Chapter 27: A Lesson for You

As the competition began, the curly-haired man exerted force instantly, darting out with lightning speed like a released arrow.

He felt exhilarated: "What great luck today, haha. I actually ran into a novice; I get to enjoy bullying a weakling again."

So fast!

Lin Qi felt a jolt of surprise. It was as expected of a real person; their movements were agile, swift, and clean, far beyond the stiff, predictable actions of an AI.

"Whoosh!"

Lin Qi braced his feet, his thigh muscles bunching as his blood and energy surged simultaneously. He lunged forward, brandishing his black spear. With a flick of the shaft, the spear tip traced a circle in the air, blossoming into a brilliant display of spear-flowers.

"Swish, swish!"

The curly-haired man swung his greatsword, shroud in cold light. Sword shadows erupted as he launched the first attack, swift as the wind.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

In the center of the arena, the greatsword and the spear collided instantly. The clash of metal rang out, echoing around them.

Sword shadows and cold light filled the air, laden with murderous intent. The curly-haired man unleashed a flurry of sword shadows, attacking from all directions.

Shadow Strike!

So fast!

Lin Qi was inwardly alarmed. The man’s strikes were as swift as lightning, leaving no room for reaction before the sword was already upon him. The sword style he used had one clear characteristic: speed!

"Too slow! Too slow!"

"Brother, with speed like that, how do you expect to make a living in the arena?" the curly-haired man jeered.

Lin Qi was slightly stunned; an AI would never talk.

"Swish!"

A sword thrust out violently, a flash of cold light instantly piercing past the spear and appearing before Lin Qi, ready to finish him off in the next heartbeat.

"Rookie, welcome to the Red Realm!"

The curly-haired man laughed, his movements seeming to accelerate even further!

Retreat!

Lin Qi felt a jolt of alarm. His body reacted instinctively, tensing up as he swung his arm, causing the spear shaft to shift instantly.

"Clang!"

After the spear and sword collided, the sword was deflected.

"Pfft!"

A sharp glint of light grazed Lin Qi’s face, leaving a bloody streak. The sting of pain jolted his nerves, causing him to instinctively recoil.

Lin Qi frowned. That was too close; the man’s greatsword had almost pierced his eye. He had nearly died.

A formidable opponent!

The curly-haired man looked surprised. "You actually dodged that."

"Kid, you won't be so lucky next time."

With that, he flashed forward like an arrow from a bow, his greatsword dancing with cold, lethal light as he attacked again.

"Hoo!"

The battle offered no respite, the terrifying killing intent washing over him once more.

Lin Qi exhaled, his heart pounding wildly. Blood surged through his veins, and his eyes grew increasingly sharp. He recognized the opponent's technique: the "Shadow-Swift Sword Style," a Black Iron-tier manual.

Swift as wind, formless as a shadow. The strikes were lightning-fast, and the man’s mastery was even greater than his own.

"He's truly strong!"

His eyes burned brighter. His large muscle groups fired in unison, energy and blood surging through his body. His body exploded with power, veins bulging on his arms.

His speed increased significantly. He swung his long spear with majestic, overwhelming momentum.

In his eyes, he could now clearly track the curly-haired man’s thrusts, his rapid movements, his pivots, and the way he integrated his footwork with his sword strikes—all lightning fast.

Shadow Piercing!

But now, Lin Qi saw it clearly. A countermeasure took shape in his mind.

To the left!

He tilted his head and shifted his body, brushing past the blade, then ducked to evade the next.

In one second, he had narrowly dodged two strikes!

The curly-haired man froze in shock.

"Now!"

At the critical moment, Lin Qi seized the man’s split-second hesitation. Coordinating his waist and hands, he unleashed a sudden burst of power, thrusting his black spear forward.

Precision Strike!

With a pinpoint thrust, he shattered the opponent's Shadow-Swift Sword Style.

The curly-haired man saw the cold glint of the spear tip suddenly appear before him, filled with lethal intent.

"Pfft!"

