Before she had finished speaking, pitch-black flames surged forth from Huai Shi's chest. The blue bricks at his feet cracked and moaned, and Huai Shi executed Space Break and charged out.

The Invisible Axe descended.

As though she could perceive the Invisible Axe, Luo Xian suddenly executed an uncanny sidestep, dodging the axe blade by a hair's breadth. Her ears twitched slightly, an expression of dawning realization on her face.

"Is it an axe?"

"Well, that's hard to say." Huai Shi whistled. "An axe? A sword? No, perhaps it might even be a Long Spear... Want to try and find out?"

In his hands, the Source Substance on the Axe Blade kept transforming, constantly adjusting the axe head's center of gravity and length as he slashed randomly, deceiving Luo Xian's senses.

Luo Xian hesitated for a moment.

Opportunity!

Huai Shi's eyes widened, and he dashed forward again. But his sweeping axe was surprisingly blocked by the mop handle.

As if she could see the exact shape of the Axe Blade, the mop handle Luo Xian raised met the axe haft, barely deflecting Huai Shi's attack.

She seemed to realize something and couldn't help but laugh. "Young man, you're quite gentle, aren't you? Using the back of the axe?"

"That's called being polite." Huai Shi suddenly lunged forward, the Axe Blade slashing again. But as the mop handle moved to counter, the metallic Source Substance abruptly dissipated. Instead, it extended inch by inch from Huai Shi's raised left hand, forming the outline of a Sacrificial Knife that thrust towards Luo Xian's neck.

Immediately afterward, he staggered, nearly collapsing.

"Sloppy footwork!" Luo Xian taunted.

The end of the mop whipped across Huai Shi's calf, making half his body go numb. In the instant he faltered, the mop handle quivered and then slashed through the air, arcing towards Huai Shi's face.

Huai Shi's fall, however, halted abruptly. As the tip of the Cross Spear shot out, he used it like a pole to vault, his body tracing a bizarre arc across the ground, instantly closing the distance to Luo Xian to within three steps.

His palm rose, fingers clenched.

SMASH!

BOOM!

Luo Xian staggered back a step in surprise, then quickly increased the distance between them. She seemed amazed.

"I almost thought you were a Roman," Luo Xian said, raising her hand to slowly wipe the blood trickling from her nose. She asked softly, "That footwork just now... it had a hint of the Religious Judicature's style. Where did you learn it?"

"And why can't I be a Roman?" Huai Shi retorted in Latin.

"You probably aren't, right?" Luo Xian seemed amused by his attempt to mislead her. "Such a distinctive mask... I remember you're called Huai Shi, correct? The one from Xinhai?"

Huai Shi was stunned.

"After Xiao Bai returned, he told me quite a few things," Luo Xian said, tilting her head as she looked at him. "To be honest, now that I've run into you, I'm curious to see... just what kind of outstanding talent would be crazy enough to confess to the White Emperor's Son?"

Huai Shi remained stunned for a long moment, then sighed helplessly. "I have to say, that's a misunderstanding."

"It's okay, I don't mind." An excited smile spread across her blood-streaked face again. Luo Xian asked softly, "A duel is a pure thing, after all. There's only winning or losing, right?"

In her hands, the mop handle snapped in two. Her arms slowly extended. In an instant, the smiling 'big sister' transformed into a bloodstained Evil Ghost.

"I'm going to get serious now..." she murmured with that same smile, then suddenly appeared right in front of Huai Shi.

The next moment, Huai Shi was sent flying. Mid-air, his pupils constricted in shock. A vicious tear appeared on the chest of his shirt, and two intersecting trails of blood spread from where the wooden stick had struck.

It was only a flesh wound. But her speed... was terrifyingly fast, having nearly doubled in an instant.

Footwork? It was that bizarre footwork! It was similar to the legendary technique of 'distance shrinking,' but it wasn't a mere illusion created by silently moving on tiptoes or shifting stances. It was a genuine shortening of distance, achieved through that strange rhythm and stepping pattern!

