ah? Oh, me..." Mo Ziye thought carefully before replying, "Lang Mo has a large physique; he's a typical strength-type. His defense and offense are extremely strong. Within a certain range, he's indestructible, but he's clearly not flexible enough for mid-to-long-range combat. If it were me, I'd probably try to keep him at a distance."
"I've reviewed your training materials, which clearly state that long-range energy projection consumes much more than close-quarters combat. If you keep it up, who will fall first?" Bai Cha shook her head, refuting Mo Ziye's statement. "Dragon-class individuals have powerful abilities that can be compensated for with skill and training. Without Michael's intervention, you're no match for him."
"Moreover, both A-class and S-class belong to advanced dragon-classes. The amount of energy stored in their bodies is roughly the same. How can you engage in a war of attrition with Lang Mo, whose patience and strength surpass yours in every aspect?" Bai Cha retorted.
"Uh..."
Mo Ziye lowered his head, truly stumped this time. He didn't know what to do. He could feel that Bai Cha was trying to teach him, but his mind was a complete mess.
"Once, someone carried a bucket of water in each hand, standing on four eggs, yet the eggs remained intact. When force is distributed evenly, eggs can withstand a force of 34.1 kilograms," Bai Cha prompted. "But how do you usually eat eggs?"
Hearing Bai Cha's hint, Mo Ziye suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Oh, right! The reason Lang Mo is so formidable is because he uses his strength cleverly, allowing him to flexibly increase his pressure resistance, leaving almost no openings. But I can concentrate my strength to a single point and force him to reveal an opening! Although it requires immense strength, at least I can do it."
After all, he resonated with one of the ancestral dragons, and the power condensed into a single point was not to be underestimated.
"What if you encounter Cang Liu?" Bai Cha asked again.
"Hmm... In the last simulated combat, I forcefully released light energy to prevent him from getting close. We stalemated for more than ten minutes before we were stopped," Mo Ziye said sheepishly, scratching his head. "Thinking about it now, if it dragged on, the one who would run out of light energy first would be me. If I encounter Cang Liu again, I should avoid his sharpest attacks and look for an opportunity for a decisive blow!"
Bai Cha sighed inwardly, feeling a bit weary. She helplessly supported her forehead and said, "Cang Liu is a Merman. His speed, strength, and stamina are several times that of an ordinary human. If a Dragon Knight fights without their dragon, relying solely on their individual strength, he is almost invincible. How can you avoid his sharpest attacks?"
Forget avoiding his sharpest attacks; you're slower than his flying sword. Before you can even run, you'll likely be cut in half. It was only because Merman-contracted sea dragons could only remain in the sea that Mermen had to fight alone. Their individual combat prowess couldn't compare to the synergistic effect of a Dragon Knight, where one plus one equals three. Otherwise, Mermen would be highly sought after by major nations.
"Uh," Mo Ziye awkwardly scratched his head, his mind blank again, and he blushed slightly. "But I can't hit him with long-range attacks either; he's too fast..." He couldn't keep up in close combat, couldn't avoid him, so how could he fight?
"Actually, your initial approach was good, but you had the wrong direction," Bai Cha said helplessly. "Cang Liu is a typical assassin. However, no matter who it is, there's a brief pause after an attack fails. Oh! I can respond to any change with the same approach. I'll learn from you and not use my eyes to judge, but rely on my own perception to determine direction. When he attacks, I'll release light energy to obstruct him!" Mo Ziye became excited again. "This way, I can seize the opportunity during his pause to find his weakness."
Mo Ziye finally understood why Bai Cha had destroyed all the cameras. If this video were leaked, both Lang Mo and Cang Liu would be ruined.
"Your comprehension is good, but your ideas are a bit too simple," Bai Cha nodded. "Alright, let's start the practical combat."
"Ah? Prac-practical combat?" Mo Ziye was stunned. Before he could react, he felt a gust of wind caress his face, and a chill on his neck. Cool fingers lightly tapped his Adam's apple.
In the past, Mo Ziye would have blushed, but now he was covered in a cold sweat. He realized that if Bai Cha wanted to, he would have already been eliminated.
"I paused for nearly five seconds after saying 'start,' yet you still weren't ready," Bai Cha lightly touched Mo Ziye's neck and pulled away again. "To become stronger, you need to improve yourself. No amount of theory is useful."
"I... I understand! Let's go again!" Mo Ziye was prepared this time, condensing his light power into a radiant golden holy sword. He stood his ground and closed his eyes.
"Yes, don't use your eyes. A person's eyes, even when concentrated, can't exceed 30 frames per second. In the face of true strength, your eyes will deceive you," Bai Cha's voice echoed, accompanied by a slight breeze from her movements.
"Then, I begin."
The breeze was difficult to discern. It was Mo Ziye's first time trying to capture it with his perception, and it was quite challenging. Therefore, Bai Cha intentionally increased the motion.
A moment of silence.
"Found you!"
Suddenly, Mo Ziye's eyes snapped open. Instantly, a dark figure appeared in his peripheral vision. He swung his long arm, bringing his long sword down.
However, his attack still missed.
"Don't get so excited. You're announcing your movements to the enemy."
Bai Cha moved again, appearing beside Mo Ziye. She lightly patted the top of Mo Ziye's head and pulled away again.
"Before you even start fighting, you need to plan what you'll do if your attack misses. You need to follow up immediately, at least to protect yourself and create distance from the enemy."
Bai Cha stood not far away. She didn't even take out her weapon, appearing effortlessly light and empty-handed, like a mentor guiding Mo Ziye.
"Let's go again!" Mo Ziye looked at Bai Cha, the light in his eyes growing increasingly resolute. His fighting spirit surged, and he prepared himself once more.
"Very well, then I begin."