I Can Do Anything?

...

The blue crystal which had just shined, the announcer, let out a loud voice.

"Disciples, prepare for the first battle of the third segment!"

The audience of outer and inner disciples cheer, their voices shaking the colosseum.

Unlike the first segment with three stages, and the second segment with two stages, the third segment only has one.

Since there is only a limited number of outer disciples above the sixth layer of qi gathering.

The blue crystal dims, and the gate on either side of the colosseum open, to reveal two outer disciples, the left at the seventh layer of qi gathering, while the other is only at the third layer of qi gathering.

That's right—

One is a brute with long red hair and a devilish grin, while the other is bulky and always carries a smug grin.

—Ren Zhexi had made it to the third segment, empowering those above him in the second segment.

Ren Zhexi wiggles his eyebrows, smashing his palms together.

The other disciple, who goes by "The Raging Inferno", narrows his eyes.

"Only at the third layer? Is this a joke?" He looks towards the blue crystal, as if he's judging the announcer's decision.

He doesn't get a reaction, of course, thus he continues staring down Ren Zhexi.

"Don't underestimate me, they don't call me 'The Everlasting Firestorm' for no reason, you know." Ren Zhexi steps onto the stage, picking his nose.

"The Everlasting Firestorm? Are you mocking me?" Raging Inferno's face flushes red and his eyes burst in flames.

"A third layer qi gatherer? Mocking me!—Me!?" Raging Inferno roars, lunging in disbelief towards the unbothered Ren Zhexi.

His body crackles with anger as the fight begins.

Ren Zhexi stretches his arm forwards as he watches Raging Inferno come closer and closer.

"Master said I had to try against these people... but I just don't feel like it!" Ren Zhexi rolls his eyes and crosses his arms.

Woosh!

In a matter of seconds, Raging Inferno appears in front of Ren Zhexi.

"Hrahh!" He lashes out with a claw, scratching towards Ren Zhexi, his mouth drooling as if a lion had just found his prey.

Ren Zhexi steps to the side, effortlessly dodging his attack.

Raging Inferno crashes at the edge of the stage, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"W-what!? H-how!?" He grinds his teeth together and shouts in absolute rage, "Y-you o—only at the third layer!"

Raging Inferno foams at the mouth as his body starts trembling. "T-third layer..." His arms spasm and his jaw locks.

"I-I'll kill you! I don't care!" He yells as he lunges yet again at Ren Zhexi.

"Calm down." Ren Zhexi shakes his head and puts his hands out in front of him.

Raging Inferno suddenly pauses, and stares blankly at Ren Zhexi.

"Calm down?" He stammers.

"Yes, this is just a friendly battle, no?" Ren Zhexi nods as if promoting peace and honor.

Raging Inferno blinks, and then starts shaking.

"Y—you!" He slams his forehead against the ground as he screams.

"Fuck you! And your mother! And your ancestors! And your..." Raging Inferno, in his fit of fury, starts cursing out twelve generations of Ren Zhexi's family.

Ren Zhexi, with narrowed eyes, takes a step.

Smack!

The audience freezes as if they had just witnessed a murder.

"Nobody, not even my ancestors, may curse my ancestors."

Ren Zhexi utters without any hesitation. His contradiction confuses the already shocked audience.

"You—ancestors?—Huh!?" Raging Inferno's jaw drops as the right side of his face slowly turns red in the shape of Ren Zhexi's handprint.

"You that much of an idiot? Let me explain it to you in a language you'd understand." Ren Zhexi squats down, getting to face-level with the confused Raging Inferno

"Ooga booga, me no like people insult me ancestor, so me smack monkey. Got it?" Ren Zhexi mocks, smirking a little.

Crack!

A loud shattering sound echoes throughout the colosseum, almost as if someone had smashed glass.

"His ego!" From the stands, an elder shouts.

The audience froze even more, their interest now piqued even further.

"His cultivator ego which defines his very being, broken! Even the mindset he was forming... it's all gone to ruin!" another elder yells, his voice laced with sadness.

The audience doesn't make a single sound.

Ren Zhexi stands, his arms up in the air. "Woohoo! I won!"

His victory gets announced, but still, the audience doesn't make a sound.

"Did he... did he ruin Raging Inferno?" A disciple mutters, his mouth trembling.

"There's no way..." A female disciple covers her mouth, a cold sweat streaking down her forehead.

"Raging Inferno is dead! He killed him! Spiritual murder!" Raging Inferno's master, an inner elder, screams in frustration.

From the sky, a red flame appears, burning brightly.

A white-haired disciple who had noticed points, "Look what is that!"

Before anyone else could gaze upon the red flame, it fizzled away.

The white-haired disciple's heart drops as everyone turns to stare at him.

"M-my apologies, I must've seen... something." He rubs the back of his head.

One disciple with a long beard spits and turns away.

Up in the elder stands.

Yin Song and Han Kuang had been discussing the mysterious big man.

But Yin Song with eyebrows raised mentions the white-haired disciple.

"That must be Bai Xiao of the serene peak." Yin Song mentions, sipping some wine.

"You and your memory." Han Kuang sighs.

"Did you notice anything about him?" Han Kuang continues.

"Well lying to an entire audience of cultivators isn't something a serene person would do... he probably did see something."

Han Kuang shakes his head. "We're in the nascent soul realm, how could we possibly miss something?" He curls his lips.

"Just curious." Yin Song chuckles, returning to the main discussion, the big man.

"Any idea?" He speaks.

"I've deduced that he is indeed a part of the sect." Han Kuang, with a stoic expression, stands up.

"And how exactly did you come to that resolution?" Yin Song closes his eyes, swirling the wine in his bowl.

"Because... he—he wouldn't—" Han Kuang calmly grabs his head, and punches himself.

"Who? Who wouldn't?" He looks around in confusion.

Yin Song chuckles.

Back at the colosseum, Ren Zhexi laughs as he walks off, waving his hand. "No need for cheers! I, Ren Zhexi, have moved past meager reactions!"

The gate shuts behind him.

The audience remains frozen, no sound for the next couple of minutes.

A forced silence.

Today, a cultivator perished, though he remains breathing, and his heart still beats.

...