Finals Begin! Li Yu Tian vs Li Hao Ran(2)

Yu Tian finally fell to a knee from the intense pain, sweat dripping off his brow.

Li Hao Ran laughed, pleased from his opponent's expressions. He recalled his pyro serpent just to savour the moment, like a cat toying with a mouse.

"What's wrong?" The older boy taunted. "Why have you fallen and can't get up?"

Yu Tian grit his teeth, willing himself not to black out. He was already losing consciousness from how much agony he was in.

At this rate, the pyro serpent would easily be able to catch him in its fangs. Then Yu Tian's situation would be a lot worse than just being shackled by the burning chain right now.

"Go!" Li Hao Ran willed his martial spirit to charge again.

Yu Tian groaned as he was forced to dodge again, throwing his body to the side. Suddenly, the pyro serpent spun around with its tail, causing the former god's eyes to widen as he was slammed onto the tiled floor.

"Argh!" Sliding on the tiled stage floor, Yu Tian felt a wetness coming down from his forehead.

Fresh blood trickled down from the wound, dripping down his face as he slowly tried to pick himself up. His mouth was filled with the taste of rust when some of it rolled down his lip.

"Hahaha!" Seeing Yu Tian's face, Li Hao Ran giggled in sadistic glee.

...

The little fox had watched the whole situation unfold from her tree. Seeing how Yu Tian was being tortured, she felt extremely complicated and didn't know what to do.

The only reason Yu Tian was having trouble right now was because his opponent's cultivation outclassed him by half a full rank. If she helped him and let him grow, the little fox was scared of him becoming an enemy of her race.

However...

Even through the torture, Yu Tian maintained a defiant gaze. The little fox was frozen as his expression brought back a painful and traumatic memory.

Haven't her parents been like this as well? Didn't they still fight to the last breath after neong betrayed, urging her to live while they used their bodies to hold the enemies back?

...

"Yae... Live on..." The little fox's mother gasped with heavy breath. She had golden hair just like her, but retained the appearance of a beautiful human with fox ears with several tails.

Two spears were already impaled deeply into her back, and both mother and daughter knew that the injuries were fatal. They were imbued with poison Qi from the humans that the traitor had sided with, selling their race off for the position of power.

Being pushed away, Yae watched as her mother went off in the opposite direction in the forest, trying to shake them off. The little fox was also wounded from the initial fight, having been struck by a technique from a cultivator.

"Mother..." She sadly watched as her mother disappeared into the trees. Yae knew that her father was already dead, and now her mother was going to be gone as well.

In a blink of an eye, their kingdom has been raided and toppled from within. The demi-humans were helpless as the cultivators invaded and began committing atrocities.

....

Yae knew that not all humans were to blame. She was smart enough to recognize that there were good and bad apples in every group. It's just unfortunate that in this world where power meant everything, there only seemed to be more evil than good.

The little fox hesitated. Her mother and father fought to the bitter end, with the same look in their eyes that Yu Tian had.

If she acted, it also meant putting herself in danger as well.

Sighing, Yae made her decision as her eyes turned purple, having healed enough to use Qi techniques again. She also noticed a white ball of fluff sneaking up from behind Yu Tian's opponent.

...

Li Hao Ran continued to gloat at his fallen opponent, pouring more Qi in for the [Infernal Chains] to increase its intensity. He relished in Yu Tian's moans of agony so much that he didn't notice his ambusher closing in on its prey.

"Hiss!" The pyro serpent sensed something was wrong and darted back towards its master, surprising Li Hao Ran.

"Qiu Xue!" Yu Tian cried out as the kitten lunged at Li Hao Ran's neck.

Unfortunately, the pyro serpent was simply too quick. Slithering up its owner's body, the snake used the momentum to swing its tail around and slam the other martial spirit aside.

"No!" His eyes widened in horror as Qiu Xue landed down hard onto the stage, bouncing a few times.

Yu Tian suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest that made him constrict on the ground. Qiu Xue's form also flickered as she struggled to rise from the tiled floor.

...

"Bond damage." Li Chang was vastly pleased at how his grandson was dealing with Yu Tian.

Li You Zi's fists were curled white. When a cultivator's martial spirit gets hurt, they suffer from a condition known as bond damage.

There are 3 ways to hurt a person. Damage that pertains to emotions or the mind are considered psychological. Then there is physical damage, which is when one's body is harmed.

Finally, there was spiritual damage. A martial spirit is linked to a cultivator, and when the spirit gets hurt, the owner would also be injured.

As the link between them is stressed, they call this condition bond damage. A martial spirit could regenerate over time from Qi if it gets hurt, but the cultivator still suffers heavily depending on the severity of the damage.

Seeing his own grandson struggling in agony on the stage, Li You Zi didn't know what to do. If he fought against his cousins, his daughter and other family members would definitely be injured in the collateral damage.

All 3 of them were War Grandmasters, and considered to be peak existences in Stardust City. Looking around at the huddling children and the members who didn't want to be involved in this power struggle, he could only sit down in defeat.

"Father can't help you, I'm sorry." Li You Zi placed his hands on his head as he apologized to Li Mei Ling.

"Good." Li Chang smiled.

He then used some of his Qi to restrain Li Mei Ling, causing the poor mother to kneel on the ground. She tried her best to get up, causing blood to run down the side of her mouth from the overwhelming pressure.

