The Samsara Jade

Chapter 42

"Li Chen thinks he is strong because no one can cut his skin," Zhao Feng thought to himself, staring at Li Chen across the quiet stage. "But physical strength has a limit. When I unleash the full power of the 6th Level, I will summon a fire so hot it will boil the blood inside his veins. His iron skin will become a metal oven, cooking his organs alive. He will scream, and I will laugh."

Zhao Feng’s arrogance returned completely. The unsettled feeling vanished. He was a 6th Level master. He was a dragon. Li Chen was just a stubborn insect that needed to be stepped on a second time. 

"You are very quiet, little rat," Zhao Feng mocked, breaking the silence on the stage. 

Li Chen did not look up from the floor. He was slowly, carefully picking up the broken pieces of his mother’s dark green jade pendant. 

"Are you praying to your dead mother?" Zhao Feng laughed. It was a cruel, loud sound. "Do you think she can help you? I heard she was crying when the killers cut her down."

Li Chen stopped moving. He held the small, broken pieces of green stone in his large, grey hand. 

He slowly stood up straight. He did not put the pieces in his pocket. He held them tightly in his left fist. 

Li Chen finally looked at Zhao Feng. The pitch-black void in his eyes seemed to swirl, like a dark storm gathering over a deep ocean. 

"You talk too much about the dead, Zhao Feng," Li Chen said. His voice was not angry. It was totally flat and empty. It was the voice of a judge reading a death sentence. "Soon, you will join them. And you can ask her yourself."

Before Zhao Feng could reply with another insult, a loud horn blew. 

The crowd parted. The old referee ran back toward the stage. 

Following closely behind the referee was a tall, powerful man wearing golden robes. It was the Outer Sect Leader himself. He looked very serious. In his hands, he carried a long, glowing red scroll. 

The Life and Death Blood Scroll. 

The Outer Sect Leader stepped up onto the stone stage. He looked at Zhao Feng, and then he looked at Li Chen. 

"A Life and Death Contract is a very serious matter," the Sect Leader said in a booming voice. His voice echoed across the silent arena. "It means you throw away the protection of the Azure Sword Sect. If you sign this, you step out of our laws. The match will not stop until one heart stops beating. There is no surrender. There is no crying for help. The winner takes the life, the belongings, and the honor of the loser."

The Sect Leader unrolled the glowing red scroll. It was not made of paper. It looked like it was made of dried skin. The words written on it were a glowing, magical gold. 

"Zhao Feng," the Sect Leader said. "Do you understand and accept these terms?"

"I accept," Zhao Feng said proudly. He stepped forward. 

"Li Chen," the Sect Leader turned his fierce eyes to the tall, grey-skinned boy in the black coat. "You are just an outer disciple. You have no Qi. Are you absolutely sure you want to throw your life away? This is your final chance to step down."

"I accept," Li Chen answered instantly. His voice did not shake. 

The Sect Leader nodded slowly. "Very well. Give the scroll your blood."

Zhao Feng lifted his right hand. He bit the tip of his thumb until a small drop of bright red blood appeared. He pressed his bloody thumb onto the bottom of the glowing red scroll. 

The scroll absorbed the blood instantly. A small, bright red symbol appeared where he touched it. 

Li Chen stepped forward. He did not bite his thumb. His Void-Iron skin was too tough to break easily with his own teeth. Instead, he raised his hand and pressed his thumb directly against the sharp, jagged edge of one of the broken jade pieces he held in his left hand. 

He pushed hard. A single drop of thick, dark crimson blood welled up. He pressed his thumb against the scroll. The scroll absorbed his dark blood. The contract was sealed. 

"It is done," the Sect Leader announced. He threw the scroll high into the air above the center of the stage. 

The glowing red scroll stopped in mid-air. It unrolled completely. Suddenly, a massive wave of red magical energy exploded from the scroll. 

The red light rushed outward, falling down around the edges of the square stone stage like a waterfall of blood. It hit the ground and locked into place. 

A giant, glowing red dome now covered the entire arena. 

It was the Blood Barrier. Nothing could get in. Nothing could get out. The stage was now a locked cage. They were completely trapped together until one of them died. 

The Sect Leader and the referee jumped backward, landing safely outside the red barrier just before it closed. 

"The contract is sealed!" the Sect Leader shouted to the crowd. "Let the Life and Death match begin!"