The sharp tip pierced his heart, blood spraying wildly!

[Battle over, "My Greatsword" has died!]

"How could this be?"

"Thud!"

As the curly-haired man fell to the ground, he saw a figure in a black mask looming over him, a pair of indifferent eyes staring from beneath the dark mask.

"Thank you for the lesson!"

"I..."

The curly-haired man wanted to say something, but he vanished into nothingness within the arena.

...

When the curly-haired man opened his eyes, he was back in his personal space.

"Damn, I actually died."

He looked frantic, his face filled with resentment.

"I actually lost to a rookie?"

"Right, I must have been careless, that’s the only reason he won."

The curly-haired man found a reason to comfort himself, wanting to match again to save face. He immediately opened the matchmaking queue, anxious to defeat that "Yang Jian" and regain his pride.

Meanwhile, on the other side:

[Battle over! Congratulations, "Yang Jian," on your victory. Points +3]

[Record: 1/10]

[Win Rate: 100%]

[Points: 3]

Lin Qi had also returned to his personal space, his gaze locked on his own panel.

[You engaged in a fierce battle with a strong enemy. Proficiency in "Mountain-Crushing Spear" increased significantly. Spear proficiency +2%]

[You engaged in a fierce battle with a strong enemy. Proficiency in footwork increased significantly. Footwork +3%]

[Spear Proficiency: Tier 1 80% → 82%]

[Footwork Proficiency: Tier 1 70% → 73%]

...

"Hoo!"

Lin Qi looked at the data on his panel and smiled, though it was hidden by his mask.

"That curly-haired man was truly strong. His spear technique—no, his sword technique—was far beyond mine, swift as lightning. I almost lost."

Lin Qi recalled the fight, his heart still racing. That tense and stimulating feeling was something he had never experienced before. His concentration had been absolute; victory or defeat hinged on a fraction of a second. If his spear had been 0.1 seconds slower, he would have lost.

"But the gains from one battle are immense. I have a new understanding of the 'Mountain-Crushing Spear'."

"My spear and footwork proficiencies are rising so fast. I can improve in every single match."

"Again!"

Lin Qi chose to match again.

Three minutes later, two figures appeared in the arena. Lin Qi's opponent this time was a beautiful woman in a green combat suit, holding a long sword.

"Newbie, let me teach you a lesson!"

The woman looked at Lin Qi, flashing a malicious smile like a hunter eyeing prey. But she was greeted by a black spear.

...

An hour passed quickly.

[Battle over. Regrettably, "Yang Jian," you have died!]

[Record: 5/10]

[Win Rate: 80%]

[Ranking function unlocked. View? Yes/No]

"Hoo!"

In his personal space, Lin Qi looked pale.

"The feeling of dying is truly unpleasant."

"Even though the pain of death is dialed down to 20%, it's still awful."

"The last opponent was too strong. The gap in our levels was huge; he probably reached over 90% of Tier 1."

Lin Qi reflected on the battles. After the first one, he had played four more. The opponents were of similar strength, and he had grown more confident, winning three of them. It wasn't until the final match that he faced someone too powerful, and despite his sharp intuition, he was cut down.

"Ranking function?"

"Yes!"

Lin Qi clicked "Yes," and the panel changed.

[Red Realm Arena Rankings (Tianhai Branch)]

[Nickname: Yang Jian]

[Points: 12]

[Rank: 328]

...

Lin Qi was puzzled. Rank 328? Did that mean there were 328 people in the Cangqiong Martial Arts Hall stronger than him?

He shook his head; it was likely related to points or win rate. His low points were probably the reason for his low rank.

[Gentle Reminder: Your experience time is almost up!]

Just as Lin Qi was about to explore further, a reminder popped up, indicating only three minutes remained.

"An hour went by that fast?"

Lin Qi shook his head, sighing that time flew by, though he did feel mentally exhausted. It was time to log off. Today’s harvest was already significant, and he felt grateful to Guo Heng for bringing him to experience the "Red Realm."