Huai Shi landed and brought his axe down in a chop, attempting to force Luo Xian back. But she once again glided with that uncanny movement, sliding three feet forward and to the right as if out of thin air. Evading Huai Shi's attack, she pressed her advantage, step by step!

For the first time since becoming a Sublimator, Huai Shi had encountered an enemy whose skills he could not overcome with his own.

No, the skills he had painstakingly acquired from countless deaths and historical records were actually being suppressed by her techniques! And she didn't even have a Stigma!

During their rapid exchanges, the two pieces of broken mop handle in Luo Xian's hands never once collided with Huai Shi's weapon. Instead, they came dangerously close to striking his vital points several times.

If she had been wielding actual blades, Huai Shi would likely have been wounded already.

CRASH!

At point-blank range, his weapon shifted between axe and knife, finally giving Huai Shi an opening to slice through one of the wooden sticks in Luo Xian's hands.

Her speed noticeably slowed. Although she was a Sublimator past her initial development phase, without a Stigma, her stamina was ultimately proving insufficient.

Luo Xian began to sweat. Huai Shi seized the opportunity to retreat a step, staring intently at her. "Who exactly are you?"

"Just a passing stranger, your big sister," Luo Xian tilted her head and blinked playfully. "Or are you only now taking an interest in getting to know me?"

Huai Shi didn't speak. He lowered his head, looking at his chest—at those two superficial wounds. What puzzled him was that the bleeding wouldn't stop; in fact, it was intensifying, showing signs of becoming a serious hemorrhage.

"*Li Quan*," Luo Xian said suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"You've already demonstrated your Soul Ability, so it's only fair I explain mine, don't you think?" Luo Xian stated calmly. "As you've experienced firsthand, its effect is to cause unstoppable bleeding... So, if this turns into a battle of endurance, I have the advantage."

"Is that so?" Huai Shi reached out and wiped his hand across his chest. A metallic liquid, like mercury, flowed over the wounds, instantly sealing them.

Luo Xian was stunned. "What kind of technique is that?" she exclaimed in surprise. "That's really underhanded!"

"The truly underhanded part is yet to come," Huai Shi said, shaking his head. As he spoke, the broken green bricks at Luo Xian's feet suddenly shattered, and a grey-black iron wire shot out from beneath, wrapping tightly around her ankle.

It halted her for a mere instant. Immediately after, she saw Huai Shi lean forward, adopting an extremely unorthodox stance for a thrust. He suddenly lunged, and a dazzling brilliance erupted from his hand.

"Eat my Salty Fish Thrust!"

His Yin Soul flared.

The fire surging within his chest erupted. In perfect sync with Huai Shi's movement, the Cross Spear, dripping with Dragon Blood, tore through the air in the blink of an eye.

Luo Xian's pupils dilated. With seemingly impossible agility, her waist bent backward as if boneless, dodging Huai Shi's thrust. Her cheek nearly grazed the crossguard of the spear as she evaded its deadly point. Her feet suddenly spread, planting her firmly on the stone paving.

The last piece of the wooden stick in her hand jabbed towards Huai Shi's face. It was as if she had already calculated his maximum speed and reaction time, delivering this exquisitely timed strike at the very last, unavoidable instant.

Undodgeable. Unblockable. Unyielding. A killing blow!

But Huai Shi merely flicked his wrist. The spearhead quivered.

Fine threads of Dragon Blood flew out, suspended in the air. One delicate strand landed on her cheek.

The pointed wooden splinter froze in mid-air.

Her strength was exhausted.

The Green Crown Dragon's poison, carried by the Source Substance, erupted upon contact with her skin. An irresistible fatigue and drowsiness washed over Luo Xian's consciousness.

She staggered and collapsed.

