Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 369: Den of the Dark Tower

Chapter 369: Den of the Dark Tower

The higher the floors, the higher the competition and the power and the response to it. The roar of the crowd on floor 48 of the Dark Tower was ear drumming, but Dasha remained still and at east, his fist pressed against his cheeks. Below were four arenas, four battles. Each arena was a circular pit. Each was stained dark with the blood of countless battles.

Heidi of Old Blood and Guts versus Jiaqi of the Unorthodox Sect. Jiaqi had not yet stepped onto the platform.

"You saw the last battle, right? Jiaqi has learned to focus all three Dantians. He is in the Early Stage of Core Formation."

"Heidi is going to lose at last."

Mutters and shouts echoed. Bets were made. People hyped up the match as one to remember.

To witness a freshly awakened Core Formation fighter was worthy of Dasha Pang’s time. He turned his full attention rather than observing all four at once.

Half of Jiaqi’s gi was torn from above the waist. Scars and injuries were hidden by long white bandages. His long, dark brown was a messy length that hung over his shoulder. His daggers went up defensively as Heidi shifted her center of gravity. Jiaqi, however, was not on the arena just yet. He was observing. Studying. Heidi was on fire, bouncing on her feet.

The Bloody Kicker’s movements could be predicted to some extent. She was obscenely fast and relied solely on her feet.

’Whether Jiaqi can do anything against her kicks remains to be seen.’

Jiaqi stepped onto the arena—and the fight began with a sudden burst of speed from the Unorthodox fighter. Without slowing, he threw one dagger. Heidi’s reaction was swift. She raised her legs high and blocked the singular dagger.

Jiaqi expected that. His thrown dagger promptly returned to his hand and the blades moved in a series of rapid slashes. The sheer speed in the movement of his arms versus his travel speed was staggering. Dasha could see one but not the other.

Yet Heidi blocked it regardless.

Jiaqi’s approach was erratic and unpredictable. His initial attacks were low and full of thrusts. There were no hard patterns. Jiaqi then switched up. One moment he was launching a high-speed assault with twin slashes, the next he vanished in a blur of motion, only to reappear behind Heidi with a low, sweeping cut to her spine.

Heidi turned and slammed her foot into his wrist. Jiaqi should have been forced back. Slash!

Instead, he finally managed to drag his blade across her thigh.

Jiaqi’s martial prowess lay in his cool manipulation of the Qi in his arms. His daggers were always glowing with a pulsating energy and with fresh blood on it, it pulsated brighter. He smiled and proceeded to unleash a special attack.

"Bloody Mirage!"

His daggers danced after Heidi, leaving afterimages that nicked and bled her faintly. Dasha at this point could see nothing but blurry bodies.

The principle was clear to Dasha, however: this unconventional attack was a minor ritual. Taint the blade with the blood of thy enemy and gain power. Keep targeting and keep spilling blood to gain further strength and speed.

Yes, the Unorthodox Sect fighter was going faster.

Heidi managed to evade the later flurry of attacks but found herself pushed back by the sheer force of Jiaqi’s blood-infused strikes. She was going to fall out of bounds. His attacks became sharper. This was nothing like the Snake Style or any of the Animal Orthodox Styles that the Orthodox Sect fighters were said to wield.

Blood splattered again. Faster.

"Dragon’s Den."

Until Heidi’s first incantation.

Heidi’s first mutter.

All of a sudden—

"Gah! Ngh! Kssshk!"

A kick to the temple, a kick to the stomach, a kick to the knee, and then a kick to the back of the head.

Dasha had not seen any of it. He only deduced what happened once the Unorthodox martial artist smacked into the ground. Bruises and bones were danted, his daggers weakly in his grasp. Heidi stood over him, her breathing light but controlled.

She slammed a heel down into his side and scarlet pooled from his teeth.

The winner was Heidi.

"Wow!" Beside him, Mùchén applauded. "You were right. Heidi won!"

Dasha’s eyes burned down at the retreating figure of Heidi the Bloody Kicker. She was done for today. That whole battle, she had been pushed back and in a single move, she turned it around and seized victory. Just as the rumours suggested, she was climbing up the floors of the Dark Tower fast and doing so while holding back.

’An increase in speed like that can only mean one thing. Heidi of Old Blood and Guts, could it be that you...?’

"Dragon’s Den...it cannot be!" the scout sitting two aisles ahead of Dasha whispered. "But how!? She’s a nobody!"

"But she watched. She watched and learned," said the other scout. "This kind of talent..."

"Princess Liuying will be intrigued."

Dasha was not the forthcoming type. He did not show up and slaughter whenever it was most convenient. He regarded himself as calculated. He never headed into a situation unless he was nearly certain he could gain substantial value from it. With the Whispers, he had already known they had been watching him. He was aware of Xavier’s keen interest and he had deduced that they wouldn’t kill him.

This was no different. He had already calculated the events for the next three days. All he had to do was wait for them to unfold.

Up ahead, on the other end of the arena, he saw more scouts. He saw the servants of the Floor Masters. Dasha raised a hand.

"Mùchén?"

"Yes!?"

The boy thief half paid attention to his call out, enthralled and locked onto the victorious kicker below. He waved at her but she didn’t look. She was gone from the Dark Tower’s battle area and her wilding fans.

"Why don’t you talk to Heidi?" Dasha suggested. "Here is a potion. I am sure she will appreciate it."

"B-but what if she rejects it?"

"Then pick another fighter you are a fan of. Any one will do."

They were all fine fighters after all.