Suddenly, a bolt of purple lightning suddenly struck Li Hao Ran from the back, causing him to roar in pain. Everyone's attention was then turned to the stage.

"Who?" Turning in anger from the sneak attack, Li Hao Ran caught a glimpse of golden fur flashing by.

"Who's there?" The grand elders were also wary of the sudden change on the stage.

They saw a little golden fox quickly running away. Nodding to his brother, Li Cheung took off in chase of the demonic beast, intent on catching and skinning it alive.

"Yu Tian!" Li Mei Ling screamed towards the stage with an outstretched hand, trying desperately to reach her son.

...

"Mother..." Yu Tian's eyes snapped open from hearing her cry.

The [Inferno Chains] were suddenly released from his leg and dissipated, causing Yu Tian to gasp in relief. Qiu Xue also crawled over to him and licked his face, making him smile.

However, Yu Tian soon saw his mother on her knees who was desperately trying to reach him, bleeding from her mouth. The former god's eyes widened before they turned to unbridled fury.

"You bastard." Something inside Yu Tian snapped.

"Huh?" Li Hao Ran was clueless until something slammed into him with the force of a truck.

Yu Tian sent Li Hao Ran flying with a dropkick, his body crackling with his lightning Qi. The pyro serpent hissed in rage and tried to strike in retaliation with his fangs, but Yu Tian bent slightly to dodge the attack and backhanded its head away.

"Scum." Looking up into the eyes of his approaching opponent, Li Hao Ran froze.

Yu Tian's dark pupils were now cold and intimidating, yet they burned with an anger so deep that it pierced into Li Hao Ran's soul. He swore he even saw one of Yu Tian's eyes briefly flash red.

Reaching the older boy, Yu Tian kicked him in the gut, sending him sliding across the stage.

Li Hao Ran's robes were now dusty and dirty like Yu Tian's. Winded, he gasped as he tried to regain control of his battle, willing his martial spirit to strike Yu Tian from behind.

[Eyes of Eternity]

Sensing the intent, Yu Tian ducked back and outstretched with a kick, shoving the pyro serpent's body away. Grabbing the front of Li Hao Ran's red robes, the former god began landing punch after punch onto his opponent's face, causing blood to fly into the air.

"No!" Li Hao Ran howled and rolled away. Two of his front teeth were now missing, and he was bleeding from his mouth and nose.

"Trash." Yu Tian stomped down with his foot. He was unrelenting as he kicked his opponent off the stage. "It's over."

...

"Hao'er!" Li Chang was stunned at the sudden change of events.

Looking at his niece that he was holding down, the grand elder snorted coldly. Li Chang released his hold and sent a blast of Qi towards the stage.

"You dare, little bastard!" The old man roared.

...

[Eyes of Eternity]

Sensing the incoming attack, Yu Tian lunged backwards and turned his body to avoid it. However, the cultivation difference was far too great, forcing him to block it with his arms as he couldn't dodge in time, even with the boost he received from his lightning Qi.

"Ah!" Yu Tian was sent flying a few feet from the attack, bouncing on the stone again. His chin was scraped and he puked out a mouthful of blood.

...

"Raising your hands on a junior?" Li You Zi also roared in anger.

Seeing Li Chang's actions, even the representatives of the other clans hesitated. It was far too underhanded and shameful for an elder to attack a junior, especially when the other was only a Level 6 Qi Novice.

"A demonic beast attacked Hao'er, so this is to make it even." Li Chang shamelessly said.

This Yu Tian was much more of a pain than they initially thought. Thankfully, both he and his brother had taught much more than Li Hao Ran needed, in order to pave his way for success in the future.

If he uses that form, even 2, no. Even 3 Yu Tians wouldn't be enough to defeat Li Hao Ran.

"Hao'er, use that last technique we taught you!" The grand elder called to his grandson.

...

Hearing his grandfather's words, Li Hao Ran regained his confidence as he climbed back onto the stage. His smile was ugly and bloody from losing teeth, giving the older boy a grotesque look.

This was no longer a tournament used to cripple Yu Tian. It became a matter of a battle to the death, with him intent on killing the younger boy for the humiliation.

Not only that, his heart still burned with jealousy over Yu Tian and Li Yaoyao.

"Come!" Li Hao Ran called his martial spirit towards him.

Yu Tian was still recovering from Li Chang's sneak attack, so he could only watch as the pyro serpent curled around Li Hao Ran's body.

[Martial Spirit Fusion]

A shockwave of fire Qi ensued when Li Hao Ran fused with his pyro serpent. His dark hair and eyes were now a bright red and orange, colours that were reminiscent of flames.

There were also some ethereal fire scales that developed on his skin, and the shape of Li Hao Ran's eyes now matched those of his martial spirit.

Laughing from the sudden increase in strength, Li Hao Ran raised an outstretched hand towards his fallen opponent. In his new form, it gave him absolute confidence in killing Yu Tian.

[Fireball]

Charging up fire Qi, the [Fireball] burnt more intensely this time. Li Hao Ran finally released it flying at the younger boy with sadistic laughter.

"Meow." Qiu Xue jumped out from under Yu Tian, towards the projectile.

"Qiu Xue, no!" He screamed as the fireball enveloped his martial spirit, causing everything to suddenly white out.