"The outcome is decided," Huai Shi said, retracting his Long Spear. He looked down at Luo Xian, lying powerless on the ground, strands of her hair already streaked with grey.

After a brief hesitation, Huai Shi sighed. He took the Injection Gun from his pocket, pressed it against her neck, and pulled the trigger.

The effects of the toxin lessened. "I controlled the dosage. When you get back, find a good doctor, get some antidote, and you'll be fine," Huai Shi said slowly as he stood up. "Don't worry, the aging from this mild dose is temporary; it won't permanently harm your body."

"So kind?" Luo Xian couldn't help but laugh. "I was trying to kill you, you know... Are you one of those soft-hearted types? Can't bring yourself to kill a pretty girl? Ah, you definitely don't have a girlfriend..."

"Although I don't entirely understand what's going on, you and... the White Emperor's Son are friends, right?" Huai Shi sighed. "I owe her a huge favor, a really, really huge one. I've been wondering how to thank her next time we meet. My first words can't be, 'Sorry for killing your friend,' can they?"

"Hahaha." Luo Xian seemed amused by his dark humor, her eyes squinting. "Then let's meet again in Jinling, at this year's Asia Newcomer Contest. You'll participate, right?"

"Not necessarily," Huai Shi shook his head. "To be honest, I'm not very interested."

"Liar," said Luo Xian.

"Hmm?"

"You're actually extremely interested, aren't you?" As if seeing straight into the young man's heart, the cunning 'big sister' chuckled softly. "Even if you say now that you'd rather die or jump off a building than go, when you meet a worthy opponent, your hands will still itch for a fight. If you meet more opponents, you'll become restless. And when you encounter enemies who seem forged from iron to their very core, you'll become so excited you can't control yourself... just like me. Otherwise, you wouldn't wear such an indifferent expression, right?"

Luo Xian gazed into his eyes, grinning. "That look on your face... it's as if you're saying you're not interested because all your potential opponents are just a bunch of pushovers!"

"...Say whatever you like." Huai Shi sighed. After one last glance at her, he turned, walked to the front of the stage, picked up the Jug of Tree Blood that Raven had mentioned, and then pushed open the door and left.

As he walked out of the venue's main gate, he saw an Envoy who had clearly been waiting for some time.

"Contestant, please wait a moment." The Six Eyed Envoy, whom Huai Shi recognized from the arena, came forward, pressing a hand to his chest in a formal gesture. "A judge has sent you a gift."

As he spoke, he lifted the box in his hands and presented it to Huai Shi.

"A judge?" Huai Shi was startled and cautiously retreated two steps, fearing the box contained some vile Curse, perhaps one that would doom him to eating excrement for the rest of his life. "Why would they give me a gift?"

"Rest assured, it contains no Curse or harmful item. It is an additional prize, a gift bestowed upon you by that esteemed personage," the Envoy explained. As he spoke, his six eyes glanced towards a point in the distance. Following his gaze, Huai Shi caught sight of a solemn and massive carriage, drawn by dozens of large black horses that snorted and impatiently pawed the ground.

Within the carriage, a silhouette could be vaguely discerned—it was the vast shadow that had been seated at the far end of the judges' table. Sensing Huai Shi's gaze, the figure slowly raised a hand and tipped the brim of its hat, a gesture that might have been a salute.

The Attendant announced with formal precision, "The Owner of the Great Mob from Deep Hell, the Blade of the Doomsday, Ruler of the Death Factory, esteemed sponsor of the Chef Demon Contest, and the peerless Butcher of Heaven—Sir Oincke—has this to say: 'Though aside from creativity, your cooking skills are hardly worth mentioning, at least... your mask is quite interesting.'"

With that, he placed the gift into Huai Shi's hands, bowed in farewell, and then departed with the carriage, vanishing into the night.

"This works too?" Huai Shi murmured, touching the mask on his face. He stood there, stunned, for a long time, feeling utterly incredulous.

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